Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1048 - 62, Like Me

Chapter 1048 -62, Like Me

Hearing this news that sounded like a fantastical tale from afar, everyone was directly stunned. Americans wanting to build the “Siberian Railway,” isn’t that like the sun rising from the west?

The Americans wanted to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between Russia and America, which everyone could barely accept, given that the fragmented Union was severely lacking in commodity sales markets.

As members of the periphery world with no conflicting interests, over the past few years, relations between Russia and America had always been good. It was just that the Americans building the “Siberian Railway” seemed a bit laughable.

The Siberian Railway had such a significant effect that it could promote Russia-America economic and trade cooperation, but how come we didn’t know about it?

Everybody knew that, with only a small difference in distance, railway transportation costs were much higher than sea transportation, not to mention the Siberian Railway, a particular railway with even higher costs.

Whether departing from the East Coast or the West Coast, it was stronger to directly ship goods to the Russian Empire than to go to the Far East for a transfer.

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If one were to talk about promoting economic and trade between the two countries, there actually was some. Except it wasn’t promoting commercial trade between the Siberian region and the Union.

Unlike the Siberian region of later generations, the Siberian region at this time, aside from being vast, was pretty much worthless.

In the more than thirteen million square kilometers of the Siberian region, there were only less than seven million people, and that was after accounting for the Ottoman immigrants; otherwise, that number could be halved.

The development of the Siberian region came after the railway became operational, mainly thanks to Stalin’s policy of exiling people there, which increased the local population.

With such a small population spread over more than thirteen million square kilometers of land, talking about trade was a joke.

The market purchasing power of the Siberian region was probably not even a tenth of St. Petersburg’s.

If one were to say the Americans saw this “vast and uninhabited” market and wanted to delve into cultivating and managing it, one would guess that a sane person would not believe it.

Nicholas II asked, “What do the Americans want?”

There is no love or hatred without a reason in this world, and even more so between nations. As a normal person, Nicholas II did not believe that without interests, the Americans would come to do charity.

You should know that the construction cost of the Siberian Railway was not a small figure; it ranked second in the entire history of humanity, only behind the Shinra loop line.

Years ago, the Tsarist Government had completed the reconnaissance of the Siberian Railway. If it weren’t for the terrifying budget costs and the Tsarist Government’s purse not being hefty, construction would have begun long ago.

The Union at this time, although financially stronger than the Russian Empire, was also limitedly stronger, both saddled with high debts.

Their own railway was not yet complete, and suddenly they came running to offer help in building the Siberian Railway; Nicholas II could not help but doubt their motives.

Foreign Minister Mihailovich explained, “In recent years, the Union has encountered a bottleneck in development and urgently needs to open up a larger commodity sales market.

It’s just that the world has now been carved up, including America, which was once considered the Americans’ backyard—now it has fallen within Britannia and Shinra’s spheres of influence, leaving no room for them to get involved.

To change this situation, the Americans turned their expansionist gaze to the Far Eastern region. However, their strength is limited, unable to compete with the British, and they even struggle to suppress the Japanese.

If no external force intervenes, it’s only a matter of time before the Americans are driven out of the Far East competition.

From the current international situation, the only ones who can and might offer assistance to the Americans are us.”

Aside from joining forces with us, they simply have no way to cope with the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. The Americans have proposed the construction of the Siberian Railway, which seems to be helping us, but in fact, it’s also a resignation in their strategy.

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Of course, the Americans are not pushovers either; their appetite is quite sizeable.

Aside from wanting to expand with us in the Far Eastern region, they also want to obtain the exclusive rights to the Siberian Railway, as well as most-favored-nation status in international trade.”

Ever since defeating Napoleon, the Russians have had a sort of “mysterious confidence,” especially after capturing Constantinople, which reached its peak.

The Prusso-Russian War once sobered up the Tsarist Government, but after winning the war, everyone quickly became intoxicated once again.

This “confidence” also reflected in their political diplomacy. The strategy to head south towards India was based on this “mysterious confidence.”

Hearing this explanation, everyone present, including Nicholas II, was tempted.

Most-favored-nation status is as good as not having it at all. In any case, the Russian Empire already has a monopoly on Shinra’s industrial and commercial products, so letting an American in as a competitor wouldn’t hurt.

