Holy Roman Empire

The reason why the Kingdom of Prussia maintains a large active force is to ensure the quality of soldiers, because they cannot afford the quantity.

Prime Minister Joseph von Radowitz persuaded: "Your Majesty, the current situation is unclear, and we cannot take the lead. Although Austria is rotten, their military strength has not declined.

Judging from the information we have collected, Austria has mobilized one million reserve troops, plus their 50 active-duty troops, and now the number of troops has leapt to number one in Europe.

With our strength, we no longer have the ability to intervene in this war, why not wait and see the situation first, and wait for the reactions of European countries! "

The plan did not change quickly. If Austria had not carried out national mobilization, then the Kingdom of Prussia and the German Confederate States would organize coalition forces and still have the strength to intervene in this war.

The current situation is obvious. The small states are either forced by public opinion or frightened by Austria's strength, and they retreat.

The coalition forces couldn't organize themselves, and if they wanted to go up and fight Austria, Joseph von Radowitz had no expectations at all with the 20 troops of the Kingdom of Prussia.

Even if it is a national mobilization, the Kingdom of Prussia can't afford to spend it, and it will be over if it loses once.Perhaps Austria does not have the strength to annex Prussia, but it is very possible to dismember the Kingdom of Prussia.

After all, the Kingdom of Prussia is not invulnerable. In the three actions to carve up Poland, 14.11 square kilometers were obtained, accounting for 47% of the territory of Prussia.

This means that there are still a large number of Poles in Prussia. Although these people are almost assimilated, they will be digested in a short time, but that is based on the absence of external forces.

Once the Kingdom of Prussia was defeated and Austria forcibly split Prussia, it would be difficult to merge.The odds were too low and the risk too great, and Chancellor Josef von Radowitz didn't want to take the risk.

Foreign Minister Andrea suggested: "Your Majesty, Metternich will visit Berlin in the near future. Let's listen to what Austria has to say before making a decision. If the conditions are right, it is not a bad idea to join hands with them."

To put it bluntly, between countries is the interest. Prussia's opposition to Austria's annexation of Bavaria is also because of the interest. If the interest is appropriate, then it is not a bad idea to sell Bavaria.

Andrea is a supporter of the idea of ​​​​partitioning North and South Germany, and he doesn't mind exchanging interests with Austria.Of course, this is not to say that he does not want Prussia to unify Germany.

The main reason is that the strength of the Kingdom of Prussia is limited. Everyone has ambitions to unify Germany, but they don't think it can be realized.

Before Bismarck came to power, the Prussian government was not prepared for the unification of Germany.

Even after the victory of the three dynastic wars, everyone was skeptical about the unification of Germany.

If it weren't for Bismarck's strong insistence and strong political means, he had fooled many states together and achieved nominal unity, and the second German Empire, which will be so awesome in the future, would not have been born.

After hesitating for a while, Frederick William IV still said sorry to the Kingdom of Bavaria, not because he refused to help, but because of his strength.

"Since this is the case, let's keep silent first, the mobilization of the domestic army cannot be stopped, and we must strictly prevent the Austrians from launching a surprise attack on us.

We will make a decision after Metternich comes and find out the conditions of the Austrians.

Prior to this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should try its best to stabilize the small states. Without them waving their flags and shouting, they would be very passive towards us politically. "

Betting on national luck depends on the situation, at least you have to be [-] to [-]% sure before you can place a bet?Frederick William IV was not a gambler, let alone a gambler, and he would not blindly play stud.

After the high-level meeting ended, Frederick William IV immediately summoned the ministers of the four countries of Britain, France, Russia and the West, informed the four major European powers of the situation, and asked the four countries to send troops to intervene.

Undoubtedly, the Kingdom of Spain was empty-handed during this period, and it was possible to maintain its status as a great power by relying on the power of its ancestors. Now it is busy with internal strife and is not keen on interfering in the affairs of the German region.

The three countries that really have the right to speak are Britain, France and Russia, or it is more accurate to say that France and Russia.Although the influence of the British is great, the strength of the army is limited, and they do not have the strength to send troops to intervene in the German region.

