Holy Roman Empire

In contrast, the land allocated to allies was less particular.Except for Spain's barely finding out historical support, everything else can be considered a defeat.

It's not that Franz doesn't want to give more, the problem is that the allies are limited in size, if they are forced to give them, they might be choked to death.

Moreover, the distribution of benefits must also be fair and must be able to convince the public.If it crosses the line, Austria's hard-won prestige will be gone.

A careful study of the benefit distribution plan shows that the treaty is full of compromise and violence.Except that the Russians' reparations were agreed in advance, the rest were based on their respective contributions.

For example: Spain played soy sauce on the battlefield, except for the previously agreed to recover the lost land, the war reparations received are only symbolic.

And because Belgium suffered heavy losses in the war, its contribution was not small, and it got a lot of territory and compensation.

The German Confederation, which also made a significant contribution, received a share of war reparations second only to Austria because it did not receive territorial compensation.

The Kingdom of Sardinia seems to have acquired a lot of territory, but in fact it was based on the premise that the Principality of Savoy was allocated to Switzerland, which is of a compensatory nature.

Moreover, these benefits are not something their family can eat, and they must be divided with other Italian states in the future.

This is the result of Austria’s deliberate care. Otherwise, the Italian state, which made limited contributions in the anti-French war, would be independent. What more bicycles do you want?

This can be regarded as imitating the nail-burying tactics of the British. It is estimated that the relationship between the Kingdom of Sardinia and Switzerland will not be good in the future, and the relationship with other states will most likely not be good.

Putting down the text of the treaty, Franz asked suspiciously: "Why is there no content about the distribution of colonies?"

It's not that Franz made a fuss. As the third colonial empire in the world, the French have many colonies, and there are many high-quality assets among them.Logically speaking, it should be something that everyone is fighting for, but it is not mentioned in the draft.

Weisenberg explained: "Your Majesty, the colonial issue has indeed been discussed, but everyone has more than enough energy.

Belgium was busy with post-war reconstruction and had no extra energy to manage the colonies; Spain was still engaged in the Philippine War and could not take care of the colonies.

Originally, the Russians wanted to get French Indochina, but unfortunately, the British were eyeing it.We cannot compete with the British in the Far East, let alone the Russians.

The rest of the countries are similar, limited by their national strength, even if the colonial interests are determined at the meeting, they are unable to hold on, so they simply put this part on hold. "

The German Confederation was not mentioned because the German-Austrian annexation was already underway.Now it is only to set off the image of Austria that the German Federation alone participates in the distribution of post-war benefits.

Otherwise, Austria will take too much, which will easily cause everyone's psychological imbalance.

In fact, some people are already feeling unbalanced.Otherwise, there would be no problem of "suspending" colony allocation.

The fattest "French Africa" ​​was swallowed up by Austria, and the remaining French colonies are scattered all over the world, all of which have their own particularities, and are simply not something that everyone can peek at.

Since you can't get it, it's naturally out of sight.Allies do not participate in the distribution of colonies, so Austria naturally cannot force everyone to endorse.

Franz nodded: "Since none of them are willing to participate, then we can solve the colonial issue by ourselves.

In addition to the French Africa that has already been taken, we also need to get the French overseas colony islands as much as possible, as well as the French American part.

As for the French Indochina Peninsula, we can't take care of it for the time being. If the British want it, we can give it to them. Anyway, we can't stop it.

These are small problems, the real trouble is the debt problem of France.

The final war indemnity, whether it is 500 billion or 800 billion, cannot be paid by the French, and debt default will inevitably occur.

These issues must be considered. Once the French default on their debts, what measures should we take and what measures can be taken should be clearly stipulated in the treaty. "

If it is tens of billions of francs, it is estimated that the French government will bite the bullet and get it together. Unfortunately, the anti-French alliance wants Aegis.

Even if the minimum standard of 500 billion Aegis is calculated, it is 18.3 tons of gold, and it may not be possible to get all of it if you sell France.

Not only the principal can not be repaid, but even the interest can not be repaid.Based on the monthly interest rate of 2.5/[-], the monthly interest is [-] million Aegis.

