Compared to Austria, who wanted to calm the storm of public opinion, the Colombian government couldn't afford to drag on. The Panama region was still in the hands of the Austrian army. If they didn't take it back as soon as possible, they might not be able to take it back.
Although the Government of Austria made a promise, it was only a promise. In the end, whether it could be honored or not, it was up to the other party.
These days, the bottom line of the great powers was very low. It was common for them to break the contract. If the Government of Vienna didn't recognize the debt, the Colombian government didn't have the power to continue to fulfill the promise.
It wasn't like something like this had never happened before. If it really happened, there was too little the Colombian government could do except for a few words of protest.
After receiving the negotiation diplomatic note from the Austrian minister, President Rafael Nuñez didn't care so much and went directly to work.
Now was not the time to avoid suspicion. If he couldn't take back the Panama region, his presidency would come to an end. It was useless to shirk responsibility.
Both sides wanted to settle the dispute as soon as possible and end this not-so-wonderful "misunderstanding." Naturally, they would actively participate in the negotiations.
Even if the British cheered them on the side, it was useless. The gap in strength between the two sides was too great. The Colombian government didn't have the capital to be tough.
President Rafael Nuñez wanted to get more benefits at the negotiating table, but he was more worried that the Government of Vienna might change if the negotiations dragged on.
After all, an international reputation was something that was only valuable if it existed. If it was already ruined and couldn't be restored in the short term, it was equivalent to being temporarily useless.
Since it was useless, they could just throw in the towel. There were many similar precedents. If you flipped through the history books, you would find that the British had the most experience, and they were still fine.
The Government of Vienna was anxious to calm the storm of public opinion. The main reason was that they wanted to turn the matter into a small one and wash the stain as soon as possible so that it wouldn't affect the next diplomacy.
If it dragged on for too long, the public opinion would ferment, and it would be meaningless to continue to negotiate with the Colombian government.
Perhaps for the British, discrediting Austria's international reputation was more valuable than a small Panama region; but from the standpoint of the Colombian government, the result was the opposite.
There was a powerful neighbor next to them. The Colombian government still hoped that this was a good neighbor with integrity and a bottom line.
If the Government of Vienna put down their bottom line, they would really be in danger. Not only the Panama region, but the entire Republic of Colombia might be lost.
In the face of the cruel reality, Rafael Nuñez did not dare to gamble. No matter how the British fanned the flames, no matter how many benefits they promised, it was not as effective as the threat of a gun to their necks.
In order to prevent the "misunderstanding" from deepening, President Rafael Nuñez walked to the negotiating table with full sincerity.
Everyone was sincere, and their requests were not excessive. The negotiations went very smoothly. In less than a month, the two countries reached a preliminary agreement.
On May 24, 1880, the Austrian Minister in Bogota, Lorena, and the Colombian President Rafael Núñez signed the Agreement on the Aftermath of the Accidental Exchange of Fire in Panama.
The two countries agreed that the exchange of fire was completely accidental. The main reasons were the foggy weather and the deliberate provocation of the roaming "bandits". Secondly, the language barrier between the two sides was not good enough, which gave the enemy an opportunity to take advantage of.
The main culprits were the roaming bandits, but they had already been annihilated by the allied forces of the two countries, so there was no way to hold them accountable.
Since the plan to annihilate the "bandits" was organized by Austria, the Colombian government was invited by the Austrian Central American colonial government to participate, and suffered heavy losses in the accidental exchange of fire. The Government of Austria was willing to provide humanitarian compensation.
According to the treaty, the Government of Austria was required to pay a total of 3.426 million BD compensation to the Colombian government, including: 584,000 BD compensation for casualties, and 2.842 million BD for economic and property losses.
(Note: After the treaty was signed, the two countries handed over the Panama region within a month, and the Austrian army withdrew before July 1, 1880. The compensation was paid in five installments, and valuable goods were accepted.)
Regardless of the amount of compensation, there was no need to be picky about the payment method. It was the first time in the history of Colombia that they were able to get compensation from the hands of the great powers.
As a small country, they could not ask for too much. Only a teenager would want to figure out the truth of the matter.
President Rafael Nuñez was a smart man. He knew that even if he figured out the ins and outs, there was no practical significance.
With Colombia's strength, it was simply impossible to seek justice. Now that they were able to sit down and talk, it was also because the Government of Vienna wanted to use diplomatic means to solve the problem, so there was this negotiation.
If the lid was opened, the Austrians would be angry and simply occupy the Panama region, that would be a tragedy.
To be able to recover the lost land and get a certain amount of economic compensation, that would be the greatest diplomatic victory.
After the treaty was signed, Rafael Nuñez immediately announced the good news to the people, and the Colombian people were excited.
Rafael Nuñez's originally shaky presidency suddenly became stable. From the "idiot president" that everyone cursed, he instantly became a "national hero."
The few newspapers in Colombia had already put Rafael Nuñez on the pedestal, and he was praised as the greatest diplomat in South America.
However, the "great diplomat" did not show a trace of a joyful smile on his face.
"Victory" was still too early. There was no such thing as a free lunch in the sky. The great powers were not vegetarians, and Austria's money was not easy to take.
Even if the Government of Vienna temporarily made concessions to quell the storm of public opinion, it did not mean that they had given up their ambitions for the Panama region.
Rafael Nuñez carefully studied the map and looked at the green mark that the Panama Canal had not yet been opened. He sighed.
Deep in his heart, he had already cursed the families of the former and former government officials who approved the construction of the Panama Canal.
In addition to a small number of plains, the Panama region was mostly mountains and forests, and there were very few mineral resources found. It was not worthy of Austria's attention at all.
