Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 971 - 234, "Vienna Convention
Chapter 971: Chapter 234, “Vienna Convention
The Earth keeps spinning without anyone, so the President’s hospitalization didn’t affect the normal progression of the conference.
Without Robert, there could be Libert, Lambert; simply throw someone from the French delegation into the fray, and the script can continue.
Although the cameras recorded everything that happened at the venue, the pursuit of the culprit was still a nonstarter.
Those involved were representatives from various nations, each with diplomatic immunity; with over twenty countries involved, holding anyone accountable was not feasible.
Ignoring the French protests and escorting the representatives involved in the violence out of the conference room was deemed the end of the matter.
…
“No, this treaty is too harsh, and has exceeded France’s capacity to endure; we request revisions.
We can accept ceding some colonial territories, but the clauses pertaining to the cession of homeland must be deleted; war reparations are acceptable, but the amount must be reduced; the punishment of war criminals is permissible, but the list of war criminals does not reflect reality and must be re-determined.
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…”
After the change in personnel, the performance of the French delegation obviously normalized considerably. It was evident that aside from President Robert, the scapegoat, the Paris Government had indeed sent a professional negotiation team.
“Mr. James, there’s always a price to pay for wrongdoing. Your country instigated this deranged war, and now you wish to shirk responsibility?”
In international negotiations, the interests of small nations are always the first to be sacrificed. Don’t think that just because the Anti-French Alliance has reached an agreement internally, things couldn’t change before the official treaty is signed.
Belgium paid a great price in this war, and received sizeable spoils. In order to secure these benefits in the treaty as soon as possible, Prime Minister Jul of Belgium had to take the lead urgently.
James shook his head and replied seriously, “No, I am merely stating a fact.
The war reparations of 80 billion Divine Shields, calculated at a monthly interest rate of 0.5%, amount to 400 million Divine Shields in interest alone.
Not to mention now, even France’s prewar annual fiscal revenue did not reach 400 million Divine Shields. Even selling off France wouldn’t cover it; with what shall you have us repay?
No great nation can tolerate the partition of their country, France included. We cannot accept any clause that cedes our homeland.
If you insist on seizing land by force, then the European Continent will never have peace.”
“Is that a threat?” Jul inquired, equally adversarial. These are not the old days; deep-seated hatred for France wasn’t an issue. On the contrary, not taking the opportunity to weaken France was the real danger.
James reiterated with a firm tone, “No, I am merely stating a fact!”
Although his words carried an implied threat, openly acknowledging it wasn’t possible. Damaging one’s own position in an act of despair could indeed trouble the Anti-French Alliance, but France would suffer the most.
If the Anti-French Alliance were provoked to act ruthlessly, France would truly have no future.
The best recourse now was to rely on the Anti-French Alliance’s desire to cut their losses. As the war continued, further fighting wouldn’t yield greater gains; the most beneficial move was to cash in and stop.
Without France, not only would there be no resolution for the war reparations, but the Anti-French Alliance would also cease to exist.
Without the alliance, Austria’s dominance over the European Continent would become far more complicated.
Without the threat of the French, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, and the Italian States would not be as obedient as they were now.
In some ways, Austria was replicating the strategy of the United States post-World War II in the original timeline—using the threat of the Soviet Union to keep the European nations tied to its own interests. Once their dominant position was secured, they would kick the Soviet Union to the curb.
This was an overt plot. As neighbours, each nation coveted a piece of France, but constrained by their own might, they were unable to act. In this context, they had no choice but to rely on Austria.
Seeing the situation potentially spiral out of control, Wessenberg spoke calmly, “Mr. James, being unable to afford or accept the consequences is a problem for your country. The losses brought by war are substantial, and it is your duty to bear them.
Of course, we will consider the actual conditions and set reasonable compensation standards.
The world is developing. We must look ahead; if you cannot afford it now, that does not mean you cannot in the future.
Since entering the Industrial Age, the wealth created by humanity has grown exponentially. 80 billion Divine Shields certainly is a lot, but I believe in your country’s abilities.”
