Holy Roman Empire

Political struggles are brutal. This Ethiopian War was pushed forward entirely by the Benjamin Cabinet. They now had to fill the pit they dug themselves.

The British public was proud and could tolerate losing to any European great power but could never accept defeat at the hands of African natives.

To avoid giving the opposition a weapon to attack them with and prevent a public backlash, the Benjamin Cabinet had no choice but to begrudgingly accept the military’s falsified reports.

“Remove the losses of the Indian colonial troops from the casualty figures. Also, don’t release the full death toll just yet, spread the losses across subsequent battles.

Mobilize all our resources to guide public opinion and suppress the impact to the lowest level. If we can’t control the narrative, create a big news story to divert the public’s attention.”

Benjamin had no choice, he didn’t want to be forced out of office in disgrace right after taking the helm.

Hearing Benjamin’s instructions, War Secretary Fox hesitated for a moment before saying, “Apologies, Prime Minister. I seem to have grabbed the wrong report earlier, that was from the previous Anglo-Boer War.

This is the correct report from the front lines. After a month of hard fighting, our forces, at the cost of 351 dead and 1,126 wounded, annihilated 9,568 enemy troops.

However, Ethiopia is simply too vast, and both France and Austria are eyeing it hungrily. To secure Ethiopia before they do, the front line has requested reinforcements of 80,000 troops from the country.”

When Fox pulled out yet another report, the others in the room were unfazed. Unusual situations like this were all too common in politics and having multiple contingencies was just part of the game.

Fox was now serving his third term as Secretary of War. Even during the disastrous defeat in the Anglo-Boer War, he managed to emerge unscathed, so this minor setback was hardly a concern for him.

If the cabinet decided to pursue accountability, Fox would likely shift the blame onto the officers at the front. But since the government had no intention of seeking responsibility, Fox, as a “good leader,” was naturally willing to help cover things up.

Benjamin had chosen Fox as Secretary of War precisely for his ability to adapt and manage crises. The same battle report, when presented with a different narrative, completely changed the situation.

A plea for reinforcements, which originally suggested a failing front line unable to cope, was reframed as a precaution against France and Austria swooping in to seize the spoils of war.

Undoubtedly, this new framing was far more palatable to the British public. And if heavy losses were suffered in the future, the cabinet already had a ready-made excuse.

No matter the nature of the defeat, they could shift the blame onto France and Austria, lightening the burden on the British government.

Even the opposition would have little to say. After all, Britain’s regular army was small, and colonial forces were largely cannon fodder. Losing to land-based military powers was hardly surprising.

Prime Minister Benjamin declared, “Let’s announce it to the public like this. Order Ismael to teach those ****** a harsh lesson. We can’t let the blood of our men be shed in vain.”

…

Foreign Secretary Edward spoke up, “The Foreign Office has just received some news that might be of use to us. The French are stirring up trouble again. They’ve secured the rights to develop the Panama Canal from the Colombian government and are preparing to establish a canal company. It looks like they’re planning something big.”

With a knowing smile exchanged among the attendees, Prime Minister Benjamin made a decision, “Indeed, the French have forcibly taken the canal rights from the Colombian government, blatantly trampling on a nation’s sovereignty.

For the sake of world peace and stability, our government must quickly release this information to the media and expose the French for their shameless actions.”

It was a case of serendipity. Just as the British government was struggling to divert public attention, the French provided the perfect headline.

Whether or not the French legally acquired the canal rights didn’t matter. What mattered was that the British government needed it to appear illegal.

A weak justification wasn’t a problem as controversy created conversation. As long as the issue stayed in the spotlight for a few months, the public would forget about the recent minor defeat.

After all, Britain and France had been rivals for centuries, with verbal battles among their citizens never ceasing. The public was used to such exchanges, and any animosity wouldn’t affect bilateral relations.

Even if there was some impact, Prime Minister Benjamin wasn’t concerned. If it could divert attention, minor diplomatic issues were worth the price.

To Benjamin, the Panama Canal issue was nothing more than a farce orchestrated by the French.

Austria, with its territories right next door, had long considered the Panama region part of its sphere of influence. It was unlikely to allow the French to gain control of the canal.

What was the alternative, another joint development?

The Panama Canal wasn’t like the Suez Canal. It didn’t hold the same strategic significance for France or Austria and wasn’t seen as indispensable.

The Americas hadn’t developed enough yet, and even if the Panama Canal were completed, it wouldn’t generate significant profits in the short term.

Without sufficient benefits, cooperation was unlikely.

The opening of the Panama Canal wouldn’t benefit either Britain or Austria. Following the principle of harming others while benefitting oneself, the British government didn’t want to see the canal completed, and the Austrian government likely felt the same.

For now, they could sit back and watch the drama. Once the French had nearly finished the canal, then Britain and Austria could step in and stir up trouble, conveniently making the French pay for it.

