Chapter Summaries

After news of Walters’s assassination reached London, newspaper editors prepared competing accounts, and a gray-clothed man paid The Great Britain Imperial Times to publish an article blaming Russia for plotting to invade India. The chapter ended with Endri accepting the article and payment despite recognizing its unsupported accusations.

• Rodman told Kanglesi that a delegation in Afghanistan had been attacked, killing Walters and two others and injuring two more, and Kanglesi ordered a special edition.
• Endri told his staff at The Great Britain Imperial Times to invent dramatic details about Walters’s assassination to make their coverage stand out.
• A gray-clothed man offered Endri fifty Pound Sterling to print an article titled “Russia's Prelude to Invading India.”
• Endri objected to the headline’s unsupported accusation, but he agreed to print the article after negotiating the payment up to sixty Pound Sterling.

Public outrage over the assassination attempt on Walters forced British officials to deflect blame and discuss possible suspects. The Gladstone Cabinet considered declaring war on Afghanistan to satisfy the public while delaying military action until Britain was ready.

• James Mould said the Police Department had no jurisdiction over the assassination in Afghanistan and directed the public to the Foreign Office.
• George told reporters that Walters had been sent by the Governor-General of India and proposed a joint investigative delegation, while reporters accused departments of shirking responsibility.
• George outlined Russia, Austria, France, Afghanistan’s religious extremists, and other countries as possible culprits, then admitted Britain lacked enough information to investigate safely.
• Primrose challenged George’s proposed choices, while Sir Astley Cooper Key and Hugh Childers warned that a war could disrupt the naval arms race and strain Britain’s finances.
• Gladstone said Britain would continue the arms race and could declare war on Afghanistan to appease the public while postponing the invasion until preparations were complete.

Franz and his ministers planned to use the Central Asian crisis to draw Britain into conflict with Russia while Austria limited its arms-race commitments. Britain then approached France for support, but Napoleon IV and his advisers weighed the opportunity for profit against their hostility toward Britain.

• Franz learned that Russia had assembled troops and supplies in Central Asia and was waiting for the roads to clear before attacking.
• Karl outlined Britain’s choices between fighting Russia in Central Asia and pursuing the arms race, while Wessenberg proposed encouraging Britain to confront Russia.
• Mark suggested Austria explain its retreat from the arms race by claiming it had lent Russia its shipbuilding funds, and Franz ordered secret talks with France.
• British Foreign Secretary George visited Paris on March 1, 1888, but Napoleon IV refused to welcome him at a banquet.
• Karel Kadletz warned that Britain risked facing Russia and Austria alone, while Terence Bulkin argued France should compare offers and back whichever side best served its interests.
• Napoleon IV accepted Bulkin’s pragmatic view, though he remained uneasy about dealing with Britain.

British Foreign Secretary George sought French support against Austria, but Minister Roberto Fernandez explained that France’s divided government and demands made winning it over difficult. George decided to pursue an alliance with France anyway, accepting that the move would destroy Britain’s influence among pro-British figures in France.

• George asked Roberto Fernandez what concessions would persuade France to support Britain, and Roberto described France’s factional struggles and ambitions in Central Europe.
• Roberto warned that backing French expansion could abandon Britain’s allies and spark a war between France and an Austrian-led coalition.
• Roberto proposed ending Britain’s high tariffs on French goods, but George rejected the idea because it would devastate British interests.
• George suggested forming an alliance with France to buy Britain time, while tacitly allowing France to expand into Central Europe.
• Roberto warned that the alliance would erase years of British influence in France, but George ordered the embassy to use its connections to secure it.

Napoleon IV’s ministers debated Britain’s offer of an alliance, weighing its diplomatic benefits against the risk of being drawn into a continental war. In Vienna, Franz and his government concluded that the Anglo-French alliance threatened Austria and made support for Russia increasingly important.

• Terence Bulkin warned Napoleon IV that Britain wanted France to restrain Austria and might abandon France if expansion provoked a continental war.
• Ruskinia Hafiz argued that France could exploit Britain’s rivalry with Russia to advance into the Rhineland and Belgium, while Elsa warned that war would derail the Great Farm Plan and expose France to Austria’s allies.
• Karel Kadletz urged Napoleon IV to accept an alliance with Britain for diplomatic support, without relying on Britain to back French expansion.
• Franz considered how Britain might use an Austro-French war to weaken both countries, while Foreign Minister Wessenberg reported that attempts to prevent the alliance had failed.
• Prime Minister Karl said Austria should support Russia in the coming Central Asian war and prepare for a prolonged confrontation between the two European alliances.

