Chapter 942 Give Too Much

Austria is on the move, and the British are not idle either. In order to win over the Russians, British Foreign Secretary George personally visited St. Petersburg.

The most obvious hallmark of the industrial age is speed. In the Middle Ages, it usually took more than half a month to travel from London to St. Petersburg, but now it only takes four or five days.

The rapid development of navigation technology has brought the human world closer together. Everything has two sides, and the connection is close, and international disputes also increase.

Stepping out of the splint, looking at the sparsely welcoming crowd ahead, George's anger has risen.

It's too perfunctory. As the foreign minister of the United Kingdom, he is the most honorable guest wherever he goes. I didn't expect the Russians to be so disrespectful.

Not to mention members of the royal family, even the top officials of the tsarist government did not come. Only a few low-level officials were sent over, and the identities of the two sides were completely unequal, which can be said to be very rude.

Of course, this is the British view. In the eyes of the Russians, this treatment is already very face-saving.

The Anglo-Russian war had just ended, and the hatred between the two countries was at its peak. At this time, the government has sold well to the British, so what do the people in the country think?

Politicians are smart people who know how to choose what is best for them. For a thankless task like hosting the British, everyone naturally pushed it down one level at a time until it couldn't be pushed.

The bigwigs are gone, let alone the welcome crowd. The fighting nation is not a false name. If a few hot-blooded young people get in, it would be embarrassing to rush to a duel with the British.

It’s not that this kind of thing has never happened. If you open the history book, you will find that Russian diplomats have received more than double-digit lunches because of duels, including the famous poet Pushkin.

Angry to be angry, things still have to be done. The current international situation is very unfavorable for Britain, and a world hegemon who cannot handle it well will have to be replaced.

Since the reception staff were not equal, George would not waste time on them. After disembarking, I went straight to the embassy, ​​even rejecting the welcome banquet.

...

"What's the matter, why are the Russians so indifferent?"

George asked seriously. Since it is an official visit, the foreign ministries of the two countries must have communicated before this. As the case may be, if this kind of negotiation was made in advance, no matter what, it would be worthwhile to have a decent face.

Minister Richard Trulli explained: "The situation is very bad, just a month ago the Austrians suddenly took action and set off a wave of anti-French in St. Petersburg.

The anti-French sentiment among the Russian people was already strong, and the pro-Austrian faction took the lead in the tsarist government.

By the time we reacted and were ready to take action, it was too late.

The influence of popular opinion, coupled with the advocacy of pro-Austrian factions, the political position of the tsarist government may have changed. "

It was not his responsibility, because the British evacuated the embassy in Russia at one point because of the Anglo-Russian war. Richard Trulli, the minister, has actually only been in office for more than a month.

With such a little time, being able to straighten out the daily work is already considered shrewd. It is too embarrassing to want to sabotage Austria's actions.

George waved his hand and said very sympathetically: "Forget it, it's not your responsibility. The French person didn't find out, let alone us?"

As Britain's foreign secretary, George still knew very well the political factions within the tsarist government. At present, or in recent decades, the pro-Austrian faction has always been in power.

This is determined by interests. With the deepening of Russian-Austrian trade, more and more people are tied to this chain of interests.

Not only were there many pro-Austrian factions in the Tsarist government, but there were also many pro-Russian officials in the Vienna government. This cannot be changed by personal will.

Of course, political inclination is not necessarily equal to political stance. In essence, everyone is still oriented towards their own country.

Generally speaking, this tendency can only play a role if it does not harm one's own interests.

Even so, Britain has no way to undermine Austria's public opinion. After all, the Anglo-Russian war had just ended, and the pro-British factions in the tsarist government did not dare to emerge.

Without the cooperation of the local snakes, Britain would not be able to get on by herself! If the British envoy really stood up to speak for the French, it is estimated that the original anti-war faction could become the main war faction.

However, George did not take the change in the position of the tsarist government as one thing. Between countries, only interests can last forever.

In George's view, it is the common interest of Britain and Russia to prevent Austria from dominating the European continent. The indifference shown by the tsarist government is only to promote itself.

