Holy Roman Empire

With the lessons learned by Louis XVI, whoever dares to talk to the emperor about delegating power, then prepare to enjoy special care!

……

Seeing everyone from the cabinet coming, Napoleon IV on the hospital bed waved his hands and said weakly: "You are all here, find a seat for yourself, and then let's start!"

"Your Majesty, your body?"

Prime Minister Terence Bulkin said hesitantly.It can be seen that Napoleon IV is in a very bad state, and Terrence Bulkin is very worried that the emperor will not be able to stand the stimulus.

Napoleon IV shook his head with a wry smile: "It's okay, I can bear it. It's all at this point, how bad can it be?"

For the first time since birth, Napoleon IV felt hopeless.Even when the rebels swept Paris, he had never been so desperate.

"Preliminary judgment, the sudden declaration of war by the Russians on us this time is an Austrian conspiracy. No information has been revealed in advance, and it is obvious that the enemy wants to catch us by surprise.

The government is responsible for this. Knowing the existence of the Russia-Austria alliance, it still credulously believes in the judgment of the British. It is wishful thinking that the Russians do not want to see Austria grow bigger.

With the addition of the Russians, we will face even greater military pressure in the ensuing war.In order to deal with this unfavorable situation, the cabinet has just sent a telegram for help to the British.

The lips are dead and the teeth are cold, and the British don't want to see the European continent dominate.If they don't want to face the Russian-Austrian alliance alone, the British should be on our side. "

As a politician, Terrence Bulkin did not forget to downplay his responsibility when analyzing the problem.

It seems to be taking the initiative to take responsibility, but it is actually telling Napoleon IV: This is not because the cabinet is incompetent, the international situation is complicated, and we just made a mistake that normal people would make.

In theory, the Russians are enough friends if they don't hold back Austria.It is obviously unscientific to take the initiative to enter the field and help Austria win the European hegemony.

Unfortunately, politics has never been scientific.The old enemies of Britain and France can stand together, and the Russians' operations are nothing.

After listening to the prime minister's report, Napoleon IV asked plainly, "Is there any good news?"

The Russians were at war, he knew it before he passed out.Napoleon IV knew how serious the consequences would be.

In this context, it is natural to need good news to soothe the mood.The news that the success or failure of the British is unknown is definitely not good news.

Prime Minister Terrence Bulkin responded accordingly: "The Anglo-Russian War has just ended, the Tsarist government is fighting a famine, and the war funds can only be paid in advance by Austria.

According to the information from the embassy, ​​the tsarist government has not yet prepared for war, and the Russians will not be able to send troops in a short time.

This creates an opportunity for us. As long as we win the Central European battle before the Russians send troops to join the war, everything has room for maneuver. "

Is this all good news?

In the eyes of Napoleon IV, this is clearly a gamble.If the bet is won, then this war will continue; if the bet is lost, then there is no need to say anything, and you can prepare to run away!

However, it was this gamble that became France's only hope.As for British support, no one could count on the Royal Navy to bring warships ashore.

In a purely land war, with the pocket version of the British army, even if it is expanded five times, it will not be able to reverse the balance of strength between the two sides.

Although not very satisfied, it is better to have a way than to have no way.How can you know if you don't try it yourself?

……

Madrid, since the defeat of the Armada, Spain has started a century of decline.

Decaying religion, the feudal system, the chaotic political situation in the country, and the deliberate suppression of Britain and France in the world are all the keys to the decline of Spain.

Especially in the last anti-French war, Spain, as the victorious country, not only lost a large number of overseas colonies, but even the request to recover the disputed territory with France was ruthlessly rejected.

Time is like a knife, after decades of wear and tear, these humiliation and hatred have already faded away.

If there is no accident, it will become a cold history in a few decades, lying quietly in a corner of the library, only historians will occasionally read it.

An accident happened. After the outbreak of the European Continental War, Austria set off a wave of anti-French in Europe.These forgotten old things have once again entered people's sight.

Today is different from the past. Spanish nationalism has risen. Although politics is still dominated by conservatives, nationalists also have the ability to make their voices heard.

Thanks to the efforts of the nationalists, the voice of revenge continued to appear in the society, especially after the French army suffered setbacks on the battlefield, it fueled the arrogance of the main combat faction.

However, this was not enough. The conservatives in power were still immersed in the shadow of Napoleon's sweep of the European continent, and did not dare to cross the border at all.

In this context, Austria's plan to win over Spain naturally did not go well.Apart from persuading the Spanish government to limit exports to France and giving the French a little bit of eye salve, there was little to gain.

All this changed with the news that the Russians had entered the war.

The tsarist government is going to declare no war, but the outside world doesn't know!Russians also want to save face. It is enough to do this kind of thing a little bit, but it would be embarrassing to say it out.

Affected by the participation of the Russians in the war, the European world is generally optimistic about the anti-French alliance, and Spain is naturally no exception.

The neutral faction, which was originally on the sidelines, has now turned to the main battle faction, and the voice of the main battle gradually overwhelms the main peace faction.

