Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 98 The British Conspiracy

London

Prime Minister John Russell was having a headache with the Italian issue. After the Battle of Osa Venice, he knew that things were in trouble. Maybe the interests of the British Empire in Italy would be lost.

"Mr. Palmerston, the Ossa War is coming to an end soon. What position do you think we should take?" John Russell asked

Foreign Secretary Palmerston said calmly: "Your Excellency, we still have a lot of interests in the Kingdom of Sardinia. In order to protect the interests of the British Empire, the Kingdom of Sardinia must be preserved.

However, we must also consider the attitude of the Austrians. This war was initiated by the Sardinians, and we must give them an explanation! "

The world theme of this era is the struggle between Britain and Russia for hegemony. The British Empire has not yet reached the sky, and the Austrian Empire is also a member of the great powers. The benefits that should be taken cannot be deprived.

Secretary of State Henry John Temple said with a frown: "Mr Palmerston, the point is that the Austrians will not let it go, and no great power can stand indifferent to a challenge to its dignity.

The Sardinians have angered the Austrian government this time, so they did not hesitate to compromise with the French. The intelligence from Paris shows that a secret agreement may have been signed between France and Austria.

If France and Austria join forces now, then the Kingdom of Sardinia will become history, even if we oppose it, it will not help! "

On the Italian issue, Britain, France and Austria have the greatest say. Because of geopolitical relations, the Italian region has always been the focus of competition between France and Austria, and the British mediate to maintain the balance.

In order to better contain France and Austria, after entering the 19th century, the British spread the idea of ​​unification in Italy. After the outbreak of the European Revolution, the London government began to support the Kingdom of Sardinia to unify Italy.

There is no doubt that this time they played and jumped.Austria just stretched out a hand and crippled the Kingdom of Sardinia, and even colluded with the rival French in an attempt to carve up Italy.

Palmerston smiled and said: "Mr. Temple, things are not so bad. The French are full of internal contradictions. They change governments faster than women change clothes.

The political views of the previous administration do not mean that the current administration agrees with them. If it is not possible, we can wait for the next administration.

As long as we put diplomatic pressure on them, the French government will not have the energy to expand outward. Without the participation of the French, Austria does not have such a good appetite and can eat the Kingdom of Sardinia in one bite. "

After hearing Palmerston's analogy, everyone laughed. The British have never been stingy with laughing at the old enemy of France.

If Fa and Austria teamed up, there is nothing to say, no one can stop them from carve up Italy.

But now the French are out of shape. In just a few months after the establishment of the republican government, several governments have been changed successively.

Originally, the British planned to support a pro-British government, but after seeing the speed at which the French changed their government, they stopped taking action.

There is no way, they can't keep up with the rhythm.There are still frequent revolutions in France, and there are a lot of chaotic power groups.

Who knows who is standing at the end?

If you invest in the wrong target, it's fine to waste resources, and you will lose a lot if you harvest another enemy.

After a pause, Prime Minister Russell asked again: "Mr. Palmerston, how will the Foreign Office persuade the Austrian government? If they insist on destroying the Kingdom of Sardinia, what measures will the Foreign Office plan to take?"

His meaning is obvious. The participation of the British Empire on the Italian issue is limited to diplomacy.

There is no need to think about sending troops directly to help the Kingdom of Sardinia.Regardless of whether it can win or not, under the basic national policy of continental balance, Austria is also an indispensable part of the British continental policy.

Palmerston thought for a while and said: "Your Excellency, the Austrian Empire has just experienced a civil strife, and the Hungarian rebellion has not been extinguished so far. Their most important problem right now is to deal with internal conflicts.

They should have no plan to annex the Kingdom of Sardinia, and even the Secret Treaty of Offa may be a cover. Metternich's old fox is not easy to deal with, and the Kingdom of Sardinia will inevitably bleed this time.

If the interests of the Italian region cannot satisfy the Austrians, then we can appease them with the interests of the Balkans and let them compete with the Ottomans for the hegemony of the Near East! "

This is the operation that the British Empire is best at-blaming Jiangdong.The weak nature of the Ottoman Empire has not yet been exposed. On the surface, they are also a member of the great powers.

