Chapter 358: Chapter 45, The Federal Government’s Counterattack
 

The French brazenly expanded their influence in Mexico, naturally causing dissatisfaction among various Mexican sectors, and Maximilian I found himself embroiled in the midst of it.

Unaware of his role reversal, Maximilian took measures that exacerbated tensions and pierced through the veil of pretense.

He directly protested to Napoleon III: The French Army acted recklessly and infringed upon Mexico’s sovereignty, resulting naturally in tragedy.

From the standpoint of France, such actions of the French Army undoubtedly aligned with their interests.

The ever-adaptive Napoleon III ignored the protest, instead blaming Maximilian and the Mexican Government for lacking the ability to govern, saying they couldn’t even maintain national stability and needed the French to do it for them.

Both sides struck at each other’s vulnerabilities, engaging in a war of words. The intensified internal struggles gave the Republican rebel army led by Juarez a chance to escape disaster.

It must be known that during the Republicans’ most perilous time under Juarez’s command, there were only a few hundred people left, gasping for survival in the mountains and forests.

Maximilian, oblivious to the dangers posed by the rebels, pardoned many Republican political prisoners and even sent a letter to Juarez through these people.

He assured in the letter: as long as they recognized his throne and gave up armed rebellion, he would pardon all the rebels.

In fact, Maximilian admired these patriotic militants and sought to resolve the issue peacefully, and to recruit them for his cause.

In the depths of the canyon, at the headquarters of the Mexican Free Army, Juarez warmly welcomed the comrades who had narrowly escaped.

A middle-aged man said, “Mr. President, this is the letter from Maximilian.”

Without a doubt, Emperor Maximilian I’s actions did not yield the expected results; the pardoned political prisoners still did not acknowledge him as emperor, much less feel any gratitude.

The reason was purely pragmatic; Maximilian could not meet their interests, and it was inevitable for them to become enemies.

In the eyes of many, this political pardon was a blemish in their life, likely to cast doubts on their revolutionary loyalty—only by overthrowing the emperor could they cleanse themselves.

After reading the letter, Juarez scoffed, “This fool is daydreaming if he thinks we’re going to surrender.”

Having said that, Juarez scanned the crowd to gauge everyone’s reaction. He was very satisfied that no one advocated surrender.

An aide suggested, “Mr. President, this could also be an opportunity. If we can use it to wipe out the government troops outside, our crisis would be resolved.”

Juarez nodded, as the French and the Mexican government troops cooperatively cornered them, squeezing the Free Army into a narrow space.

Don’t be fooled by the vastness of the canyon; the local population is sparse and mostly consists of Indian tribes.

Juarez was also an Indian, and many in the Free Army were Indians, which is why they had survived thus far. However, the conflicts between Indian tribes were no less significant than those with the white settlers, and using them as cannon fodder was not so easy.

Those who have persisted until now were mostly his confidants; the loyalty of the recently pardoned Republicans, however, could not be assured.

Juarez rallied his troops: “Don’t worry, the difficulties are only temporary. The American Civil War is about to end, and regardless of the victor, neither wants to see an emperor in Mexico.

Soon we will receive a steady supply of weapons and ammunition to drive out the French invaders and, along the way, topple that idiot emperor.”

Without a doubt, they had already reached out to both the North and the South. However, due to the Civil War, neither had provided them with support.

The Southern Government did not dare to offend the great powers and did not give a clear response. Although the Northern Government publicly opposed Maximilian’s accession, they were also reluctant to provoke the united front of England, France, Austria, and Spain.

Though it seems like Maximilian was merely propped up by the French, in reality, the British-Australian-Western countries also showed their support.

It’s just that the French took decisive military action and assumed a dominant position in Mexico. Maximilian lacked the political acuity to use the three nations to counterbalance the French.

This was one of the reasons why Juarez was unwilling to compromise; a political naive was doomed to fail at securing his position. Had Maximilian been a shrewd ruler, he would never have engaged in such naive antics.

