On September 25, 1890, France and Belgium mobilized for war at about the same time, and everyone knew that this was about to be done.

Europe's eyes converged on Vienna, as the boss of the anti-French alliance, the position of the Austrian government at this time will directly affect the next changes in the European continent.

Vienna Palace

Franz asked: "Hasn't the German Confederation yet come up with a result?" ”

Belgium alone could not stop the French, and when Austrian reinforcements arrived, the cooperation of North Germany was particularly important.

Everyone understands that once the French army occupies Belgium, North Germany will be reduced to a battlefield, and it will be impossible to be alone.

Against this background, it was inevitable that North Germany would send troops to support Belgium. However, this is only theoretical.

There are too many countries in the German Confederation, and everyone's core interests are different, and not everyone is willing to fight with the French.

There is never a shortage of fools in this world, and there is also such a existence within the German Confederation, which at this time is fantasizing about exchanging profits for peace.

If there is a contradiction, then quarrel, anyway, the existence of the Imperial Council is to provide a place for everyone to quarrel.

Foreign Secretary Wesenberg: "On the issue of sending troops to reinforce Belgium, there is a preliminary agreement. However, there were contradictions between the parties in the distribution of troops and the right to command.

George I behaved very passively, and did not rush everyone to send troops, apparently trying to preserve his strength. ”

People are selfish, and Franz is sure that both Germany and Germany hope that France and Austria will lose both, or even die together, in order to make the greatest profit.

It is not surprising that George I was passive and slack, anyway, the battlefield was far from Hanover, and even if the front line was lost, it was Belgium and Baden who were the first to lose.

When the western territories have fallen, it is time for Austrian reinforcements to arrive, and then it is right to wave the flag and shout.

In the Austro-Prussian War in the original time and space, Austria was killed by a group of passive and slacking allies, and had to face twice the strength of the enemy.

Franz frowned and fell into hesitation. Frankly speaking, he was not prepared to sell his teammates before this, after all, the strength of both Belgium and Germany is limited, and he cannot deliberately weaken it.

But the scene that happened in front of him made him have to consider borrowing a knife to kill someone.

A German region with heavy losses seems to be more conducive to post-reunification stability and less unnecessary troubles.

"The original emergency mobilization plan was canceled, and it was enough to mobilize according to the ordinary intensity, and a week later troops were sent to reinforce the Bide front.

In order to do a good job of coordination and communication, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must obtain the right to dispatch the railways along the route. By the way, tell the Belgians that reinforcements would arrive within a month.

As for George I, leave him alone for the time being. Once the war broke out, they simply couldn't hide from it. ”

Franz was still disciplined, and the dispatch of troops was delayed by only a week, which was completely worthy of the title of ally.

No one can accuse Austria of cheating its allies, and the labor expedition must be prepared, and a week is really not much.

In fact, the Austrian army, this time not by train to Belgium, but on two legs.

There is no way, the railway capacity is limited, and there are many countries involved, so it cannot play an efficient role at all.

Valuable transport capacity can only be used for the transportation of logistical materials and weapons and equipment, and as for ordinary soldiers, they still have to walk through.

Marching more than 1,000 kilometers in more than 20 days, even if you travel lightly, this speed can be achieved on the European continent.

……

There is no superfluous explanation, the Viennese government has already made its position clear with practical actions, and the troops that are constantly arming are the most powerful response.

This is a bad thing for the tsarist government, seeing that Fao is about to fight, without the financier and the logistics captain, how will the next battle be fought?

I don't have to say it, I have to mediate!

saint petersburg

Alexander III angrily reprimanded: "What does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs do to eat?

Let you delay the outbreak of the war on the continent, and it will only be long before the situation becomes out of control......"

From the beginning of entering the house, Oscar Jimenez lowered his head and lowered his presence as much as possible, but he still did not hide from it.

There was no way, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a mistake in judgment. Originally, it was thought that the French would start the war after they had completed their preparations for war.

It's a pity that the plans did not change quickly, the French were not stupid, they themselves were preparing for war, and the enemy was also preparing for war.

When they are ready, the enemy is ready. At that time, the scale of the war will not be tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, but millions of armies fighting decisive battles.

Such a war, even if it is won, will be greatly damaged, and it will only cheapen the fishermen on the side, and the gains outweigh the losses.

Otherwise, Napoleon IV would not have chosen to play on the topic when he knew that someone was planning it.

When Alexander III finished venting, Oscar Jimenez tentatively explained: "Your Majesty, the main reason for the advance of the European war is that the French economy cannot hold on.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made emergency preparations, and we have signed a contract with Austria to guarantee the supply of our strategic goods even if a war breaks out on the European continent.

With the industrial strength of the three countries of the anti-French alliance, there is no problem in supporting multi-front operations, and the European war will not affect the Afghan battlefield. ”

Purely from the point of view of industrial strength, the anti-French alliance has an absolute advantage, and the industrial strength of Belgium and Germany alone is already very close to France.

In this context, Austria only needs to ensure the logistics supply of its own army, and the logistics of the armies of Belgium and Germany can handle it themselves.

Even if there is a shortage, there is only a shortage of industrial raw materials and food. The French did not have the strength to blockade the anti-French alliance, and Russia and Austria could provide these supplies.

From the point of view of industrial volume, Austria has no problem supporting three to five million troops to fight, but the front line will certainly not need so many troops.

Then Austria will have logistical spare capacity, and it is theoretically feasible to promise to guarantee the export of materials to Russia.

Alexander III sneered: "It is true that it will not be affected, but as a price, we must unconditionally support Austria in this war."

If the anti-French alliance loses on the battlefield, we will send troops to help them fight. Otherwise, Austria will be defeated, and we will be defeated with it.

By the way, I remember that some time ago, there was a certain idiot who packaged and sold all the share of grain exported this year to Austria.

We have long been tied to the chariot by Franz, and now we are just a little more dead.

From now on, everyone prayed that the Austrians would behave in a good way, otherwise the Russian Empire would suffer.

At the same time, we must pray that the Austrians are not too competent, and if they defeat the French in three or five strokes, then we will have to give up the European hegemon! ”

It was impossible for Alexander III not to be angry, and before the European War began, the strategic initiative of the Russian Empire was completely gone.

Unless they can cut their flesh immediately and decisively abandon Afghanistan, they will have to go all the way with the Austrians in this European war.

Grain, which was originally a powerful weapon of the tsarist government, was sold to Austria early by the bureaucrats for profit, and it is impossible to reverse it now.

Except for the grain exports of the Russian Empire, never go through the Black Sea straits; And in the next war in Afghanistan, logistics materials, industrial equipment were not purchased from Austria.

It's no use getting angry, it's already happening. Now there is not much that the tsarist government can do other than pray that both France and Austria will lose.

……

Time passed like an arrow, and the 48 hours flew by, and the delayed time that Leopold II had imagined could not be realized.

The position of the French is very resolute, and they are not given a chance to explain at all, even if there is international mediation.

On September 27, 1890, the French government formally declared war on the Belgian government on the grounds that Belgium had conspiracy to kill French soldiers.