If he was really not interested in mediation, the tsarist government would have rejected his visit long ago, and there would be no need for these trivial actions.

"Is the situation on the European battlefield very bad?"

asked Minister Richard Trulli.

The information in St. Petersburg is still to be blocked in the end. Even if the news is spread, it will be fueled in the middle, and the original flavor has long been lost.

George nodded: "The situation in French Italy is unstable, there are many guerrillas on the peninsula, and the French's southern European defense line is in jeopardy.

In the Central European battlefield, the French army seems to be still on the offensive, but in fact it is physically and mentally exhausted. The troop attrition is very severe. According to the current situation on the battlefield, France will hold on for a year at most, and it will be rubbed to death by Austria.

The situation on the battlefield is ever-changing, and no one knows what will happen tomorrow. Arrange a meeting between me and the Russian high-level as soon as possible.

Slow down. "

It wasn't that George couldn't hold his breath and wanted to rush into contact with the Russians. The key was that there was not much time left for them.

Intervention alliances cannot be built in a day or two. Even if the alliance is established, it is still necessary to coordinate the relationship between all parties, and it will not be possible for a while.

If the internal relations are not straightened out, the continental war will be over, and the fun in Britain will be great.

...

At about the same time that George arrived in St. Petersburg, negotiations between Russia and Austria came to an end.

Facts once again prove that there is nothing that money can't handle; if there is, it must be that there is not enough money.

The Vienna government is naturally unwilling to give real money and silver, but Franz has no pressure to be generous to others.

After the Vienna government promised that "once the tsarist government joins the war, it will receive not less than 20 percent of the total war reparations", the tsarist government could no longer hold on.

As the third largest power in the world, France has a very rich family background. The reparations that could be made after the war were at least billions of Aegis.

According to the lowest 20% calculation, it is also hundreds of millions, or even more than one billion Aegis, which is equivalent to the financial revenue of the Russian Empire for several years.

It was completely beyond the Russians' expectations to be able to obtain such a rich reward just by declaring a war without specifying a combat mission.

In the eyes of the tsarist government, it was a rare case that the Austrians were confused. If they did not sign the treaty soon, it would be too late for them to react.

...

After all the dust settled, Russian Foreign Minister Oscar Jimenez in a good mood finally remembered the British Foreign Secretary who was visiting Russia.

People come from a long way, so it's fine if they don't receive them warmly. It can be said to be very rude to leave them cold there for several days.

For Oscar Jimenez, though, none of that is a problem. The relationship between Britain and Russia is like this. A few months ago, the two countries were still fighting on the battlefield.

Improve diplomatic relations with the British?

Sorry, the Tsarist government has not given up on its India ambitions. Although the top government officials knew that the British were difficult to deal with, they could not stop the enthusiasm of the people.

Everything is afraid of comparison. Compared with the Russian-Prussian war, the Anglo-Russian war is much easier. In the opinion of many, if it were not for the logistical drag, the tsar could have conducted a military parade in India.

Even if it failed to achieve the ultimate goal this time, it also captured Central Asia, which also included three quarters of the "Eurasian Heart".

As soon as the Anglo-Russian war ended, someone within the tsarist government proposed to build a railway linking Moscow and Afghanistan to prepare for the next war.

If it weren't for the government's lack of money, the plan would have been implemented. Against this background, any attempt to repair the Anglo-Russian relationship is doomed to be futile.

...

British Foreign Secretary George asked: "Your Excellency, what was said in the last telegram, do you know what your country thinks?"

idea? Oscar Jimenez is a little confused. Frankly, if it wasn't for George's just reminder, he would have almost forgotten about the British proposal to form an interference coalition.

The reason is very simple, I oppose all the enemies who support it. The Anglo-Russian War had just ended, and the British came to them. Naturally, the tsarist government did not believe that the British would be at ease.

In Oscar Jimenez's view, the British proposal was to divide the Russian-Austrian alliance. Then, the Russian Foreign Ministry took care of the telegram, which was of great significance to the British.

Even this George's visit was deliberately made by Oscar Jimenez in order to negotiate terms with Austria. Now that the purpose has been achieved, the actors are naturally not that important.