However, Britain, France and Russia are currently engaged in a super-friendly match, and they can't stop for a while.Both parties have invested so much, whoever admits to being cowardly will be in trouble.

The Russians cannot let go of Constantinople. This is the will of the entire Russian people, and the tsarist government cannot back down at the last minute.

Britain and France also couldn't back down. The British made concessions, and regardless of the heavy losses, Downing Street was about to be replaced.

Not to mention the French, if Napoleon III dares to confess, his throne will be unstable, or his throne has not been very stable, and this war was launched to divert internal conflicts.

Except for the Spanish minister who clearly refused to send troops, the ministers of the three countries did not give an answer and had to wait for domestic decisions.

London

George's cabinet once again convened a cabinet meeting on the issue of the German region.

Foreign Minister Thomas said: "Everyone, the situation in Germany has changed. The Kingdom of Bavaria fell without any resistance. In this war, the Bavarian people and the army chose to stand on the sidelines.

It is estimated that the idiot Maximilian II and his idiot cabinet will be fighting Austria this time.

Affected by this, most states in the German region chose neutrality, because public opinion supports German unification, and the governments of these states dare not take risks.

Last night I received word from the Minister in Berlin that the Prussian government also backed down.

We originally planned to use the power of the states in the German region to contain the Austrians, but now we can no longer continue.

If we do not take strong measures, the unification of the German regions will be inevitable.The Austrians are conducting a political offensive. It is estimated that most of the German states will be forced by public opinion to join the Austrian master of the Shenluo Empire. "

Thomas despised the behavior of Maximilian II, and everyone agreed.For a king to do this, he really needs strength.

If the Kingdom of Bavaria is a little stronger, even if it only resists the Austrian army for ten and a half months, or even loses all the way, everyone can accept it.

This is a gap in strength, and no one will criticize them for being incompetent.It can be said that as long as they resist, the German Allied Forces will be able to organize.

Now everyone is backing down, not only because of the military strength of Austria, but also because of the actions of the Bavarian people, which makes everyone feel uncertain and dare not go against public opinion.

George Hamilton Gordon thought for a while and said: "It seems that we are going to join forces with the Russians. With the strength of us and the French alone, we can no longer let Austria let go.

The unified German Empire is too powerful, presumably the Russians are not willing to see this monster appear, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs communicates with the Russians.As a show of good faith, we can suspend the offensive in Crimea. "

"Prime Minister, if we suspend the attack at this time, the advantage we have gained is tantamount to being given up in vain. As long as the Russians refuse to give up Constantinople, this war will not end.

Unless we want to fight a war to defend India with the Russians in the Indus Valley, we cannot back down either. ’ War Secretary Stanley reminded

Backing down is impossible. Whoever dares to make concessions on this issue will be nailed to the pillar of traitors and cast aside by the people for a lifetime!

George Hamilton Gordon sneered and said: "This loss is still within our tolerance. Even if we can't compromise with the Russians on the Near East issue, our position is still on the issue of preventing German reunification." consistent.

As long as our three countries are in agreement, the Austrians will have to make concessions.Once the Russians put pressure on Austria, can their alliance continue to be maintained?

Once there is a break between Russia and Austria, the subsequent war will be easy to fight.Now let the Russians be fooled and let them interrupt the road to the unification of Germany. "

When it comes to diplomacy, John Bull is not cowardly.Even if they want to join forces with the Russians to intervene in the German Unification War, they will not forget to dig a big hole for the Russians first.

Chapter 1

St petersburg

The tsarist government was in a dilemma. Austria's expansion was too fast, and it had to find a way to contain it.

But the Russia-Austria alliance cannot be broken. Austria is the only important ally of the Tsarist government on the European continent, and it must not be lost.

Now Austria has not expanded beyond the scope of the treaty, and they can't even find an excuse to interfere.

This has nothing to do with reputation, as long as the interests are appropriate, the tsarist government doesn't care about selling teammates.

Obviously, the current benefits are not enough for the Czar to sell his teammates.Even if Britain and France abandoned the Ottoman Empire, the tsarist government would not be able to tear up the Russian-Austrian alliance.

