While the government took action, the public did not sit idle either. The capital markets reacted fastest: prices of strategic materials in the futures market kept climbing, while the stock market likewise displayed a stark contrast of ice and fire.
Every company engaged in overseas trade, without exception, plunged so hard they began doubting their lives. In their place, the military-industrial sector surged rapidly.
To protect their own interests, capitalists involved in overseas trade sprang into action, launching a massive anti-war movement across Europe.
This was especially true in Europe's smaller nations, where nearly the entire population took part, submitting petitions to the overseas embassies of Britain and Austria and calling on the two countries to calm down and resolve the issue through negotiations.
Unfortunately, it was completely useless. The war chariots of Britain and the Holy Roman Empire had both started rolling; they could not simply stop whenever they wished.
It was not that Franz did not respect public opinion. On the contrary, he had launched the war precisely because of it. Though anti-war voices among the public ran high, the calls for war were even louder!
Apart from those whose interests had been harmed, the only domestic opponents of war were idealists. Needless to say, compared with society as a whole, their voices were utterly insignificant.
There was no helping it—the British deer was simply far too fat. If the British Empire had still been at the height of its glory, everyone could only have stifled their ambitions, no matter how great they were.
Reality was cruel. Britain had missed the Second Industrial Revolution, directly placing itself at a disadvantage in international competition.
Though everyone had long harbored doubts about British strength, they had been intimidated by the Royal Navy's formidable reputation and had not dared make any