Chapter 328: Chapter 15, Scared Away
Austria was in action, and England, France, and Spain were not idle either. First, the Spaniards seized Haiti Island, followed by the three countries accelerating their expansion in Mexico.

The British had just quelled the Indian rebellion, and the French were still focused on the Italian Area. So this time, Mexico was luckier than in history, as the countries’ expansions were mainly through economic and political infiltration.

Had they not been wary of aggravating the two American governments in the midst of civil war, they might have even attempted to infiltrate the American states.

Re-establishing a colonial system in North America has always been the dream of English, French, and Spanish colonists. The Monroe Doctrine of the Americans blocked everyone’s path, and now naturally, they wanted to kick away this obstacle.

London

As the world’s foremost naval power, the British rightly became the leader in the countries’ joint intervention plan in the United States.

No one contended with them for the leadership, as in the American region, the British had the strongest power. If the Americans did not mobilize, John Bull’s forces stationed in Canada could handle it.

This was not a matter of pride. The minuscule American army did not represent the true strength of the Americans, the militia power of most Federal States being above the Federal government.

In the Downing Street Prime Minister’s Office, the newly appointed British Prime Minister John Russell was holding a meeting.

“Gentlemen, that fellow Lincoln has already ordered the blockade of the East Coast. How to ensure our trade with the Southern Government proceeds normally has become our current issue,” he said.

Without a doubt, capitalists involved in the cotton textile industry had exerted pressure on the London Government. If the blockade only lasted a short term, everyone could bear with it until it was over.

But if the blockade was long-term, or if the Northern government won the war, then the dominant position of the British in the cotton spinning industry would be shaken.

This was intolerable. The cotton textile industry was the pillar of the British, and any problem that arose could cause profound damage to the entire British economy.

Navy Minister Edward said unhurriedly, “Prime Minister, there’s no need to worry too much about this problem. The Confederation’s coastline is not short, and I believe the American Navy does not have such strong power.

The Northern government is still striving to build ships. By the time they have that strength, we can form an alliance with other nations to intervene and designate coastal areas of the Confederation as safe zones.

At present, the Austrian Ocean-going Fleet has arrived on the American West Coast, the French fleet has already set sail, and together with our and Spain’s fleets in the Americas, it is not something the Americans can contend with.”

This was not an exaggeration; the military strength of the Americans at that time was truly poor.

That 16,000-strong miniature version of a Federal Army is not worth criticizing. After the outbreak of the Civil War, it instantly lost a third.

The American Federal Army was dispersed throughout the nation, and those stationed in the Southern states naturally fell out of the command of the Federal government.

If the army was not up to par, the navy was not much better. When President Lincoln’s blockade order was issued, the American Navy, which had let its guard down, found that due to various reasons, of its 90 warships, only 42 could be used, and among them, only 3 were available for coastal missions.

There was no other way; the American Navy was trained for deep-sea combat and had no experience in nearshore battles nor any relevant training.

In history, the Northern government, which had achieved naval superiority, did not launch a large-scale coastal offensive against the South, mainly due to unfamiliarity with the coastal defenses and fortresses.

As bureaucrats, they all understood. The funds were in the hands of the Southern states themselves; the Federal government had no backup. No one had anticipated in advance that there would come a day of attacking their own territory from the sea.

State Minister Agarwal said, “The matter is not so simple; Austria-France-Spain each harbors their own ulterior motives and won’t likely heed our commands.

Currently, the Royal Navy’s strength in America is insufficient. If we proceed with intervention, that would mean ceding the leadership in the intervention.

If we do not lead it, how can Britain’s interests be protected?”

In this age that respects the power of the fist, power is synonymous with a voice. Just wanting to reap the benefits without making efforts is simply wishful thinking.

The great powers are not fools; British intimidation may work on native small countries, but Austria-France-Spain, being great powers themselves, will not be so accommodating.

If we just sit back and watch, it’s quite possible that the three countries of Austria-France-Spain could join hands to carve up the interests of North America, leaving us in a dire situation.

Such a thing is highly unlikely to happen, yet we cannot completely dismiss the possibility. When it comes to interests, anything is possible.

