Franz's decision meant the end of the honeymoon period between Britain and Austria, and the conflict between the two countries was bound to increase in the years to come.

The world is big, big enough to feed billions of people; This world is very small, and the small one cannot accommodate two overlords.

The world can't accommodate it, let alone the European continent?

With the revival of Austria, it was only a matter of time before there was a conflict of interest with the British. Even if there had been no Russo-Prussian war, the two countries would have gone against each other elsewhere.

If the Suez Canal had not been opened, Franz would have been afraid of the British. Now it was different, the Austrian Navy had direct access to the Arabian Sea, with colonies to rely on along the way.

If Britain and Austria really turn their faces, Austria can completely adopt a lose-lose approach. Drive the British out of the African continent and, by the way, burn the flames of war to the Indian Ocean.

India's significance to Britain, as you can see by looking at productivity, is almost the same as that of the British Isles.

There is no doubt that this level is limited to the total economy, one is agriculture and the other is industry, and the two are completely incomparable.

Austria could not grab this "the most dazzling jewel in the crown of the British Empire", but it still had the ability to overturn the chessboard.

Of course, "overturning the chessboard" is only a last resort, and if it does, Austria will also be miserable.

There is no need to think about the colonization of the Americas, and the colonies in the South Seas may not be able to be saved, and most of the overseas markets have been lost, and it will be difficult to recover for decades.

This is still optimistic. In case the British went crazy, and the main forces of the Royal Navy came out regardless of it, chasing the Austrian Navy and beating him, Franz was going to cry.

Rationally, the chances of this happening are very low. The British feared that the French would sneak up on their homeland; Austria was also concerned that the French would cut off their ties with Austrian Africa.

Austria's strength is also based on the premise that the mainland and the colonies are integrated, and if it is cut off, it will not be much better than the German Second Empire, which was blocked in the original time and space.

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Chief of Staff Albrecht proposed: "Ladies and gentlemen, in view of the current complex situation, it is necessary to expand our navy.

If the British suffered losses in the Russo-Prussian War, the London government would definitely have to get it back from somewhere else, and future international conflicts would inevitably intensify, and the pressure on the Navy would increase significantly.

There is also concern among the French, who have been active in international affairs since Napoleon IV succeeded to the throne and have been a notch less active in international affairs.

A few years ago, it could be said that the Paris government was infighting, and there was no effort to take care of international affairs, but now that Napoleon IV is in power, the Paris government has stabilized, and it is not normal if there is no movement. ”

The absence of the French is really unaccustomed. Originally, the French stood in the way to attract attention, the "Mediterranean Empire" shook the European continent, and Austria was overshadowed.

With the silence of the government in Paris, Austria had to stand up and fight the British in person. Whether it is the "guano war" in South America or the Russo-Prussian War in Europe, it is the Anglo-Austrian game, and the French are just playing soy sauce.

In this era of the jungle, there is nothing that cannot be solved by force. When there is a lot of pressure, the army will be expanded, and when the strength is in place, the problem will be solved.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Karl objected: "No, at least not until the Triple Pact expires, we must have the spirit of contract." ”

The "spirit of contract" is a joke, and it is estimated that Britain, France and Austria do not take this as the same thing, and at most they can only be comforted in their hearts.

It is precisely because there is no that it is extraordinarily precious, and everyone attaches so much importance to it that it is often on the lips.

There is no breach of contract not because everyone has a "spirit of contract", the main thing is that it is not worth the breach. As long as the common interests of the three countries outweigh the contradictions, there is no breach of contract.

The "British, French, and Austrian Triple Alliance" has already been renewed once, and judging from the current situation, it is difficult to conclude a third alliance.

However, it is difficult to say, the international situation is ever-changing, and no one knows what will happen in the future. It would certainly be unwise to tear up the covenant in a hurry, and it would make diplomacy narrower and narrower.

Franz nodded: "The alliance still has half a year to expire, and if it is to be renewed, the ratio of the navies of the three countries will be revised at that time."

Expanding the navy is a matter of time, but there is no need to rush it. Let the Admiralty plan first and put it in the annual budget for the following year for the time being. ”

Expanding the armed forces has never been a simple matter, especially in expanding the navy, which requires comprehensive consideration of various factors.

Unless it is a period of arms race, the expansion of the navy in normal times is usually discussed for several years. Not government efficiency, mainly waiting for the budget.

The government's annual budget is determined in advance, and when it suddenly says that it wants to expand the army, where will the money come from? It's not a war year, of course, you have to follow the rules.

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If it had been known that a test had accelerated the expansion of Austria's military and triggered an arms race that followed, it is estimated that the London government would not have said anything.

