Holy Roman Empire

If you didn't take us as scapegoats, I'm afraid the French army wouldn't be able to withdraw so completely! said Major General Oliver with a sneer.

"I'm afraid we can't blame us for this. The 20 reinforcements promised by your government should have arrived [-] days ago, and there is still no sign of it. If it weren't for the delay of this army, it would be impossible to lose this battle.

Now that you have come to this point, you are also to blame.It was the wrong information you provided that directly misled the military deployment of the coalition forces and caused this failure. "Emable Jean-Jacques Pélissier remarked

……

Who wouldn't throw the pot away?At a critical moment, it must be that the dead friends are not dead and poor. Without the coalition troops in the rear to stop the Russians from pursuing, can the French army withdraw in such a complete way?

If it had been notified in advance, the British would have run away.The part of the Russian army they blocked came from the flanks, and the French army might be completely annihilated.

Even if the French army is open, if there are enemy troops in front and chasing troops behind, half of the troops can run out, that is God's blessing.

It is much better now. The French army has only paid more than 2 casualties, and they have fished out all the main forces.

With the fire cover of the navy, these French troops can defend Constantinople. From the perspective of the interests of the French, Emable Jean Jacques Pélissier's decision is not wrong.

It's just that the sequelae are quite serious. Except for the Sardinians who have been paddling, the main force of the coalition forces on the Balkan Peninsula is only the French.

The Ottoman Empire became the biggest loser, directly losing all the underpants.After receiving the news, King Abdul Mejid I fainted from anger.

However, the Ottoman government had no place to vent their anger. Unlike Oliver, they did not have the support of the British Empire behind them.

Now the French have the final say in the Balkans, and Emable Jean-Jacques Pélissier will kill people if he is anxious. Do you still expect the Sudanese government to succeed?

Whether they are willing or not, this scapegoat is decided.As long as the French keep Constantinople, the London government will acquiesce to this result.

Interests are always more important than the truth. Even if he vomits blood, the Sudanese government has to continue to rely on the French.

The financial revenue of the Ottoman Empire's seventh floor and above came from the Balkan Peninsula, and most of the industries were gathered around Constantinople. (Istanbul area)

Losing the Balkan Peninsula, the strength of the Ottoman Empire is not as good as that of Sweden and Belgium. This consequence is not something the Sudanese government can bear.

……

Emable Jean-Jacques Pélissier's approach was a military success, but it brought endless troubles to the Paris government politically.

Of course, Napoleon III himself was willing to face this kind of trouble.It is the lesser harm of both sides, and the troubles in international politics affect the interests of France; it is better than losing on the battlefield and shaking his own ruling foundation.

Having learned a lot from a pitfall, Major General Oliver now admires his predecessor's foresight very much, and now he firmly opposes joint operations with the French.

The London government was also dissatisfied with the French's actions and put political pressure on Napoleon III to give them an explanation.

With the British taking the lead, the Ottoman Empire naturally followed suit.Under pressure from his allies, Napoleon III made concessions.

On the following Balkan battlefield, the French army independently assumed the important task of blocking the Russians and guarding Constantinople; the British and Sardinians were responsible for taking care of Greece and Montenegro;

There is no doubt that the British will bear 50% of the war funds, and France and Ottomans will each share 25%. If there is no money, the British consortium will provide loan business.

The clear division of combat tasks resolved the internal contradictions of the coalition forces, and at the same time cast a shadow over the upcoming Crimean War.

……

In just over two months, Prime Minister Felix has traveled all over more than 20 states in Germany, and now he has come to Frankfurt, the seat of the Federal Parliament.

After such a long period of diplomatic efforts, Prime Minister Felix has achieved something. At least a few free cities have declared their support for the "Holy Roman Empire".

This is not surprising, these free cities are the areas most affected by nationalism, and their governments themselves are most affected by public opinion.

The remaining states either expressed opposition or hesitated.In short, everyone is a smart person, and they are all looking for excuses to delay, and no one is stupid to express their opposition to the unification of the German region.

The Kingdom of Prussia is not idle either. Their representatives often arrive before Felix and communicate with the governments of various countries in advance to jointly oppose the reconstruction of "Shinra".

The high-level situation is not clear to the people. Most German people are optimistic about peaceful reunification. The reason is very simple-no state government has directly opposed it.

The people are free to express their opinions, but the state government dare not talk nonsense. It can't be said that because the "Shinra" is unreliable, the real merger of the German region can only be achieved by unification by force?

Austria has been preparing for so long, and Franz dare not raise the banner of unification by force, let alone the governments of these small states.

As the object of unification, it is too late to oppose, how can it be possible to support it?Even in order to safeguard their own interests, they cannot block the road to rebuilding Shinra.

In the unlikely event that unification is inevitable, rebuilding Shinra is the path that best serves their interests, so the attitudes of most German state rulers are very complicated.

If you want to oppose the reconstruction of Shinra, but you can't speak out directly, you can only expect someone to be the first bird to disrupt Austria's plan.

Up to now, the slogan of "rebuilding Shinra" has been heard in every corner of the German region. Everywhere Felix goes, he will be warmly welcomed by the local people.

