Should they buy it or not? That question was never really up for debate. From the Austrian government’s standpoint, Morocco had to be taken sooner or later; it was only a matter of time. The Air Force’s so-called “Final Judgement Project” might have sounded a bit idealistic, but it wasn’t entirely without merit. Attacking the Royal Navy’s home base head-on was unrealistic, but turning Morocco into a massive aircraft carrier, stationing hundreds of bombers there to lock down the western gate of the Mediterranean, was completely feasible. For the Holy Roman Empire, the greatest value of seizing Morocco lay in gaining strategic initiative. With both the eastern and western gates of the Mediterranean in its hands, the Imperial Navy could finally go on the offensive instead of sitting idle at home. In recent years, the Austrian government had been behaving rather modestly, rarely interfering in regional conflicts. It wasn’t that they had lost their appetite for power, their mobility was simply too limited. Most of the Royal Navy’s main force remained with the home fleet to keep the Imperial Navy in check. To maintain control over the Mediterranean, the Austrians had no choice but to station their own main fleet near its home base as well. There was no helping it as Britain’s naval power was simply overwhelming. The Holy Roman Empire could only rely on coordinated operations between its navy and air force to maintain an upper hand in the Mediterranean. If the main fleet ever ventured too far out and the British decided to strike hard, destroying the Suez Canal and trapping the Imperial fleet outside, it would spell disaster. When it came to hegemonic struggles, nothing was off-limits. No one could guarantee that Britain wouldn’t resort to something that ruthless. But with Morocco under control, things would be different. Once the western gate was locked, no matter how the winds shifted beyond, the Holy Roman Empire would retain command over the Mediterranean. Even if war broke out, the most the British could do was send a few submarines to cause trouble. As for surface vessels, they’d be lucky to make it through the strait in one piece. You couldn’t sink a battleship with a single bombing run, sure, but if you kept bombing it again and again, even the toughest warship would end up as fish food. As long as the Mediterranean remained under Imperial control, the Austrian government could mobilize resources from Europe, Asia, and Africa by sea in record time. … It was another bright, peaceful day. The idle Emperor Franz was strolling by the artificial lake of the Palace of Vienna, surrounded by his grandchildren. No one knew why, but every wealthy monarch seemed to share the same hobby which was building palaces and Franz was no exception. The vast artificial lake before him was one of his proud creations. After several rounds of expansion, Schönbrunn Palace and Hofburg Palace had merged into a single sprawling complex, forming what was now known as the Palace of Vienna. In terms of sheer size, the Palace of Vienna was undoubtedly the largest palace in the world, no contest. If Franz ever felt like it, he could probably race a carriage within his own grounds. If this had happened in the East, civil officials would have scolded their ruler for such extravagance until he drowned in public criticism. However, in the Holy Roman Empire, this was hardly considered a big deal. For an empire that spanned nearly forty million square kilometers, there might be shortages of many things, but land was never one of them. Vienna itself was imperial territory, directly under the emperor’s control. Most of the land belonged to the royal family, so if the emperor decided to build another wall on his own property, no one could say a word about it. That was right, the so-called “expansion” of the palace was simply the addition of another wall. It only enlarged the patrol zone of the Imperial Guard, while the number of new buildings was actually quite limited. The old farms and estates still remained, with only the factories relocated elsewhere. The vegetables served inside the palace came directly from these farms, fresh and organic, free from any chemical fertilizers or pesticides. It was mostly about convenience. Traveling back and forth between the two original palaces didn’t cost much, but it was still troublesome for everyone involved. Franz had always been overly cautious about his safety. Every time he went out, the guards had to secure a two-kilometer perimeter around him, leaving not the slightest chance for an assassin. The entire operation looked more like a military maneuver than an imperial outing. To make life easier for everyone, he simply had the two palace complexes connected. That way, he didn’t have to keep disturbing the nearby residents with his constant movements. And it wasn’t as if he couldn’t afford it. With the emperor’s personal wealth and the size of the royal guard, no matter how vast the palace grounds became, there were always enough men to keep watch. Even without counting his private holdings, Franz’s annual allowance alone was enough to support a lifetime of indulgence. When the constitution was established and the Austrian