Holy Roman Empire

With the birth of a large number of state-owned enterprises and the implementation of the "Labor Protection Law", the working class has breathed a sigh of relief, and everyone's life has become much easier.

Thanks to the long-term positive publicity of the newspapers, Franz's reputation among the people is still very good, and the people look forward to him, the young monarch.

The face of the Habsburg family is still big enough. All the major European nobles sent heavyweights to participate in this grand ceremony. For a while, Vienna was full of dignitaries.

Franz finally realized what the lower half of the Fort family is. The real relatives are all over the European continent, and the messy relationship is hard to figure out.

Fortunately, Europe doesn’t care much about seniority, otherwise Franz would be dumbfounded, because from different perspectives, the relationship between relatives is not the same, it is possible that one person is yours at the same time: second uncle, third uncle, younger nephew, cousin ...

This is due to the unstable situation in the European continent, and many nobles stayed in the country to preside over the overall situation, otherwise Vienna would be even more lively.

The capitalists must be grateful to Franz. His enthronement ceremony directly raised the commercial prosperity of Vienna to a higher level.

These guests who came to participate in the grand ceremony were all big shots, and they had to bring a few younger brothers with them when they went out. Now Vienna has suddenly added tens of thousands of high-quality customers with strong purchasing power, and the business will not be prosperous.

On September 9st, this commemorative day, God was very generous and seemed to be taking care of his faithful believers.

Today, the sky in Vienna is extraordinarily high, the air is extraordinarily cool, and the wind is extraordinarily soft.There is neither the heat of summer nor the biting cold of winter, and the land is full of greenery.

On this sunny day, Franz ascended the throne of Austrian Emperor in Hofburg, and Austrian history opened a new page.

Franz didn't want to comment on how the sacred enthronement ceremony was going. He only felt one thing now—tired.

First, he went through the enthronement process like a puppet, and then went to receive a group of distinguished guests, which made him exhausted.

In the evening, when he returned to his bedroom, Franz felt a sense of emptiness.The magnificent Vienna Palace seemed unable to make him feel any warmth.

The emperor is destined to be lonely. A great emperor must abandon unnecessary emotions, which are also part of the political system.

The emperors were lonely in decision-making and reform in terms of emotion, politics and thought. They also honed a hard heart and tolerance in loneliness.

Continental Europe is a little better, and the internal strife in the royal family is not so serious.Under normal circumstances, there is no need to worry about brothers and sisters seeking power and usurping the throne. This is the only good news.

Franz was lucky. There were two younger brothers and a younger sister. The younger sister who died early did not need to be considered. He met God before he crossed over. Naturally, there was no relationship. The remaining brothers The sisterhood is very good.

Based on the fact that the younger brother is used to cheat, the two teenagers, Massimiliano and Karl Ludwig, were pushed out by Franz to greet the guests, which is also the responsibility of the royal family members.

Forget about the last sister, Franz didn't want to ask for trouble.Princess Ludwig Victor is just 6 years old, she is lively and active, and pranks are one of her hobbies.

Like his father, Archduke Karl, Franz liked this porcelain doll-like younger sister very much and indulged her very much, which made Mrs. Sophie, who wanted to train her into a qualified princess, a headache.

Looking at the extra gifts in the room, Franz's cold heart melted, and he opened the exquisite gift box, which contained a fat little clay figurine.

The clay figurine is wearing what could be a hat, or a crown, who knows?

Picking up the small note next to it and looking at the content on it, Franz felt a bit dumbfounded.According to the letter, this clay figurine is Franz's tall image in his sister's mind.

It’s okay to make a clay figurine fat, but you can’t demand too much from inferior products. What’s the matter if you’re missing an arm?Is his elder brother a disabled person?

Franz can only throw this pot to the Renaissance. After the European Renaissance, many European statues lack arms and short legs, which is called the beauty of defects.

This does not teach the next generation that incompleteness is beauty, so this piece of work by Princess Ludwig Victor is no exception.

