Chapter 0083: Beware of the Italians

The Entente Powers consisted of Britain, France, and Russia, although the only true military alliance was between France and Russia—the Franco-Russian Alliance. However, it was inevitable that, once war erupted, the British would not remain idle. Should France and Russia be defeated by the Central Powers, Britain would find it impossible to insulate itself from the conflict. In such a scenario, it would have no choice but to compromise with the Central Powers, potentially leading to its own downfall.

Thus, once war commenced, it was bound to escalate into a large-scale conflict between the Entente and the Central Powers, an outcome that appeared increasingly unavoidable. A massive war seemed to be brewing, with the days of peace drawing ever closer to an end.

The formation of the Entente created two opposing military-political blocs in the world, rendering the geopolitical landscape of Europe and beyond far more turbulent.

As the leader of the Central Powers, Germany was the most immediately affected by the establishment of the Entente. Everyone was aware that the specter of war had seemingly drawn closer to them.

In the palace, Kaiser Wilhelm II convened an emergency meeting attended by the empire's military and political leaders, including the heir apparent, Qin Tian.

Upon entering Wilhelm II's office, Qin Tian immediately sensed a weighty atmosphere; all the ministers wore expressions of deep concern, each harboring apprehensions about the current international situation.

Once everyone had gathered, the audience began. Wilhelm II glanced at those present and spoke: "Gentlemen, the British and Russians have colluded. Coupled with the previous agreements between the British and the French, along with the existing military alliance between France and Russia, this means that Britain, France, and Russia have formed a military alliance directed against our empire. The current international climate has become increasingly perilous for us. What course of action should the empire take to respond to this mounting pressure from our enemies?"

Despite Wilhelm II's typically obstinate and self-assured nature, he felt an undeniable weight of pressure this time. He had always held a sliver of hope that, even if war broke out, the British would remain uninvolved. However, with Britain growing ever closer to France and Russia, that hope was steadily dissipating. After all, the British were practically pressing a bayonet to his chest; to continue clinging to such illusions would be foolish.

"Your Majesty, the alliance between Britain, France, and Russia is something we anticipated. Although it exacerbates the dire international environment for our empire, we have been preparing for this eventuality. As long as we continue to grow stronger, we need not fear defeat," said Major General von Moltke, the Chief of Staff. Although Qin Tian had been the heir for over half a year, he had yet to find an opportunity to challenge von Moltke. As long as von Moltke retained Wilhelm II's trust, his position remained secure.

Wilhelm II nodded and turned to the other ministers.

"Your Majesty, the alliance of Britain, France, and Russia not only poses a significant threat to the empire but also endangers Austria-Hungary and Italy. I believe that under the threat posed by this alliance, the Central Powers will become more tightly unified. Perhaps this will ultimately be beneficial," remarked Prime Minister Bernhard von Bülow.

Though the Triple Alliance had been established for over twenty years, significant tensions persisted among its members, especially between Austria-Hungary and Italy, rendering the alliance largely ineffective. Should the three member states unite, while they might not rival the Entente, their disparity would be relatively limited. In the event of conflict, victory would be uncertain.

"Father, I believe we must exercise caution regarding Italy. It is well known that tensions between Italy and Austria-Hungary are acute. Although the empire has been striving for reconciliation, should the Entente offer Italy better terms, the Italians would undoubtedly betray us. We must remain vigilant to avoid being stabbed in the back by the Italians once war breaks out," warned Qin Tian, fully aware of Italy's performance in World War I from an alternate timeline.

In that timeline, after the outbreak of World War I, Italy employed various tactics to delay its commitments, vacillating between the Central Powers and the Entente in search of advantageous offers. Ultimately, the Entente provided Italy with more attractive incentives, prompting Italy to swiftly abandon the Central Powers and join the Entente against Germany and Austria-Hungary.

However, Italy's performance during the war was disastrous; despite initially winning some victories against Austria-Hungary with hundreds of thousands of troops, they were soon thwarted at the border following Germany's deployment of reinforcements. The Italians found themselves in a woeful predicament, suffering defeat against the combined forces of Germany and Austria-Hungary.

Thus, Italy proved to be a detrimental ally, undermining its own partners.

"Your Highness, we have signed a pact with the Italians. Treaties are sacred; surely, the Italians would not easily breach them?" inquired Foreign Minister von Kidderlin-Wächter.

"Indeed, treaties are sacred. Yet, between nations, there are no true friends—only enduring interests. Our alliance with Italy is based solely on mutual benefit. Should the Entente offer more favorable terms than we can, the Italians will undoubtedly betray us. I have no doubt about that!" Qin Tian asserted confidently.

"Your Highness speaks true; between nations, there are no everlasting friends, only perpetual interests!" Marshal Count Tirpitz concurred wholeheartedly.

Even Wilhelm II nodded in agreement.

"Moreover, gentlemen, I have heard another saying: the primary purpose of treaties is to be broken. It is nearly impossible to bind allies solely through a written agreement. Only enduring interests can truly unite allies. The empire and Austria-Hungary share common interests, which is why Austria-Hungary has always followed our lead. But Italy? Unfortunately, I see none of that. On the contrary, the Italians seem to have more affinity with the British, French, and Russians in their colonial ambitions in North Africa, while their conflicts with Austria-Hungary in the Adriatic Sea are glaringly apparent," Qin Tian continued.