“`

The pardon of political prisoners undoubtedly bolstered the organizational capabilities of the Liberty Army. Perhaps these people were not suited for wielding guns and waging war, but they could sway many others to revolt.

…

The news of the Vienna System’s collapse spread to the United States at breakneck speed. President Lincoln breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that changes in the European situation would inevitably distract other nations, creating an opportunity for them to unify America.

But he soon tensed again with a bitter expression, realizing that no matter how the European situation evolved, they had to bring the Southern Government to its knees first!

However, his carefully prepared decisive battle had devolved into a war of attrition against the Southern Government. On average, they were losing a regiment a day, a trend that had been ongoing for months, with no victory in sight.

Even taking into account the manpower advantage of the Northern Government, it had dropped from a pre-war ratio of 1.65:1 to the current 1.3:1, an edge that was no longer significant.

The butterfly effect is powerful; the weakening of the population advantage directly led to a substantial decline in the war potential of the North.

If it weren’t for Lincoln’s perseverance in implementing the abolition of slavery and the Homestead Act, which boosted enlistment enthusiasm, the Southern Government would have already achieved victory.

Secretary of State Saffar began to speak, “Mr. President, according to the intelligence we received and analyzed, there is a high probability—seven out of ten—that Russia and the Kingdom of Prussia will go to war.

England and France are mostly likely to support Prussia; Spain’s stance is unclear, and the Austrians should be quite conflicted.

The Vienna Government wants the Russians to fail, to increase their say in the Russian-Austria Alliance; but they also don’t want to see Prussia grow too powerful, which would make the unification of Germany more challenging.

Once war breaks out, England and France are certain to trouble Russia in other regions, and the Tsarist Government’s support for us is likely to cease immediately.”

Saffar’s words were undoubtedly telling Lincoln not to count on the destabilization of the European situation to cause countries to abandon their intervention in the American Civil War.

This European upheaval most deeply involved the breakdown of relations between England, France, and Russia, and the Four countries including the UK, France, Austria, and Spain intervention alliance had not experienced any internal discord.

Even if the European situation distracted their attention, the powers present in the American region could still interfere in the war. After all, the strength between the North and South was too closely matched, and the entry of external forces could tip the balance at any moment.

After hesitating for a moment, Lincoln made the worst-case plan.

“Craft propaganda, emphasizing the interference of England, France, Austria, and Spain in our domestic affairs, and pin the continuous strife of the civil war on them!

At the same time, contact our supported revolutionary parties and independence organizations; we need them to make a move now. We don’t expect them to achieve results, as long as they can divert the attention of other countries.”

The United States was not loathed without reason. After 1848, revolutionary parties and independence organizations from various European countries met and coordinated here.

For instance: the Hungarian Independence Organization, the French Revolutionary Party, the Spanish Revolutionary Party, the Irish Independence Organization, the Italian Carbonari… these entities were no strangers to American financial support.

Of course, the government of that era was not as overbearing as later on; they did not dare to provide direct financial assistance to these organizations. They mostly relied on fundraising from the American public.

Regardless, the United States Federal Government still offered help. Otherwise, an organization like the Hungarian Independence Organization that had lost its base would have vanished from history long ago.

After all, their Hungarian nationality only numbered six hundred thousand, with half of them having entered reform units, toiling in Austrian transport construction.

Meanwhile, the lower-class residents in the Hungarian Region transformed overnight, becoming part of the Austrian Ethnicity. Regardless of bloodline and cultural tradition, if they consider themselves Austrians, then they are Austrians.

It’s no use; as Hungarians, when their status was that of serfs, they had no human rights within the Hungarian Republic.

Even though this illegal organization existed only for a few months, it was sufficient for propaganda purposes.

Even the previous system of serfdom had the Ruler of the Kingdom of Hungary to blame. After all, it had nothing to do with the great Emperor, who was the one who abolished serfdom and granted the land to the people.