The reason is very simple. The Near East War woke up the tsarist government and made them understand that they were not as powerful as expected.Since it is not strong enough, it needs allies.

Throughout the world, there are only a handful of countries that are qualified to be Russia's allies, and the traditional ally of Austria is still reliable.

Spain is unstable internally, and Isabel II is still busy with internal fighting, unable to intervene in the affairs of the European continent.Nicholas I would not want such an ally even if it was sent over.

The two guys, England and France, are capable, but are they fighting?How can an enemy who is so bright and beyond doubt be an ally?

Looking at it, the quasi-power of the Kingdom of Prussia is left. Leaving aside the previous conflicts between the two parties, the Russians will obviously suffer from an alliance with the Kingdom of Prussia.

When help was needed, the Prussians were helpless; in turn, they had to support Prussia from time to time.

The reason for finding allies is because of common interests, and it is impossible to get what they need, and it is impossible to talk about alliances. This is also the reason for the collapse of the Nordic three-court system.

Foreign Minister Karl Worser said worriedly: "Your Majesty, the call for the unification of the German region is very loud, and Bavaria's nationalism is not the most fanatical. They all supported the unification war initiated by Austria with practical actions.

It is estimated that other states are not much better. Except for the Kingdom of Prussia, other states may be induced to surrender by the Austrians through political means.

Now the Prussians are also intimidated and dare not send troops to intervene in this war.The German unification war that we originally expected has now become an armed parade in Austria.

If we do not intervene, Britain and France may not be able to prevent Austria's next actions. "

Allies also need to beware. Austria's development is too fast, which is not a good thing for the Russians.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Aristotle Rhodes objected: "We cannot directly intervene in this war of German unification. The secret treaty between Russia and Austria has delineated the spheres of influence of the two countries. Before Austria surpasses the previously agreed boundaries, we cannot breach of contract.

The enemy of the Russian Empire is the British, French and Ottomans. If we intervene in this war rashly, our enemies will be in vain.Without the support of Austria, we will not be able to fight this Near East War immediately.

The threat of Austria is only possible, and this is based on their unification of the German region.The chances of them unifying the German region are still very small, at least the Kingdom of Prussia has not surrendered.

Moreover, this threat is not only aimed at us. The French should be most worried now. Austria has unified the German region, and the threat to them is the greatest. "

Geopolitics determines the strategic threats of countries.The British Isles are isolated from the European continent, and the threat of the British can only come from the sea; after the unification of the German region, the French will bear the brunt first, followed by Russia.

"No, Mr. Aristanley Rhodes, you misunderstood. Interfering in this war and obeying the covenant are not contradictory. As long as we support the Austrians to get the previously agreed territory, it is not a violation of the covenant.

This matter can allow Britain and France to be the villains. We don't need to directly conflict with Austria. ’ Karl Wurssell explained

Aristotle Rhodes asked uncertainly: "You mean to split the German region and completely cut off the road to unification in the German region?"

Karl Worser replied affirmatively: "Yes, facts have proved that after the awakening of nationalism, if the German region is not split up, sooner or later there will be unification.

It is still too late to stop it now, if later, the Kingdom of Prussia will also be swayed by public opinion, it will be difficult for us to stop their unification! "

"What specific plans do you have?" Nicholas I asked with interest

Karl Wossel analyzed: "Your Majesty, this plan still needs the contribution of Britain and France, and it cannot be proposed by us, which will affect the relationship between Russia and Austria.

According to the current situation, it is not a big problem for the Austrians to get the South German region. If Britain and France are willing to stop them, they can be allowed to be this villain.

Prussia can gain certain expansion in the North German region, the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein are assigned to the Danes, and the states in the western region can be merged with Belgium and the Netherlands.

Of course, the West German state doesn't care about our business, let the British have a headache.It doesn't matter whether it is for Prussia, or for the two younger brothers, Belgium and Holland, or for independence.

As long as these economically developed regions are not annexed by Austria, their strength will not skyrocket.After the division of Germany, Austria's expansion path was blocked, and then they could only compete for overseas colonies.

