Holy Roman Empire

The Christmas of 1879 was exceptionally lively. Except for the warring Prussia and Russia, the rest of Europe enjoyed a prosperous holiday season.

As usual, the Austrian government assigned annual tasks to all departments after the New Year. The sole exception was the Immigration Bureau, as everyone knew that amidst a booming domestic economy, achieving the great immigration strategy was a pipe dream.

Thus, the Immigration Bureau’s 1880 task remained to complete the unfinished work from the previous year with no penalties attached.

In this regard, the Austrian government maintained a practical approach. Departmental tasks were established based on research and aligned with actual conditions. There was no reckless action just to inflate political achievements.

Entering the new year, Franz felt most keenly that he was another year older. At the age of fifty, he had no choice but to accept the reality of aging.

Considering the average life expectancy of the era, this age could already be considered elderly. In civilian life, such an age was often synonymous with retirement.

In rural areas, it was somewhat better. In cities, however, people of this age were generally unemployed as factories rarely hired workers of advanced age.

Declining physical strength and reduced dexterity were not issues that personal willpower could overcome. Those engaged in intellectual labor managed better, but for those relying on physical labor, most jobs became unattainable except for a few specific roles.

Retirement was not a concern, though. The demanding nature of physical labor and the expensive medical system ensured that many did not live to face the so-called “elderly crisis.”

The voice of Empress Helene pulled Franz out of his thoughts.

“Isn’t it a bit too soon?” Franz replied instinctively, without giving it much thought.

“Too soon?!” Noticing Franz’s apparent lack of concern about their son’s marriage, Helene said with some irritation, “Frederick is already 24, and Victoria is 18. The Baden royal family has even sent a telegram urging us. Can’t you take this a bit more seriously?”

Franz froze for a moment. He had just casually said it without thinking. In all their years of marriage, he had never seen Helene so upset, and to his surprise, the first time it happened was over this issue.

Was it menopause, or simply a mother’s instinct to protect her child’s future? Franz didn’t have time to ponder such questions.

“What I meant was that Christmas has just passed, and rushing into wedding plans feels a bit hasty,” Franz explained and added, “Besides, Prussia and Russia are at war, and Europe is drenched in blood. At such a critical moment, arranging Frederick’s wedding feels rather inauspicious.”

After so many years as emperor, Franz realized today just how impressive his excuse-making skills had become. It was almost like he had returned to his past life, sweet-talking a girlfriend.

A woman’s anger comes quickly and fades just as fast.

Hearing Franz’s explanation, Empress Helene’s irritation subsided, although she still muttered with frustration, “This damned war! It’s truly unbearable.”

Helene immediately turned her focus back to Franz and asked, “Why do you men always resort to fighting and killing? Why can’t you just sit down and have a proper conversation?”

Feeling slightly guilty, Franz rolled his eyes and replied calmly, “Because we have to provide for you women!”

He added, “This world is only so big. Nature’s resources simply cannot meet the needs of all humanity. In order to survive, people have no choice but to compete and seize what they can.

The Russo-Prussian War is the result of escalating conflicts. Neither side can afford to back down because retreat would mean trouble.”

This wasn’t baseless nonsense but a statement backed by solid theoretical reasoning. According to data collected by the Austrian government, sociologists generally believe that around 70% of the global population is currently living in hunger. In other words, more than a billion people worldwide don’t have enough to eat.

Whether this statistic was entirely accurate wasn’t the point. The reality was undeniable where most people lived in poverty, struggling even to survive.

This wasn’t just true for regions where industrialization hadn’t taken root. Even in the so-called “civilized world” of Europe, with a total population of 320 million, over 200 million lived in poverty.

Of course, compared to other regions, the people of Europe fared slightly better thanks to the benefits of colonial exploitation. Most could at least barely fill their stomachs as long as they worked hard.

The causes of hunger were multifaceted, including exploitation by the ruling class, insufficient regional food production, and colonial rule.

Humanity’s hunger problem wasn’t resolved even in the 21st century, let alone in this era.

All one can do is mind their own business. While developing domestically, they can go out and plunder a bit, and that’s basically enough to keep the population fed.

If the First Russo-Prussian War was a matter of face and pride, the Second Russo-Prussian War was entirely about survival.

The primary factor leading to the outbreak of war was interests and hatred had long taken a backseat.

For the Russian government to restore its status as a great power, break out of the Baltic Sea, and reclaim lost territories, it had to defeat the Prussian-Polish Federation.

Conversely, if the Prussian-Polish Federation wanted to advance further, it could only expand eastward.

It can be said that from the moment the Prussian government decided to abandon maritime expansion and focus on land, war was inevitable. This was determined by geography. If they couldn’t become a colonial empire, they could only expand eastward.

To the west lay the German Federal Empire, which, although not particularly powerful, had a unique geographical position. Moving westward would be equivalent to simultaneously declaring war on Britain and Austria, or even on Britain, France, Russia, and Austria altogether.

To the south was the more powerful Austria, and to the north was the Nordic Federation. Geographically speaking, the Prussian government inevitably clashed with the Russians in their northern advance.

