Holy Roman Empire

Moltke shook his head: "George I won't be relieved if we don't make a thorough cut. Besides, we also need to pay a higher price for the Russians."

This is not Moltke's arrogance, but a fact.With the banner of Moltke, it will be difficult for Hanover to divide the Prussian army, and George I will naturally not give up.

Not to mention the Russians, Moltke's brilliance was all set off by their series of failures.How can the Russians be reconciled if they don't get him down?

If the external troubles can be solved, then the internal troubles will kill people.After the war, the military is bound to be suppressed, and if there is suppression, there will be a counterattack. Next, the internal fighting in the Kingdom of Prussia will definitely intensify.

As the leader of the military, as long as he stays in the country, Moltke cannot avoid this dispute.He is old and has no energy to participate in the next dispute.

In order to avoid subsequent troubles, Moltke simply took the opportunity of defeat to give up his title of Marshal, claiming to be disheartened and leaving the political whirlpool of Prussia.

It seems that he gave up the title of marshal, but in fact he is advancing by retreating, which not only eliminated the impact of the defeat on him, but also further established his own glorious image in the hearts of the people.

After thinking about all this, William I did not continue to stay.Not only the marshal Moltke needs to step down, but also the king.

There is no abdication now, that is, the matter has not yet settled.The Vienna Peace Conference was destined to be a shameful treaty for the Kingdom of Prussia, and William I was unwilling to leave this political stain on his son.

Seeking the country failed, now start to seek life.

These things were actually doomed from the very beginning.If you win the bet, you will achieve the foundation of the empire, but if you lose the bet, you will still be rich.

In a sense, only William I lost now, and Moltke is still considered successful.

The main reason for the defeat is that the strength gap between the two sides is too large, not that the army cannot fight. A general who has been winning battles is not responsible for the failure of the war due to the great gap in strength.

After contemplating for a while, King William I asked with concern: "Marshal, where are you going after leaving Prussia?"

Moltke shook his head: "I don't know. Maybe I will travel the world, find a place to live in seclusion when I get tired, and then summarize my life's experience."

William I hesitated for a moment, and seemed to have made a decision: "You may think about Austria. The end of the Russo-Prussian War is just a prelude, and the European continent has never been peaceful."

Moltke was taken aback, William I's proposal implied too much content.After all, he had experienced strong winds and waves, and Moltke reacted quickly.

It is no exaggeration to say that the European royal family is one family.William I has contact with the Austrian royal family, that is a normal operation, if there is no contact, there will be a problem.

At this moment, if the Hohenzollern family wants to keep the throne, Austria's support is indispensable, and it is normal for the two parties to have a secret deal.

At this time, Mao Qi realized how hot the invitation letter he had received was.

"I will carefully consider it!"

Chapter 291 Thought Is the Core of Unity

St. Petersburg, with the assassination of Alexander II, the atmosphere of the whole city became tense.

The military and police were constantly dispatched to arrest members of the Revolutionary Party.Prisons are almost overcrowded, but the black hand behind the scenes still hasn't surfaced.

In the Winter Palace, according to the practice of the Russian Empire, Alexandrovich has presided over the overall situation as the crown prince since the death of Alexander II.

Perhaps stimulated by the assassination of his father, Alexandrovich went to the other extreme and stayed at home without going out.

Staying at home does not affect work.The crown prince does not need to go to battle in person to catch the murderer, and there are people below who want to take this opportunity to rise to the top.

……

Alexandrovitch asked: "Has anyone been found?"

Police Minister Nicholas Fedro replied tremblingly: "We found it, but unfortunately our people arrived one step too late, and the suspect is already dead.

On the surface, he committed suicide, but after careful inspection, we found that the deceased had had a fierce psychological struggle before, and should have been forced to commit suicide. "

He couldn't help but be nervous, for such a big case happened, he, the Minister of Police, could hardly escape the blame.It's not terrible to go home and farm, but the terrible thing is that you can't come up with a result for a long time, and you are dealt with by the new tsar as a rebellious party.

Nothing is impossible. There are too many doubts in the assassination of Alexander II. We must come up with a plausible answer and give everyone an explanation.

Politics is cruel. If the real culprit cannot be found out, it is not impossible to find someone to top the tank.

Everyone knows that the Minister of Police Nicholas Federo is a close friend of Alexander II, and it is impossible to plan the assassination, but he is precisely the person who has the ability to complete the silence and cover up the case.

The Police Department was responsible for the security around the Tsar’s trip. On the day of the incident, a large-scale violent smashing incident occurred nearby. Alexander II ordered the police to stop it, creating an opportunity for the assassins.

This responsibility must not be borne by Alexander II, the police department must bear it.A large number of suspects "committed suicide" later, and the police department responsible for investigating the assassination case is even more to blame.

As the boss of the police, Nicholas Federo has practically been unable to get out.Unless the real culprit can be found, his suspicion will not be cleared.

Alexandrovich glared at him fiercely, and scolded: "Trash! Those who knew the truth were killed one by one, and you didn't even find any clues. Maybe someday you will be killed by suicide, and you will know." what?"

