Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1156 - 170: The Emperor’s New Clothes

Defeated nations are easy to deal with; in this era where might makes right, if they don’t submit, just fight another battle.

Without Britannia leading the charge, Japan and the United States, even if they wanted to make trouble, wouldn’t be able to create any substantial impact.

What really requires the Vienna Government’s attention is the once good ally—Russian Empire.

Times have changed. With the victory of the world war, the dragon slayers have replaced the role of the evil dragons.

Identities have shifted, and naturally, so have stances. Former allies have now become competitors.

Whether or not to strike a fatal blow to the Russian Empire while it’s down is a topic worth studying.

The Russian civil war has already reached its climax, with the rebel army’s momentum growing by the day, bolstered by the unwavering support of European nations, sweeping through much of the Russian Empire. ƒгeewebnovёl.com

One can’t entirely blame the Tsarist Government. Though their incompetence created conditions for the rebel army to grow, the core reason lies in the enemy’s lack of martial virtue.

The Russian Revolutionary Party was not yet a significant force, though it had instigated uprisings in major cities like St. Petersburg and Moscow, these were quickly snuffed out by the Tsarist Government due to a lack of popular support.

Now bearing the brunt of the anti-Russian effort are various Independence Organizations. While they have gained mass support, their influence is mostly contained within specific regions due to intense nationalism and regionalism.

The most notable are the Polish Independence Organization, Bulgarian Independence Organization, Finnish Independence Organization, and Afghan Guerrillas.

These organizations share a common characteristic: their influence is geographically confined, and they cannot incite a nationwide anti-Russian wave.

After the outbreak of the anti-Russian war, these disparate Independence Organizations each fell into their own isolated battles. Normally, their defeat would only be a matter of time.

Unfortunately, foreign intervention has changed the landscape. Initially, everyone kept to the rules, merely providing financial support and arms in secret.

As the situation on the battlefield evolved, investments from these parties grew larger. To secure a final victory, a little bit of integrity was inevitably compromised.

First came the volunteers, participating in the Russian civil war, but faced with incompetent allies, the use of "mercenaries" became an inescapable necessity.

The Swiss Guard, Prussian Eagle, Hessian Mercenaries, French Rooster, Angels are on their side, Swedish Trojans—and virtually every other notable mercenary group found themselves on the battlefield.

By conservative estimates, the number of mercenaries active on the Russian battlefield has exceeded one hundred thousand.

Don’t ask why so many mercenaries are involved in the war. The answer is: International justice advocates could not tolerate the brutal rule of the Russians and sought to liberate the ethnic groups enslaved by the Tsarist Government.

What seems to be a Russian civil war has actually evolved into a conflict between the Tsarist Government and various European countries. Outnumbered, the Tsarist Government was doomed to tragedy.

Heralded by endless strikes, insurgent movements sweeping across the land, and the covetous bourgeoisie and new Nobility waiting to seize power, the Tsarist Government found itself in a precarious and challenging situation.

The northern Finnish region has completely fallen with rebels hastily fortifying positions in the Karelian Isthmus and the Lake Ladoga region;

In the west, the Polish rebels and Lithuanian rebels have joined forces, and the Tsarist flag is no longer seen on the Po Valley, as the flames of war reach the Belarusian Region.

The central and southern Caucasus region is smothered in smoke of warfare, Ukrainian guerrillas are everywhere, the Russian Balkan Peninsula is now under the rule of the Bulgarian Independence Army, and all that’s left of the Tsarist Government is Constantinople;

The Central Asian plains have once again become the dominion of the tribes, and there is no Russian presence visible in the Afghan Region;

In Siberia, the rebels and the Russian Army are locked in a fierce battle, with no clear victor in sight;

The vast majority of the Far Eastern region is in the hands of the Japanese, and although a treaty has been signed, it remains unknown when it will be enforced.

From the current situation, all the Vienna Government needs to do is add fuel to the fire, and it’s very likely that the Tsarist Government will indeed be finished.

Suppressing the Russian Empire is one thing, but killing off the Tsarist Government is a completely different matter—these are two distinct concepts.

What Franz aims to do is: under the premise of weakening the Russian Empire, to preserve the Tsarist Government as much as possible.

The specific plan is to support the independence of Finland, Poland, Bulgaria, Ukraine, the Baltic region, the Caucasus region, and Central Asia, and ideally, to carve out Siberia and the Far Eastern region as well.

Plan is one thing, reality another. Even if the Vienna Government personally intervenes, Nicholas II would never accept such humiliating and nation-weakening terms.

It’s surmised that toppling the Tsarist Government and replacing it with a bourgeoisie government might make compromise more likely.

If negotiations fail, the only option is to create a fait accompli. Then, use time to gradually force the Russians to accept the new reality.

Looking at the Russian map on the sand table, filled with small flags, Franz asked with concern, "Given the current situation, is there a possibility for the rebel army to take St. Petersburg?"

Creating a fait accompli isn’t so simple, as except for a few regions that have defensible terrain, most areas are open and flat.

It might seem like the rebel army is formidable now, but once the Tsarist Government has a chance to catch its breath, the tide is likely to quickly turn.

For instance, if the main force of the Russian Army in India returns and the Alliance lifts the blockade on Russia, the balance of power would flip instantly.

Even with support from European countries, the rebel armies would have a hard time against the Tsarist Government. Except for a few regions that can hold out due to their natural defenses, most areas would be vulnerable to Russian control.

