It was the same Christmas in Washington. The impact of the war on the United States was relatively small. Apart from the slight impact on the import and export trade, the United States was generally at peace.
However, this was only the surface. The political mistake had dealt a fatal blow to the United States.
Washington had applied to the Continental Alliance many times, hoping to withdraw from the war. Unfortunately, the Continental Alliance had not responded.
Those familiar with politics knew that the enemy had a big appetite, but they were afraid of being ignored. If the enemy had a big appetite, there was room for negotiation. If they were ignored, there was no way to negotiate even if they wanted to.
With the surrender of the British Empire, the last glimmer of hope of the United States was tossed away.
The United States was the strongest in the Americas, but compared to the Continental Alliance, it was a small bean.
The people were still happily celebrating Christmas and did not notice the approaching crisis, but the White House was at a loss.
"Has the Government of Vienna responded?"
President Theodore Roosevelt asked expectantly.
Peter Niedermayer, the Secretary of State, said, "The Holy Roman Empire's response was to wait for follow-up notice. All problems will be resolved in Vienna and at the conference.
Judging from the current situation, I'm afraid we're going to have a hard time this time. The main reason is that the British surrendered too quickly for us to respond. "
There was no doubt that "the British surrendered quickly" was just an excuse. The real reason why the United States was making things difficult for them was that their development potential was too great.
Of course, the United States organized coalition forces to besiege Central America was also one of the reasons why they were given special treatment.
Now the British Empire had declined, but it still had a lot of resources. Its overall industrial strength was second only to Shinra, and it was still at the top of the world in some subdivisions.
Just like the Soviet Union after the collapse, whoever inherited the legacy of the Soviet Union was a military power second only to the United States.
The United States and the British were too closely linked, or rather, the capital of the two countries were too closely linked. After the war, the British capital was bound to leave the mainland to find a more suitable place to live.
Although the European continent was close, the capital strength of the European world was not weak, and there was also the restriction of the more powerful aristocrats. It was obviously not suitable for them.
Looking at the world, there were not many countries that could accommodate the transfer of British capital. Considering the ethnic factor, the only countries that could really accept British capital were the United States, the Allied Nations, and Brazil.
As for countries such as Argentina, Chile, and Venezuela, their populations were too small to accommodate too much capital.
A closer look reveals that Brazil is impossible. Not only was the population limited, but there were also a lot of internal conflicts. A revolution could break out at any time, and the uncertainty was too high.
Although the situation of the Alliance was slightly better, they played a plantation economy, and there was obviously not enough room for capital operation.
The United States was the best choice. Whether it was the population, the resources, or the social background, they were all suitable for the development of capital.
If there was no external intervention, the first place for British capital to leave the mainland would be the United States.
Once the capitalists transferred their capital and technology to the United States, it would be another rising superpower, which would be detrimental to Shinra's global strategy.
It would take too much effort to intercept the capitalists, and it would be impossible to guard against them. In comparison, directly attacking the United States was much easier.
As the saying goes, those closely involved can't see clearly. The Americans who were deeply involved did not think that much at all. After all, the strength of the United Nations these days was limited, and there were still a lot of internal conflicts. It was really not worth the fear of the hegemon countries.
"Next, we need to change our strategy. Not only do we need to lobby the Government of Vienna, but we also need to keep up with public relations in other countries."
Theodore Roosevelt could not figure out the reason why he was being targeted, so he could only try to increase the scope of public relations.
This was destined to be a turbulent Christmas. Almost all the politicians of the Oceanic Alliance were worried about the future of their country.
Even if they jumped ship in time, there was no exception. "Snitches" were not welcomed anywhere.
During the war, because of practical needs, the Government of Vienna accepted everyone's surrender, but it did not mean that they could enjoy the treatment of allies.
Just look at the loot-sharing conference that was being held in Vienna. The countries participating in the conference were all early members of the Continental Alliance, and none of them joined later.
The neutral countries that joined the Alliance in the middle were fine. Although they did not contribute much to the war, they finally caught up with the political situation.
