Holy Roman Empire

Metternich said without changing his face: "Okay, we can make a concession, instead of establishing the Holy Roman Empire, let's establish the head office of the new Holy Roman Empire!"

This is completely avoiding the important and neglecting the important. The waste of such a great effort is not to let Austria change the name of the country and it's over, but to make them give up the benefits they have obtained.

Further coercion and lure, Thomas will not say it at the meeting, this must be communicated in private.You can't block the face of the Russians and let Austria turn against you, right?

The Russians are not stupid, as long as they show a little bit of trouble, they will immediately react and take measures.

Thomas' previous series of work was actually just to create a gap between Russia and Austria and prepare for the split of the Russia-Austria alliance.

Flies do not bite seamless eggs. If there is no gap between Russia and Austria, the British will have nowhere to start!

The second is to suppress Austria. Thomas is very clear about the primary and secondary strategies.Now it seems that the effect seems to be very good. The inaction of the Russians has obviously become a thorn in Metternich's heart.

After the meeting, without leaving time for Metternich, Thomas had a showdown with him.

Either abandon the Russia-Austria alliance, and Austria can swallow all the benefits it has obtained; or retain the Russia-Austria alliance and spit out the benefits it has eaten; or welcome the nine countries to intervene in the coalition forces.

If ordinary people would have been frightened long ago, Metternich was also not at peace in his heart, but on the surface he did not reveal the slightest flaw.

He sarcastically said: "Mr. Thomas, this joke is not funny. Are you sure you are not kidding me?

The Netherlands and Belgium have conflicts, and the relationship between Spain and Portugal is not much better. If your country and the French could cooperate closely, the Near East War would have ended long ago.

If you can make this contradictory coalition become intimate, then I have nothing to say, Austria does not have the strength to compete with the nine countries. "

If this step can be achieved, Thomas doesn't need to talk nonsense here. Once the coalition forces are dispatched, the Austrian government will take care of them.

Everyone is not a fool, if you want to interfere in Austria, you also need to look at your interests. Even if the interests are not enough, even if the British forcibly pull them together, it will be too much work.

Perhaps, in the eyes of many people, it is more cost-effective to fight Austria than to cheat teammates. At least you can use a knife to kill people and consume the enemy's strength.

The British have done a lot of this kind of defrauding teammates. It can be said that they have lowered the integrity between allies. Now everyone follows suit, and the close cooperation has long since ceased to exist.

After the weakness was exposed, Thomas said calmly: "Mr. Metternich, all the problems you mentioned exist, but no matter how serious the contradictions of the Nine-Power Allied Forces are, their superiority in strength cannot be ignored.

Even as long as France and Prussia join hands, your country may not be able to sustain it.

Don't doubt our determination, the big deal is to withdraw the coalition forces on the Crimea Peninsula. As long as Constantinople is still in our hands, the initiative is in our hands.

If we make some concessions and recognize the Russian occupation of Bulgaria and the Danube Valley, what do you think the chances are that the Russians will compromise?

In the face of interests, will the Russians take into account the Russia-Austria alliance?Everyone knows the credibility of the tsarist government. Is it necessary for you to test it again? "

Metternich said without changing his face: "Mr. Thomas, I admit that what you said is very reasonable. It's a pity that you can make concessions to the Russians, but the French cannot make concessions!

Mr. Thomas, I suggest that it is necessary for you to go to the streets of Paris to see the attitude of the French people towards this Near East War. "

There is no way, the French people in this era have been suppressed for a long time and have just been released.

Napoleon III launched the war against Russia not only because of his personal will, but because the French people were dissatisfied with the failure of the anti-French war and wanted to avenge the Russians.

Against this ideological background, asking the Paris government to make concessions is simply telling Napoleon III to go.

It is related to his own interests, even if the British can fool around, Napoleon III will not be able to compromise.

Future threats, that's the future.If a concession is made now, the French people don't have such a long-term vision, and they will let him go out immediately.

At this point, Napoleon III may not be able to win the Near East War, but he must not admit defeat. Even if the loss of the French army on the battlefield is great, he must end with a big victory.

