African Entrepreneurship Records

  Chapter 260 Conjectures in opposite directions

   When the Italian government was discussing how to complete the great cause of unification, Pius IX of Rome was not happy at all.

  Although Austria-Hungary promised to protect the security and provide defense of the Papal State, the question is where are your Austrian soldiers? You can't say hello to Italy across the Adriatic Sea!

  Although the Adriatic Sea is not wide, and the Austro-Hungarian Navy is not weak, it is impossible for the Austro-Hungarian Navy to go ashore and compete with the Italian Army.

  Since the Battle of Lissa, the Royal Italian Navy has become a laughing stock, and its budget has also been greatly reduced. Historically, the Italian Kingdom did not reinvest in the development of the navy until 1877, so the Italian Navy can be regarded as one of the weakest periods at this time.

The Pope is just surrounded by the territory of the Kingdom of Italy. Theoretically, the Pope can send the only troops to attack eastward. As long as they take back the original eastern coastal area of ​​the Pope and provide a landing place for the Austro-Hungarian Empire, they can welcome the "king" division".

  But thinking of the strength of the Pope's army, Pius IX thought it was a whimsical plan.

  After the last war, the eastern land of the Pope was annexed by the Kingdom of Italy, which accounted for two-thirds of the area of ​​the Pope.

   Don't talk about confronting the entire Kingdom of Italy. The Kingdom of Italy can beat the Papal State to shame just by integrating the power of the Papal State annexed in the east.

The main force of the Pope’s army is also known as the Zuav Legion, which is basically composed of young unmarried Catholics, commanded by a Swiss colonel in French. In 1868, the Zuav Legion consisted of 4592 people, of which 1900 Many were Dutch, more than 1,300 were French, and even Catholics from South America and North America came from other surrounding countries (including Austrians). What's even more bizarre was that there was a person from the Qing Dynasty joining.

   Such an army has more complicated internal conditions than the Austro-Hungarian army, and you can imagine what will happen when it is commanded.

  In addition, there is a Palatine Guard formed by Pope Pius IX to patrol the city of Rome. They are only volunteers and have no military pay. They can only receive allowances for maintaining military uniforms and ceremonial equipment, and their number is extremely limited.

  Before that, the French army was coordinating the defense of the Pope. France deployed about 4,000 troops in the Pope. These 4,000 troops were the main military force to maintain the existence of the Pope.

  After the withdrawal of the French troops, a chain reaction was triggered at the same time. Some of the Pope's own soldiers also resigned. The French are gone, so they can't face the Italian army directly! After all, its origins are quite mixed, and it also has a motherland. There is no need to accompany the Pope to be buried with it. It was okay to fight with the French army before.

  The more he thought about it, the more panicked Pius IX became, so he hurriedly invited Freud, the special envoy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

  …

   Soon, Freud, who was in the embassy, ​​was invited by a bishop before Pius IX.

"Your Excellency Floyd! After yesterday's statement, I always felt that something was wrong, and I was very uneasy. Your country said verbally that it would guarantee the independence of the Pope, but you will not just give me verbal support! You must know that Italy The kingdom is sharpening its knives, and the military strength of the Pope cannot resist the Kingdom of Italy alone."

  Floyd smiled knowingly, and had been waiting for Pius IX to ask this question for a long time. He met Pius IX yesterday, and Pius IX, who was already on the verge of despair, seemed to have grasped the straw.

  I just made some requests, and Pius IX readily agreed, but now Pius IX has come to his senses, without an army, how can Austria support the Pope.

   "Your Majesty the Pope, in fact, you don't have to worry about this." Freud said unhurriedly.

   "I... I'm not too worried, but Rome is a holy place for all believers, and the people of your country are also the people of God. Everyone knows the ambition of the Kingdom of Italy. I am doing my best for all the people whose hearts are devoted to God."