Not to mention the French, even Austria, which is printed with the Aegis, cannot afford this debt.

It doesn't matter if I'm sorry, Franz was not prepared to let the French pay back.With this debt weighed down, Austria has enough reasons to prohibit the French from developing armaments.

In fact, the original space-time French plan to restrict Germany was also correct, but something went wrong when it was implemented, and it killed itself instead.

Prime Minister Karl reminded: "Your Majesty, the amount of this debt is too huge, and it is impossible for the French to pay it back.

Even if the Paris government agrees, the French people will oppose it.Once all the French people boycott, I am afraid that not only will we not get compensation, but we will continue to spend military expenses in it.

For the benefit of the empire, it is best to set a compensation amount within their tolerance.It can not only limit the development of France, but also avoid the pressure of public opinion. "

If you can't afford it, you won't pay it back. Repudiation is no longer news.If it is really urgent, France is likely to enter a long-term state of anarchy, and then there will be guerrillas all over the mountains and plains.

This is the European continent, and many extreme measures cannot be used.If the worst had happened, there was virtually nothing Austria could do.

The so-called military control of France is actually intimidating rather than practical.It is true that the anti-French alliance is strong, but if there is no return, I am afraid that no one is willing to accompany Austria to go crazy.

Franz nodded: "The prime minister is right. The French really cannot afford the compensation. It would be unsightly if they were pushed into a hurry.

However, this amount of compensation was approved by the Anti-French Alliance meeting, which means that most of our allies recognize this figure, and we cannot easily change it.

The Vienna Peace Conference will start in two months, and it will be discussed at the meeting at that time, so that the French can find a way to persuade countries to reduce the amount of compensation.

As long as the French government is willing to disband the army and promise not to develop armaments, we will not make things difficult for them on the issue of reparations. "

Frankly speaking, Franz never thought that such a huge amount of compensation could be passed at the internal meeting of the Anti-French Alliance.

According to the plan in advance, as long as the French can bear the compensation of 30 billion Aegis, Franz will be satisfied.

It's not impossible, it's really meaningless.France, which has lost its overseas colonies and suffered the baptism of war, is no longer the rich and powerful French Empire.

The compensation of 30 billion Aegis, the monthly interest is 1500 million.To collect the monthly indemnity, the nascent French government not only had to disband the army, but also save money.

The huge indemnity was proposed to make the allies oppose it. To be precise, it was to induce the Russians to oppose it, and let the Russians stand on the opposite side of the West, Switzerland, Belgium, and Sarah.

However, the plan did not change quickly. I don’t know if the Russians discovered the plan or were tempted by the huge amount of compensation.In short, the Russian representative did not jump out to object.

No one objected, and it was impossible for Austria to come out against it on its own.The losses brought out by all parties are added together, and then the astronomical compensation comes out.

Fortunately, this is only a draft and there is still room for revision.If a formal treaty is signed, it will force the French government to play dead.

Similar cases also happened in the original time and space.After the First World War, the French proposed a compensation of 6000 to 8000 billion gold marks to the Germans, and then they were cut all the way to 1320 billion gold marks.

In the end, it was found helplessly that the defeated Germans still couldn't afford the indemnity.In order to allow the Germans to pay reparations, the Allied Powers came up with a brain-dead way of repaying debts with industrial products.

It not only saved the industry for the enemy, but also allowed German manufacturing to enter the British and French colonies unimpeded through indemnity.The capital consortium took the opportunity to make a fortune, and the aftermath was that the domestic economy was depressed, and no one invested in the manufacturing industry.

With such a precedent, Franz is naturally extremely vigilant.Always remind yourself that indemnity is only a means to suppress the enemy, not the ultimate goal.

Chapter 227 Flexible Diplomacy

The end of the European War not only means that Austria has won the European hegemony, but more importantly, the sharp sword hanging over Austria no longer exists.

If you look at the "Draft Dealing with the Law", you will know that Austria has fed its allies to the full this time, and it has also filled its hatred.

It is conceivable how bad the relationship between France and Austria will be in the future.But these are minor issues, and there are many countries with a high share of hatred.

