Holy Roman Empire

Besides, we don't want to kill it with a stick. For example, the Kingdom of Bavaria, which the Austrians have already occupied, can be annexed by them.

The London government just wants to break up the Russia-Austria alliance, and does not want to make the Russia-Austria alliance closer, so armed intervention is only the worst plan.

What do you think the Russians would do, Your Majesty, if we made a move to intervene by force?

Will they take the risk of sending troops to join forces with Austria to attack the Kingdom of Prussia, or will they confront us in the Near East and support Austria verbally? "

After listening to Thomas' explanation, Napoleon III only felt that the thunder was rolling, and the British had too many calculations.

Almost all the countries in Europe have been wiped out. Except for Denmark and Sweden in Northern Europe, which are too close to Mao Xiong, it is really impossible to win them over. Other countries are forced to stand in line.

Even though the Russia-Austria alliance still exists, most European countries are on the opposite side of them, and having sea power is so awesome.

The world's No. [-] and No. [-] naval powers join forces, and the three colonial countries of Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands have no choice at all.

Belgium is determined by its geographical location and must hold the thighs of Britain and France; the Kingdom of Sardinia wants to avenge Austria; Switzerland and the Habsburg Dynasty have feuds, and if they offend Britain and France again, they will not be able to get along.

Napoleon III said coldly: "Since this is the case, then this plan should be put forward by our two countries together.

Let Mr. Thomas go to the Russians. As long as the Russians are not firm enough, this plan will be completed. "

Thomas said blankly: "Your Majesty, don't forget that the plan to divide the German region was proposed by the Russians. Presumably the Austrians will look very excited when they know about this plan."

Not to be outdone, Napoleon III said: "The prerequisite is that the Prussians do not know our follow-up plan, otherwise they choose to join forces with Austria to carve up the German region.

At that time, all these plans have come to naught.Prussian and Austrian countries are growing at the same time, your country's interests in the German region will not be guaranteed, and a competitor will be added in the future. "

……

Chapter 1 is not a fuel-efficient lamp

After sending Thomas away, Napoleon III convened a meeting of the think tank immediately, not the ministers.

Anyway, it's pretty much the same, cronyism is Napoleon III's consistent employment style, think tanks also work as ministers, and there is no cabinet.

Chancellor of the Exchequer: Earl of Monier (speculative benefactor), Minister of War Arnault (brother thug and part-time counselor), Minister of Police Moppa (counselor), Minister of the Interior Pesini (conspirator), Secretary of the Navy Dico (support The Great Shipowner), the Colonial Secretary is his nephew...

Don't think that this group of people are all related households. In fact, their business is not bad, at least much stronger than the July Dynasty, and much stronger than the later Third Republic.

In addition to the failure of the Franco-Prussian War, during the reign of Napoleon III, France’s economy developed rapidly and people’s living standards were significantly improved. Most of the world’s second colonial empires were established during this period.

Minister of War Arnault said vigilantly: "Your Majesty, the British are using us as a weapon. Once their plan is successful, Russia and Austria are our enemies, and our options in international politics will be very limited in the future.

Moreover, interfering in Austria is not so simple, and the multinational coalition forces are actually nice in name.

Countries are scattered all over the world, and to coordinate relations and organize coalition forces, it is impossible to keep such a big movement secret.

The Austrians are not stupid. Once they receive the news, they only need to do one thing. Before the formation of the coalition forces is completed, they will catch the Prussians and beat them hard.

Without the Prussians as cannon fodder, unless we do our best to intervene in this war, the gang of coalition forces will be defeated one by one sooner or later. "

Arnault speaks from experience. Only the four-nation coalition was on the battlefield in the Balkans, and the command system was in disarray. Now that there is a nine-nation coalition, who can mobilize so many teammates with different ideas?

They are also experienced in pitting teammates. When the Nine Nations Allied Forces act together, they not only have to guard against the enemy, but also guard against their eight allies. That is simply terrible.

"Catch the Prussians and beat them?"

"Arno, do you think the Austrians will catch and beat up the Prussians immediately?" Napoleon III asked interestedly.

