Holy Roman Empire

Paris, after repeatedly confirming the accuracy of the news that the Russians had declared war, Napoleon IV fainted on the spot, and the French government was thrown into disarray as well.

The sky seemed to be falling in. Austria alone had already left them running ragged; now with the Russians adding insult to injury, there was simply no way to continue the fight.

Seeing the doctor coming out, Prime Minister Terence Burke hurriedly asked, "Dr. Tercon, how is His Majesty's health?"

In a monarchical state, the Emperor fainting is also a major event. Under normal circumstances, if Napoleon IV had a health issue, as Prime Minister, Terence Burke might even secretly celebrate.

The struggle between sovereign and ministerial power has never ceased. The monarch's health problems are an opportune time to expand ministerial power.

Clearly, Terence Burke was not in the mood to vie for power and profit now. With France already plagued from within and without, another power struggle would really spell doom.

With the nest overturned, how can the eggs remain intact?

As Prime Minister of France, Terence Burke's fate was already tied to the Bonaparte Dynasty, without even the opportunity to switch sides.

"Please rest assured, Prime Minister. His Majesty's body is healthy. He just fainted due to a severe shock.

He is already awake now, and you may enter. However, His Majesty's mental state is still somewhat off, so you need to be careful not to overburden him, especially to avoid any more severe shocks."

After hearing the doctor's explanation, Terence Burke let out a sigh of relief, followed by a wry, helpless smile.

Avoiding shocks?

With France's current situation, unless the Emperor completely relinquishes power and stops meddling in politics altogether, shocks are inevitable.

However, this is impossible. The foundations of the Bonaparte Dynasty are too shallow, and the French people are too active. If power were to be completely relinquished, the guillotine might be waiting for them any day.

With the precedent of Louis XVI before them, who dares to talk of the Emperor giving up power? They might as well prepare themselves for 'special treatment'!

…

Seeing the Cabinet members arriving, the debilitated Napoleon IV on the sickbed waved his hand and said weakly, "You've all come, find a place to sit down for yourselves, and then we can begin!"

"Your Majesty, your health?"

Prime Minister Terence Burke spoke hesitantly. It was apparent that Napoleon IV was not in good shape, and Terence Burke was very concerned that the Emperor would not be able to withstand the shock.

Napoleon IV shook his head with a wry smile, "No matter, I can take it. We've come this far, how much worse could it possibly get?"

From birth until now, this was the first time Napoleon IV truly felt despair. Even when the rebel army swept through Paris, he had never felt this hopeless.

"Our initial assessment is that Russia's sudden declaration of war is a conspiracy by Austria. There was no advance warning at all; it's clear that the enemy wants to catch us off guard.

The government bears responsibility for this. Knowing full well that the Russian-Austrian Alliance existed, we still naively trusted the British judgment and wishfully believed that the Russians did not want to see Austria become too powerful.

With the Russians joining in, the military pressure we will face in the coming war will increase. To address this disadvantage, the Cabinet has already sent a telegram to the British requesting aid.

The cold reality is that the British also do not want to see a single power dominate the European Continent. If they don't wish to face the Russian-Austrian Alliance alone, the British should stand by us."

True to his political nature, while analyzing the situation, Terence Burke did not forget to play down his own responsibility.

Seemingly taking responsibility, he was essentially telling Napoleon IV: It's not the Cabinet's incompetence; the international situation is complicated, and we only made a mistake any normal person could make.

Theoretically, the Russians not undercutting Austria would already be quite friendly. To take an active role and help Austria claim dominion over Europe is a move that defies logic.

Regrettably, politics has never been scientific. If England and France, the historical enemies, could stand together, then the Russian move was not that unusual.

Having heard the Prime Minister's report, Napoleon IV asked in a subdued tone, "Is there any good news?"

The Russian involvement in the war was known to him even before his fainting spell. He was well aware of how severe the consequences would be.

In such a context, he naturally needed good news to ease his mind. Winning over the British, a gamble with an uncertain outcome, certainly could not be considered good news.

Prime Minister Terence Burke responded, "The Tsarist Government, which has just ended the war with England, is currently dealing with famine, and war funds can only be provided by Austria.

According to intelligence from the embassy, the Tsarist Government has not yet made war preparations, so Russia will not be able to deploy troops in the short term.

This gives us an opportunity. As long as we enter the war before the Russians can deploy and win the battle for Central Europe, there is still room for maneuver."

All of this counts as good news?

In Napoleon IV's view, this was clearly a gamble. If the bet was won, the war would continue; if lost, there would be nothing left to say, it would be time to prepare for flight!

Yet, this very gamble had become France's only hope. As for British support, no one could expect the Royal Navy to bring their ships ashore.

A pure land war, given the British's miniature-sized land forces, even if expanded fivefold, could not reverse the balance of power between the sides.

Though not wholly satisfied, having a strategy was better than not having any. How could one know whether it would work without giving it a try?
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…

Madrid, from the defeat of the Invincible Armada, Spain began its hundred-year decline.

The decay of religion, the feudal system, the chaotic political situation within the country, and the deliberate suppression by England and France on the international stage were all key factors leading to the decline of Spain.

Especially during the last Anti-French war, Spain, despite emerging as one of the victorious nations, not only lost a large portion of its overseas colonies but also faced a ruthless rejection of its demands to reclaim disputed territories with France.

