Since ancient times, interest has always been the strongest bridge of friendship. As long as benefits are secured, friendship will naturally follow. It was not that Governor Chandler enjoyed playing tricks. He was simply forced by reality. On the surface, the Holy Roman Empire, as the greatest victor of the continental war, looked proud and unshakable. In truth, however, it was at its weakest moment. The established national policy of the Austrian government was preservation, not expansion. The Philippine Islands might be fertile and wealthy, but that alone was not enough to make Austria change its course. As a colonial governor, Chandler had to balance both national strategy and the interests of the colonial elites. Under such conditions, it was a test of skillful maneuvering. The original plan to snatch the prize had been built on Spain’s defeat and Japan’s weakness. Yet the situation had shifted. Spain indeed looked unlikely to win, but Japan’s unexpected resilience was troubling. Their combat effectiveness might not have been impressive, but they were willing to fight to the death. With only the Empire’s limited forces in the East Indies, defeating Japan might be possible, but the cost would be unbearable. For the Holy Roman Empire, Japan was never the real concern. The true threat lurked in the shadows, watching like a tiger. That was Britain. A single misstep, and the war in the Philippines could turn into a proxy war: Britain supplying weapons, Japan supplying men. And everyone knew how disastrous proxy wars could be. One only had to recall the First Near East War, the two Prusso-Russian wars, and most recently the Anglo-Russian Afghan War. Time and again, rivals had been dragged in and crushed. Some perished entirely, others were left crippled, and even those who survived emerged gravely weakened. The reason Britain and Russia had not stirred up trouble when the Holy Roman Empire was at its weakest was not because the two governments were noble or because there were no conflicts among the three powers. The real reason was that both Britain and Russia were in no condition to act. The Afghan War had cost each of them hundreds of thousands of soldiers, leaving behind nothing but chaos, along with a crushing financial burden. Under such circumstances, even if they wished to make trouble, they had no choice but to restrain themselves. In a certain sense, the restoration of the Holy Roman Empire owed much to the proxy wars secretly orchestrated by the Austrian government. Back when Franz had just crossed over, he might have indulged in a bout of youthful arrogance, seizing the chance to beat Japan into the ground just to vent his frustration. But that was no longer possible. As a mature politician, every military move had to be driven by profit. Japan in those days was dirt poor. Even if the Empire steamrolled them without resistance, it would never recoup the costs of war. And if something went wrong midway, the losses would be disastrous. Since he had no intention of going to battle personally, yet still coveted the fertile Philippine islands, Spain’s value suddenly came into play. Britain supported Japan, so Austria supported Spain. No matter who won or lost, the Holy Roman Empire profited either way. It was only a matter of how much. From the perspective of the Austrian government, the greater Britain’s support for Japan, the better. Only then would Anglo-Spanish tensions keep escalating. A Spain that had simultaneously made enemies of Britain and France, yet still retained some strength, was without a doubt the best ally the Empire could ask for. It did not matter that Spain was declining, so long as it did not collapse too quickly. If Spain were actually on the rise, Franz would not dare take such a little brother under his wing. Compared with the strategic benefits, the value of the Philippines was negligible. If the Spaniards had not delivered themselves to his doorstep, Governor Chandler would not have had any way to act. “Commander, you worry too much. Given the friendship between our two nations, there isn’t a single shipyard that would dare risk universal condemnation by pulling anything shady. But the East Indies are not Europe. All the tools, equipment, and spare parts for the repair yards here have to be shipped from the homeland. And since the specifications of your warships differ from ours, many components have to be custom-made. Naturally, this raises the costs a little. It’s not that we’re trying to take advantage of the situation. You know full well that stockpiling spare parts in advance is a risky gamble. The capitalists only do it because they’re looking to make money. So, about this price…” After hearing this explanation, Admiral Valkenhayn was left speechless. Stockpiling specialized spare parts and repair equipment in advance… If that wasn’t profiteering, then what was? If it were only a matter of high repair costs, he would not have minded paying more. On the battlefield, time meant life. The more spare parts a shipyard had in stock, the faster repairs could be completed. Earning a little extra profit was reasonable. But this was clearly not just about money. Higher repair costs alone were not enough to make Admiral Valkenhayn swallow his pride and beg for help. Seeing that Governor Chandler refused to state things outright, Valkenhayn understood it was about saving face. As the leader of the Continental Alliance, it would be humiliating for the Austrian government if word spread that it had been scheming after the colonies of a smaller ally. The best approach was to let the Spaniards offer it up themselves. Only then could Austria name a “reasonable price,” and both sides would preserve their dignity. Suppressing his irritation, Admiral Valkenhayn forced himself to say with a straight face, “Governor, for the sake of friendship between our two nations, and in gratitude for the strong support of your government, my side is willing to open the Philippine market. You know well that our finances have always been in poor shape. If your country could provide assistance, we would be willing to sell part of the islands.” “Your Excellency, you misunderstand. We harbor no designs on your colonies, nor would the Holy Roman Empire ever covet the colonies of its allies. If your finances are truly in difficulty, we are more than willing to provide aid. For the sake of global peace and stability, the Empire is launching a worldwide strategy. If your country does not mind, you could lease us a few naval bases. Rest assured, our garrisons would only serve to maintain peace and stability in the region. We would never interfere in your administration of the colonies.” The fat piece of meat had been placed right in front of him, yet Chandler could not eat it. His heart ached, but there was no helping it. The Holy Roman Empire had to mind its image. Otherwise, it would stir panic throughout Europe. Spain’s decision to open its markets was enough to satisfy the colonial interest groups. As for taking advantage of the situation to annex the Philippines, that was out of the question. Even if Spain were to hand the islands over for free, the Holy Roman Empire could not take them right now. Buying territory was out of the question. Even if there really was