Alexander III weighed whether Russia should continue its Central Asian campaign after learning Britain and France were negotiating an alliance. His ministers disagreed over the military opportunity and the financial risks, leaving the Tsar to consider whether Russia could afford a prolonged war.

• Oscar Jimenez confirmed that Britain and France were negotiating an alliance, and Alexander III asked whether Russia should continue its Central Asian campaign.
• Paladru Wald urged Alexander III to proceed, arguing Russia could seize the Brahakhan Khanate quickly, protect its credibility with Afghanistan, and avoid a costlier future war.
• Alisher Gulov warned that the Central Asian khanates would resist for a long time, Britain could secure Afghanistan first, and falling grain revenues made a war of attrition financially dangerous.
• Alexander III acknowledged the risks but remained reluctant to abandon Afghanistan and damage Russia's reputation as an ally.
• Paladru Wald argued that conquering Central Asia and eventually India could resolve Russia's financial troubles, reflecting the military's support for a southward expansion strategy.

Leopold II chose to negotiate a secret defensive agreement with Austria because Belgium feared French expansion and could not rely on Britain. Franz accepted Belgium’s limited wartime commitment in exchange for passage through its territory and logistical support, leaving the proposed alliance only partially secured.

• Foreign Minister Jules told Leopold II that Austria had invited Belgium, Switzerland, the North German Confederation, and Spain to form a treaty to contain France.
• Prime Minister August warned that Austria’s invitation pressured Belgium to choose between the opposing alliances, and Leopold ordered negotiations for a secret agreement with Austria.
• Spain and Switzerland declined Austria’s proposal, while Belgium maintained secret contact and the North German Confederation debated the issue openly.
• Foreign Minister Wessenberg reported that Belgium would fight only if France invaded Central Europe and would otherwise provide material aid while remaining publicly neutral.
• Franz accepted Belgium’s terms and required it to allow Austrian forces through its territory and support their logistics in return for a share of French spoils.

After Britain invaded Afghanistan, Franz learned that Austria had lost contact with the Afghan Government and abandoned plans to airdrop supplies. He ordered a discreet buildup of colonial arms reserves, using the Central Asian war and a supposed Russian order as cover.

• On March 26, 1888, two Indian colonial divisions attacked Afghanistan on Governor Lytton's orders.
• Wessenberg told Franz that Austria's first aid shipment had reached Afghanistan, but the war and the blockade had cut off contact with the Afghan Government.
• Franz canceled the planned airdrops and left Afghan liaison officers to find a way to contact their homeland.
• Feslav urged Franz to rearm Austria's colonial forces, and Franz ordered Austrian Africa to stock enough supplies for one million men to fight for a year.
• After Karl warned that such a shipment would attract attention, Franz ordered supplies increased in batches and state-owned arms factories to double production under the cover of a Russian order.

Austria continued preparing for a possible European war while Napoleon IV’s government cautiously restarted negotiations to lower international coal prices. British coal magnates seized the chance to enter the French market, leaving small mine owners facing pressure to cooperate or sell their mines.

• Austria increased its weapons development and war preparations while Franz judged that Central European states might join whichever side fired first.
• Napoleon IV questioned whether his ministers were ready to reopen negotiations over international coal prices, and Elsa and Karel Kadletz outlined their plan to win British cooperation.
• Napoleon IV approved restarting the talks but warned his officials not to let the dispute escalate into a major crisis.
• At the British Coal Association headquarters, a tycoon announced a proposed deal offering lower French tariffs to association members in exchange for reduced coal prices.
• Mikhailovich objected that easing pressure on France betrayed Britain, but the association’s leader offered him a choice between cooperating and selling his mines.

General Okinets confronted the Russian Army’s supply failures and threatened to expose the logistics department for delaying wartime shipments. In Saint Petersburg, Minister Argente ordered supplies sent to the front, but the trains had already been lent to influential capitalists, leaving the crisis unresolved.

• General Okinets learned that repeated requests for supplies had gone unanswered and warned Kratzvali to ensure the front received its logistics.
• Okinets threatened to accuse officials of colluding with the United Kingdom if supplies failed to arrive, and Kratzvali promised to press the homeland.
• Passel brought Okinets’s warning to Minister Argente, who initially ordered deliberate delays rather than give in to the threat.
• Passel revealed that military trains carrying goods for capitalists had exposed the logistics department to investigation, so Argente ordered the supplies dispatched.
• Passel explained that the trains were already lent to powerful interests, and Argente told him to blame Okinets if those interests objected.

