The world was cruel. In the fierce arena of international competition, there was no room for sentimentality. For the sake of its own interests, the Russian government decisively chose to abandon the rest of Europe. Overnight, Spain became a focal point of political turmoil. No matter how far it had declined, Spain, as the traditional gatekeeper among the great powers, was still a major continental state, and its influence in Europe could not be underestimated. With Russia, ranked third in the world, unwilling to step forward, the burden naturally shifted to Spain, ranked fourth. Although Spain’s status as the fourth great power was somewhat inflated, the weakness of its competitors left little alternative. When choosing the tallest among the short, the once formidable Kingdom of Spain was still more readily accepted than countries like Japan or the United States, which had never truly held such stature. It was not only the continental European states that urged Spain to step forward and lead the so-called neutrality movement. Britain and the United States also quietly encouraged it from behind the scenes. Almost overnight, the Spanish seemed to return to an age of manifest destiny, casting themselves once again as riders of the historical tide. Unlike the Russian Empire, which was deeply bound to the Holy Roman Empire economically, the Holy Roman Empire’s penetration into Spain was relatively limited and far from sufficient to influence government decision-making. As the international situation shifted, even Britain adjusted its strategy, abandoning efforts to pull others into its camp and instead promoting neutrality. At this point, the only power still actively pressing countries to choose sides was the Holy Roman Empire. In theory, if pressure from the Austrian government could be withstood, the neutrality movement would succeed. If the Spanish government harbored ambition, this was the best possible opportunity. With skillful maneuvering, Spain might even emerge, backed by multiple states, as a fourth pole in Europe. As a major power, ambition was inevitable. Unfortunately, ambition required strength to sustain it. Spain lacked the capacity to become a true fourth pole, even with broad international support. In reality, the Spanish government had no choice but to remain clear headed. While continental states openly encouraged Spain to lead the neutrality movement, behind the scenes they continued to cultivate ties with the Austrian government. Leaving other countries aside for the moment, Sardinia, Belgium, Tuscany and the rest of these small states that had been propped up by the Holy Roman Empire all showed up to participate in the “neutrality movement”. Were they really serious about neutrality, or were they simply there to stir up trouble? If Spain stepped forward first, only for these supposed followers to immediately choose a side afterward, the result would be nothing short of a disaster. Such an outcome was far from impossible. Despite the current momentum of the neutrality movement, very few countries were genuinely committed to it. Many states that had no real choice and were bound to take sides were merely joining the noise, tagging along for appearances. Their eagerness to jump into the fray was primarily about boosting their visibility and improving their standing in the eyes of the major powers, so that they could eventually sell themselves at a better price. The countries that truly and urgently desired neutrality were limited to the Netherlands, the Nordic Federation, and a handful of states along the North Sea that feared their territory would become a battlefield. For most other countries, a war between the Holy Roman Empire and Britain would have little direct impact. Overseas imports and exports would certainly suffer, but these states were not major maritime trading powers to begin with, so the damage would be relatively limited. The most decisive factor was geography. From the very beginning, geography had already determined that they would have to choose sides, and even which side they would support had effectively been decided in advance. Once the direction was fixed, the remaining question was how to align themselves and in what manner, which was itself a matter requiring careful consideration. As the international situation continued to shift and intensify, diplomatic maneuvering went on unabated, but this was no longer Franz’s primary concern. The struggle for supremacy between Britain and Austria was, at its core, a contest of comprehensive national strength. Had the gap in national power not widened, the Holy Roman Empire would not have chosen this moment to issue a challenge. Inside the Vienna Palace, the seriousness on Franz’s face made it clear that the document in his hands was anything but ordinary. After spending some time carefully reading the document, Emperor Franz finally spoke in a measured tone, “Since the third generation of large commercial vessels has been completed, deliver them to the shipping companies as soon as possible. The situation is tense, and war could break out at any moment. We must seize the time before hostilities begin to move as many strategic materials as possible to the colonies. The six shipyards that have been freed up are to be fully committed to the construction of super battleships. Once these materials have safely reached the colonies, only then will we make the news public. In addition, the submarine flotillas may also set sail. We do not know when the war will begin, but being prepared in advance is never a mistake.” There was no doubt that the so-called “third generation large commercial vessels” were not commercial ships in the true sense of the word. If they had been ordinary merchant ships, no matter how outstanding their performance, they would not have warranted such concern from Emperor Franz. Especially during such a critical phase of the arms race, the very fact that commercial ships could compete with battleships for dockyard space was itself highly abnormal. Abnormal as it was, on the surface these giants were indeed registered as merchant vessels. After all, they were openly hauling cargo in and out. Not only were intelligence agencies unable to make sense of the situation, even many officials within the Austrian government were completely baffled. “Strategic deception”? Something was clearly off. At a moment like this, logic dictated that all available resources should be devoted to building warships. If fighting truly broke out, any hesitation would come at a heavy price. But confusion was confusion, and Franz had no intention of explaining himself. To preserve secrecy, only a very small number of people knew that aircraft carriers were being disguised as commercial vessels. Even