The impact of changing the economic model was all-encompassing. As the new continental power, every move of the Holy Roman Empire was under close scrutiny from the outside world. Even if the steps taken by the Austrian government were small, the implementation of the new economic policies still drew the attention of other European governments. Attention or not, what kind of economic policies the Holy Roman Empire implemented was its own business. Other countries had no say in it. Aside from a few loudmouths praising free-market ideals, there was little reaction. Compared to the changes in the empire’s economic policies, the public was far more interested in the French Civil War and the Japan-Spain War. The French Civil War, in particular, was a favorite among onlookers. The anti-French war had only just ended, and the hatred had not fully faded. Seeing the enemy suffer, people were naturally eager to watch the chaos unfold. Ordinary citizens could enjoy the spectacle, but governments could not. If the French Civil War dragged on, the war reparations would remain a distant dream, visible but unreachable. The first to lose patience was the Belgian government. As the biggest victim of the European War, Belgium had fallen from a developed country to a state of near-total poverty. Postwar reconstruction was ongoing, and almost all materials had to be imported. National revenue was close to zero. The only income the Belgian government had was the war reparations from France. Now it was the second half of the year, and the settlement period was approaching. If the French Civil War did not end soon, this year’s war reparations would be lost. The Belgian government was currently surviving entirely on borrowed funds. All postwar reconstruction expenses came from international loans. Every penny had to be stretched as far as possible, and even government salaries could not be paid properly. Now, they were relying on the French reparations to pay civil servants, to prevent strikes from breaking out. Theoretically, the revolutionaries were now trapped in Paris, and the aristocratic faction held the upper hand militarily. Victory should be coming soon. Unfortunately, the French aristocracy was riddled with internal strife. Although the Austrian government had managed to mediate the disputes among the three royalist factions, that only suppressed the conflicts on the surface. Behind the scenes, acts of sabotage were still happening from time to time. In contrast, the situation of the new French government was much better. Whether by choice or by force, everyone there was already on the same sinking ship. With blood on their hands, they had no way back and no choice but to fight to the bitter end. It might seem, from the fact that revolutionary leaders could always flee abroad after a failed uprising, that escape was easy. In truth, only the top ranks ever managed to get out. Ordinary revolutionaries had neither the means nor the opportunity to go into exile. On one side stood the aristocratic alliance, each faction harboring its own private agenda. On the other stood the revolutionaries, driven to desperation. Naturally, the fighting spirit of the two was not on the same level. If not for the anti-French coalition backing the royalists, the balance of offense and defense would already have shifted. Support, however, did not extend to direct military intervention in the civil war. Part of the reason was that Carlos opposed it firmly, while another part was due to divisions within the coalition itself. Despite their poor performance, the aristocrats still held the strategic advantage. So long as the siege continued, the royalists would eventually wear their enemies down. Except for a few destitute states, who needed French reparations to stay afloat, most members of the anti-French coalition were content to let the French tear one another apart. The European War had left France gravely weakened, but it had not changed the fact that France was still a major power. With history’s lessons fresh in mind, no one dared to underestimate her. Now that the French were destroying themselves and draining their own national strength, it was exactly the outcome everyone else wished to see. In a sense, a civil war was the most devastating conflict of all. No matter who won or lost, the cost was borne entirely by the nation itself. A glance through history showed clearly that the greatest toll of civil wars had never been on the battlefield. The true devastation always lay outside it, where most people perished. Although precise casualty statistics were unavailable, the decline in French grain imports told a story of its own. According to data released by the European Grain Export Association, since the outbreak of the French Civil War, France’s total grain imports had dropped by 27.4% compared to the previous month. The primary reason for this decline was that the French people’s purses had been emptied, leaving them without purchasing power. Only secondarily was it due to the siege of Paris preventing outside grain from being brought in. From the proportion alone, nothing can be seen, but if converted into actual numbers, it means France has hundreds of thousands more people needing food. Of course, the real figures may vary. After all, countless