The vast majority of the lower class did not buy it, and their top leaders had been swept away during the Great Revolution; under normal circumstances, the Hungarian Independence Organization should have disappeared, yet it was still propped up by the Americans.

Perhaps this was just habitual, but it also greatly irritated the Vienna Government. This time, Austria’s participation in the American Civil War, with the eradication of the Hungarian Independence Organization as one of the reasons Franz used to persuade the government.

“`

Similarly, after the failure of the revolution, the French Revolutionary Party took political refuge in the United States. Although the Spanish Revolutionary Party is still struggling against the government, they too receive financial support from the United States.

Not to mention the Irish Independence Organization, it’s almost as if the whole Irish population has moved here, so naturally the organization followed, making it the one with the most members among these groups.

Secretary of State Saffar objected, “Mr. President, these organizations have limited power, at most they can only stir up some minor troubles, and it’s difficult for them to have much effect.

Moreover, such actions might have very serious consequences, and if not handled properly could infuriate other nations, worsening our situation.”

It wasn’t that Saffar looked down upon these organizations; it was simply that, apart from Spain, England, France, and Austria were all very stable at the moment, lacking the conditions for a revolutionary outbreak.

After hesitating for a moment, President Lincoln said with a wry smile, “We’ve reached this point, whether we do it or not, they will stand against us.

Of course, if we lose this battle, perhaps they will become our allies again, who knows?

Let’s make things a bit more covert, no one from the Federal government should step forward, find financial backers to support them and push them into action.

Whether it’s inciting an uprising, assassinating political figures, or organizing protests, as long as it can divert the attention of other countries, that will suffice.

I remember the Italian Carbonari once planned regicide to provoke a war between France and Austria; we can hint to the various organizations to follow suit.”

There’s no such thing as a bottom line; if we can plunge other nations into chaos, thereby lessening their pressure on us, President Lincoln wouldn’t mind being a bit more scandalous.

Secretary of State Saffar nodded; indeed, at this point, we can only take the risk.

The worst-case scenario is the division of the United States, and with the intervention of the great powers, the likelihood of United States unity is already very low; there’s simply no possibility without taking risks.

…

Delaware, within a mansion, the Hungarian Independence Organization was holding a meeting. Rather than a meeting, it was more like accountability being demanded by the organization’s financial backers behind the scenes.

The Hungarian-American capitalist Ares questioned, “Stephen, it has been so many years, and you have done nothing. Have you forgotten your oath to revive the great Hungary?”

Stephen was one of the few who slipped through the net after the failure of the Hungarian War of Independence, escaping the Vienna Government’s purge by seeking help from the Ottoman Empire at the time.

With the higher ranks gone, Stephen, a middle-level member of the Revolutionary Party, became a leader. Afterward, the Ottoman Empire got cold feet and no longer dared support them, forcing them into exile in the United States.

The once impassioned young Stephen no longer existed. Now, as the head of the Hungarian Revolutionary Party, he had become a politician.

Stephen, calm and unhurried, explained, “Mr. Ares, Hungarian independence cannot be achieved overnight.

It was precisely because Mr. Kossuth was too impatient that he failed.

The Austrians are still powerful, and after the great revolution, Hungary was divided into seven parts; the Vienna Government has used the minority ethnicities within Hungary for leverage, making it very difficult for us to succeed in a rising.”

Ares scoffed, “I also know why that fool Kossuth failed, but can’t you opt for a compromise? Even if full independence is unattainable, can’t you gain a Sub-State seat within the New Holy Roman Empire? Isn’t achieving an autonomous provincial status in itself a victory if getting that is truly impossible?

You don’t even need an armed uprising, simply mobilize the public to march in protest on the streets, exerting public pressure on the Vienna Government. Sooner or later, they will compromise.”

Where people exist, there are circles of influence. The Hungarian nationality had almost zero influence in America, unable to provide him with support. As a successful capitalist, Ares naturally wasn’t very scrupulous.

To better develop his interests, he chose to cooperate with the Federal government and became the manipulative force behind the Hungarian Independence Organization.