within the cabinet, not everyone was informed, let alone anyone else. From the very beginning, the project had been structured as a state-owned enterprise purchasing commercial ships. It never went through the normal fiscal appropriation process, and had nothing to do with military expenditures on paper. Even by the time construction was completed, the shipyard engineers themselves did not know they had built aircraft carriers. At most, they felt that the design of this particular merchant ship was somewhat unconventional. Throughout the history of shipbuilding, there has never been a shortage of unconventional and even eccentric designs, and no one would particularly care if another odd model were added to the list. In fact, the Holy Roman Empire’s development of aircraft carriers had already been underway for many years. It simply had never become a mainstream path. Previously built carriers were primarily intended to carry aircraft for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, with no real consideration given to their use in combat. There were many reasons for this, but they can be broadly summarized into two main factors. On the one hand, aircraft performance at the time was insufficient. When bombing moving targets, the hit rate was painfully low. On the other hand, conditions at sea were harsh. Heavy winds and waves made aircraft operations difficult, and collisions on deck were all too common. With advances in science and technology, aircraft finally overcame the technical barrier of dive bombing. Accuracy improved dramatically, and real combat effectiveness rose accordingly. While the problem of aircraft carriers struggling against rough seas was not completely solved, it was greatly mitigated. While they could not withstand hurricane-force winds (Level 10+) and colossal waves, they at least would not sink when facing Level 8 or 9 winds and waves. Reaching this level was enough to give aircraft carriers genuine battlefield value. After all, truly violent storms are rare. If one happened to be encountered, there was little to do but bear the bad luck. Most of the time, carriers could still bring their combat power to bear. As long as they did not deliberately venture into especially rough waters, a carrier force operating in conjunction with battleships was a combination whose strength could not be underestimated. By comparison, submarines were far less secretive. The entire world knew that the Holy Roman Empire possessed a submarine force. What no one knew was its actual size. This killer lurking beneath the waves was not taken particularly seriously by foreign observers, and in many cases was simply ignored. There were two main reasons for this. Submarines had limited endurance and were thought incapable of participating in decisive fleet engagements. At the same time, the underwater environment was complex and inherently intimidating, discouraging widespread interest and investment. In earlier years, the countries that had poured the most resources into submarine development were France and Austria. After France’s defeat, those technologies all fell into the hands of the Holy Roman Empire. Adhering to a low profile and cautious approach, the Empire’s submarine forces rarely made public appearances, leaving the outside world with an enduring impression of mystery. If not for the breakthroughs in propulsion technology achieved in recent years, which dramatically extended submarine endurance, this enigmatic force would likely have remained in the shadows for much longer. Surface range was never the issue, as it was comparable to that of ordinary warships. The critical factor was underwater endurance. At present, the Seawolf-class submarines equipped by the Holy Roman Empire’s navy already had an underwater endurance approaching one hundred nautical miles and could remain submerged for up to a week. Measured against later generations of nuclear submarines, with almost unlimited endurance constrained only by the psychological limits of their crews, such figures were naturally insignificant. In the current era, however, this represented a qualitative breakthrough. These boats had already gained real combat value, and were especially lethal when used to attack merchant ships. “Very well. I will see to the arrangements later,” Frederick replied. After a brief pause, he asked, “Father, will these preparations really be useful?” Frederick’s doubts were understandable. The aircraft carriers and submarines that Franz was investing enormous sums to develop ran counter to the prevailing naval doctrines of the age. There was no helping it. Neither carriers nor submarines had yet proven their combat value in war, whereas battleships had dominated the oceans for decades. If the funds poured into carriers and submarines had instead been spent on battleships, the Holy Roman Empire’s navy could have added more than a dozen additional capital ships. Franz shook his head and said, “I do not know. But having preparations is better than having none at all. The Royal Navy’s advantage is simply too great. Without trying something new, how could we ever surpass it? You know how closely the British watch us. Every additional capital ship we build is enough to trigger an uproar.” This was not entirely untrue. Franz genuinely did not know whether these preparations would prove effective. If the Holy Roman Empire’s navy were fortunate enough to decisively crush the Royal Navy in a single great battle, then all of these measures would indeed be superfluous. Only if the decisive engagement ended in failure would these preparations truly come into play, by striking at Britain’s maritime trade routes and eroding its capacity to wage war. Naturally, these unspoken considerations took on a different meaning in Frederick’s ears. After all, without the benefit of hindsight, no one could accurately judge the future direction of naval warfare. Aircraft carriers and submarines that had yet to prove themselves in naval battles could hardly inspire complete confidence. … London Although the British government had long been mentally prepared for it, the atmosphere in London still grew tense when news arrived that the Russian government had decided to side with the Holy Roman Empire. At that moment, Prime Minister Campbell’s mood was much like the weather in London itself. Looking out the window, there was nothing but smog. Since taking the office of the Prime Minister, Campbell had sighed more times than in all the decades of his life combined. “You never understand the cost of firewood and rice until you run a household. You never understand how rotten the British Empire is until you become prime minister.” In the eyes of the outside world, the British Empire was still at its peak. In