I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 322

Reconquista (4)

If the United States suffered from any misfortune, it was their relatively low reputation on the world stage.

It’s hard to imagine in the 21st century, but even before World War I, the perception of the United States lagged behind that of England and France.

Needless to say, this was even more pronounced in the mid-19th century.

How else could a country like Spain have dared to sell weapons through unofficial channels with such audacity?

This stemmed from the fact that the United States wasn’t highly regarded by the European powers.

But if you were to ask whether that perception was accurate, the answer is a resounding ‘no.’

Even before the Mexican War, and certainly by the 1860s, the industrial capacity of the Northern United States surpassed many countries in Europe.

Spain couldn’t even compare, and only France was at a similar level.

The only country that clearly outstripped the United States was England.

I’ve heard a lot about the ‘fraudulent map’ of the United States [a metaphor for the underestimation of the US’s true potential], but now that I’m directly involved, it feels a bit unfair.

But what can I do? My ancestors were foolish enough to try to exploit such a golden land as a colony, only to see it gain independence. Now, I have no choice but to clean up the mess.

However, the fact that I seem to be the only one who understands this amuses me.

Spain, which triggered this whole situation, still believes they’ve only kicked a stray cat.

“Have you heard the news that France is raising an army?”

“Of course. It seems they’re really planning to dispatch troops.”

“That’s why there’s talk back home about whether we should formally participate in the war.”

“Ah… Spain too?”

From Spain’s perspective, they initiated the conflict, but now France is stepping in to take the lead.

However, considering Spain’s current state, even if they gathered all the armies from Cuba and Puerto Rico, they would struggle to send more than a few tens of thousands of troops.

“Sending troops, beyond providing weapons through back channels, means formally going to war with the North.”

“Of course, I know that. But since France has already recognized the South as a formal nation, siding with the South is the same as antagonizing the North.”

‘It seems Spain is also planning to recognize the South as a formal nation.’

“Of course. It’s actually a bit late. What about the British Empire?”

“As I said before, we are neutral.”

I can fully understand the feelings of Ambassador Cordoba and Prime Minister O’Donnell.

However, one should always be cautious when things seem to be going too well.

Most people know this, but fail to put it into practice.

In reality, they only realize it painfully when their heads are about to roll, but those who are truly dead can never be careful again, so it can’t be helped.

Spain seems to be losing touch with reality as things are progressing too smoothly for them.

It seems like someone is deliberately leading them down this path, but who could it be?

The virtuous British Empire knows nothing, of course.

If Spain is like this, France is even more so.

France was always in a state of internal division, split into factions, but most agreed that they could take on the United States.

Some conscientious intellectuals argued that it was morally wrong to go to war on the side of a country that practiced slavery, but such voices were powerless against the tide of national interests.

The minority opinion was mercilessly swept aside, like a mantis trying to stop a runaway train.

And finally, France not only declared the South a nation but also formally concluded an alliance treaty.

“The Kingdom of France and the Confederate States of America hereby swear to form a mutual defense treaty and be a strong shield to protect each other.”

I didn’t expect them to actually declare that an attack on the South would be considered an attack on them, but now that the official announcement has been made, it can’t be undone.

This won’t stop the North from attacking the South, but it gives France the justification to dispatch troops at any time based on the treaty, and they actually issued an ultimatum to the North.

Still, the country of the Great Revolution [referring to the French Revolution] couldn’t condone slavery, so they wrote a lot of nonsense, but in summary, it was this:

-The abolition of slavery is the trend of the times, but coercive measures should not be taken against other countries based on it.

The point is not to side with the South, which practices slavery, but to punish the North, which is using the abolition of slavery as an excuse to pressure neighboring countries. Even this is a nonsensical sophistry when examined closely.

However, sophistry or not, history is ultimately written by the victor.

“The North is now proposing to immediately stop the war with the South and enter into a truce agreement!”

“What kind of crazy nonsense is that! This is a clear interference in internal affairs. Europe has no right to interfere in the affairs of America, and this act is a forced violation of the rights of other countries!”

“Europe has established order through various interactions between many countries. However, the United States is unilaterally pressuring neighboring countries based on their superior national power, and if we condone this situation, the same thing will continue to happen in the future!”

The debate between the two continents, pouring out through newspapers every day, grew increasingly fierce.

France’s true intention was to justify its participation in the war, so it was deliberately provoking the United States. The United States knew the other side’s intentions but couldn’t back down, so the confrontation continued without end.

And exactly half a month after France declared the South as a formal ally, France declared war on the United States of America based on the mutual defense treaty.

* * *

France’s official participation in the war sent shockwaves through European political circles.

They had expected it would only be a matter of time, but the fact that it actually happened was another matter.

“No, I didn’t expect them to move so quickly. Why is France in such a hurry?”

“It must be because they are that desperate.”

