Holy Roman Empire

Since he took power, Franz has promoted the unification of language and writing, and promoted cross-ethnic marriages on the one hand.

From the current point of view, the unification of the language is considered the best. German is basically popularized in towns and cities, and there is no need to think about it in rural areas for the time being. Except for children who receive compulsory education, older generations who can speak a few words of German are considered activists.

In any case, there are still nearly seven layers of people in the country who speak German.In ethnic minority areas and the newly occupied Balkans, the popularization rate of folk German is the highest.

Needless to say about writing, although the literacy rate according to official statistics has exceeded 60.00%, the social status quo of most of them being illiterate has not been changed.

Franz didn't think he could be considered an intellectual if he could write a few words.This 60.00% seven can also be understood as 60.00% seven people can write their own names.

To truly unify the language and script, we have to wait for the generation receiving compulsory education to grow up. There is no rush for such a thing.

In contrast, the increase in the number of mixed-race children is much greater.With the advancement of industrialization, the communication between people of various ethnic groups has increased significantly, and naturally there have been more marriages.

In theory, as long as there are 300 million couples in interracial marriages, all races in the entire new Holy Roman Empire are bound together.

Everyone has become relatives, and the concept of nationality has faded.To put it bluntly, except for extreme nationalists, who would discriminate against their relatives and friends?

Franz ordered: "Continue to stare at the French. The excavation of the Suez Canal is not only a huge investment, but also the risks involved are unknown. The French government is bound to raise funds in the capital market."

Investing in the Suez Canal is a lucrative business. Once this golden waterway is navigable, it will be a huge source of money. Naturally, Franz will not let go of this opportunity.

Theoretically, after being opposed by the British, in order to reduce the risk, the French will probably win over Austria to join.

However, it is impossible for the French to give up the controlling stake in the canal, and Franz did not expect to get the controlling stake.

In this case, the investment share that the Vienna government can get is at most three or four floors. It looks like a lot, but there are more people who share the cake. As Emperor Franz, he must pay attention to his appearance.

Rather than getting it from the government investment, it is better to secretly buy a part of the shares in the capital market. Anyway, this is an investment that only gets dividends, and the more secretive the better.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Tyron replied

After a pause, Franz asked, "What's the latest news from the Kingdom of Prussia?"

Taylor replied: "The Kingdom of Prussia is still undergoing reforms. The rule of Frederick William IV is a bit unstable, and there are undercurrents in the country. He himself is not in good condition, and he has not shown his face in public for a long time.

The exact circumstances were uncertain, and the Prussians blocked the news.However, from William Frederick Ludwig's frequent activities in the political arena, we can infer that Frederick William IV's health may not be good. "

After hearing the news, Franz realized that the famous Emperor William the Great was about to step onto the stage of history.

But one step is slow, and the next step is slow. At this time, the Kingdom of Prussia has lost its time.

The three-point German structure was created by Franz alone. How could it be easily broken when the Vienna system was re-established?

Now Britain, France, Russia and Austria all hope for the stability of the European continent, which cannot be controlled by individual power.Unless he can hang up and let everyone's brains flood, there is a chance.

Historically, the unification of the German region by the Kingdom of Prussia was against the backdrop of the establishment of the government of Napoleon III.It wasn't just one blow, but three consecutive blows that created opportunities for them.

The current international situation is even more severe. Unless France and Austria can fight in Italy and Britain and Russia in India at the same time, there will be no room for them to play.

After thinking for a while, Franz ordered: "Teren, find an opportunity to get rid of Bismarck, the Prussian ambassador to Russia. Do it naturally, and don't reveal that we did it.

If there is no suitable opportunity, then smear him first and let him lose further opportunities. "

His hero, my enemy.

Although Franz has always abided by the rules of political struggle and rarely played these tricks, it doesn't mean that he won't play tricks.

To be on the safe side, he still decided to get rid of the iron-blooded prime minister first.Without him as the helmsman, even if other radical members came to power, the Prussians would not be able to turn the tide.

The Kingdom of Prussia has limited national strength and cannot afford to lose in the hegemony contest. As long as there is any operation error, it will be finished.

Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig was not an easy guy either, and he would never take risks with the Radicals if he had no chance of winning.Not all prime ministers are Bismarcks who can force the king to make concessions.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Tyron replied

……

Chapter 38 Bismarck

Franz had already had the idea of ​​attacking Bismarck. Unfortunately, there are too many people with the same name in Europe. Who knows which one is which before they emerge?

I can't even confirm my identity, so naturally I can't do anything.

When the identity of Bismarck was confirmed, it happened that he was transferred from the representative of the Kingdom of Prussia in Frankfurt to the minister of the new Holy Roman Empire.

Killing a minister on his own territory, the impact is too bad.The political stakes were too great, and Franz was not one to take risks.

Now that Bismarck has been transferred to Russia as minister, the situation is different.As long as you are careful, you will be killed if you kill it. Even if there is trouble, it will be a headache for the Tsarist government.

