Holy Roman Empire

For example, now that the people in Milan can't buy food, they come to him to solve the problem. Who made him the planner of setting fire to food this time?

As an Italian hero, you must keep your word. The previous promise to provide everyone with food must be fulfilled now.

General Badolio still passed the political class, no, it should be Marshal Badolio now, even though he has not been formally canonized, it doesn't hurt too much.

The Lombardy region is also so big that it is impossible for the Austrian army to confiscate all the grain in a short period of time. When the grain merchants run out of grain, there will always be some left in the noble manors for their own consumption.

While urging the domestic shipment of grain, he also fooled the nobles in the Lombardy region and got some grain from their manors.

It's a pity that the light industry in Lombardy developed well in this era. Most of the nobles sold their grain to processing factories. Now it's the spring plowing period, and everyone doesn't have much grain in their hands.

After searching nearby, Badolio found helplessly that it was a drop in the bucket. It had already been searched, so how much could be left?

"Your Excellency Marshal, the domestic food has not yet arrived, and the food we collect in the city is very limited. According to the current situation, plus our military food, it can last up to three days.

The food requisition team sent out may still have some gains, but they have been searched by the Austrians, and the surrounding areas of Milan may not have much gain! "Major General Man Situ said with a frown (promoted)

At this time, the grain of the Kingdom of Sardinia was already being shipped to Milan, but the traffic in Italy in this era was not very good, and the transportation capacity was very limited.

It is not so easy to satisfy the consumption of these 10 people in the city.This is just the beginning, and it won't be long before there will be food shortages in the countryside as well.

It can be said that the occupation of the Lombardy region by the Kingdom of Sardinia will not only fail to increase its strength in the short term, but will be a heavy economic burden.

Badoglio has already felt the pressure. The democrats in Milan have already asked him for independence, but he was temporarily fooled by him.

In addition, at this time, they had to rely on the Kingdom of Sardinia for lack of food in the city, so that no one caused trouble. Once the crisis passed, it might be another situation.

"I will explain this situation to the people. Many residents in the city still have a little food in their homes. Starting tomorrow, everyone will only distribute food rations for the seventh floor.

In addition to the grain collected from the surrounding areas of Milan, it should be able to last for five or six days, and the domestic grain can almost be shipped by then. " Marshal Badorio analyzed

There is no doubt that reducing the distribution of food will arouse dissatisfaction among the people, but he has thought of all the ways he should think of, and it is impossible for him to change the food.

The Kingdom of Sardinia has no foundation in the Lombardy region, and now it must rely on the nobles and capitalists in the city to maintain the stability of Milan.

Including distributing rations to the people, these local snakes are also required to do it.These people are not good people. Being able to live well under the rule of Austria is not something that honest people can do.

Under the circumstances that Marshal Badolio didn't know anything, the underground black market had already opened. If anyone paid attention, they would find that the food sold here was relief food from the city.

Corruption is a tradition left over from the Austrian era. The local aristocracy is also a tool of the Austrian government to rule the local area, and naturally inherits this fine tradition.

Not to mention the capitalists, their integrity is that they have no integrity, and no one can refuse to make a fortune from it, including some officers in the Sardinian army who also participated.

When distributing food, if you deduct a little bit casually, that is a lot of money. How could they give up?

Do they have to make up for the losses caused in the war?

Now that the amount of rations distributed has been reduced, doesn't this just make them rich?

Marshal Badorio may really not know, or he may be pretending to be confused.

In short, everyone was supposed to distribute seven floors of rations, but in the end, only less than five floors fell into the hands of the people.Even the last five layers, the bread is mixed with messy things.

If you are lucky, you may just add bran and mix some wheat straw powder. If you are unlucky, you may directly add wood chips, leaves, small stones and other materials to the black bread you get.

Nothing can't be done, only you can't think of it.Fortunately, the people at the bottom have long been used to this stuff.Anyway, the same is true of the black bread they usually eat, and they can use it as a brick when fighting, killing two birds with one stone.

People with financial means have become customers of the underground black market. No, this can't be called a black market. They open their doors to do business openly.

It's just that the price of goods is a little bit higher, especially the price of food, which has soared to more than ten times that before the war, and even some petty bourgeoisie can't stand it.

Of course there is only one way for the poor, so bear with it, anyway, Marshal Badorio promised them, it's just a few days.

We are all patriots, for the sake of the country, for the sake of the nation, it is still possible to endure hunger for a few days.

……

Paris France

At this time, the bourgeois provisional government was busy with internal struggles.

On March 3, the Blanqui faction organized 17 people and took to the streets to demonstrate. The contradiction between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie was ignited in Paris.

When the Kingdom of Sardinia decided to send troops to attack Austria, the provisional government still supported it. Of course, this support was limited to words, and they were unable to give substantive support.

Franz still misjudged the situation in France, and the situation in France is not good now.The provisional government, representing the interests of the bourgeoisie, introduced a series of policies that favored the capitalists, which naturally harmed the interests of ordinary people.