You can't let the tsarist government act and deliberately create a big defeat, right?Nicholas I, who was born as a soldier, couldn't do this kind of thing, even if the benefits were great.

The tsarist government also couldn't afford to lose. If they lost, their status as the overlord of continental Europe would cease to exist, and domestic conflicts that had been suppressed would be detonated immediately, and they could not do things that sacrificed themselves for others.

……

St petersburg

Franz is hanging out with a group of Russian nobles, basically eating, drinking and having fun every day, living a very luxurious life.

Diplomatic PR?In addition to exchanging with Nicholas I about the future strategies of the two countries and further communicating politically, the remaining matters were discussed by his subordinates.

Regarding the issue of German unification this time, Franz only raised it symbolically, and Nicholas I also gave a formulaic answer, and everything was done in accordance with the provisions of the covenant.

Then, most of the time, the famous future Russian Alexander II was receiving him. The tsar was also very busy, and he had official business to deal with every day, so he didn't have so much time to spend time.

Visit the places of interest in St. Petersburg, attend the noble banquet, and hook up with the noble lady by the way. In short, Franz had a great time in St. Petersburg.

The attendant whispered in Franz's ear, "Your Majesty, please have a look at the Paris meeting telegram from Vienna."

Thanks to the establishment of the Russia-Austria alliance, in order to strengthen communication between the two countries, the cable telegraph from St. Petersburg to Vienna was finally connected.

Franz was a responsible emperor. Even though he was far away in St. Petersburg, he did not forget to pay attention to domestic affairs, especially the Paris meeting, which was the focus of attention.

After receiving the telegram and reading it briefly, Franz had a headache. He didn't expect the British to make a move at the last moment.

Interfering with the coalition forces is not a question of whether you can win or not, but it is definitely a question of whether you can win or not!

It doesn't matter if you finish a wave. Once the flames of war are ignited, you will not be controlled by your personal will if you want to stop.

Is the difficulty really tied to the Russians against the entire European continent?As soon as this idea arose, Franz left it behind.

The Russians have a geographical advantage, so they don’t have to be cowardly at all, but Austria can’t. Once the fight starts, it will become the front line.

Looking at the map of Europe, Franz made a decision.

"Call back to the country, suggesting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs communicate with the French, and we can also bring the Russians together, as if we carve up the Kingdom of Prussia, and see how the British deal with it."

Not to see how the British coped, but to see how the Prussians coped.The British can still sit firmly on the Diaoyutai, as long as the European continent is not the dominant one, they can continue to play the balance.

The Kingdom of Prussia is different. The three countries of France, Russia and Austria carve up Prussia, which is completely killing them. They cannot win a one-on-one battle, and a one-on-three battle cannot be fought at all.

The territory west of the Rhine to the French, Prussia to the Russians, and part of Berlin to the Austrians seemed perfect.

No one has to worry about Austria becoming bigger, France and Russia have both expanded.Relying on the friendship of sharing the loot together, the war in the Near East can be stopped. After taking the Rhineland area, Napoleon III can also give an explanation to the people.

Franz really wanted to see Frederick William IV's expression after receiving the news. If he couldn't get the southern German region, he would use the interests of the Kingdom of Prussia as compensation, which seemed acceptable to Austria.

The only trouble is that the Kingdom of Prussia is a tough one. It is easiest for the Russians to take over Poland, and it is not difficult for the French to take over the Rhineland. If Austria wants to attack the Berlin region, it will have to fight the Kingdom of Prussia.

The most troublesome thing is that once the fight is too fierce and the hands of both sides are covered with each other's blood, then the post-war rule will be a copy of hell.

Specifically, you can refer to Switzerland, which was originally the ancestral land of the Habsburg dynasty. Because the original ancestors were not strong enough, they did not suppress the Swiss aristocratic rebellion in time. .

Chapter 111 On the Necessity of Buffering

Berlin

Austria's fanfare did not mean to keep it secret at all, and the Prussian government naturally received the news.

Frederick William IV was still hesitating whether to join the Intervention Coalition Forces, so there is no need to think about it now.If you don't want to deal with it, the Kingdom of Prussia will become history before the coalition forces are established.