Prime Minister John Russell cast his gaze on Foreign Minister Gladstone, awaiting a reliable plan from him since the issue was seventy percent diplomatic, twenty percent political, and ten percent military.

Gladstone analyzed, “From the current situation, the Austrians’ goal is likely the Central American region, and the target for French-Spanish is the region of Mexico. All three countries plan to take their share of benefits from the Americans.

The American rabble is not easy to govern, so everyone’s aim should primarily be economic benefits. Now, the Austrians have gained the upper hand by seizing most of the American arms market.

Preliminary estimates suggest they have already made profits of around three million British Pounds. Our arms merchants were too narrow-minded and slow to react.”

Prime Minister John Russell shook his head and said, “That’s a minor issue. Arms trading is a one-time deal, which will be irrelevant once the civil war ends. Let the Austrians have their advantage this time; let’s discuss how we can maximize our own benefits instead!”

Three million British Pounds might be an astronomical sum for an individual, but for the London Government, it is not much of a big deal.

If it were a long-term income, it might attract the attention of Prime Minister John Russell. However, such a one-off deal really failed to pique his interest.

The money has already gone into someone else’s pockets, and we can’t just rob them, can we? And even if we were to rob, it would be easier to rob the Americans directly than to rob the Austrians.

Gladstone frowned; he disliked being interrupted when speaking, especially since he became the Foreign Minister of the Great Britain Empire.

Nevertheless, this was the Prime Minister’s Office, not his own, and the one interrupting him was the Prime Minister, so Gladstone could not well lose his temper.

“Prime Minister, the arms trade actually also ties into our next moves. The Austrians’ objective is very clear; they want the North and the South to continue fighting.

A close study of their arms exports shows that the masterminds are the Habsburg Family; whether it is a certain member or Emperor Franz himself, we do not yet know.

Since the Austrians can play both sides in the North and the South, we can too. We might consider leaning a bit more towards the weaker Southern Government.

However, this carries very high risks. If not handled well, one side might emerge victorious. If the South wins, that’s fine, as they do not have the strength to unify the United States. But if the North wins, that’s a big problem.

For this reason, the Vienna Government has even dispatched their ocean-going fleet. This fleet should be what they intend to use to maintain the balance between the North and the South, ready to intervene immediately should the North emerge victorious.

I propose we immediately dispatch a fleet powerful enough to crush the American Navy and at the same time increase the number of army troops in the Canadian Region, so we can take control of the situation when necessary.”

Finance Minister James objected, “Hold on, your excellency, don’t forget that deploying troops costs money. We have just suppressed the rebellion in India at the cost of a staggering 280 million British Pounds in military expenses.

“The government’s finances no longer allow us to launch another great war, and I don’t think the Americans are pushovers. If they were easy to handle, they would still be our colonies.”

Foreign Minister Gladstone said dissatisfiedly, “Your Excellency, do not always consider issues from a financial perspective. As the Finance Minister of Britannia, you must take the big picture into account.

The investments we make now, we can recover manifold in the near future. A strong United States does not serve our interests, as the Canadian Region is constantly under threat.

The Americans have never ceased their desire to drive us out of America. If we miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to rally allies in the future.

If the four of us share the military expenses, the actual costs will not be too great. If the Austrians dare to deploy an ocean-going fleet, why can’t we?”

Finance Minister James shook his head and said, “The Austrians are doing this because of the Central American region; they joined the colonial movement late, and the world’s most fertile areas have already been divided up.

If the Vienna Government can develop the African Continent regardless of the cost, why not the more favorable Central American region?

But we don’t need to. Britannia now needs to recuperate and recover. Launching another uncontrollable large-scale war would be a complete loss.”

This is the impression Franz had left on the outside world by developing the African Continent. In the eyes of many, the Austrians’ African Colony was a money-losing venture.

Indeed it was. Aside from the West Africa region, which barely broke even due to its gold mines, all other regions have been losing money, and not just a small sum either.

This was completely different from the philosophy of other countries that operated overseas colonies. In this era, everyone was trying to reap profits as quickly as possible with little investment in building up the colonies.

Navy Minister Edward spoke up, “Your Excellency, the more prepared we are for this intervention plan, the less likely it is that a large war will break out.

