Holy Roman Empire

A total of 51 people participated in the meeting, most of them were representatives of the South German states, including 4 Prussians and only 1 Austrian.

The meeting adopted the "Declaration to the German People" and decided to set up a seven-member committee to prepare for the German Preparatory Congress. (predecessor of the Frankfurt Conference)

There is no doubt that this meeting is represented for Austria.

No matter what others think, Franz will not recognize the legitimacy of this meeting anyway. He was too busy dealing with domestic issues before to take care of these issues. Now that the internal crisis is under control, it is time to intervene in the affairs of the German region.

The difference from history is that the bourgeoisie in Austria has been hit hard, and the rest of the people are also trembling aside, for fear that they will be killed by the government. Who would dare to make a fuss at this time?

The Frankfurt Conference is approaching, but the representatives of Austria have not been elected. Instead, a group of wanted criminals are preparing to attend the conference.

Franz didn't even know what the capitalists thought, and it was doomed to fail from the very beginning.Without the recognition of the governments of various countries, how can there be any legitimacy?

"Prime Minister, what do you think of the toss of the capitalists?" Franz asked

"Your Highness, I think you can ignore it. This meeting is illegal in the first place, so we just refuse to admit it!" Prime Minister Felix said calmly

Austria in this era still has awesome capital. Among the many German states, Austria's national strength is now the strongest.

Franz frowned. Obviously, he was not satisfied with the answer. Historically, the Austrian government did the same thing, and the consequences were quite serious. The parliament passed the proposal of Little Germany, excluding Austria.

In Franz's view, the Kingdom of Prussia was behind the meeting, otherwise Austria would not have been excluded from the beginning.

"Your Excellency, do you really think so? If we don't intervene, I guess the outcome of the Congress must be a small German Reich with the exception of Austria.

Regardless of whether this meeting is legal or not, its influence among the people is unquestionable, and perhaps it has not been clearly felt in Austria.

But in other areas, the influence has begun to spread. Once the people accept this theory, it will lay the foundation for the unification of the above-mentioned areas by Prussia in the future. "Foreign Minister Metternich said with a frown.

"European coachman" is not called for nothing. Although he does not think that the German region can be unified, Metternich, who pursues European balance, also opposes anyone to unify Germany.

The strength of the Kingdom of Prussia is already very strong now. If they continue to create opportunities for them, it will not be a problem for them to annex North Germany.

This is a very big threat to Austria.Historically, during this period Metternich had left the political arena, lost his right to speak, and was powerless to prevent this from happening.

Now that he is still serving as Austria's foreign minister, of course he has to do something at this time, and disrupting the Frankfurt Conference is the first step.

This is also the purpose of Franz putting him in the cabinet. Few people in the world can compare with him in diplomacy, even though the "Vienna system" he created has collapsed.

"Mr. Metternich, please don't be alarmist here, what are these capitalists, can they represent public opinion?

The governments of all countries will not recognize their legitimacy. The so-called German Congress has no rights beyond Frankfurt! "Felix said tit for tat

"Don't forget that capitalists have influence among the people. They can influence public opinion in a region through the newspapers in their hands. As far as I know, the Prussian government has secretly contacted them.

Once the conditions of both parties are reached, the capitalists will support the Kingdom of Prussia to unify the Little Germany area, then we will have a war with the Kingdom of Prussia! "Metternich said almost growling.

……

Seeing that the two people were arguing with red faces, and they were about to start a fight, Franz quickly reprimanded: "Shut up, everyone, today is for you to discuss matters, not to listen to your quarrel!"

On the surface Franz was very angry, but in fact he was happy in his heart.No monarch wants his subordinates to be monolithic, let alone Franz is not the emperor now.

As the regent crown prince, once the cabinet is united, Franz will soon be emptied.For the sake of balance of power, he cannot allow cabinet members to form groups.

One is the former prime minister who has been in charge of Austria for more than 20 years, and the other is the powerful current prime minister. When two powerful people have different political opinions, conflicts will inevitably arise.

"Okay, just to be on the safe side, regardless of whether it's a Prussian conspiracy or not, we must sabotage this meeting, or at least suppress the influence of the meeting to a minimum.

If you have any ideas, please come forward.Our time is precious and every minute wasted is a crime! "

Franz still favored Metternich, the later Little German Empire was established, and the status of the Frankfurt Conference was artificially magnified.

It is estimated that only those who have experienced it personally will know how effective it is.Franz didn't want to try it, so he just destroyed it.

Anyway, because of the relationship of the customs union, Austria has limited influence among the capitalists in the German region, and is far inferior to the Kingdom of Prussia. It is undoubtedly impossible to reach an agreement that is beneficial to one's own side through this meeting.

"How about we send people to propose the formation of the North and South German Empires? If we promise the South German states not to interfere in their internal affairs, the chances of success are still very high!" Karl said tentatively.

"It's useless, we may have a chance to persuade the southern German states, but at the meeting of representatives of the bourgeoisie, it is absolutely impossible to pass!

What's more, we have to pay too high a price to convince them, and in the end, the unity is still only in name. " Metternich shook his head and said

Franz was tempted. If the Southern German Federal Empire was formed, there would be nothing for the Prussians. Because of religious beliefs, there is actually an obvious flood in North and South Germany.

