In fact, this proportion differed greatly from the historical norm for the same period. In the book, Britain and the United States were constantly at odds, especially over Texas and the border, where they came close to taking up arms.
Britain's way of dealing with the Americans was to restrict American agriculture on one hand and dump cheap manufactured goods on the other, further deepening the divisions between North and South.
What no country had expected was that the United States, in order to reduce the losses caused by Britain's decreased imports, would directly cut the proportion of land devoted to growing grain.
"Leave the British with no food! Brilliant idea!"
Nicholas I looked excited. He loved the idea.
Actually, Russian officials hadn't reacted nearly as strongly to the subject of a grain embargo as they had to the news of an embargo on timber or a total embargo.
That was because Russia had a wide market for its grain. Only a small portion was exported to Britain, and grain wasn't especially vulnerable to a glut.
Most importantly, no one thought this trade war would last very long.
And so the Russians tore up their trade contracts without a second thought.
The Russians' actions were much as Franz had expected. Nicholas I was unwilling to ask the Holy Alliance for help and stubbornly insisted that Russia suppress the Polish rebellion on its own.
Russia was vast and rich in resources. On the defensive, this meant it had plenty of strategic depth. The downside was that its front lines were too long to concentrate its forces, while the immense logistical burden could easily crush a country.
In Franz's view, the Tsar's decision to mobilize the Moscow Legion and the Kiev Legion was entirely reasonable. The forces were strong enough, without leaving