Deploying Troops to Albania

Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace.

In his study, Archduke Franz listened to his daily briefing from Archbishop Rauscher, who was busy boasting of his achievements. Under the Church's packaging, Austria's military intervention in Albania had been transformed into a "holy war" to liberate Christians from the hands of heathens.

Of course, this was not without its benefits; for instance, the bill had passed without encountering much resistance.

Even though Count Kolowrat disliked such unprofitable wars and Prince Metternich opposed further weakening the Ottoman Empire, they were forced to concede under the Church's powerful public opinion campaign.

Naturally, this did not mean the Church had the power to hijack the state; in reality, the person who had proposed this plan was Franz himself, which was why everything had proceeded so smoothly.

Beyond the Church, the military—or rather, the Josephists—had also played a role. After all, expansion into the Balkans could be seen as a continuation of the Josephist strategy; although the direction differed, the destination remained the same.

To Admiral Friedrich, however, there was another interpretation: if the Austrian Empire wished to become a naval power, it had to control the Strait of Otranto or seize La Spezia.

Otherwise, no matter how powerful the navy became, it would remain a "tyrant of the Adriatic," viewed by the great powers as nothing more than a fleet kept in a bathtub.

In this regard, Russia and Austria were much alike—one seeking to break out of the Black Sea, the other out of the Adriatic.

(I personally feel this analogy helps everyone understand the importance of controlling the Strait of Otranto.)

However, Friedrich preferred to seize all of Albania outright. After all, his experience from numerous engagements with colonial nations had taught him that non-great powers were simply fragile.

Whether in Africa, West Asia, or Southeast