Holy Roman Empire

Not only liberated the serfs, Alexander II also resolved land conflicts, and even the industrial development was very fast.

Since the end of the civil war, the industry and commerce of the Russian Empire has entered a period of rapid development.Although industrial products are still garbage as always, the growth rate of production capacity is still amazing.

The industrial production capacity lost in the Russo-Prussian War has been recovered in just a few years, and the total industrial volume has exceeded that before the war.

If it weren't for the constraints of transportation and lack of capital, the Russian Empire would have been reborn a long time ago.Once any of these problems are solved, it will enter a period of rapid development.

They already possess the basic elements of industrial development: abundant resources, cheap labor costs, and suitable development policies.

There is no way. After the great land reclamation, grain in Russia became unsalable, and domestic grain prices dropped again and again, which led to a sharp drop in labor costs.

The labor cost in Russia is only one-fourth of that of Austria, and only one-fifth of that of the British.For labor-intensive industries, this is simply an unparalleled advantage.

Not only is labor cheap, but even industrial raw materials are very cheap.The only expensive thing is the transportation cost, but this is not the case in all places, the Russian Empire also has rivers.

The capitalists will see these advantages sooner or later.As long as the tsarist government can maintain its current level of governance, it will be a matter of time before it develops.

This is the credit of Alexander II, who successfully deterred the Russian bureaucrats by killing chickens and monkeys.Up to now, he has exiled thousands of bureaucrats to Siberia to enjoy the scenery of the Northland.

The corruption of the tsarist government is still serious, but the execution ability has been improved several levels, and no one dares to violate the tsarism.

The more he learned, the more Franz understood the horrors of the Russian Empire.Perhaps Austria is no longer afraid of the rise of Russia, but there is no need to cultivate a competitor for itself.

Therefore, when the Russians were upset, Franz no longer comforted them.Wanting to gain benefits by this method, the tsarist government made a wrong judgment from the very beginning.

Including the currency reform carried out by Alexander II, Franz was not active anymore.Although there were substantial benefits in stepping in, it was the Russians who benefited the most.

Since the tsarist government wants to make a deal with this up for grabs, it might as well just procrastinate.Even if the tsarist government fell to the British, it didn't matter.

The British are not charitable. If the bankers in London don't take a piece of skin from them, how dare they call themselves bankers?

In order not to bear the name of treachery, Franz threw away this benefit.Anyway, the credibility of the tsarist government is rotten, and it is no big deal to let them bear the crime of betraying the alliance.

……

Chapter 77 The Corrective Power of History

The cold wind is in the slightest, and St. Petersburg has a slight chill in September.In the Winter Palace, Alexander II was still dealing with government affairs, and the wrinkles printed on his forehead told the vicissitudes of time.

After the Russian Empire turned from prosperity to decline, Alexander II had a strong sense of mission and did not allow himself the slightest indulgence.

A man in his 50s and [-]s walked up to him and whispered, "Your Majesty, this is top-secret news from Vienna."

After receiving the sealed information and confirming the imprint, Alexander II pointed to the secret document and said slowly: "Understood, Ferrence, you go out!"

What can be called top-secret information is definitely something big happened. Alexander II did not have the hobby of sharing information with people around him. It has nothing to do with trust. This is just the instinct of the monarch.

Opened the secret document, and the content has already happened in half a month.There is no way, there is no radio these days, if you use wired telegrams to spread the news, how can you hide it from the Austrians?

It's even worse to use a password, which is equivalent to telling people that there is something wrong with this news, come and check it!

Telegrams in this era are charged by the number of words, and ordinary telegrams only have a few words.The transmission of information obviously cannot be so hasty. If the meaning is not expressed clearly, it will be a disaster.

From Vienna to St. Petersburg, it only took half a month. This efficiency is already the limit of the times.

As time passed, the wrinkles on Alexander II's forehead became tighter and tighter.After finally reading the confidential document, a sigh came out slowly.

At this moment Alexander II was confused, and things did not go according to his plan.The Vienna government did not attach as much importance to monetary hegemony as he expected.

Of course, it is also possible that what was released was a smoke bomb, but he dared not gamble.The consequences of this misjudgment could be catastrophic.

