Holy Roman Empire

Humans are adept at reflection, especially after experiencing "pain close to the skin." The escalating wave of revolution made rulers realize the danger.

The cultural tradition in Austria tends toward conservatism, and the losses in the economic crisis were not significant, so social contradictions were relatively ease, which meant the influence of the revolutionary wave was less pronounced.

Several domestic disturbances that erupted involved international forces, and the people’s revolutionary will was not strong. The Vienna Government’s sense of crisis was not too intense.

While Franz was still considering whether to convene an international conference, Napoleon IV had already issued a call to all countries in Europe.

There was no way around it, for the revolutionary fervor of the Parisians was too high. The whole city was like a powder keg, where a single spark could ignite a revolution.

According to incomplete statistics, starting from a gunshot in Lyon to now, the number of rebellions and riots that have broken out in France has reached 116, surpassing the total of other regions in Europe.

Protests and strikes go without saying. Nearly every French city has experienced strike actions. As long as the weather permits, there are people marching and demonstrating on the streets of Paris.

Having deeply understood the situation in France, Franz came to understand the urgency of Napoleon IV’s call for an international conference.

The Revolutionary Holy Land is not an empty phrase. Recently, Parisians seem to have developed a fondness for the meaningful activity of revolution, erupting two to three times a week.

Luckily, with the French ruling class united in suppressing the uprisings, the Palace of Versailles didn’t have to change owners again.

Several financial consortiums in Paris have already provided the French government with 1.5 Billion Francs to suppress the rebellions and stabilize the domestic situation. Napoleon IV was barely able to steady the state of affairs with the military bought with money.

From the current situation, it’s clear that the three big hooligans are still stabbing each other in the back, and the first to collapse will undoubtedly be France.

Victory was within reach, yet Franz had to pull back. Austria was right to suppress its competitor France, but it did not include promoting the French revolution.

Revolution is full of too much uncertainty. If France succeeds in revolution at this time, who knows whether it will spread to the whole of Europe?

Without any surprise, including Austria, countries across Europe have responded to the call of Napoleon IV.

After preliminary consultations, it was decided: An international "reactionary" alliance conference will be held in Paris on April 15, 1882. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

…

At the Vienna Palace, during the economic conference,

Railway Department Minister Soltren said, "In view of the current economic situation at home, the Railway Department has decided to initiate the strategic railway network plan in advance.

The main lines include: Ring Arabian Peninsula Railway, Middle East Railway, North-South Railway of Central America, Southeast Asia Railway, and the Circuit Railway of Austro-Africa.

Considering special circumstances, the Arabian Peninsula railway and Middle East Railway will be constructed in segments, postponing the areas with harsh geographical conditions until the technology matures enough for construction.

Our colonies in Southeast Asia consist of islands, and the construction of railways inevitably has to be based on the island’s terrain. Currently, the focus areas are Lanfang Autonomous Province and New Guinea Island.

Especially in Lanfang Autonomous Province, which has become the economic center of Southeast Asia, not having a single proper railway is frankly a joke.

The Circuit Railway of Austro-Africa, due to geographical constraints, cannot ensure full connectivity with our current technology.

The Railway Department is negotiating with the French to see if we can integrate our railways with theirs in the Egypt Area.

To ’Libya-Egypt-Sudan-Uganda’, replace the original ’Libya-Chad-Central Africa’ rail line.

If the plan can be implemented smoothly, our next step is to build a large bridge over the Suez Canal to connect Africa with the Eurasian continent.

"The current situation within France is very bad, and if the Foreign Ministry can cooperate and apply diplomatic pressure, the chances of success are very high."

Except for Alaska and the Patagonian plateau, Austria’s strategic railway network plan covers essentially all of its overseas colonies.

Theoretically, once these main railway lines are completed, the Vienna Government’s control over the overseas colonies will climb to a new level.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg said, "Sir Soltren, your plans are all quite good, but the last part about the railway around Africa seems a bit unreliable.

France is not a small country, and even if their current situation is bad, if we manage to exert diplomatic pressure and force the Paris Government to make concessions, it will still lead to trouble in the future."

Soltren asked, puzzled, "Why? A railway running through Africa and the Eurasian continent can effectively promote Egypt’s economic development, and the French would benefit as well."

Weisenberg patiently explained, "It’s not just a matter of economic interests, but also strategic security.

If we follow the Railway Department’s plan, Egypt would become the transportation hub between the Middle East and Austro-Africa, and at the same time, it would fall into our encirclement.

Should relations between France and Austria deteriorate, or even if war breaks out, our troops could enter Egypt via the railway.

Under a multifaceted siege, the French definitely would not be able to hold Egypt. Losing Egypt means losing the Suez Canal.

Without control over the Suez Canal, the French would lose more than half of their overseas trade, and it would basically be a defeat.

Even if the the French government chooses to compromise now due to the crisis, for the sake of national strategic security, the French would still cause destruction."

In a sense, Egypt is France’s lifeline. Didn’t the French stick with the British in the original timeline just because they were choked off?

Now the situation is much the same; if France and Austria turned against each other, the French would have to hold on to Egypt.

Otherwise, if they lost the Suez Canal and couldn’t traverse the Cape of Good Hope, their maritime lifeline would be cut in half.

Prime Minister Felix added, "It’s not just the railway around Africa that has issues—the Southeast Asia railway is also problematic.

The Lan Fang Autonomous Province is a unique entity which the Central Government has never really governed, so naturally, there’s hardly any binding force.

If it weren’t for their annual tax payments, I would have almost forgotten that such an autonomous province even existed.

In the just-passed year of 1881, the government of Lan Fang Autonomous Province paid taxes to the Central Government amounting to 3.764 million Divine Shields, and all we need to do is provide them with security protection.

This is a stable source of revenue, and in principle, the government opposes any policy that might aggravate tensions when making decisions involving the Lan Fang Autonomous Province.

The Railway Department must obtain the approval of the autonomous province’s government to build a railway there. This is difficult; they are very conservative about the construction of railways."

There was no alternative; the Lan Fang Autonomous Province was too compliant, with virtually no political presence.

The ones dealing most with them were the Foreign Ministry and the Tax Department—the Foreign Ministry handled international conflicts, and the Tax Department collected taxes, and then that was it.

Getting a substantial, stable income without much cost, no one disliked such a source of revenue.

The Vienna Government did not wish to break the harmony of the current situation; as long as taxes were paid on time, and they didn’t cause trouble or hassle for the government, all other issues didn’t really matter.

Soltren nodded as if deep in thought. As a technical bureaucrat, he only knew so little about these issues; that didn’t mean he was politically naive.

If the plan couldn’t be implemented, then it would be modified. Any major government plan goes through multiple revisions, balancing the interests of all parties before it is rolled out.