The year 1889 was an especially dramatic one, full of spectacle for the onlookers. From the initial wars in Central Asia and Afghanistan to the outbreak of the diplomat incident, things escalated rapidly as Britain and Austria launched into a sensational battle of words. But that was only the beginning. What was supposed to be a quarrel between Britain and Russia soon expanded when the British, ignoring the rules, dragged others into the mess. Starting in the second half of the year, the dirty secrets of Europe’s colonial empires began surfacing one after another. Austria was no exception, leaving Franz, who had merely intended to watch the show, too busy to enjoy the drama. At this point, if he still didn’t see this as a British scheme, then he might as well have wasted all his years as emperor. The so-called “Central Asian massacre case” and the exposure of each nation’s dark past were all designed to shift international attention. The Russian envoy had been murdered in broad daylight in London, and the British government couldn’t offer a convincing explanation. The international community didn’t accept Britain’s account and urged the British government to quickly resolve the case and bring it to a proper close. In recent years, Britain has made many enemies. The joint pressure from other nations was not just about punishing them in breaking the unspoken agreement but also an opportunity for others to make a political statement. With solid justification and a collective European stance, the British had no grounds for retaliation afterward. Of course, retaliation wasn’t the real concern. Russia and Austria were leading the pressure and weren’t afraid of retribution. Other nations merely joined in to maintain their relevance. For small countries, fading into obscurity on the international stage could be a disaster in itself. The British government, unwilling and unable to investigate the “envoy murder incident,” sought ways to shift public attention. Thus, the “Russian massacre in Central Asia” story was pushed to the forefront. After a media frenzy, public focus shifted to the colonial atrocities of various empires. As one of the victims, Franz was now busy with damage control and had no time to go after Britain. According to British newspapers, Austria was supposedly the largest slave-trading syndicate in human history, even more notorious than Portugal or England. Franz absolutely rejected this narrative. What a joke. If Austria was the top slave-trading nation, then that would make him the biggest slave trader of all. On this matter, Franz was willing to swear before God that he had never engaged in the slave trade. The Austrian government had likewise never been involved, and in fact, had been among the earliest nations to combat slavery. From the very beginning of its colonial ventures, Austria had not profited in any way from slave trading. Its record was clean beyond dispute. Vienna Palace Franz frowned at the reports accusing Austria of engaging in the slave trade and asked, “There’s growing criticism against us in the media. What plans does the Ministry of Propaganda have?” They couldn’t silence every mouth. If others were determined to speak ill, Austria had no way to shut them all up. Because international forces were manipulating the situation behind the scenes, even the usual tactic of financial influence had lost its effect. And even if some papers could be bought, their asking prices were outrageous. Austria wasn’t going to spend foolishly. Louis von Lavare, the Minister of Propaganda, replied, “Given the complexity of the current international situation, beyond passive explanation, our best option is to shift the blame. We abolished slavery thirty years ago and banned all forms of slave trading. That is common knowledge. Back then, labor shortages severely restricted the economic development of American nations. To support their growth, we transferred surplus labor from Austrian Africa. It was a mutual benefit arrangement. To ensure the wellbeing of the migrants, we even issued subsidies. Before arriving in the Americas, they were free people, and their contracts confirmed that status. If they later became slaves, the responsibility lies with those countries.” Although the argument was a bit of a stretch, Franz chose to accept it. Over the years, Austria had sent tens of millions of migrants to the Americas and Persia, supposedly to support their development. There were contracts to prove it. These historical documents were archived by the Austrian government. Austria only responded to requests for excess labor. The Austrian government invested heavily to help these nations prosper, even losing millions of guilders in the process. The tragedy that followed was caused by greedy capitalists who turned free migrants into slaves. If blame were to be assigned, it should fall on those nations for their legal failings. None of it was Austria’s fault. Those calling Austria a slave trader were clearly malicious. After all, who had ever seen a slave trader pay to supply slaves? After a moment’s thought, Franz shook his head and said, “This still isn’t enough. While clearing our name, we also need negative examples for contrast. Many European countries were involved in the slave trade. Shift the focus to them, especially the British. They were the greatest slave traders and drug dealers in human history. These are crimes against civilization. We must expose Britain’s conspiracy and let the world see the truth.” If you sabotage me, I’ll sabotage you. That was how great powers interacted. If Britain wanted to stir up trouble everywhere, Franz wouldn’t hesitate to throw them into the fire. In terms of dark history, Austria was a minor player. Compared to others, its misdeeds were insignificant. “Yes, Your Majesty!” Having replied, Louis von Lavare felt a headache coming on. Exposing Britain’s misdeeds was easy. They were stained from head to toe and couldn’t wash it off. But to craft a convincing conspiracy theory, he had to be careful. Not because of a lack of material. On the contrary, Britain had so many conspiracies that it was hard to choose. He could consult the volumes of plans from Austria’s General Staff Office, full of wild ideas ranging from cautious strategies to dangerously aggressive schemes. Noticing the minister’s worry, Franz added, “Focus the conspiracy angle on drugs. The British exported opium not only for profit, but to weaken other nations and pave the way for global domination. You can have scholars and experts publicly denounce Britain’s sinister motives and call for a worldwide ban on opium. The Foreign Ministry can coordinate with you. If needed, we can host a global anti-drug conference under the government’s name.” Franz had long wanted to promote anti-drug efforts. Unfortunately, until recently, most people did not understand how harmful opium was. Many saw it as a panacea. So Austria had to deal with it internally, while the rest of the world still embraced opium. In some regions, it was even treated as hard currency. With advances in science, awareness of opium’s dangers grew. More and more people now support banning it. The basic conditions for a global campaign against drugs were starting to come together. Since the British had conveniently stepped into the spotlight, Franz saw no reason not to undermine their profits. Even if all countries didn’t participate, getting a few major powers involved could set the groundwork for international law. While they might not be able to wipe out opium entirely, they could certainly tarnish Britain’s global image. Louis von Lavare reminded him, “Your Majesty, the British themselves consume opium, both at home and in the colonies. Claiming they’re using opium to weaken others may seem a bit far-fetched.” It was true that opium merchants were ruthless. While poisoning the world, they also didn’t hesitate to profit off their fellow citizens. Business was business, no matter who got hurt. Franz smiled slightly and said, “That doesn’t matter. It’s enough to announce that accusation internationally. We can spin a different narrative within Britain, such as: capitalists are trying to control the British people with opium. Emphasize the addictive nature of opium. Once addicted, people lose control and become pawns of the capitalists behind the scenes.” Even if it wasn’t true, people would still believe it. Even if opium merchants hadn’t done such a thing yet, who could say they hadn’t considered it? The British government never passed a full opium ban. They only had a Pharmacy Act of 1868, which barely restricted anything.
*** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)
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