War Breaks Out

Shortly after the Russo-Austrian agreement was exposed, the Berlin Government responded in kind by publicly revealing the Anglo-Prussian Debt Agreement and the Franco-Prussian Debt Agreement.

Secrecy no longer existed; this was precisely the time to bolster morale. Without favorable news, how could the people at home be persuaded to bravely take part in the war?

International loans had always been tied to politics. Providing funds also meant choosing a side.

Britain and France supported the Prusso-Polish Federation, while Austria and the Nordic Federation supported the Russian Empire. The other European nations also began taking sides one after another.

The Netherlands, Monaco, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, the German Confederation, and others leaned more toward the Prusso-Polish Federation, while Greece and Montenegro supported Russia.

In terms of international backing, the Prusso-Polish Federation still held the advantage. However, the Russian Empire possessed greater war potential, so the two sides were considered evenly matched.

At Vienna Palace, Franz was not at all surprised by the Russians' diplomatic defeat. Given the Tsarist Government's diplomatic abilities, being able to win over the Nordic Federation was already an exceptional performance.

Denmark had played a crucial role in this. Had the Danes not worked so hard, even with Austria's guarantee, it would not have been so easy for the Tsarist Government to get the Nordic Federation to open its purse.

After all, the enmity between Russia and Sweden lay decades in the past. The older generation had already died, and the younger generation did not feel it deeply. But the feud between Prussia and Denmark was different—it had only been a little over a decade, and everyone remembered it vividly.

No matter how much hatred the Russians had stirred up, they were still going to war with Prussia for Denmark's sake. Most Danes viewed the Tsarist Government favorably.

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