Chapter 179: Full-scale war breaks out, referendum results announced

On February 6th, after breaking off diplomatic relations with the Russian Empire, the Island Nation prepared its army and navy in the Far East for a possible war, while delaying the war as much as possible to give the military more preparation time.

As per international conventions, two countries usually undergo two steps before waging war: declaring war and severing diplomatic relations. Since the Island Nation did not declare war on the Russian Empire, officials of the Russian Empire, including Tsar Nicholas II, thought that the Island Nation was only threatening and probing, not daring to wage war.

This mentality affected the preparation of the war in the Far East to some extent. Many Russians believed that the Island Nation could not launch a war on its own, so the war preparations were slow.