Do not forget that the strength of the Intervention Alliance far exceeds that of the Federal government. What gives them the courage to wage war against us.

Even if a war does break out, I don’t think it’s a bad thing.

The Southern Confederation Government is already tying up most of their strength. If we join forces with Austria and the West and attack, we can wipe out these rebels and re-divide the North American continent.”

Destroying the Federal government is easier said than done. Unless Britain is ready to toil excessively, at best it could only take the coastal areas.

The area of the United States is not small, and military expenses would surge like floodwaters to enter the interiors. Historically, America’s independence was due to the London Government’s inability to sustain its finances.

Including the War of 1812, when the British even burned the White House, they eventually gave up on the plan to wipe out the United States because the cost of the military was too high.

Prime Minister John Russell opened the discussion to lighten the mood, “Gentlemen, you’ve gone off-topic. The most critical issue now is that we must ensure the smooth maritime transport, making sure there is a normal supply of cotton at home.

Because the Indian Rebellion caused too much destruction locally, our plan to create a second cotton center in the Indian region has to be postponed.

And the expansion of cotton cultivation in the Egypt Area is also not going well. On one hand, the local Egyptians are resisting and unwilling to grow cotton; on the other hand, the canal under construction has taken up a lot of labor.

Therefore, there is no point in debating whether to send more troops to North America.

We must send reinforcements now, otherwise if the Northern government cuts off our cotton supply chain, what will we have to show to the Parliament?”

It’s a real issue. Growing cotton also takes time. Without a few years to establish it, it’s impossible to form at scale.

Unfortunately, this time the scope and duration of the Indian Rebellion far exceeds the historical equivalent, and the cotton plantations opened by the British have also been destroyed by the Rebel army.

It will be difficult for the cotton in the Indian region to scale up in the next three to five years. And since cotton cultivation in the Egypt Area is not going smoothly, the domestic cotton industry can’t wait.

As for other cotton-producing areas in the world, the London Government need not consider them, as their output simply cannot meet their needs.

Without a new source of cotton, there is no alternative for the London Government to choose from. Domestic cotton merchants only want to make a profit and are not prepared to play dead with the domestic textile industry.

The cotton they have stockpiled can at most last until the first half of next year.

If we don’t secure enough cotton this year, then from the middle of 1862, the British cotton industry will cease to exist.

The Finance Minister chose to remain silent at this moment; to continue arguing about the lack of money at this point would be too inconsiderate of the big picture, and he would be shot in the back by the capitalists.

If a lack of raw materials leads to the collapse of the cotton textile industry, it would indeed be as though the sky had fallen.

Just think about it, that quarter of the British population depending on the production chain, no one dares bear the terrible consequences.

They don’t even dare to trust the Intervention Alliance; who knows if Austria, France, and Spain would compromise with the Northern government and sell them out.

For such a matter of life and death, it’s better to take matters into our own hands.

The Minister of State spoke with a frown, “Prime Minister, establishing a cotton production area completely under our control is urgent. We cannot always be choked by others like this.

Even the Austrians have spared no expense to create a cotton base that meets their domestic needs; there’s no reason we can’t do the same.”

John Russell’s face changed and he exclaimed, “This is bad. We must immediately dispatch the fleet to America, to intimidate the Austrians and prevent them from siding with the Northern government.”

Everyone reacted. While the cotton supply problems were emerging in European countries, the Austrian textile industry wasn’t seizing the market.

Even for the sake of the dominant position in the cotton industry, the Vienna Government had every reason to screw them over. As for diplomatic agreements, they are meant to be torn up anyway.

The British had done this often enough themselves, so they naturally assumed the Vienna Government would do the same.

Changing sides to support the Northern government in exchange for the Federal government cutting off their cotton supply made sense for a profit.

State Minister Agarwal added, “The Austrians might indeed be considering eyeing our dominant position in the cotton industry. Looking at their consumption in past years, the cotton production from the West Africa region already exceeds by a fair amount.

But they have not exported it; instead, they have transported it all back home. Due to the American Civil War, a reduction in the world’s cotton production this year has become a certainty, yet the plantations in the West Africa region are increasing.

We can send someone to attempt to purchase it. If they insist on not selling to others, then our troubles will be great.”

…