Holy Roman Empire

Where there are people, there are societies. Once interests are involved, everything becomes complicated.

Some oppose "free trade," while others support it. Not everyone is a victim of "free trade"; on the contrary, many industries in Britannia benefit from it.

For example, the coal industry.

Since the last century, Britannia had been the world's largest exporter of coal. Even today, nearly a third of the coal production capacity in the United Kingdom is used for export.

Once out of the free trade system, the good days for the coal bosses would end. With tariff barriers, Britannia's coal would lose its cost advantage.

If the energy industry cannot monopolize the market, its core competitiveness is cost. Without a cost advantage, it is almost inevitable that the market will be invaded.

Another example is the textile industry.

Although hit hard by the wave of industrialization, Britannia remains the world's leading exporter of textiles.

Due to the expansion of the market caused by economic development, even though the share of British textiles in the international market has shrunk, the total amount of textile exports has not fallen much.

Data is fictitious, only making money is real. Regardless of what the future market prospects are like, at least for now, it is still profitable.

Once out of the free trade system, these export-oriented enterprises, each and every one of them, can forget about having good days.

Driven by interests, Britannia's industrial and commercial circles had already diverged. Both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh; the tycoons who secretly control industry and commerce are also very troubled.

Whether to support or oppose someone is never a decision that can be made casually. Essentially, a consortium is a collection of capital interests and does not possess strong enforcement power.

The strength of the consortium lies in the unanimity of everyone's interests. Now that there is a divergence among members, the power of the consortium has actually been weakened to an extreme.

If the interests of a significant portion of the members are severely harmed, the consortium might split in minutes. Under such circumstances, all the tycoons could do was try their best to reconcile the conflicts.

With divisions occurring within the capital, the decision to withdraw from the free trade system naturally could not be settled immediately.

Without trade barriers to protect the market, the London Government's economic stimulus policies would be equivalent to futile efforts.

No matter how the policies stimulate, industries that are not viable will always remain unviable. Products that lack market competitiveness won't benefit from more preferential policies.
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If economic issues cannot be resolved, political reform becomes even more challenging. Besides economic-related industry dispute bills being passed, most of the reform proposals submitted by Governor Campbell's government were vetoed by the Senate.

For example, reducing the power of the Senate, supporting self-government in Ireland, granting higher autonomy to the colonies...

After proposing so many compelling reform plans, the days for Governor Campbell's government quickly became difficult.

To protect their own interests, the Conservatives were forced to unite, using Parliament as the battleground to commence a "war of words" with the Reformists.

...

Downing Street, the Prime Minister's residence.

Peering through the window at the distance, Prime Minister Campbell heaved a deep sigh. His mood at the moment was much like London's weather—gloomy and overcast.

As a symbol of the dawn of the industrial age, since last century, London had been shrouded in smog.

Especially in winter, visibility less than fifty meters was common. If not for the invention of the fog light, it would be impossible to drive in London's winter.

Weather and such, Campbell could no longer care about. Since the beginning of the reforms, he had not had a good night's sleep, with countless troubles coming his way every day.

The Conservatives and the Reformists had a huge fallout, and the contradictions between the two sides had nearly been publicized. The battlefield had spread from the initial parliament to the entire society.

Radio and newspapers became the main battleground for debates between the two sides.

"Everyone has their own opinion."

As the debate unfolded, not just ordinary citizens, but also intellectuals and the middle-class elites, were left utterly confused.

In fact, even Campbell himself was somewhat baffled. Although the reform policies were his proposals, after hearing the reasons of the opposition, Campbell was not sure whether the reforms could succeed.

Choosing the softer target, he put political reform aside for the moment, considering it most crucial to reform the economy first and reverse the continuously worsening economic situation.

Only if the economic reforms were successful and established sufficient prestige could further political reforms be promoted.

Releasing his emotions, Campbell turned around and asked, "Who is currently prevailing outside?"

Unlike in other countries, the gap between the Reformists and Conservatives in Britain was not very large.

Then a strange thing happened, during the debate, neither side could overpower the other.

Today the Reformists had the upper hand, and tomorrow it turned to the Conservatives, with nobody knowing the eventual outcome.

The elusive situation made speculators within the government afraid to take a side. Without the support of the bureaucrats, how could the reforms proceed?

