The Anglo-Russian Negotiations had not been kept secret. Even Franz, far away in Vienna, had received the news, and could even reconstruct seventy or eighty percent of the negotiations' contents.
Everyone understood the simple principle of waiting for the best price. The Russians had deliberately leaked the news; clearly, they were waiting for Austria to make an offer.
It did not necessarily have to be higher than the British offer. As long as it was roughly comparable, the Tsarist Government would certainly choose to stand with Austria.
That was dictated by interests. The Russo-Austrian Alliance was far more valuable than an Anglo-Russian alliance, not to mention that the British would not form an alliance with them in the first place.
One only had to open a map to see it. Along the long border between Russia and Austria, there simply were not enough natural barriers to serve as defensive lines. Without an alliance treaty, the pressure on national defense alone would be enough to cause headaches.
This was especially serious for the already exhausted Tsarist Government. If they fell out with Austria, it would mean that every country bordering them was an enemy—or, at the very least, a potential enemy.
When the Russian Empire had been powerful, it had campaigned east and west, establishing a fearsome reputation. Now that it showed signs of fatigue, it had become a tiger beset and devoured by a pack of wolves.
The previous Prusso-Russian War had already shown the Tsarist Government just how many enemies they had. If they suffered another defeat in a second Prusso-Russian War, then the Nordic Federation would also come rushing in for a share of the meat.
The Finns' cozy dealings with Sweden were no secret. When the Russian Empire had been strong, the Swedes had behaved themselves. But