There is no way, the anti-French alliance has become a general trend, and Spain can become a victorious country just by playing soy sauce after joining it.

Plus, Austria gave too much.Throwing the map of the French over directly, and choosing whichever one you like, it is really hard to refuse.

In the Royal Palace of Madrid, the war faction and the peace faction were once again caught in a fierce quarrel.

The Regent, Queen Maria Christina, had been neutral on this issue in order to avoid suspicion due to her Austrian origin.

Seeing that the quarrel escalated into a scolding war, the Queen Mother Maria Christina finally couldn't help it: "Shut up, pay attention to your identities, don't make it like a racetrack!

The Russians have already joined the war, and I asked you to come here today to discuss how we should choose, not to hear you quarreling here. "

Being neutral does not mean that you have no position. Although you did not say it directly, everyone still knows that Queen Maria Christina is inclined to Austria.

Maybe before the situation is clear, Maria Christina will not take the straw for Austria, but the situation is different now. It is only a matter of time before the anti-French alliance wins, and Spain must stand in line.

Continuing to remain neutral seems to mean that neither should offend, but in fact it is also disgusting.There is nothing now. After the European war is over, it will be their turn to be unlucky.

Neutrality also requires a prerequisite, either one's own strength is strong, so one does not need to stand in line;

Unfortunately, Spain in decline is neither.If you don't stand in line now, after the European war is over, you will inevitably be suppressed by the hegemony.

Foreign Secretary Bernard Roberts: "The situation in the continental war is now clear, and with the Russians entering the war, the chances of the French winning are almost zero.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that the purpose of Austria's wooing us now is not simply for the war against France, but more for rebuilding the international order after the war.

Not only us, except for the British, all neutral countries in Europe are within Austria's wooing range.

It's just that because of geopolitics, we need to pay more and go to war with the French.However, the pay and benefits are directly proportional, and the Vienna government is sincere in the distribution of benefits. "

Standing in line is always the most troublesome problem, but Spain has no confidence to refuse.Rejecting Austria's wooing now means severing oneself from the future European political system.

"It's not that serious. Even if Austria won the war, they would not be able to cover the sky with one hand. The British, Russians, and French will not let them do whatever they want.

On the contrary, it is more dangerous to participate in this war. Everyone knows how powerful France is.We must not forget the lessons of the last anti-French war.Regardless of the strength of the anti-French alliance, it is not certain who will win in the end.

Spain can no longer afford to toss, even if they want to stand in the team, it will have to wait for them to decide the winner. "

The speaker was the Marquis Wangari Maathai, the leader of the conservative faction. Since he personally participated in the last anti-French war and witnessed the tragedy of Spain's defeat, he suffered from serious "law phobia".

Not only him, but everyone who experienced the last anti-French war is a "French-phobic" patient and belongs to the most staunch anti-war faction of the Spanish government.

"Your Excellency the Marquis, you are still stuck in the last anti-French war, France is not the same without Napoleon.

Just look at the battlefield: in Africa, they were beaten all the way by Austria; on the southern front, the French army was also suppressed by Austria; the only battlefield in Central Europe that seemed to have the upper hand did not actually take advantage of it.

If the French hadn't expelled the people of the Rhineland and Belgium, increased the logistical pressure of the anti-French alliance, and delayed the decisive battle, perhaps they would have been defeated long ago.

Now that the Russians have joined the anti-French alliance again, in the face of absolute strength, how can the French come back?Even if Napoleon was as powerful, he was not defeated in the end.

It is indeed safe to stand in line at the end, but when the benefits are redistributed in the future, we will lose our share.

Don't expect someone to check and balance Austria after the war. The current international situation is different. It is unknown whether there will be France after the war.

Don't forget, Austria promised us that France's territory can be chosen. Obviously they are going to carve up or dismember France.

If you don't get involved, you'll miss out on this opportunity..."

Chapter 2 and Five

Compared with Spain, Switzerland sandwiched between Fao is even more tragic.There is no need to think about being neutral, small countries have no right to choose.

If it is said that Austria wooed Russia and the West because of political needs, then it wooed Switzerland purely to make up the numbers.

It doesn't matter if you don't stand in line, Austria is peace-loving and will not force everyone to join.It's just that the post-war international order was established, and non-participating countries didn't have to participate.

Regardless of the fact that in the original time and space Switzerland was very happy to be neutral, even the European Union was too lazy to join. It was based on the rise of the United States and the decline of Europe.

Among other things, with a food embargo, Switzerland will starve in less than a year; with a tariff barrier, Switzerland's nascent industry will soon return to the Middle Ages.

There is no doubt that postwar Austria is absolutely capable of doing this.Whether it is the defeated France or the independent Kingdom of Sardinia, it is impossible to confront Switzerland and Austria.

To put it bluntly, a hegemonic country also needs to stand up.Generally speaking, a chicken will be chosen and killed to scare the monkey.Austria is no exception, the only uncertainty now is who will be the unlucky chicken.

