Preparing for War

The end of the Russo-Austrian Alliance struck like thunder from a clear sky, instantly shaking the world.

The Pacific War, the struggle over the free-trade system, Queen Victoria's secret history—all these hot stories were pushed aside.

Anyone with even a little political sense knew that the international situation was about to be reshuffled once again.

With the Russo-Austrian Alliance gone, the last obstacle restraining the Prusso-Polish Federation had vanished. The Berlin Government could not possibly wait until the Russians were ready before launching a war.

For years, both Prussia and Russia had been preparing for war. The military industries and transportation networks of both countries had undergone leaps in development.

Thanks to the Russo-Austrian Alliance, the Russians and Austria had engaged in extensive cooperation in the military-industrial sector. To save costs to the greatest extent possible, the Tsarist Government's bureaucrats had simply copied Austria's military-industrial system.

In the long run, such wholesale imitation had destroyed Russia's capacity for independent research and development in the military-industrial field. The consequences were certain to be disastrous.

Yet in the short term, it had greatly strengthened Russia's military industry, carrying it directly into the world's top tier.

What did the development of military industry depend on?

Many factors had to be considered, but in the end, they could be summed up in two words—throw money at it!

The Tsarist Government knew its own limitations. It knew its research capabilities were lacking and its coffers were not deep enough, so it simply chose to cooperate with Austria.

The Prusso-Polish Federation was different. From the very beginning, the Kingdom of Prussia had followed a path of self-reliant research and development. Limited by funding, Prussia's domestic military industry had actually fallen behind.

The British could not help them in this regard. John Bull's army equipment was fairly