If things go on like this, Felix is ​​very likely to be called the "father of the nation" by future generations, and no one will call him the butcher prime minister.

At this moment, he became the spokesperson of pacifism, and he might become the iron-blooded prime minister in the future. Anyway, Franz would not come out to steal the limelight.

It's not easy to fool people, especially a group of old foxes.Felix kept promising various interest groups various benefits after unification, and answered everyone's questions from time to time.

Bragging about the benefits of a big market to the capitalists, assuring the nobles that everyone's interests will not be damaged, and selling the dream of a strong country to the nationalists...

In short, it is just one word—blowing, whether they believe it or not, and regardless of whether it can be fulfilled, Prime Minister Felix has been bragging all the way.

To quote: "Every politician is a good salesman."

Blowing dry mouth, in fact, the effect is only to reduce everyone's determination to resist.

Most people still choose to be neutral, and they can accept the rebuilding of Shinra, but don't talk about it if they want them to contribute.

Everyone is the master who sees the rabbit and does not cast the eagle. Don't expect them to invest before seeing the benefits.

This result, Felix is ​​satisfied.Originally, they just wanted them to be neutral, but now they can fool some of their supporters, which is already a profit.

The focus of the public relations this time is the South German state, which is where Austria has the greatest influence. It has a solid mass base and is the easiest to be fooled.

Chapter 94 The Point of No Return

Munich

Maximilian II hadn't had a good night's sleep since he learned of Felix's trip to Germany, with his final stop in the Kingdom of Bavaria.

The previous states can play Tai Chi and delay time. As the last state, what can they do?

There is no doubt that all the states hope that Bavaria can stand up to stop Austria's actions. As the leader of the small states, Bavaria cannot escape.

Especially after Maximilian II came to power, the three-legged strategy implemented pushed Bavaria into a corner.

The relationship between the Kingdom of Prussia and everyone was alienated. Frederick William IV pretended to be confused and there was no pressure. Anyway, he was not afraid of offending people.

Bavaria is different. Since it wants to be the leading brother of the small states, it must take the lead now.Whether it is supporting Austria's plan or opposing Austria, it is better than pretending to be an ostrich.

Maximilian II said solemnly: "Everyone, Felix will arrive in Munich soon. We don't have much time left. We have to make a choice today."

This is the price that must be paid for previous diplomatic mistakes. I was fooled by the Prussians before and threw out a three-point German strategy, which has offended many small states.

At this time, the Bavarian government will either rely on Austria, and everyone will establish the Holy Roman Group together and become a minority shareholder in it.

Or, stop Austria's plan, voice the inner voice for many German states, and regain everyone's support.Anyway, it is interests that maintain the relationship between countries. As long as the interests are the same, we are friends.

Bavarian Prime Minister August analyzed: "Your Majesty, it is easy to stop the Austrian plan, but the consequences are very serious.

First of all, we will severely offend Austria, and it will be difficult to restore the friendly relationship between the two countries; secondly, the domestic people will not be able to get through that. Most people now hope that the German region will be peacefully unified.

Although we all know that it is impossible for the German region to be truly unified, as those who personally closed the door, we will be condemned by public opinion. "

Auguste had already sensed the danger. After the Holy Roman Empire was disbanded, the Austrians created the German Bundestag to prevent the French from invading.

Unexpectedly, the French have lived in peace for decades, and Austria's efforts have been in vain.Now that the French have rearmed, Bavaria's western front is no longer safe enough.

If you don't have a good relationship with the Austrians in the east at this time, maybe disaster will come at some time. Who made Maximilian II keep doing tricks after he succeeded to the throne?

Ambition needs the support of strength. The tripartite confrontation in the German region is what Britain, France and Russia are most looking forward to. International support is not lacking. Unfortunately, the Kingdom of Bavaria has limited strength and cannot implement the plan.

Theoretically, the strength of the Kingdom of Bavaria is twice as strong, and with the support of the great powers, it is almost possible to work hard.

Now Maximilian II is working too early, his own strength is insufficient, and after losing the support of many small states, their right to speak in the Federation has become dispensable.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Bazel objected: "Prime Minister, these pressures can be resisted. Once Austria's conditions are accepted, the Holy Roman Empire will be revived.

Today is different from the past. Now that nationalism has awakened, the central government is no longer a dispensable rubber stamp. They can use public opinion to force us to make concessions.

Austria was originally the largest state in the German region. Whether it is population, territorial area, or even economy, they are about the same as all our states combined.

They have won the power of the central government, and when the time comes, we will have justice in our hands, and we will have to make concessions.

Maybe at first, just unifying the currency and abolishing tariffs, it seems that we don't have to pay much.

But after a long time, you will find that the military command, financial power, and diplomatic power will all fall into the hands of the central government. At best, we are a highly autonomous government. "

This is a matter of time, and any central government will find a way to take power.

However, many states in Germany are not monolithic, such as the few free cities, they don't mind becoming a highly autonomous region, which is a good thing for capitalists.

Most small states are able to make concessions to a much greater extent. In their view, it is a tasteless right, but it is a real benefit for large states.