“It is said that Spain is also participating in the war. The troop size may not be that large, but France will be a force to be reckoned with.”

“The actions of the home country have also become important. Now that France has intervened, we must express our opinion in one way or another. What should we do?”

As if to prove that the situation was very serious, the most influential people in the British Empire were gathered in the conference room.

Prime Minister Wellesley, Chancellor of the Exchequer Disraeli, Gladstone, and I, the Duke of Canada, who could be said to represent the opposition party.

France’s participation in the war was putting real pressure on England.

“What is the atmosphere like within the Liberal Party?”

“It’s diverse. Some say we should restrain France, while others say we should maintain the declaration of neutrality. Some even say we should abandon the declaration of neutrality and send the navy to help our ally France.”

“The Conservative Party is similar.”

“The War Department and the Foreign Office are also divided. That means the issue is complicated. I think we should be very careful about this matter.”

They hadn’t paid much attention when a country like Spain was meddling, but they were making such a fuss as soon as France stepped in.

That’s definitely the power of reputation.

If the United States had been recognized as a powerful country like the British Empire or France, would Spain have dared to play with fire like that?

They would have cautiously watched and immediately abandoned the plan.

But conversely, such a reputation can sometimes make objective judgment impossible.

It’s like overestimating the opponent more than necessary and shrinking back before even opening the lid.

Even in sports competitions, it is said that the halo effect [a cognitive bias where a positive impression in one area influences opinions in other areas] has the most influence when world-class players fight against players who are just starting to gain attention.

There are countless cases where they shrink back and ruin themselves, even though the actual skill difference isn’t that great.

The same is true for the current analysis.

Isn’t there a strange feeling that this war will end quickly because France has intervened?

The reason why Spain decided to participate in the war and send troops while being hesitant isn’t much different.

France, the second most powerful country in the world, is sending troops, so cognitive dissonance [the mental discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs] is starting to occur.

Clearly, if you only extract objective data, the North’s power is incredibly strong.

However, the external perception is a fight between the United States, a wannabe great power, and France, the second-ranked country in the world, so it was bound to lean unilaterally to one side.

Of course, no one is unaware that large-scale military operations across the ocean involve enormous logistical challenges.

The problem is that even that weakness can be mitigated by the South, which is currently confronting the North.

“Is the War Department expecting the situation to lean further towards the South at once?”

“Yes. The existence of the South is very significant. It can greatly reduce the burden on France to transport large-scale troops and supplies. If Spain participates in the war, the Confederate States will have more absolute power.”

“I see. That’s good. If the home country judges so, it means that Spain and France are also thinking the same way.”

“…Yes?”

“I’ve been tutoring Edward recently. He’s my son, so he has a pretty good understanding, so it’s fun to teach him. I haven’t tested his application skills yet, but this war will be a very good textbook, so I’m training him in various ways.”
The three people who were bewildered looked at me with an expression asking what I was talking about, but this is all connected.

“The British Empire must remain neutral. At least for now.”

“But if we stick to neutrality too much and the war is quickly settled, there is a risk of not gaining anything.”

“That’s why it can’t be settled quickly. You are underestimating the power of the United States too much.”

This isn’t because these people are incompetent or ignorant of information.

It’s not an era where you can just type in ‘United States GDP’ and ‘France GDP’ on Google and get the results right away, so how can you make a perfectly objective judgment?

In the first place, even the United States didn’t know how much power they had, so it was not unreasonable for the British cabinet and parliament not to make a proper judgment.

“Does Your Highness believe that the North has the power to withstand even with the participation of France and Spain?”

“Even if they were fighting in the middle of Europe, how many troops would France send across the Atlantic? The same goes for Spain. One of the reasons why the North has not been able to strongly pressure the South so far is the low morale of the Northern army.”
The South, which they thought they could easily crush, is resisting fiercely, causing unexpected damage, so naturally, complaints will arise.

The South is fighting to protect their homeland.

However, in some parts of the North, there were voices saying, ‘Why should we shoot at the same white people for the sake of blacks?’

“If France or Spain participates in the war in this situation, the North will start fighting with all their might. Citizens of the North will also volunteer to protect their homeland, and the size of the army will grow tremendously. This will make the time-dragging that the South initially planned meaningless.”

Until now, Europe has not seen the true power of the United States.

And now, thanks to France and Spain, they will be able to gauge their exact level.

Towards the three people who were half-doubtful, I continued to speak with full conviction.

“In addition, even if the North has abundant industrial facilities, if they increase their troops in an instant, they will naturally run out of supplies. And their rifles are inferior in performance compared to ours.”

“…Are you perhaps going to export to the North on a large scale?”

“Didn’t I clearly say in the past that I was planning to do so?”

“You did, you definitely did, but…”

“But?”

“Weren’t you joking?”

What joke? I’m always a serious person.