Arnault replied: "Yes, Your Majesty. If the formation of the Nine-Power Allied Forces is completed, even if Austria can defeat the Allied Forces, in order not to be isolated, they will try to avoid going to war with the Allied Forces.

But it is impossible for the Austrian government to admit it directly, otherwise how can it explain to the people?

Franz Joseph I was young and energetic, so he definitely couldn't stand this grievance and couldn't find trouble with the British, so it's okay to catch the Prussians bullying him, right?

In order to avoid responsibility for the failure of this operation, the Vienna government should support this operation, which happened to transfer the anger of the people to the Prussians.When we have organized the coalition, the kingdom of Prussia is almost finished.

If the Russians also took advantage of the fire to loot, then Russia and Austria might carve up Prussia before the arrival of the coalition forces. "

As a former junior part-time thug, Arnault usually prefers to be reckless in doing things, and now he analyzes problems with this kind of thinking.

For Arnault's analysis, Napoleon III's eyes lit up.In order to consolidate the throne, he can fight against Russia. It is normal for the people of the Vienna government to arrest and beat Prussia in order to evade responsibility.

Traitors are always more hateful than enemies. If Prussia is maimed or killed, the resentment in the hearts of the people will come out, and the government will not only be able to survive the crisis smoothly, but it may also get some benefits by the way.

As for the intervening coalition forces of various countries, Austria has no way to prevent countries from sending troops. Isn't there a way to delay everyone's sending troops?

After the formation of the coalition forces was completed, the Prussian government also successfully received the box lunch.Avenging the Kingdom of Prussia does not exist, and who would do it if there is no benefit?

At least Napoleon III did not think anyone had that kind of international spirit.The big deal is that the Austrians are doing their job for nothing and withdrawing from the newly occupied lands.

Pesini added: "Your Majesty, apart from attacking the Kingdom of Prussia, Austria may also choose to attack Paris first!

Our main force is not in the country. The Austrian army has already reached the Bavarian border. As long as we pass through Baden, we can enter our country. With the advantage in strength and surprise attacks, we are likely to succeed. "

A surprise attack on Paris is a high-investment, high-yield plan. Once it succeeds, France will fall into chaos, and it is impossible to cause trouble for Austria for at least three to five years.

The Russians can also take the opportunity to capture Constantinople and shut down the British and French allied forces on the Crimea Peninsula. The British can only hide in the British Isles. The Russian-Austrian alliance is vertical and horizontal.

Napoleon III sneered: "That is to say, the British have come up with a bad idea from the beginning to the end?"

Pesini analyzed: "Your Majesty, this is a plan that best suits the interests of the British. The success rate of the Austrians' surprise attack on Paris is too low. Even if Marshal Radeski personally commands it, the probability will not exceed four levels.

This is still when we are not prepared. As long as we are prepared and the frontline troops strengthen their guard, the Austrians can only attack all the way.

The conflict between us and Austria has not yet reached the point of life and death. The Vienna government should not take the risk of fighting with us.

As long as Paris cannot be conquered within a month, our front-line troops will withdraw, and it will be their turn to be unlucky.

In essence, the most important thing in the British plan is intimidation. If they can use the momentum of the nine-nation coalition to intimidate the Austrians, their goal will be successful.

If the Russia-Austria alliance can be torn up, it will be even more profitable.Even if they can't do something, they are still planning to leave the Kingdom of Bavaria to Austria. In fact, they don't want to force Austria to jump over the wall. "

After hesitating for a moment, Napoleon III made a decision.

"Since the British have set the stage, how can we not cooperate? When necessary, we can give the Austrians a little hint and encourage them to fight Prussia.

On this issue, we can take what we need, and we can also accept the division of Prussia among the three countries of France, Austria and Russia. "

Of course it is acceptable. The core area of ​​the Kingdom of Prussia, in the Rhineland region, is under the noses of the French. Austria beat Prussia to death, and they just happened to be fishers and got the most benefit.

ally?When did France and Prussia become allies? As long as the interests are right, even allies can betray.

……

After leaving Versailles, Thomas went to visit the Prussian representative Rothrow.

In addition to the French, the Kingdom of Prussia is also a key link. Without the participation of the Prussians with strong combat effectiveness, this intervention in the coalition forces is a joke.

