In fact, the political idea of an alliance between Britain, France, and Austria emerged several years ago, after the arms race between Britain, France, and Austria.

The Royal Navy failed to meet the two power standards in the arms race, and the British government believed that continued confrontation was likely to lead to Franco-Austrian alliances that were not in the interests of Britain.

Some people have proposed a three-nation alliance in an attempt to use the form of an alliance to restrain France and Austria from expanding their armaments, and at the same time establish Britain's world hegemony and establish an international order with Britain as the core.

This plan is obviously too idealistic, because the three countries have conflicting interests, and the idea is always an idea and cannot be turned into reality.

To this day, Fao does not recognize the British as the world hegemon. No one wants to bow their heads, and the people of France and Austria are also full of arrogance, but everyone can't stand it in terms of face.

If you read European newspapers, you will know that it is internationally recognized that Britain, France and Austria are the triumphant. The British had naval superiority and economic superiority, but they were far inferior in the army.

Originally, in the era of sea power, the hegemon of the sea was the hegemon of the world. But the center of the world in this era was on the European continent, and France and Austria had more influence on the continent.

When the boss can't suppress the second and third oldest, the hegemony becomes in name only. No, even this "name" has not been recognized by the world.

Not long ago, the London government suddenly decided to promote the alliance of the three countries, in addition to dismantling the Franco-Austrian alliance, but also to make the title of world hegemon worthy of the name.

Britain, France and Austria formed an alliance, and the old nature of the alliance was the world hegemon. It's not just a name, it's a series of benefits.

With this name, the British can easily gain benefits when expanding overseas, and France and Austria can also gain benefits, but not as big as the British.

One of the biggest interests is monetary hegemony, and the name of world hegemon will undoubtedly increase the status of the pound, which can crush Aegis and the franc to become the world currency in one fell swoop.

The interests involved in the alliance of the three countries were very wide-ranging, and soon after the negotiations began, they reached an impasse. The sudden outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War made this alliance even more unattainable.

Many people breathed a sigh of relief, especially Berlin and St. Petersburg, and once the British, French and Austrian triad was formed, there was no chance for them.

Everyone knew that behind the Anglo-Boer war was the Anglo-Austrian game, and all eyes were on Vienna and London to see how the two countries reacted.

The result was very regrettable, as if nothing had happened to the government in Vienna and no reaction from the government in London.

This is just the perception of the outside world, and in fact the government in London is not calm. The conflict with Austria at this time had already affected their plans in advance.

Now that the war has broken out, it is too late to say anything. Britain also wants to save face, and it is impossible to retreat because it is afraid of Austria.

Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli has already given Governor Delphi an unspeakable assessment in his mind. Of course, if the battle is won, this evaluation will still change.

It has nothing to do with right or wrong, the main thing is that the timing of the action is wrong. If the Portuguese had been co-opted, and the two joined forces to expel the Austrians from the South African region, then it would have been worth everything.

Failing to do this, it would be a bit of a loss to do it just for the sake of the two Boer republics.

The Transvaal and Orange Free States have not yet discovered gold mines, and diamond mines are still in full bloom, but the current price of diamonds is not high, and this little interest is not enough to impress Prime Minister Benjamin.

These are secondary, and the point is that the London government is not sure of victory. Facing the Boers alone, naturally, the situation changed with Austrian involvement.

Everyone is mixed in a circle, and they basically know how many means the other party has. Change into a military uniform, and the little trick that appears on the battlefield is not unplayed.

It's not so much a Boer republic, but now it's a German republic, and even if tens of thousands of Austrian troops are mixed in, it's not a show.

Fighting in the inland areas, the logistical pressure on both sides is very great, and no one can talk about how many advantages there are.

The trouble is that Austria's advantage on the African continent is too great, and there is a steady stream of troops, which makes Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli uncertain.

Prime Minister Benjamin got straight to the point and asked, "Sir Louis, what do you think of the Boer war?" ”

There is no doubt that the Colonial Department was involved in this war. Otherwise, the Governor of Delphi would not have the ability to organize an army of 30,000 men.

Colonial expansion meant wealth, regardless of whether the government lost or gained, and the individuals or companies involved below always made it in blood.

Behind the war, there were also interest groups pushing for it, and the diamond mines in the Boer Republic were not enough to tempt the London government, but they were enough to tempt the colonists in South Africa.

A few years ago, because the South African colonial company rushed too fast, there were a series of armed conflicts with the Austrian colonial team, and in the end it was really unable to hold on, and it was only after the intervention of the two governments that the two governments intervened that they made a truce.

This time, they are the main force driving this Anglo-Boer war, and they have nothing to do with hatred, anyway, they are all low-level thugs who die, and there is no blood feud between the high-level people.

The main thing is that the roads for peripheral expansion are blocked, and if they don't attack the Boer Republic, they will have to go to Namibia to eat sand.

There were no minerals to sell in Namibia at this time, as early as the 15th century, European colonists came here and left.

There is no way, in a semi-desert climate, even if you want to farm, there is no yield, and if you want to mine, the input and output are not proportional.

Except for being suitable for fishing, it seems that there is no income. The South African colonial company also has a pursuit, if you want to fish, stay in the country and become a fisherman, why go all the way to South Africa?

The bureaucrats of the colonies knew very well that if they did not do it, they would never have the opportunity to do so. They came to the colony to make a fortune, not to make a living.

