A blessing in disguise, sometimes politics works out like a comedy. Originally, the British government had doubts about supporting the Japanese, worrying that they were a hopeless case and that any investment would not pay off. But once the Holy Roman Empire decided to support the Spanish, the British government was left with no choice. If they still refused to act, they would soon lose their foothold in the East Indies. At first glance, Britain did not have much interest in the East Indies, and even if they were pushed out, the loss would not appear too great. However, things could not be judged only on the surface. Looking at the map, the East Indies was right between the Far East and India. If Britain were squeezed out, its hegemonic position in the Far East would also be shaken. Of course, they had another option: Australia. But that would mean going around in a wide circle, which was simply not sustainable. The British could not afford more setbacks. With the Royal Navy already strained by the closure of the Suez Canal, any further detours would make operations unmanageable. Under these circumstances, Britain could only bring in external forces to balance the powers in the East Indies and relieve its own pressure. … At the same time the Spanish arrived at New Frankfurt Port, Itō Hirobumi, on behalf of the Japanese government, signed the Anglo-Japanese East Indies Secret Treaty in London with British Foreign Secretary George. The treaty stipulated: One: Both contracting parties mutually recognized the right to protect their interests in the East Indies. If Japan’s “special interests” in the region were threatened by another power, either nation had the right to intervene. Two: If one contracting party, in protecting these interests, went to war with a third country, the other should remain strictly neutral and, within its capacity, provide assistance. Three: If one contracting party were attacked by two or more countries, the other should provide military aid. Four: In peacetime, the two navies should coordinate their actions to maintain superiority in the East Indies and Far Eastern waters. … Supplementary Agreement: In view of the needs of the Japanese–Spanish War, Britain agrees to sell to the Japanese government three battleships, five cruisers, seven destroyers, and several auxiliary warships. The treaty would remain valid for five years, after which both nations would decide, depending on circumstances, whether to renew it. Apart from targeting a different adversary, this Anglo–Japanese secret treaty was essentially a replica of the Anglo–Japanese Alliance in the original timeline. The only real difference lay in the far more complex situation in the East Indies, which made both Britain and Japan reluctant to announce their alliance openly. Although the Royal Navy was the strongest in the world, in terms of deployment speed in the East Indies, they were actually inferior to the Holy Roman Empire. When fleets from both nations departed from their home ports at the same time, the Holy Roman fleet would still arrive at least half a month earlier. Such was the strategic importance of the Suez Canal. The only way to offset this disadvantage was to station a large force. In theory, as long as the Royal Navy maintained twice the strength of the Holy Roman Navy, they could still secure superiority. If the Royal Navy divided its forces and blockaded both the Strait of Gibraltar and the Red Sea, it could effectively bottle up the Holy Roman fleet in the Mediterranean, like in a bathtub. After all, the Royal Navy’s combat power was greater. With equal numbers, the Holy Roman fleet was still no match for them. Yet this remained true only in theory. When put into practice, it had little effect. A naval blockade was effective only against small countries. When dealing with a colossus like the Holy Roman Empire, Britain’s blockade could, at best, cause some economic inconvenience. Rather than acting as a deterrent, it would only provoke the Austrian government and push the Empire to build even more warships. Even so, while Britain might not be able to secure victory, neither could it lose. By virtue of its sheer strength, the Royal Navy already stood on unassailable ground. In the end, the result would be nothing more than Britain losing its colonies in Africa, while the Holy Roman Empire would most likely lose its colonies in the East Indies and the Americas. Perhaps the two countries might even engage in an exchange of air raids, bombing each other in turn. Some coastal states of the Holy Roman Empire might well be subjected to the baptism of fire. But overall, both sides would end up as losers, while the only winners would be the bystanders who had stayed out of the conflict. With tempers not yet breaking out into open war, the exposure of the Anglo-Japanese secret treaty was nothing short of forcing the Netherlands and Spain into joining hands with the Holy Roman Empire. Two against three seemed like a loss for Britain. As for Japan, they simply dared not stir this hornet’s nest. Though counted among the Great Powers, Spain as a so-called gatekeeper of the club was hardly of the same caliber as the Holy Roman Empire. If things really went south, who could guarantee that the British would remain reliable? If they chose to cast aside caution and send a fleet straight to Tokyo, the Japanese government would have no way to withstand it. Even if the British government did step in to help, by the time the Royal Navy arrived, it would be far too late as they would only be able to collect the corpses. Revenge? What good would that do? With the shallow foundations of the Japanese Empire, one defeat would