From his remarks on Kossuth, it’s clear that he held no respect for the Hungarian Independence Organization. He simply stood in a position of authority, issuing commands.

As for Hungarian independence, what did that matter to him? From a personal interest perspective, Ares would rather Hungary never achieve independence so he could maintain his unique status.

All these measures now are simply meant to create chaos in Austria. Whether the Vienna Government will compromise or not is irrelevant, as long as the Hungarian Independence Organization makes some noise, he can report back to the Federal government.

After being in contact for so long, Stephen had naturally come to understand Ares’s true nature, and both sides were mutually exploiting each other.

People need to live, and after a decade, many members of the Hungarian Independence Organization, including Stephen, had established their own businesses in the United States. They spent far more energy managing their enterprises than they invested in the independence organization.

As for the grand cause of Hungarian independence, it naturally fell to the idealistic youth to carry out. Did they really expect those old fellows to lead the charge?

Over the years, the number of Hungarians registered in Austria had dwindled to just over two hundred thousand, which spoke volumes.

In the face of reality, many had selectively altered their nationality. Perhaps in a few decades, this nationality would disappear into the annals of history.

These facts were clear to everyone. Without people, there’s no one to declare independence for. For the younger generation in the Hungarian Region, many were unaware of the Hungarian nationality.

Frankly, the Hungarian nationality had only emerged a few decades ago, and if nothing unusual occurred, their “father of the nation” would still be alive.

Before that, there was simply no concept of a Hungarian nationality. This is why many Hungarian citizens accepted the Austrian ethnicity, as no one had told them they belonged to the Hungarian group.

There were even proposals to rename the Hungarian Independence Organization to Austrian Revolutionary Party, but this met with opposition from the older generation, as it would mean a complete repudiation of their efforts.

After thinking for a bit, Stephen said, “Mr. Ares, a rash change in our approach right now would require a massive investment of manpower and resources, as well as some preparation time.”

Previously, the Hungarian Independence Organization had only two tasks: to grow its secret membership and to carry out assassinations.

Organizing the people was not something they had never done, but the outcome was usually tragic. Gossip is universally disruptive; the process of organization was often compromised by someone’s betrayal.

Not everyone wanted independence, and the vast majority of people in the Hungarian Region were content with their lives and had no desire for revolution.

The older generation who had lived through the great revolution saw them as a scourge. When the independence organization operated in the Hungarian Region, they dared not speak of independence.

Causing disruptions was a means to secure funding; if the American benefactors stopped their support, the organization would dissolve within a few years.

In fact, historically, the independence organization fizzled out mid-way. Those who later led the independence of Hungary had nothing to do with them.

With a semblance of complaint, Ares said, “I understand, but I need to see results first. Your passive resistance will wear out the patience of the people.

Fundraising through the organization of the people is getting difficult, especially in recent years as fewer Hungarian compatriots immigrate to the United States.”

The faces of those in the independence organization darkened. This was the critical point. Without Hungarians emigrating to the United States, it meant their organization would struggle to attract new blood.

It also meant their importance to the United States Government was waning. If they ever became completely valueless, there was a risk that the Federal Government might compromise with Vienna and barter them away.

Before this, the Hungarian Independence Organization had already been betrayed by various countries, such as England, France, and the Ottoman Empire, among others.

Members of the Hungarian Independence Organization residing in those countries would meet with sudden ‘accidents’, then end up inside a wooden box.

Cold sweat had broken out on Stephen’s forehead. He understood that this was not a discussion but a direct threat. If they failed to handle this, the Americans would trade their heads with the Vienna Government.

Don’t think that in this era it was easy to hide and evade capture by the Vienna Government. If it was just one or two people, one could easily hide in a small rural place and everything would be fine.

However, for the independence organization, life would be over if they left the United States. Not every country was willing to offer them asylum.

Stephen assured, “Please rest assured, Mr. Ares, we will put our full efforts into this operation, and you will see the results within six months.”

…