government was struggling financially, Franz had made what was called a “sacrifice.” He declared that he would share the people’s hardship and personally proposed that the royal family’s annual stipend be set at 1.5% of the national revenue. It really had been a sacrifice back then. The Austrian government was so poor that the royal allowance couldn’t even pay the palace guards. For several years, Franz had to spend from his own pocket, a gesture that the press praised widely at the time. Many were genuinely touched by it. What no one expected was how rapidly the country would grow. In just over forty years, Austria had expanded from a modest seventy thousand square kilometers to become the colossal Holy Roman Empire it was now. As the empire expanded and the economy flourished, the government’s revenues soared exponentially, dozens of times higher than before. And of course, just like shareholders in a thriving company, the emperor who had driven national progress was entitled to his share of the rewards. That early act of “political theater” had since become a famous story, retold around the world. According to Franz, several ambitious monarchs had tried to imitate him, only to end up developing frugal and responsible habits in the process. It could not be helped. In this era, building a strong nation was a grueling task, full of obstacles at every turn. Even when Austria had declined in the past, it was still the fourth-greatest power in the world, with enough strength to maintain appearances. Not only did the empire no longer need to worry about foreign threats, it could even push for social reforms while using colonial expansion to divert domestic tensions. Without such a solid foundation, those who tried to imitate Franz’s “political showmanship” could only suffer for it. Industrialization was an expensive process, and without the profits of overseas colonies and plunder, relying solely on agriculture to build wealth meant development would crawl at a painfully slow pace. Franz, the so-called model monarch, could only offer silent moral support to his less fortunate peers who had been unwittingly led astray by his example. In practice, that meant occasionally instructing his aides to send encouraging letters to these younger rulers, filled with uplifting words and motivational “chicken soup for the soul.” In short, the road ahead was difficult, but the future would be bright. As long as they persevered, success would eventually come. Following the principle of “inspiring as many as possible,” Franz’s reputation among monarchs rose steadily. Before long, he had a large following of devoted admirers. As for how those imitators eventually ended up, that was beyond Franz’s control. As a qualified spiritual mentor, Franz knew perfectly well that “the more you do, the more mistakes you make; do nothing, and you make no mistakes.” That was why he only offered encouragement, never concrete advice, politely describing it as “non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations.” Things are different now. Back in his days of conquest, Franz had hoped every foreign ruler would drown themselves in luxury and decadence, rather than strive for progress. But now that the Holy Roman Empire’s dominance was firmly established, there was no need to fear competition. No matter how hard others tried, they could not change the balance of power. So Franz decided to play the part of a benevolent elder statesman, encouraging younger monarchs to study diligently, complete industrialization as soon as possible, and advance human civilization as a whole. Perhaps it was karma for taking advantage of others’ misfortune, but every time Franz went fishing, he came back empty-handed. This time was no exception. Watching his lively grandsons hopping around the lakeside, Franz could already tell that today’s catch would be nonexistent. Still, that didn’t bother him. Fishing was just a way to pass the time; the results hardly mattered. “Father, the British are stirring up trouble again!” Hearing the familiar voice behind him, Franz immediately knew that trouble had arrived. In recent years, the shadow war between the Holy Roman Empire and Britain had only intensified. Today they sabotaged us, tomorrow we’d retaliate. After years of this back-and-forth, the grudges between the two nations were already too tangled to sort out. Especially since Frederick had taken charge, Austria had suffered several diplomatic setbacks. But since those incidents didn’t touch core imperial interests, Franz had chosen to ignore them, considering them part of his son’s “tuition” in governance. “Is it about Morocco?” Franz asked calmly. Ever since news spread that the Spanish government planned to sell its Moroccan territories, Franz immediately knew the British were going to stir up trouble. The essence of international politics was simple: oppose whatever your enemies supported, and support whatever your enemies opposed. Whatever your enemies tried to do, make sure they failed. Frederick said, “Exactly. The British are spreading rumors everywhere, claiming that we pressured the Spanish government and intend to seize Morocco by force. This very morning, the British Foreign