Desperate

Rejection was inevitable. No matter how enticing the terms offered by the Berlin Government were, at their core, they were trying to catch a wolf with empty hands.

Moreover, the Prusso-Russian War was far more complicated than it appeared on the surface, filled with the maneuvering of the United Kingdom, France, and Austria.

At first, the United Kingdom and France supported the Prusso-Polish Federation, while Austria supported the Russian Empire. Now, the positions of the United Kingdom and Austria had not changed, but the French had begun dragging their feet.

It was all dictated by interests. If they could strike at a competitor, why would they not do it?

The French had not invested many resources in this war. Even if the Prusso-Polish Federation was defeated, their losses would be limited.

Those economic losses could still be made up through other means.

For example, British enterprises could be crippled by debt, falling into operational difficulties or even bankruptcy.

Never mind the gains brought by damaging a competitor. Simply watching the British suffer was reason enough for the French to be pleased.

As the French Empire grew stronger by the day, the era of the pro-British faction had come to an end. The ever-increasing conflicts of interest drove the two countries farther and farther apart.

From France's standpoint, in the long run, it was more in their interests for the Russians to win the war.

Their spheres of influence lay far apart, making the possibility of conflicts of interest almost nil. A powerful Russian Empire could also restrain Austria from behind.

No matter how good Russo-Austrian relations were, once the Russian Empire grew strong, the two countries would part ways. National interests were not something personal will could reverse.

Without doing anything, they could strike at two competitors at once. Naturally,