Haggling was necessary; everyone knew France couldn’t afford the 80 billion Divine Shields reparations. Should the value of Divine Shields remain unchanged, the sum would be insurmountable for any country.
The so-called future repayments, if excluding interest, would indeed be possible. Unfortunately, this involved compound interest, accumulating to an astonishing rate.
Fiscal revenue and economic growth are linked; in order to outpace the interest, economic growth had to exceed 7 percentage points.
The Second Industrial Revolution was ongoing and every country’s economic growth was unsatisfactory. If they made an effort, 7 percentage points could be possible; however, there was this thing called “economic crisis” in the world.
Once devoid of hope, people become self-destructive. The same applies to nations; a lifetime of working for others without seeing any returns makes anyone weary.
To motivate the French to repay the debts, hope had to be left intact. So, while the debts were negotiable, ceding territory was non-negotiable.
Once consumed by other nations, it was practically impossible to negotiate for regurgitation at the conference table.
James bowed politely and analyzed with a self-deprecating tone, “Thank you for your trust, but you really overestimate us. If France were really that powerful, I wouldn’t be here.
France’s Colonial Empire has collapsed, the Italian Area has become independent, and our homeland has been heavily affected by the war, with our economy on the brink of collapse.
At present, France’s overall national strength is less than a third of what it was before the war. Just handling our internal mess will keep us busy.
If we manage to restore our economy to pre-war levels within twenty years, that will be a godsend.
Numbers don’t lie; France’s current annual fiscal income will not exceed 50 million Divine Shields, which isn’t even enough for domestic expenses, let alone paying reparations.
No matter how large the reparations, if they cannot be collected, they are just a nebulous figure, lacking any tangible value.”
The tone was earnest, and the content was all substance. The current state of France was truly a complete mess.
A mixed bag of a temporary government, starving citizens clamoring for food, local strongmen opposing the Revolutionary Government, the Anti-French Alliance’s million-strong army, and the ongoing negotiations for a colossal amount of indemnities all posed difficult challenges for the Paris Government.
Any misstep in any one area could potentially lead to the collapse of the fledgling Paris Revolutionary Government.
In fact, had it not been for the Anti-French Alliance’s troops suppressing the local unrest, France would have already descended into chaos.
A chaotic France definitely did not serve the interests of all parties involved. Not only would indemnities be unattainable, more importantly, chaos equaled uncertainty.
Chaotic times did not necessarily produce heroes, but the emergence of an overlord was certain. Should another military genius like Napoleon arise, it would mean the beginning of a new European war.
“Mr. James, we have considered all these issues. After the war, your country will need to make a one-time payment of 30 million Divine Shields, with the remaining debt being paid in installments thereafter.
From 1893 to 1895, your country will only need to pay 10 million Divine Shields annually; from 1896 to 1900, the indemnity increases by 1.5 million Divine Shields each year; from 1901 to 1910, it increases by 3 million Divine Shields each year…”
The debt, increasing incrementally each year, when it would be paid off, only God could answer, for Wessenberg, the author of this plan, certainly did not know.
The only advantage, perhaps, was that the amount of the indemnity was within the French government’s capacity to bear. As long as the Paris Government economized, such as by downsizing the military and reducing administrative expenses, it could afford to pay the indemnities.
Seemingly thinking of the horrific consequences, James protested anxiously, “No, with this mode of payment, we won’t be able to pay off the debt in a hundred years.
The responsibility of our generation cannot be imposed on the next, they are not obligated to bear a burden that isn’t theirs.”
…
Since the play had begun, it had to continue. In the face of interests, both French representatives and those of the Anti-French Alliance insisted on their points.
As the scene heated up, the representatives of various countries, acting as witnesses, gradually became lubricants, seemingly doing their utmost to reconcile the differences between the parties.
It could only be said that everyone was an excellent actor, able to catch their lines even without having read the script.
After over a month of bickering, no consensus had been reached, until the appearance of President Robert, the scapegoat, who concluded this war of words.
