Holy Roman Empire

......"

Everyone knows that things have changed in Austria.The prime minister of the peace faction has become a war faction, and Austria's national policy has undergone major changes.

In the next few days, high-level Austrians made similar speeches one after another, and the Austrian government all became main combatants.

In short: We love peace, but we love Germany more, and we will not hesitate to fight for the unification of Germany.

These public statements instantly caused an uproar in the public opinion in the German region, and many people suddenly realized that war is coming?

Did not keep everyone waiting long, on June 1853, 6, Franz published the "Letter to the German Nationals".

"Peace is dead, and there is only one road left for the unification of Germany, and that is war.

History has given me responsibility, and I cannot escape it because I love this land and this country deeply.

In order to avoid the division of German regions, we must obliterate any possibility of attempting to split Germany.

Now, under the witness of God, I decide to kill the traitors of the country, and eliminate a corrupt regime that colluded with foreign thieves and attempted to split the German region.

......"

Believe it or not, Franz believed that the Bavarian government colluded with Britain, France and Russia in an attempt to split Germany.

The "Report to the German Nationals" is a declaration of war. At the same time that Franz issued the declaration, the Austrian government had already submitted the declaration of war to Bavaria.

The cover of the gauntlet is impressively: Punish country thieves.

The Bavarian government, which hadn't reacted yet, was dumbfounded, and the attitude of the Austrian government changed too quickly.

You must know that the great powers collectively warned Austria not long ago that according to normal circumstances, it is impossible for them to use force in this context.

Maximilian II didn't have the time to find out why, so he immediately ordered: "Immediately ask Britain, France and Russia for help, and ask them to intervene; immediately carry out national mobilization in the country, and at the same time ask for help from the states in the German region, and ask them to send troops to support immediately."

Prime Minister August added: "Your Majesty, we must immediately clarify to the outside world that the crimes charged by the Austrian government on us must never be admitted, otherwise we will be finished."

It’s okay to talk about military issues. Even if they lose the battle and there is intervention by the big powers, they still have a chance to keep the power; if they fail politically, even if they drive away the Austrians, they have nothing to do with them.

Foreign Minister Backhaus exclaimed: "No, the Austrians planned it beforehand, and we fell for it!"

Maximilian asked eagerly: "What's going on? Tell me!"

Foreign Minister Backhouse's face darkened, and he said with a wry smile: "Your Majesty, the public opinion is very unfavorable to us, and a series of things happened before, which tied us together with Britain, France and Russia.

I am afraid that in the eyes of many German people, we are national thieves colluding with foreign thieves. Even if we explain it, it is impossible to reverse this situation in a short time.

Austria has great influence in Bavaria, if the people think we are national thieves, then I'm afraid..."

Before he finished speaking, everyone knew what had happened.At this time, if Britain, France and Russia jumped out to intervene, it would prove that the Bavarian government was in collusion with them. If they did not intervene, Austria would be able to swallow Bavaria in one gulp.

This is a dilemma. How to choose is a pit ahead. It is nothing more than a question of which one to jump.

Maximilian II said fiercely: "I can't control that much, let's go through the current hurdle first.

Most of the Austrians took the risk because they saw the fierce battle between Britain, France and Russia, and could not work together to interfere with their actions.

But they don't know that we have an agreement with Britain, France and Russia, and they will definitely intervene.

The unified German Empire is too terrifying, and no European power can tolerate this happening.

If Austria makes a move now, it means they are out of the game. We must take this opportunity to kick them out of Germany! "

Chapter 98 The Snipe and the Clam

Austria and Bavaria went to war. As soon as the news came out, the entire European continent was shocked.

Although everyone knows that the relationship between the two countries has broken down, the accumulated contradictions are not enough to break out of war, so there is only one explanation left-Austria wants to unify Germany by force.

The excuse for the war can be seen, and many people have made up their own minds, thinking that Austria's strategy of trying to rebuild Shinra was bankrupted by Bavaria, and they simply tore their faces and insisted on it.

London

Receiving the Bavarian government's request for help, the British government was shocked at first, then - it had to intervene, and then it was a headache.

"Austria is trying to unify the German region by force. Now they have taken the first step. We must stop their actions. The balance on the European continent cannot be broken!" Prime Minister George Hamilton Gordon said sharply

Foreign Minister Thomas analyzed: "Your Excellency, the current situation is very troublesome. I have to say that Austria has chosen a good time, and the Russians have held back the main energy of the French and us.

Even if we want to intervene, we can only stay in words for a long time to come.

Now that Austria dares to attack Bavaria, it is very likely that they have reached an agreement with the Russians, and it is difficult for them to let go by diplomatic pressure. "

Armistice between Britain, France and Russia?This possibility does exist, but this is based on the fact that Austria has unified the German region. Now just attacking Bavaria is not enough for the three parties to reach a compromise immediately.