Empress Helene had no interest in politics. Unless absolutely necessary, she rarely got involved. In her view, these matters were far less important than having grandchildren as soon as possible.

“Do as you see fit. If Frederick complains, I’ll just tell him it was your idea.”

After all, Empress Helene still cared deeply for her son and didn’t want Frederick to suffer any grievances. For ordinary people, getting married during a time when blood was flowing across Europe might not seem like a big deal. But as the Austrian Crown Prince, it was inevitable that his wedding would be affected during such a turbulent period.

Just imagining the wedding guests not coming to offer blessings but instead being busy discussing the Russo-Prussian War made Empress Helene feel uneasy.

Franz smiled faintly and confidently made his judgment, “Don’t worry, the Russo-Prussian War won’t last long. If everything goes smoothly, it will end by the end of this year. At the latest, it’ll drag on until 1882.”

If there was a clear winner between Prussia and Russia, the war could end by year’s end. If not, even if it dragged on, it wouldn’t last more than two years.

They hadn’t yet entered the 20th century. Sustaining a war for four or five years, like in a world war, was simply beyond any nation’s capacity at this point.

As parents, they naturally couldn’t wait to have grandchildren. Delaying Frederick’s marriage was something Franz was forced into. In the royal family, marriage had to serve political purposes.

Since that was the case, they might as well maximize the benefits. With such significant sacrifices, failing to secure substantial political resources would mean Frederick had suffered a great loss.

The end of the Russo-Prussian War would bring significant changes to the European political landscape. That would be Austria’s best opportunity to infiltrate the German Federal Empire. Frederick’s marriage would conveniently provide an open and legitimate occasion for various diplomatic interactions.

Agreements that had been discussed privately could also be brought into the open and formally signed. The final political results would undoubtedly include Frederick’s contributions as a key figure.

By playing an important role in German unification, Frederick would gain significant political prestige, something crucial for his future succession to the throne.

Being the second-generation emperor isn’t easy, especially when your father is exceptionally accomplished. The outside world would inevitably compare them but political achievements aren’t so easily attained.

Franz had risen to power during an era of great change, and the achievements he secured during that unique period would be nearly impossible to replicate.

…

While Franz was worrying about his son’s affairs, changes were also unfolding on the Russo-Prussian battlefield. After enduring countless hardships, the Prussian army finally gained the upper hand on the Ukrainian front.

Moltke, a master of mobile warfare, fully leveraged the Prussian army’s speed advantage. Using a series of tactics such as encircling enemy reinforcements, feint attacks, and diversions, he continuously forced the Russian army to move and concentrated superior forces to engage them in decisive battles during maneuvers.

After a series of textbook-worthy tactical maneuvers, between late 1879 and early 1880, the Prussian army successively annihilated 200,000 Russian troops. This victory was hailed by European media as the “Great Victory of Volhynia.”

Tactically, the Prussian army was successful. Strategically, however, they only held a slight advantage. Although the Russians lost most of Volhynia, they managed to hold onto the strategic stronghold of Brest. Moltke’s offensive towards Kyiv fell short of complete success.

This minor regret wasn’t too significant. After all, the southern front was victorious. However, other battlefronts were far less promising. In particular, the northern coastline suffered repeated attacks from the Russian navy, with several port cities reduced to ruins under heavy bombardment, resulting in severe losses.

The central front wasn’t much better. Although the Prussian forces hadn’t suffered major defeats, Russian Cossack cavalry continually launched raids deep into Prussian territory, causing destruction and leaving the Prussian government deeply troubled.

Perhaps it was a natural talent, but on the direct battlefield, the Cossack cavalry’s combat effectiveness wasn’t necessarily superior to that of the Prussian cavalry. However, once they switched roles and became raiders, their combat prowess seemed to skyrocket.

On one occasion, after looting a region, a Cossack cavalry regiment accidentally found itself surrounded by a Prussian cavalry regiment and two infantry regiments. Despite being heavily outnumbered, they managed to defeat the Prussian cavalry, broke through the encirclement, and escaped with part of their spoils.

While the hasty arrival of the Prussian forces and their incomplete encirclement played a role, the combat effectiveness displayed by the Cossacks still left the Prussian military deeply shocked.

This wasn’t an isolated incident. A closer analysis revealed that whenever the Cossack cavalry was protecting their plunder, they consistently performed beyond expectations.

Of course, there were failures as well. To curb the arrogance of the Russians, the Prussian army repeatedly set traps and successfully ambushed these looting “bandits.”

Yet, the lure of profit is irresistible. No risk could deter the Cossacks from their dream of riches.

Moreover, the Russian government was particularly generous this time. Not only could the Cossacks keep all their plunder, but they were also handsomely rewarded with every participant in a raid receiving a bounty of three rubles.

Looking at the summarized casualty reports from both sides, Franz reached a conclusion that it was a draw.

Russian troop casualties were far heavier, while the Prussian-Polish Federation suffered greater civilian losses. In the end, neither side truly gained an advantage.

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