159 interventions(1)
In the First Battle of the North Sea, Britain lost half of its power to Russia and retreated.
The tactic of seizing a ship through a strike tactic rather than an all-out shelling battle will remain as a record unprecedented in modern battles.
Because of this tactic of stealing ships, Russia took as many as 3,000 prisoners of war in Britain.
On the day of the meeting of industry ministers in Austria and the Netherlands, Elizabeth met with her family and chatted about various things.
However, the chatter of politicians always leads to the international situation.
“Your Majesty, from the perspective of our Habsburg dynasty, it seems that Russia was very determined and prepared for war.”
“Did you make a plan?”
“Even in the war that has been steadily preparing for a year ago, it will not be possible to add steel plates to so many small ships and equip them with industrial engines. No matter how you look at it, it is difficult to deny that this is a war that has been prepared for quite some time.”
“No, does that mean that Russia had a naval battle with Britain in mind in the first place?”
“What is the position of the Netherlands? Do you think Russia is simply at war with British provocations?”
The murder of the Russian Crown Prince may be something that Tsarist Russia would welcome.
Until now, Russia had only delayed the war with Britain one by one, and it was because it was only gathering troops for national stabilization rather than public sentiment.
It was enough to find the bloodline of the imperial family anyway, and it was expected that there would be more benefits to be gained from the death of the Crown Prince.
In other words, even if the succession structure was delayed a little, it meant that it was advantageous for Russia to go to war in many ways.
Elisabeth, who could not be unaware of such circumstances, had no choice but to shake her head at the questions of her family.
“okay. It’s hard to deny that Russia was trying. But in the UK, it seemed quite perplexed. It seems that Britain has decided that it is not yet a good place to go to war.”
“But that doesn’t change anything. In any case, it is certain that the British assassinated the Crown Prince.”
She shook her head.
“no. No matter how daring the British far-right may be, they will not throw shit in the face of the royal family.”
“Are you saying that this war was not the British will?”
“At least it wasn’t the will of the royal family. I don’t know if there is anyone behind it.”
“Behind the scenes… … .”
The ‘war in the North Sea’ between Russia and Britain has brought about numerous suspicions.
There were numerous rumors about whether Russia provoked a war first, or that a third force mobilized its attendants to start a war.
However, none of these rumors was a true hypothesis.
The problem was that there was nothing to back up those opinions.
“Well, in any case, the Russian-British war is causing both losses and gains. I know it is happening in the Netherlands as well.”
“Right. It is true that we are in a position to procure munitions, but we are experiencing difficulties in trade through the North Sea.”
In any era, when sea routes are blocked, it can be very difficult to trade.
In particular, if the war enters into a long-term war, maritime security will decrease considerably, so merchant ships will avoid routes through the North Sea.
Unless the war is over, it was said that the problems arising from trade would be difficult to solve.
Austria was now in a position to end the war slowly.
“If the war continues, we Austria will also lose ground trade. As land trade with Eastern Europe and Asia, which had just started trade, was blocked by the Anglo-Russia War, insurance premiums are still rising to the point where it is very high. If trade deficits accumulate at this rate, Austria will be in the same low-growth phase as the UK in the next three years.”
Austria spent huge amounts of gold in the process of unifying the German Confederation and also lost a large number of its population.
Although the territory has expanded and the domestic situation has been stabilized, the economic situation of the country is still unstable.
Under such circumstances, there was only one way Austria could develop, and that was to accumulate gold through exports.
“Your Majesty, the fall of Austria means the fall of the Netherlands. Now, if our two countries don’t think in tandem with each other, can’t we predict the future?”
“Hmm… … .”
“At this point, how about mediating war by admonishing Easterfield I?”
“To my husband?”
“Easterfield I holds the supremacy of virtually all seas. If he came to the fore, wouldn’t this fight be very bland?”
“It is.”
Opinions differ as to why Yi Hwan does not go to war, but one thing is certain: there is no war that cannot be ended by moving.
He burned the Ottomans in just one month and devoured Portugal.
If Lee Hwan made up his mind, Britain or Russia would have no choice but to surrender with both hands up.
But there was one thing people didn’t know.
“But Easterfield I is a pacifist. I do not intervene in war.”
“But the North Sea is getting sick. The situation in Eastern Europe is also serious. In such a situation, wouldn’t Easterfield I have to step in to keep the peace?”
“Ugh.”
“If Your Majesty makes a decision, we will offer our advice to Easterfield I together.”
Elizabeth shook her head.
She calmed the Austrian royals by saying that she would talk to her husband herself.
“I will meet you in person.”
“California takes about a full week from here, isn’t it?”
“These days, the wires are well connected, so we just need to communicate.”
“Ah, a telegram? Well, then.”
People still do not know how far Easterfield’s science and technology have advanced.
In these days when there is no radio or telephone, how on earth can we even know the news of Easterfield?
But Elizabeth was different.
