Washington—same Christmas, different feelings. This war had dealt the Union a relatively minor blow. Aside from slight disruptions to import and export trade, the Union remained peaceful and prosperous on the whole.
Yet that was only the surface. A mistake in choosing sides politically had dealt the Union a fatal blow.
Washington had repeatedly applied to the Continental Alliance, hoping to withdraw from the war, but regrettably, the Continental Alliance had delayed giving any response.
Anyone familiar with politics knew that an enemy with a big appetite was not frightening; what was frightening was being ignored by the enemy. A big appetite still left room for negotiation. If one was ignored, then even if one wished to negotiate, there was nowhere to begin.
With the British Empire's surrender, even the Union's last hope of struggling on had been worn away.
The Union's strength was unmatched in the Americas, but compared with the Continental Alliance, it was nothing more than a tiny bean sprout.
The public was still happily celebrating Christmas, utterly unaware of the approaching crisis, while the White House was at its wits' end.
"Has the Vienna Government responded yet?"
President Theodore Roosevelt asked expectantly.
Secretary of State Pitt Niedermayer said, "The Holy Roman Empire's Foreign Ministry replied that we should wait for further notice. All issues will be resolved at the Vienna Conference.
"Judging from the current situation, we are afraid things will be difficult for us this time. The main reason is that the British surrendered too quickly, leaving us no time to react."
Without question, "the British surrendered too quickly" was merely an excuse. The real reason the Union was being made to wear tight shoes was that its development potential was simply too great.
Of course, the Union's earlier organization of a coalition army in