You dig pits for me, I dig pits for you—struggle was the theme of the age of great powers.
One could not help oneself when adrift in the world. International politics knew only interests: shared interests made friends, conflicting interests made enemies, and changing roles was standard procedure.
The British did this best. They could be allies one moment, enemies the next, then friends again shortly afterward.
To a certain extent, the diplomacy of every European nation in this era was modeled after the British. Everyone's bottom line and moral integrity had fallen again and again; intimate cooperation between allies had existed only before the Middle Ages.
Against this backdrop, relations among the European nations were a tangled mess, impossible to divide narrowly into enemies and friends.
In order to win more support at the negotiating table, both Prussia and Russia launched diplomatic offensives. The slow-reacting Ottoman Empire also began diplomatic activity. Only the several khanates of Central Asia and the Eastern Empire remained in salted-fish mode.
Being a salted fish was tragic. Under Europe's system of rules, international support still mattered. Even diplomatic support from small nations held value.
Since the little brothers lacked diplomatic ability, John Bull could only take the field himself. Perhaps this was exactly what the London Government wanted most—it could expand its influence in those countries and gain greater benefits.
Franz had originally intended to watch the spectacle while eating melon seeds, but the tree wished to be still while the wind refused to cease. Because of the Russo-Austrian Alliance, Austria had been dragged in.
"The Russians want to restore the prewar status quo and seek our support?"
Franz could not help being astonished. This was simply a fantasy from the Arabian Nights. Whether they admitted it or not, the Russians were the losers