The first way for a small country to survive is to know the current affairs.After Spain declared war on France, the Swiss government, unable to withstand the pressure, immediately declared war on the French.

The members of the anti-French alliance have assembled, and Austria has finally assembled an unrivaled situation, even if the British end up in person, there is nothing they can do to recover.

In the Palace of Vienna, looking at the map full of small flags, Franz said slowly: "The time for the decisive battle has come. With the participation of Russia, Spain, and Switzerland, the morale of the French army has dropped to the lowest point.

To order the frontline troops to launch a full-scale counter-offensive, I have only one request, to weaken the strength of the French as much as possible.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continued to work hard to bring down all the neutral countries in Europe before the French surrendered, so as to lay the foundation for the reconstruction of the international order after the war.

Except, of course, the British. "

True, all along Franz did not count on the strength of these new allies.

There are only two main purposes of pulling them in:

First, bind more countries on the chariot, create as many enemies as possible for the French, and let everyone share the hatred together.

The second is to hit the morale of the French, weaken the French's sense of resistance, increase the odds of victory for the decisive battle, and minimize the casualties of one's own side.

Of course, there are even more side benefits.There are only so many countries in the European continent. There are more countries participating in the war, but fewer countries that can become mediators. Even if the British want to interfere, they will not be able to attract enough allies.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg: "Your Majesty, there are now only three neutral countries left on the European continent, and they have almost no interest in the French.

The lure is not realistic at all. If they are forced to declare war on France, they may be forced to agree due to the situation, but they will definitely be dissatisfied in their hearts.

At the same time, we will also leave an impression of domineering to the outside world, which is not conducive to the establishment of the post-war international order.

Anyway, their strength is limited, and participating in the war will not bring practical significance, so it is better to let them go. "

There is no doubt that these three neutral countries do not include Britain.Since the deterioration of Anglo-Russian relations, the Austrian government has subconsciously excluded the British from the European continent.

Looking at the map, Franz nodded thoughtfully.The current neutral countries are Portugal, the Netherlands and the Nordic Federation.Even if they participated in the battle, they would have no chance to go to the battlefield.

Not only them, but even Franz from Russia and Xirui are not prepared to give them a chance to participate in the decisive battle.

Because of geographical location, if West and Switzerland react quickly, there may be a chance to join in the fun and participate in the game of beating the dog in the water. Other countries that do not border each other don't have to think about it.

The French have a solid family background, and although participating in the decisive battle requires paying a certain price, it is not worth mentioning at all compared to the huge benefits.

It's not easy to be the boss, especially when distributing benefits. If you want to convince everyone, the most basic fairness must be achieved.

Franz has already made a plan to implement the principle of reciprocity between benefits and contributions, and take as much spoils of war as he has contributed to the anti-French war.

For those who have made little contribution, except for the originally promised benefits, the rest of the benefit distribution has nothing to do with them.

This is impossible. Austria wants to monopolize French Africa, so naturally it cannot allow too many countries to participate in the decisive battle, otherwise it would be too ugly to eat alone.

In addition, there is another purpose to show the muscles to the outside world, so that everyone understands that this boss is well-deserved, not just a show, and keep his eyes bright when doing things in the future.

……

On the Central European battlefield, the elderly Marshal Patrice McMahon dragged his tired body for the final mobilization.

Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that the old marshal was about to run out of oil and his lights were dying.If it is not supported by a strong belief, perhaps he has fallen.

Since the news of the Russians' participation in the war came, despair spread in the French camp, especially the Italian soldiers who made the most noise, and some people even blatantly spread anti-war ideas in the barracks.

In order to stabilize the morale of the army, McMahon immediately ordered the suppression and executed hundreds of people before stabilizing the situation.

Iron and blood methods can shock people's hearts, but they can't restore morale.Maybe the domestic officials don't understand, but the generals on the front line know that the French army has fallen into a situation of internal and external troubles.

"Presumably you all know that the international situation suddenly changed, the Russians declared war on us, and Spain and Switzerland also jumped out to add insult to injury.

This is just the beginning. If we cannot defeat the enemy in front of us on the battlefield and crush the enemy's ambition, then more enemies will jump out in the future.

France has reached the most dangerous moment, and now we need to take up arms and defend our homeland.

Regardless of their numbers, they are actually a bunch of mobs.As long as the leading Austria is defeated, the international anti-French forces will retreat.

......"

Marshal Patrice McMahon used his resonant voice to instill chicken soup for the soul that he could not even believe in, just to inspire everyone's belief and win a chance for France.

As for the effect, the beholder sees benevolence, and the wise see wisdom.

Perhaps the Russians are far away, and they will be out of reach for a while; but Spain and Switzerland are right next door to them, and even if the two countries do not send troops, they will still contain a large number of French troops.

Fortunately, Spain is separated by the Pyrenees Mountains. It only needs to deploy a dozen or 20 French troops to guard the gate.

Switzerland is different. The area bordering France and Switzerland is flat, and the natural dangers are all in Switzerland.Once the Austrian army broke out from Switzerland, it directly entered the heart of France.