The future has not happened yet, and Prime Minister Benjamin does not need to worry about it for the time being, but the current Prussian war has made him worried.

"How can the Pupo Federation win this war" is a big problem. Land warfare is different from naval warfare, and the London government cannot intervene even if it wants to help.

The size of the British Army was not as large as the casualties of a month in the Russo-Prussian War.

Sending troops was absolutely impossible, and once again the London government found it too difficult to intervene on the European continent without thugs.

Foreign Secretary Edward: "Your Excellency, the Pop-Polish Federation is not short of supplies or troops, and the situation is far from as bad as we imagined.

At least within the year, the Pupo Federation will not be defeated. Winter is just around the corner, and the war will inevitably slow down.

This is the opportunity, and it is already imperative to orchestrate a second anti-Russian alliance. Austria was supporting the Russians, and it would be difficult to win the war with the strength of the Pop-Po Confederation alone. ”

Benjamin asked puzzledly: "Isn't the Ministry of Foreign Affairs already doing it?" ”

Edward explained: "The French were doing things in Annam, and the southern frontiers of the Far Eastern Empire were unstable, and they were powerless to contain the Russians.

Although the Ottomans had the intention of taking revenge on the Russians, it was only because they were afraid of Austria's reaction and needed our security protection, which also required the participation of France.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs only said that it moved the three Central Asian countries, but their strength was limited, and seeing that the Pubo Federation was at a disadvantage on the battlefield, they did not dare to bet so early.

We have tried the government in Paris, and it will be very difficult to convince them, and now the best thing to do now is to find an ally in Europe for the Poppo Federation. ”

Chancellor Benjamin asked with some surprise: "You mean the Federal Reich of Germany?" ”

Then he denied: "No." The strength of the Germans is indeed good, but there are too many internal states, and Hanover can only barely control the situation.

If they were to go to war with the Russians for the sake of the Pop-Polish Federation, wouldn't the small states in the country be in trouble?

You should know what role Austria plays in this. Don't be busy and don't help when the time comes, the German Confederation will mess up on its own, and then it will be troublesome. ”

The Federal Empire of Germany was an important pawn of Britain on the European continent, and its main role was to prevent Austria from unifying the German region.

Edward smiled: "Of course it is not possible to directly let the Germans enter the war, but what about the Pop-Po Confederation joining the Federal Reich of Germany?" ”

If this news spreads, there will be a major earthquake across the European continent, which will simply upend the current international order.

The merger of the German Federal Empire and the Pop-Po Confederation is not as simple as 1+1=2, the two complement each other's advantages and make up for their last shortcomings, which means that after Britain, France and Austria, another top power has risen.

Although this nascent empire was slightly inferior to the three major powers, and its overall national strength surpassed that of the Russian Empire, it was naturally not a problem to win this war.

The point is that the post-war European landscape will be turned upside down, Austria's strategy of German unification will be shattered, and the French will also be bankrupt in their eastward strategy.

Prime Minister Benjamin shook his head: "This is impossible, the Austrians will not agree." The Viennese government will certainly intervene unless you can get the French to keep them at bay.

For the French, this is also harmful to others and not to themselves. At that point, the Paris government will most likely choose to join forces with Austria to carve up Central Europe. ”

In the face of interests, competitors and allies can also be transformed into each other. France and Austria also have a criminal record, and neither can guarantee that they will not cooperate a second time.

Edward said in a firm tone: "It's man-made, the strength of France and Austria is growing too fast, and if it continues like this, one of them will have the ability to threaten us."

If France and Austria had joined forces to carve up Central Europe, the Franco-Austrian war would not be far off, and the German nationalists would not have allowed the French to rule the German region.

If it is done well, both France and Austria will be greatly damaged, and the situation in Europe will be pulled back on track again. ”

This is a conspiracy, and it is also a conspiracy. Nationalism is a double-edged sword, it can kill the enemy as well as hurt itself.

Benjamin asked again: "After the merger of Pude, how will the master-slave problem be solved?" ”

This is the most real problem. The Popo Federation is stronger and is certainly unwilling to be a vassal; The same is true of the Federal Empire of Germany, how can the emperor retreat?

Edward: "Of course, there is no master and slave, and the system of imperial candidates of the Holy Roman Empire continues. Considering the current special situation, it is necessary for the Pupo Federation to make concessions, for example: to abandon the emperor's election.

We don't need a strong empire in Central Europe, a merged German federal empire, preferably a loose alliance with a certain strength.

The political system in which the central government is weak and the states are bigger, and the political system that is not weak but cannot be integrated is more conducive to the stability of Europe.

Only such a country can be accepted by France and Austria. There is no need to worry that the Berlin government will refuse, they have no choice. ”

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