This is bound to conflict with Britain and France. After we have a common enemy, our relationship with Austria is expected to go further in the future. "

It is indeed the best choice to solve the problem once and for all. As long as the German region is completely divided, no country on the European continent can threaten the security of the Russian Empire.

At least in the current situation, it is still unclear which country has the strength to threaten Russia.Even the French, who were most feared by the Tsarist government, are not as terrible now as in the Napoleon era.

……

Paris

The situation changed too fast, and Napoleon III's plan to sit and watch the tiger fight died before it had time to start.

The states in the German region all acted as ostriches, as if the Bavarian government was really guilty, and Austria's overthrow of their rule was expected.

Well, with the information from Bavaria, Napoleon III had to admit that Austria was indeed what everyone expected this time.

This meant that Austria's annexation of Bavaria would be easy, an armed parade from beginning to end, with casualties on both sides not exceeding triple figures.With a good popular base, there will be no problems in ruling in the future.

Napoleon III cursed: "Everyone knows the news from the German region.

The situation is completely out of control. If we don't take action, it may not be long before Austria can rebuild the damned Shenluo Empire.

If you don't want to watch the monster that has plagued France for hundreds of years come back to life, then find a way to strangle them now! "

The Minister of the Interior Pesini suggested: "Your Majesty, in the current situation, we must be prepared for armed intervention. Considering the current situation in the German region, these states will not become our allies.

Austria's strength is not weak. To be on the safe side, it is best to join forces with Britain and Russia.The most important thing now is to coordinate diplomatic relations and ensure that the positions of the great powers are consistent. "

Pessini was the mastermind of Napoleon III, including the restoration plan, which was formulated by him alone.He may not be good at governing the country, but he is definitely a master at playing tricks.

Obviously, he was trying to persuade Napoleon III not to intervene in this war rashly, but when he said it, it became a diplomatic need.

He also vaguely reminded Napoleon III that the main force of France is still on the battlefield in the Near East, and the domestic forces are empty. If these troops are sent out, it will contribute to the enemy's record.

There is no way, the whole people are soldiers in the Napoleonic era is a thing of the past.The current French Empire cannot catch up with Prussia in terms of mobilization speed.

Isn't it a joke to jump out and intervene by force without having enough troops in your hands?

Napoleon III asked with concern: "How long will it take us to have enough troops to intervene in this war?"

Minister of War Arnault thought for a while and said: "Your Majesty, because of the Near East War, our standing army now exceeds 80, and a large number of reserves have been recruited.

There are 28 troops on the Crimea Peninsula, 20 troops in Constantinople, 17 troops in overseas colonies, and less than [-] troops in the country.

Now every month we can mobilize 15 young people to join the army, and these recruits need at least three months of training before they can be put into the battlefield.

If we want to intervene in this war alone, it will take at least half a year before we have enough troops. "

Napoleon III completely gave up the idea of ​​going it alone.This is all a good thing done by the July Dynasty. During the period of Louis Philippe, the French standing army was usually only more than 20, and the system of all people serving as soldiers was also abandoned.

After Napoleon III came to power, the army expanded to 80. There are so many reserves that can be recruited directly.

There is no shortage of young Frenchmen of the right age, but these people can go to the battlefield not just with weapons, but also have to undergo certain training.

The three-month basic training is actually cannon fodder among cannon fodder, with pitifully low combat effectiveness.Such an unreliable army, Napoleon III did not dare to take it to the battlefield.

It's not that the mobilization ability of the French is really bad. Everyone is similar in this era. Before Franz reformed the military system, Austria's mobilization ability was similar to that of the French.

In this era, the only countries in Europe that can quickly mobilize 80 troops are Russia, France and Austria.Of course, there are still many countries that can gather the number of people, but there is no way to guarantee combat effectiveness.

Seeing a leaf can tell the autumn. According to the situation in France, Napoleon III quickly came to the conclusion that this military intervention may be difficult to proceed.

Unless the Austrians really want to unify Germany and make everyone anxious.The three countries of Britain, France and Russia have withdrawn the fighting troops, otherwise everyone will not have enough troops now.