The Rise Of Australasia - Chapter 1045

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Chapter 1045: Chapter 782: France in Action

It was something of a coincidence. Just as the British were looking for a pretext to cause trouble for the French, the French were far from idle themselves.

The matter of the Lone Star Republic was almost laid bare, and although the French were deeply concerned, they didn’t have many good options.

After all, France had no territory in North America at that time and, though they controlled three Republics, the task of stationing troops in these three was riddled with difficulties.

The United States was the world’s second major power; countries that had broken away from the US also possessed a certain pride of their own.

Understanding their shortcomings but unable to rectify them, the French could only look to create a new weakness for the British.

Although the British Empire stood as the world’s strongest power with the most formidable navy and the most expansive colonies,

this vast colonial empire was not as splendid as it seemed on the surface, internally festering like an old decaying tree.

It is widely known that the industrial and economic surge of the British Empire stemmed from the first Industrial Revolution. It was this event that vaulted Britain’s industry and economy to new heights, rapidly elevating it to one of the most powerful nations in Europe.

Furthermore, through colonization, the acquisition of numerous colonies in Africa and India bolstered Britain’s foundation, leading to the name: the Victorian Era.

If the beginning of the 19th century was a golden age for the French, then from the mid-19th century onwards, the British became the leading characters on the world stage.

Although other significant players, including Germany, appeared in this performance, none could outshine the British Empire’s leading role.

It must be admitted that the length of time the British Empire had been the world hegemon was exceedingly long. Such duration brought numerous internal issues that became serious impediments to national development.

Externally, Indians grew increasingly dissatisfied with British rule. Desperately seeking independence, Indians launched multiple assaults on British sovereignty.

Moreover, the British Empire had a significant number of rivals scattered across the globe.

The defeat of the United States didn’t imply that the British could rest easy upon the throne of global dominance.

While individual problems alone might not impact the strength of the British Empire, when accumulated, they posed a colossal challenge to the nation’s hegemonic status—a nation that had been powerful for over a hundred years.

Due to the Indian rebellion, the French, eager to cause trouble for the British, undeniably set their sights on India’s Gandhi as their primary target.

This leader of mass movements in India also appeared to the European Nations as a pawn worth leveraging.

While Europeans generally looked down upon Indians, this didn’t prevent the French from acknowledging Gandhi’s stature in the hearts of Indians.

As of the present, the second Nonviolent Noncooperation Movement initiated by Gandhi had yet to conclude.

However, under the cruel suppression of the British, the flames of this movement were gradually dying, with Britain appearing close to victory.

In order to trouble the British somewhat, the French decided to give some support to Gandhi. To be precise, they decided to assist the Indians participating in this movement.

The gradual failure of this Nonviolent Noncooperation Movement was not only due to Gandhi and the Indian National Congress’s progressive retreat in the face of British pressure, but also Gandhi’s extreme nonviolent standpoint.

The essence of nonviolent noncooperation was simple—to refuse all cooperation with the British without resorting to any violence.

Such an idealistic goal was too far-fetched, at least at that time.

Although it attracted many Indians to follow suit, it wasn’t easy to address the brutal suppressions by the British.

Particularly when Gandhi demanded all Indian protestors and participants abstain from violence, the movement was essentially a session of Indians passively taking a beating.

It was for this very reason that history recorded serious disagreements between Gandhi and the Indian National Congress, which even led to Gandhi’s withdrawal from the party.

The intent of the French was not to support Gandhi directly but to leverage his prestige by supporting other members of the Indian National Congress with different viewpoints, thereby bringing further chaos to the movement in India.

Indeed, the French had no illusions that the Congress could overthrow the British rule in India. Given Britain’s current strength, the fact that Gandhi and the Congress could pose some difficulties to the British was already commendable.

After all, India was the brightest jewel in the British Crown, and unless the British Empire was utterly destitute, no British Officer would allow any complications to arise.

June 17th, 1931, Indian Empire.

The British colonization in India can be traced back over 300 years, initially under the mantle of the East India Company.

As time progressed and rebellions in India became increasingly frequent, the East India Company eventually exited the stage of history, and the colonies came under the direct administration of Queen Victoria.

Since 1876, the colony was officially named the Indian Empire, and Queen Victoria was crowned Empress of India, thus ushering in the true era of empire.

It’s worth noting that the Indian Empire was not a mere puppet without any authority. Like Canada, the Indian Empire was a founding member of the World Alliance, and starting from 1900, it participated independently in multiple Olympic Games under its own national identity.

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