…

At the Vienna Palace, someone seemed to have been talking about Franz today as he sneezed a few times.

Aside from sneezing, there were no other symptoms. Franz didn’t bother calling a doctor as his lack of trust in the medical standards of this era was absolute. If he could avoid taking medicine, he would.

Unlike in later times, most medicines of this era came with significant side effects. Many were rushed to market despite immature production processes.

In fact, many people didn’t die from their illnesses but from the treatments they received. It wasn’t that doctors were negligent, the real issue was individual differences in physical constitution. Most people could handle the side effects of these medicines, but some couldn’t.

If one were wealthy and had a dedicated doctor, problems could usually be identified, and the use of harmful medication could be stopped in time.

Ordinary families weren’t so fortunate. Even when adverse effects arose, many continued to take the medication, unaware that it was the cause of their worsening condition. This lack of understanding was a key reason medical accidents were so frequent.

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These issues were nearly impossible to resolve. At this time, there were so few types of medicine available that banning drugs with severe side effects would leave many illnesses untreatable.

It wasn’t just the chemical composition of the drugs that was the problem, industrial underdevelopment played a role as well. During production, factors such as temperature control, raw material quality, and dosage precision often led to increased side effects.

Since these problems couldn’t be solved, they were set aside for now. For many patients, taking a gamble on treatment was better than waiting to die. Hopelessness was the scariest thing of all.

Franz had worked for years to establish a comprehensive healthcare system, but regrettably, it still only covered about 70% of the population. Even this was an idealized figure. The number of patients who could receive effective treatment was limited to those in the middle class and above.

Ordinary people could afford treatment for minor ailments, but anything more serious was left to divine intervention. The issue wasn’t a lack of medical resources but a lack of money.

And even if someone could see a doctor, there was no guarantee it would help. Take Franz himself, for example. He saw doctors regularly but rarely took medicine, especially chemically manufactured Western drugs.

Whenever possible, he would rather have a bowl of herbal medicine. In this era, traditional medicine still held a competitive edge. Although it worked slower, it had fewer side effects.

To protect his own life, Franz maintained a professional medical team with both Western and traditional medicine practitioners.

The royal family’s Western medicines were custom-made, and certain critical drugs were produced directly in the laboratory to ensure the highest possible safety.

…

Colonial Minister Stephen reported, “Your Majesty, the British have decided to deploy 80,000 additional troops to the African continent. It’s now confirmed that the rumors of the British defeat some time ago are true.

The British Army is limited in size, so they’ll likely draw some of these reinforcements from the mainland and some from their colonial forces in India.

It will take at least a month for these troops to arrive in Africa. We could seize the opportunity to carve out a piece of Ethiopia before they get there. What do you think?”

Franz shook his head, “No need. We’ve already claimed a fair portion of Ethiopian territory. If we keep grabbing land, it’ll push the British too far.

Besides, the Ethiopian natives aren’t that easy to deal with. In the past few years, to make trouble for the British, we’ve done quite a bit to improve their combat capabilities.

Now it’s time to see if our efforts paid off. This is the perfect chance to evaluate the results of our investments and learn from the experience.”

Compared to other regions in Africa, Ethiopia is indeed more advanced. While the instructors they sent to train their army gave poor evaluations of their capabilities, that’s only in comparison to Austrian forces.

If the British hadn’t reinforced their troops, Franz would have placed his bets on the “King of Kings.” They’re more than capable of dealing with Indian colonial forces.

But with the British government getting serious and deploying more troops, the deciding factor will not be Ethiopia’s strength but how committed the British are to the campaign.

“Understood, Your Majesty,” Stephen replied.

Foreign Minister Wessenberg then spoke, “Your Majesty, the French company overseeing the Panama Canal project has proposed a business collaboration.

They’re requesting that we provide 200,000 laborers over the next three years to assist with canal construction.

The offer is quite attractive. They’re willing to pay 30 guilders per laborer as a transfer fee, and they’ll handle all transportation logistics.”

This arrangement had been pre-agreed. If French investors wanted to make money from the stock market, they needed Austria’s cooperation, which naturally required some benefits in return. Without such deals, the canal project wouldn’t even get off the ground.

Recruiting laborers was just a facade. Officially, this payment would be recorded as wages for the workers, but in reality, the money would go straight into the Austrian government’s coffers.

Franz said, “Agree to the French request. Recruit the laborers from the natives of the Somali Peninsula, and supplement any shortfall from other regions. For similar requests in the future, the Foreign Ministry can approve them directly.”

The peak of Austria's labor export had passed. By now, the native population in Austrian-controlled Africa was dwindling, with many serving as enforcers for the colonial administration.

If it weren’t for the recent acquisition of the Somali Peninsula, Franz doubted they could even gather 200,000 workers from the African territories.