"Sorry, Sir George. After careful study, we feel that the situation on the Continent is moving in the right direction and there is no need to form an intervening coalition."

Hearing this answer, the coffee cup in George's hand almost fell. It is so unexpected that the Russians are not worried about Austria getting bigger.

George's horrified expression naturally fell into Oscar Jimenez's eyes.

The Russian Empire really didn't want to see Austria get bigger. But there is no way, identity determines the position, the Russian Empire has joined the anti-French alliance, and the situation is developing in the direction of the alliance, which must be correct.

After calming down, George asked: "Your Excellency, are you kidding me? According to the current situation, after the anti-French alliance wins the war, Austria will be the dominant family.

The emergence of a giant spanning Asia, Europe and Africa not only endangers world peace, but also threatens the interests of your country. "

Oscar Jimenez shook his head and said with a slight smile: "Sir is too worried, Russia and Austria are allies, so there is no need to say this kind of provocation.

We all know what happened in the European Continental War. If the French had not invaded Central Europe, there would have been no such war.

After a bloody battle, the Anti-French Alliance finally gained the upper hand. To intervene at this time, isn't it condoning the atrocities of the French?

If the aggressors are not punished, then the European countries will not follow the example in the future, where will there be any peace at all? "

sarcasm, naked sarcasm. After finally occupying the moral high ground, Oscar Jimenez will naturally not give up this opportunity to mock the British.

Everyone knows that endangering world peace is a joke. Since the 18th century, more than half of the world's wars have been attributed to the British.

Oskar Jimenez clears the threat of a bigger Austria

Chu. But being clear doesn't mean he can do anything.

Joining the anti-French alliance, the Russian Empire will follow and win, and you will be able to gain a lot of benefits without taking any risks.

If they join the British-led interference alliance, they will not get a hair except for a wave of hatred. Even if Britain and France are willing to compensate the Russian Empire, it is absolutely impossible to be as generous as Austria.

The Russian Empire cannot be allowed to give up its easy interests for the sake of the British! The tsarist government does not possess this kind of selfless dedication and selfless dedication.

I was very angry when I first came, and now I am being ridiculed again, because George is very self-absorbed, and he can't help it.

"One day, you will regret what you did today! A bunch of short-sighted idiots! Just wait, the Austrians will let you know..."

After that, George turned and left without looking back.

Retention is impossible, Oscar Jimenez is not a good-natured master, and George's last words are obviously provoking Russia-Austria relations.

It seems to be irrelevant, but if it falls into the ears of a caring person, I don't know how many disturbances it will cause.

If you didn't rush up to beat someone, you'd already show your self-cultivation, and naturally you won't admit defeat: "This will not bother Your Excellency, you should take care of yourselves first!

The Russian-Austrian alliance has lasted for decades and has withstood wind and rain. The relationship between the two countries is not something that you can provoke with just a few words.

On the contrary, your country is jumping up and down like this, and it will definitely be liquidated after the war. Let’s think about how to gain a foothold in Europe after the war! "

Oscar Jimenez's voice was so loud that many people heard it, and directly angered George, who had not left yet.

However, this is also true. Just based on the role the British played in this war, Anglo-Austrian relations were doomed to fail.

To be the foreign minister of the Russian Empire, Oscar Jimenez is naturally not a fool. Taking the initiative to turn against the British is naturally for Austria to see.

The tsarist government has decided to temporarily declare no war. In this context, they naturally have to do something to prove their worth.

Otherwise, just take the benefits and do nothing, what qualifications do they have to divide the spoils after the war? Is it just a contract? That's too simple, there is no free lunch in this world.

Now that it has turned against the British, the tsarist government can announce to the public that it has smashed the conspiracy of the British to pick peaches and made an outstanding contribution to the anti-French cause.

As for picking out the conflict between Ying and Austria, that can only be considered incidental. Russia and Austria are allies, and the important task of restricting Austria's tsarist government is destined to be impossible to complete, so it can only be shouldered by the British.

From the standpoint of the Russian Empire, it would be perfect if it could drag the British into the quagmire of the European War.

...