Tossing the treaty drafted by the Anti-French Alliance to the ground, Robert asked with a heavy heart, “Mr. James, is this what you have achieved these days?”
The territorial concessions were essentially unchanged, the colonies were definitively gone, the mainland area to be ceded hadn’t shrunk, the only worthwhile change was a reduced indemnity.
Reduced from 80 billion to 40 billion, it seemed like a halving on the surface, but there was no essential change; the Paris Revolutionary Government still couldn’t afford to pay.
Compared to the original treaty, the most significant change was the war criminals list. Finally, the main leaders of the Revolutionary Party had been removed from the list and replaced with high-ranking members of the Exiled Government.
Unfortunately, this lacked any substantial meaning; the Exiled Government had long since fled far away, apart from Napoleon IV who was still publicly active, the rest had changed their identities and could not be brought back.
The Revolutionary Government had just gained power, and no matter how much they shifted blame, they couldn’t possibly bear the war crimes. The Anti-French Alliance also abided by rules; even if the leaders of the Revolutionary Party were brought to a war tribunal, they would ultimately be released as innocent.
The Revolutionaries had escaped, but their financial backers had not all managed to get away. Consortiums, arms dealers, bankers, and other capitalists, those who had been struck once by Napoleon IV, were once again targeted by the Anti-French Alliance.
Overall, they were not wronged, for the war had indeed been instigated by them. Being labeled as war criminals was completely justifiable.
Even though they hindered the French government during the war contributing to the Anti-French Alliance’s victory, who could resist when they were too “fat”?
Napoleon IV had only taken the cash from their hands, but they still held vast amounts of mines, factories, and real estate, this small group controlled at least half of France’s wealth.
The member countries of the Anti-French Alliance were basically pennyless, how could such immense wealth be overlooked?
It was impossible to seize all of it, but taking a portion to compensate for their own losses in the war was doable.
The Allied Forces stationed on French soil had already taken action early on; apart from a few lucky ones who escaped, the rest went from the frying pan into the fire.
They were faced with only two choices: either pay a considerable amount of ransom or take a trip to the war tribunal.
For politicians, the moment the revolution succeeded, the value of these financiers greatly diminished. If the Anti-French Alliance could help get rid of them, many would likely be secretly pleased.
After all, France’s plate was already small. Without dealing with these vested interests, how could the successors rise?
Of course, this did not include President Robert. In his view, it was a highly immoral act to betray his comrades.
James shook his head, “Your Excellency the President, nobody wanted things to get to this point, but we have to face reality.
The Anti-French Alliance has issued an ultimatum, if we refuse to sign the treaty, the Revolutionary Government will have no reason to exist. They will militarily manage France and take over the government’s duties.
At the conference, the Russian representative even proposed an idea of dividing and occupying. If it comes to that, France will become a colony of theirs.”
“Having no reason to exist” did not equate to disbandment; should it come to the partition of France, the Paris Revolutionary Government would become an obstacle.
Obstacles had to be removed, and the Revolutionaries, having rebelled their way to power, wouldn’t sleep well without eliminating them.
When the executioner’s blade was raised, the Paris Revolutionary Government’s resolve was weakened. Aside from President Robert, the scapegoat, everyone else was prepared to compromise first.
Robert’s resolve, shaky to begin with, wavered again as he inquired with concern, “Could Congress agree?”
Holding himself to be a president elected democratically, Robert had great respect for Congress. That they had elected him, a president so concerned for the country, spoke volumes about the French Congress…
Faced with the deeply worried President Robert, James felt a pang of pity, but ultimately reason prevailed. Better for others to bear the brunt than oneself.
“Your Excellency the President, while you were injured, Congress had already sent a telegram. I took the liberty of withholding it to allow you to recuperate in peace.
The Anti-French Alliance’s troops have been running amok in our country, and the people are living in dire straits. The domestic pressure is enormous right now, and the most important thing is to send these occupying forces away.”
…
