**Chapter 229: Declaration of War**
On July 31, 1907, the Kingdom of Portugal officially responded, declaring that it would not hand over any Portuguese fishermen and insisted that the Portuguese fishermen were not at fault in this conflict.
This decision by the Portuguese government caused a huge uproar among the European public.
Europeans could hardly believe that the Portuguese, despite the presence of witnesses and physical evidence, stubbornly refused to acknowledge the responsibility of the Portuguese fishermen in the conflict, even going so far as to brazenly shield the criminals.
Arthur himself had not expected the Portuguese to be so defiant, especially when European public opinion was clearly against them, yet they resolutely stood by their position.
However, this was good news for Australasia. If the Portuguese government had quickly compromised, Australasia would have had no excuse to intervene in Portuguese Timor.
Now, Portugal's obstinacy gave Australasia the perfect pretext to intervene in Portuguese Timor, potentially creating an opportunity for further expansion.
Arthur had initially thought that Australasia's expansion opportunities would lie in the Dutch East Indies, but now the Portuguese had acted prematurely.
On August 1, 1907, Arthur expressed his shock at the Portuguese government's stance in a public interview, firmly declaring that the Australasian military would seek justice for its citizens, and no nation or power would be allowed to trample on the people of Australasia.
On August 3, 1907, the government of Australasia issued a final ultimatum to the Kingdom of Portugal, demanding that Portugal immediately accept Australasia's compensation demands and apologize to the attacked Australasian fishermen.
The Australasian government also declared that if Portugal firmly believed that their fishermen were innocent, they should provide proper evidence, rather than making unsubstantiated claims in newspapers.
Australasia's request once again won the support of the European public.
Even after the initial request had been rejected, Australasia still only asked the Portuguese government to apologize to the injured fishermen and compensate all affected fishermen.
To most Europeans, this was seen as a very reasonable demand.
In light of the starkly different reactions of the Kingdom of Portugal and Australasia following the conflict, many Europeans even felt that such conditions might disadvantage Australasia.
What surprised the European public, however, was that the Portuguese government, or rather the authoritarian King Carlos I, once again rejected Australasia's request.
In fact, King Carlos I quickly saw the immense prestige that his firm stance in protecting his people had brought to the royal family and himself.
While Portugal's reputation was diminishing among Europeans, within Portugal, King Carlos I's standing had actually increased, with many media outlets and individuals spontaneously voicing their support for his decision.
It was important to note that ever since King Carlos I implemented a hardline policy, many opposition parties and media had given him negative reviews.
This time, to have such widespread public support for King Carlos I demonstrated just how much of an impact his decision had within Portugal.
At this point, even if his goal was simply to maintain his rule, King Carlos I had no choice but to stand firm. He was determined to protect his people at all costs.
The conflict also attracted the attention of several European countries, including Germany and Russia, both of which had close relations with Australasia.
Britain's stance, however, was ambiguous. While expressing concern over the situation, they did not clearly support either side.
After Portugal's rejection of Australasia's request, Emperor Wilhelm II was shocked and publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with Portugal's attitude and his support for Australasia.
Russia acted even more decisively, openly criticizing the Kingdom of Portugal and mocking King Carlos I as a coward who refused to admit his mistakes.
The discontent from two of Europe's major powers made King Carlos I uneasy.
However, the British Empire quickly contacted King Carlos I and expressed their concern about the issue, stating that they, along with France, would work together to peacefully resolve the conflict.
This reassured King Carlos I. As long as Britain and France were backing him, Australasia posed no significant threat to the Kingdom of Portugal.
In fact, he could use this conflict to gain even more prestige within Portugal.
Once the situation was resolved, he could easily shift the blame to the fishermen, portraying himself as a king who had been misled by the people, and emerge from the crisis with his reputation intact, retaining the newfound respect from the public.
But was the situation really that simple? Or had King Carlos I underestimated the ambitions of the people of Australasia and, more importantly, Arthur's ambition?
On August 5, 1907, after the 48-hour ultimatum to the Portuguese government expired, the Australasian government held a public meeting. Prime Minister Walter sadly announced, "In light of the Kingdom of Portugal's rude and unreasonable behavior, showing no sympathy for the injured Australasian fishermen, and instead spreading false rumors to tarnish the reputation of the injured fishermen and the Australasian government, the government of Australasia has decided to sever diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Portugal and declare that Australasia is now in a state of war preparedness."