She was well aware that the science and technology of the Easterfield Confederacy was now only fantasy.
‘I’m going to go on a submarine.’
In the Netherlands, a submarine dedicated to the king was in operation, through which Elizabeth could meet Lee Hwan at any time.
As a matter of fact, they marry once a week to once every fortnight, so it was no different from any other long-distance couple.
***
Shortly after, Lee Hwan arrived in the Netherlands on a submarine.
As soon as Elizabeth saw Lee Hwan, she ran and hugged her.
“honey… … !”
“How have you been?”
“I missed you!”
For the bloody newlyweds, the long-distance marriage life between continents and continents was really hard to bear.
However, when we were apart like this, the affectionate feelings spontaneously soared, and the joy of meeting each other often doubled.
Since the submarine dock was made by digging an underground cave, the two could enter the secret room connected to it and enjoy their married life to their heart’s content.
In the basement, there was no one to interfere with the happiness of the two of them, so there was nothing to worry about whether or not to take off their clothes.
As if they had become Adam and Eve, as soon as they entered the back room, they took off their clothes and immersed themselves in the heated bath.
“good night… … . This is heaven!”
“It’s really good. Wouldn’t it be great if you could live like this every day?”
“Did you get succession to the throne for nothing?”
“Still, there was nothing I could do. If we had not each ascended to the throne, we would be fighting for our place in all directions by now.”
In fact, the two were just dreaming of a farm life in which they farmed and farmed and raised livestock.
Lee Hwan also realized what the couple’s affection was, and he came to think that if he had children, he would not want to raise them in such a fierce world.
However, all of these things were like a bridle that he would carry on his back to the end because he had done it himself.
Of course, Lee Hwan doesn’t have any regrets.
It is because of his hard work and strong will that he has come this far.
“Anyway, I was surprised that they suddenly asked to meet.”
“Did I just want to see you? I guess it wasn’t your husband’s side?”
“Well, it’s not… … .”
“I’m sorry, is this?”
She says it’s sad, but her face is smiling, and now the couple’s time is still passing.
Lee Hwan was satisfied with this now.
“By the way, what really made you decide to meet? Originally, there was only a week left until the day we were enlisted.”
“that is… … . To be honest, I have something to discuss.”
“Anything to discuss?”
“I want to end the North Sea war in Austria.”
However, Lee Hwan also thought that it was time for Austria to send a bit of a bite. Austria is now in its best heyday, but it’s because there hasn’t been a period of perfect bubble.
No matter what country, after the best moment, the bubble burst is sure to come.
“Hmm, now Austria definitely needs a change.”
“Right. So I was wondering when we were planning to mediate the war, so we asked to meet.”
Lee Hwan was not a person who personally enjoyed war.
He witnessed the horrors of war with his own eyes, and there were times when he killed his precious lives by beating the necks of his enemies with his own hands.
The memories of the war were not easily forgotten to the extent that the trauma of that time still remains.
It may be because of the memories of that time that Easterfield shouted pacifism.
But he also had a problem.
“To be honest, we can say that we are weighing the national interest and personal ideology.”
“Personal ideology?”
“As you well know, I hate war. Most of all, I hate it when people take people’s lives. But living as a king makes you realize that war is inevitable anyway. That’s why we always have to weigh ourselves between individuals and nations.”
Elizabeth knew all too well about the horrors of war.
Originally, she thought that if the state and the state were to confront each other, they must resolve it through war.
After learning about Lee Hwan Hana’s terrible trauma, his thoughts changed slightly.
She knew well how painful it would be for Lee Hwan. However, Lee Hwan as a king was not so emotional.
Knowing this well, she did not know when Lee Hwan would stop the war.
“You as a king, you as a person named Lee Hwan. Who is winning now?”
“Honestly, half and half, but as a king, I can say that I have the upper hand.”
“Then, is it possible to say that Easterfield has a huge advantage in this war?”
“Yes.”
“Well… … .”
“However, considering the situation in Austria and the Netherlands, I think it is better to end the war sooner or later.”
In fact, it could be seen that Lee Hwan had already taken a lot of benefits from war.
It was well established in Asia, and Easterfield was also making great strides in Africa and Arabia.
They also sold enough weapons and acquired overseas territories in London.
Few wars have helped Easterfield as much as this war, which won everything, land and money.
Because it was such a precious war, Lee Hwan thought that it would not be bad to slowly turn the war into a lull.
However, there was one condition.
“However, when the war is over, even if it’s over, it can’t just be over.”
“You just can’t finish it?”
“The conflict between Britain and Russia has not yet been resolved. It is not clear who started the war first and who really planned the war. Anyway, once a fight broke out, there was also a recent large-scale naval battle to get both sides to achieve whatever they wanted. So, it is said that the war will end easily only when the fight reaches its climax that both sides can understand.”
“When you fight without regret, you don’t have any regrets, right?”
“That’s it.”