Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 509: Pig Teammates That Can't Be Carried

After a long wait, finally, a pretext for intervention arrived. Without any hesitation, Governor Hümmel immediately ordered troops to march into Mexico, under the pretext of “investigating the deaths of Austrian soldiers.”

Deploying tens of thousands of troops to investigate a case predetermined the outcome from the start. The final answer would undoubtedly align with Austria’s desires, something Governor Hümmel was absolutely confident about.

When the news of “Austrian troops have been deployed” reached Mexico City, the Austrian army had already landed in Veracruz.

The Mexican Republican government was thrown into chaos—should they resist or not? This was a question worth pondering.

Radical leader Barsky, filled with righteous indignation, said, “Mr. President, Austria has gone too far, blatantly trampling on our sovereignty. We absolutely cannot let this slide.

I suggest we immediately disarm the Austrian embassy and take them hostage. Meanwhile, order the troops along the route to intercept the Austrian army, delay their advance, and gather our national forces to fight them to the death.”

Vice President Anakin immediately countered, “Barsky, you’re a reckless fool. If we do this, there will be no room for negotiation. Going to war with Austria at this time leaves us with no chance of winning. You’re leading Mexico to destruction!”

Conservative leader Kristaniel spoke up, “You can’t say that, Vice President Anakin. Barsky has a point. The Austrians have already come knocking. Do you really believe these tens of thousands of Austrian troops are here for a sightseeing tour? What kind of investigation requires such a large force?

It’s clear the Austrians have ulterior motives, and if we don’t send troops to intercept them, it won’t be long before they’re at Mexico City’s doorstep.

I understand that fighting the Austrians won’t be easy and will surely result in heavy losses. But we can’t ignore national interests just to preserve our strength, can we?”

Archbishop Luranka agreed, saying, “That’s right, we must show the Austrians some strength and let them know what we’re capable of. Mr. President, give the order! If we delay any longer, the enemy will soon be at the gates of Mexico City. We cannot abandon the capital again and allow Maximilian I to restore his rule!”

...

The rising calls for war have put President Juárez under increasing pressure.

Under normal circumstances, most would oppose going to war with Austria. But this time is different—Mexico’s Republican government is locked in an intense internal struggle.

Currently, President Juárez and his Republican faction hold the upper hand. Their armed forces are the strongest, and the areas around Mexico City are firmly under their control.

If war with Austria breaks out, the Republicans will bear the brunt of it. Other political forces, unwilling to lose out in the power struggle, naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity to use the Austrians as a weapon against their rivals.

To many, the threat from Austria is insignificant, incapable of affecting their core interests. On the contrary, it’s the Republicans who pose a real threat to their survival.

When Emperor Maximilian I was overthrown, the Conservatives, Constitutionalists, Catholics, Republicans, and Radicals all united for the cause. But when it came time to divide the spoils of power, they went their separate ways.

During President Juárez’s previous term, the reform programs he implemented already alienated the Catholic Church and Conservatives. With their interests harmed, they backed the Constitutionalists and even allied with the French, bringing Emperor Maximilian I from Europe.

But to their surprise, the emperor they supported turned out to be an idealist, enacting reforms even more radical than Juárez’s. In the end, when they could no longer tolerate it, they revolted and toppled Maximilian’s rule.

Now that the Republicans are in power, the Conservatives and the Catholic Church, to protect their own interests, are determined to oust President Juárez. This is a life-and-death struggle, with no room for compromise.

The Republicans’ military advantage is not overwhelming. Their ability to keep other factions in check mainly stems from their early capture of Mexico City, giving Juárez the legitimacy of being the president.

In peacetime, this is an advantage, but now, with Austria at their doorstep, it has become a disadvantage.

If they don’t resist, they’ll be labeled as traitors, but if they do, they’ll deplete their valuable forces. Winning the war would be fine as they could use the prestige to compensate for their lack of strength, and holding onto power wouldn’t be too difficult.

But if they lose, the Republican faction is finished. A defeated government has no right to continue ruling. It’s inevitable that a new political faction will take over.

Aside from the Radicals, who are genuinely patriotic, the rest have turned into warmongers solely to fulfill their political ambitions.

Seeing that the Republicans were outnumbered, Juárez slammed the table and shouted in anger, “Enough! This is not a marketplace. You all want war? Fine, I’ll lead the troops myself, and we’ll form a suicide squad together.

In this war, where the odds are heavily against us, if we’re going to die, let us old folks do it. No need for the young men to sacrifice their lives in vain.

Anyone who wants to fight, sign up with me. Otherwise, shut up. We’re here to discuss strategies, not to watch you put on a disgusting show!”

The faces of the crowd changed drastically. They were fine with sending others to die, but they weren’t ready to go to the front lines themselves—they hadn’t lived long enough for that!