mean they could never recover. What “future” would there be? They could hardly expect the Holy Roman Empire to surrender and pay reparations so they could rebuild their navy, can they? … At that very moment, the Spaniards had just arrived at the port of New Frankfurt, where a banquet of celebration was being held. After drifting at sea for so many days, they had finally made it to shore, and it was time to relax. “Sir Witt, has Governor Chandler not come?” It was only halfway through the banquet that Admiral Valkenhayn, the fleet commander, realized that one important guest had yet to arrive. Sir Witt, an envoy of foreign affairs, smiled politely as he replied, “My deepest apologies. His Excellency the Governor was detained by urgent business at the last moment, and has asked me to convey his regrets on his behalf.” From his sincere smile, one could see that he was full of apology. Unfortunately, this was not what Admiral Valkenhayn needed. If Spain wanted to defeat the Japanese and recover the Philippine Islands, the support of the Austrian Governor-General of the East Indies was indispensable. Governor Chandler’s deliberate avoidance clearly showed his reluctance to become further involved in the Spanish-Japanese War. Although the two countries were allies, relations between nations still depended on interests. That the Austrian government could fulfill the treaty previously signed with Spain was already a considerable favor. If Spain wanted more support, it would depend on what the Spanish government was willing to offer. Regrettably, Spain’s resources were far too limited to afford such a price. Otherwise, Spain would already have bribed the various European powers and pushed the Continental Alliance to pass a resolution ordering the Japanese to withdraw from the Philippine Islands. It would not only be the Japanese government, even the British government would have to think twice before ignoring a collective resolution of the Continental Alliance. In fact, Spain did once have an opportunity. Had it joined the anti-French coalition before Russia’s entry, it could have secured the coalition’s full support. Unfortunately, the Spanish government’s hesitation caused it to be just a step too late. Once Russia entered the war ahead of them, Spain’s value declined sharply. Spain still retained the status of a victor and received spoils of war, but if it wanted the Holy Roman Empire to help seize back the Philippine Islands, that was clearly not enough. After a brief moment of awkwardness, Admiral Valkenhayn quickly recovered and politely responded, “It is no problem, His Excellency the Governor is understandably busy. However, regarding the maintenance of the warships, I wonder when it can begin? Sir Witt, you know as well as I do. Our fleet has sailed tens of thousands of kilometers from the homeland, and with another great battle approaching soon, the ships are in urgent need of maintenance.” Having sailed tens of thousands of kilometers, yet requiring only “maintenance” and not “repairs,” was enough to prove the excellent quality of the French warships and, at the same time, the professional competence of the Spanish Navy. Compared with the wretched and miserable Russian fleet of the original timeline, the Spaniards were much luckier this time. “The repair yard is ready and can begin at any moment. However, your fleet is quite large, and a single yard might not be able to finish maintenance quickly. If you are pressed for time, I would personally suggest splitting the fleet among several repair yards. With our technical capacity, if divided, we could have everything done in as little as a week.” Money delivered to the door was never to be refused. Whether it was logistical supplies or warship maintenance, everything came at a price. When dealing with clients, Sir Witt always offered warmth like the sun. As long as the customer had money, he would do everything possible to meet their needs. As for the outcome of this war, it was not actually so important. As long as the Austrian government was willing, even if the Spanish Navy were completely annihilated, a stronger fleet could be built for them at once. The same applied to their enemies. As long as the British were willing, no matter how heavy the Japanese losses, they too could immediately be replenished. In a certain sense, the key to victory in this Spanish–Japanese War no longer lay on the battlefield but in the contest between the great powers. Admiral Valkenhayn said joyfully, “Of course, the sooner the better. The people of the Philippines are still waiting for us to rescue them!” Though he did not yet know that Britain and Japan had already struck a deal, Admiral Valkenhayn still understood the danger of delaying too long. The Philippine Islands were a true prize, and Japan was not the only country with eyes on them. Nearly every colonial empire had at one point dreamed of claiming them. For now, the Philippines were still generally recognized as Spanish territory, and political considerations made it inconvenient for other nations to move directly against them. But if time dragged on, things would change. Once the international community judged that Spain could not retake the Philippines, its claim to sovereignty would vanish. In that case, with the islands under new ownership, the political restraints would disappear as well, and other powers would feel free to act. In particular, Britain and Austria had the strength to wrest the Philippines from Japanese hands, which made them the very rivals Valkenhayn kept a wary eye on.
*** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)
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