Holy Roman Empire

The world is always filled with coincidences. Nicholas II, who was initially hesitating whether to commence the construction of the Siberian Railway, made a firm decision to proceed when he learned of the changes at the frontline.

Clearly, after the frontline troops encountered logistic problems, they did not turn to him, the Tsarist, to address the issue, but instead sought help from the Allied Command controlled by Shinra, deeply provoking Nicholas II.

To free himself from Shinra's influence, Nicholas II no longer cared to investigate the true intentions of the Americans.

The railway would not run away; as long as the Siberian Railway was built, no matter what the Americans plotted, the initiative would still be in the hands of the Tsarist Government.

Any "conspiracies and tricks" were insignificant in the face of absolute power. Apart from the Anglo-Austrian two countries, there was no third nation in the world that the Tsarist Government feared.

With the initiation of the Siberian Railway, the Vienna Government had not yet reacted, but the exiled Carlos could not sit still any longer.

There was no choice; the Russians were too ruthless. To save manpower and consolidate public support, Nicholas II decided that all the labor needed for the Siberian Railway would be conscripted from France.

Anyone with a bit of sense knew what kind of place Siberia was.

Given the consistent behavior of the Russians, one could tell without thinking that the logistics for the laborers would definitely not be secured. If French laborers were to go and build the railway in Siberia, it would certainly be a life-threatening endeavor.

Since the outbreak of the European war, France's working-age population had significantly declined. The number of soldiers who died in just the European war exceeded those in the original timeline's World War I.

Additionally, there were losses from the civil war, population outflows, and loss of labor due to disabilities. In just these short six years, the number of young Frenchmen had decreased by at least three million.

Superficially, three million might not seem especially large, but do not forget that at its peak, France had a total population of just over thirty million.

Calculating at forty percent of the working-age population, there were only about twelve or thirteen million working-age individuals. Dividing equally between men and women, there were only about six million young men.

With the male youth population halved, the implications for a country were self-evident.

In the original timeline, France lost over one million men in World War I and hundreds of thousands were disabled; they had not recovered even by the onset of World War II, let alone now.

It should be noted that although France's army suffered heavy casualties in the original timeline, the total population did not decrease much; now, France's total population had decreased by one third.

At this point, all talk of enduring hardships for revenge was nonsense. If they let the Russians continue their depredations, the Ottoman Empire would be a lesson from the past.

Regardless of what others thought, Carlos was genuinely scared.

After experiencing so much, Carlos had come to realize that the true suppressor of France was not openly the Russians, but the behind-the-scenes Vienna Government.

Even if the resistance forces defeated the Russians, the Anti-French Alliance could easily start another war against France. Starting from the Allied Command's involvement, this war had already begun to undergo a transformation.

Based on the current situation, no matter how the anti-Russian war ended, France would be the biggest loser.

Just look at the destructiveness of the Russian Army; even if they were completely annihilated, France would still suffer a great loss.

However, starting a plan was easy, stopping it was difficult. Neither the Russians nor the resistance organizations spread across the country would stop just because of his word.

…

Upon the return of the Foreign Minister, Carlos urgently asked, "What did the Austrians say? Under what conditions would they agree to intervene against the Russian Army's conscription atrocities?"

After all, it was somewhat better to negotiate with the rule-abiding Vienna Government than with the unscrupulous Tsarist Government.

The Vienna Government still needed to maintain appearances, but the Russians had no such concerns; as long as there was a benefit, that was enough.

Undoubtedly, recruiting labor from France to build the Siberian Railway would reduce domestic pressures and be beneficial to the Russian Empire.

Under such circumstances, no matter how they protested to the Tsarist Government, it would be a futile effort.

The Foreign Minister Pietro replied bitterly, "I'm afraid, Your Majesty, that the Vienna Government is extremely indifferent and did not give us the chance to communicate deeply.

Although Wessenberg verbally promised to condemn the Russian Army's conscription atrocities, this condemnation holds no significance.

