With telegram after telegram being sent out, news of the attack on the Suez Canal quickly spread across the world. An already tense European situation now spiraled further out of control. That very evening, the Holy Roman government convened a press conference and declared that it would fight the masterminds behind the attack to the bitter end. Although no names were mentioned, everyone understood that there was no other plausible culprit than the British. The investigative mission had only just set out, and before the Holy Roman government could even reach a conclusion on the canal attack, tensions between the two countries had already begun to escalate at the civilian level. Armed clashes were no longer confined to southern Africa. Large and small battles broke out in East Africa and on the Malay Peninsula as well. The total number of troops involved on both sides had already exceeded one hundred thousand. Fighting on such a scale, yet still without a formal declaration of war, was another astonishing maneuver by the two governments, once again refreshing Europe’s understanding of how far great powers could go. According to a senior official who declined to be named, it truly befitted a hegemonic power. Even this level of composure, or shamelessness, was something ordinary countries simply could not match. … Inside the Vienna Palace, Franz was locked in a fierce chess match with Frederick, the hopeless chess player. The turmoil outside seemed unable to reach this place at all, as if it existed beyond the worldly realm. Existing beyond the world was impossible. At such a critical moment, not the slightest relaxation could be tolerated. Yet it was also true that the Suez Canal incident had not affected them in the least. The reason was simple. Whether the Suez Canal was blocked or not had little impact on the course of the war. To borrow a line from the press, “The Mediterranean is our inland sea. The great Holy Roman Empire will illuminate the world. This is our era.” The statement was somewhat exaggerated, but it was broadly accurate. The Mediterranean could indeed be regarded as an inland sea of the Holy Roman Empire. With both the Europe-Africa-Middle East railway network and maritime transport across the Mediterranean, the core territories of the empire remained firmly under the control of the Holy Roman government, more than sufficient to ensure the steady supply of raw materials. With the fundamentals secure, Franz naturally felt no anxiety. Even if the Suez Canal were blocked for several months, or even indefinitely, the Holy Roman Empire could endure it. As for the strategic implications, if passage to the east was temporarily impossible, then there was no need to rush eastward. Once all the warships in the docks had entered service, it would not be too late to seek retribution against the British. By comparison, the damage caused by the crude oil spill was far more serious. Tens of thousands of tons of crude oil had gushed out, polluting not only the canal itself, but likely bringing disaster to the entire Red Sea as well. Had Franz not reacted swiftly by ordering containment and cleanup measures immediately upon receiving the news, even the Mediterranean might have been affected. Frederick said, “Father, since the British planned this attack, they will certainly distance themselves from it. The investigation team is unlikely to achieve much.” Neither Britain nor the Holy Roman Empire stood alone. War, once begun, would be a group confrontation. To launch a war, one could not view the issue solely from one’s own perspective. It was also necessary to consider public opinion within allied countries. Timeworn tricks such as claiming soldiers had gone missing were easy to see through, and no one would be persuaded by them. It was, of course, possible to forcibly drag allies into the conflict, but doing so would not bring allies, only resentful and uncooperative partners. This war had already brought together a host of problematic partners from across Europe. If relations with the public were not handled properly, the Holy Roman government would find it impossible to keep everything moving. To say nothing else, even the use of foreign airfields and ports required the cooperation of local populations. Otherwise, local powers could easily create trouble or deliberately delay the transport of supplies, any of which could cause operational plans to fail. In fact, one important reason the war had yet to fully erupt was the lack of a legitimate casus belli. The attack on the Suez Canal was undoubtedly an excellent point of entry. Although this economic lifeline was under the control of the Holy Roman government, most European countries benefited from it as well. If it could be proven that the attack had been orchestrated by the British, then launching a war of retaliation would become entirely justified. “Do not worry. We’ll certainly find something. Even if it truly has nothing to do with the British, we can still implicate them. The current investigation is merely a formality. Inviting representatives from various countries to participate is simply to have them endorse the outcome together. Of course, falsehoods are still falsehoods. No matter how perfectly arranged, traces will always be left behind. If possible, it would be best to find solid evidence. Otherwise, if the story unravels in the future, it will become a serious problem. In similar matters going forward, leave the operation to the cabinet. As monarchs, we must learn when to feign ignorance.” Pursuit of advantage and avoidance of harm is human nature, and emperors are no exception. Especially with operations that cannot withstand public scrutiny, the farther one stays from them, the better. As long as he was not personally involved, even if the truth were exposed in the future, a simple claim of ignorance would suffice. Even a formality required careful handling. For example, the duration of the investigation would depend on the intensity of anti-British propaganda within each country. Once public sentiment across Europe had been sufficiently mobilized against Britain, it would be time to conclude the process. Only when public opinion fully supported war would it be the optimal moment to launch it. … Sulawesi Island, Austrian Southeast Asian Governor’s Office. A group of military and political leaders had gathered together. It was already mid