The meat you eat cannot be spit out. At this point, if the French want to make a comeback, they must first ask the neighbors if they agree.

Unlike in the old days, when the French could look down on these neighbors before the war, the situation is completely different after the war.

Although the declining Spain is weak, it is big!Now that the rich Roussillon region has been recovered, its strength will be further developed.

The Kingdom of Sardinia, which has just been restored, cannot be expected for the time being, but its development potential is not small. On the issue of anti-French, it still has the support of the Italian states.After a bad experience, you definitely don't want to come again.

Belgium, whose vitality has been severely injured, is not very strong, but it is as deep as the sea of ​​​​French hatred, and it is definitely the vanguard of the anti-French.

Although the national power of Switzerland, a mountainous country, is not great, everyone knows that the famous Swiss mercenaries are definitely tough nuts to crack.

If France wants to make a comeback, no matter which direction it makes a breakthrough, it will be as difficult as climbing the sky.In particular, Austria is still watching covetously from the sidelines, and the movement is a little louder, and it is another anti-French war.

According to the analysis of the think tank, after the war, the combined national strength of the four countries of Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, and Saca would be equal to that of France.As long as the French are not allowed to break through one by one, the blockade is unbreakable.

With the threat of the Western Front gone, the Continent was at peace.As long as Austria does not take the initiative to do things, no one can afford to do things.

As a pacifist, Franz decided to spend less time going out in the years to come, and just stay at home and farm when he has nothing to do.

Well, these are all scams.The truth is that Austria is full and needs to stop and digest.

War is a gold-swallowing beast. Although Austria seems to have won this time easily, the Vienna government is actually heavily in debt.

In order to support this war, Austria not only drained the treasury, but also borrowed 8 million Aegis from the bank, and issued three war bonds to the people, totaling 7.6 million Aegis.

If it's just an increase of more than one billion in debt, it's not worth worrying about Franz.After all, the Vienna government is in a good financial position, and there is no pressure to bear this little debt.

The problem is that the German-Austrian merger has already begun, and other regions do not need much support from Austria, but the reconstruction expenses of the Rhineland region are indispensable.

On this issue, don't expect the German Federal Government to pay for it, they are already heavily in debt.

Not long ago, due to arrears of wages, there was a general strike by public officials. The rubber stamp emperor of Hannover had long since let go.

According to the previous agreement, after the Vienna Peace Conference, George I will announce the dissolution of the Federation and then give up the throne.Anyway, it has nothing to do with me, so naturally it's a broken jar.

In the end, Franz couldn't see it, and supported a sum of money to allow the government to operate normally.

The real unlucky ones are the creditors of the German Federal Government. When the debtor is gone, and no heir to bear the debt can be found, the creditor's rights will naturally disappear.

The following state governments will not admit the debt, and Franz will not admit the debt either.No matter where the lawsuit goes, no one can say that the Holy Roman Empire is the successor of the German Confederation.

Debts may not be inherited, but territories must be received.The Rhineland region is a district directly under the federal government of Germany and does not belong to any state. After the merger, it will naturally become a district directly under the government of Vienna.

Needless to say, since it is a region directly under the central government, the central government will naturally allocate funds for reconstruction.The following states provide a little humanitarian support at most, but they are not legally responsible.

The resettlement of millions of people back home, from food, clothing, housing and transportation to jobs, all need to be resolved by the Vienna government. Thinking about it makes one's scalp tingle.

The construction of new occupied areas was nothing by comparison.Although the cost is also huge, there is no time requirement!

When the locals are repatriated, it becomes a no-man's land, and the Vienna government can develop it whenever it wants.

In addition to these expenses, there is still a huge hole to fill.As the war has progressed to the present, the Austrian army has also paid a heavy price, and the compensation for casualties is also an astronomical sum.

As of now, the Vienna government has issued a cumulative pension of 4.6 million Aegis.This is not the end, it is only a matter of time before the cost exceeds 10 billion.

Now it depends on how much the military achievements can make up for. If the soldiers choose to take cash, it is estimated that the Vienna government is not far from bankruptcy.