As can be seen, the Austrians have essentially condoned the Russian Army's atrocities and have no intention to intervene."

There's no betrayal involved; the feud between Shinra and France traced back to the Frankish Empire a thousand years ago. For the supremacy of Europe, the two countries had been fighting since the Middle Ages to this day.

The Vienna Government had too many reasons to suppress France and not a single reason to support it.

The ultimate result was: they wished for the Vienna Government to engage in a transaction of interests, yet they couldn't get even a chance to negotiate.

Carlos sighed, "The Russians have already started acting; France is crying; the people are about to no longer hold on.

If we cannot convince the Vienna Government to intervene, then we have to decide to battle the Russian Army ahead of time. In any case, we cannot let the Russians take our people away."

Unlike previous exiles, this forceful conscription by the Russians was essentially cutting France's lifeline. If there was no retaliation now, there would be no opportunity to do so in the future.

If they let the Russians take away another one or two million young men, France would enter into its countdown to extinction.

If the opportunity arose, the Anti-French alliance countries would not mind dividing France a second time.

…

Potential is often forced out; under the threat of survival, the French too burst forth with astonishing potential.

Since the news of the Russian conscription spread, the beleaguered French citizens hurriedly joined the resistance organizations, pushing the French resistance movement to a climax.

Domestic citizens were resisting desperately while expatriates abroad were also not idle, generously donating money and goods, and initiating a public opinion offensive.

Governments of various countries had not yet responded, but public opinion had already exploded. With the efforts of the French, the atrocities of the Russian Army spread throughout the European Continent.

Even Frederick in the Vienna Palace felt the pressure. Though the people of various European countries were indifferent towards France, it did not mean they could tolerate the Russians running wild.

With a thousand years of divide, the European world never lacked a "sense of crisis." This was especially prominent among the populace of smaller countries.

With an atmosphere of "the demise of one is a warning to others," public opinion began to sympathize with the plight of the French public, even Shinra saw voices opposing the Russian Army's atrocities arise.

Looking at the newspaper in his hand, Frederick rubbed his forehead. Although the Vienna Government had a news control law, such solid international news was unrestricted.

He could only blame the Russian Army themselves for being incompetent, failing even in keeping secrets, making the matter known to all.

Previously, they engaged in robbery, murder, and were caught on candid camera; now, forcefully conscripting able-bodied men had caused the news to spread like wildfire.

The criticism they faced was entirely self-inflicted. If it weren't for his position and stance, Frederick even wanted to personally write an article to publicly criticize the Russian Army's atrocities.

Although Shinra had grievances with France, those were mostly historical issues. As the victor, besides the people of Luxembourg Duchy and the Rhineland region, the impact on others was not too profound.

Sympathizing with the underdog was a common human sentiment, especially as the Russians continued their antics, public dissatisfaction with the Tsarist Government grew fiercer.

As time progressed, more and more media joined in condemning the Russian Army's atrocities. Every day, well-known social figures would write letters to the government, hoping the Vienna Government would fulfill its responsibility as a major country and intervene in the inhumane actions of the Russian Army.

"Your Highness, King Carlos has come again."

The attendant's voice rang out, pulling Frederick back to reality from his deep thoughts. Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

Lately, it seemed as if Carlos was clocking in for work, visiting the Imperial Palace daily. Initially, Frederick had received him properly, but later, annoyed, he simply gave perfunctory responses.

It was always about the same issues, and any normal person would feel bothered. Yet, Carlos seemed oblivious and stubbornly kept coming to Vienna Palace.

Well, this was also forced upon him. As the King of France, suffering at home, Carlos had to do something.

Unable to find effective measures, he could only resort to performing. Regardless of the real effects, Carlos's relentless spirit still gained wide recognition.

Although forced into exile, the European media generally had a high opinion of Carlos.