The Habsburg dynasty and the Ottoman Empire have been enemies for a century. From the Middle Ages to the present, the two sides have experienced eight hundred battles if not one thousand. The hatred has long been buried.

"The situation in the Near East is inherently complicated. If we encourage Austria to enter, the situation will become even more chaotic. If the Austrian government and the Russians join hands, can we control it?" Secretary of State Henry John Temple questioned road

Austria and the Ottoman Empire are feuds, and the conflict between the two sides is very deep. If the British Empire supports it later, the Austrian government will definitely not mind suppressing this old enemy.

But the problem is that the Russians and the Ottoman Empire are also blood feuds.Russia and Austria are allies. If they have a common enemy, it will be difficult for them not to unite.

Palmerston explained with confidence: "Russia and Austria are allies, but in the Balkans, they also have conflicts of interest.

Austria has long been eyeing the Danube River Basin, but the appetite of the Russians has no end. It will be a matter of time before they clash, and the Russian-Austrian alliance that has caused us headaches will naturally collapse! "

Interest is always the best catalyst. Now the biggest enemy of the British is the Russians, and many foreign policies revolve around the Russians.

It is not easy to defeat Russia, a competitor. Unlike any previous enemy, Mao Xiong not only has a powerful army, but is also in the easternmost part of Europe, where he is geographically invincible.

To defeat the Russians, it was necessary to divide and isolate the Russian allies, and the British were very patient in this regard.

……

Vienna

After the victory in the Battle of Venice, Franz was thinking about the aftermath. For Austria, the Italian region was like a piece of chicken rib.

It is easy to occupy the Kingdom of Sardinia, but it is difficult to rule the Kingdom of Sardinia.

"Mr. Metternich, what do the French say, when will they send troops?" Franz asked with concern

The Kingdom of Sardinia is not easy to rule, but this does not prevent him from using it to deceive people. If the French can be fooled in, then the British Empire will have no time to stare at Austria.

Chapter 99 The Russian-Prussian Conflict

Metternich replied helplessly: "Your Highness, the efficiency of the French government has always been low, and they are still discussing in parliament at this time!"

He was also convinced by the efficiency of the French. Both parties signed a treaty, and all the conditions were agreed in advance.

"Why did the French suddenly lose interest in the Italian region and now want to repent?" Prime Minister Felix asked suspiciously

Metternich said dumbfoundedly: "No, the French government has no intention of repenting. What they are now arguing about is how many troops to send, who will be the commander, and which troops to send over."

It's drunk to think about it. It's just such a small matter, and the parliament has to make a decision. It is estimated that Austria has already cleaned up the Kingdom of Sardinia before they come to a conclusion.

Franz rubbed his forehead and said: "Forget it, our French ally is unreliable, but fortunately we didn't expect them to do anything, as long as they don't make trouble.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs focuses on the British. With their style, they must do something at this time and don't give them a chance. "

According to the Secret Agreement of Offa, during the Battle of Venice, the French should send troops to raid the Sardinian's lair, destroy the Kingdom of Sardinia, and then the two families will divide the land of the Kingdom of Sardinia equally.

Now that the Battle of Venice is over, and the French Parliament has not come up with a result, Franz no longer expects the French to do much.

"Your Highness, the French Parliament has been unable to come up with a result for a long time. There are British handwriting in it, and many pro-British MPs are still opposed to sending troops.

It's just that the temptation of Italy is too great, and the powerful faction in France can't bear it at all. Both the French bourgeoisie and the military are promoting this military operation, which overwhelms the voice of opposition. ’ replied Metternich

The British's intervention in Franz was not surprising. France and Austria divided up the Kingdom of Sardinia, and John Bull would lose at least tens of millions of pounds in loans, as well as a large interest in the Italian region.

It's just that France's internal problems are still somewhat beyond his expectations. He thought that this time the partition of the Sardinian Kingdom, Austria had made major concessions, and with the promotion of the bourgeoisie and the military, it could go smoothly, but he didn't expect it to be stuck.

