Holy Roman Empire

The outcome did not surprise the British. By late 1874, seeing that Austria had no intention of continuing the war—either because they were worried about who would fund the operation or perhaps because they were eager to return home for Christmas—the Russian government decisively chose to compromise.

On December 18, 1874, Austria, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire signed the Treaty of the Near East in London.

The key points of the treaty were:

1. The Ottoman Empire acknowledged its defeat in the war and accepted responsibility for it.
2. The Ottoman Empire agreed to return the Kingdom of Jerusalem and transfer sovereignty over the Arabian Peninsula to Austria as compensation (Note: excluding the Mesopotamian region, but including Kuwait).
3. The Ottoman Empire ceded the Caucasus region to the Russian Empire and agreed to compensate Russia with 2 million rubles for war expenses.
4. The Black Sea straits were to remain open as free straits, and none of the three countries would be allowed to block access under any circumstances.
5. Austria’s navy was to lift the blockade on the Ottoman Empire’s coastal areas effective immediately.
6. From the date of the treaty’s signing, both sides would exchange prisoners within a month and withdraw from each other’s territories within three months...

When the treaty reached the Vienna court, Franz promptly approved it. The Ottoman Empire was already impoverished, so taking land was enough; demanding war reparations would have been a waste of time.

The Russians had fought hard for so long, but in the end, they only secured 2 million rubles in reparations. A huge sum for an individual, but insignificant for a nation.

What drew the most attention in this war wasn’t the airship fleet’s debut, nor the coalition forces’ unstoppable advance, but the astronomical price of transferring the Arabian Peninsula.

Although the treaty did not specify an exact compensation amount, Austrian demands for 3 billion guilders in reparations were leaked to the press.

This headline was a hit among the public. From the staggering demand of 3 billion to the actual transfer of sovereignty over the Arabian Peninsula, the value gap was enormous which was more than tenfold.

It was a topic of casual conversation, as no one truly believed the Arabian Peninsula was worth that much, nor did anyone think Austria would actually receive such a sum.

The tactic of making an exorbitant demand and settling for much less is common in negotiations, so the final outcome being far different from the initial request was expected.

Franz was glad he didn’t push for the compensation amount to be written into the treaty, as it could have sparked endless debate for generations.

As one of the victors of the Near East War, Austria’s greatest gain wasn’t territorial expansion or economic benefits but the strengthening of its religious influence.

The achievement of reclaiming Jerusalem secured Franz a place in religious history, and his titles grew longer, including “Restorer of the Holy Land,” “Saint,” and “Defender of the Christian World.”

The Roman Curia was particularly generous this time, handing out honorary titles like free samples. Not only did the emperor receive accolades, but all the officers and soldiers who participated in the Jerusalem campaign were collectively awarded the title of “Restorer of the Holy Land.”

If not for concern over the Austrian government’s response, the Roman Curia might have even mass-produced knighthoods. Pope Pius IX had already led a group of archbishops to Jerusalem, awaiting Franz’s coronation, going all out in their efforts to revive the influence of the Church.

All of this was forced by circumstances. In recent years, the Roman Curia had been severely suppressed by the French. Even the Vatican headquarters was under their control.

Forget about privileges, now the Pope himself had to abide by France’s religious management laws. When Napoleon III made an example out of them, he even sent a cardinal who broke the law to prison, giving no face to the Curia at all.

Now, running off to establish a diocese in Jerusalem was a last resort. At least Franz had offered them better terms, allowing the Curia to have full control over their own domain.

The situation in the Middle East was complex, and having someone to take the heat was essential. With the reopening of the Jerusalem diocese, there would be someone to bear the blame in the future.

At the Vienna Palace, Prime Minister Felix reported, “In the recent Jerusalem campaign, it was mainly a siege. There was no large-scale battle within the city, so the buildings weren’t badly damaged.

The palace has already begun repairs and will be fully completed in at most two months. It won’t affect the coronation scheduled for April next year.

However, there has been an uptick in religious conflicts in the region recently. Despite our efforts to repatriate the Ottomans, a few stragglers have stayed behind and are causing trouble.

The government is preparing to launch a security crackdown, implementing a system of real-name registration and thoroughly investigating any illegal individuals still in the area causing unrest…”

Reclaiming Jerusalem didn’t mean the matter was settled. Franz was still missing that final step. Legally speaking, only after being crowned in Jerusalem would he truly become the legitimate monarch of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Franz asked, “How has the Curia performed? Is there anyone suitable for us to support?”

