Chapter 206: Chapter 197: Exchange of Interests

On July 25, 1905, it was Arthur’s third day in Berlin.

After resting for more than a day, William II and Arthur began formal discussions on German-Australian relations.

Compared to the insufficient cooperation between the British Empire and the Island Nation, the relationship between Germany and Australia seems to be more closely connected.

Arthur and William II exchanged views on the cooperation between Australia and Germania, and also reached a proposal to further deepen cooperation.

Of course, this proposal mainly focuses on military training. After forming a federation with New Zealand, Australia needs an even stronger army to protect the territorial security of Australia and New Zealand.

Of course, maintaining domestic order is also an essential factor, and a powerful army is a strong guarantee for the Australian Government and the royal family.

William II naturally found it acceptable and immediately promised to send some elite soldiers and officers from the German Army to help train the Australian military.

Although doing so would make the Australian Army closer to Germany, there is no conflict between Australia and Germany, so there is no negative impact.

In addition to military training, Arthur also represented the Australian Government and signed a new round of cooperation agreements with the German Empire Government represented by William II.

Australia’s industry is too superficial, lacking some basic industries and incapable of dealing with more delicate machinery.

It often relies on imports from Europe, which is not a long-term solution. Arthur decided to introduce a more complete industrial system from Germany and use at least ten years to help Australia’s industry develop in a more scientific and systematic way.

After negotiating these cooperation plans, William II changed the topic and directly mentioned the Australian and New Zealand Federation.

“Arthur, do you plan to keep the Australian and New Zealand Federation going forever?” William II suddenly asked, leaving Arthur somewhat puzzled for a moment.

“The unity of New Zealand and Australia is not easy to achieve, and both areas have very similar population structures, which can exist as a permanent federal state.” Arthur explained.

Although the Federation is not perfect, the combined forces of Australia and New Zealand are much stronger than Australia’s alone.

After Australia and New Zealand’s unification, they have become the dominating power in Oceania and have continued to impact other islands in the region.

One could say that if the islands of the Pacific were not tightly controlled by Britain and France, their sovereignty would quickly fall into Australia’s hands.

“No, I’m not talking about that, Arthur. I think Australia and New Zealand can exist in a much better way, rather than as a dual state like the Austro-Hungarian Empire.” William II explained with a smile.

The name of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is a combination of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, which also confirms the political structure of the Austro-Hungarian Empire as an alliance of two powerful nations.

The alliance of these two nations has produced an impressive powerful state.

However, the limit is only up to this point. The complexity of the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s ethnic distribution does not allow for a single dominant ethnic group.

In addition to the separate governments of the two important regions, the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary, the political edicts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire could not be well implemented.

The enormous state was united because of Emperor Francis’s overwhelming prestige and would disintegrate due to his departure.

Arthur immediately realized the deeper meaning of William II and took the initiative to ask, “What do you mean, cousin?”

William II smiled and nodded, saying, “Oceania needs a more unified nation, which can even influence East Asia and the Far East. But doing so would involve Australia in the world order and the future Australia wanting to develop quietly will also depend on the consent of the many powers.”

A fundamentally united Oceania will inevitably radiate more power outwards. To the north of Oceania are Southeast Asia and East Asia, and to the northwest is the Indian Ocean, separating it from India.

That also implies that such an Australia might be suspected by the British Empire, as India’s importance to the British Empire is well known.

“Is Germany willing to support the complete unification of Australia? What benefits does it bring to Germany?” Arthur asked further.

William II’s attitude has shown Arthur the hope for a unified Australia and New Zealand, but what is Germany’s reason for supporting the unification? Is it just because the German-Austrian relationship is so good?

“Arthur, I don’t want to hide anything. At present, our negotiations with Russia have reached the final stage, and the German-Russian alliance is about to become a reality. However, Russia does not fully trust Germany’s support for its Far East policy, and Australia is an essential part of Germany backing Russia’s Far East policy.” William II pondered for a while before explaining, “The Russians want to know Australia’s attitude, and you Arthur might even decide the outcome of the German-Russian negotiations.”

Arthur nodded. With this in mind, Germany’s decisive agreement to further support Australia seemed reasonable.

Arthur had not expected Australia to be so important in the current Russo-German negotiations, even affecting the outcome and the situation in Europe.

Logically, these should be Germany’s core secrets and should not be casually revealed to Arthur.

However, as Arthur heads to Russia, he will inevitably learn about the progress and process of the Russo-German negotiations.

By then, Arthur would still understand Australia’s importance in the negotiations and its impact on the European situation.

Therefore, William II did not intend to conceal the information. Instead, being candid could win Arthur’s favor.

Moreover, after several interactions, William II understood that Arthur was an ambitious person, not an ordinary young man.

Australia’s choice of a radically different policy from Britain during the Russo-Japanese War confirmed William II’s view.

Germany could provide more technical assistance, support Australia’s and New Zealand’s merger, and be frank about its intentions.

As for the British Empire, if Australia and New Zealand merged into a new kingdom, it would mean they would be completely separated from the British Empire’s control.

Arthur would become the king of a new kingdom, not a duke separated from the British Empire.

The British Empire would lose sovereignty over Australia, and aside from the remaining blood ties, it would take a different path than Australia.

William II believed that if Queen Victoria were still ruling, the British Empire would agree to the merger, and she would even bless Arthur personally and attend his new coronation ceremony.

Unfortunately, the current ruler of Britain was Edward VII, a miserly and selfish man.

At least, that’s how William II saw it. The British Empire’s limited aid to Australia also proved it.

William II was confident that Arthur would choose Germany because, in terms of personal relations and national interests, Germany could currently offer much more to Australia than the British Empire.

“If it’s just a matter of providing weapons and industrial products, Australia would be happy to trade with Russia. But Australia’s military power is currently weak, and we have no intention of getting involved in global conflicts,” Arthur replied after some consideration.

What does the merger of Australia and New Zealand signify? It means that Arthur will personally establish a new kingdom and become its first ruler.

Although there is only a one-level difference between a duke and a king, the prestige and honor that comes with the title cannot be described by language and text alone.

Although the new kingdom lacks sufficient legalities, as long as it is recognized by most of the world’s major powers, who would oppose it?

As time goes on and people gradually accept this new country, they will naturally accept Arthur as the new king.

In the meantime, Arthur is willing to accept Germany’s terms as long as Australia does not directly participate in disputes.

After all, Germany offers practical benefits that can speed up Australia’s industrial and technological development.

Nothing is more attractive to Arthur than a stronger Australia, especially in this chaotic and turbulent era. Having a powerful nation under his rule is the basis for maintaining his position.

“Of course, Arthur. In the end, this is still a European dispute, and Australia, far away in Oceania, has no need to be directly involved. If the Russo-German alliance can be realized, then the powerful German army can quickly bring down Paris and the Palace of Versailles. If this day comes, I want to hold a grand celebration at the Palace of Versailles, letting the world be moved by the power of the German Empire!” William II laughed.

William II’s initial purpose in courting Australia was to have it harass the French colonies’ rear during a war, thus diverting some of France’s attention.

However, if the Russo-German alliance can be realized, Germany will not have to worry about the Eastern Front, focusing all its main forces on defeating the French army.

This would greatly reduce the logistical pressure on the German army and make William II’s dream of holding a celebration at the Palace of Versailles more attainable.

In this case, whether Australia participates in the war is not important. William II is confident in the German Empire’s army and believes that they can easily suppress the French army, even on the frontline.