No one doubted Juárez’s words as he was known to be ruthless. Becoming the President of Mexico as an indigenous man wasn’t achieved through mere words but through blood and steel.

Those who knew Juárez were well aware that his background wasn’t privileged. He lost his parents at the age of three and was raised by his uncle.

In his early years, he even worked as a servant. From a servant to the president, he achieved a reversal of fortune, but only by stepping over countless corpses along the way.

Moreover, President Juárez was already in his sixties, which was considered old age in this era. He had been injured in his youth, and his health was already in poor condition.

Given that his days are numbered, it’s not out of the question that President Juárez might drag everyone down with him.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became awkward. After a long pause, the Foreign Minister broke the silence.

“The Austrians expanding in Mexico is not something everyone wants to see. We can invite Britain and France to intervene and mediate. The Austrian government’s colonial focus is on Africa, not the Americas. They haven’t made any moves toward Mexico for years.

Since Austria hasn’t sent more troops to the Americas, we can preliminarily conclude that the Austrian government isn’t planning to go to war with us. The Austrian deployment is likely at Franz’s behest, intending to retrieve Maximilian I. Recently, the Austrian envoy even negotiated with us on this matter.

If Maximilian I hadn’t refused to abdicate, we would have let him go long ago. This shooting incident was just an accident, providing the Austrians with an excuse. The Austrian Governor-General in Central America is likely acting on his own, seizing this opportunity to make political demands.

As long as we handle this properly and don’t give the Austrians any leverage, and then invite Britain and France to mediate, this matter can still be resolved peacefully.”

It must be said that the Mexican Foreign Ministry had done its homework. They had mostly guessed the truth—the Austrian government hadn’t issued any expansion orders, though they hadn’t prohibited the colonial government from expanding either.

The countries they selected for mediation were carefully chosen. The great powers don’t engage in charity. If you want them to mediate, you need to offer them something in return. Otherwise, why would they support you?

In this situation, it’s not a case of the more mediating countries, the better. Paying a high price to bring in small countries without any real influence would be a waste of resources, yielding no results.

There are five countries, besides Austria, with influence in Mexico. Apart from Britain and France, there’s also Spain, the United States, and the Confederate States of America.

Spain is mired in internal strife and doesn’t have the energy to get involved in these issues. While the United States and the Confederate States are close by, they pose a significant threat to Mexico, and there’s a deep-seated enmity between them.

Inviting them to mediate would be like walking into a lion’s den. The Mexican Republican government remains highly cautious of these two troublesome neighbors.

With all those options ruled out, only Britain and France remain. Even though their relationship with the French isn’t great, they’re still creditors, and if Austria expands its influence in Mexico, how will they get their money back?

Radical leader Barsky questioned, “Britain, France, and Austria are allies. If we let the British and French envoys intervene, will they really side with us?”

Foreign Minister Epte explained, “It’s true that Britain, France, and Austria are allies, but their relationship isn’t as harmonious as it seems.

The recent Anglo-Boer War was a power struggle between Britain and Austria over Africa. Before that, there were disputes over the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal.

In short, there are many points of conflict among Britain, France, and Austria. Even if they’ve formed an alliance, their international stances aren’t always aligned.

When it comes to diplomacy, the Austrian Governor-General in Central America doesn’t have the capacity to manage Anglo-French relations. Unless the Austrian government steps in and engages in high-level talks with Britain and France, the British and French envoys are likely to side with us.”

After a brief pause, Epte added cautiously, “Of course, the prerequisite for British and French support is that we must be in the right. If the Austrians find any leverage against us, the two countries won’t go against Austria on our behalf.”

The rules of the great powers are simple: reason with the strong, and use force against the weak.

President Juárez nodded in agreement—this was the right way to handle the situation. Those who constantly call for war are clearly just causing trouble.

If they had a chance of winning, President Juárez would love to stand firm. But the reality is that the power gap between them and Austria is too vast—they simply can’t win.

President Juárez sternly warned, “I believe you all understand the seriousness of the situation. Resolve the shooting incident quickly, and don’t leave any leverage for the Austrians.

If anyone deliberately stirs up trouble over this issue, they are committing treason, and such traitors will be executed without mercy!”

With a bunch of pig teammates, President Juarez felt very tired. Deep in his heart, he had an ominous feeling that something big was about to happen. But his exhausted body prevented him from thinking further. Time takes its toll, and just this one meeting, where he had to suppress the various factions, left Juárez feeling drained.

Political struggles were too complex, offering him no peace even for a moment. The real culprit behind the shooting had yet to be caught, casting a shadow over the entire incident.

If a traditional Chinese doctor were to see Juarez, they would conclude that he was at the end of his rope. Now he was only supported by one last breath. Once that breath was gone, his life would come to an end.