For example: On March 3, the Provisional Government issued a decree to reduce the cash payments of savings banks, and all withdrawals of deposits exceeding 9 francs will be paid to depreciated state securities.

Another example: On March 3, the Provisional Government promulgated a decree stipulating that an additional tax of 16 centimes per franc should be added to the four direct taxes paid by farmers on land, movable property, doors, windows and business.

(1 franc = 100 centimes, about 0.29 grams of gold, this currency value is not necessarily accurate, the value of the franc currency has changed during the Great Revolution)

Chapter 56 Bad Check

News of the Sardinian occupation of Lombardy reached France, causing shock in the Provisional Government.

The French supported the war between the Kingdom of Sardinia and Austria, just to expel Austria from Italy and make Lombardy and Venice independent, but they did not intend to unify the Kingdom of Sardinia with Italy.

Alphonse de Lamartine, head of the provisional government, was in a bad mood after receiving the news that the Kingdom of Sardinia had occupied Lombardy without bloodshed.

After all, Austria is one of the four great powers in continental Europe. How dare they give up Lombardy after being so cowardly?

The correct way of operation is obviously to fight with the Sardinian army and lose both sides, and then be unable to suppress the domestic rebellion and be forced to abandon the Italian region, and the Kingdom of Sardinia is also unable to annex the Lombardy region because of heavy losses in the war.

They all wrote the script, but it was changed at the beginning.But they, the group of screenwriters, haven't had the right to change it back yet, and the investors kicked them out early.

"Your Excellency, the Austrian Ambassador, Mr. Mentnereder, is here."

The voice of the attendant rang in his ears, and Alphonse came back to his senses and said, "Please come in."

After a round of routine greetings on diplomatic occasions, Mentneder brought the topic to the main topic.

"Your Excellency, what do you think of the Italian problem?"

Alphonse smiled slightly. The Austrians were willing to send representatives to negotiate with them. This was a good opportunity to increase France's influence.

"Mr. Mentneder, every nation has the right to pursue national independence. I think it is a good choice for the Lombardy region to establish an independent country!"

Nate Ned is already scolding her in her heart, co-authoring this is not a French territory, so don't you feel distressed?Lombardy and Venice are important financial and taxation places, and it is not easy for Austria to give up!

"Mr. President, I think this issue should be considered on a case-by-case basis. The Lombardy region is an integral part of the Austrian Empire. We will not make any concessions on this issue.

How about, let's discuss other regions of Italy, such as the division of power in the Kingdom of Sardinia, we should have a common language in this regard! "

The French must be interested in carve-up of Italy. Even if the provisional government is busy with domestic struggles, they know that this cannot be absent.

A unified Italy is not in the interests of Austria, nor is it in the interests of the French. The Mediterranean Sea is too small to accommodate so many big countries.

If Austria is unwilling to give up the Lombardy region, the war with the Kingdom of Sardinia will definitely continue.

The Austrian ambassador came to the door, and it was obvious that the partition of Italy was only for the purpose of exchanging interests with France, so that the French government would give up supporting the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Alphonse didn't have many choices. He had already figured out the battle in Lombardy. There was no exchange of fire between the two sides, which meant that the Austrian army did not suffer losses.

Unless there is foreign aid support, he does not think that the Kingdom of Sardinia can defeat Austria. The gap in strength between the two sides is too great, and this cannot be made up by personal ability.

It is impossible for the interim government to provide too much support to the Kingdom of Sardinia now, and what benefits can it gain from supporting the Kingdom of Sardinia?

It is true that France wants to monopolize Italy, but Alphonse does not have that kind of ambition.

Although the Vienna system has collapsed, he has not forgotten the warning from the Russians, and the British are also watching. If this step is taken, he will single out the European continent.

"Mr. Mentenade, how do you think the division is more reasonable?" Alphonse asked with concern

Since the Austrians want to buy them with the benefits of the Kingdom of Sardinia, let's look at the bid first. As long as the price is right, it is not impossible to stab the Kingdom of Sardinia in the back.

Anyway, at this time, France and the Kingdom of Sardinia have not yet formed an alliance. The two parties are only verbal agreements, and there is no pressure to betray.

"Austria gets the Genoa and Turin areas, and the remaining areas belong to France. The two countries form an alliance to fight against international pressure!"

After finishing speaking, Mentend picked up a pen and drew a line on the map, dividing the Kingdom of Sardinia into two. Judging from the area, the two sides were equally divided.

Alphonse's face changed. He didn't expect the Austrians to have such a big appetite that they wanted to eat the Kingdom of Sardinia in one bite.

On the surface, France took a big advantage this time. Austria undertook to fight the main force of the Kingdom of Sardinia. The French only waited for the war to end before sending troops to occupy it.

But in fact this is not the case. The essence of the Kingdom of Sardinia is in Turin and Genoa, gathering more than eight floors of industry across the country.

If these two places fall into the hands of Austria, it will be difficult for France to seize them again.In this era, France's military strength did not have an advantage over Austria.

Alphonse said, "Mr. Mentenade, I'm afraid this is impossible. The best part of the Kingdom of Sardinia..."