After making up his mind to correct people's wrong aesthetics, Franz was already lying on the bed and fell asleep quickly.There is still work to be done tomorrow, and young people have not yet reached the time to enjoy it.

……

The next day, Franz got up early in the morning as usual, and it was obvious that he was in a good mood. He wandered around the Vienna Palace, taking the place of today's training by the way.

As one of the three most famous palaces in Europe, the Palace of Vienna is still very beautiful.All you can see are dazzling enamel-painted window lattices, and lifelike marble reliefs, like Rodin's hands, Michel's soul, Da Vinci's aura, and Raphael's free and easy...

"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers seek to see you."

The crisp voice of the maid Jenny rang in Franz's ears, and he was still a little uncomfortable. Before yesterday, he was His Highness, but now he has become His Majesty.

This discomfort disappeared in a flash, and Franz responded, "Please come over!"

Early in the morning, Prime Minister Felix came to the door with the cabinet. Obviously, there was something important, otherwise they would not be so reckless.

"Sit down, Jenny asked the kitchen to prepare more breakfast."

Franz knew that most of the people who came so early were hungry. As a good leader, he naturally cared about the lives of his subordinates.

"Tell me, what happened, you came here in such a hurry?" Franz asked

In order for the enthronement ceremony to proceed smoothly, the Austrian government is implementing a steady policy. It can be said that the country is peaceful and the people are safe, and nothing major will happen.

Prime Minister Felix replied with a gloomy face: "Your Majesty, our secret investigation of church assets will soon be exposed. A relevant document in the cabinet was stolen yesterday and is now missing."

Hearing the news, Franz's good mood disappeared instantly.The timing of this news was not leaked, the church was deeply entrenched, and the investigation of their assets could not be completed overnight.

This is not to suppress the rebels, you can directly arrest people and ransack their homes. It is impossible for the Austrian government to be so rude to these church members.

Franz just wants their money, not his life. The people also need spiritual sustenance, and they cannot be beaten to death with a stick.

After the news is leaked, it will be difficult to investigate slowly.There are many ways to transfer and conceal property, and these people have realized that after cleaning up the first and last, the Austrian government will not get much in the end.

Franz thought for a while and said: "Then let's act early, anyway, we don't expect to drain the church's oil and water, just confiscate their illegal property and get it back.

It's easy to hide, the church's land can't be hidden, right?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs talked with His Majesty the Pope and asked him to issue an order to order the churches in Austria to sell all their land to the government, and the money would be used as military expenses to save the Papal State. "

The opportunity is rare, and now Pius IX is exiled overseas by the revolutionaries.Franz was just crowned yesterday and happens to be in Vienna right now.A naked exchange of benefits, I am not afraid that he will refuse.

As for the damage to the interests of the Austrian Church, what does it matter to the Pope?

The Papal State is the foundation of Pius IX. The interests of the Austrian Church have been damaged, and the biggest loss is a group of local bishops. It is nothing at all to pay a little price to regain the Papal State.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Metternich replied

Using the pope to deal with the church is the best way. As long as they have a righteous name, the Austrian government can easily force these bishops to compromise.

What the Austrian government wants is the property of the church, not their personal property, which is not enough to make them desperate.

The domestic rebellion has just been suppressed, and many people in Austria have been murdered. The nobles are in awe of the government, and this is the best opportunity to start.

"Your Majesty, why don't you call bishops from all over the world to come to Vienna for a meeting in the name of the Pope, and announce this decision to them, and whoever objects to it will let Pius IX remove him from the position of bishop." Prime Minister Felix suggested

Obviously, in the era of the decline of religious power, the pope is no longer so high.Prime Minister Felix did not take Pius IX seriously at all. If Austria is willing, it is not too difficult to change the Pope.

Now the Austrian government gives Pius IX the respect, it is because everyone has cooperated happily before, as a Catholic country, respect the Pope.

After hearing Felix's words, "Hongmen Banquet" instantly appeared in Franz's mind. Bishops are not hereditary, and the Holy See has the right to dismiss them.

Although up to now, the appointment and removal of bishops are mostly decided by the local church, and the Holy See is just going through the motions.

