Paris After confirming multiple times that the news of Russia declaring war was true, Napoleon IV fainted on the spot, and the French government immediately descended into chaos. It felt as though the sky had fallen. Austria alone had already pushed them to their limits, and now the Russians had come to strike while they were down. There was no way the war could be fought under such circumstances. As the doctor emerged, Prime Minister Terence Bourquin hurried forward and asked, “Doctor Telcon, how is His Majesty’s condition?” In a monarchy, the emperor fainting was a major event. Under normal circumstances, if Napoleon IV had fallen ill, Terence Bourquin might have quietly celebrated. After all, the power struggle between crown and cabinet never truly ended. A monarch in poor health often created opportunities for expanding ministerial influence. But now was no time for power plays. France was already beset by internal and external crises. If a political power struggle broke out on top of that, it would be the end. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact. As Prime Minister of France, Terence Bourquin’s fate was already tied to the Bonaparte dynasty. He did not even have the option of switching allegiance. “Prime Minister, please don’t worry,” the doctor replied. “His Majesty is in good health. He merely fainted due to intense emotional shock. He is awake now and you may go in, but I must warn you that his mental state is still fragile. You must take care not to let him become overexerted, and above all, avoid any further emotional shocks.” Hearing the doctor’s explanation, Terence Bourquin sighed in relief, but a bitter smile crept onto his face. No more emotional shocks? Given France’s current situation, unless the emperor completely gave up all involvement in politics, such shocks were inevitable. But that was impossible. The Bonaparte dynasty lacked a deep foundation, and the French people were notoriously spirited. If the emperor truly relinquished power, it was only a matter of time before the guillotine returned. With the example of Louis XVI still fresh in history, anyone suggesting abdication or full delegation of power might as well prepare for “special treatment.” … Seeing that the members of the cabinet had arrived, Napoleon IV, lying weakly in bed, gestured slightly and said in a feeble voice, “You’re all here. Find yourselves a seat, and let’s begin.” “Your Majesty, your health…” Prime Minister Terence Bourquin hesitated. It was obvious Napoleon IV was in poor condition, and Bourquin was deeply concerned that the emperor might not withstand further shock. Napoleon IV gave a bitter smile and shook his head and replied, “It’s all right. I can handle it. Things have already gotten this bad. How much worse could it possibly get?” From birth until now, this was the first time Napoleon IV had truly felt despair. Even when the rebels once swept into Paris, he had never felt such hopelessness. “From our initial assessment, it appears Russia’s sudden declaration of war is part of an Austrian scheme. There was no prior sign or leak of information, clearly intended to catch us off guard. In this regard, the government must bear responsibility. We were well aware of the Austro-Russian alliance, yet we trusted Britain’s judgment and naively believed the Russians would not want to see Austria grow too powerful. With Russia joining the war, the military pressure we face will only intensify. To respond to this worsening situation, the cabinet has just sent a telegram to the British requesting aid. One cannot do without the other. The British do not want to see a single power dominate the European continent. If they want to avoid facing the Austro-Russian alliance alone, they should side with us.” Typical politician. Even while analyzing the crisis, Terence Bourquin subtly distanced himself from blame. While appearing to take responsibility, he was actually reassuring Napoleon IV that this was not a failure of the cabinet’s competence, but a reasonable misjudgment under complex international conditions. In theory, the Russians not holding Austria back was already generous. Actively entering the war to help Austria dominate Europe? That simply made no sense. Unfortunately, politics has never followed the rules of logic. If Britain and France, longtime enemies, could find themselves on the same side, then Russia’s behavior was not all that surprising. After hearing the prime minister’s report, Napoleon IV calmly asked, “Is there any good news?” Napoleon IV was already aware of Russia’s entry into the war before he lost consciousness. He understood perfectly well how serious the consequences would be. In such a situation, he naturally needed some good news to ease his mood. The uncertain prospect of winning over Britain certainly did not qualify as good news. Prime Minister Terence Bourquin promptly replied, “The Anglo-Russian war has just ended, and the Russian government is facing a financial crisis. The costs of war are being covered entirely by Austria. According to intelligence from our embassy, the Russian government has yet to make any real military preparations, so in the short term, Russia will be unable to send troops. This gives us an opportunity. If we can win the Central European campaign before the Russians actually commit their forces, then there is still room to turn the situation around.” That counted as good news? To Napoleon IV, it felt more like a gamble. If they won the bet, the war could continue; if they lost, there would be nothing more to say, and it would be time to prepare for exile. And yet, this desperate gamble had become France’s only remaining hope. As for support from Britain, no one seriously believed the Royal Navy could sail their warships onto dry land. This was a purely land-based conflict. Even if Britain expanded its miniature army fivefold, it still wouldn’t be enough to tip the balance of power. Though far from satisfied, Napoleon IV knew that having a plan was better than having none at all. If they did not try, how could they ever know whether it might work? … Madrid. Ever since the defeat of the Spanish Armada, Spain had begun a century-long decline. The decaying influence of religion, feudal system, internal political turmoil, and deliberate suppression from Britain and France were all key factors behind Spain’s fall. Especially during the last anti-French war, Spain, despite being on the winning side, not only lost large swaths of overseas colonies but also saw its demands for the return of disputed territories with France flatly rejected. Time wears everything down. After several decades, the humiliation and hatred had long faded. If nothing unexpected occurred, in a few more decades