Foreign Minister Andrea analyzed: "Your Majesty, Austria is intimidating us. The division of Russia, France and Austria is not good for them. Once we are finished, Austria, which is sandwiched between France and Russia, will be embarrassed.

It is absolutely impossible for them to carve up the benefits they can obtain greater than the annexation of South Germany, but the price they pay is much greater. "

This is inevitable. The troops that can be used to carve up Prussia, France and Russia are limited. The Russians can still dispatch 10,000 troops, and the French will use [-]+ troops to survive. .

The military strength of the Kingdom of Prussia is not weak. At the critical moment of life and death, it is entirely possible for an army of 60 to [-] to emerge.

If this is put together, even if you can't do the Three Kingdoms Alliance, but when you die, it is still no problem to break a few teeth in Austria.

After paying such a high price, the post-war gains will be divided by France and Russia. The Kingdom of Prussia without Prussian Poland and the Rhineland region is not as valuable as the South German region that Austria has now acquired.

In addition, ruling is much more difficult. The Junker nobles will not buy Austria, but the local people in South Germany are welcoming the king.

Frederick William IV said with grief and indignation: "It is true in theory, but this threat still exists. Austria dared to do so clearly, which clearly concluded that we dare not take risks."

This is not an adventure, it is clearly suicide.As long as Austria attacks Prussia with all its strength, Russia and France will definitely take advantage of the fire.

Will Austria do the same?The answer no one knows.But Frederick William IV can be sure that this is the easiest way for Austria to break the situation.

Joseph von Radowitz thought for a while and said: "Your Majesty, we can throw this difficult problem to the British. If they cannot guarantee our safety, then we will not participate in the Nine Nations Intervention Coalition.

The Austrians also need us to keep the French at bay, and if we fail, they will face the French threat.As long as we quit now, they will stop. "

This multiple-choice question is easy to do. The Prussian government joined the Intervention Army for profit, and it can also withdraw for profit.

The Nine-Power Allied Forces look very powerful, but in fact the main forces here are only France and Prussia, and the rest of the countries are just make up.As long as any of the French and French is counseled, the British plan will go bankrupt.

Andrea shook his head and said, "Prime Minister, the British may not be able to solve this problem. They can convince the French, but they cannot convince the Russians.

According to Austria's plan, before the coalition organization is completed, we will go to war against us first, and the British will not be able to rescue us.

The only ones who have the strength to help us are the French, but for their own benefit, I am afraid that the French will wait for us to fail, and then it is more likely to annex our territory west of the Rhine.

At this time, we cannot place our hopes on the British.Facts have long proved that their promises are not reliable most of the time.

If you can't get enough benefits from the intervention army, it is also a good choice to join hands with Austria to carve up the German region.

The big deal is to join the Russia-Austria alliance, rebuild the Nordic three-court system, and jointly dominate the European continent. Britain and France are simply powerless to stop it. "

Frederick William IV hesitated. Austria's annexation of South Germany aroused everyone's fear, but the direct benefit loss to all countries was not large. Among the great powers, Prussia should have suffered the greatest loss of interest, and the market has become smaller.

Prussia's annexation of the North German region was different. It was only a small problem to hit the British in the face. The biggest trouble was to cut off the financial resources of the British capitalists.

Historically, Prussia annexed North Germany, but after joining the free trade system, the industry of the Kingdom of Prussia had already developed by leaps and bounds, and it was not afraid of British competition.

It is different now. If the Prussian government dares to join the free trade system during this period, the domestic national industry will be aborted.

There is no way. In this era, the Kingdom of Prussia does not have a pillar industry with strong competitiveness. The industry depends entirely on copying the British, or the whole world is copying the British.

The Prussian government stood on the opposite side of Austria. One of the reasons was that after Austria took control of South Germany, it would raise import tariffs on Prussian goods and directly squeeze them out of the market through administrative means.

This is not likely to happen, but will definitely happen.It is self-evident that there is not enough market for the industrializing Prussian kingdom.