If possible, he would not mind killing the three great Prussians together.It's a pity that the other two are in the army, so it's hard to keep track of their whereabouts. You can't rush into the barracks and kill them, right?

Franz didn't think his own assassination team was that powerful, and if he went to the Kingdom of Prussia to assassinate his officers, it would be a tragedy if he was caught.

The most threatening one is Bismarck. No matter how good the generals are, they cannot get rid of the constraints of national power in the era of hot weapons.In this regard, Franz is not cowardly.

In contrast, politicians and diplomats are the ones who dominate the destiny of the country.Now that Metternich is here, Bismarck's position is not high, and Franz is not worried about him making troubles.

However, this "European Prime Minister" is old, and it will be a matter of time before he leaves, and the young Bismarck began to rise again after William's regent.

However, the ability of the candidates for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the New Holy Roman Empire can only be regarded as mediocre, and Franz himself is not a master of diplomacy. If Bismarck accidentally creates an anti-Austrian alliance at any time, he will be in big trouble .

Now the strength of the new Holy Roman Empire has not made everyone feel threatened. The comprehensive national strength of Britain, Russia, France and Austria is relatively balanced, even if there is a gap between them.

However, in the next few decades, France will fall behind due to population. The situation of the Russian Empire is still unclear, but Franz does not think that Tsarist Russia, which has delayed reforms, will become stronger.

Against this background, sooner or later all countries will notice the threat of the new Holy Roman Empire, and once the power is out of balance, the international order will change again.

Under normal circumstances, as long as France and Russia do not get closer, Austria does not have to worry.But if the Kingdom of Prussia wants to join in for a while, the situation will be different.

Bismarck is now transferred to serve as the Russian Empire's diplomatic minister, which means a change in the foreign policy of the Kingdom of Prussia, and they want to repair relations with the Russians.

Prior to this, Bismarck had already repaired the diplomatic relations between Prussia and Austria.Even though William Friedrich Ludwig hated Bismarck very much, it was not unreasonable for him to still reuse him.

In Franz's view, this is a danger signal.Prussian-Russian relations have not improved for a long time. It is because he has been sabotaging it and provoking confrontation between the two countries. In essence, the conflict between Prussia and Russia is not irreconcilable.

……

In St. Petersburg, Bismarck, who had just become the Minister of the Russian Empire, was still struggling with how to re-align with Russia.

Bismarck would not have taken over as minister to Russia if it was not for the purpose of once again promoting the alliance of the three Nordic courts.After all, this is just a mediocre tune, not a promotion.

Bismarck ordered: "Prepare the car, I'm going to visit Crown Prince Alexander."

Most officials of the tsarist government did not have much affection for the Kingdom of Prussia, but the relationship between the royal families of the two countries has always been good.

I don't know why, but among the Russian tsars, there have always been more pro-Prussians, and even Peter III, a brain-dead fan, appeared.The current crown prince Alexander, the future Alexander II, is also a pro-Puppet faction.

This alone is obviously not enough. In the face of interests, this closeness alone is not enough to make the tsarist government change its position.

A turning point has taken place in history. The Russians did not lose their European hegemony, so the tsarist government could not abandon the Kingdom of Denmark. As a hegemon, it is impossible to live without younger brothers. This has risen to the question of the dignity of the hegemony.

As long as the Kingdom of Prussia has ambitions for the two German states occupied by Denmark, the relationship between the two parties cannot be eased.

The Vienna system was established again, and the Kingdom of Prussia did not have the power to break the rules. The regent William Frederick Ludwig believed that the best time had been lost, and advocated domestic development first and temporarily abandoned external expansion.

To develop the domestic economy, it is imperative to establish good diplomatic relations with other countries.In this context, Bismarck's trip to St. Petersburg came about.

……

Stepping out of the embassy, ​​Bismarck felt uneasy, as if something was about to happen.But for a diplomatic meeting, since the appointment is made, you can't let the pigeons go.

Time passed by, and Bismarck entered the palace smoothly, as if nothing happened.

……

A benevolent old man said seriously: "Alexai, just now there is news from the inside that the target has gone out, you can prepare now.

Everyone has only one chance to make a move. Regardless of success or failure, you must leave St. Petersburg tonight.Once the tsarist government reacts, you will know the consequences. "

Alexei said indifferently: "I know Andre, you are still so wordy, don't worry about our work. To ensure nothing goes wrong, we will block him at the gate, as long as he is in the carriage, he will die."

Andre's old man glared at him and said, "If you want to live longer in this line of work, put away your arrogance, Alexei.

Not only the people in the carriage, but also the coachman and guards are also within the scope of hunting. You must know the hobbies of nobles.

This time the target is different, the scapegoat, I'm ready.As long as you guys don't get caught on the spot, everything will be fine. "

Seeing the seriousness of what the old man said, Alexei's relaxed expression no longer existed.It wasn't the first time they were killers, but it was the first time the old man had such a serious expression.

Alexei asked suspiciously: "I don't understand. Isn't he just a Prussian diplomat who offended someone and wants to pay a lot of money to get rid of him?"