Brittany McLean confronted Director Iksil after his shipment was unloaded in Samara, but military priorities prevented the Ministry of Logistics from providing railcars. Iksil offered trucks, horse-drawn wagons, and laborers instead, leaving Brittany to move the goods by whatever routes he could find.

• Brittany demanded that Iksil explain why his Moscow-bound shipment had been unloaded and threatened to invoke Marquis Kristanval's backing.
• Iksil explained that General Okinets had ordered the Ministry of Logistics to prioritize front-line supplies and warned that diverting military trains could bring severe punishment.
• Brittany backed down from demanding military railcars and revealed that the shipment included special medicine alongside agricultural products.
• Iksil offered laborers, horse-drawn wagons, and imported Austrian trucks, with additional freight charges for the medicine.
• Brittany asked Iksil to coordinate road repairs, and Iksil said most roads were passable if the trucks did not take shortcuts.

After Britain captured Kabul, Franz and his ministers planned to secretly encourage a British-Russian conflict and approve substantial loans for Russia. They also discussed France’s coercive coal-price demands on Belgium and the North German Confederation, which Franz expected to soften into a bargaining tactic.

• After Britain captured Kabul, Franz worried that the British victory would hinder Austria’s plans to weaken Russia and Britain through war.
• Franz approved a Russian war loan, while Wessenberg urged the government to follow proper procedures and conceal its aim of provoking conflict.
• Prime Minister Karl proposed secretly stirring up tensions between Britain and Russia by encouraging radical Russian military action as their forces approached a shared border.
• Franz directed the intelligence department to provoke conflict from the ground up and ordered preparations for 300 million Divine Shield in loans to Russia over three years.
• Wessenberg reported that France had secured Britain’s cooperation and was demanding steep coal price cuts and higher exports from Belgium and the North German Confederation.
• Franz predicted France was testing the two countries’ limits and would offer concessions in later negotiations, though he said Austria would support them if France used force.

Belgium and the North German Confederation resisted France’s coal demands after Austria publicly promised to defend Europe’s balance, while Leopold II weighed Belgium’s precarious position. Napoleon IV and Prime Minister Terence Bulkin judged that Austria’s support was mostly rhetorical and expected the threatened governments to accept a compromise.

• Franz issued the Proclamation to the People of Europe, promising Austria would oppose threats to European stability and boosting public support for Belgium and the North German Confederation.
• Anti-French protests filled Brussels, and Prime Minister August urged Leopold II to reject France’s demands despite Belgium’s military vulnerability.
• Foreign Minister Jules told Leopold II that Hanover was seeking British intervention while other German states, including Baden, were turning toward Austria.
• Leopold II ordered the government to calm the demonstrators, reject France’s unreasonable demands, and continue negotiating over coal prices.
• Napoleon IV angrily blamed Austria for obstructing France’s plans, while Terence Bulkin argued that Austria’s support was only verbal and predicted Belgium and the North German Confederation would accept a slight French concession.

Franz ordered Austria to prioritize strategic railways in the Near East despite the economic costs, while France’s coal agreement with Belgium and Germany stirred boycotts and nationalist hostility. At Versailles, Napoleon IV weighed the Steel Guild’s demand for government intervention as French markets and coal supplies remained under pressure.

• Franz told Prime Minister Karl to prioritize Near Eastern roads, bridges, railway stations, and railways over new city construction, accepting short-term losses for strategic security.
• On November 24, 1888, France, Belgium, and Germany signed a Coal Export Agreement requiring Belgium and Germany to supply France with coal at nominally fair prices for five years.
• French coal prices fell and steel output rose, but Belgian and German companies raised prices or refused to sell, leaving France unable to secure coal below international market rates.
• Boycotts of French goods and business spread in Britain and Germany, while the French Steel Guild pressed Napoleon IV for government help.
• At Versailles, Karel Kadletz warned Napoleon IV against forcing further concessions, while Elsa argued that intervention was needed to protect France’s coal supply and markets.

University of Berlin students led by Fritz proposed escalating the anti-French movement by cutting off trade with France, risking economic collapse and war. As student networking spread across the German lands, William II and George I struggled to decide how to respond without weakening their rule or triggering disaster.