In this respect, the loss of the royal family is the greatest.There is an extra emperor above, no longer supreme, if certain policies are not popular with the people, they can go to the central government to complain.

Under internal and external attacks, it will not be long before the royal family has little power left.Even the cabinet government will slowly degenerate into a provincial government, and its power will be greatly reduced.

Therefore, the bureaucratic groups in various states are staunch opponents.

Prime Minister August shook his head and said: "Mr. Bazel, I think you have misunderstood. I am only opposed to standing up against Austria directly, not that we should support them.

There are so many people who don't want to see the reappearance of the Holy Roman Empire, do we need to jump out and spread hatred?Why do we all get the benefits together, and the blame should be taken by our family?

Our current position should be consistent with that of most states.If everyone does not object to the Austrian plan, neither do we.

To drag all the state governments down, either everyone opposes the rebuilding of the Holy Roman Empire, or everyone returns to the empire era. "

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, I am afraid it will not be so easy. Now all the German states want us to stand up, and even Britain, France and Russia also want us to stand up and oppose.

It may be impossible to muddle through, at least diplomatically we can't explain it. ’ objected Foreign Secretary Backhouse

Simply put, even if Bavaria wants to back down, there are so many bosses forcing them to move forward.Treating the opinions of the great powers as toilet paper, the Bavarian government is not so bullish.

Maximilian II frowned. Why did everyone put pressure on the Austrians for what they did, and they were not bullying the soft persimmons.

The Kingdom of Prussia did not want to stand out, so it pushed the Kingdom of Bavaria forward; Britain and France could not scare Austria, nor could they influence the decision-making of the Prussian government, so they were caught and bullied.

The Russians pushed them out to oppose it, just to cause trouble for Austria and delay the unification of the allies.

All factors combined, the Bavarian government was pushed to the forefront by everyone.Facing diplomatic pressure, even Prime Minister August, who was fiercely opposed, had to admit it.

With the support of the big powers, the Kingdom of Bavaria can maintain its status in the Federation. In essence, they are just a small country, and their overall national strength is comparable to that of Belgium.

But a small country is a small country, with a small land and few people, and has to rely on a big country for survival.

This is also the reason why Maximilian II wanted to integrate many small states in Germany. Only by bringing these small states together can they be a medium-sized country and have the ability to be independent.

As long as a medium-sized country develops well, it is still a small power. Just like the Kingdom of Prussia, with the national strength of a medium-sized country, it has stepped into the threshold of the great powers.

To achieve this step, Bavaria must first obtain the support of the great powers. Without Britain, France and Russia suppressing Austria and Prussia, how could Bavaria have the opportunity to integrate many small states in Germany?

At the time of the great collision of ideas, Maximilian II also proposed a small German plan with Bavaria as the core, but unfortunately even the Bavarian people lacked interest.

The reason is very simple - it is too small and does not meet the expectations of everyone's "dream of a great country".

As long as it is a nation with rich ancestors, it has a dream of a big country. How could the German people not have it?Since it is a dream of a big country, it must be big enough, which is why Austria is so popular now.

The new version of the Holy Roman Empire is really big enough. Once it is established, it will cover an area of ​​more than 110 million square kilometers. It surpasses its next-door neighbor, the French, in every way.

The contradiction between Germany and France is the result of hundreds of years of fighting between the Habsburg dynasty and the French. The Franco-Prussian War in history is just a continuation of this contradiction.

Beyond the French, it also contains the special feelings of the Germans.This is also the reason why Prussia was able to integrate the loose German states after the Franco-Prussian War.

Everyone's vanity was satisfied, national pride appeared, and the sense of identity with this country also increased, and then Germany changed from a regional noun to a country.

Maximilian II sneered and said: "Since everyone wants Bavaria and Austria to be enemies, then we can only go on.

This is also an opportunity. As long as we stand up against Austria, we can gain the support of the great powers, and then the integration of the states in the German region will no longer be a dream.

Britain, France and Russia do not want to see the emergence of a behemoth German Empire. Our plan is in their interests, and with their support, the possibility of ultimate success is very high. "

The arm couldn't hold the thigh, and Maximilian II pinched his nose to admit it. He was still imagining a bright future, but he didn't know that he had stepped into the road of no return.

Chapter 95 The Time Is Ripe

On March 1853, 3, Prime Minister Felix arrived in Munich. After a week of negotiations, they finally ended in failure.

The Bavarian government explicitly opposed the rebuilding of the HRE Empire, and Felix's diplomatic efforts failed.

Under the pressure of public opinion, the Bavarian government proposed to reopen the Federal Parliament on March 3 to decide whether to rebuild the Holy Roman Empire.

On March 3, Prime Minister Felix also gave a speech at the University of Munich, publicly responding to the Bavarian government.

"I have a dream that I can see the unification of the German region in my lifetime. It is the real German national unity, not the German Confederation listed in name. The Confederation is a joke.

Today is a bad day, the Bavarian government closed the door to rebuild the Holy Roman Empire, all our efforts have failed.

It seems that there is still a long way to go for my dream to come true.If I can't see it anymore, I hope you can continue to go on. As the elites in the German region, this is your responsibility and obligation.