Now that the Austrian government needs it, this right can be returned to the Pope in a short time.

Those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish.

Anyone who is smart knows that once they are deposed from the position of bishop, their bad things will be wiped out by the Austrian government in the shortest time, and there is only one word waiting for their result-death.

"Okay, let's do it!"

Franz nodded and said, the problem can be solved by civilized people's methods, so why bother to be so bloody?

The greed and corruption of the church has a long history. As a pseudo-Catholic, he has no intention of cleaning up the house for God.

Chapter 2 Open the door to the Russians

Franz's breakfast is very simple, with bread, jam, milk, and some fruits and vegetables, which is almost the standard of the middle class.

It's just that the coffee was replaced with milk. Perhaps due to the influence of his previous life, Franz has no love for coffee, and he even prefers black bread.

The black bread in the palace is naturally different from the black bread with messy things added in the outside world. At the request of Franz, melon seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts were added...

There are more people today, so the kitchen preparations are naturally richer, with coffee, sandwiches, butter, pastries, and ham added.

Everyone has different taste preferences, and breakfast is also chosen according to your own taste.The relationship between monarchs and ministers in Europe is different from that in the East. Everyone is very casual when dining, and there is no such cautiousness.

After breakfast, everyone has their schedules, and they all go to work for the day.

"Your Majesty, your appointment with Grand Duke Alexander Nikolaevich is coming soon," the maid Jenny reminded

Grand Duke Alexander Nikolaevich is the eldest son of Nicholas I, the famous Alexander II in history, who completed the reform of Russian serfdom.

This is also a master of learning, mastering four foreign languages: English, German, French, and Polish, and is the best educated among all the tsars of the Russian Empire.

Alexander Nikolaevich and Franz Jie have many similarities. Both of them have received military training since they were young, and they both have the temperament of soldiers in their behavior. At the same time, they are both academic masters.

Birds of a feather flock together and people are divided into groups. Two people who originally shared a common language should become friends. Unfortunately, after the outbreak of the Crimean War, the two sides stood on opposite sides.

Now history is naturally about to change. Far and near attacks are not necessarily correct. Austria, which is in the field of the Fourth World War, must have at least one stable ally.

At present, the best choice is Russia.Although Mao Xiong is greedy and greedy, it is difficult to take advantage of his interests when he is an ally with them.

However, the alliance of this kind of imperial country is more reliable than the British who only look at the interests. The tsar's personal thoughts can sometimes override the national interests, and the possibility of being stabbed in the back is much lower.

Franz has decided to give up the struggle for hegemony in the Near East. If the Russians want to occupy Constantinople, let them go. It doesn't matter to Austria if the interests of the Balkans are more or less.

Of course, the most important thing is that Russia is also full of internal contradictions. It is already a paper tiger with a strong outside and a weak inside. Before solving internal problems, it is impossible to really grow bigger.

……

In September in Vienna, the wind is cool after autumn, the rain is cool after autumn, and the weather is cool for autumn.The earth presents a gratifying harvest scene, which makes people feel relaxed and happy, and makes people sing and dance.But at the same time, it makes people feel lost and makes people think calmly.

People who can talk to each other on an equal footing are naturally very casual when getting along.It is not the first time that Alexander has come to Austria, having visited Vienna as early as 1838.

It's just that Franz was still a kid at the time, and the two sides had met each other, and they had a little impression of each other, but they couldn't talk about friendship.

As Emperor Franz, it is impossible to be a tour guide for others, of course, if the visitor is a beautiful princess, there should be an exception.

Alexander has already begun to get in touch with Russian government affairs, and the crown prince also has a great say in politics. The meeting between the two is also because of politics.

After a while of pleasantries, the two sides entered the topic of today's conversation.

"Russia and Austria have a long history, and it is necessary for us to conduct more in-depth communication on international issues to achieve win-win cooperation as much as possible.