Interior Minister Azevedo said, "There's still no result. The hardliners are too powerful, it's difficult to determine the outcome in a short time.

However, the Agricultural Association we've allied with has shown some interest, and exiting the free trade system aligns with their interests."

Compared to the industrial and commercial sectors, British farmers were truly tragic figures. Restricted by geological conditions, the British Isles had limited land suitable for agriculture, and the production costs were relatively high.

Faced with the impact of imported agricultural products, British agriculture could be described as "able to defend but unable to fight back."

They couldn't even make a fuss because Britain's food production was not sufficient to meet its own needs.

Since it was about importing food, naturally, the cheaper, the better. The interests of the farmers had to be sacrificed, as all societal sectors stood together.

Not only ordinary farmers were affected, but also farm owners and the landed nobility.

Although they had political voices, compared to the industrial and commercial sectors, their power was much weaker.

To change this passive situation, these people organized the Agricultural Association. They united politically to fight for their benefits.

From the sales prices of agricultural products on the market, it was clear that the Agricultural Association had not achieved the goals everyone hoped for.

It was not that the Agricultural Association wasn't trying, but that the politicians were too shameless. They said one thing before taking office and another thing after.

They had invested many times, but all had ended in failure, to the point where everyone had lost confidence.

If they hadn't been so fearful of being deceived, these guys would have already participated by now, repealing the free trade system and implementing tariff barriers, which would be tremendously beneficial for agriculture.

Prime Minister Campbell nodded, sighing, "That would be best! Otherwise, continuing this deadlock will cause too much damage to the country."

The affairs of the Agricultural Association were not even mentioned, clearly, Campbell had no plans to fulfill his promises.

There was no choice in the matter, Britain's food production was limited, and imports were inevitable.

Protecting agriculture would mean an increase in the price of agricultural products, which would inevitably increase the living pressure on the working class and the labor costs for businesses.

Capitalists were not vegetarians, and every time labor expenses increased, it was the working class fighting desperately for it.

Just the thought of a nationwide strike was enough to daunt any politician.

…

Foreign Minister Adam Winjad: "Don't just focus on domestic troubles, there have been plenty of incidents internationally lately as well.

The Civil War in Venezuela has been unceasing, and the faction we supported has lost, hindering the Empire's expansion in the region.

Recently, Washington and the Vienna Government reached an agreement, gaining the right to excavate the Panama Canal, ending the diplomatic ice age between the two countries since the Civil War.

Lately, there have been more troubles in the Far Eastern region, tensions between the Russians and the Japanese have intensified, and there is even the possibility of the outbreak of war.

…"

As a global empire, paying attention to changes in international situations is inevitable. Of course, for Britain, it's not just about observing but actively participating.

Adam Winjad mentioned many international events, all of which are directly related to Britain, or even orchestrated by them.

For example, the seemingly insignificant Venezuelan Civil War was one of the British Government's schemes for expansion in America.

They just started it and couldn't determine the end. Nobody expected that an ordinary civil war, due to international forces' involvement, would drag on for years.

Now, as it nears its conclusion, the tragedy lies with the side supported by the British Government, which has lost in the civil war.

There's nothing they can do about it, who asked Britain to have such a bad reputation and be so indiscreet?

Due to rising late to the scene, Shinra simply couldn't extend its influence to Venezuela in time, thus harboring no resentment.

The involvement in the Venezuelan Civil War was mainly to create obstacles for Britain, without any intention of invading Venezuela itself.

Between the British, who invaded their own homeland, and Shinra, who specifically troubled the British, any sensible Venezuelan would know whom to support.

An ordinary proxy war, where the big bosses mainly issue loans and sell arms, naturally, the one with the most support wins.

At this time, Venezuela isn't yet the oil-rich giant of the future. Besides having somewhat fertile land, it's virtually lacking in everything else, barely worth mentioning.

A few minor setbacks won't shake Britain's position as a hegemon. A proxy war failure only proves the incompetency of the supported proxy, not that the Great Britain Empire isn't strong.

By comparison, the closeness between the Washington Government and Vienna is genuinely worrying.

The core of international politics is interest, switching allegiance is a common practice. As long as the Vienna Government is willing to make a good offer, winning over the United States isn't out of the question.