• Fritz argued that the students should halt German exports to France, especially coal, to force the French to yield.
• Hans warned that the plan could provoke France, but Fritz and the other students insisted that Germany and Austria had the strength to face a war.
• The students spread their networking efforts across the German lands, and news of the movement reached the leaders of the states.
• William II weighed stopping the movement against risking war and damaging his prestige, while George I struggled with the danger facing the central government.

As a European boycott devastated French trade, Napoleon IV’s government concluded it could not risk escalating against Belgium and Germany and chose to ease tensions while courting Russia. Franz accepted France’s accusation that Austria had stirred the boycott and prepared to use it to rally support among Germans.

• Anti-French boycotts spread across Europe, and Franco-Austrian trade fell sharply as French exports suffered.
• Karel Kadletz and Elsa warned Napoleon IV that the boycott was likely being encouraged by powerful rivals and was damaging France’s economy.
• Terence Bulkin urged Napoleon IV to pause aggressive plans against Belgium and Germany rather than risk intervention by other great powers.
• Napoleon IV ordered a protest against Austria and authorized secret contact with Russia, offering to stop opposing its access to the Indian Ocean.
• Franz accepted France’s accusation that Austria had incited the boycott and ordered media in the German region to publicize Austria’s efforts on behalf of German interests.

As French-Austrian tensions split Europe into opposing camps, British forces in Afghanistan struggled against escalating resistance attacks. Lieutenant General Patrick’s officers proposed harsher measures, and the British government blamed Russia for the Afghan losses to secure public support and reinforcements.

• France and Austria traded accusations, leaving Belgium and Germany aligned against France and making a European conflict seem increasingly likely.
• Afghan resistance attacks killed and wounded hundreds of British soldiers in one month, leaving Lieutenant General Patrick under pressure to find a solution.
• Colonel Makau and Hedes argued over how to defeat the resistance, and Patrick agreed to try harsher measures while requesting reinforcements.
• British officers blamed Russia for the attacks in a report to shift responsibility for the army’s losses.
• Prime Minister Gladstone accepted the accusation and called for retaliation, using it to justify funds and reinforcements for Afghanistan.

After Britain blamed Russia for its losses in Afghanistan, Alexander III weighed whether to exploit the British Army’s weakness and seize Afghanistan. His ministers backed war, citing French and Austrian support and newly secured financing, leaving the decision dependent on military confidence.

• Oscar Jimenez reported that Britain had falsely accused Russia of attacking its forces in Afghanistan to conceal heavy losses against Afghan resistance.
• Ivanov urged Alexander III to strike Britain and seize Afghanistan, arguing that British forces were weak and their position was unstable.
• Oscar Jimenez said France would not intervene against Russia and Austria would support it if Russia fought Britain.
• Alisher Gulov told Alexander III that Russia had secured loans and bond financing sufficient for a war lasting up to a year with fewer than five hundred thousand troops.
• Alexander III questioned why the French would finance Russia, and Alisher Gulov explained that private bondholders would bear the risk and receive high returns.

Britain planned to stir up conflict between France and Austria after France issued bonds for Russia, while Franz chose to tolerate Russia’s double-dealing until its war with Britain began. He also approved promoting Austrian potash fertilizer, a move expected to shrink the grain market and hurt Russia most.

• Prime Minister Gladstone ordered Foreign Secretary George to find a way to keep France occupied and Austria tied down, even if France suffered as a result.
• Franz ordered Austria to act as though Russia’s conduct had gone unnoticed and to postpone any reckoning until after war broke out between Britain and Russia.
• Agriculture Minister Hols reported that Britain and France were making progress toward food self-sufficiency, though many French farms in Africa operated at a loss.
• Franz approved promoting potash fertilizer because Austria had reduced its grain acreage and could benefit from higher yields.
• Franz recognized that increased grain production across Europe would shrink the international market and leave Russia, still dependent on agriculture, especially vulnerable.

After Russian envoy White was killed in a London protest, the British Government blamed an accident but prepared for possible war with Russia. In Vienna, Franz and Wessenberg considered who might be behind the killing and decided Austria should stay out of the crisis.

• Police Minister Rogers told Prime Minister Gladstone that White had died after a protester’s stone struck him, and Gladstone questioned the explanation.
• Foreign Secretary George warned Gladstone that Russia would not accept the British account, and Gladstone ordered war preparations while continuing diplomatic efforts.
• News of White’s death reached Vienna, where Franz asked Wessenberg who was most likely responsible.
• Wessenberg named Austria and France as the leading suspects but doubted the French Government would have arranged such an attack.
• Franz decided Austria should avoid involvement and let Britain and Russia handle the crisis.