The war in South Africa had London Government deeply worried. For a time, they believed Austria and the French had struck a secret deal and were preparing to make a move against the German Federal Empire.
Fortunately, the worst had not happened. Austria had taken no action; otherwise, they would have gained yet another threat.
Austria, tucked away in the Mediterranean Sea, might be frightening, but it posed no threat to Britain. Once it unified the German lands and stepped into the Atlantic Ocean, the situation would change, bringing the two sides much closer together.
Of course, that threat was relative. Franz, too, feared the British threat; after all, the Royal Navy remained the strongest of the age.
That nothing had happened only left Prime Minister Benjamin more perplexed. He simply could not see what the Austrians were trying to do.
Did they not care about the French threat? Impossible! The House of Habsburg and the French had been entangled on the European Continent for centuries—how could they fail to understand the terror of their opponent?
France's annexation of Italy was not merely an expansion of territory. It also established France's dominance over the Mediterranean Sea and the European Continent.
There was no way Austria would compromise on this matter. Even if they feared that confronting France directly would let a third party reap the benefits, once London Government agreed to an alliance, Vienna Government should have made its move.
Prime Minister Benjamin asked with concern, "Have we uncovered the details of the Franco-Austrian deal?"
The less they understood it, the more suspicious it seemed. To uncover the secret dealings between France and Austria, London Government had spared no effort, even activating its highest-level deep-cover assets.
As a result, many spies embedded in France and Austria had been exposed. Yet