Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 460

Chapter 460: Chapter 33, Form an Alliance?

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Under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, over a hundred people gathered, brandishing slogans they had prepared earlier, chanting, “Protest,” “Protest”…

In the building, there were reporters from various European countries waiting for the conference results, who now started to watch the excitement ensue. The photographers were busy adjusting their cameras, ready to capture this historical moment.

Without any hesitation, Wessenberg immediately ordered a crackdown. Upon receiving orders, the police who had rushed to the scene didn’t bother with pleasantries and charged forward with batons, dealing with the protesters as swiftly as possible.

With the protesters gone, Austria’s reputation was also tarnished. This premeditated demonstration turned the international conference awkward.

The Italian protest did not affect the outcome of the conference. With France and Austria standing united, the conference quickly passed the new international law that divided regions by cultural tradition.

To some extent, this law was also favorable to the British. They could use it as a basis to incorporate English-speaking areas into their sphere of influence.

The great powers usually have no shame. Even this international convention had multiple interpretations left intentionally vague.

When needed, they could interpret it in the way that most suited their interests to gain the maximum benefit.

For major and minor nations alike, international conventions have always been a double standard. If pushed a bit further, they could even serve as a basis for legalizing colonization.

Although Wessenberg’s goal was accomplished, he could not feel any joy. The sudden appearance of the protesters had greatly damaged the reputation of the Vienna Government.

Maintaining secrecy was impossible, with representatives from so many countries and journalists from major European newspapers who had no obligation to keep Austria’s secrets.

Wessenberg could only hope that his subordinates reacted fast enough not to let the journalists take any photos; otherwise, the trouble would be even greater.

What had happened could not be covered up. Wessenberg could not possibly inspect the reporters’ photographic equipment—that much dignity the Vienna Government had to maintain.

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Of course, if the representatives of foreign countries were not present, it would be a different story. Tailoring responses to the audience is a standard practice of the great powers.

After the guests had left, Wessenberg’s smile vanished. In a somber tone, he said, “Send someone to ask the Vienna Police Department what’s going on, and why a bunch of people suddenly showed up to create trouble?”

Investigating wasn’t the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ responsibility, but since diplomacy was involved, Wessenberg had to inquire.

He didn’t believe the Vienna Police Department had approved today’s march. The gathering of such a crowd without the police system’s knowledge surely indicated a problem.

Representatives from the Italian States had also been present, and none of them had spoken out against it, so planning this farce was pointless.

Even if the scale of the protest had been ten times larger, it would have been fruitless. Austria would not halt its plans just because Italians opposed them.

In the end, only the Vienna Government’s international reputation was harmed, but reputation isn’t the same as power; as long as the power is strong enough, even with a bad reputation, no one dares to cause trouble.

Among the current major powers, Austria’s reputation was still relatively good. With England, France, and Russia serving as a backdrop, it couldn’t get that much worse.

At worst, international critics would assail it as a “tyranny,” but their words didn’t matter. The Austrian Government had its official media, and they could always engage in a war of words.

Tomorrow, Vienna’s newspapers would carry news of lawbreakers colluding with foreign forces to disrupt the international conference.

A middle-aged security officer immediately replied, “Yes, Minister!”

Wessenberg didn’t linger; he went straight to the Imperial Palace. A matter this significant required a report to the Emperor.

Emperor Franz had already received the news and was on the phone, berating the Minister of Police.

No matter who the adversary was, how could hundreds of people organize an incident in Vienna without the police knowing anything about it?

If that wasn’t dereliction of duty, what was? A slight increase in vigilance could have intercepted them earlier, preventing this embarrassment.

Emperor Franz didn’t believe the opposition would send hundreds of spies to cause unrest. The value of a spy lies in staying hidden; once exposed, they’re as good as dead.

The crowd protesting now clearly couldn’t contain any core members; most likely, they were just fools who’d been cheated into participating.

Austria wasn’t France, where unreported demonstrations were illegal, and the charge of exile was already fitting.

Having vexed the Vienna Government, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were exiled to some desolate, inhospitable place, or maybe even to an uninhabited island in the Arctic Ocean, spending their days with ice and snow for company.

Of course, a more likely outcome would be death from freezing. In a glacial world where temperatures plummet below minus several tens of degrees year-round, ordinary people couldn’t survive, and the bureaucrats’ desire for revenge should never be underestimated.

Smart people stay hidden behind the scenes, controlling from afar. Even submitting a petition to the Vienna Government is better than rashly charging in.

The former is a legitimate act, and even if the Vienna Government refuses to accept, there won’t be any trouble for them; the latter is a crime, and the bureaucrats whose careers are impacted won’t let them get away with it.

The lives of these people were of no concern to Emperor Franz. What angered him was the police’s inability to maintain control over Vienna, not identifying this obvious anomaly.

If today a hundred people could appear suddenly under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building, does that mean that one day, hundreds might suddenly revolt?

The number “one hundred” was already significant; most European revolutions didn’t start with that many people.

If so many individuals were to erupt at a critical moment, the damage caused would be immeasurable.

“There’s always some scoundrel plotting against me,” a thought many people share, but as the Emperor, Franz took it much more seriously and never dared to be complacent.

By the time Wessenberg arrived at the Imperial Palace, the situation had roughly reached a conclusion. Those who had been arrested were already confessing under police interrogation.

