Holy Roman Empire

The social environment cannot be reversed by one's own efforts. If you can't change the society, you can only change yourself.

It would be fine if Napoleon IV did nothing. With France's strong capital, it would be no problem to maintain its current status as a great power.

If there is ambition, it will be tragic.If ambition exceeds strength, you will inevitably be beaten by society.

Seeing Franz's expression, Weisenberg hesitated to speak.He would like to say: the plans of the British are all Austrian indulgences.

To establish North Germany, not only Hanover and Prussia are enough, but also other German states must be won over.

With more people participating, keeping secrets is naturally a joke.

Perhaps the British have not noticed the problem, after all, the London government is really careful this time.The objects of wooing are all states that are far away from Austria.

Now that the plan has been carried out, all the insiders may not necessarily exceed 30 people, all of them are absolute high-level officials from various countries, and there is no possibility of betrayal.

In theory, as the master of the country, it is impossible to betray oneself.But there are exceptions to everything. Some people find that the market in North Germany is not good, and they have no choice but to leave themselves a way out.

If it was the Pudd merger at its peak, Franz must find a way to stop it.However, at this point in development, it doesn't matter whether Purdue merges or not.

This war did too much harm to the Kingdom of Prussia. It lost a large amount of territory and population, and it was also burdened with huge debts. It was a complete mess.

If North Germany is formed, the central government will not have the energy to do anything else. They must first find a way to keep the Kingdom of Prussia alive.

This is not a joke. After the war, there were a lot of orphans and widows in the Kingdom of Prussia, and all industries were withered economically. Without an injection of funds, they themselves would collapse.

You can't count on the British at this time, they are not doing charity.I really thought it was good intentions for them to mess with North Germany, so don't even think about it.

In addition to the need to check and balance Austria, I am afraid that more is to allow the Kingdom of Prussia to fulfill its debts. The former is just a slogan, and the latter is what domestic interest groups need.

Just thinking about the huge debts of the Berlin government makes Franz flinch. This time it is really unaffordable.

The debts of the British + debts of other countries + domestic debts + pensions for casualties of soldiers + post-war reconstruction costs, and there may even be a payment of war reparations from the Russians.

What a nice name the North German Empire, let's help the Berlin government pay off the debt first, otherwise why would the Kingdom of Prussia come in and be a younger brother?

10 billion Aegis, it seems, is not enough to pay the debt of the British family; 20 billion Aegis, it seems that it still can't fill this hole; 30 billion Aegis, probably can, but who knows before the dust settles?

30 billion Aegis, what is this concept?

The current fiscal revenue of the central government of the new Holy Roman Empire is less than 2 million Aegis, and the fiscal revenue for 15 years cannot fill this huge hole.

Of course, the 30 billion Aegis does not require a one-time payment, and it is the funds that need to be paid after calculating the interest on the funds.

If it is the principal, not to mention North Germany, which has not yet been born, even the Vienna government is unable to take over.

Even if it can be installed in installments, the Berlin government does not have the ability to pay such a huge debt, which requires micro-management.

What the Berlin government will do next, Franz is almost clear.First of all, I can't afford to lose face. I will print money at full speed and use inflation to erase domestic debts.

International loans should also be gradually reduced, trying to get creditors to waive part of the interest, and it is best to only repay the principal.All the bonds issued have been deferred, and they will be repaid when they have money.

It is estimated that it can be cut in half, but the Berlin government still cannot afford it, so the central government can only share part of it.

The question is, are other states willing to pay for the Kingdom of Prussia?When it comes to self-interest, what is the North German Empire?

Chapter 287 Feasibility of North Germany

In St. Petersburg, looking at the battle report in his hand, the joy on Alexander II's face disappeared, leaving only deep sorrow.

The Russian army has won a big victory on the front line, and the enemy has been overwhelmed strategically, and the victory of the war is getting closer and closer.

However, behind these victories are all piled up by Russian soldiers with bones.Looking at the increasing number of casualties, Alexander II admitted that he was afraid.

There are not only two countries in this world, Prussia and Russia. The Russian Empire has many enemies. In order to win this war, they lost all their wealth. What should we do next?

……

Foreign Minister Herado Jesserot: "Your Majesty, the Austrian Minister in St. Petersburg sent us a diplomatic note this morning, and the Vienna government proposed to convene an international conference to mediate this war."

Alexander II nodded: "It's finally here."

It seemed to be a sigh of relief, but also mixed with a little anxiety.

After pausing for a moment, Alexander II asked, "What conditions did the Austrians give?"

Foreign Minister Herado Jesselot shook his head: "It's just an ordinary diplomatic note, and the Austrians have not stated their position.