Campbell’s eyes, however, only one word remained. Rotten. There was no helping it. Too many people concerned themselves with Britain’s strengths. As prime minister, Campbell could only concern himself with the country’s weaknesses. It was not that Campbell was biased. It was simply his responsibility. Identifying problems and then solving them was, after all, the government’s duty. His belief that Britain was “rotten” stemmed from the fact that he could clearly see the problems, yet was unable to solve them. In order to prevent the situation from deteriorating further and to preserve Britain’s global hegemony, he now had only one option left: War. For a politician, making such a choice was undoubtedly a failure. Yet reality lay before him, leaving Campbell no room for hesitation. The curtain on the arms race had already been raised. The longer Britain delayed, the more disadvantageous the situation would become. “The situation in Europe is now clear. With the Russians taking sides, the so-called neutral movement we cobbled together will soon collapse. From here on, we can only accelerate our pace. Otherwise, once the Holy Roman Empire finishes bringing the European countries into line, we will be facing the entire European continent alone. How far has the Foreign Office progressed? Once war breaks out, which countries will support us?” The heavy tone of his voice revealed Campbell’s inner turmoil. The topic of war was simply too weighty. When it involved a conflict between great powers, no one dared to treat it lightly. As foreign secretary, Adam looked even more dispirited at this moment. The Russians siding with the Holy Roman Empire had been expected. After all, Britain’s strategy of sowing division had only reached its halfway point, and there had not yet been time to drive a wedge between Russia and Austria. If responsibility were to be assigned, it should logically have fallen on his predecessor, or even the one before that. It was precisely their inaction that had allowed the Russo-Austrian alliance to endure. However, politics is cruel. Whether it was his predecessor, the one before him, or even the one before that, all of them had landed safely. This particular black pot was firmly strapped onto Adam’s back. If it were only this one issue, it might have been manageable. The problem was that Russia’s decision to take sides had triggered a chain reaction, directly influencing the alignment choices of many other countries. With so many pots crashing down at once, no one could possibly carry them all. Adam felt that his future was utterly bleak. At this point, Britain might still have hope of winning the war, but as Britain’s foreign secretary, Adam had absolutely no chance of redeeming himself. Having inadvertently become the most wronged foreign secretary in British history, Adam was left with nothing but regret. He had already submitted his resignation long ago. Unfortunately, Parliament had refused to approve it and had instead pressed him into service as the designated scapegoat. Had he known things would escalate so quickly, he would have resorted to more extreme measures. Just look at the former Secretary of War who had advocated war earlier. Because he had fallen from his horse and been injured while inspecting the barracks a few days ago, his deputy was now acting in his place. No matter how miserable he felt inside, the work still had to be done. Even for the sake of a stable life in his later years, Adam had to take a gamble and wash himself clean with tangible achievements. After adjusting his emotions, Adam spoke slowly, “The Foreign Office has successively signed secret agreements with Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of Colombia, Chile, and five other countries, eight in total. If necessary, we can form a coalition of nine nations to jointly confront the Austrians. In addition, we have also been in contact with the Russian Empire, Spain, the Netherlands, and the Nordic Federation. Although we failed to win them over, we have succeeded in driving a wedge between them and the Holy Roman Empire. At the very least, we can ensure that once war breaks out, these countries will not give their full support to the enemy.” Such an outcome was clearly unsatisfactory to everyone present. Still, the Foreign Office truly had done everything it could. No matter how eloquently one speaks, when states make strategic choices, they always give priority to interests and strength. Britain possessed maritime supremacy, which naturally made its overseas diplomacy highly effective. Yet conflicts also existed among overseas states themselves. Once one country was brought in, another could no longer be courted. Otherwise, even if an alliance were assembled, it would be riddled with contradictions, spending every day consumed by internal strife. In Europe, the situation was even worse. Leaving aside Britain’s limited voice on the continent, there were enemies of Britain everywhere. Trying to drag one enemy into fighting another was a feat beyond the ability of ordinary people. This was especially true when the opponent was itself a diplomatic powerhouse with extensive experience in recruiting allies, making the task even more difficult. As someone fully aware of the situation, Campbell naturally had no intention of deliberately making things harder or undermining the unity of the leadership at this moment. He spoke up to ease the atmosphere: “The Foreign Office has done commendable work. Reaching this point is already sufficient. What happens next depends on performance on the battlefield. As long as the navy can demonstrate its might in the early stages of the war, I believe the European powers will reconsider their choices. The Holy Roman Empire relies on force and coercion, using brute intimidation against other states. Such unjust behavior will ultimately be punished by God.” “Ring, ring, ring…” Before Campbell could finish speaking, the telephone suddenly rang, drawing everyone’s attention. It must be remembered that cabinet meetings were strictly confidential, and any interruption during sessions was forbidden. Only in cases of exceptional urgency could staff outside use the dedicated direct line on the table to make contact. Without question, such coincidences were extremely rare. Even genuine emergencies could usually wait an hour or two. As a result, this dedicated line was little more than a decoration and might not ring even once in an entire year. Precisely because it rang so seldom, every time it did, it signaled an earthshaking event. Campbell casually picked up the receiver, his voice cold and controlled, “This is Campbell. Speak.” “Prime Minister, something has happened in Africa…”
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