The Minister of the Interior Henry John Temple suggested: "There are many German states, and once these small states are united, they will not be weak. In addition to the Kingdom of Prussia, once these forces are mobilized, Austria will not be able to eliminate them in a short time. .

Intervention in the German region does not necessarily require us to send troops.Just unite these states and hold Austria down.

After the Near East War is over, it is not too late to mediate.Perhaps it is also a good choice to take advantage of this opportunity to kick Austria out of the German region. "

Stanley, the Minister of War, objected: "It's hard, just because we formed a coalition with France and Ottomans, there are a lot of bad things that happened.

There are so many states in the German region, and there are many contradictions among them. It is not an easy task to unite them.

The war in the Balkans proved that if we cannot cooperate sincerely, it is easy to be defeated by the enemy one by one.

Austria has too much influence in the German region, and now it is attacking Bavaria for the sake of national unity, which has won the support of nationalists in the German region.

In this case, even if the states in the German region can unite, the fighting power that can be erupted will be greatly reduced. "

This is an unsolvable problem. As long as soldiers don't want to fight, don't expect them to have any fighting power on the battlefield.

Prime Minister George Hamilton Gordon said: "Whether they are fighting or not, organize them first, as long as they can hold the Austrians.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs communicated with European countries as soon as possible. Presumably everyone does not want to see Austria unify the German region. We will join hands to intervene and force Austria to stop the war that undermines European stability. "

……

Paris

Napoleon III reacted more violently to the military actions taken by Austria. If it were not for the lack of troops in his hands, he would send troops to intervene immediately.

Interior Minister Pesini suggested: "Your Majesty, it is not so easy to unify the German region. The Austrians should not have this strength. We will have a good chance to take action when they lose both sides.

You can also take the opportunity to annex the territory west of the Rhine. Now we should not stop Austria's actions, but encourage the Austrians to fight. "

Without hesitating for long, Napoleon III made up his mind.

"Yes, this war cannot be stopped immediately. Secretly send people to negotiate terms with Austria, so that they can continue to fight with confidence.

On the surface, we are still consistent with other countries, put diplomatic pressure on the Austrian government, and encourage the German states to fight Austria as much as possible. "

Interests are always the eternal theme among countries. Intervention in this war is inevitable. When to intervene depends on interests.

The French are different from the British. The British strategy is destined to make it impossible for them to expand in the European continent. Their goal is to maintain the assessment of European countries.

The French want to dominate the European continent, and they have been eyeing the territory of the German region for a long time. How can they let go now that the opportunity arises?

Although the states in the German region are small, their joint strength is not weak. If they and Austria are not allowed to consume each other's strength, where is the opportunity for France?

Napoleon III wanted to be a fisherman, and the interests of Britain and France had already determined that the positions of Britain and France were in opposite directions, and close cooperation did not exist.

……

Frankfurt

Whether to send troops or not is a difficult problem.

Who to send troops to help is another problem.

Prime Minister Felix's flickering is not meaningless, at least the capitalists in Frankfurt believe that a unified Germany is more in everyone's interest.

Flood dragons cannot be raised in shallow water, and the capitalists in Frankfurt must have a bigger market if they want to go further.

Interest is always the best catalyst, and they have no opinion at all about rebuilding Shinra.Anyway, it's a free city, and it doesn't matter if it becomes a municipality.

Not only them, but most of the free cities in Germany are hesitating. The blueprint drawn by Prime Minister Felix is ​​so wonderful that the capitalists can't stop.

Of course, there are also voices of opposition. The reason is very realistic. The status of capitalists in Austria is too low to meet their expectations.

Regarding Felix's promise, many people are doubting whether these conditions can be fulfilled after the establishment of Holy Rome.

"Treasure yourself when you do great things, and forget righteousness when you see small gains."

It's the best way to describe them.

……

Baden

As one of Bavaria's strongest allies, the royal family of Baden died in 1830, and the Kingdom of Bavaria almost annexed the Grand Duchy of Baden. Unfortunately, the plan could not keep up with the rapid changes and failed under the intervention of the great powers.

This small episode did not affect the relationship between the two countries, at most there was a little dissatisfaction between the royal family.

Whether to send troops to help Bavaria has become a difficult problem for Ludwig II, or it is a difficult problem for his younger brother, Prince Friedrich.

There is no way, the modern European royal family seems to be cursed, there are a lot of messy things, and Ludwig II suffers from a weak mental illness.

Needless to say, as long as he suffers from this disease, no matter how serious it is, no one will dare to let him continue to be in power, and no one can guarantee that he will have a normal mind when making decisions.