Similar maneuvers have occurred before; many of Shinra's current underlings were swayed from others.

Losing small countries is one thing, but if the last significant allies were swayed as well, the London Government would be in a dire situation.

Prime Minister Campbell: "For now, let's take one step at a time with the Venezuelan issue. If there's a chance, we'll strike back; if not, we'll temporarily give up.

But as for the Washington Government, the Foreign Office still needs to be vigilant, ensuring no critical issues arise.

Emperor Franz seems gentle and refined, but he is actually an outright hegemon who won't tolerate a potential threat to Shinra.

From their hold on Central America, choking the Americans, we can see the Vienna Government won't allow a major power to emerge in America.

With this fundamental conflict, under normal circumstances, the Washington Government couldn't possibly lean toward them.

But anything can happen unexpectedly. If Vienna, in a bid for hegemony, allows the Americans to annex the Canadian Region, perhaps the Washington Government might really be tempted.

As for the Japanese-Russian conflict, that's already part of our plan; let their hatred deepen.

The bait has been set. With Mao Xiong's greed, once the Siberian Railway is operational, they'll inevitably invade the east.

Now that they've already erupted into conflict with the Japanese, it seems the Russians really are impatient, unwilling to wait even a little while longer."

As a patriarch of burying people by digging holes, Britain considered itself second to none when it came to instigating trouble.

The Siberian Railway hadn't even been inaugurated, yet the conflict between Japan and Russia had already been ignited. With Russia's unwillingness to be slighted, it was evident that they would retaliate against the Japanese.

...

The British Government was making preparations, and the Vienna Government was similarly active. Everyone was gearing up for the impending strategic plays.

It had to be acknowledged that the Russians certainly did nothing by halves, even the construction progress of the Siberian Railway wasn't concealed from the outside world.

With the selfless contribution of a group of free laborers, the construction progress of the Siberian Railway was much faster than expected.

Perhaps it was due to the proficient team of American railway engineers, or perhaps it was because the deaths of French labor didn't weigh on anyone's conscience—nonetheless, the progress on the Siberian Railway proceeded very smoothly.

In the words of French writer Romain Rolland—"Every sleeper of the Siberian Railway was laid with the flesh and blood of the French workers."

Franz deeply agreed with this statement.

According to intelligence from within the Tsarist Government, in the past few years, over 250,000 French laborers had laid down their lives for the construction of the Siberian Railway.

Whether they died from the cold, disease, hunger, exhaustion, or accidents on the site, none of that mattered anymore.

After all, the French would attribute this grim toll to the Russians.

From the current circumstances, it seemed likely that French laborers who entered the Russian Empire wouldn't be returning.

It was unavoidable, given the vast size of the Russian Empire and the plethora of infrastructure projects, the Tsarist Government needed a type of workforce that was free, expendable, and with no aftermath issues.

The grudges held by the French were insignificant. Even if France were to one day turn the tables, they couldn't possibly go past Shinra to seek retaliation.

...

Vienna Palace

"The speedy construction of the Siberian Railway has exceeded our expectations, much faster than the Central Asia Railway.

According to the Russians, the Siberian Railway could be operational by 1905. By then, the greatest barrier restraining Russian eastward expansion will have been removed.

Once the railway is operational, only the Far Eastern Empire and the Japanese—especially given their recent war—could hardly match the Russians.

To curb Russian advancement, I plan to enhance..."

Before Frederick could finish, Franz interjected, "The Siberian Railway and the Central Asia Railway are not the same.

The Central Asia Railway we helped build is a double-tracked railway, whereas the Siberian Railway the Americans helped design is a single-tracked railway.

Even if it truly becomes operational, do you think the Siberian Railway could dispatch many trains daily?

With such limited transport capacity, meeting daily needs is manageable. But once a war breaks out, the Russians will immediately feel what logistical pressure is.

Moreover, don't you find it odd that the Americans are helping to build the railway?

The Siberian Railway isn't profitable, and it's a miracle if operating revenue can cover routine maintenance.

I think apart from the British, who likely want to divert troubles eastward, no one else would be so generous.

The stage is set, and I don't believe the British are unprepared. All we need to do is quietly support them from behind the scenes. The rest will be handled by the British Government."