With so many people wanting to fight, the Governor of Delphi, who has ideals and ambitions, is naturally as good as a stream.

Naturally, the British Colonial Department will not discourage the enthusiasm of the people below, and they will have a share of the credit for winning the battle, and they can just throw the blame on the Governor of Delphi if they lose.

Sir Louis, the colonial secretary, was not a member of the cabinet this term, and he was not a member of the same family as Prime Minister Benjamin, and his ascension to the throne was the result of a compromise between all parties, so it is not surprising that the time for reporting was delayed.

Louis said nonsense: "Your Excellency, I have just learned about this matter, our telegraph line in South Africa is not very stable, and there are many loopholes in the last report.

Judging by the present situation, the progress of the front is still very smooth, and the telegram says that our army has advanced for hundreds of miles, and the Boers are about to collapse at the touch of a button.

If the Austrians had not participated, I would have no problem winning this war, and now it would be time to prepare a feast for our lads. ”

Prime Minister Benjamin glared at him fiercely, and he had already made a decision in his heart, if the war was won, it would be fine, and if he lost, let this nasty guy in front of him get out.

Foreign Secretary Maclean, who was a close confidant, immediately retorted: "Sir Louis, your speculations are based on possibilities, and the reality may be quite the opposite.

Until now, there has been no protest from the Austrians in our Foreign Ministry. Presumably no one would think that the Vienna government would not even dare to protest, right? ”

There was no movement, which was the worst outcome. If the Austrians protest strongly, it means that the matter is still under control and can be resolved diplomatically.

Now that the Viennese government is silent, it must be making a big move, and it is not surprising that the Anglo-Boer war has turned into an Anglo-Austrian confrontation, or even a local war.

Benjamin scoffed: "Since the Colonial Department is ready, then you will be responsible for this war, and our cabinet will fully cooperate." ”

"The Cabinet cooperates with the Colonial Office", if this is said, it can definitely be on the front page of the London newspapers, and the reversal of priorities rarely happens in Britain.

Louis's face changed, how could he not hear the meaning of the words. However, it was true that the war was not approved by the Cabinet, although it was a normal operation and a legal act in the context of colonial expansion.

In this case, however, the Cabinet would not be held responsible for the war, while the Colonial Office and the Colonial Government of Cape Town would have to bear full responsibility.

This is not what Louis wants, the credit can be shared together, but the responsibility should be borne by the officials of the colony, he does not want to tie himself to them.

This is the survival instinct of a politician, and if he does not shirk his responsibility, then do not do it. Doing more and doing more wrong, this is the inevitable result.

Louis hurriedly excused himself and said, "Your Excellency, this war was completely accidental, and our colonial department did not know about it in advance. For the specific situation, let's wait for the detailed report of the Governor of Cape Town!

Now that it has been established that the Austrians are going to intervene, we must take more aggressive measures, and if the navy can block the enemy's coastline, the war will be secured. ”

Seeing that the fire had burned on his head, the Admiralty Lord Robert sneered: "Sir Louis, you don't know that the two Boer republics are landlocked countries, which port do you want the Royal Navy to blockade?" ”

Although the Royal Navy is the most powerful navy in the world, they are not omnipotent. At least to blockade the Boer Republic, they can't do it.

If you open the map, you can see that the Boers already border the Austrian African colonies. To blockade them, it is necessary to blockade Austrian Africa, and this coastline is not too long, only a few thousand kilometers.

If the Austrian Navy did not exist, and the Royal Navy went out en masse, it would have been almost done. It would have to be done with the cooperation of the French and the Portuguese, otherwise the capitalists would not have minded the long way.

For a continent, the so-called blockade is a joke. At least in the 19th century, with the exception of Antarctica, which was congenitally deficient, several other continents were not afraid of blockade.

Don't look at the absence of industry on the African continent and think that industry cannot be established. With people, resources, and technology, a rudimentary industrial system could be created within two or three years, if the Vienna government wanted to.

Looking at the embarrassed Louis, the anger in Benjamin's heart has disappeared a lot, and the matter has come to this point and it is better to deal with the aftermath quickly.

Otherwise, if they really lose the war, their cabinet will not have a good life. No matter how clean the responsibility is, an incompetent hat still can't be taken off.

In many cases, ridiculous policies come out, not because politicians don't know about it, but because they have to do it for their own interests.

Benjamin said solemnly, "All right, Sir Louis. Your colonial department still has to come up with a battle plan as soon as possible, and you must win this war. ”

They were still somewhat sure of fighting in South Africa, where they had been operating for decades in the short time since Austrian power had only penetrated.

The number of troops that could be committed on the ground was far greater than what Austria could, and if it was fast enough, the war might be ended before Austrian reinforcements arrived.

……

The snipe and the clam compete, and the fisherman profits. Seeing that Britain and Austria were about to do it, Napoleon III was not willing to be lonely. On the one hand, it cheered up the Viennese government, and on the other hand, it accelerated the pace of expansion in the Italian region.

The Anglo-Austrian game in South Africa has held back most of the energy of both countries, which has created a golden opportunity for the French.

At this moment, no one had the strength to intervene in their annexation of Italy, and there was no need to say that they could not negotiate and become more forceful.

From the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War, the French increased their presence in the Italian states, and the threat was already evident.

If it weren't for the influence of the international community, Napoleon III would have sat on the throne of Italy and would now be crowned one last step away.