Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 507: Sowing with Care, Yet No Flowers Bloom (Bonus Chapter)

After the storm, Mexico City faced a period of chaos and violence. The Republican government forces, upon entering the city, immediately began arresting people without rest.

That night, Mexico City wept as countless remnants of Maximilian’s government were captured. The truth no longer mattered. Revolutions demand blood, and how can authority be established without shedding blood?

President Juárez quietly observed these events unfold. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to put a stop to it, but rather that he simply couldn’t.

The Republican government was a product of alliances and compromises among various factions, and these groups weren’t something he, as president, could easily control.

To many, the chaos within the city seemed a bigger issue than the trouble posed by Maximilian himself.

The rebel army had no regular salaries. The officers and soldiers relied on loot for income. Now that the battle was over, how could the army be disbanded without letting them profit from their victory?

The notion of Maximilian’s supporters was laughable. If he truly had any significant support, the rebels wouldn’t have been able to capture Mexico City without resistance.

That night, the citizens of Mexico City experienced heaven and hell. The long-awaited Republican army had arrived, but instead of bringing renewal, it brought turmoil and violence.

The purge continued for over a week, affecting one-third of Mexico City’s population. As even the families of the Republican army began to suffer, President Juárez reluctantly intervened to stop the chaos.

The newly established Republican government lost public support almost immediately. This violence intensified internal conflicts within the government and planted the seeds for future civil war.

President Juárez couldn’t dwell on these issues, as he faced two major challenges:

First, what to do with Maximilian, who was hiding in the Austrian embassy?

Second, how to appease the many factions within the Republican government now that the civil war was over?

The second issue was the most difficult to handle. During the struggle for power, everyone united with a common goal. But now, with victory in sight, factions began to compete for their share of power.

Most of the high-ranking positions in the Republican government were held by Juárez’s rebel forces. During the civil war, when the future was uncertain, everyone focused on the military. Few paid attention to the vacant government departments.

Now, everyone is demanding positions, trying to gain more influence in the new government. No one is willing to compromise when it comes to their interests.

President Juárez was in a difficult position. On a personal level, he didn’t want to give up these positions. If these positions went to other factions, his control over the government would be hard to maintain.

Of course, it was impossible to have everything to oneself. Even if you wanted to monopolize power, you still had to see if others with guns would agree. Mishandling this could lead to a new civil war.

Compromise wasn’t easy either. The Mexican Republican government was already fragmented with various factions, and it was impossible to distribute power in a way that everyone would agree on.

These issues couldn’t be resolved overnight. In the original timeline, President Juárez couldn’t solve these problems, which eventually led to the Mexican Civil War.

The immediate challenge was still Maximilian I. As long as the emperor remained in Mexico City, he posed a significant threat to them.

As long as Maximilian I didn’t abdicate, he remained the legitimate emperor of Mexico, and the Republican government couldn’t achieve legitimacy.

President Juárez had already communicated with the envoys of various countries, and unsurprisingly, they still recognized Maximilian I’s government as the legitimate government of Mexico.

Domestically, Juárez could use force to assert his position, but when it came to foreign affairs, he was at a loss.

The urgent task was to remove Maximilian I from the throne, gain recognition from other countries as the legitimate government, and then secure international loans to overcome the financial crisis.

Indeed, the newly-born Mexican Republican government was already facing a financial crisis. This was the huge pit left by Maximilian I.

Mexico’s tariffs were still in the hands of foreign powers, and after Maximilian I’s downfall, these revenues were withheld.

Furthermore, the debts incurred previously still had to be honored by the Mexican Republican government. President Juárez was prepared to default, but he couldn’t act rashly until the situation stabilized.

All these issues are nothing compared to the main problem: the total strength of the insurgent army reached 200,000, and now that the war is over, they need to be disbanded.

They can’t just be dismissed without any recognition. These soldiers shed blood for the revolution, and now that the revolution has succeeded, they can’t be left empty-handed.

The troops who profited in Mexico City were better off since they had some money in their pockets. But what about the rebel armies scattered across the country who hadn’t received their rewards yet?

There were many hands reaching out for money, but President Juárez was also penniless. Taxes couldn’t be collected, and government revenue was almost zero.

They had originally hoped to seize funds from Maximilian’s government, but unfortunately, the Maximilian administration had been surviving on loans. There was money, but it was all in the banks of the great powers.

Since the Republican government hadn’t achieved legitimacy, these banks naturally wouldn’t release the funds to them. Even with legitimacy, the chances of obtaining the money were slim.

Without cooperation from the previous government, they didn’t even know how much money there was. If the banks didn’t try to swindle them out of it, they wouldn’t be bankers, would they?

Seeing the dejected foreign minister, President Juárez asked with concern, “Is the Austrian embassy still refusing to hand him over?”

The foreign minister replied with embarrassment, “Yes, Mr. President. The Austrians have taken a very harsh stance and even warned our people to withdraw immediately, or they would take extreme measures.”

President Juárez wasn’t surprised as this was what was normal. The great powers of this era were indeed aggressive, arguing even when they were in the wrong. If they were in the right, there was nothing more to say—they would just roll up their sleeves and fight!