Judging from the current situation, the Vienna government may not easily express its position. "

This is a fact, and it is really difficult for the Vienna government to make a choice now.There are interests on the one hand, and public opinion on the other. No matter which choice you choose, it is wrong.

Since you can't choose, then don't express your position first, and wait for the further development of the situation before expressing your position.

At this time, Austria does not need to rely on standing in teams to live, and its own income will be indispensable if it is earlier or later.

After hesitating for a moment, Alexander II made a decision: "Call Austria back, and we agree to accept mediation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is ready for negotiations, and there is a tough battle to fight next.The blood of the soldiers cannot be shed in vain, and they must not allow things obtained on the battlefield to be spit out on the negotiating table. "

Although there is no smoke in the diplomatic game, its intensity is not inferior to that of the battlefield.

After Britain, France and Austria established a new international system, the outcome of the European war was no longer determined only on the battlefield.

Military victory is only the beginning; the final vesting of interests still has to be determined at the negotiating table.

Of course, Russia is also a big country, and it still has the right to speak, and it will not be slaughtered by others.If you win on the battlefield, you will have the absolute upper hand on the negotiating table, the difference is only in the size of the benefits.

……

The Tsarist government agreed, and the Berlin government had no reason not to.They are the ones who can't hold on now. Even the radicals in the army know that the general trend is over, and if they don't negotiate, they will have no capital to negotiate.

As the war has progressed to the present, more than 40 people have died in battle in the Kingdom of Prussia alone. If death from illness and serious injuries are included, this number may increase by 30 to [-].

There are 70 million people who died alone, and the disabled are naturally indispensable. It is not an exaggeration to have a permanent reduction of more than one million people.

For Prussia, which has a population of just over 1000 million, every family is wearing mourning and everyone is crying.Except for a few who were too deeply poisoned, most people have already woken up from their dreams.

Fortunately, the population structure is younger these days, and the proportion of young and old is relatively high. If it catches up with the aging society, the casualties will collapse so early.

The Prussian Army Command, the news of the negotiations came, Moltke seemed to have aged ten years overnight, and this war had really hit him too hard.

The gap in strength cannot be made up by individual strength.Win battles all the way, but end the war with defeat in victory.

After losing this war, Moltke's reputation as a famous general did not drop, but became louder and louder. I have to say that this is an irony.

Suppressing the grief in his heart, Moltke continued to perform his duties: "Order the troops to strengthen their vigilance to prevent Russian sneak attacks."

Different from the failure of previous wars, the failure of this war did not cause much domestic criticism of him as the commander-in-chief.

Maybe everyone has been hit too hard and hasn't recovered yet.No one clamored for a general change, and no one yelled at him to be beaten or killed.

"Yes, Marshal."

"Yes, Marshal."

……

The reply in twos and threes made Mao Qi's face even more ugly: "Haven't you eaten, everyone is weak, look at yourself, do you still look like a soldier now?

Isn't it just that we lost a war, and it's not that we haven't lost before. Our ancestors were able to survive, so why can't we do it! "

No one answered. Judging from their expressions, most people were ashamed, and only a few were indifferent.

th.The more people know, the less confident they are about Prussia.

The current European situation has basically stabilized. It is too difficult for Prussia to come back, and many people are already desperate.

Seeing that the effect was not good, Mao Qi sighed helplessly.A few words may be able to wake up a confused person, but it will not have that much effect on a person who is already sober.

"Well, I don't care what you are thinking. As long as you put on this military uniform, you must perform your duties.

At this time now, I don't expect you to be brave and good at fighting, and to be able to turn defeat into victory on the battlefield.

As long as you do your job well, don't give the enemy an opportunity, and keep Prussia's last capital, that is the best reward for the country that gave birth to you. "

……

In London, the news that Prussia and Russia accepted Austrian mediation came, and the British government seemed to be caught in a dark cloud over the city.

Prime Minister Benjamin: "The Austrians are going to hold the Vienna Peace Conference, and Prussia and Russia have accepted the invitation. British hegemony is being challenged, and we must take action."

Although Britain, France and Austria stand side by side, everyone's default leader is Britain.The Vienna Peace Conference obviously broke this convention.

The London government failed to mediate the Russo-Prussian War, but let the Austrians do it, which meant that Britain's influence on the European continent fell behind.

It doesn't matter if it is in other regions. The world hegemony of the British Empire has not penetrated into every region, and it doesn't matter if it loses regional hegemony in one or two places.

But not in Europe, the center of the world is in Europe these days.There is only a thin line between continental hegemony and world hegemony.

Whether it is economically or militarily, the European continent exceeds the sum of the rest of the world.After obtaining continental hegemony, world hegemony is almost certain.