For Nicholas II, who wanted to escape Shinra’s influence, his only concern was that the Americans would be of no use, that even if the markets were opened, they couldn’t compete with Shinra.

As for joint expansion in the Far Eastern region, that was hardly a condition at all. The Russian Empire itself needed allies to share the burden of expansion in the Far East.

As for the total domination of the Far East and the completion of the “Yellow Russian” plan, that was a matter for the future and didn’t impact the current collaboration between Russia-America.

One could say that apart from the railway exclusive rights, which posed some difficulty, the rest of the American demands were within everyone’s bottom line.

Prime Minister Sergei Witte: “The fact that the Americans are willing to help build the Siberian Railway is certainly a good thing, but it should not be now.

The strength of the Empire is not infinite, and the rebellion in France requires the Empire’s suppression, and the Central Asia Railway is halfway done; we simply do not have the capacity to initiate another large project.

Looking at the current construction progress, if the later works proceed smoothly, then by 1899 the Central Asia Railway could be operational, and it shouldn’t be later than 1900.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs can talk with the United States and propose constructing the Siberian Railway three years later, so that we can deal with the situation calmly.”

Even if the Americans are willing to help, the Tsarist Government would still have to pay for the construction of the Siberian Railway and bear the brunt of the expense.

Including the Central Asia Railway that is currently under construction, it seems that the Vienna Government is helping, but the labor and raw materials are still provided by the Tsarist Government.

In the era lacking mechanical equipment, nearly all procedures relied on manual labor. Labor and materials accounted for over eighty percent of the cost of railway construction.

As for the thorny issue of demolition faced by future railway construction, it doesn’t exist at the moment. Including various associated taxes, right now they are all zero.

On the surface, it may appear the Tsarist Government hasn’t spent much money, but the national strength is suffering! Free labor is not unlimited; once the recruitment goes too far, it could lead to significant trouble.

Foreign Minister Mikhailovich shook his head: “I’m afraid that won’t work; the leader of this Siberian Railway construction is an American steel tycoon.

They’re pushing this plan mainly to clear their own inventory. If we postpone it for three more years, their losses will be substantial.

Moreover, the U.S. government is changing in two years. If we don’t finalize the project promptly, and a new government takes office…”

Unlike agricultural products that can only be scrapped, steel surplus can be stockpiled. But this stockpiling also has a limited duration, and the longer this duration, the higher the associated costs become.

Capitalists are the most pragmatic of all; once it concerns their own interests, no words can sway them.

Capitalists are tough to deal with, and the United States Government is even harder. It would be fine if they could be re-elected, but if the government changed, there would be no hope for policy continuity.

This administration may be pro-Russia, but there’s no telling what the next might be. The speed at which American politics change sides could rival that of a woman changing clothes.

Nicholas II’s indecisiveness was on full display as he struggled to make a decision. He wanted to build the Siberian Railway but was worried that the railway would consume too much of the nation’s resources.

…

The scorching sun baked the earth, and at this moment, Franz was enjoying his summer retreat in the Alps, complemented by a small mountain pool. There was a poetic charm to the scene, “The silent spring conserves its trickle, as the tree shade lovingly caresses the water in the tender sunlight.”

Since Franz had a son to take over his duties, he had been freed from the intricacies of state affairs to lead a pleasant life of traveling and sightseeing.

Once a person has idle time, they tend to look for things to do, and Franz might have already fulfilled his previous life’s dream of traveling around the world if not for the painfully inadequate transportation of the time.

Imagine traveling with beautiful companions, indulging in luxury, and savoring the charms of foreign lands; it would undoubtedly be a delight.

Unfortunately, he had no money in his previous life to carry out such a plan; now that he had the means, the conditions for a global journey were not in place.

If a world tour was out of the question, then touring Shinra would have to do. Instead of suffering through rough and remote places, better to revel in the comforts of flourishing regions.

At his current age, Franz no longer had to worry about eroding his resolve and leading himself into a life of decadence.

With the old man off on his whimsical travels, Frederick was the one who suffered. Although he had been involved in state affairs for many years, the sudden transition to decision-maker was exhausting.

There was no choice; any decision now entangled immense interests, and he had to tread carefully.

As Crown Prince, Frederick did not have the authoritative presence of Franz. Before making decisions, he often had to mediate various relationships.

Fortunately, the bureaucrats of the Vienna Government had been well disciplined by Franz over the years, and no one dared to challenge the Crown Prince. Otherwise, Frederick’s life would have been even more difficult.