As the saying goes, long nights and many dreams, the longer the delay, the more things the British can do, and the less chance the two countries can carve up the Kingdom of Sardinia.

However, the French will certainly not give up easily. No matter who the government is, they have to consider the voice of interest groups.

France has been suppressed for too long and has been silent for so long, and interest groups are starving for food. It is not easy to get them to give up the fat that is delivered to their door at this time.

"Your Highness, if the French cannot keep their promise, can we also tear up the agreement?

A strong France is not in our interest, especially if they expand their power to Italy! ” Archduke Louis thought for a while and said

The temptation to monopolize Italy is too great, and the smooth military operation has also inspired the ambitions of some people in Austria. Grand Duke Louis is only speaking on behalf of these people.

"It's too risky for us to take over the Kingdom of Sardinia alone, and we have to consider the attitude of the great powers. At that time, we may face joint suppression by Britain and France." Franz thought for a while and said

He is still very sober, knowing how much weight Austria has. If Austria now has the strength of Germany in history, then it is not a bad idea to monopolize Italy.

Obviously this does not exist, and the combination of Britain and France alone will make Austria unable to eat and walk around.

Russia and Prussia were not mentioned, because now that Russia and Prussia are on the same page, Italy is temporarily ignored.

After the March Revolution in Berlin, the Prussian liberal foreign minister Baron Arnim came to power, and he pursued a foreign policy that was pro-British and French and anti-Russian.

He saw through the reality of the Russians and believed that Russia was just a giant with mud feet. The Prussian liberals headed by him advocated supporting the Polish revolution to weaken the Russians.

Of course, the Prussian liberals were not internationalist fighters either. They supported the Zionist Movement and even threw out Prussian Poland. The main purpose was to contain the Russians and create favorable conditions for the unification of the German region.

Fortunately, Frederick William IV stopped the operation in time, otherwise Prussia would have already started fighting with the Russians at this time.

However, the liberals were not idle, and they focused on the two German duchies of Schleswig and Holstein.Immediately after the Berlin Revolution, they made a request to Denmark to annex the two duchies to Germany.

This is obviously not an agreement. If the textual fight fails, it will be fought. On April 4, Prussia took military action against Denmark, and on April 10, the two countries officially declared war.

There is no doubt that the fallen Kingdom of Denmark could not do anything against Prussia, and was beaten all the way by the Prussians. By May 5, the Prussian army had already reached the Jutland Peninsula.

The Danish government saw that it could not go on like this, the enemy was too powerful, so they were forced to resort to the ultimate move-summoning the boss.

Seeing that my younger brother was being bullied, Russia, the old man, was going to show up, otherwise, where would Mao Xiong's face be?

"Your Highness is right. The risk of annexing the Kingdom of Sardinia alone is too great. Just look at Prussia. They want to annex Schleswig and Holstein, and now they are riding a tiger." Prime Minister Felix echoed road

After thinking about Frederick William IV, Franz's mood will be much better.It is also sharpening the knife and preparing to slaughter the sheep. The diplomatic situation of the Austrian government will be much better.

The Sardinian Kingdom initiated the war on the initiative of the Sardinian Kingdom this time, and the Sardinian Kingdom was in the wrong. All responsibility for the war could only be resisted by itself, and international public opinion was mostly inclined to Austria.

In this era, Italy is just a place name, and no one has ever recognized that it is a country.The so-called unification of the Italian region cannot be used as a legal basis for launching a war at all.

In the eyes of the international community, this war is a war of aggression launched by the Sardinians, and Austria does not need to bear moral responsibilities.This is also the reason why the British clearly supported the Kingdom of Sardinia, but did not take actual action.

The German region is also just a place name. The two German principalities of Schleswig and Holstein have nothing to do with Prussia in the eyes of the outside world.

Of course, even if there is a relationship, everyone will not admit it, otherwise, should Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg also belong to Germany?

At least at the Frankfurt Conference, these regions, along with the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, were considered part of Germany.

The lack of legal basis made Prussia's military actions unreasonable, and it fell into a passive situation in diplomacy.