The British government cannot tolerate this kind of thing happening. Although Austria's convening of the Vienna Peace Conference does not mean winning European hegemony, it still breaks Britain's implicit hegemony in the European continent.

Destruction is always easier than construction. Britain's status in Europe was established through hundreds of years of hard work. Now that it has been hit, it is almost impossible to recover.

As the world hegemon, the British have taken too many benefits.Austria is not the only one who is greedy for their interests, but everyone is afraid to do anything because of the prestige of the British.

Austria has started. If the London government does not respond in time to dispel the delusions of other countries, they will then fall into endless temptations and provocations, and there will be no real peace.

Foreign Minister Edward: "We can't influence the Russians. The Berlin government really can't hold on now. It is impossible for them to reject Austria's proposal.

The plan to disintegrate Austria directly from the peace conference is no longer realistic, and we can only counterattack from other aspects.

Perhaps we can increase our investment and establish the North German Empire as soon as possible.Cutting off Austria's Central European imperial dream should be able to deter European countries. "

Prior to this, the London government was also planning the North German Empire, but because it was afraid of Austria's reaction, it had been behind the scenes.Now that I have torn my face, naturally you don't have to be polite.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Garfield objected: "It is not easy to establish a North German Empire, most of the German states have limited interest, and the Austrians may sabotage it, the chances of success are too low.

Stand up and promote it directly. It’s okay if it succeeds. If the plan fails, it will be another blow to our reputation.

Successive failures will shake our allies. For now, we should keep Prussia first, and then consider how to retaliate against Austria. "

What is Britain's way of retaliating against Austria?

The answer is: a lot.

Either the influence is too small to achieve the goal; or there are future troubles, and a bad one will backfire on itself.

For example: doing things in the colonies.

It's just that what they can succeed is in the backcountry. Even if they succeed, the influence they cause is very small, and they can't cause any movement in the European world at all.

Maritime interception and obstruction of shipping are also a way.

It's a pity that it can't be made clear. The Royal Navy can pretend to be a pirate, and the Austrian Navy can also follow suit. This thing is a lose-lose situation.

The most effective way is to do things in continental Europe.This is very challenging for the London government, whose influence in continental Europe has suffered since Anglo-French relations have cooled.

If there were still French thugs, Franz would not make trouble at this time.

Foreign Secretary Edward shook his head: "Sir, do we have a choice?

If Austria is not pushed down, more countries will emerge in the future.At that time, we will be overwhelmed, and we will not have the energy to take revenge on Austria.

The establishment of North Germany was originally planned by us in advance. With the fiasco of the Kingdom of Prussia, the chances of success are already high. "

The disastrous defeat of the Kingdom of Prussia has minimized the fear of the North German Empire among European countries, and many countries that originally opposed it may turn to support.

This is determined by interests, and the Berlin government's borrowing everywhere is not without benefits. At least now, when creditors consider international issues, they must take care of their own pockets.

For example: Although France did not lend much in this war, it has lent a lot of money in the past, including Prussia and Poland.

Poland is gone, and no one can make the Russians spit it out.These debts fell on the Berlin government, and the Berlin government would definitely not be able to pay them back under normal circumstances.

In order for these debts to be fulfilled, it is necessary to help Prussia restore its economy, which requires investment, and the French are definitely unwilling to continue to pay.

At this time, the importance of the North German Empire is reflected. As the central government, it must not watch the collapse of the following states. Even if they do not directly repay the debts of Prussia, they will also provide money to help the Kingdom of Prussia recover its economy.

A loose alliance of German states will not threaten the interests of France at all, and can also hinder Austria's unification of Central Europe. The possibility of the Paris government's support is very high.

Including the Russian Empire can also be bought, don't look at Prussia and Russia fighting bloody rivers, as long as the interests are in place, many things can be discussed.

The Kingdom of Prussia, which was severely injured, has lost its ability to threaten Russia after the war, even if it jointly formed the North German Empire with the Germans.

The population and territory determine the upper limit of this newborn country, and no matter what, it can't catch up with the previous Pubo Federation.Not to mention that the many states in the country are independent and unable to integrate their forces.

The tsarist government was so poor that it finally won the war and must want to extort a sum of war reparations.

It is easy for the Berlin government to sign an indemnity treaty, but the problem arises if the Kingdom of Prussia pays the indemnity.

No one renews Prussia's life, not to mention paying war reparations, the post-war pension alone can crush this country.

In addition, this also involves Russia-Austria relations.It is impossible to say that the tsarist government was not at all afraid of Austria.

It's just because they couldn't do without Austria that the two sides didn't turn their faces.After the war, Russia's demand for Austria will gradually decrease, and the relationship between the two sides will also change. It is only a matter of time before it changes from an ally to a competitor.