Although Prime Minister Walter did not officially declare war on the Kingdom of Portugal, the state of war preparedness made it clear: the people of Australasia were ready for war.
Following the declaration, there was a wave of public outrage in Australasia. All temporary conscription offices were overflowing, and many Australasians were seeking ways to donate money to the government.
The entire nation united, and at that moment, the only enemy in the minds of the people of Australasia was the Kingdom of Portugal, which had hurt their national pride.
After the government of Australasia severed diplomatic relations, King Carlos I began to panic.
But King Carlos I did not choose to compromise with Australasia; instead, he sought the support of the British Empire and France, which had previously promised to offer assistance.
The British did indeed provide support, but specifically, they offered assistance in finding a solution to the conflict.
To be precise, after Australasia made its decision, the British clearly expressed their stance: they urged both sides to remain calm and stated that they would provide a professional team to investigate the truth of the conflict.
This was typical of the British, as they were known for stirring the pot. It was unsurprising that they would make such a decision.
More importantly, Arthur had significant support and goodwill within Britain, and due to the special relationship between Australasia and Britain, the British were naturally inclined to side with Australasia.
Moreover, in this conflict, Australasia appeared to be the victim, so regardless of whether it was out of principle or loyalty, it was obvious that the British would support Australasia.
If the British government made a decision contrary to public opinion, it would cause massive unrest within Britain.
Even Edward VII, who was extremely dissatisfied with Arthur, would not dare speak out during such a time. Let alone British politicians with no personal grudge against Arthur.
Expressing a neutral stance was already a risk that could anger the British public. If not for the very subtle attitude of Edward VII, British politicians would likely have already announced their support for Australasia.
After all, their political careers depended on the support of parliamentarians and the people, and a government that alienated the British public was not likely to last long.
France's stance was similar to Britain's, offering a neutral statement encouraging both sides to remain calm and willing to mediate in the conflict to find a peaceful resolution.
However, such statements were ultimately just symbolic. They did nothing to prevent war or mitigate the damage.
On August 8, 1907, Prime Minister Walter appeared in public once more and announced the final decision of the Australasian government, following Arthur's orders: the government of Australasia declared a state of war with the Kingdom of Portugal and would deploy the military to force Portugal to meet Australasian demands.
Prime Minister Walter smiled and stated that the Australasian government's objective was simply to achieve the previous demands: the handover of the culprits from the conflict, an apology from the Kingdom of Portugal to the injured fishermen, and compensation to all affected Australasian fishermen.
Based on the time that had passed and the number of affected fishermen, the Kingdom of Portugal would need to pay at least one million Australian dollars in compensation to the tens of thousands of Australasian fishermen affected by the conflict, and at least one million dollars in compensation to the injured fishermen.
Although the total compensation was only two million Australian dollars, King Carlos I knew that, given the current situation, the Portuguese national sentiment had already been fully mobilized.
If the government agreed to the compensation now, even if it were only ten thousand dollars, the Portuguese people would be deeply disappointed with their government.
Naturally, King Carlos I, who had successfully cultivated an image of protecting his people and not fearing tyranny, was the one who stood to lose the most.
A surrender without a fight would surely shift the anger of the Portuguese people toward King Carlos I.
Therefore, after Australasia declared war, the Portuguese government responded decisively: Portugal and Australasia were now in a state of war.
Portugal's European homeland and Australasia were separated by a vast distance, and the most vulnerable area in this war would be Portugal's Asian colonies.
To demonstrate his resolve, King Carlos I swiftly announced that he would deploy 40,000 troops from Portugal's European territories to East Asia, with the soldiers arriving in stages over the next three months.
Meanwhile, in Australasia, preparations for war had already begun.
Although the preparation time was limited, Australasia's small military allowed enough time for the assembly.
On the very day the war was declared, more than 10,000 troops had already gathered at Sydney harbor, ready to board transport ships and, under the protection of the fleet, head for Portuguese Timor, to seize Portugal's important position in Asia.
(End of Chapter)
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