The woolly bears who entered the state of reform were also not restless, and the European continent did not have the opportunity for their expansion, so they ran to the Far East to do things.

First fell into the Second Opium War, ceding large territories from the Qing Dynasty, and then set its sights on Japan.

In 1861, Russian warships broke into Tsushima Island, an island in Nagasaki Prefecture, in an attempt to occupy it as a bridgehead for an invasion of Japan.

Naturally, Japan, which was torn apart, was unable to resist the invasion of the Russians. The shogunate turned to the Great Powers for help, hoping to use the strength of the other Powers to dispel the Russians' ambitions against them.

In order to limit the expansion of the Russians in the Far East, Britain, France, the Netherlands and other countries expressed their support for the Japanese government, and the British also sent warships to confront the Russians.

If history had not changed, the Russians would have retreated under pressure from the British.

At this time, the Austrian ocean-going fleet entered East Asia, and the Russians, unwilling to lose, turned to Austria for help.

The Austrian minister in Japan passed the news to the ocean-going fleet, and the commander of the ocean-going fleet, Arest, had a headache, and the political problems were too difficult for him.

In accordance with the provisions of the Russian-Austrian Treaty of Alliance, the two countries are obliged to provide each other with assistance within their capabilities, provided that their own interests are not involved.

It is difficult to grasp the degree of this ability, everything depends on strength in the era of great colonization, and the strongest in the Far East is the Austrian ocean-going fleet.

Before the arrival of the ocean-going fleet, the Far East was left with sail warships. The ironclad ship is only known by its name, and it is nowhere to be seen, and many people still think it is a rumor.

The arrival of the Austrian ocean-going fleet undoubtedly ushered in a new era. During this global visit, Austria has made its presence felt. Let the countries of the world understand that there is also a top power in Europe - Austria.

Because of the Second Opium War, the Manchu government's fear of foreign culture became even more serious. Even though it was just an ordinary diplomatic visit, there were still many people who couldn't sleep.

After indicating the intention of coming, the Austrian ocean-going fleet was easily resupplied, and the officials along the way were like sending the plague gods, for fear of causing trouble.

The ocean-going fleet didn't come out to cause trouble this time, it usually just wandered around the port, resupplied supplies and then went to the next stop.

Now the fleet is docked outside the mouth of Dagu, and Humel, the envoy in charge of foreign affairs, is still making daily diplomatic visits to the capital. Because of the troublesome problem of inconvenient communication, it fell to the commander Arest.

Chandler, chief of staff of the fleet, proposed: "Your Excellency, Commander, when it comes to diplomatic issues, it is better to let the Minister in Japan decide for himself!"

Anyway, we have to visit Japan, and we will talk about it when we have any questions. Even if Britain and Russia really get up, we can go over and mediate.

Now the government in St. Petersburg is busy with reforms, and the tsarist government is not going to start a full-scale war with the British, even if there is a skirmish, it is under control. ”

Chief of Staff Chandler was obviously more politically sensitive, and the Anglo-Russian conflict was not the same as the Anglo-Austrian conflict. This time, Austria did not expand its sphere of influence in the Far East, and there was no contradiction of interests between the two sides, so naturally there could be no conflict.

Verbal diplomatic support for the Russians is not a big deal at all. In the absence of the envoy, it is in accordance with the regulations to hand over the leadership to the minister in Japan.

Commander Arest rubbed his forehead and said, "Okay, let's let the people of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deal with the diplomatic problems!" ”

Being able to serve as the commander of the Austrian ocean-going fleet, Arest, naturally, would not be a fool. The political vision is not bright, that is, he never participates in politics.

He is still a little concerned about European affairs, and the Far East is out of scope. If he hadn't come and walked in person, he would have subconsciously seen no difference between the countries of the Far East and the indigenous kingdoms of Africa.

His indifference to politics was also an important factor in his rise to prominence. On the contrary, they are officers with political talents, and they are all mixed up very well.

It is a rule in Austria that military personnel are not allowed to participate in politics. If you want to enter politics, you must first retire from the army.

Like most emperors, Franz also wanted the soldiers to be simple, and if they thought too much, they would easily go wrong.

……

After years of bitter fighting and a terrible price, in mid-October 1860 the British conquered Delhi and captured the Mughal emperor.

The nominal leader of the Indian rebels ceased to exist, and the ties of the rebel alliances were severed and they fell into a state of fragmentation.

Immediately afterwards, the British army conquered Lucknow, Calpier, Gualor and other areas, and the rebel army suffered heavy losses and was forced to turn to guerrilla activities.

The British, who were good at political struggle, took the opportunity to issue a "Letter to the Princes, Chiefs and People of India" to win over the local princes, landlords, and religious groups.

Seeing that the general situation had turned, these princes, landlords, and religious groups defected one after another, and the rebel army fell into a state of isolation and helplessness.

By March 1861, the great Indian uprising had been extinguished. The British Empire finally had its hands free to continue its global strategy.

The British freed up their hands, which was undoubtedly good news for Franz, who wanted to intervene in the American Civil War.

……

In the United States, through the diplomatic efforts of Britain, France, Austria and Spain, the number of federal states that have joined the Southern Alliance has increased to 14, and the gap in strength between the North and the South has narrowed.

The northern states were not prepared for war, and many of the federal states were actually ready for compromise, since Britain, France, Austria and Spain all supported the independence of the southern government.