Participants in this illegal act weren’t just Italians; after all, there aren’t many Italians in Vienna, and it wouldn’t be easy to gather a hundred of them.

The interrogation results showed that the protest had been organized by five Italian exchange students, and the rest were temporarily hired with high wages. A middle-aged man named Robinson provided them with information.

The trail ended there; these juvenile students knew nothing of “Robinson.” They had encountered him by chance at the Fick Bar.

These unfortunate souls, hazy from their encounters, were duped by someone they had just met. To ensure Italian territorial integrity, they decided to take a gamble.

The participants were all hired on the day of the event, which didn’t leave the Vienna Police time to be notified. Before concerned citizens could report it, the incident had already occurred.

Franz was very dissatisfied with this investigation result. Not knowing who the mastermind was, the Vienna Government had been left in an embarrassing and difficult position—it was a complete loss of face.

Franz asked with a frown, “Tyren, didn’t you receive any information either?”

The intelligence chief, Tyren, immediately replied, “We preliminarily judged that the name Robinson was an alias. He first appeared at the Fick Bar, which was also where he first met these fools.

They had three encounters in total, all at the bar. We’ve already approached the staff working at that time; one bartender provided a clue that Robinson’s thick beard was fake.

Based on the description provided by the witnesses, it will be very difficult to find this Robinson. We need more time, given the scarcity of leads right now.”

Professional spies are not easy to deal with, especially in a place without surveillance like a bar, where a chaotic mix of people makes it exceedingly difficult to find one person.

Even if Robinson showed up right in the open, no one would recognize him. Normally, spies have jobs as cover, and it’s tough to find anything unusual on the surface.

Considering the short amount of time, obtaining preliminary leads has already been quite an achievement.

Franz said sternly, “Keep looking, don’t overlook any traces, however small. This threat needs to be eradicated; otherwise, it will always pose a danger.”

It’s easy to guess who the mastermind is; after all, there are only two or three possible culprits. Judging from the style of operation, the enemy is very cunning and has left behind no valuable clues, much like John Bull’s handiwork.

With France and Austria reaching an agreement and the British unable to prevent the Italian Area from being redefined, it makes sense for them to cause trouble now.

Merely deploying one spy who managed to instigate this incident through deceit, the mastermind behind the scenes must be ecstatic. Without paying any significant price, they have plunged Austria into a maelstrom of public opinion.

“Likeness” does not equal “being,” and international politics are full of truths and falsehoods. Often, what the eyes see can be deceptive.

For now, the British are the most likely suspects; they have the motive, the capability, and plenty of priors.

This doesn’t rule out the possibility of other countries framing the British—an underhanded tactic Franz himself often employed.

Without catching “Robinson,” it’s difficult to make an accurate assessment. Franz prefers not to follow gut feelings; he follows interests.

Whoever carries the blame for this incident, if it best serves Austrian interests, will be deemed the culprit. This is why open strategies are often successful while conspiracies rarely are.

As long as the benefits are substantial, Franz wouldn’t mind being outmaneuvered. In international politics, like the British, Austria focuses entirely on interests.

…

The case wasn’t over yet, and an unexpected development once again shrouded the matter in mystery.

The British Foreign Minister McLean issued a formal diplomatic note to Austria, proposing an alliance of England, France, and Austria to maintain world peace and stability.

The last part can be disregarded; the British have never been associated with peace. Without their interference, the European Continent would be much more peaceful.

The emphasis is on “alliance.” Franz’s first thought upon receiving the message was: The France-Austrian Alliance has been exposed.

Nothing short of the France-Austrian Secret Treaty could force the British to swallow their pride, seek out France and Austria for an alliance, and exert such pressure according to Franz’s judgment.

The France-Austrian Alliance already had numerous contradictions. Now, adding the British into the mix, it was worth pondering how long this alliance could last.

In his hesitation, Franz asked directly, “What is the stance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Do you think we should form an alliance with the British?”

This decision was difficult to make, impacted by a broad array of interests that required careful consideration, especially when it came to allying with the British. One had to be thrice as vigilant.

Wessenberg, under immense pressure, said cautiously, “Your Majesty, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes we should discuss this matter with England and France in detail to see how much we stand to gain before deciding whether to form an alliance.”

An alliance between England, France, and Austria certainly offered ample advantages, at least in terms of dividing the world—it could be negotiated behind closed doors.

While there are benefits, there are also drawbacks. The contradictions among the three nations are a significant barrier to forming an alliance.

Without resolving these contradictions, or at least suppressing them for the time being, even if an alliance was formed, the diverging interests would render it effectively defunct.

Franz never expected genuine cooperation. All three countries were leading players of the era, and there was no external enemy powerful enough to make them join forces.

Being sovereign entities capable of domination on their own, there was no practical need for an alliance. This lowered Franz’s expectations of such a union, and he assumed England and France felt similarly.

If there were no conflicts of interest among them, establishing an alliance might be feasible. But reality dictated the opposite—the dominant international conflicts of the time revolved around England-France, Anglo-Austria, Prusso-Russian, and England-Russia tensions.

Reconciling the conflicts among England, France, and Austria wouldn’t be simple, unless the British were willing to make significant concessions and stop causing trouble on the European Continent.

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