……

Asking prices all over the sky, and paying back the money when they land.

The order Mentend received was to hold back the French and prevent them from providing support to the Kingdom of Sardinia. As for the division of the Kingdom of Sardinia, it was just a cover.

There are a lot of internal problems in Austria, and Franz will not expand abroad until they are dealt with.

Moreover, if history has not changed, in June, when the proletarian uprising broke out in Paris, the French would be overwhelmed and no longer have the strength to support the Kingdom of Sardinia.

After suppressing the uprising, the French government changed again, and a new round of political struggle began. This political struggle will continue until the restoration of Napoleon III.

The so-called division of spheres of influence is just a blank check.

Alphonse is not stupid. He also knows that there may be problems with the division of the Sardinian kingdom proposed by the Austrians, but now the provisional government urgently needs to make achievements to ease domestic conflicts.

It can be said that the two sides hit it off, even if it is a blank check, as long as the French have the strength, they can also cash out the check.

Reaching any treaty that is beneficial to France now is the achievement of the interim government, and it is not bad to use it to divert domestic attention.

The two sides directly fought a protracted war, except for dividing up the Italian region.Alphonse also needed Austria's recognition of the provisional government's legitimacy and the removal of the shackles imposed on France by the Vienna system.

Such questions are used to discuss conditions.In this era, the French were very isolated diplomatically, and the provisional government urgently needed to be recognized by the world.

The much-maligned July Dynasty actually did nothing wrong in its diplomatic approach.Since the beginning of the Anti-French War, the French government has played the role of a public enemy of Europe, and it is impossible not to pretend to be a grandson.

Naturally, the provisional government will not be able to be tough, just look at the reaction of the Russians. If there is money from the benefactor, the gray animals will be killed in Paris.

……

Chapter 57 John Bull's Plan

While fooling the Paris government, the Austrian Foreign Ministry will naturally not forget the London government. The British Empire is still very powerful in this era.

As the only industrial country in the world today, now is the time for them to be bullish. Fortunately, the small size of the British mainland restricts population growth, otherwise there will be no latecomers.

The Great Revolution of 1848 was also not avoided by the British, but compared with France, Austria and other countries, they were all pediatrics.

The revolutionary party members with great ambitions and talents were suppressed by the police uncles before they broke out. In the end, there were several strikes, which ended hastily.

Franz knew that the Sao-Austria War was actually planned by the British. Long before the Sardinian Kingdom sent troops, the British Foreign Secretary Palmerston began to lobby King Charles Albert.

Against this background, it is naturally impossible for Austria to achieve results in its diplomatic activities in London this time.

Moreover, the credibility of the British is really not reassuring, and they can switch positions at any time as long as their interests require it.

Fortunately, Franz did not count on the support of the British. The purpose of the ambassador to the UK, Humelauer, was very simple, which was to lobby the pro-Austrian MPs to prevent the London government from providing substantial support to the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Downing street

Prime Minister John Russell is thinking about the current world situation. First of all, the French issue. The newly established provisional government has expressed goodwill to the British Empire diplomatically, and he is still hesitating whether to accept him.

The Vienna system has collapsed, how should the future European political structure be established?

Don't look at the British's diplomatic skills. Before the collapse of the Vienna system, John Russell didn't feel anything, but now that it really collapsed, he felt a headache.

Under the Vienna system, European countries have maintained a balance of power, and the British can safely and boldly expand their territories overseas.

"Your Excellency, according to the current situation, we can continue the previous strategic concept, establish a unified Italian dynasty, weaken the strength of Austria, and at the same time prevent the French from expanding into Italy!" Foreign Minister Palmerston suggested

John Russell frowned and said: "Mr. Palmerston, this is the most ideal state. In fact, for the balance of power among European countries, we still need the presence of Austria.

Now Austria has many internal conflicts, and it may disintegrate if it is not done well.When there are no constraints, the Habsburg family will return to the German region.

The call for unification in the German region is now very high, and with the prestige of the Habsburg family, it is very possible to unify the German region. "

In the Europe of blood theory, John Russell is not unfounded. Once Austria is disintegrated, it is almost inevitable that the remaining Austrian states will return to Germany.

In this case, it is really possible for the Habsburg family to unify Germany.Conquering the world with your lower body is no joke.

Even if it wasn't for the Habsburg family to unify Germany, it would be the same for the Prussians?The emergence of a unified Greater German Empire is not a good thing for the British.

Franz also considered whether to abandon Hungary and Italy and go back and form the German Empire.But after careful analysis, he decisively gave up this temptation.

It is easy to unify the German region, but what about internal conflicts?At least he has no way to subdue the Prussians, the Catholicism in South Germany and the Protestantism in North Germany are very different.

Historically, the Germans have never been able to solve this problem, and the Second Empire has been full of contradictions since its establishment.

That's just a small Germany. If a big Germany is established, this contradiction will be even more terrifying. The North and South Germany are evenly matched, and internal friction alone can make people collapse.

Looking at the map again, the strategic location of the German region is really a huge pit, and there is no danger to defend the place of the Fourth World War.