Holy Roman Empire

The "misunderstanding" that occurred in the Panama area was simply too great, with an accidental armed conflict wiping out an entire division, a matter so unbelievable that no one would dare to trust such a claim.

To explain is to disguise, it would serve no function. Not long after the incident, the Austro-Central American colonial government declared their responsibility for the affair, which was in fact a result of Franz’s intervention.

By proactively taking responsibility, they could minimize and possibly recover international reputation to the greatest extent, reducing the negative impact to the lowest.

There was naturally no question of investigating responsibilities. The practices of the Austro-Central American colonial government were not mistaken; the colonial empires of those days all behaved like that.

Such incidents had occurred before, just not with impacts as significant. Moreover, Colombia was not only an independent country, but more crucially, it was a white country.

For these incidents, the European public had always been highly sensitive, especially the many small countries, which felt this even more profoundly.

In the eyes of many, if they didn’t speak up for Colombia today, similar events could befall them tomorrow, leaving them with no one to advocate on their behalf.

This was quite like the Anglo-Ebura War of the original timeline, where Austria too was drenched in a torrent of negative public opinion, with demonstrators crowding the entrances of their embassies abroad.

Of course, the approach of actively taking responsibility was somewhat effective, as it made the Vienna Government’s international image appear not so dire.

Let them spout off, which great power hasn’t been criticized! Anyway, it’s all just talk, none would likely take real action.

Compared to the calmness of the Vienna Government, Franz’s reaction was much more intense. If Austria were isolated overseas, Franz could disregard international reputation, but clearly, that was impossible.

A precarious strategic position meant that Austria had to maintain a good international image to secure more options in foreign diplomacy.

...

"How is the Panama Government’s preparation, and when can we withdraw our troops?" Franz asked with concern.

Colonial Minister Stephen, "Your Majesty, the Panama Government has already been established and can declare independence at any time.

The current problem is their lack of armed forces for self-preservation; once we withdraw our troops, they will likely struggle to fend off the Colombian Government’s counterattack."

Independence for the Panama area was never going to be easy; in the original timeline, it was the Americans themselves who intervened with troops, compelling the Colombian Government to grudgingly concede.

This didn’t come without a price; the Americans spared no expense because the Panama Canal was of utmost importance to them.

For Austria, however, the situation differed. Their main purpose in seizing the Panama area was to cause disruption, preventing the easy navigation of the Panama Canal.

With different values come different sacrifices. If handling the Panama area led to mourning among South American countries and a collective boycott against Austria, it would be a loss not worth the cost.

Against this backdrop, while promoting the Panama Independence Movement, Austria must minimize its presence as much as possible.

To put it colloquially, it’s like trying to act the part of a harlot while wanting to erect a shrine of chastity.

Franz asked in astonishment, "Aren’t there plantation owners? Surely, their forces are capable of repelling a Colombian invasion."

Before the Panama area could even declare independence, Franz had already redefined the Colombian Government’s military response to the rebellion as an "invasion," an act heavy with political significance.

Stephen frowned slightly and explained, "Your Majesty, the situation in South America is quite unique. The majority of the immigrants come from the Civil War period, and there is a lack of nobility as the core strength.

The Austro-Central American region has been under our long-term management, and this shortcoming has been gradually addressed, with acceptable military strength."

"The Panama area is different. There are no significant plantation owners, no large colonial companies, and previously, it wasn’t within our control, so we had no opportunity to organize military training there..."

Franz understood. Many immigrants during the Civil War period had fled to avoid the conflict, indicating that the local populace was not eager for battle.

"Lacking nobility as the core strength" meant lacking officers.

No "significant plantation owners, large colonial companies" signified that there was no powerful local armed force.

No "organized military training" indicated that the soldiers being conscripted were just farmers who had recently laid down their hoes or workers straight out of the factories, needing extensive training time.

All these reasons combined meant that the soon-to-be independent Panama area was very weak militarily, powerless to withstand the Colombian Government’s military in the short term.

The actual situation might even be worse. The so-called brutal rule of the Colombian Government and the oppression of the local people were politcally manufactured needs, and their authenticity was dubious.

The Panama Independence Organization was solely orchestrated by Austria, and whether it would receive local support remained an uncertainty.

The information provided by the Austro-Central American colonial government was also tinged with personal emotions. They were not bold enough to completely fabricate facts, but some artistic embellishment was inevitable.

Such practices were part of the bureaucracy’s instincts, impossible to eradicate. Not to mention in this era of unchanged communications, the same issues persisted even in the age of the internet.

"Given the current international situation, it is not suitable for us to directly occupy the Panama area. Withdrawing the troops is a matter of time, and the sooner, the better.

In light of this reality, does the Colonial Department have any plans?"

Colonial Minister Stephen, "We are organizing immigration and, through the efforts of the colonial government, we have already persuaded more than a dozen colonial teams to settle in the Panama area.

These civilian armed forces will become the main force in the initial opposition to the Colombian Government troops, helping the Panama Government through the toughest of times."

Franz nodded, which might not be the best choice but was currently the most suitable one for Austria.

Having "immigrants" as a fig leaf is always better than directly hiring mercenaries.

No matter what, as soon as these "armed immigrants" acquire residency in the Panama area, the conflict becomes one between the people of the Panama area and the Colombian Government.