As years cut like a knife, decades of erosion had diluted these humiliations and hatreds.

If nothing unexpected happened, these would become a cold segment of history in a few decades, lying quietly in some corner of a library, only to be occasionally browsed by historians.

An unexpected event occurred. After the outbreak of the European Continent war, Austria ignited an anti-French wave across Europe. These long-forgotten old affairs once again entered the public eye.

Times had changed, and nationalism in Spain had risen. Although conservatives still dominated politics, nationalists had also gained the ability to make their voices heard.

With the efforts of nationalists, the cry for revenge constantly surfaced in society, especially after the French Army's setbacks on the battlefield, which emboldened the War Party even more.

However, this was still insufficient. The ruling conservatives, still haunted by the specter of Napoleon's sweeping victories across Europe, dared not overstep their boundaries.

Against this backdrop, the Austrian pull towards Spain naturally did not proceed smoothly. Aside from convincing the Spanish Government to restrict exports to France, administering a slight check to the French, there was little else achieved.

Everything changed with the news of the Russians entering the war.

The Tsarist Government was ready to declare war without engaging, but outsiders didn't know! The Russians cared about their reputation, and it was enough to make a slight show of it. Revealing it would be embarrassing.

Influenced by the Russian entry into the war, the European world generally looked favorably upon the Anti-French Alliance, and Spain was no exception.

The previously neutral factions, who had been adopting a wait-and-see posture, now sided with the War Party, and the pro-war voices gradually overpowered the Peace Party.

There was no choice. The Anti-French Alliance had already gained momentum, and Spain only needed to tag along to emerge as one of the victors.

Moreover, Austria was offering a lot. They tossed over the map of France and said to choose whatever we pleased, which was truly hard to refuse.

In the Madrid Palace, the War Party and the Peace Party once again fell into a fierce argument.

Queen Maria Christina, serving as regent and of Austrian origin, maintained neutrality to avoid conflict of interest on this matter.

Seeing the argument escalate into a shouting match, Queen Maria Christina finally couldn't hold back anymore, "Silence! Remember your status, and do not make this resemble a racetrack! The Russians have joined the war, and today you are here to discuss our options, not to bicker among yourselves."

Remaining neutral doesn't equate to lacking a position. Although she didn't say it outright, everyone knew that Queen Maria Christina leaned towards Austria.

Perhaps Maria Christina wouldn't have risked supporting Austria when the outcome was still uncertain, but the situation had now changed. Victory for the Anti-French Alliance was only a matter of time, and Spain had to pick a side.

Maintaining neutrality appeared to offend no one, but in reality, it meant being despised by all. Right now, it didn't matter much, but once the European war ended, it would be their turn to suffer.

Neutrality required certain prerequisites: either a nation was powerful enough to avoid taking sides, or it was insignificant enough that its stance made no difference.

Unfortunately, a declining Spain was neither. Failing to choose a side now meant inevitable oppression by the dominant countries after the European war ended.

Foreign Minister Bernard Roberts: "The situation in the European war has now become clear; with the entry of the Russians, the chances of a French victory are almost nil.

The Foreign Ministry believes that Austria's current attempt to woo us is not solely for the war against France but is more about reconstructing the international order after the war.

Not just us, but all of Europe's neutral countries, except for the British, are within Austria's sphere of influence.

However, due to geopolitical reasons, we have to contribute more by waging war against the French. However, the outputs are proportional to the inputs, and the Vienna Government is sincere about the distribution of benefits."

Choosing sides is always the most troublesome issue, and Spain does not even have the leverage to refuse. Rejecting Austria's embrace now meant cutting oneself off from the future European political system.

"It's not that severe. Even if Austria wins the war, they can't monopolize power. The British, the Russians, and the French won't let them act wantonly.

On the other hand, participating in this war is far riskier. How powerful France is, is not unknown. We must not forget the lessons of the last Anti-French war. Despite the apparent strength of the Anti-French Alliance, the outcome remains uncertain.

Spain can no longer afford such upheaval. Even if choosing sides is necessary, we should wait until the victor emerges."

Speaking was Marquis Vangely Matai, leader of the conservatives and a severe 'Francophobe', having personally witnessed the tragic defeat of Spain in the last war against France.

Not just him, but all who had experienced the last war against France, suffered from 'Francophobia' and constituted the most steadfast Anti-war faction within the Spanish Government.

"Your Grace, you are still caught up in the last Anti-French war. A France without Napoleon is different. Look at the battlefields: in Africa, they have been steadily defeated by Austria; on the southern frontier, the French Army is similarly suppressed by Austria; and the only front where they seem to have the upper hand, the Central European Battlefield, is in fact, not that advantageous.

If it weren't for the French expelling the people of the Rhineland and Belgium, increasing the logistic burden of the Anti-French Alliance and delaying the decisive battle, they might have already lost.

Now with the Russians joining the Anti-French Alliance, what does France have to counter the absolute power? Even Napoleon wasn't able to win in the end.

Delaying taking sides until the last minute is indeed prudent, but it also means we will have no share in the future redistribution of benefits.

Don't expect anyone to contain Austria after the war. The international situation has already changed, and whether France will even exist post-war is unknown.

Don't forget, Austria has promised us our choice of French territories, indicating their intent to partition or dismember France.

Not participating now and missing this opportunity..."