Having become a tool for others to gain prestige, Franz's prestige was already at its peak, naturally allowing him to disregard these minor matters; Frederick couldn't afford that as he, too, needed to gain prestige as the Crown Prince.

Everyone wanted to be the protagonist; no one wished to be a secondary character in the story. If it weren't for worrying about the negative impact, Frederick would have ordered Carlos's expulsion long ago.

Furrowing his brow, Frederick said helplessly, "Please have him come over!"

After all, the man was still a king, and the requisite etiquette could not be neglected. As an old figure in the world of European monarchs, Franz could avoid meeting anyone without criticism, but if Frederick were to follow suit, he would be criticized by the nobility circle.

...

Looking at an impatient Frederick, Carlos spoke first, "Your Highness, the Russian Army's atrocities in France are openly violating the 'Vienna Convention', which is intolerable in the civilized world.

As the leader of the civilized world, the leader of the European world, the Holy Roman Empire should take on its responsibility as a great nation to stop the Russians..."

Before he could finish, Frederick rolled his eyes, "Your Majesty, we have talked about these issues many times already. Let me reiterate once more: The Holy Roman Empire has no intention of dominating, and there are no obligations towards your country.

Regarding the atrocities of the Russian Army, I suggest that Your Majesty talks to the Tsarist Government instead, as it is a matter between your two countries, and I believe you can handle it well."

If he were to interfere in the Russians' actions just for a few flattering words, Frederick would be a fool.

From the standpoint of the Vienna Government, the best choice was to let the French and Russians fight each other, the more casualties both sides suffered, the more stable Shinra's dominant position would become.

If the Russians could really destroy France, Frederick wouldn't mind reimbursing the Tsarist Government's military expenses, and even offering an additional bonus.

Helping France was just a thought. Hatred had been planted and couldn't be eliminated in a short time.

Before allowing the Russian Army to station in Paris, the Vienna Government had planned to use the Russians to strike against the French resistance forces, wearing down their desire for revenge.

From the current situation, the Russians had overachieved their task. Although hatred still existed, the target of the hatred had changed.

French people, who originally wanted to revive and seek revenge with the Anti-French Alliance, had now lowered their goals to: expelling the Russians.

This was a good start, as long as this situation continued for a few years, the French people would only remember the Russian Empire as their enemy.

Carlos pleaded earnestly, "But Your Highness, thousands of French people are suffering greatly now; don't you want to do something for them?"

Standing up to look outside the window, Frederick coldly answered, "No!"

"Everyone must pay the price for their own choices. From the moment France initiated the war of aggression, this fate was sealed.

When an avalanche occurs, no single snowflake is innocent. Right now, your country's people are only paying for their previous actions.

The conduct of the Russian Army, your country had done the same to other countries in the past. Various Italian countries, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Rhineland region all suffered greatly.

It can't be that when you do it to others it's acceptable, but when it's your turn to suffer, it's not okay?"

"Sarcasm," unabashed "sarcasm." Clearly, Frederick was at his wits' end, not even bothering to beat around the bush.

As for whether Carlos could accept what he said, it wasn't within his considerations anymore. At this point, Frederick only wanted one thing: to get rid of Carlos as quickly as possible to avoid trouble for himself.

The method might be a bit crude, but the effect was quite apparent. Carlos turned purple with rage, seeming like he might explode at any moment.

However, having grown from setbacks, Carlos soon realized the issue and quickly composed himself.

"Your Highness, you're too biased. It was the Napoleon Government that initiated the war, with capitalists as the behind-the-scenes pushers; ordinary people had no choice.

They were deceived onto the battlefield, just like Belgium, Sardinia, and others; we are all victims of the war.

As for now..."

Uninterested in continuing the argument, Frederick immediately interrupted, "Your Majesty, arguing here with me is meaningless.

Unless you can convince the people of Luxembourg Duchy and the Rhineland region in Shinra to give up their hatred for you, we cannot support your country.

Instead of wasting time here, you should think about how to manage the aftermath."

...