After thinking for a moment, Prime Minister Felix replied, “They’ve been performing adequately. It seems they’ve been scared into compliance by Napoleon III and are mostly acting within the prearranged boundaries we set.

From what I can tell, the Cardinals are all performing similarly, so it doesn’t really matter whom we support to rise to a higher position. The real test of their abilities will come with the restoration work in Jerusalem.”

The restoration of Jerusalem wasn’t just about repairing damaged buildings. It also required the reconstruction of ancient structures that were destroyed by the Ottoman Empire.

In this area, the Curia had the most authority, as they had comprehensive records of the Holy Land. Rebuilding Jerusalem wasn’t something Austria wanted to finance entirely on its own. Franz didn’t intend to bear the full cost.

The Roman Curia was best suited for this task, so the fundraising and city reconstruction would fall to them. Once the Holy Land was rebuilt, Jerusalem would also need a religious leader of considerable stature to oversee faith and education in the area, and that would require someone capable.

Franz nodded, “The restoration of Jerusalem will be fully entrusted to the Curia. If they do a good job, we can even hand over the administrative duties to them. We will just handle taxation and security.

Austria doesn’t need to focus too much on a small city. The government’s main focus should remain on the land fallow policies. The land in the Middle East is suffering severe desertification, and if we don’t address it soon, it will turn into a complete desert.

It doesn’t matter if the Holy Land turned into a desert under Ottoman rule, but if it happened under our rule, we would be seen as sinners.

The government needs to quickly organize efforts to turn the local farmland into forests and grasslands, and to plant windbreak and sand-fixing plants in the already desertified areas. Funding should primarily come from donations from the faithful, or we can encourage pilgrims to get involved directly by helping with the labor.”

Franz wasn’t particularly interested in Jerusalem itself. Even if this ancient city developed, it would still only be a tourist destination. However, the oil resources in the Middle East were something he couldn’t ignore.

Protecting the Holy Land was just a pretext. The real goal was to lay the groundwork for future oil extraction. The natural environment of the Middle East wasn’t as bad as it would be in the future, and with a little protection, they could avoid the situation where water became more expensive than oil.

It wouldn’t take much effort. Once the local population was relocated and the land left fallow, most of the desertification problem would be solved.

Then, by calling on pilgrims to participate in meaningful activities like tree planting and afforestation, increasing the oasis by a hundred or so square kilometers each year was achievable.

Though no one knew what Franz was planning, this didn’t affect their willingness to follow orders. Since Jerusalem was now under Austrian control, even just for appearances, the Austrian government couldn’t let the area turn into a desert.

Colonial Minister Stephen suggested, “Your Majesty, the Arabian Peninsula also suffers from severe desertification. The Colonial Office suggests relocating the local population and leaving the land fallow as well.”

Franz nodded in satisfaction. Their ability to learn quickly was impressive. The desertification of the Arabian Peninsula was much more severe, and the effort required to manage it would be greater. However, that wasn’t the main issue. The key concern was that the nomadic tribes in the region were difficult to govern.

Austria’s primary interest in the Arabian Peninsula was its strategic location, not its wealth. The nomadic tribes in the peninsula were extremely poor, with their main economic activity being camel herding. Even if tax collectors were sent, they might not collect enough to sustain themselves.

If left unchecked, these tribes could become a threat to Austrian rule if anyone secretly supported them. Under these circumstances, relocating the tribes was the best way to reduce the cost of governance.

Franz responded, “The Arabian Peninsula has been over-exploited for a long time. To protect the environment, it will need to be left fallow for several decades.

But the Arabian Peninsula is vast, and there are many small nations there. It won’t be easy to implement this. Has the Colonial Ministry developed a plan?”

The Arabian Peninsula is indeed large, and even though it’s sparsely populated, there are still 2-3 million people. Relocating the population wouldn’t be as simple as in Jerusalem.

(Note: This does not include the densely populated areas of the Euphrates and Tigris river basins, which were not part of the treaty.)

Colonial Minister Stephen explained, “Your Majesty, the Arabian Peninsula is arid and lacks water. The population is concentrated around water sources. As long as we control the water sources, that will be enough.

The Colonial Ministry plans to leave a portion of the able-bodied population to work in African mines and build railroads, while the rest will be sent back to the Ottoman Empire.”

Water scarcity was the biggest challenge in the Arabian Peninsula. Without access to water, the nomadic tribes wouldn’t be able to survive as nomads.