As the Pope, even though the Papal State is now in decline, he is theoretically still the most honorable person in the world in Europe (it would be even better if there is no Russian Patriarch), so naturally he can't be humble to other countries. In other words, the Pope asked the Austro-Hungarian Empire to intervene, that is not a request, but the obligation of the Catholic country, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and he should stand up and ask for food.

"Your Majesty, in fact, you want to talk about the army! I can only say that the conspiracy of the Kingdom of Italy will not succeed. Our Austro-Hungarian Empire has already made a plan. Next, you just need to follow our Austro-Hungarian Empire's plan." Just do as the empire dictates," Floyd said.

   "Plan..." Pius IX grasped the key words, but this plan only said that the conspiracy of the Kingdom of Italy would not succeed. The conspiracy of the Kingdom of Italy refers to the annexation of the Pope, but it is hard to say how to do it.

   "Your Excellency Freud, how does the Austro-Hungarian Empire plan to crack the conspiracy of the Kingdom of Italy? It will not work if you only threaten Italy in Venice and Lombardy. Even if you have some victories there, the Pope may not exist long ago."

Pius IX immediately thought of Venice and Lombardy, because the Austro-Hungarian Empire could only think of a solution from the east when intervening in Italy. If the Austro-Hungarian Empire wins, it may allow Italy to spit out the Pope State, so that Italy cannot annex the Pope State. this goal.

But in the middle of this, the Pope's state is tantamount to subjugation once, and his own safety is hard to say. The Kingdom of Italy has two ways to deal with his own identity, influence in Italy and appeal in Europe. One is to imprison him. A better end, one is to cut the weeds and root out the roots. After all, countries don’t have much fear of religion now. Anything can happen during a war. Afterwards, the Kingdom of Italy can find a scapegoat to calm the public opinion of all countries. Anyway, dead people can’t speak. Here The dead man was talking about himself, and Pius IX didn't want to bet on how the Kingdom of Italy would choose.

"How could it be! Your Majesty, the reason why our Austro-Hungarian Empire came to you immediately after the retreat of the French army to discuss the safety of the Pope, you should have thought that our Austro-Hungarian Empire had already predicted the trend of the Franco-Prussian War. Since I contacted you at the first time, I naturally have my own way to maintain the existence of the Pope, and I assure you that it is impossible for the Kingdom of Italy to invade Rome, not even once."

   Hearing what Freud said, Pius IX really thought about it. Where did the Austro-Hungarian Empire get the news that the French would withdraw? Doesn’t this mean that any disturbance in Rome is always under the surveillance of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

  Freud dared to say that, he must have his confidence, what could it be? Pius IX thought about it.

  Suddenly, Pius IX suddenly realized that since the Austro-Hungarian Empire paid so much attention to the Pope and placed spies here, there should also be spies from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the Kingdom of Italy.

It has not been a few years since Italy was united. Before that, there were the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, the Kingdom of Naples and other countries. Could the Austro-Hungarian Empire be preparing to instigate opponents of these countries annexed by the Kingdom of Italy to jump out after the Austro-Hungarian Empire declared war with Italy? The uprising restored the country and dismembered the Kingdom of Italy.

The more he thought about it, the more likely Pius IX felt that the possibility was great. The Austro-Hungarian Empire had worked in Italy for many years and had many allies. The energy cannot be underestimated.

Pius IX, who thought he understood the plans of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was finally relieved. This move was too cruel. The Kingdom of Italy had no good way to deal with it. Unless it was suppressed militarily, Italy must first defeat the Austro-Hungarian Empire army, otherwise, where would it go? Find so many troops to deal with those forces that oppose the unification of Italy, and the Kingdom of Italy, which is short of soldiers, can also be dealt with by the Pope's army, so naturally there will be no worries for the time being.

  In fact, Pius IX was thinking too much. If the Austro-Hungarian Empire had the ability to instigate those in Italy, it would be impossible for Italy to unify, and the so-called Austro-Hungarian spy that Pius IX imagined was actually Ernst, the spoiler.

  This time the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s intervention in the Kingdom of Italy did not have any advanced means at all, it was a purely violent solution.

  (end of this chapter)