Nicholas Federo's face turned blue, his body trembled constantly, as if he might fall down at any time.

"You, too, were killed" has too many meanings.Nicolás Federo admits he is intimidated, and if the crown prince starts to doubt him, it will be over.

evidence?

That's completely overthinking. There are many things in this world that don't need evidence.When it comes to the regicide case, as long as there is a suspect, it doesn't matter whether there is evidence or not.

Seeing the performance of the Minister of Police, Alexandrovich breathed a sigh of relief for no reason.It is right to know that you are afraid. If the Minister of Police remains unmoved, then there is a real problem.

There is no way, Alexander II left too suddenly, and Alexandrovich was completely unprepared to succeed.

It was a last resort to retain his father's former team.Even if he wanted to change someone now, Alexandrovich didn't know who to change.

Is Police Minister Nicolás Federo really incompetent?Obviously not, if it is really a waste, it is impossible to hold a high position.His current performance is unbearable, because he was frightened by the current situation.

As the person involved in this regicide case, if he can still deal with it calmly, he will either have a rock-solid heart, or he will be fearless.

Either way, it was a threat to the soon-to-be successor Alexandrovich.

After a pause, Alexandrovich continued: "Since you can't find it, let someone who is capable do it! I have invited detectives from all over Europe, and you are responsible for your cooperation."

Aren't you afraid of losing face when you invite foreign aid?

The answer is: not afraid!

The emperor was assassinated, and the tsarist government has long since lost face.For Alexandrovich, he couldn't sleep without finding out who was behind it.

Compared with your own safety, face is not so important.In this assassination case, domestic interest groups were obviously involved. Alexandrovich didn't know who was reliable, so he had no choice but to seek foreign aid.

Of course, this is all on the bright side, deliberately done for the outside world to make everyone think that he, the crown prince, is poor.

Secretly, Marshal Ivanov really rushed back with his meritorious ministers to receive the rewards. These talents are the true foundation of the Tsar.

It's not that there are no loyal ministers in St. Petersburg. The problem is that Alexandrovich can't tell who is loyal and who is traitor. For safety's sake, he can only call the army back.

No matter whether the real culprit can be found or not, a big cleanup is indispensable.Unlike the last time Alexander II purges the country, this time there will be blood.

In a sense, after the first Russian-Prussian War, Alexander II’s purges on the grounds of anti-corruption laid the foundation for the subsequent reforms.

It also laid a hidden danger for his own assassination. Since 1871, Alexander II has lived a good life of being assassinated every now and then.

After so many years, the number of assassins hanged by the tsarist government has exceeded four figures, and there is still no resistance to the enthusiasm of those who have lost their interests.

There were so many assassination cases that broke out in the era of Alexander II, but few of them could find the real culprits. Basically, the revolutionaries or patriots were responsible.

If the real culprit cannot be found out, it can actually be speculated.Whose interests have been damaged and need revenge?Who most wanted Alexander II dead?

These two types of people are caught together and checked slowly, and they can always find something.Even if it has nothing to do with this assassination case, finding the real culprit of the previous assassination case is also a good harvest.

Let things go, that doesn't exist.The Russo-Prussian War had just ended, and Alexander II was at the height of his power. If he did not come up with a satisfactory result, Alexandrovich would not be able to explain to the people of his country.

……

Alexander II was assassinated and killed, and the Pude negotiations were first affected.The Berlin government was really panicked, and its original position of not giving up an inch on the territory has also softened.

At this point, the main transaction price disputed by the two parties has actually been settled.

In London, a breakthrough was made in the Purdue negotiations, and the first obstacle to the establishment of North Germany was cleared away, but Prime Minister Benjamin was not happy.

Things went so smoothly, beyond imagination, giving people an unreal feeling.

Putting down the draft contract in his hand, Prime Minister Benjamin said, "Sir Edward, didn't Austria make a move?"

Foreign Secretary Edward: "No, the Austrians took action. It's just that they reacted a little slowly this time and interfered very little.

Maybe they thought they could rely on the German Federal Reichstag to veto the deal, so they didn't rush to do it.

Of course, the sudden assassination of Alexander II was also one of the reasons.According to the information from the embassy, ​​the Vienna government is now focusing most of its energy on the Russian Empire. "

These reasons are still somewhat untenable. No matter how concentrated the energy is, it is impossible to devote all of it to the past. The scattered traces can also increase the difficulty of Pude's negotiation.

Waiting for the imperial parliament to veto it is too passive, not like Austria's style.Moreover, the German Federal Reichstag can also be avoided.

The plan for the North German Empire was also carried out step by step, and the merger of Germany and Prussia was the last step.It has only just begun. It is Hanover that is negotiating with the Kingdom of Prussia, not the German Federal Imperial Government.

Under the unique system of the German Federal Empire, the states had independent diplomatic powers, including the power to conclude treaties with other countries, and transactions between Hanover and Prussia did not require the approval of the Reichstag.