a plan to purchase the islands, now was the worst possible time. People seemed to forget that the Philippines were still in Japanese hands. The moment the Holy Roman Empire claimed sovereignty by purchase, it would be dragged into Spain’s war whether it wanted to or not. The Governor-General of the East Indies might not be able to reap massive benefits, but that did not mean Austria would walk away empty-handed. Spain might be in decline, but as one of the old colonial powers, it still held islands of immense strategic value. Some islands, neglected and redundant in Spain’s hands, would instantly turn into priceless assets once transferred to the Holy Roman Empire. Ever since the end of the Continental War, the Empire’s global strategy had been placed on the agenda. Implementation had been slow, constrained by finances. But given a few years, once the spoils of war were fully absorbed, launching a full-scale globalization plan would be inevitable. … While Austria and Spain were making their moves, Britain and Japan were far from idle. Japan’s performance in the Philippine naval battles had earned them newfound respect. Downing Street Foreign Secretary George leaned forward, his tone grave, “Judging by the strength Japan has displayed in the Philippine seas, they have already proven they can counterbalance Spain. More than that, their sudden forceful entry has shaken the Holy Roman Empire’s dominance in the East Indies. Austria will never allow this to continue unchecked. If we do not intervene, it is only a matter of time before Japan is forced out of the region. If Japan’s East Indies strategy fails, their only path left will be northward. That will inevitably lead them into conflict with the Qing Empire. And when that happens, we will be forced to choose a side once again. For the sake of our Empire’s interests, the optimal move is clear. Support the Qing to tie down the Russians in the Far East, and support Japan to counter Spain and the Holy Roman Empire in the East Indies.” There was no doubt this was the most optimistic outcome. By propping up two smaller allies, Britain could escape its current awkward position, and that was nothing short of ideal. But plans were only plans. Turning them into reality was another matter entirely. Spain might be in decline, yet it was far from powerless. Its bureaucracy might be rotten, but its overall strength was still above Japan’s. More importantly, Spain was a European power, backed by the entire Continental Alliance. Once Spain secured diplomatic support from the other member states, Japan’s southern expansion would be doomed to collapse. Britain, meanwhile, was still working hard to join that very alliance and had already made progress. There was no chance it would openly clash with the alliance just for Japan’s sake. The southern plan was filled with uncertainty, but the northern plan was even worse. The defining trait of the Qing Empire was timidity. As long as Russia left them alone, they were content. Expecting them to pick a fight with Russia was simply unrealistic. Watching Britain and Russia tear each other apart in India already pleased them to no end. Why would they voluntarily jump into the fray? Despite all these problems, the so-called “plan” still became part of Britain’s foreign policy. If it succeeded, Britain would profit greatly. If it failed, there would be no real loss. Why not pursue it? This so-called support was mostly an illusion. All the weapons and equipment were bought by Japan with hard cash. What the British government truly provided was little more than diplomatic lip service. The stock market’s reaction said it all. Ever since Britain implemented this plan, the shares of domestic arms manufacturers had risen by eighteen percent, and even the machinery export sector had jumped by nine percent. Prime Minister Gladstone nodded slowly and said, “Approve Japan’s request. Since the Holy Roman Empire can assist Spain with warship repairs, our Far Eastern shipyards can likewise help Japan repair their ships. But we must control the limits. The Empire cannot intervene directly in this war. At the same time, the Foreign Office must accelerate its work in the Far East. Stir up conflict between the Qing Empire and Russia whenever possible, to ease the pressure on our forces in India. Order the Governor-General of India to increase support for the guerrillas in Central Asia, so the cost of Russian rule continues to climb. If necessary, we can provide Japan with a loan or issue war bonds on their behalf. Tentatively set the amount at twenty million pounds. With their customs revenues as collateral, the risk should be acceptable.” There was no avoiding the tension, as the Russians had already begun construction of the Central Asian Railway. The contractor was an Austrian railway company, and unless something drastic happened, completion was only a matter of time. Everyone knew that once the railway was finished, it would mark the Russians’ next push south. Although it would not be completed during Gladstone’s term, if nothing was done, future troubles would still stain their political legacy. For the sake of their reputation in life and after, Gladstone’s cabinet had recently been working with unprecedented effort. One seemingly perfect strategic plan after another was rolled out. Whether they would succeed was not their concern for now. As long as the plans looked feasible, that was enough. If they failed later, the blame would fall on the successor government, not on them. Foreign Secretary George said, “Based on intelligence gathered from various sources, the Austrian government is busy handling domestic affairs and has no plan to directly intervene in this war. The naval battle is at a stalemate, and the fighting will soon shift to land. The Japanese are willing to fight to the death, and as long as Austria does not interfere, the Spaniards, who have marched an army across the seas, cannot outlast them. The Foreign Office is looking for the right moment to mediate this war, urging the Japanese to stop while they are ahead, to prevent the conflict from escalating.” Compared with Spain, Japan’s greatest advantage was its population. If the facts were not before everyone’s eyes, no one could imagine that Spain, which had a population of eight million in the 16th century, now had fewer than eighteen million in total. Looking at the numbers, Spain’s decline was not without reason. The events that caused it need not be listed here, but they were all ways of courting disaster. As a result, Britain, which once had less than half of Spain’s population, now had almost twice as many. By contrast, Japan’s situation was much better. With a population of forty million, it had already met the population needs of a contemporary great power. One could say that even without a full naval victory, Spain had already lost half the war. In the battles to come, the Japanese government would surely make use of this advantage, luring the Spaniards into a decisive landing battle. After all, compared with their precious navy, Japan’s cheap and expendable army was abundant, and the government could afford the losses.
*** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)
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