It is impossible to give up the plan.If enough capital cannot be obtained from the outside world this time, the development of the Russian Empire will be affected.

It doesn't matter in ordinary times, as long as the development is slower, it will be better, and the foundation can be laid more firmly.

Not now, the enemy will not leave them so much time.If the Russian Empire cannot increase its strength in the shortest possible time, it will be destroyed before they develop.

Don't look at the Russian Empire is still a giant, but it can't stand the many enemies around it, and one family can't eat them, and a dozen families swarm up, that's not necessarily the case.

Once it fails again, the prestige accumulated by the Russian Empire for hundreds of years will be wiped out.The best result is to linger like the Ottoman Empire.

This has hit a dead end.If you fall to the British, you can get financial assistance, but there is a great possibility that you will lose Austria, the most important ally; if you continue to maintain the Russia-Austria alliance, there is no way to solve the funding problem.

If Russia wants to win the next war, Austria's support is crucial, at least the Austrians must not fall to Prussia.This is determined by geopolitics, and Britain and France are all behind on this issue.

The Russia-Austria alliance is still easy to manage, and you can get unconditional support from Austria without paying a price.If there is no covenant, it will be in terms of interests.

Another voice deep inside told him: Be careful, things are not that simple.

In order to dismantle the Russian-Austrian alliance and to establish the hegemony of the pound currency, the British naturally bid for a reason.But what if the goal is achieved?Who knows if the British will default?

The treaty is often just a piece of waste paper.What if the British did not perform the contract, or discounted it in the process of fulfilling the contract?

Overwhelmed water is hard to recover, once this step is taken, it will be difficult to turn back.It is easy to dismantle the Russia-Austria alliance, but it is difficult to establish it again.

Alexander II had an anti-Austrian tendency, which was based on the strength of the Russian Empire.Now that the Russian Empire has declined, the Russia-Austria alliance has become crucial.

Now he somewhat understands why Nicholas I insisted on establishing the Russia-Austria alliance.The existence of this alliance is not only to capture Constantinople, but also to guarantee the strategic security of the Russian Empire.

As long as this alliance exists, there is no fear of European territory being invaded by foreign enemies.Even now, before the covenant was lifted, Prussia would never dare to attack them first.

After the failure of the Russo-Prussian War, Russia was able to survive the dangerous period smoothly, and the role of the Russia-Austria alliance was also the most important factor.

After the establishment of the Russia-Austria alliance, both countries have gained substantial benefits.Russia successfully expanded in the Balkan Peninsula and captured the coveted Constantinople; Austria achieved expansion in the Balkan Peninsula, and also annexed South Germany to rebuild the Shenluo Empire.

If he wants, Alexander II can also obtain the Dardanelles through territorial exchange and control the waterway to the Mediterranean.

If at the beginning of his succession, he would definitely find ways to make this territorial deal with Austria and expand Russia's power to the Mediterranean.

Now there is no such unrealistic fantasy anymore. It is easy to enter the Mediterranean Sea, but it is difficult to gain a firm foothold.

If it weren't for the establishment of the Triple Alliance between Britain, France and Austria, and the British were squeezed out, why would Russia gain a foothold in the Mediterranean?

……

The more you think about it, the harder it is to make up your mind.It is absolutely impossible to have no money, and the Russia-Austria alliance is also very important. This is destined to be a difficult choice.

In fact, Alexander II didn't have many choices at all. Whether the Russia-Austria alliance can be maintained is not only up to him, but the position of the Vienna government is also important.

If the Austrian does not want to renew his contract, then even if he does not cooperate with the British, the alliance will also go bankrupt.

It's just that Franz wants to save face. When the Russia-Austria alliance was established, Austria was in a period of weakness. To some extent, the Russians gave Austria a hand.

Because of the face, the Vienna government gave the impression to the outside world that it has always maintained the Russia-Austria alliance, and has no intention of making trouble.

This illusion made Alexander II make a misjudgment.It was only after this temptation that they wanted to use Britain and France to raise their own prices and obtain more loans from the Vienna government.

