On May 20, 1874, the Tsarist Government declared war on Poland. That afternoon, Russian forces crossed the border and launched an attack on the Kingdom of Poland, and the Russo-Polish War broke out once again.
From the outbreak of the Russo-Polish conflict to the start of the war, less than a week had passed. This efficiency refreshed Franz's understanding of the Tsarist Government.
Alexander II's reforms had already borne fruit in terms of efficiency. Going by the Tsarist Government's previous pace of work, it would have taken several months at the very least.
The sudden Russo-Polish War caught many people flat-footed. Governments across Europe had no time to react before the war had already begun.
In London, Prime Minister Gladstone felt utterly exhausted. He was busy with the domestic election on one hand, while having to keep an eye on the ever-changing situation in Europe on the other. Even the Irish question had been pushed back.
"The Near East War is still ongoing, and now the Russians have stirred up another war with the Poles. Have they forgotten the lesson of their last failure at fighting on multiple fronts so quickly? Can anyone tell me what happened here?"
With his wealth of political experience, Prime Minister Gladstone was certain that the Russo-Polish War had not been caused by a single clash. Over the years, conflicts between Russia and Poland had numbered well over a hundred, yet this time, war had erupted.
Looking at the Russians' swift actions, it was obvious they had planned this long ago. The Near East War had diverted Britain's attention, and the London Government had directly assumed that Russia's military preparations were aimed at the Ottoman Empire.
The British had even been considering how to preserve the Ottoman Empire. Now there was no need to worry.