“Order a halt to any business dealings with them, cut off their food and water supply, and see how long they can hold out!” President Juárez said fiercely. This was the toughest measure he could employ at the moment. More aggressive actions were possible, but the consequences would be too severe.

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Cutting off the water supply was a joke. Most of Mexico City relied on groundwater, and even in the 21st century, there were more than 5,000 wells. The Austrian embassy itself had a well, so unless the Mexicans dared to break in and sabotage it, they couldn’t cut off the water.

Cutting off food was also easily solved, as the embassy had reserves that could last one to two months.

Even though it wasn’t very effective, Ambassador Kompten had gone early to protest. Water and staple food weren’t a problem, but fruits, vegetables, and meat still needed to be replenished.

After all, Maximilian I was still the Emperor of Mexico, and he couldn’t be deprived of the treatment he deserved. They couldn’t let him gnaw on bread every day, could they?

Of course, food wasn’t a significant problem. Maximilian I was an idealist, and enduring hardship with his subordinates wasn’t too big of an issue for him.

Ambassador Kompten was so proactive mainly because he hadn’t found a pretext for intervention, and the Austrian government cared about its image and had to mind its manners.

If the Mexican Republican government were to open the way and allow them to take Maximilian I away, then this intervention would end without incident.

Being an ambassador in a small country wasn’t easy since there were few opportunities to make a name for oneself. Before Maximilian’s ascension, Austria only had a liaison office in Mexico and did not have a prestigious position like that of an ambassador.

The upgrade in diplomatic relations wasn’t because Franz valued relations with Mexico, but rather to provide political support to Maximilian I.

Kompten rose to his position thanks to this opportunity. If he missed this chance and couldn’t achieve outstanding accomplishments, the position of ambassador to Mexico would be the peak of his political career.

His frequent visits now were to create incidents. In recent days, Kompten had conflicts with several military and political figures of the republican government.

Unfortunately, these individuals were too timid. No matter how much he provoked them verbally, they only responded with smiles, leaving him frustrated.

What he most hoped for was that a hot-headed official from the Republican government would suddenly emerge, get riled up by a few words, and foolishly declare war on Austria, giving him the perfect pretext to agree.

Such good fortune was unlikely to occur. With the intense infighting within the Mexican Republican government, a reckless official could never rise to the top. Those in high positions were all cunning foxes.

There were indeed plenty of impulsive individuals at the lower levels of the Republican government, but unfortunately, they lacked the status to represent the government. Moreover, they were not to be underestimated, as they might resort to underhanded tactics.

In that case, there would be a pretext for war, but he would also be dragged into it. Ambassador Kompten hadn’t had enough of life yet and didn’t want to sacrifice himself for the country so early.

Returning once again without success, Ambassador Kompten asked, “His Majesty hasn’t complained, has he?”

Feeding the emperor bread, potatoes, and corn every day, without any vegetables, fruit, or meat was practically mistreatment, and Kompten was somewhat worried that Maximilian might not tolerate it.

The secretary replied, “Better than expected. His Majesty even requested the same meals as the soldiers, refusing any special treatment.”

Ambassador Kompten nodded. In recent days, the embassy staff has been enduring hardships. As an ambassador, Kompten had it easier since he often attended banquets and events, allowing him to enjoy better meals.

No matter how chaotic Mexico City was, the various embassies and expatriate areas still maintained a life of luxury and pleasure. The Republican government troops didn’t harm these places at all.

Although the Austrian embassy was surrounded, there wasn’t a single visible weapon. President Juárez was afraid of accidental gunfire, so he ordered the soldiers assigned to the blockade to remain unarmed.

After all, the city was full of his supporters, and there was no fear of Maximilian I escaping. The primary purpose of the blockade was to exert pressure rather than to launch an actual attack.

Otherwise, Ambassador Kompten would have long since fired shots to provoke conflict. Once a firefight broke out, the responsibility would have to fall on the Mexican Republican government.

Now that they weren’t even carrying guns, even if he wanted to cause trouble, Ambassador Kompten had no way to do it. Taking the initiative to provoke incidents and passively responding were two different concepts.

The embassies of various countries were nearby, and if anyone saw it, Austria’s reputation would be at stake. Compared to national prestige, personal ambition had to take a back seat.

“In that case, there’s no need to be so tense. If any guards want to go home, they can take turns doing so. If there are any issues, the embassy will try to help them resolve them.”

Ambassador Kompten had confidence in saying this. Governor Hümmel’s army was about to set off, and if there was no valid excuse, they would simply take Maximilian I away.

The Austrian government wasn’t very interested in Mexico. If there was a reason to intervene, they might take advantage of the situation. If not, so be it, as this wasn’t a strategic priority.

Power was the best backing. Merely cutting off water and food, if the Mexican government couldn’t provide a reasonable explanation, they would have to face the consequences.

Of course, this was just a minor issue that could be resolved with an apology and some compensation.

If the Mexican government cooperated and didn’t obstruct Austria from taking Maximilian I, none of this would be necessary, effectively offsetting the unauthorized entry of Austrian troops.

Among the great powers, Austria was known for being reasonable in foreign affairs. When in the wrong, they rarely acted aggressively. However, when they were in the right, that was a different story.