In fact, Thomas was also beating a drum inside. What happened in Bavaria was terrible.In case the Prussian army is also affected by nationalist ideology, and there is a defection on the battlefield, or neutrality, then the coalition forces will only cry.

Fortunately, this time the plan is not ready for a real fight, and it leaves room for Austria, and the possibility of a fight is unlikely.

The two didn't have much friendship, so they went directly to the topic, and after changing their rhetoric to explain the purpose of their visit, Rottluff fell into deep thought.

It is the national policy of the Kingdom of Prussia to take advantage of the interference of various countries and take the opportunity to kick Austria out of the German region.

Rottluff said dissatisfiedly: "Mr. Thomas, why not let Austria spit out the Kingdom of Bavaria? To condone their destabilizing behavior in Europe will bring disaster to the world sooner or later."

The British proposal was exactly what he wanted, and the only fly in the ointment was that Austria took away the Kingdom of Bavaria.

After Austria is gone, who else can lead Germany besides the Kingdom of Prussia?This is digging their flesh, and Rottluf will naturally object.

Thomas flicked: "Mr. Rottluff, it's not that we want to condone Austria's illegal behavior, but that the Russia-Austria alliance must be considered. Your country doesn't want Russia and Austria to continue to unite!"

For the Russian-Austrian alliance, the Kingdom of Prussia should be under the greatest pressure. It may be that the Prussian government's response ability in this regard is relatively slow, or the Nordic three-court alliance has been around for a long time, making them ignore this threat.

In short, Thomas admired the Prussian government's nonchalant performance. If they were replaced, they would have been unable to sleep for a long time, and the Prussian government did not make any major moves.

It is not without action. Originally, they were planning to restore diplomatic relations with Russia and Austria. Unfortunately, Austria suddenly launched a unification war, which destroyed the plan of the Prussian government.

Rottluff didn't change much on the surface, but he was beating drums in his heart. He always felt that the British were uneasy, and he didn't find anything wrong, so he chose to delay the word.

"Mr. Thomas, this matter is too involved. I must first report to the country and wait for the Berlin government's decision."

Although Rottruf is an amateur diplomat, he was born in the military, and he always believed that there would be no pie in the sky, and that the only way to win by force was the most reliable.

If I'm not sure, I'd better throw the question to the Berlin government. Although Frederick William IV is also an amateur diplomat, he is a king, isn't he?

There was no way to get a positive answer, and Thomas had to leave, not thinking that the Kingdom of Prussia would find out about their plans, and it was impossible for the French to leak secrets to the Prussians.

This is the inherent impression that the Kingdom of Prussia has left on the outside world for a long time. It can be said that before Bismarck, the diplomatic methods of the Kingdom of Prussia were very immature, which is an inevitable flaw in a military state.

There is no further delay, Thomas still has a lot of things to do, and there are so many countries waiting for him to persuade, this diplomatic war is doomed to be difficult to fight.

……

The activities of the British are destined to be kept secret. Not all countries will keep them secret. Thomas frequently contacted representatives from various countries, and Metternich could not be idle!

Unlike the British offensive, Metternich's method is much simpler, that is-spending money, you can't buy the foreign ministers of various countries, can't you also buy the maids around them?

Who Thomas met and what he said, most of the content was passed on to Metternich's ears.It's just that it's normal for diplomacy to spread false information and release smoke bombs. Metternich still dare not judge the truth.

Thomas is also a veteran in the diplomatic arena. Metternich collected different information from different sources, which means that what Thomas said to the representatives of various countries was different, and some of them were contradictory. Judgment difficulty.

Looking at the information just passed by the Swiss delegation, Metternich sneered and encouraged Switzerland to send troops to interfere in Austria's annexation of South Germany. Isn't this a joke?

As a good neighbor of Austria, the Swiss have fought against the Habsburg dynasty for hundreds of years, and finally achieved peace for decades, and now they are taking the initiative to provoke Austria?

Anyway, Metternich would not believe it. Even if the British promised more, they would not be able to prevent Austria from settling accounts after autumn, at least they have this strength against Switzerland and Austria.