As a result, he took the first step out, and now he is in an embarrassing situation.The Vienna government seemed to be furious and did not follow the routine at all.

Franz didn't know Alexander II's headache, he was still bothered.The situation in Mexico finally collapsed, and less than a week after the withdrawal of the French army, Maximilian I lost control of the country.

Now Queen Carlotta has returned to Europe for help, but failed to convince the French, and has now returned to Vienna.

It's fine to ask for help, anyway, there are benefits.It's a pity that most of Mexico's industries were mortgaged to the French, and Maximilian I didn't have much leverage in his hands.

He didn't even have the money to recruit mercenaries. The lessons of history told Franz that the emperor was so poor that basically there would be no good results.

Franz will not wade into the muddy waters of Mexico.Let Queen Carlotta persuade Maximilian I to abdicate, but instead she was educated, and Franz left on the spot in anger.

There is no way to communicate with people who are not normal, what "Mexican people need..."?In Franz's view, the Mexican people are now eager to send Maximilian I to the guillotine.

Talking nonsense with your eyes open is not like that.If at the beginning of his succession, Maximilian I still had a chance to turn the tide, it would be impossible for anyone to replace him now.

The patience of the people has run out. After so many years of reforms, they have only remained on paper, and they have been introduced as a matter of course: policies that benefit the country and the people have turned into policies that harm the country and the people in the end.

The emperor who became a loner, with only a bunch of talkative gangsters around him, Franz didn't know what to say.

Without support in Austria, Queen Carlota went to other European countries for help.Without even thinking about it, Franz knew that it was impossible to have a result.

No benefit, who wants to go to the muddy waters of Mexico.The lessons learned by the French are here, and everyone should think twice before acting.

Now Franz waited for the rebels to break through Mexico City, and then lured Maximilian I back home, even if it was over.

This time will not be too long. As soon as the French army withdrew, the rebels kicked off the prelude to a major counterattack.Rather than counting on the Mexican government forces to suppress the rebellion, it is better to expect the rebels to break out in internal strife and fall apart in internal friction.

Now the Mexican rebel army is also full of internal contradictions, and a large number of conservatives and racists have been mixed in. As long as these contradictions are detonated, they will immediately fall apart.

But before that, they also had a common goal to get Maximilian I out.When this goal is accomplished, Mexico will start a century-long infighting.

It is worth mentioning that many of the leaders of the rebel army were from royalists and constitutionalists, and even some of the heroes who supported Maximilian in the first place.

Being able to turn them all into a revolutionary party, Franz had to admit that Maximilian I was still capable.The emperor did this, and there are few in the history of the world.

But these people will not be proud for long, and when the revolution succeeds, it will be their turn to be unlucky.If they live well, where will the face of the Habsburg family be placed?

Massimiliano did rubbish in Mexico, so it can only make them worse, and they must be set off by someone to save face a little.

The group of people from the original time and space were not successful, and they fell into internal strife just after taking power. Now Franz is just pushing.Let the warlord melee come in advance, and expand the sphere of influence by the way.

No, it cannot be said to be an early arrival, it should be the correction force of history, bringing history back to its original track.

Because of Franz's butterfly effect, the French invested more power, allowing the Mexican Empire to persist for a few more years.

Chapter 78 Loyalty Struggles

The lightning failed to shatter the thick dark clouds. After the giant thunder rolled through the low clouds, the torrential rain fell down overwhelmingly, as if the heavens were also crying for the misfortune of Mexico City.

In the palace, Maximilian I sat quietly and motionless, as if he had entered the state of a sage, not happy with things or sad with himself, and everything outside seemed to have nothing to do with him.

"Your Majesty, let's go! The enemy is about to besiege the city, and we won't be able to leave any later!"

The anxious words of the guard brought Maximilian I back to reality.The heavy rain came in time and successfully delayed the speed of the rebels.

Maximilian I shook his head and said, "No need for Ferran, there are no escaped emperors in Mexico, I'll wait for them here, you all go!"

Seeing that the general situation was over, Maximilian I did not make a final fight, but dismissed his subordinates and faced failure alone.

This approach is undoubtedly correct, allowing him to successfully avoid the ugliness of human nature.If you really took everyone to be buried together, you would have to personally experience being betrayed once.

