Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 1141 - 155: The Differences between Politics and Military

The infighting within the Continental Alliance is not intense, with the Vienna Government keeping a lid on it, countries are at most underhanded in secret.

Now, the mutual antagonism among countries mainly stems from past accumulations of grudges, and chiefly for the division of war spoils.

However, sharing war spoils is predicated on winning the war. On the point of winning the war, the position of European countries is unified.

Most importantly, the current disputes do not involve the Holy Roman Empire directly. Should the conflicts escalate further, the Vienna Government would surely intervene for mediation.

Right now, our urgent task is not to defeat the Russians, nor to carve out colonies, but to find a way to survive.

We can’t pin all our hopes on the British. We need to consider the new international situation we’ll face if the Oceanic Alliance were to lose.”

A bucket of cold water was thrown, extinguishing the military’s blind optimism, and all Ito Hirobumi felt was exhaustion.

The situation in the Far Eastern Battlefield had indeed reversed, but behind this reversal, the manipulation by human hands was all too evident.

The interruption of the Siberian Railway had caused logistical supply issues for the Russian Army, but the Japanese Army’s logistics weren’t much better.

If it weren’t for the enemy navy deliberately giving way, it would be difficult for the Japanese Government to get strategic materials to the front line, not to mention other matters.

Defeat the Russians, swallow up the Far East, and then plot the whole of East Asia.

Such strategic plans, Ito Hirobumi dared not even contemplate. Unless the Oceanic Alliance won the war, and Japan, as one of the victors, might have a chance to advance further.

If the Oceanic Alliance were to lose the war, as one of the losers, Japan would do well to keep its own territory, let alone even think about colonies.

Yamagata Aritomo: “Ito-kun, aren’t you being too pessimistic? The performance of the British in this war has indeed been disappointing, but it’s not as if they’re about to lose immediately.

I’ve studied European war history, and there have been large-scale wars that lasted ten or even a hundred years.

In contrast, the previous anti-French wars ended in less than two years and were the real anomaly.

With the foundation of the Great Britain Empire, contending with the Holy Roman Empire for three to five years should not be an issue.

By the time they’ve decided the victory, we’ll have secured our footing in the Far East. The Austrians wouldn’t launch a distant campaign with disproportionate effort to gain.”

No doubt, the wars between factions in European history were all very long, mainly due to production limitations. The national power of each was limited and couldn’t support long-continued warfare.

Usually, both sides would fight until they couldn’t sustain it, then rest and recover before resuming conflict.

After the 19th century, the situation changed. The previous anti-French wars were typical of this change.

Both sides could support millions of troops in full-time warfare, allowing for direct conflict without the need for preliminary skirmishes.

Times have changed, and past historical experiences should only serve as a reference. Indulging in them would surely lead to being misguided.

The military was not blind to these issues. But driven by interest, they were already caught in their own delusions.

To handle the changing international scene while suppressing the domestic military’s undue aspirations was undeniably exhausting.

…

Compared to Japan’s radical approach, the other members of the Oceanic Alliance were much more rational.

Europe was indeed in chaos, but it was within a controllable range, only the Russian Empire was truly out of control.

It was obviously a move by various countries to kick Russia out of the game in anticipation of imminent victory and reduce one competitor for the spoils of war.

Besides, not only the Continental Alliance was in chaos, but the Oceanic Alliance also had its fires to put out.

Britain was caught in the dual impact of strikes, anti-war waves, and the Irish independence movement; the Great Britain Empire needed time to extinguish these fires and was unable to launch a full counterattack in the short term.

The United States was even more chaotic, with anti-war waves erupting and some states even unilaterally declaring their withdrawal from the war.

Joining when they want, withdrawing when they want, as if they were ungrown children, simply capricious.

Mexico and Colombia, which had been battered by the war, reacted even more violently.

On July 24, 1905, a coup d’état took place in Bogota, and the Republican Government fell. The new government was actively engaging in diplomatic maneuvers to withdraw from the war.

Whether they could make a clean exit was uncertain, but for the first country to exit the Oceanic Alliance, the Vienna Government was quite accommodating—the front lines had already ceased fire, waiting only for the outcome of negotiations.

Ever since the fall of Maximilian’s regime, Mexico had plunged into a quagmire of military strife, and the Central Government only existed in name.

Clearly, such a country lacked the capacity to wage war abroad.

The survival of the Mexican Republic Government up to this point was largely thanks to the substantial support of Anglo-America. Without international intervention, a revival supported by the Vienna Government would have succeeded long ago.

Participating in this war was entirely due to pressure from the powers that be, coupled with the fact that the United States had indeed sent troops to assist, giving them the courage to go all in.