Chapter 100

In recent decades, Prussia has continued to grow and develop, which has long made Austria envious and jealous. At this time, it is their turn to be unlucky, and everyone is naturally happy to see the joke.

"Speaking of Prussia, not long ago they asked us for diplomatic support in the name of saving the German state. After being rejected, they spread unfavorable remarks against us in the German region.

At this time, the kingdom of Prussia among the people has almost become a national hero of Germany, while the great Austria has become a background board! said Metternich, frowning.

After hearing the news, everyone's faces were ugly. Austria is the leader of the German state. From the perspective of nationalism, it should be Austria who is leading the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein at this time.

However, geographically, Austria was separated from the two duchies of Schleswig and Holstein by Prussia, so things that did not benefit naturally could not be done.

Now that the Kingdom of Prussia claims to be the savior of Germany, it is slapping Austria in the face again.

Historically, Austria was limited to civil strife and had no energy to participate in cooperation. Now that internal conflicts are about to subside, participation in international affairs is also indispensable.

Prime Minister Felix sneered and said: "Hmph! The Prussians are so presumptuous, we have to give them some color!"

Metternich shook his head and said: "I'm afraid this will not be easy. On the issue of Schleswig and Holstein, we cannot stop Prussia's actions, otherwise the nationalists in the German region will think that we are national thieves. "

With the rise of nationalism, everyone can no longer ignore the influence of public opinion. As the leader of the German state, Austria must stand behind Prussia at this time. This is the kidnapping of public opinion.

Since they were kidnapped, naturally don't expect Austria to do much, and the diplomatic pressure still has to let the Prussians resist by themselves.

Franz's face suddenly changed. Historically, Austria had been forcibly pulled onto the ship by Prussia. The two countries jointly resisted the international pressure and took back the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein.

However, after the operation ended, the Prussian and Austrian countries turned their faces not long after. Austria's job for Prussia was not counted, and it was beaten to the point of hemiplegia.

Although this happened more than ten years later, the foreshadowing of the war has been laid now.

In this Pudan War, although Prussia did not occupy the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, they gained public opinion in the German region and laid a popular foundation for Prussia to unify Germany.

Franz frowned and said, "The Prussians are playing a big game of chess. They are sure to beat us! In this case, it depends on who is more skilled!"

"Your Highness, it's not good for us to stand up against Prussia at this time. Now the public opinion in Germany is supporting them!" Chancellor Karl exhorted

Franz sneered and said: "No, not only can we not oppose the actions of the Prussians, but we must support them with great fanfare. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs publicly supports the return of the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein to the German Confederation.

From now on, use our influence to create momentum for this event, and let all people in the German region know our efforts for the territorial integrity of the German region.

At the same time, we must also promote the contribution of the Kingdom of Prussia, issue a diplomatic note to the Kingdom of Prussia, tell them not to be cowardly, and help them when we solve our internal problems! "

There is still a way to kill people in the world-to kill, the Kingdom of Prussia now claims to be the savior of Germany, so let them stand a little higher.

Once the stage is set, there is always singing.With the support of Austria and the German regional states, can Prussia easily retreat?

But if they don't back down, what can they do?The European powers are all on the side of Denmark and supporting their Austria. This time they are just preparing to act as a king of talk, and the actual help to them is infinitely zero.

The Swedish government has mobilized the army to defend Denmark, and the Russians are stationed on the Prussia-Russia border.

"Your Highness, if we support Prussia, there is no way to explain it to Britain, France and Russia diplomatically. This will be very detrimental to our next actions!" Metternich said with a headache

Franz said indifferently: "Mr. Metternich, this issue depends on your foreign ministry to find a way to coordinate.

To explain our difficulties to the nations, we cannot disregard the feelings of the German nation and assure them that our support for Prussia is no more than words in the face of rebellion in Austria. "

Austria is also a member of the great powers, and such a little diplomatic pressure can still be tolerated. As long as no actual action is taken, it will not affect the Russia-Austria alliance.

Austria and France have just signed a treaty of friendship, and everyone is a combination of interests, and they will not turn their faces because of the problems of the Danes.