these memories would become cold and lifeless history, lying quietly in some corner of a library, occasionally flipped through by historians. But something unexpected did happen. After the outbreak of the continental war, Austria stirred up a wave of anti-French sentiment across Europe. These long-forgotten grievances resurfaced in public view. Times had changed. Spanish nationalism had already risen. Although conservatives still held political power, nationalists had gained the ability to make their voices heard. With the efforts of these nationalists, the call for revenge began to spread through society. And after France suffered defeats on the battlefield, the war faction became even more emboldened. Still, it was not enough. The ruling conservatives remained trapped under the lingering shadow of Napoleon’s domination of Europe and dared not cross the line. Under such circumstances, Austria’s efforts to win over Spain went poorly. Aside from persuading the Spanish government to restrict exports to France and apply a bit of pressure, they gained very little. All of that changed when news arrived that Russia had joined the war. The Russian government planned to declare war without actually fighting, but the outside world did not know this. Russia still had its pride. It was one thing to make only symbolic moves, but admitting it publicly would have been too embarrassing. Because of Russia’s entry into the war, most of Europe began to favor the anti-French alliance. Spain was no exception. The neutral faction, which had previously been hesitant, now leaned toward the war camp. The voices in favor of war gradually began to overwhelm those calling for peace. There was no other choice. The anti-French alliance had already gained the upper hand, and for Spain to join in meant merely tagging along and still being counted among the victors. Moreover, Austria was offering far too much. They outright threw France’s map on the table and said, “Pick whichever part you like.” It was simply too tempting to refuse. Inside the Royal Palace of Madrid, the pro-war and pro-peace factions had once again fallen into heated argument. Queen Maria Christina, acting as regent and being of Austrian birth, had kept a neutral stance on this issue to avoid suspicion. But when the argument escalated into shouting and insults, Maria Christina could no longer hold back and snapped, “Silence, all of you! Remember your positions. This is not a racetrack. You’re here to discuss what choice we should make now that Russia has joined the war, not to bicker endlessly.” Remaining neutral did not mean having no opinion. Even though she never said it outright, everyone knew that Queen Regent Maria Christina leaned toward Austria. Perhaps before the situation was clear, she would have avoided taking any risks for Austria. But the situation had changed. The victory of the anti-French alliance was only a matter of time, and Spain had to pick a side. Remaining neutral might appear to offend no one, but in reality it would displease both sides. It might not show now, but once the continental war ended, Spain would surely suffer the consequences. Neutrality came with prerequisites. A country had to be strong enough to stand alone or insignificant enough that its stance made no difference. Unfortunately, Spain, already in decline, was neither. If it failed to choose a side now, it would undoubtedly face suppression by the dominant power once the war was over. Foreign Minister Bernardo Roberto said, “The direction of the continental war is already clear. Now that Russia has entered the fight, France’s chances of victory are practically zero. The Foreign Ministry believes Austria’s goal in courting us is no longer just about defeating France. It is more about shaping the postwar international order. And it’s not just us. Except for the British, Austria is trying to win over all the remaining neutral states in Europe. Because of our geopolitical situation, we will have to contribute more than others, including going to war with France. But the rewards match the effort. The Austrian government has shown real sincerity when it comes to sharing the spoils.” Taking sides is always the most difficult decision to make, and unfortunately, Spain doesn’t have the strength to refuse. Turning down Austria’s offer now would mean cutting itself off from the future political order of the European continent. “It’s not that serious. Even if Austria wins the war, they won’t be able to dominate everything. The British, Russians, and even the French won’t allow them to act unchecked. On the contrary, joining this war is even more dangerous. Everyone knows how powerful France is. We must not forget the lessons of the last anti-French war. The anti-French alliance may seem strong now, but no one can say for certain who will come out on top in the end. Spain can’t afford another disaster. If we do take a side, it should be after the outcome is clear.” The speaker was the conservative leader, Antonio Cánovas del Castillo. Having personally fought in the previous anti-French war and witnessed Spain’s defeat, he suffers from severe “Francophobia.” And he is not alone. Anyone who experienced that last war against France shares the same fear. They make up the most committed anti-war faction within the Spanish government. “Sir, you’re still stuck in the past. France without Napoleon is a completely different country. Just look at the battlefields. In Africa, they’ve been crushed by Austria. In the southern front, they’re under pressure as well. Even in Central Europe, where they appear to be holding their ground, they haven’t gained any real advantage. If the French hadn’t expelled the population of the Rhineland and Belgium, which strained the alliance’s logistics and delayed the decisive battle, they might have already lost by now. And now, with Russia joining the anti-French coalition, how can France possibly turn the tide against such overwhelming strength? Even Napoleon, for all his brilliance, was eventually defeated. Waiting until the end to choose sides may seem safe, but when it comes time to divide the spoils after the war, we won’t be entitled to anything. Don’t expect anyone to balance Austria’s power after the war. The international situation has changed, and no one knows if France will even exist afterward. Let’s not forget that Austria has promised us our pick of French territory. Clearly, they’re preparing to divide or even dismantle France. If we don’t take part now, we’ll miss this opportunity entirely…”
*** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH) Support the translation and read more chapters at https://ko-fi.com/dragonlegion
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