If it is impossible to judge the real purpose of the British, then they can only continue to collect intelligence.Anyway, some people are staring at the domestic reactions of various countries. If they agree to send troops to intervene, the mobilization of troops and the delivery of strategic materials will always be indispensable.

Which country joins the intervention army does not depend on their representatives sitting in the position of the intervening country, but on their actual domestic actions.

Metternich was not in a hurry. Based on his understanding of the British, if he didn't do anything, then there would be a problem.

Now that Thomas has acted, he feels more at ease.A conspiracy on the surface is always easier to deal with than a conspiracy in the dark.

Chapter 1 Ten calculations

In a manor in Paris, an aristocratic banquet was taking place. In an inconspicuous corner, British Foreign Minister Thomas and Russian Foreign Minister Karl Vosser gathered together.

If this news gets out, the headlines on the front pages of Parisian newspapers can be booked first.

Carl Wursell frowned and asked, "Mr. Thomas, you asked me to come over for a drink, wouldn't it?"

Originally, he was busy hooking up noble ladies at the reception, having fun, but was interrupted by Thomas who came to the door. It's no wonder he was in a good mood.

Talking about things, Karl Wurssell didn't think he had anything to talk about with the British at the moment.What's more, this occasion is not right, the secrecy is to let the Austrians find out on purpose.

Thomas said with a smile: "Mr. Karl Wossel, don't you think that after the annexation of South Germany, Austria is a little too powerful?"

Karl Worser's face changed. There were many people in the tsarist government who felt that Austria was too strong, and he himself was one of them.It's fine to talk about it in the house, but now that the British have exposed it, he dare not admit it.

Who knows if there is any Austrian eyeliner around here, even if there is no, the British must have a way to let Austria know the content of the conversation.

Karl Wursell's political ability is still passable, knowing that this is a political trap dug by the British, naturally he will not follow the topic.

Immediately said unceremoniously: "Mr. Thomas, if it's this matter, I won't ask you to worry about it. It's not your turn to dictate what we do."

Ignoring his unreasonableness, Thomas still said with a smile: "Mr. Karl Vossell, there are no eternal friends in this world, as long as eternal interests, you and Austria are allies today, but may become enemies tomorrow.

Now for the sake of alliances, you have allowed Austria to expand in the German region, and tomorrow you will be able to face a unified central European empire.

It's never wrong to prepare a little in advance to prevent it from happening.

The distance between Russia and Austria is too close. When Austria's European expansion road is blocked, they can only develop in the Near East. Sooner or later, you will have conflicts..."

Before Thomas could finish speaking, Karl Wursell took his leave and left. He already regretted contacting the British rashly.

The Russia-Austria alliance is Russia's most important foreign policy, how could it be easily changed, and the alliance cannot be abandoned just because of possible threats.

Such an obvious sowing of discord, if he can't see it, then there is really a problem.

This seemingly unhappy meeting has actually undergone a qualitative change in the eyes of caring people.

Naturally, Karl Wurser did not notice these problems. He had to admit that the British's sowing dissension was very effective. Deep down, he was also very afraid of Austria. Just like the Austrian government was afraid of the Russians, allies also needed to be on guard!

This is Thomas' brilliance. Once the matter is brought to light, it is difficult not to be affected.

Whether or not to pull Austria's back has become a difficult problem for Karl Wurser, so he hesitated because of the matter.

After a sleepless night, the meeting was held normally the next day. Thomas launched an attack on the spot, and Karl Wossel involuntarily reduced his speech.

Originally, there was a wave of England and Prussia, and a wave of Russia and Austria. The French were on the sidelines, and the Spanish representative was in charge of presiding over the meeting.

Now the attitude of the French has changed, and Karl Vosser's support is not enough. Metternich has been under tremendous pressure from the beginning.

But the negotiation is not based on the number of people, otherwise all countries will be brought in, and there will be more people who oppose Austria's expansion. The reason does not need to be explained.

Metternich, who has experienced many battles in the diplomatic circle, will naturally not be intimidated. No matter how righteous the representatives of Britain, France and Prussia are, I will stand still.

Thomas threatened: "Mr. Metternich, if your country refuses to give up the establishment of the Holy Roman Empire, then all countries will impose sanctions on you."