Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace.

Franz had been following the dynamics of the Five-Nation Conference, but when he learned that Britain was going to lease Crete and build a naval base on it, he couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

What the hell is the Mediterranean Fleet? Is it because of yourself? The world line is changing again?

Historically, however, Britain did build a Mediterranean Fleet, but it was delayed by a few years, and the naval bases were not from Crete, but from Gibraltar and Malta.

While Metternich kept the Adriatic Fleet, Creek and the Mediterranean Fleet were embedded in the Near East like a nail.

The Five Powers Conference allowed Austria to gain from the Ottomans and Serbia and to be recognized by the Great Powers. However, this does not help Austria's economic situation, but requires a lot of resources and funds to develop and protect them.

Although it may seem like a bit of a loss for the time being, the impact of this move will continue to affect the stability of the entire empire for the next hundred years.

At this time, the most important thing for Austria should be the Adriatic Fleet, which can save Austria at least five to six years.

After the Turkish-Egyptian War, Friedrich also became the first Minister of the newly created Ministry of the Navy and the Colonies. Of course, he himself felt mixed feelings, happy that this new appointment had enabled him to pay more attention to the development of the navy, and worried that colonization was not his forte, and it was obvious that he would have to rely more on Franz's help in the future.

Franz's first assignment was to have a friendly gunboat diplomacy with the natives of Côte d'Ivoire after the Adriatic Fleet was refitted.

It is believed that those natives will be very willing to do business with Austria, and then make some exclusive treaties, so as to exclude other powers from Côte d'Ivoire as soon as possible.

Historically, the French showed interest in the area in April 1840, and in the following months they induced the local chiefs to sign monopoly agreements and make it their own colony.

But now Franz will take the first step, and Côte d'Ivoire is also a rotten land at this time, and the French will not go-for-tat with Austria for this rotten land.

Côte d'Ivoire could first be used as a supply point for Austria in West Africa, and when this land was developed, Austria's navy would certainly be different.

As for Tripoli, which had been promised to the Karamanli family, Franz felt that it was entirely possible to train the rescued Egyptian artisans and civilians into soldiers.

The British did not fulfill their promises, which was entirely expected by Franz, so from the very beginning he sent people to train the Egyptians and arm them.

Of course it won't be done now, after all, the British are still watching, but those Egyptians can be sent to Tripoli in batches.

The Egyptians and Tripoli have similar linguistic and cultural cultures, and it is not difficult to blend in. Given Ali's brutality, the Egyptians would not want to return to their homeland, and going to Tripoli to earn themselves a place to live might be their best option.

As for when the Karamanli family will be able to reclaim their homeland, it's up to them.

The British Mediterranean Fleet was intimidating, but the choice of Crete for a naval base was not a good idea. Crete's strategic location also means it attracts more enemies and competitors, and being surrounded by the sea means facing threats from all sides.

For example, France, which has always regarded the Mediterranean Sea as an inland sea, and Russia, which wants to break out of the Black Sea, face the biggest enemy of the two at this time.

It is conceivable that in the near future, the three countries will definitely engage in a naval race, and Britain's energy will be greatly involved, so that its power in the east will be weakened.

The competition for naval equipment is endless, and the speed of naval iteration in the nineteenth century, if the British want to maintain superiority at sea, the amount of money needed to invest will be astronomical.

At this five-nation conference, Britain did not succeed in dismantling Russia's hegemony in the straits, which neither Britain nor the Ottomans wanted to see.

The next time the Straits issue was resolved was in 1841, and if the Russians sought to extend the Special Agreement of the Russian-Turkish Alliance, they would have to seek allies in order to confront the British.

Similarly, the British needed allies to restrain Russian growth in the Near East. The Ottomans, in order to cope with a new crisis, also needed new allies.

Austria, a powerful country with a special geographical location, will be the target of the Near Eastern powers. If a country wants to develop, a good external environment is indispensable.

As the object of the trio of all three parties, Austria can naturally enjoy a good time.

At this time, France gave up the burden of Egypt and set its sights on North America, Central America, Africa, Asia, and Spain

Spain's endless civil war exhausted Britain, France, and Spain. In particular, guerrilla warfare in the mountains is torture for both the offensive and the defensive.

The Carlos faction fought a few good battles with the help of the British, defeating the Spanish and French armies by surprise, and recovering most of the north at one point.

Even Bilbao, the place where the first Carlos War ended in history, was captured by the rebels.

However, the regent Cristina co-opted the liberal and enlightened aristocracy and hired troops from abroad to help the government in the war, while France changed commanders again and strengthened its support for Spain.

The Carlos faction was once again driven back into the Pyrenees, but it was clear wishful thinking to destroy the rebels behind the British.

The French and Spanish forces were met with unprecedented ferocity in the mountains, and they were surprised to find that the troops fighting against them seemed to have changed their men.

They were right, these men had been trained by the British from Portugal and had intended to be sent to the west to revolt, but they had been transported to northern Spain due to the war in the north.

The endless tug-of-war between the two sides completely destroyed the Spanish economy, and in desperation, the regent Christiana had no choice but to borrow money from France.

At first, the French saw it as a good opportunity to control Spain, but as the arrears mounted, and the war did not go well, so did the sunk costs for France.

Now France cannot accept defeat in Spain, the defeat in Egypt has already cost them dearly, and if it were to happen again, it would most likely lead to a huge crisis of confidence.

The jungles of Central America also made it difficult for the French army. The indigenous guerrillas did not inflict many casualties on the French, but some of the soldiers were not accustomed to the soil and water, and cholera and dysentery were rampant in the barracks.

In addition to this, some soldiers suffered syphilis due to their bad behavior. Mosquitoes and poisonous snakes are more lethal than bullets here, and the Central American Federation can't really come up with anything decent to pay commissions, and much of their so-called land is harassed by guerrillas.

France has invested 30,000 troops in Central America, but it has been unable to recover its costs, leaving some financiers and politicians unable to sit still.

Louis Philippe, on the other hand, was a soft-eared man, and he ordered the French government to colonize while fighting as it had done with Algeria.

(End of chapter)