The only problem could only be the Panama Canal. The Grand Canal, which ran through the two oceans, had high economic and strategic value.
With the precedent of the Suez Canal, everyone knew that once the Panama Canal was opened to traffic, there would be money rolling in.
Unfortunately, the Colombian government's strength was limited. Occupying this golden waterway was like "a child hugging a gold brick in a busy market."
President Rafael Nuñez was very clear that the blockade of Peru was only an incentive. The main reason for Austria's action this time was to spy on this golden waterway.
It seemed that Austria withdrew from the Panama region due to international pressure, but in fact, this was just the beginning, or a test.
The garrison in the Panama region could not stop the enemy's advance, and no one could stop Austria's ambition. Colombia's future days were destined to be difficult.
Opening the window and taking a breath of fresh air, Rafael Nuñez slowly asked, "How much intelligence have you collected on the Panama Independence Organization?"
The middle-aged man helplessly replied, "I'm sorry, Mr. President. The time is too short, and our people can't mix in at all.
The information collected now is only what they exposed to the public.
We haven't even heard of this organization before. It is suspected to be related to the former Republic of Panama and has deep involvement with Austria.
Under the deliberate connivance of the Austrian army, this organization has replaced the original Panama local government and formed its own army.
These troops exist in the form of militia. These troops are mainly Germans, and most of the officers are retired officers and soldiers of the Austrian army.
The total force is about 15,000 people. It is worth noting that several regiments are directly changed from civilian armed forces. These people are colonial teams that have just immigrated. "
Knowing that the Government of Austria was supporting the independence movement in the Panama region, Rafael Nuñez could only pretend to be ignorant.
The Government of Vienna had to take into account the international influence and could only provide support to the rebels in secret, with limited support.
If this layer of window paper was torn, the Government of Vienna would not only lose face, but it was more likely that they would be thick-skinned and directly recognize the legitimacy of the Panama regime.
Nowadays, the recognition of the great powers was also an important factor for a country to gain independence and sovereignty.
Rafael Nuñez was very clear that the recent blockade policy in Peru not only offended Austria, but also France, Peru, and Bolivia.
As long as someone took the lead, these countries would recognize Panama's independence. If the countries that were seriously affected by the Fao also recognized Panama's independence, the number could be more than half.
The Republic of Panama originally existed in the Panama region and was later annexed to Colombia. With this historical origin, if half of the world's countries recognized Panama's independence, then it would really be independent.
In this way, the military action to suppress the rebellion would evolve into a war between the two countries, and the nature would be completely different.
Rafael Nuñez said, "Continue to investigate. We must find out the leaders of the Panama independence organization and how deep their relationship with Austria is.
It is best to find evidence that Austria manipulates the Panama independence organization. Otherwise, the British will not intervene. "
Britain and Austria were still allies and must abide by the rules of the game.
In the South American War, John Bull took sides with Chile. The Government of Vienna only secretly did things. Apart from protesting a few words on the issue of the seizure of ships, most of the time, they acquiesced.
Just like the previous "accidental exchange of fire in Panama," the British only secretly did things, and on the surface, the Government of London believed that it was a "misunderstanding."
Through the constraints of the covenant, the scope of everyone's struggle was limited, and when necessary, they would cover up for each other. This was the main reason why the British, British, and Fao could maintain the three-country alliance.
Colombia wanted the British to take the lead, but it was actually wishful thinking. Even if there was evidence, the Government of London would at most condemn a few words.
This was determined by interests, and it was also determined by strength. The Panama Canal was not yet open to navigation, and the strategic value had not yet been demonstrated. It was not worth it for them to go against Austria.
What's more, in the Panama area, the British did not have the strength to compete with Austria. Even with the Republic of Colombia, it was still difficult.
Although the Austrian Central American colony was not good, it also depended on who it was compared to. Compared to the European countries, it was definitely a little brother, and it could not even enter the top ten.
But in the American continent, the military strength of the Austrian Central American colony could definitely rank in the top five. If the sea route was smooth, it might even enter the top three.
Everything depended on the opponent. South America was an agricultural country with a pitifully small population, and the ethnic conflict was also very serious. Naturally, its combat power was not good.
…
While the Colombian people celebrated this great victory, the public opinion in Europe also caused a major earthquake, and the newspaper sales were rising.
The media had different opinions, but the evaluation was mixed. The mainstream media was mainly divided into two groups. The supporters believed that the Government of Austria's initiative to pay compensation was a sign of the courage to take responsibility and respect for the sovereignty of other countries.
The opposition believed that this was purely a political "show" and that the concession was made under international pressure. This was the victory of international public opinion.
However, this victory was not complete. The war of aggression was glorified as an "accidental conflict." The invaders did not receive the punishment they deserved. They also pointed out that in the future, such "misunderstandings" would continue to emerge in international struggles.
In addition to the mainstream views, there were all kinds of messy arguments.
For example, they criticized the Government of Vienna for being timid and giving in to a small Colombia, which lost the face of the European powers.
…
Standing in their respective positions, experts and scholars expressed their opinions in the newspapers and fought a war of words. No one knew how many Internet Water Armies there were.
In short, as the arguments went on, the topic was led astray. First, it was from the "misunderstanding of the accidental exchange of fire in Panama" to the ongoing "bird poop war." Then it was the game in South America between the UK and Fao, and finally, it was back to the Prussian war.
With more topics discussed, the situation changed. Compared with the ongoing war, the "misunderstanding" that had been settled went from "news" to old news and gradually faded out of everyone's sight.
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