No matter what, in name, the Russians are still allies, and the Vienna Government cannot indefinitely hold back the Russian Army stationed on the Indian front nor can it maintain a long-term blockade on Russia.

With the end of the World War, these two pressing issues could no longer be postponed. If one wished to dismantle the Russian Empire, it had to be done before the main Russian forces returned home.

Human nature is complex. In recent decades, the Tsarist Government, though battered by societal turmoil, also achieved a number of splendid victories and was in high spirits.

To make them face reality, the Russian pride needed to be shattered first. Other than a brutal, ongoing war, the simplest method was to let the rebel army capture St. Petersburg.

Once the regime was overthrown, the primary concern for the Tsar and the Nobility would no longer be preserving national unity, but rather figuring out how to restore their rule.

By then, no matter their pride, they would find reasons to make temporary compromises for the sake of restoration, leaving problems to be solved in the future.

In the past, this approach would not have posed any issues. Leaving the territory temporarily in the hands of the rebels and regaining national unity once strong enough was acceptable.

However, at the turn of the 20th century, with nationalism fervently emerging, once national efforts were completed, the people could no longer tolerate being enslaved.

Prime Minister Chandler: "The current momentum of the Russian rebels mainly relies on the support of their own ethnic groups. Once away from their stronghold, the combat effectiveness of the rebel army would greatly diminish.

Despite someone helping the rebel army perfect its governmental structure, this is only within a specific locality. The rebels in different regions are still acting independently and unable to unite against the Tsarist Government.

Due to the distances involved, if the rebels wanted to attack St. Petersburg, only the Finnish, Polish, and Lithuanian rebel forces would truly be able to join the battle.

On the Eastern European front, the government forces and the rebel army are essentially in a stalemate, with victory or defeat hard to determine in the short term.

Unless an elite force joins to break the current deadlock between the two sides, there is no hope to see St. Petersburg captured anytime soon."

The elites would naturally only be a generous sponsorship from behind the scenes. As the number of combatants increased, the term ’mercenary’ was no longer suitable.

A hundred thousand mercenaries is already an exaggeration, nearly every mercenary organization in the world has been "involved" in the war; historical accounts would be difficult to write with any more.

Adding more forces, everyone would know that the European nations are intervening in the Russian Civil War. Everyone values their reputation, and sneaky dealings can be managed in secret, but openly discussing it would be awkward.

Blame it on the ineffectiveness of the Russian Revolutionary Party, who, despite receiving substantial aid, still failed in their uprising.

If the Revolutionary Party had been able to stir up revolutionary fervor in St. Petersburg or Moscow, none of these troubles would exist now.

"Who knows? As early as 1848, the French organized volunteers, ready to support the Polish independence movement.

Though it was canceled in the end for various reasons, such internationalist spirit is still commendable.

Recently, the anti-Russian sentiment in France has surged, with countless French yearning to rescue their compatriots enslaved by the Russians, and it is said that some have organized volunteers.

Despite past French mistakes, if they now wish to save their own compatriots and support the Russian national independence movement, we have no reason to stop them, right?

Perhaps, the French volunteers will one day arrive in the Russian Empire, contributing to the cause of human liberation."

From Frederick’s exaggerated tone, one could tell that he was eagerly hoping to see the Russians fall on hard times, to the point of discarding all scruples.

Meddling in an ally’s civil war and attempting to split an allied nation are deeds that must be kept in the shadows; the Vienna Government naturally cannot engage in such acts.

Against this backdrop, having a scapegoat is very important. Although clear-sighted people know it’s just "the Emperor’s New Clothes," the charade must go on.

The existence of the French Volunteers is no longer important now; what matters is whether the Vienna Government currently needs them to exist.

Franz gave a slight smile, clearly pleased with his son’s adaptability. Times had changed; the world-dominating Shinra and Europe-dominating Shinra are two different concepts.

The Europe-dominating Shinra still has competitors, and the Vienna Government must unite more allies, avoiding being too overbearing in politics and diplomacy.

The world-dominating Shinra is different; a little excess in behavior is understandable. Since there was no direct breach of the Russian-Austrian alliance, that was considered having scruples.

Even if people are dissatisfied, they now have to hold back. Being able to present a scapegoat is already a favor to the Russians.

Otherwise, directly intervening in Russian domestic politics, the Tsarist Government would have no choice but to passively accept reality; there would be no hope for anyone to seek justice.

After some thought, Franz slowly said, "Frederick, from now on, you will be in charge of the Russian Empire’s affairs, with the Cabinet supporting you.

Not just these, but also the follow-up work shall be your responsibility. Unless something unexpected happens, I’m planning to retire by the end of the year."

"Retirement," no doubt this was a thunderclap. Once the news spread, it would cause an earthquake in world politics.

As the person in question, Frederick was stunned. Despite being the Crown Prince for fifty years, Franz was in good health, and Frederick had never considered ascending to the throne so soon.

In this matter, it’s the same throughout history, with very few emperors voluntarily retiring. Those who retired early were almost always forced to.

Franz’s current situation is clearly different; having just led Shinra to defeat the Great Britain Empire and seized the title of world hegemon, he was at the peak of his life, with no one capable of forcing him to abdicate.

Watching the bewildered crowd, Franz added, "Don’t make a fuss; I’m just feeling tired. While I’m still healthy, I want to go out and see the world properly."

Unexplained, it’s fine, but with an explanation, it’s even more perplexing. It’s difficult for everyone to associate "seeing the world" with "retirement."