Adding all the expenses together, because of this war, the final cost that the Vienna government needs to pay will definitely not be less than 50 billion Aegis.

The direct economic loss caused by the war was as high as 70 billion Aegis, and the indirect economy even exceeded 150 billion Aegis.

It is not unfair at all to let the French pay tens of billions of Aegis simply for economic accounts.

However, the reality is very cruel. No matter how many demands are made, people will have no money if they have no money.Regardless of how high the compensation amount is set, it is only in someone's pocket that they can get it in the end.

If it hadn't harvested a large number of colonies, at the same time cleared the obstacles to the unification of Germany, and established Austria's European hegemony, the Vienna government would have lost its pants in this war.

In this regard, Franz had to thank the French for their wealth.Comparing the World War I in the original time and space, we can see that Britain and France, the victorious countries, lost their pants.

With this unpleasant experience, Franz finally understood why Britain and France had to play appeasement before World War II.It's not that politicians don't know the risks, it's that they can't afford it.

"Peace is fought."The meaning of this sentence can be said to be reflected in the true sense here.

No matter what others think, Austria can't afford it anyway.Fortunately, this war only lasted for one year. If it lasted for three to five years, it would really shake the foundation.

Thinking of this, Franz admired the Tsarist government.The Near East War, the Prussian-Russian War, the Anglo-Russian War...Since Franz succeeded to the throne, the Russian Empire has never experienced peace, and it will happen almost every ten years or so.

After going through so many wars, the tsarist government not only persisted, but the foundation of its rule was not shaken, and even domestic conflicts were even less than in the original time and space.

Of course, the easing of domestic conflicts also comes at a price.The population of the Russian Empire is 2000 million fewer than that of the same period in the original time and space, and the total industrial volume is far less than that of the same period in history. The only things that exceed the original time and space are probably the territory and agriculture.

The overall national strength has declined, but the political power has stabilized.It was supposed to be a joke, but it really happened.

However, if you study history carefully, you will find that similar things happened more than once in history.

After every change of dynasty, a large number of people will die, and then social conflicts will ease. As long as the ruling class does not die, a prosperous age will come.

The situation in the Russian Empire is similar. The tsarist government survived the most dangerous period of the war and became the victor, and now it is natural to enjoy the fruits of victory.

From this point of view, the European continent often waged wars in the Middle Ages, and it was not just the aristocratic lords who were belligerent. It may be that they did not use wars to reduce the population.

……

A wave of unrest, a wave of up again.

When the anti-French alliance was immersed in the victory of the anti-French war, the British were not idle. Taking advantage of the defeat of the French and having no time to worry about overseas, they brazenly sent troops to invade the French Indochina Peninsula.

No, it is not certain that it is an invasion yet.The British took out the colonial transfer agreement signed with the Bonaparte dynasty. If the content is true, it is just an ordinary colonial transaction.

There is no doubt that the defeat on the European continent was so miserable that the French colonial government overseas naturally did not have the determination to resist the British.

Seeing the colonial transfer agreement, regardless of whether it was true or not, the colonial governments surrendered one after another.

No, it should be said that the territory was handed over.Although the British took over the colony, the French army was not disarmed, let alone entered a prisoner of war camp.

The triumphant progress overseas has not comforted the British government.Seeing the day of the Vienna Peace Conference approaching day by day, the smile on Gladstone's face became less and less.

No matter how much you eat overseas, it is just leftovers.The power of the anti-French alliance could not be extended, so they took advantage of it.

Such cheapness does not make any sense to the current international situation.Britain, which was already isolated, became even more isolated.

The original allies and younger brothers all don't exist now.It can only be said that the advantages of the anti-French alliance are too obvious. No matter how the London government woos them, no European country will stand with them.

Gladstone, who was planning to do something at the Vienna Peace Conference, is no longer interested.The current international situation is very obvious. As long as the anti-French alliance is not disbanded, the European continent will not have their say.

Foreign Secretary George: "According to the news from the embassy in Vienna, the closed-door meeting of the anti-French alliance has ended. The specific content is temporarily unknown, but they have expelled the French.