refugees die every day from illness and hunger, so with population decreasing, the food shortage naturally eases somewhat. In this context, Belgium’s proposal for armed intervention naturally struggled to gain support. … At the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Emperor Franz the Great, still with some conscience, was troubled about the issue of French refugees. The European Alliance’s aid was conditional on the Bourbon dynasty’s successful restoration. Before the dust settled, no one would risk giving assistance to the French. The Austrian government helping the French? That was impossible. The hatred was not only among the French but also deep in the minds of the Holy Roman people. Whoever helped the French at that moment would be opposing the people of the Holy Roman Empire, especially since anti-French sentiment was strongest in Luxembourg and the Rhineland. To respect his own people’s feelings, Franz could not risk giving the French any substantial assistance. Of course, that was the official explanation to the Bourbon dynasty. Whether the French believed it or not was another matter. In any case, Franz genuinely worried about the French refugees. Since the outbreak of the French civil war, more and more refugees had crossed into the Holy Roman Empire. To survive, they naturally ignored national hatred. Deportation achieved nothing. Even if sent back, without enough food they would return within days. Being imprisoned was not a problem either, since at least the prisons of the Holy Roman Empire provided food, which was better than starving. Refugees would surrender to border guards, and as long as they were fed, they did not care about anything else. The attention of the European public was fixed on the French civil war, and naturally many newspapers focused on the refugee problem. For the sake of international reputation, many harsh measures could not be used. Especially with the children who came along, whether their parents were present or not, they all claimed to be orphans and simply refused to leave. Adults could be deported or arrested, but when it came to these orphans, the border guards were powerless. In the end they had to take care of them, and the frontline camps were nearly turned into nurseries. How to deal with these refugees had already become the greatest problem facing the Austrian government. “What, Leopold II is coming to Vienna?” Belgium was in the midst of rebuilding and needed its king to stabilize the nation. Leopold II visiting Vienna at such a time could hardly be just a family call. “Yes, Your Majesty!” Foreign Minister Wessenberg replied, “The Belgian foreign ministry just sent a telegram. Leopold II has already departed from his country. He is expected to enter the empire tonight, and they ask us to arrange a special train.” Leopold II was showing through his actions what decisiveness meant. He did not care whether the Austrian government was willing to receive him, he simply came directly. “Let the railway company arrange a special train, and have the Ministry of Foreign Affairs make preparations according to normal protocol. This time the royal family will send Maximilian as representative.” Regardless of his purpose, a guest was still a guest, and proper diplomatic courtesies could not be omitted. With nothing better for him to do, Franz decided to give his unlucky younger brother some work. After all, they were relatives, so having Maximilian receive his brother-in-law was perfectly reasonable. To be frank, Franz and his brothers had a decent relationship. As long as Maximilian did not bring governing proposals to discuss, they remained good brothers. Unfortunately, the passion of an idealist was not something ordinary people could compare with. Even after so many years, Maximilian had not given up on the duties of an emperor. Of course, he had matured a great deal compared to his younger days. This could be seen from the carefully prepared development strategy he drafted for Mexico. Had he acted this way thirty years earlier, with the support of the Austrian government, Maximilian would most likely have secured the Mexican throne. At the very least, he would not have been overthrown by a former president. But there is no medicine for regret. Times had changed, the international situation had shifted, and Mexico was far more complicated than it had been thirty years ago. Even if a restoration succeeded, holding on to power would be difficult. Franz had no interest in ventures that were high risk and low reward. If he had the energy to meddle in Mexican affairs, it would be better spent dragging Britain down from its position as the ruler of the seas. Whether it was Australia, New Zealand, Canada, or British Africa, each was more tempting than Mexico. Direct annexation was unrealistic, but establishing independent states there would be much easier, certainly easier than dealing with Mexico. At least those regions did not have Mexico’s large population or its complicated racial tensions. With the arrangements for the reception complete, this small interlude came to an end. As for Leopold II’s true purpose in visiting, Franz was not particularly curious.
*** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)
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