On the issue of North Germany, it is impossible for the London government to make concessions. Otherwise, Prime Minister George will step down early, and he may even get a ticket to heaven.

This is also one of the reasons why the British want three parts of Germany. The interests of domestic capitalists have prompted the actions of the London government.

As for saying that the British have many colonies and a large market, that is nonsense.Most of the colonial markets in this era have not been developed, and the main market is still in the European continent.

The risk of ocean trade is much greater than that of trade at home, and which capitalist would dislike the money he makes?

In contrast, South Germany is different. Bavaria is the textile center of the German region. In this era, the biggest export product of the British is textiles. The London government let the Kingdom of Bavaria and Austria leave, which means to exclude competitors.

International politics in the middle of the 19th century was no longer limited to politics and the military, but the economic impact was also increasing, especially in a country with strong capital like Britain.

……

The Austrian counterattack was both expected and unexpected by the British.Originally, the London government thought that Austria would intimidate and lure the Prussian government, but it did not expect the Vienna government to directly amplify its tactics.

The effect of the big move is naturally very powerful, and the Prussian government has already expressed its attitude tactfully - it dare not play.

The reality tells the British that sometimes national interests cannot be completely considered. The personal interests of high-level government officials can also determine national politics.

After confirming the position of Napoleon III, the Austrians seized the loopholes of the coalition forces and could fight back unscrupulously.

"The situation has changed. The Prussian government has been intimidated by Austria and is about to withdraw. If we don't find a way to stop it, I'm afraid it won't be long before the Nordic three-court alliance will reappear in Europe." Prime Minister George Hamilton Gordon said seriously

The Russia-Austria alliance has not been dismantled, if it becomes the Russia-Austria-Prussia alliance again, then don't say anything, they will shrink their forces again and return to the British Isles.

Minister of the Interior Henry thought for a while and said: "Prime Minister, I am afraid that the Prussians have not made up their minds, otherwise they should send troops to annex North Germany at this time instead of communicating with us.

We can't do anything about Russia and Austria, but there are still ways to deal with the Prussians. The Royal Navy will block the North Sea for a month, and the domestic economic crisis in the Kingdom of Prussia will break out. It is impossible for them to ignore this consequence.

Even if the Prussians and Austria join forces to carve up the German region, it does not mean that the North German region belongs to them.I am afraid that many countries will not give them a chance to do it, and they will directly fall into the arms of Austria.

In this case, it is impossible for the Prussian government not to consider clearly that this expansion did not eliminate the crisis, but only delayed it.

With Russia in the east, France in the west, Austria in the south, and the sea on the other side, the geographical location of the Kingdom of Prussia is simply terrible.

In this regard, Austria is very similar to them, both of which are caught in the middle by France and Russia.It's just that Austria can develop into Italy and the Balkans at any rate, and the Prussians can only colonize overseas.

This is probably the reason why Frederick William IV did not dare to make up his mind. Without our acquiescence, they could only stay at home and watch the countries continue to grow and develop. "

This is the core reason for the collapse of the Nordic Three Courts Alliance. The alliance cannot bring greater benefits to the Kingdom of Prussia. Industrialization cannot do without overseas markets. They must handle their relationship with the British.

After hesitating for a moment, George Hamilton Gordon made a decision: "Tell Thomas that this trial plan has failed, and start the second plan."

This is the ideal solution, but not the only one.The London government does not think that everyone is a fool, so it has naturally prepared contingency plans.

The reason why the British adopted this unreliable plan is very simple, the cost of implementation is low, and the benefits are large!

Everyone is happy if they succeed, but they have nothing to lose if they fail, so why not give it a try?

Are they really failing now?

Obviously not!

The British planted a thorn in the Russia-Austria alliance, which worsened the relationship between Austria and Prussia. At the same time, it also stimulated the French and provoked the relationship between Austria and European countries.

What about the British pay?It's just that the foreign ministers ran more diligently to check and balance Austria's strategy, and they completed most of the work.

Affected by the deterioration of the diplomatic situation, Austria will have to repair its international relations for a long time to come. After all, this annexation of the South German region has stimulated everyone's sensitive nerves.

……