In truth, many of the Austrian Empire's colonies were considered wastelands in European eyes—places Britain, France, Portugal, and the Netherlands had all spurned, rubbish that generations of colonists had dismissed for centuries.
That was why the Austrian Empire had been able to bring them into its sphere of influence at such a trifling cost, and why those nations had been willing to sell off trading posts they had painstakingly operated for centuries at rock-bottom prices.
The real reason was not Franz's sincerity, much less the high price Austria had offered. They simply could not make much money from them, and had to pay considerable maintenance costs every year.
Yet not long after Austria took them over, these wastelands sprang back to life. No one believed that was a coincidence. Some claimed Franz could wield witchcraft, but Alexander did not believe such things.
"Russia has its own arms factories. His Majesty the Tsar surely wishes Russian soldiers' weapons to come from Russian factories."
Franz's answer was flawless. Alexander nodded and said, "That makes sense. Here's to a pleasant partnership."
Franz clasped Alexander's hand and said, "A toast to our wolf-and-jackal collusion."
The attendant beside them hurriedly brought over the drinks.
After seeing Alexander off, Franz began seriously planning how to develop Alaska.
In fact, Franz had drawn up similar contingency plans long ago. Russia's sale of Alaska had been such a stupendously foolish deal that many people had considered what they would do if they bought Alaska themselves.
Although Franz believed Alaska's strategic value to Russia far outweighed the economic value of buying it, he had still made plans for it before.
Alaska's Kenai Peninsula could support cold-resistant crops. This was not Franz's wild fancy, but something the Russians had historically tested.
In 1820, Nicholas I had ordered the construction of