Enough Is Enough

There was nothing to keep secret about limiting army armaments. Apart from the British, isolated overseas, every other European country stood to benefit.

The Prusso-Russian War had affected more than just the two belligerents, Prussia and Russia. Their neighbors had also expanded their armaments, and the size of every nation's army had swollen to varying degrees.

Austria had set this bad precedent. To ensure its own security and retain the ability to intervene in a war at any time, the Vienna Government had been the first to expand its military, triggering a chain reaction.

By this point, Austria's army had swelled to 947,000 men. Calling it an army of a million was hardly an exaggeration.

Even as it expanded its active-duty forces, the Vienna Government had mobilized vast numbers of reservists under the guise of training.

If Franz wished, he could raise an army of two or three million within a week—enough to handle any unexpected emergency.

It could not be helped. In these times, trust between people no longer existed, and they had no choice but to prepare for the worst.

If either side in the Prusso-Russian War won too easily, no one could guarantee that they would not become swollen with pride and do something as foolish as launching a sneak attack on Austria.

Franz did not like placing his security in the hands of others, so naturally he had to build up his own strength.

Beyond security considerations, there was also the matter of debts. Collecting debts was no easy task these days; without strength, who would even acknowledge you?

Now that Prussia and Russia had both been badly mauled, the victorious Russian Bear had no capital to renege on its debts. The Tsarist Government appeared quite well-behaved, so there was naturally no need to collect by