…

Prime Minister Carl, “Your Highness, last night the Russian Army stationed in France sent a distress telegram to the Allied Command, hoping the Commander could help them resolve their logistics problems.”

What seemed like a routine report made Frederick aware that trouble was brewing again.

For a long time, the Vienna Government had controlled the Allied Command. No one objected during the European war, but the post-war situation was starkly different.

No one wanted to be micromanaged, and members of the Anti-French Alliance were no exception. In light of this, the careful Vienna Government naturally did not insist.

The Allied Command rapidly went from being the supreme military authority of the Alliance to merely a liaison and coordination body.

Except when politically necessary to make their presence felt, they mostly stayed out of specific military command issues.

Regardless of shifts in actual power, nominally, the Allied Command remained the highest military authority of the Anti-French Alliance.

The Russians were asking for help now, and as the nominal supreme command structure, the Allied Command couldn’t just stand by idly.

Perhaps in the eyes of the outside world, the Russians coming to them at this time provided the Vienna Government with an opportunity to reinterfere with the command rights of the various armies stationed in France.

However, Frederick would rather not have this opportunity. Interfering with the command rights of the various armies stationed in France might seem hugely beneficial, but it was actually utterly useless to Shinra.

France was already in such a state, there was no oil to be squeezed out. What else could be gained from overly deep involvement in the military command stationed in France other than shouldering the blame and stirring up hatred?

One couldn’t take this opportunity to interfere with the internal military and political rights of various countries, could they?

Not to mention actually implementing it, but if any sign of this intention was shown, Shinra would find itself the target of numerous criticisms.

Similar tragic examples had been personally experienced by the ancestors of the Habsburg dynasty. In their youth, they were hot-blooded and carelessly chanted slogans of unity, only to be targeted by the princes after ascending to power.

The situation was similar now. The European countries were willing to recognize Shinra as the hegemon, not only because of its own strength but most importantly because Franz didn’t like to make trouble.

Encountering a boss who didn’t cause trouble was naturally something to be complimented. While others might flatter, one still needed to have self-awareness.

If one got carried away, Napoleon was the example to look at. Taking on the whole of Europe alone, even if one won on the battlefield, politically it was a loss.

In this context, the telegram for help from the Russian Army stationed in France was a hot potato. If not handled properly, it could bring a lot of trouble to the Vienna Government.

Similar situations had been encountered by the Vienna Government before. It’s just that previously Franz had dealt with them, and Frederick had only been an observer. Now faced with the situation, he still inevitably felt somewhat of a headache.

After a moment of silence, Frederick asked, “Does the Prime Minister have any suggestions?”

“Right now we have two choices, either we allocate some supplies to the Russian Army at the front, taking the opportunity to take over the command of the Russian Army, but we must control the extent and not get too involved.

Or we could send a diplomatic note to the Tsarist Government, urging them to quickly supply the front line. However, by doing so, the effectiveness of the Allied Command would be nullified, and we would lose the ability to…”

Frederick sighed to himself; the two choices given by Prime Minister Carl were, in fact, one choice.

Sending a note to the Tsarist Government in the name of the Anti-French Alliance, urging the Russians to supply the front line troops, wasn’t that also meddling in Russian internal affairs?

Furthermore, it would compromise the authority of the Allied Command. Such thankless tasks were clearly better off avoided.

Supplying logistics to the Russian Army was also not a pleasant task. It seemed like gaining command of the Russian Army stationed in France, but it also worsened relations between the two countries.

One could say that whatever choice the Vienna Government made now would ultimately affect Russian-Austrian relations. A mishandle could even affect Shinra’s international image.

Yet, choosing none wasn’t an option. Since the Prime Minister had brought it up, it was clearly a result of deep contemplation. There might be better ways to respond, but nobody had thought of them yet.

After pondering for a while, Frederick nodded, “The most important thing on the battlefield is efficiency. The Russians are busy right now, and they definitely won’t be able to handle it on time.

For the sake of the bigger picture, let’s accept the short end of the stick and provide logistic support to the Russian Army at the front. Once the situation in France stabilizes, the Foreign Ministry can communicate with the Tsarist Government.”

Uncertain of other abilities, but when it came to telling blatant lies with eyes wide open, Frederick was already catching up to Franz.