"The Bavarians are asking for help, should we send troops to rescue immediately?" Prince Friedrich asked

"Your Highness, now is not a good time to send troops. The Austrians came prepared, and our strength alone cannot save Bavaria.

It is best to join forces with other countries. If you join the war rashly, you may suffer heavy losses. ’ Prime Minister Woltz replied

The Kingdom of Bavaria must be saved, and they still understand the truth of dying with cold lips and teeth.But how to save it needs to pay attention to skills. If the operation is not good and you get yourself in, it will be a big loss.

Interior Minister Johannes added: "Not only that, we also have to consider the attitude of the people in the country, most of the people don't like Bavaria.

Since the three-cabinet plan of the Bavarian government was proposed, many civil radical groups have demanded that the government break off diplomatic relations with them.

The news has not spread yet. Once the news spreads, it is very likely that the people will oppose the government sending troops. "

Austria's plan to rebuild Shinra is very deceptive. Not to mention the people, even many state governments have been deceived, and the Baden government is no exception.

Now that there is nothing to see, high-level government officials can quickly change their minds, but ordinary people cannot.Many people will preconceive that it is just for Austria to initiate this war.

It is not only the credit of Austria to blacken the Bavarian government, but more of the people's initiative.Who made them dissatisfied with the German unification plan proposed by the Bavarian government?

In the eyes of many nationalists, German reunification is inevitable, and the Bavarian government is a cancer that opposes national reunification, and destroying them is the first step towards national reunification.

This concept that Franz deliberately guided has already fermented at this time.It is impossible for the Baden government to talk coldly to the people, and it is useless to say so.

Most of the people hoped for the unification of Germany, and the Baden government was not that popular. During the Great Revolution, the Grand Duchy of Baden once established a republic government, which was suppressed with the help of the Prussians.

Of course, now that they have carried out social reforms, the status of the government in the hearts of the people, whether or not German unity is important, no one knows about this issue.

Foreign Minister Nikolaus suggested: "Your Highness, Austria's plan to unify Germany will not succeed. Once the intervention of the great powers is over, we don't need to draw from the fire."

Prince Friedrich nodded in approval. The Grand Duchy of Baden's family is not rich. If they went to fight Austria, they would be severely injured at least, or wiped out at worst.

Once this happens, the foundation of the government's rule will be shaken.Without this standing army, how can they suppress the revolutionary forces in the country.

Anyway, the great powers will intervene in the end, what are they afraid of?The life and death of the Bavarian government is simply not within their consideration.

……

Berlin

Hearing the news of Austria's unification of Germany by force, Frederick William IV became excited, and a golden opportunity appeared.

With Austria as the leader, the difficulty of the Kingdom of Prussia's unification of the German region is greatly reduced.

"Everyone, the Austrians can't bear it anymore. Now that they have broken the situation, should we send troops to rescue Bavaria?" Frederick William IV asked

Prime Minister Joseph von Radowitz said cautiously: "Your Majesty, you must not send troops at this time. Before forming a coalition with the German states, or before the intervention of the great powers, we must try to avoid fighting the Austrians.

In recent years, the domestic economic conditions have been bad, and the development of our army has also been restricted. Now in a decisive battle with the Austrians, our chances of winning are too low.

Even if we win, we are also losers.Fighting with Austria recklessly consumes strength and will only allow other countries to take advantage of it.

Once we lose a lot in the war, we lose the chance to unify the German region.The great powers will not give us time, they oppose the unification of Germany by the Austrians, and they also oppose the unification of Germany by Prussia.

The best choice at this time is to encourage other small states to send troops, use the opportunity of war to consume their strength, and reduce the difficulty for us to unify Germany.

As for the Austrians, let Britain and France deal with them!They think they have picked a good time, and countries are powerless to interfere with their military operations.

But they forgot that Britain, France and Russia are not the only countries in Europe. Even if the three countries are at war, they can use their influence to attract other countries to organize intervention forces. "

In this era, the influence of Britain, France and Russia is too great, especially the two overlords of Britain and Russia. It is normal for Joseph von Radowitz to have confidence in them.Although Austria is also one of the four major powers, it has no way to compete with Britain and Russia.

Foreign Minister Rudolph said: "Your Excellency, if we don't send troops, I am afraid that the small states in the German region will not dare to send troops. With their strength, they have no right to intervene.

If everyone does not intervene, the Kingdom of Bavaria will be finished.By the time Britain, France and Russia reacted, Austria had already created an established fact.

Now Britain, France and Russia are fighting fiercely in the Near East. The relationship between Austria and Russia has always been good. It is not impossible for the two countries to reach a secret agreement. "