War Palace and Knee Pillow, Austria’s Destiny

Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace.

Franz had been paying attention to the dynamics of the five-nation meeting, but when he learned that Britain was going to lease Crete and build a naval base on it, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

What the hell is the Mediterranean Fleet? Is it because of myself? The world line changes again?

But historically, Britain did establish a Mediterranean fleet, but it would be delayed by a few years. The naval bases were not on Crete, but on Gibraltar and Malta.

Although Metternich retained the Adriatic Fleet, Creek Island and the Mediterranean Fleet were embedded in the territory of the Near East like a nail.

This five-nation conference allowed the territories Austria gained from the Ottomans and Serbia to be recognized by the great powers. However, this does not help Austria's economic situation. Instead, it requires a lot of resources and funds to develop and protect them.

Although it may seem that the gains outweigh the losses for the time being, the impact of this move will continue to affect the stability of the entire empire for the next hundred years.

The most important thing for Austria at this time should be the Adriatic Fleet. This fleet can save Austria at least five to six years.

After the Turkish-Egyptian War, Friedrich also successfully became the first minister of the newly established Navy and Colonial Department. Of course, he himself felt mixed feelings. He was happy that this new appointment allowed him to focus more on the development of the navy. But he was worried that colonization was not his strength. Obviously, he would have to rely more on Franz's help in the future.

The first task Franz gave him was to conduct cordial and friendly gunboat diplomacy with the natives of the Ivory Coast after the Adriatic fleet was refitted.

I believe that those indigenous people will be very willing to do business with Austria, and then enter into some exclusive treaties to exclude other forces from the Ivory Coast as soon as possible.

Historically, the French began to show interest in the area in April 1840, and in the following months, they successively induced the local chiefs to sign monopoly agreements and then designated it as their own colony.

But now Franz will take the first step. The Ivory Coast is also a mess at this time, and the French will not confront Austria for this bad land.

Ivory Coast can first be used as a supply point for Austria in West Africa. When this land develops, the Austrian navy will definitely be different from what it used to be. If the French want to get involved in this land, they must carefully weigh their own interests.

As for the Tripoli promised to the Karamanli family, Franz felt that he could train the rescued Egyptian craftsmen and civilians into soldiers.

The British did not fulfill their promise, which was completely expected by Franz, so from the beginning he sent people to train and arm the Egyptians.

Of course they won't do it now, after all, the British are still watching, but they can send those Egyptians to Tripoli in batches.

The language and culture of Egyptians and Tripoli are similar, so it’s not difficult to blend in. In view of Ali's brutality, those Egyptians would not want to return to their hometown, and going to Tripoli to win a living space for themselves may be their best choice.

As for when the Karamanli family can regain their homeland, it depends on them.

The British Mediterranean fleet is formidable, but choosing Crete as a naval base is not a good idea. Crete's strategic location is important, but it also means that it will attract more enemies and competitors. Being surrounded by the sea means that it will face threats from all directions.

For example, France, which has always regarded the Mediterranean as an inland sea, and Russia, which wants to break out of the Black Sea, face the biggest enemy at this time: Britain.

It is conceivable that the three countries will definitely launch a naval competition in the near future, and Britain's energy will be greatly affected, weakening its power in the East.

There is no end to the naval equipment competition. With the speed of naval iteration in the 19th century, if the British want to continue to maintain their maritime superiority, the amount of money they need to invest will be astronomical.

In this five-nation meeting, Britain did not succeed in dismantling Russia's hegemony in the Straits, which was something neither Britain nor the Ottomans wanted to see.

The next time the Strait issue will be resolved will be in 1841. If Russia seeks to extend the "Special Agreement on the Russian-Turkish Alliance", they must seek allies in order to fight against Britain.

Similarly, the British also needed allies to restrain Russia's development in the Near East. In order to deal with the new crisis, the Ottomans also needed new allies.

Austria, a powerful country with a special geographical location, will become the target of wooing by the countries in the Near East. If a country wants to develop, a good external environment is essential.

As the target that all three parties need to win over, Austria can naturally enjoy a good time.

At this time, France has given up the burden of Egypt and will set its sights on North America, Central America, Africa, Asia, and Spain.

The endless civil war in Spain exhausted the three countries of Britain, France and Spain. Especially mountain guerrilla warfare is torture for both the offensive and defensive sides.

At first, the Carlists fought several good battles with the help of the British, knocking the Spanish government troops and French troops off guard and turning them around, and for a time regained most of the northern area.

Even Bilbao, the place where the first Carlos War ended, was captured by the rebels.

However, the good times did not last long. Queen Regent Christina wooed liberals and enlightened nobles and hired troops from abroad to help the government forces fight. At the same time, France also changed its generals again and strengthened its support for Spain.

The Carlists were once again driven back into the Pyrenees, but it was obviously wishful thinking to eliminate the rebels with British support behind them.

The French and Spanish government forces encountered unprecedented fierce resistance in the mountains, and they were surprised to find that the troops fighting them seemed to have a different group of people.

Their feeling was correct. These people were trained by the British from Portugal and were originally intended to be sent to the west to revolt. However, due to the tight war in the north, they were sent to northern Spain.

The endless tug of war between the two sides completely destroyed Spain's economy. In desperation, Queen Regent Christiana could only borrow money from France.

At first, the French thought this was a good opportunity to control Spain, but as the arrears increased and the war went poorly, France's sunk costs also increased.

Now France has no way to accept the defeat in Spain. The defeat in Egypt has caused them heavy losses. If it happens again, it will most likely lead to a huge crisis of confidence.

The jungles of Central America also made it difficult for the French army. The indigenous guerrillas did not cause many casualties to the French army, but some soldiers were acclimatized and cholera and dysentery became rampant in the military camp.

In addition, some soldiers also suffered from syphilis due to their bad behavior. Mosquitoes and venomous snakes are more deadly than bullets here, and the Central American Federation can't actually come up with anything decent to pay the commission. Many of their so-called lands are harassed by guerrillas.

France has invested 30,000 troops in Central America, but has been unable to recover the cost, making some financiers and politicians restless.

And Louis Philippe happened to be soft-hearted. He ordered the French government to colonize while fighting a war, just like it did with Algeria.