The Ottoman Empire is declining, and Russia and Austria should reach an agreement on the Near East issue as soon as possible, so as not to leave an opportunity for Britain and France. ’ suggested Franz

Compared with the Ottoman Empire at its peak, the Ottoman Empire in this period is indeed in decline, but their nature of being strong outside but capable in the middle has not been exposed, and the great powers have not set off a frenzy to carve up the Ottoman Empire.

"Of course, the Ottoman Empire is our common enemy, and it is natural to attack the enemy quickly. They are undergoing internal reforms, and once the reforms are completed, they will not be so easy to deal with." Alexander said seriously

"Are the Russians ready to attack the Ottoman Empire now?"

This doubt flashed in Franz's mind. The Russo-Turkish war came once every ten years on average, and the time was almost up again.

"In this case, Alexander, why don't we first divide the spheres of influence between the two countries in the Balkans, so as not to cause unnecessary conflicts and affect the relationship between the two countries." Franz suggested.

Carve up the Balkans?Alexander's face changed drastically, which meant that Austria no longer opposed Russia's expansion to the Near East.

Soon Alexander figured it out, because of the British intervention in the Ossa War that had just ended, Austria gave up its expansion in Italy.

Then there is not much room for Austria to choose, either continue to unify the German region westward, or march towards the Balkan Peninsula.

If the German region was so easy to unify, the Habsburg dynasty would have unified Germany long ago, so why wait until now?

In order to unify the German region, the Habsburg dynasty wiped out the empire that never sets.A large part of Spain's decline was due to the fact that too much money was spent participating in the melee of the German princes, and there was no development of industry.

"No problem, in order to save the people in the Balkans from the evil Ottoman Empire, our two countries must cooperate sincerely." Alexander said straightforwardly

The specific interest sharing negotiations are obviously not something that can be completed in a few words. Even if it is because of this issue, it is not surprising that the two countries have talked for two or three years.

"Although it is important to save the people in the Balkans, the friendship between our two countries is equally important. I suggest supporting each other's core interests. If there is a conflict, we can make up for it elsewhere." Franz proposed

"Is Austria willing to support Russia's acquisition of the Black Sea Strait?" Alexander couldn't help asking

The Black Sea Strait is not just Constantinople. The Russians want to go a step further, even paying attention to the Asia Minor peninsula.

"Of course, Austria has no interest in the Black Sea Straits. This is not our goal. As an ally, we have no reason to hinder the actions of the Russian Empire!" Franz said straightforwardly

He is not afraid of Russian greed, but of Russian indifference.Now Britain and Russia stand side by side in the European continent. Relying on the prestige gained in the anti-French war, the Russians claim to be the number one army power in Europe.

Strength + interests are the best catalysts for ambition. Watching the British open up colonies overseas and make a lot of money, the Russians are no longer reconciled to only controlling land power.

Russia's sea area is very large, but unfortunately most of the area is covered with ice and snow. The ports in the Arctic Ocean are frozen for a long period of time every year, and there is no environment for the development of the navy at all.

The only areas where it is possible to develop the navy are the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea. The Russians have failed in their actions in the Baltic Sea, and now they have set their sights on the Black Sea.

No need to think about it, anyone with a little military common sense knows that the Black Sea Strait controlled by the Ottoman Empire is in the way, and Russia must first kick this stumbling block before going to the sea.

Hearing the definite answer, Alexander's heart was not as calm as he appeared on the surface.

Austria actually released restrictions on Russia. This is different from history. In this time and space, Austria did not ask Russia to suppress the domestic revolution, and naturally there is no need to make compromises.

"Frantz, Austria has completely changed its national policy. What do you want to achieve? The Danube River Basin?" Alexander asked

It's no wonder that Alexander is so excited. With the support of Austria, who can stop Russia from obtaining the Black Sea Strait?

The French are still busy fighting among themselves. They don't even have the time to carve up the kingdom of Sardinia, which is close at hand. How can they stop the Russians from joining the Mediterranean hegemony?

Ottomans?British?

Even if the British fully supported the Ottoman Empire, the Russians would not be discouraged. Don't say that the Russians took them at sea, but the Russians on land were unprecedentedly confident.