The old man said earnestly: "Warning you again, as we know in this line of work, the heavier the curiosity, the faster it will die.

It is not easy for me to train you guys. I don't want to see you die young. After finishing this big job, we will owe each other, and you will be free people. "

Apparently the pseudonym they used, the old man looks very old, but in fact it is all made up, the real age is not very old.

As a member of Franz's intelligence organization, and still specializing in murder, Andre naturally couldn't reveal his true identity.

As for Alexei and the others, they were all killers trained by Andre, and before that, they had borrowed money to kill them.This task is very important, and these outside lines of development can only be discarded.

Bismarck was a minister of a country. Once he was assassinated in St. Petersburg, the tsarist government would definitely not let it go. They would not be able to explain to the international community until the murderer was caught.

This kind of thing can't be related to Austria, so it can only be done by outside lines that have not yet been included in the intelligence organization. Anyway, even if it fails, these killers don't know anything.

When buying a murderer, everyone thinks of Bismarck's enemies. Who knew Franz, who had nothing to do with him, would plan this unrelated murder?

Even if he wanted to assassinate, he would at least assassinate someone with a higher status. Even if Bismarck was an eyesore, he was obviously not qualified to be paid special attention by Franz.

……

In the palace, Bismarck and Crown Prince Alexander had a happy conversation. Since the Prussian government is willing to soften, the conflict between the two countries will be easily resolved.

The Tsarist government also wanted to change the situation of being isolated on the European continent. The Russia-Austria alliance alone was obviously not enough, and it would be almost enough if the Kingdom of Prussia was added.

Once the Triple Alliance was established, the European hegemony of the tsarist government would be stabilized, instead of just barely maintaining the reputation of the main overlord as it is now, but its actual influence is limited to Northeast Europe.

With the support of Crown Prince Alexander, Bismarck returned with satisfaction, and the first step to improve the relationship between the two countries was taken.

The carriage creaked on the snow and moved forward slowly.Bismarck's good mood was gone. The weather in the Russian Empire was too bad. It was already April, and there was still snow on the ground, which made him very uncomfortable.

Time passed by, passing through one street after another, and finally arrived home.Bismarck just got out of the carriage.

"Bang bang bang..."

The gunshot rang out, and the bullet was already flying towards him, and he was shot before he could avoid Bismarck.

After hearing the gunshots, the guards in the embassy ran out quickly, and by this time the killer had disappeared.

Chapter 39 The bureaucratic approach

Hermitage

Upon receiving the news of Bismarck's assassination, Nicholas I was instantly furious.The assassination of a minister of a country in St. Petersburg is a slap in the face.

"Check, give me a comprehensive investigation, I must find the murderer!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The Minister of Police replied hastily

After a pause, Nicholas I asked, "Is Bismarck dead?"

Because of the indifference between the two countries, Nicholas I had never seen Bismarck's face, so naturally he was not concerned about his life or death.

But the situation is different now. If Bismarck is not dead, then there is still room for maneuver, as long as the murderer is caught.

If it dies, then the Russians will become a laughing stock internationally.Even foreign envoys can't be protected well, and the British may not give up adding insult to injury.

Police Minister Dumanov replied: "Bismarck was shot three times and is being rescued. Because the delay was too long, the chance of surviving is not high."

……

Obviously, this is preparing to dump the pot.Dumanov was also very angry about the assassination of Bismarck. For him, it was an unwarranted disaster.

If he was assassinated in another area, it would be a public security issue, so he would admit it.But at the entrance of the Prussian embassy, ​​the situation is different. The police of the tsarist government usually do not hang around the entrance of the embassies of various countries.

Due to the nature of bureaucracy, he also has to push the responsibility out.The excuses have already been made, and the security of the Prussian embassy is their own responsibility. The fact that the guards didn't react to this kind of change is due to their incompetence.

If you think about it unscrupulously, this may also be an internal power struggle in the Kingdom of Prussia, or it may be planned by Bismarck's enemies.If it was an internal and external collusion, then it would be much more reasonable.

In this way, his responsibility is much lighter.Everyone's attention was shifted to the internal struggle in the Kingdom of Prussia, and the international pressure on the Tsarist government was reduced.

In addition to the palace, Marquis Dumanov began to look for evidence to support his excuses.

As soon as he returned to the office, he received news that Bismarck had died.Then got another good news, the suspect was caught.

Marquis Dumanov asked with concern: "Has the identity of the suspect been confirmed?"

The assistant replied solemnly: "The preliminary judgment is that they are members of the Polish independent organization, and the bullets that appeared at the scene of the crime were of the same type as those found in the residences of the arrested suspects.

These weapons and ammunition are all handmade, not produced by machinery, and are commonly used equipment by Polish independent organizations.

According to the preliminary review, they admitted that they sneaked into St. Petersburg this time to assassinate senior officials of our country to create chaos and create opportunities for Poland's independence.

It is said that there is not only one such action team.The Kingdom of Prussia also occupied Polish territory, and it was no surprise that Bismarck was targeted for killing. "