The countries that jumped ship later were different. They were labeled as "traitors" and were destined to be untrustworthy.
Especially the few unlucky people who sent troops to participate in the war, not only would they have to pay for the losses, but they would also be "specially taken care" of in the future.
It was too late to regret. No matter what was done now, it could not make up for the political mistakes made in the early stage. Even if it was to consolidate the internal relations of the Alliance, the Government of Vienna must "treat" countries differently.
Those who followed would have meat to eat; those who watched the fun would continue to watch the fun when the meat was divided; those who stood on the wrong side in time would pay the price; those who persisted to the end would be meat on the chopping board.
…
Time passed quickly, and the day of the Vienna Peace Conference was getting closer and closer. Delegations from various countries arrived in Vienna, and public opinion was also ignited.
In the face of media interviews, the representatives of the victorious countries were high-spirited, while the representatives of the defeated countries were depressed. It was a completely different scene.
Even comic publications, which had nothing to do with politics, came out to join in the fun and made a series of satirical stories.
For example: "Knights and Robbers", "Pirates' Apocalypse", "Battle of the Animal World" …
There were even more related literary works. Scholars from all over Europe were writing at great speed, using extreme exaggeration to write about this war.
It was completely opposite to the anti-war sentiment after the World War of the original time and space. It could only be said that it didn't hurt everyone. Except for the British who licked their wounds, other European people didn't feel much.
The heavy casualties were just numbers on paper, and they couldn't even catch up with the war against the French. Except for the British's bombs that killed a few unlucky people, European people didn't feel that the war was approaching.
The bloodiest wars broke out in the Far East, the South Asian subcontinent, and Africa, and Europe had nothing to do with it.
Although the continental alliance also lost nearly a million people, these losses were shared by more than 20 countries, among which Russia contributed more than half.
The casualties were not high, and the war was rich, so everyone naturally felt different.
Although there was a lack of classics, compared with classics created by tragedies, it was obvious that happiness in reality was more important.
The eyes of the world were focused on the Vienna Peace Conference. The building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instantly became crowded, and there was an endless stream of visitors every day.
When it came to national interests, it was obviously not enough to rely on favors and connections, but who didn't want to have a better relationship with the boss?
After all, this world was a human society. When it didn't involve national interests, impressions and feelings were very important.
Shinra was now the ruler of the world. Even if it was just a word, it could solve many problems.
If it wasn't for Shinra's strong anti-corruption campaign, it was estimated that all the senior officials of the Government of Vienna would have made a lot of money.
It was too risky to give gifts to officials, and if they were accused of corrupting the government officials of Shinra, everything would be over.
If they couldn't give gifts to the ministers, then they would find a way to give gifts to the emperor. Recently, Franz had received so many gifts that his hands were tired.
It wasn't that he wanted to accept gifts, but the gifts were really too sneaky. In order to give gifts, they used their connections everywhere, but the European royal families were one family, so they could always be related.
In a euphemistic way, it was to strengthen the relationship between relatives. If he didn't accept it, it would be not giving face, and it would hurt the other party's reputation.
In theory, this was a normal exchange between the royal families. According to the tradition of reciprocity, they would have to return it in the future.
In other words, it became a normal exchange of etiquette, and it was the kind that really had to be returned.
If he had just inherited the throne and was poor and needed a cash flow, Franz naturally wouldn't refuse such a gift.
But it was different now. He didn't lack money, and accepting gifts was trouble. Not only did he have to appreciate it, but he also had to prepare a gift of equal value to send back in the future.
It was just in his hands, and he didn't get anything in the end. If it was spread out, it would have a bad impact on society.
The more Franz thought about it, the more he felt that something was wrong. Giving gifts to build relationships was secondary. It was obvious that the royal families of various countries were taking the opportunity to gain benefits.
On the surface, they were giving gifts in the name of the royal families of various countries, but the expenses were paid by the governments of various countries. They used his hands to make a circle, and in the future, they would return to the hands of the royal families of various countries and become legal income.
After understanding the truth, Franz could only accept it obediently. It could only be said that the emperor couldn't escape from the relationship.