year, and Prince Wilhelm was enthusiastically discussing operational plans with the assembled officials. The British intended to launch a surprise attack on the Southeast Asian Fleet, and the Southeast Asian Fleet likewise intended to strike the British Far Eastern Fleet. Both sides were plotting against each other, and the result was a prolonged stalemate. Southeast Asian Fleet Commander Alister said, “Your Highness, we have attempted to lure the enemy multiple times without success. If this continues, it will be difficult to achieve any results. Either the British have seen through our plans and refuse to take the bait, or their appetite is simply too great. They are unwilling to settle for minor gains and instead want to swallow us whole. The possibility of a leak is small. Very few people are aware of the plan. If it is the latter, then it means our strategic direction was wrong from the very beginning. The biggest problem is that war has not yet broken out. Otherwise, we could form a joint force with Spain, the Netherlands, and Portugal. In that case, a direct decisive battle against the British would give us a very strong chance of victory.” Wilhelm asked in confusion, “Although our number of warships is smaller than the British, we also have an aircraft carrier battle group. If we fight the Far Eastern Fleet head on, do we really have no chance of victory?” Admiral Alister shook his head and explained, “Your Highness, aircraft carriers have indeed demonstrated respectable offensive power in exercises, but real combat is different. There are far more factors that must be taken into account. We lack experience in the practical combat employment of aircraft carriers. In fact, there is not a single reference case anywhere in the world. Specific tactics are still being explored. Out of responsibility to the Empire, before they have been tested in real combat, I dare not overestimate the combat effectiveness of aircraft carriers.” At this time, mainstream naval thinking still revolved around big guns and heavily-armored battleships, and the Holy Roman Empire’s navy was no exception. Even with the Emperor’s support, proponents of aircraft carriers remained at a disadvantage. The carrier faction’s weakness in the ideological debate stemmed primarily from the lack of real combat examples to support their claims. Support for the big-gun battleship doctrine was not purely driven by passion. It was, to a large extent, a matter of caution and risk avoidance. Making mistakes in military affairs is not what truly terrifies decision makers. What is truly frightening is being the only one to deviate while everyone else remains on the perceived correct path. Since all other countries were developing battleships with heavy guns, simply following suit appeared to be the safest choice. If everyone made the same mistake, then in effect, no one had truly made a mistake. The greatest obstacle to promoting new concepts lies in uncertainty. Even if the aircraft carrier concept itself could be proven correct, that did not automatically mean that the aircraft carrier battle group would possess real combat effectiveness. A correct concept merely means choosing the right general direction. Along that direction, however, there are countless branching paths, and a single misstep can still lead one astray. The core constraint remained aircraft technology. Only after technological breakthroughs in recent years did the development of aircraft carriers begin to accelerate. Before that, although research and development did exist, the level of investment was far below that devoted to battleships. There was no alternative. There were simply too many areas demanding resources. No matter how large the military budget, it was never enough. Before it could be clearly determined that aircraft carriers would be effective, the majority of resources had to be allocated to battleships. After a brief pause, Admiral Alister added, “In fact, the role of aircraft carrier battle groups does not necessarily lie in a decisive fleet engagement. I believe they are better suited for surprise attacks. It would be similar to the Air Force’s ‘Operation Bull Hunt’. It involved concentrating a group of bombers to carry out strategic bombing against enemy ports and shipyards. In the Far East, British air defense capabilities are limited and pose little real threat to fourth-generation bombers. If we can clearly ascertain the layout of Cam Ranh Bay, the probability of a successful surprise attack should be quite high. After the bombing is completed, we can then engage the enemy fleet directly, and our chances of victory would increase significantly. Unfortunately, the timing is not right. If we act prematurely, we would effectively sabotage the Air Force’s plan. Unlike us, the Air Force has a larger number of aircraft and extensive bombing experience. If the ‘Operation Bull Hunt’ succeeds, the gains would be far greater than those achieved by merely defeating the Far Eastern Fleet.” Being able to see the big picture is a compulsory lesson for every senior commander. Both are surprise attacks, but crippling Britain’s Far Eastern Fleet and crippling Britain’s home fleet are entirely different in magnitude. Defeating the Far Eastern Fleet would, at most, elevate the reputation of the Southeast Asian Fleet. Destroying Britain’s home fleet, however, would signify a transfer of hegemony. With national interests taking precedence, local theaters must yield to the overall strategic picture. No matter how many ideas he harbored, Admiral Alister could only keep them to himself for the time being. “Admiral, this is an excellent idea. Preparations can begin immediately. Once the Air Force launches its operation, we will move to implement this plan at once. Even if it fails, it will not matter. The British cannot very well send warships to chase aircraft. We can treat it as a bombing exercise and accumulate experience for the next operation.” After hours of discussion, a genuinely workable plan finally took shape. Wilhelm naturally did not hold back his praise. As the future King of Southeast Asia, Wilhelm also needed to accumulate prestige and merit. Although the Holy Roman Empire had not reached the extreme of valuing glory solely through warfare, war remained the most effective means of building reputation and distinction.
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