The first step is the territorial transaction, the second step is the alliance between Hanover and the Kingdom of Prussia, the third step is the establishment of the United Kingdom in Puhan, and the last step is the establishment of the North German Empire.

In fact, when Puhan merged, the Kingdom of Prussia had already entered the Federal Empire of Germany, and the Imperial Parliament did not even have the power to stop it.

After the established facts have been created, and then force the Imperial Parliament to agree in turn, the resistance is much smaller.

In theory, a similar thing could be followed by Austria, but in practice it is simply not possible.

In order to survive, the Kingdom of Prussia can put down its figure and lose face, establish a dual system with Hanover as the mainstay, and jointly rule the next North German Empire. It will not work if it is changed to Austria.

Franz couldn't afford to lose this man, and the Austrian people couldn't tolerate such a thing happening.A big country must look like a big country, and it cannot do everything.

Prime Minister Benjamin nodded: "I hope so! Let them speed up the progress of the negotiation, and establish an established fact earlier, so as to avoid further complications."

Doubts are doubts. At this point, even if they know that there is a pit ahead, the London government must jump into it.

Back off at this time, then contribute to Austria's unification of the German region.

People's hearts are the most complicated thing. The London government was able to persuade Prussia and Hanover because everyone was not optimistic that Austria could unify the German region.

If the British shrink back at this time, everyone's thinking will change.Many people think that the London government is afraid of Austria and dare not confront them directly.

Once this kind of thinking arises, everyone will have to reconsider the question of "whether Austria has the strength to unify the German region".

The core of unification lies in ideology. If all Germans believe that Austria has the strength to unify the German region and is willing to join the unified empire, then no one can stop it.

In essence, the reason why the Vienna government did not dare to take this step was because it was worried that it would be besieged by European countries before integrating the German region.

No one can withstand the internal instability and the threat of foreign enemies.Franz didn't think he could accomplish what Napoleon hadn't accomplished back then.

If everyone is thinking about unification, then say nothing.European countries don't even have the motivation to intervene, because interference is useless, and they will still be unified if they are split up.

Now that the British are able to take action to divide, the most important thing is that everyone does not think that Austria has the strength to unify the German region, and many people even think that unification is a dead end.

Even though there are more pro-Austrians in various countries and they know the benefits of great unification, no one dares to take this step.It was against this background that North Germanism grew and flourished.

Chapter 292 I'm going to do something

The Vienna Conference is still going on, and the refugee issue, which should have received much attention, has been subconsciously ignored by everyone.

The Russian representative did not mention it, the Prussian representative pretended to be stupid, and no one asked for help. The international community naturally regarded the matter as over.

I don't know when it started, the main task of the troops on the border between Prussia and Russia changed from combat to suppressing refugee riots.

Since April, the number of refugees fleeing famine to Austria has dropped sharply, and by May almost no border crossing has occurred.

What happened during this period, Franz didn't know, and didn't dare to ask.

According to estimates collected by the Vienna government, the Russo-Prussian War killed at least 400 million people and displaced more than 600 million people.

Including local troops and guerrillas, the Prussian army killed about 176.8 million and disabled 38.2; the Russian army killed about 143.3 million and disabled 67.1; the direct civilian casualties were about 80, most of which were in the Pubo Federation.

It is nothing surprising that the battle losses between Prussia and Russia are so close, a large part of which was contributed by Polish local troops and guerrillas.

Bandits and bandits may also be counted together. There is no way to distinguish these things. The Russian army counts all the resistance armed forces as its record.

After abandoning the Warsaw area, Poland became an enemy war zone. Naturally, there was no such thing as disability. The Russians would not rescue the enemy's wounded. The number of disabled Prussians came from soldiers of the Kingdom of Prussia.

Simply calculating the Kingdom of Prussia, the number of war dead should be around 56.6, plus 38.2 disabled people, approaching the million mark, and adding civilian casualties will cross it.

Taking the population base of more than 1000 million in the Kingdom of Prussia as an example, this war has already wiped out a generation of them.Due to the large loss of young and strong, the labor force has declined sharply, and the development of the Kingdom of Prussia after the war is not optimistic.

In comparison, the Russian Empire is much better.Although they also suffered heavy casualties, compared with the population base of the Russian Empire of 8000 million, the losses on the battlefield were less than 3 percentage points.

Theoretically, the loss of this part of the workforce can be made up for in the next five to ten years.

Of course, accounts cannot be calculated in this way. A large number of young and strong losses will also affect future population growth. This is a persistent problem.

In war, civilians are always the worst sufferers, and this time is no exception.Because of the scorched earth plan of the Russians, the number of refugees increased additionally.

Just because 600 million people have been displaced does not mean that all of them have become refugees.

Those with better economic conditions have fled to other countries for refuge early. This group of people is the least, probably less than 10.

In addition, about [-] people passed the immigration application of Austria and went to settle in the colonies.

Before the fall of Warsaw, the Berlin government was still providing relief to refugees, and some lucky ones found jobs and built new homes.

The number of these people is about 30. Most of them are Rhineland immigrants resettled by the Berlin government before. They have skills and strong survivability.