Of course, everything has its advantages and disadvantages; civilian colonial teams also require a return on investment. Now relying on them to risk their lives, in the future, a large portion of the benefits from the Panama area will have to be shared with them.

Similar situations have already occurred many times in the colonial process of Austria, and the Colonial Department has already gained rich experience.

It is by relying on numerous civilian armed groups that Austria has been able to establish a vast colonial empire in just over twenty years.

In this regard, Franz is quite generous. It is better to let careerists run overseas to grab land than to stay in the country and compete for territory. The fief aristocrats in the colonies are among the best of them.

The actual situation now is even better than Franz had anticipated. Although there are many fief aristocrats, none have claimed kingship, let alone independence.

That is enough. You must understand that he was even prepared for the possibility that, once the princes grew powerful, he would allow them to establish sub-states.

As it turned out, he was overthinking it. The concept of bloodline is fashionable in Europe, and without the belief that "even a lowly peasant can rise to become a noble," even those who wish to be kings or emperors must first consider whether they have the people’s support.

The expansionism of the nobility isn’t as fierce as he had imagined. Once granted fiefdoms, they embarked on the path of farming, rather than continuously expanding territories and establishing their own kingdoms.

Of course, lack of money and people are also critical factors restraining ambition.

Expanding territory is very costly, and the initial operation of colonies requires significant capital investment. Even the wealthiest families cannot withstand the drain of warfare. Once the money runs out, stopping to farm becomes the only option.

Without people, it goes without saying. Even the greatest nobles can mobilize a limited number of immigrants, at most a few hundred thousand. With such a small population, they better focus on farming than dreaming of kingship or dominance, which would just be absurd.

Fools may exist, but the nobles who have established a base are certainly not fools. Without sufficient strength, how can they negotiate terms with the Central Government?

"The Panama issue should proceed according to your plans. The Colonial Department will arrange everything according to the situation, as long as we adhere to the bottom line that no active military personnel can appear on the battlefield.

The Foreign Ministry will quickly negotiate with the Colombian Government to reach a compensation agreement as soon as possible, then transfer the prisoners to the Panama local government. As for the rest, let them and the Independence Organization deal with it slowly!"

The bottom line must be respected; it is a rule of the game. Not only considering international influence, but more importantly, protecting our own interests.

The current international political rules of the game are established by England, France, and Austria, primarily to protect the interests of these three nations. Blindly flipping the board will only lead to greater losses for Austria.

Not to mention anything else, just the maintenance cost of colonies will increase significantly; some remote colonies might even change hands.

Choosing to handle things swiftly is also intended to calm the public uproar. Currently, the public opinion is decidedly against the Vienna Government, and prolonging the situation will only worsen things.

The "compensation" payment is just to get the Colombian Government to recognize this incident as a "misunderstanding." Once the involved parties call it a misunderstanding, anyone else who continues to quibble is essentially framing and entrapping.

Franz is quite experienced in guiding public opinion. In this age of unchanged communication, whoever controls the newspapers controls public opinion, and reversing black and white is too easy.

In a way, the British picking this time to stir up public opinion is actually a divine assist. As long as we can deflect the issue onto the London Government, we’re in the clear.

"The British Government is framing and entrapping Austria, deliberately exaggerating and distorting the truth of the facts," Franz himself is almost convinced by this narrative, let alone the general public, right?

Foreign Minister Weisenberg: "Your Majesty, without British intervention, it would not be difficult to persuade the Colombian Government.

However, from the current situation, the London Government wants to take advantage of the situation and strike at our international reputation.

I’m worried that the Colombian Government will demand an astronomical amount of compensation, intentionally putting us in an awkward position."

This concern is not unwarranted. People can easily lose their way in the face of interests, and with just a bit of coaxing from the British, the Colombian Government demanding an astronomical amount of compensation is almost a certainty.

If we agree, Austria becomes a scapegoat; if we don’t agree, we can’t get past the public opinion, and that does not align with the strategy of quietly resolving disputes and discreetly swallowing the Panama area.

After some thought, Franz sneered, "If we can’t agree on a total amount, then we should take the initiative and offer a sky-high price. For instance, raise the compensation for each fallen soldier to a thousand Divine Shields, but demand that the Colombian Government provide a death certificate.

As for the loss of property, we needn’t be too concerned, we can make some concessions. Whether this money will be given, and who will eventually receive it, remains undetermined for now."

"Death certificates" are a joke when the Austrian army controls the Panama area; it would be easy to destroy any evidence.

If the Colombian Government cannot provide evidence, then the number of compensations that need to be paid will be decided by the Vienna Government.

With the total number reduced, even with high standards of payment, the actual expense is just that.

Since the incident is categorized as a "misunderstanding," too many casualties would lack credibility.

Comparatively, compensation for property loss is up for discussion. This money can be paid either to the Colombian Government or to the Panama local government, or, in other words, the government of Panama after independence.

Your journey continues on empire

The Panama area seeking independence is something the Colombian Government is sure not to agree with; war is inevitable.

After the war, with everything in ruins, a considerable amount of money will be needed for reconstruction. The Panama Government certainly won’t be able to afford it; in the end, the Austrian Government will have to pay.

Since we will have to pay anyway, Franz doesn’t mind pulling out the money in advance to buy a good name. When the Panama area is eventually annexed in the future, these investments will be recouped.

Of course, the Colombian Government will also need to be appeased initially; we will still have to provide some money to gain their cooperation.

…