New Vienna System

The course of events often had two sides. Even as the economic crisis ravaged the European Continent and stirred up turmoil, it also accelerated the establishment of the Vienna System.

The gunshots in Lyon plunged the French Government into troubles both at home and abroad; the vigorous growth of Italy's independence movement pushed the once swaggering Greater French Empire to the brink of falling apart.

To change its unfavorable political and diplomatic position, the French urgently needed a stable international situation, and the Paris Government had no choice but to make concessions on disarmament.

Without French obstruction, the subsequent disarmament conference progressed exceptionally smoothly.

On January 21, 1882, fifteen European nations, including Britain, France, Russia, and Austria, signed the Treaty Limiting Army Armaments.

Under the treaty, the size of each nation's army was set as follows:

Russian Empire: 500,000;

Austria: 486,000;

France: 382,000;

Spain: 246,000;

German Federal Empire: 156,000;

Britain: 116,000;

Nordic Federation: 98,000;

Belgium: 48,000;

Netherlands: 33,000;

Switzerland: 32,000;

Portugal: 28,000;

Prussia: 28,000;

Greece: 18,000;

Montenegro: 3,600;

Overall, this arms treaty had been drawn up according to each country's overall strength, while taking regional military balance into account.

The Kingdom of Prussia's quota was low because the Berlin Government was poor and could not afford to maintain too large an army.

As early as half a year before, the Berlin Government had begun planning military cuts. Its greatest difficulty was that it had no way to persuade the military to agree.

Having finally caught up with the arms-limitation treaty, the government naturally would not fight for a larger quota on the military's behalf.

Once the international treaty was signed, it created an established fact. No matter how powerful the Prussian military was, it had to comply. Defeated Prussia was in no position to make trouble.

With the arms-limitation