Then, tragedy began to unfold. The elite U.S. troops, upon whom high hopes had been pinned, made an appearance on the battlefield only to spectacularly blunder.

Despite the Mexican army being nothing more than a ragtag group, their experience in civil war had not much improved their combat effectiveness, but their ability to preserve their lives on the battlefield had skyrocketed.

A bizarre scene emerged. Despite having been defeated, the casualties of the Mexican army were less than a third of those of the U.S. Army. It is worth noting that the number of Mexican troops engaged in battle was double that of their U.S. counterparts.

The eye-wateringly high casualty figures fell into the eyes of the Mexican warlords, leading them to a conclusion—”the combat power of the United States’ elite forces was inferior to their own.”

Once this conclusion was drawn, confidence in the Oceanic Alliance’s victory in the war was lost outright, at least in terms of the Central American battlefield.

For their own interests, everyone was preparing for an exit. Some individuals, who had originally inclined towards a monarchical system, even openly displayed Maximilian’s banner.

South American nations were not at peace either; the so-called “big three of South America,” Brazil, Chile, Argentina, also saw massive anti-war demonstrations.

Although the Pro-British Faction was powerful, the Pro-Austrian Faction was not to be underestimated. Previously, when Britannia had naval superiority, everyone was willing to follow and take advantage of the situation. Now, with the reversal of circumstances, it was natural for them to change sides.

Previously frustrated at the lack of breakthroughs on the battlefield, they now felt nothing but relief. No breakthroughs meant that no substantial damage had been inflicted.

The lesser the damage, the lower the grudges invoked; naturally, the cost of appeasement would be minimized.

Without any shame, they could shift the blame to the British, claiming they were “in Cao Cao’s camp with hearts in Han,” coerced into involvement.

Submitting a declaration of loyalty, offering up some scapegoats, and compensating for some losses, the matter would likely pass.

Similar instances were not uncommon in European history. With American nations having sprung from European roots, they were certainly not impervious to such influences.

For many countries in the Oceanic Alliance, the Continental Alliance’s descent into chaos was the perfect opportunity to abandon ship.

If this moment was missed, the cost of withdrawing unscathed would be substantially higher.

Just by observing the flurry of activity in the Holy Roman Foreign Department, one could tell that major developments would soon occur.

…

As if provoked, Army Minister Feslav exclaimed, “Launching a landing operation now is impossible! The strength of the British remains intact. Without taking down the enemy’s air and naval forces, the risks of a landing are too great.”

The “Sea Lion Plan,” was no simple task. The Third German Empire in the original timeline failed, and although the situation for Shinra was better now, the main force of the British naval and air forces was still intact.

Should the landing be met with a desperate counterattack halfway through, it could lead to a major disaster.

Any great nation, at a moment of existential crisis, was capable of unleashing unparalleled power.

The Great Britain Empire, which had dominated the world, was certainly not the sick man of the future; in times of crisis, it would not lack the spirit to fight fiercely.

Foreign Minister Leo calmed, “Your Excellency, please do not be agitated. Although the risk of a landing operation is indeed great, so are the potential benefits!

There’s no need to directly occupy the British Isles. A successful landing is sufficient, even if the landing site is a bit off.

With such an extensive coastline, there are surely places the enemy cannot cover. If we move quickly enough, it is not impossible to dispatch a small force to secure a foothold.

The diplomatic department is currently attempting to sway members of the Oceanic Alliance, and some are already tempted, though they still harbor the last vestiges of hope in the British.

By cutting off this last thread of hope, the Oceanic Alliance will quickly crumble. With other nations we’ve secretly rallied, we can ignite an anti-British wave worldwide.

Perhaps without assaulting, the British themselves might surrender due to internal and external pressures.

Even with risks, compared to the ample rewards, it is worth taking the chance. At worst, we could first send the troops of our allies, as it is time for them to contribute.”

There’s nothing wrong with such a strategy. Allies exist to be exploited. In the ongoing battle for supremacy, only Russia has truly been duped—a fact unbelievable when said aloud.

Now that it was time to take risks, it was only fitting for allies to step up first. Without sacrifice, how could they be entitled to share in the spoils of war?

Remember, it was primarily Shinra that fought this war; the rest were merely tagging along for the ride.

Feslav fell into contemplation—politics and military concerns were different. The “Sea Lion Plan” was a military proposal, obviously emphasizing military aspects.

Militarily, to defeat Great Britain, occupying London would be sufficient; the remote rural areas were trivial.

Politically, however, it was starkly different. Regardless of where the Allied Forces landed, or whether subsequent operations could keep up, just setting foot on the British Isles would be counted as a successful landing.

The Foreign Department could use this achievement to wholeheartedly persuade wavering governments, assisting them in making the right decisions.

“We could try, but…”

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