There were many royal families in Europe, and not all of them were rich. There were also some who were heavily in debt.
This was mainly because in the European world, private property and national property were very clear. The money of the country didn't equal the money of the king, and conversely, the money of the king had nothing to do with the government.
The king could use the money of the treasury, but he couldn't put it into his own pocket. Other than the normal annuity, he could only rely on his own management.
If it was a big country, it was fine. The annual income was not low. As long as the population was not too large, it could maintain the normal expenses of the royal family. With a little financial sense, one could live a very comfortable life.
Small countries were different. The government's financial income was already small, and the annual income of the king was naturally not high. It was not enough to maintain the prestige of the monarch.
However, the face of the monarch could not be lost. No one cared how they lived behind the scenes, but the dignity on the surface must be maintained.
If the annual income was not enough, he could only find a way to fill the hole himself. It would be fine if there was a way to manage, but if there was no management, it would be a tragedy.
As far as Franz knew, there were seven or eight royal families that were in debt to survive. It was not that they were extravagant, but mainly because they were unlucky.
For example, in the Italian countries, except for the Pope who was not short of money, the other monarchs were extremely poor.
This was the fault of the French. During the war, everyone lost their manor land, and because of the restoration, they used up the accumulated wealth, and some even owed a lot of debt.
As for why Franz was so clear about it, naturally, it was because as a creditor, it was hard not to know.
The Royal Bank had already given them an extension. If it was an ordinary person, they would have already been liquidated and bankrupt.
In order to make money, these royal families had become the center of the fashion circle. Fortunately, they still knew their own identity and did not become the spokesperson of luxury goods.
No one had much moral integrity. This kind of legitimate opportunity to make a fortune, as long as the first family took the lead, there would naturally be others who would follow.
Anyway, the more they gave out, the more they would get back in the future. They could not not be generous. It just so happened that it was the time for the distribution of benefits after the war. No matter how reluctant the governments were, they could only accept it.
It could not be that everyone else gave out gifts and only one family did not, right?
There was a bunch of people outside who wanted to give gifts but could not. One or two of them were almost red with anxiety.
Politics was also the way of the world. As the leader of the world of monarchs, Franz could not stop everyone from making a fortune.
Good for you, good for me, and good for everyone. This was the long-term basis of an interest group. It was just a matter of convenience. If he could help, he would naturally help.
If he studied carefully, he would find that the people who appeared on the gift list were the protagonists of this loot-sharing conference.
He did not know what the future generations would think, but anyway, Franz knew that through a shady deal, the relationship between Shinra and the European countries became closer.
In fact, this was just a small interlude before the Vienna Peace Conference. There were also many transactions of interests that were constantly taking place here.
Before the conference started, the Government of Vienna had signed more than a hundred business deals, among which, the arms orders alone accounted for half of them.
The deals that needed to be made were done beforehand. When the Vienna Peace Conference started, there was not much to do.
Other than the defeated countries who were still acting pitiful and begging for everyone's sympathy, other than the strong dissatisfaction of the Russian people, the Continental Alliance was basically harmonious.
Even Franz himself was surprised that a good international conference was turned into the way of the world and insider trading.
But the reality was like this. The Holy Roman Empire was the strongest. As the second strongest, the Russian Empire was not only isolated by the other countries, but it was also busy fighting a civil war. It did not have the energy to do anything.
As the third strongest, Spain was too weak. Not to mention wrestling with Shinra, it was already good enough to maintain its status as a powerhouse.
Looking at the whole world, there was no one who could fight. Britannia, which had a little bit of strength, was still a defeated country.
Under the situation where one party was the strongest, as long as the Government of Vienna was willing, it could completely turn the Peace Conference into its own words.
Many countries were probably regretting that they were tricked during the anti-French war and allowed Shinra to become stronger.
Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret in this world. The Holy Roman Empire had already become the strongest. There was only one party left to make the rules, and everyone could only follow behind.
Apart from regret, many countries were probably secretly glad that the Government of Vienna was as careful as ever. Otherwise, they would not be able to survive.
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