Except for a few diehards, everyone else has run away.Of course, those who stay may not be his diehard loyalists, there are still a large number of people who are too close to each other, leaving the emperor's asylum and can only go into exile overseas.

If he followed other emperors, he would have enough money in his own pocket, and it would be okay to go into exile overseas.

It's different to follow this person, even if it's beneficial, it's very limited in your hands.Now even if you want to run away, you have to consider the economic situation. It is not so easy to live a hard life when you are well-clothed and well-fed.

In the eyes of many people, Maximilian I, the outdated emperor, is still very valuable.Even if they step down now, the Habsburg family is still in a state of prosperity, and there is still a chance of restoration in the future.

No matter how bad it is, you can find a long-term meal ticket, and follow the emperor's loyal ministers, can you still be starved?

Unfortunately, Maximilian I was not an ordinary person, he was not prepared to run away at all.No matter how much his subordinates lobbied, he was unwilling to seek refuge in the Austrian Central American colonies.

This has hurt many people. The rebels may not dare to kill the emperor, but there is no pressure to kill them.Even if it is to exaggerate their own justice, the revolutionaries will kill them.

The original time and space was accidentally overkill, causing Mexico to fall into a warlord melee.The situation is much the same now, revolutions always require bloodshed.

Their group of failed reformers is naturally the best sacrifice.Not wronged, their biggest problem is incompetence.

Not all the way, do not enter a door.Maximilian I himself was an idealist, and those who gathered around him were naturally like-minded idealists.

Everyone is very good when they are bragging, but they lose the chain when they are doing things.But even a little ability will not make the rebels come back.

Not to mention anything else, as long as the massacre is started at the beginning, or if the gang of political prisoners are not pardoned, the development speed of the rebel army will not be so fast.

Now, five or six out of ten of the top leaders of the rebel army were released by Maximilian I himself, and the remaining four or five out of ten were made by their unrealistic reforms.

You must know that when the situation was at its best, there were only a few guerrillas with a number of 80 and no. [-] left in the rebel army.

"Your Majesty, let's leave first, we still have a chance to make a comeback later. Napoleon even had a restoration in June, why bother to be obsessed with temporary gains and losses?"

The middle-aged head guard was really in a hurry. Others could run away, but he couldn't.He came from Austria.As Maximilian I's bodyguard, if he loses the emperor and runs back home, even if the Habsburg family doesn't bother him, how can he hold his head up for the rest of his life?

After this failed speculation, his ambition has almost been wiped out, and he doesn't want to make great achievements, as long as he can enjoy his old age in peace.

Anyway, he was only the head of the bodyguard of Maximilian I, and he did not need to be responsible for the downfall of the Mexican government. As long as he brought the emperor back safely, it would not be considered a failure.

After going back, he can continue to serve as the head of the bodyguard for the abdicated emperor Maximilian I, and play the image of a loyal minister. It is impossible for the Habsburg family to treat loyal ministers badly.

Relying on coercion and lure, Fei Lun gathered a team of one hundred people, preparing to escort Maximilian I to escape.

Of course, this was all done in the name of Maximilian I, and the promised benefits would still have to be paid by the outdated emperor.

Don't doubt, no matter how poor he is, Maximiliano is still a big shot.Once back in Vienna, fulfilling these promises was not a problem at all.

He was even prepared to fail, and he would take the emperor to hide in the Austrian embassy at that time. If the rebels dared to attack, it would just give the Vienna government an excuse to interfere.

Maximilian was still in the midst of failure, so naturally he didn't pay attention to the actions of his subordinates.He still shook his head, and after a long silence, he said: "Napoleon has failed, why should we succeed?"

Fei Lun was dumbfounded. The brainless middle-school sophomores are not easy to mess with, they just admit death.Naturally, the chances of success are slim, and he just found an excuse to run away.

"Your Majesty, the rebels are only one day away from Mexico City. Once the rain stops, they have a chance to siege the city. If we miss this opportunity, it will be very difficult for us to leave."

Maximilian I still shook his head, as if he had made up his mind to stay and ask the rebels why they rebelled.

……