Secretary even issued a public statement supporting Spain’s right to defend its interests, urging Spain to bring Morocco completely under its control.” Franz smiled with interest and replied, “It seems this British government is learning fast. Their political tactics are becoming much more sophisticated. Still, such tricks can only cause a bit of irritation. Unless the British are willing to pay, their so-called support for Spain’s control over Morocco is nothing but a joke. As long as Spain’s financial troubles remain unresolved, their determination to sell Morocco won’t easily change. All this commotion is just a way for them to raise the price. Keep a close watch. The British definitely have more moves to make, perhaps even warning the Spanish government about the risk of a domestic revolution.” That Britain had not stepped forward to compete for Morocco was surprising. But considering they had suffered from similar blunders before, it was not strange that they had learned their lesson this time. As for the pressure from public opinion, it was merely a question of price. If the price was too low, it would look like coercion; if it was fair, it would simply be another colonial transaction. A simple calculation showed that the Austrian government would have to pay more than ten million guilders for this affair. With so much profit at stake, there was no reason for the British to stay quiet. Frederick sighed and said, “That’s true, but the British meddling has caused our negotiations with Spain to stall again. It’s not only drawing international attention, our own people are becoming deeply involved. Several fundraising committees have even appeared, claiming they want to help the government pay for the purchase. Ever since news of Spain’s plan to sell Morocco spread, I’ve been overwhelmed by lobbyists. It’s driving me mad.” It was obvious that these so-called fundraising committees weren’t motivated by patriotism. At the heart of it all was profit. The Holy Roman Empire valued fairness. The more one contributed to the empire’s cause, the greater one’s reward. If the Austrian government paid for Morocco, it would become a territory directly under the central government. Others might get a small share at best. But if private groups paid for and successfully conquered Morocco, then a new group of landed nobles would rise. The leading government might claim a few major cities and ports, but most of the benefits would go to those who invested and fought for it. When personal interests were at stake, everyone reacted quickly. As for money, that was never a problem as there were plenty of ambitious capitalists eager to fund the venture in hopes of climbing the social ladder. Wealth plus military power meant colonial success. As the world’s unclaimed territories grew fewer and fewer, opportunities for new land were becoming rare. Whenever a chance appeared, countless people rushed to seize it. Morocco’s proximity to Europe and its pleasant climate made it even more attractive. Seeing his son’s frustration, Franz showed no sympathy. Instead, he said with amusement, “You’ll get used to it. You’ll face this kind of situation many more times in the future, so learn to adapt. Once you’ve built a strong mind, you’ll realize these little troubles are just dust in the wind.” Sometimes, a bit of comforting talk could do wonders. Only when such words turned into unrealistic fantasies did they become poisonous. Franz’s words might have sounded a bit like preaching, but there was truth in them. With a strong enough heart, one could indeed treat such annoyances as trivial. After all, Frederick was the Crown Prince of the Holy Roman Empire. As long as he held firm to his principles, those lobbyists were powerless against him. Still, Frederick felt deeply frustrated. He had come to report to his father hoping for advice, but instead he was filled with empty comfort. In his younger years, such words might have fired him up, pushing him to act with full determination. But now, in his forties, his passion had long cooled. He was immune to such words. These days, he is usually the one giving encouragement to others. Franz’s refusal to provide a solution meant that the question of how to divide Morocco’s future interests would have to be decided by Frederick himself. It was clearly no easy task. Dividing benefits was always the hardest part. Morocco was only so big, and there were far too many people eyeing it. There was no way to satisfy everyone, and deciding who got what would test his judgment. Before long, Frederick realized he was getting ahead of himself. They hadn’t even secured Morocco yet, and here he was already thinking about how to divide it. Watching the children playing by the lake, Frederick felt a pang of envy. Childhood truly was the most wonderful time of life—no worries, no responsibilities, just pure joy. Unfortunately, those days were gone forever.
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I'd let the British have it for now, maybe drive the price as high as possible first, then take it over by force once the inevitable war breaks out. Make them waste as much money as possible.
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