In the eyes of many people, the use of force for reunification can easily lead to joint intervention by various countries, and it is difficult to reproduce the embarrassing situation of burning the White House.

During this period, most of the officers in the U.S. military were Southern planters. The capitalists were not in the habit of carrying guns to fight, and the dominance of the army was always in the hands of the southern plantation owners.

After the Southern government declared independence, the U.S. Army was largely disbanded, and officers became particularly scarce.

Barring an accident, President Lincoln would not have enough officers at his disposal anytime soon, even if he wanted to settle the Confederate Confederate by force.

As long as it drags on, it will create an established fact of the division between the North and the South. Whether the northern government admits it or not, in the end they can't do anything.

At this time, the southern government did something stupid and detonated the war.

On April 12, 1861, the self-aggrandizing Southern government attacked the fortress of Satem, intending to force the Northern government to recognize the independence of the Confederate Confederate by force.

The southern government took the lead in this move, which undoubtedly stimulated the nerves of the people in the northern states. The capitalists immediately manipulated public opinion, and the northern government was packaged as a victim.

The opportunity Lincoln had been waiting for had come, and the war had broken out as soon as it was called.

The states that had resisted the use of force to solve the problems of the South stood behind the northern government at this moment, supporting the federal government to suppress the rebellion.

Several northern states, which had already been persuaded by the cooperation of various countries to remain neutral in the civil war, were now affected by public opinion and their positions were shaken again.

After receiving the news, the ministers of Britain, France, Austria and Spain were all scolding their pig teammates.

According to the predetermined plan, the government of the South declared independence, exploiting the opposition of the American people to the civil war, and creating the established fact with the intervention of various countries.

Now, most of these diplomatic efforts have come to naught. In addition to fooling three more pastoral states to participate in the Southern Alliance, it was not easy to persuade the neutral northern states to be involved again.

Drucker, the Austrian minister to the United States, said with an ugly face: "The matter has come to this point, and it is useless to talk about these things, let's think about what to do next!" ”

The French minister to the United States, Alfried, sneered: "What else can I do, since these untrustworthy Yankees want to fight, let them have a good time."

When they're exhausted, we'll come out and clean up the mess. As long as we stay consistent, we can turn the tide even if we have a winner. ”

Obviously, Alfrid was already very dissatisfied with the southern government. The matter of starting a war is such a big thing, and it is not even discussed with other countries.

You must know that the current situation of the southern government is only supported by the joint efforts of the four countries. This is just the advantage that the southern government is floating.

Whether the Americans fight or not, in fact, everyone doesn't care. But when it comes to everyone's political achievements, it is different, and now that the war has broken out, the situation is out of control, and if you want to intervene in the future, you can only rely on force.

Dividing the United States by force and dividing the United States by political means are not at all the same concept. If the United States is divided by political maneuvers, then these four people sitting here have created a miracle in the history of diplomacy, and with this merit, it is not surprising that even if they are mixed foreign ministers.

Other countries are politically stable, and it is difficult to become a foreign minister. But France is different, at most it will be a few years in line, and it will be his turn.

This was still the time of Napoleon III, when politics was relatively stable. If it were in the Republic, it would not be strange to change people seven or eight times in a year.

Mark Oliver, the British minister to the United States, shook his head and said, "Where is it so easy to reverse the situation. It is better for the North and the South to lose both sides, and finally let us mediate.

It's just that this degree is not easy to grasp, in case the game collapses and one side wins the war, we will have to pay a big price if we want to intervene. ”

Francisco, the Spanish minister to the United States, complained: "It's all to blame for Jefferson Davis's idiot, who is full of fighting and killing, and doesn't understand what politics is!" ”

"If he's not stupid, why are we supporting him? It's better to prop up an idiot to dominate the Southern Alliance than to support a tyrant. Austrian Ambassador to the United States Drucker comforted

There is no doubt that the great plantation owner Jefferson Davis was able to become the president of the Southern Confederate without the support of the four countries.

Jefferson Davis' ability to stand out from the crowd of contenders is clearly not an easy commodity either. He fought in the Mexican-American War and served as Secretary of War (the predecessor of the Department of Defense).

In times of war, it is natural to choose a national leader who is proficient in military affairs. As for other areas of competence, it doesn't hurt to lack them at all. Moreover, being able to serve as Minister of War is enough to prove that his political talents are not low.

The French minister, Alfried, proposed: "In that case, then we will first support the Southern idiots." Anyway, their strength is limited, and even if they conquer Washington tomorrow, they will not have the ability to unify the United States.

When the time comes, we will support the northern government to fight back. Repeat it several times, and consume their national strength as much as possible, so as not to become a scourge. ”

The British minister, Mark Oliver, thought for a moment and said, "Since the southern government dares to set us along, how can it teach them a lesson." It is better for us to declare neutrality together now and call on the two countries to resolve their dispute peacefully. ”

There are many ways to support it, and the most powerful is naturally to end up directly. Obviously, the stupid things done by the southern government have made everyone very dissatisfied, and it is impossible for them to directly pull the strings apart.

The declaration of neutrality is undoubtedly a warning to the southern government not to play with fire.

Calling for a peaceful settlement of the dispute between the two countries, in a different way of understanding, can also be seen as creating a pretext for armed intervention.

By the time everyone was ready to intervene, the subtext became: if anyone refused to settle the North-South issue peacefully, the four countries would use force to get them to agree.