The Rise of Australasia

The venue for the welcoming banquet prepared for Arthur was held at the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg. This was the imperial palace of the Russian Empire and the palace where generations of Russian tsars had lived the most since Catherine the Great.

Of course, as the emperor of Russia, one of the European powers, Nicholas II also possessed numerous travel manors and estates.

The Winter Palace was the largest palace in Russia and one of the most formal royal residences. The workers’ petition took place here previously.

However, according to tradition, Nicholas II should be vacationing at the Rivagia Palace in Yalta during the summer.

Yes, it was the place where the Yalta Conference was held later. The Yalta Conference was a meeting of the victorious nations of the war at that time, discussing the allocation of post-war benefits, and it was a conference that determined the world pattern after World War II.

Because of negotiations with William II regarding the treaty, Nicholas II did not go to the Rivagia Palace this summer; instead, he stayed at the Winter Palace, conveniently close to the nearby location of Biyuek Island for the talks.

The climate in Saint Petersburg is relatively comfortable in the summer, with temperatures always above 10 degrees Celsius during the day and reaching up to around 20 degrees Celsius.

However, such good weather wouldn’t last long. After four consecutive months of summer, Saint Petersburg would welcome a winter lasting eight months.

One cannot help but admire the thick-skinned Russians who can withstand such cold winters, which is not something everyone can endure.

This is also why, historically, powerful conquerors like Napoleon and later, the little mustache (Adolf Hitler), failed to conquer Russia.

In Russia, one has to face not only thousands of kilometers of transport routes but also the cold Russian winter.

Although the climate of Saint Petersburg is not suitable for a capital city, it has made up for this drawback in other respects, making it Russia’s capital for more than a hundred years.

Saint Petersburg has a seaport and, after the management of Novgorod before, it is a safe port with high development and belongs to the mainstream Russian culture.

If Russia wants to continue developing in Europe, Saint Petersburg is the best choice among all Russian cities.

Nicholas II held a grand welcoming ceremony for Arthur, and Duke Sergei Alexander Rovich personally greeted him.

Duke Sergei Alexander Rovich was the uncle of the current Tsar Nicholas II and one of his most influential advisors.

At the same time, Duke Sergei also served as the Governor of Moscow and Commander-in-Chief of the Moscow Military District, making him one of the most respected figures in the Russian royal family by Nicholas II.

With Crown Prince Aleksei being only one year old, Duke Sergei was the most powerful and prestigious member of the Russian royal family besides Nicholas II.

One cannot help but complain about the chaotic relationships between the European nobility, who have broken bones but still connect tendons. The most powerful monarchies in Europe, like the United Kingdom, Germany, and Russia, are actually relatives and not even distant ones at that.

This is why World War I was dubbed the European royal family’s battle of relatives.

Inside the Winter Palace, Nicholas II has already instructed the guards to inform all the nobles near Saint Petersburg to prepare to attend the welcoming banquet in the evening.

No matter the purpose, it is not bad news for Russia to befriend Australia now.

At least in the Far East, Australia already has an influence not inferior to European second-tier countries and can provide a large amount of support for Russia in weapons, equipment, and industrial products.

Even in terms of food, Australia can provide a lot to Russia’s Far Eastern army, which will greatly alleviate the logistical problems that have long plagued Russia.

After learning that Arthur currently has no marriage engagements, Nicholas II does have some ideas.

Although Australia’s overall influence is nowhere near that of second-tier countries like Spain and the Netherlands, Australia has an advantage – it is located far away in Oceania and does not have to worry about participating in European strife.

Moreover, what Russia prioritizes now is still the Far East issue. In this respect, the two countries’ influence may not be much different from Australia’s.

If they can tie Australia to Russia’s war chariot and let Australia provide some logistical assistance to Russia’s Far East, doesn’t that give Russia an advantage in the next Far Eastern hegemony?

However, the eldest daughter of Nicholas II, Grand Duchess Olga, is only ten years old and is naturally not suitable for this banquet.

Being unable to think of a suitable candidate temporarily, Nicholas II had to call his beloved wife Empress Alexandra Fedorovna and let the women do what they specialize in.

At first, Empress Alexandra Fedorovna was not interested, but after hearing that it was her cousin Arthur looking for a marriage alliance, she focused on searching through her memory and tried to find a suitable person within the Russian royal family.

That’s right, Princess of Hesse-Darmstadt, Alexandra Fedorovna’s mother was Princess Alice, the second daughter of Queen Victoria.

However, rather unfortunately, Empress Alexandra Fedorovna, as a descendant of Queen Victoria, carries the gene for Queen Victoria’s hemophilia.

This is why Emperor William II of Germany strongly supported Alexandra Fedorovna marrying Nicholas, who was then still Crown Prince, so that hemophilia could enter the Russian royal family, and no one would fare well.

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