Even if it is only a nominal unity, in fact everyone still goes their own way, and can still use economic means to infiltrate and slowly affect their politics.

It's a pity that now is not the time, at least we have to wait for Austria to deal with internal conflicts, otherwise we will have no confidence in speaking.

Chapter 51 Which is more important, political or military?

"How about we also convene a German regional federal parliament, invite governments from all countries to participate, and discuss the issue of German regional integration.

I believe that the influence caused by the meeting at the government level is definitely not comparable to that of a group of capitalists! ” Archduke Louis suggested

"But this kind of conference can't produce results. The interests of different countries are different, and it is almost impossible to reach an agreement!" Prime Minister Felix said with a frown

There is another way, which everyone did not mention very tacitly, which is to exert diplomatic pressure and forcibly dissolve the capitalists' parliament.

The possibility of success is too low. Many states in the German region are now undergoing revolutions. The Frankfurt region is actually under the control of the capitalists unless they send troops there.

This is obviously impossible. If he had the energy, Franz might as well have suppressed the domestic rebellion earlier and restored his national strength.

"We can contact the various states in the German region, directly declare the Frankfurt Conference illegal, and refuse to recognize any agreements they have reached!" Metternich thought for a while and said

Historically, Austria did the same thing, but it was the 1849 Frankfurt Conference that formulated a constitution, which made all the monarchies avoid it. In the end, Austria, Prussia, Bavaria and other countries denied their legitimacy.

However, there are still 29 German states, forced by domestic public opinion, to accept this constitution, which is also the legal basis for Prussia to unify Germany later.

This is not a contradiction, although there is a Prussian shadow behind this meeting, it does not represent the position of the royal family.Prussia is not monolithic, and there are various forces criss-crossing inside.

"How about this, send a bunch of capitalists in to make trouble, ask a bunch of complicated questions, delay as much as possible, and prevent them from reaching an agreement. Wait until we resolve the domestic conflicts, and then go find their bad luck!"

Franz finally came up with a bad idea. Originally, the Frankfurt meeting was full of internal conflicts, and there were constant quarrels every day.

If the Austrian representative deliberately delayed the time in the past, it would be even more difficult to reach an agreement. Historically, the draft constitution was only presented in March 1849.

Delaying the time later, then it should be enough to deal with internal conflicts.The current strength in the hands of the Austrian government is much stronger than that of the same period in history.

"Your Highness, in fact, we can still fight a public opinion war with them. The bourgeoisie organized this meeting, and they cannot represent the German people.

Now they are just using the resources in their hands to build momentum, and even most of the so-called representatives are not elected by the people themselves.

We can expose the atrocities of the capitalists and declare to the people that this is a conspiracy by the capitalists to turn everyone into slave labor. ’ added Metternich

Franz smiled slightly and thought to himself: "As expected of a strongman who has dominated the situation in Europe for more than 30 years, making Metternich the Minister of Foreign Affairs is indeed a correct choice!"

What kind of stuff is a capitalist, is it still necessary to talk about it?Don’t need too much black history, you can collect a lot of it casually.

Expose the black material of the representatives who participated in the meeting, and keep them infamous.

When the time comes to criticize the decisions made at the Frankfurt Conference and expose the sinister intentions of the capitalists, everything will be different.

Anyone who dares to propose the exclusion of Austria from Germany is a sinner who attempts to divide Germany.No matter what others think, those who advocate Greater Germany must think so.

When the two ideas of Germany and Germany collide, there will be internal fighting among the capitalists. Even if they are unwilling to fight, the representatives of Austria can still provoke troubles?

Scandals can be created without scandals, such as proposing the passage of some bills favoring capitalists, not afraid that the General Assembly will fail, and it will be enough to turn the Frankfurt Conference into a joke.

The background of the convening of this meeting itself is that some state governments are unable to suppress the domestic revolutionary movement, so they let the meeting be held. The main purpose is to divert attention.

When the revolution was in full swing, a large group of capitalists went to Frankfurt to hold a meeting instead of doing business in the country. This has to make people think.

Don't look at the surface that their representatives are all democratically elected, in fact they are all nonsense.

It is not that simple to hold a national election this year.As long as the governments of all countries are not fools, they will stop it. Most of the election activities cannot be carried out smoothly.

So from the very beginning, this meeting has nothing to do with the general public, they only represent the interests of capitalists.

……

While everyone was discussing how to disrupt the Frankfurt meeting, a middle-aged military officer hurried over and said in surprise outside:

"Your Highness, urgent military situation!"

Franz frowned and said, "Bring in the battle report!"

It is not allowed to break into the cabinet meeting, except in case of emergency military situation, but Franz still needs to agree.

After receiving the battle report, Franz looked at it seriously. Milan had already fallen, almost all of the Lombardy region had fallen, and now the flames of war had reached the Venice region.

After reading the battle report, Franz handed it directly to the Prime Minister for the cabinet members to circulate.

The content of this battle report is very vague, and many things are not explained clearly.

In addition to explaining that the Austrian army lost cities and land and suffered heavy losses under the Italians' internal and external attacks, they did not even explain the specific losses and the reasons for the failure.

Franz knew that this was not Marshal Radesky's style. Even if the front line lost, he would not even write a battle report clearly.

Under normal circumstances, if you lose a battle, you will always ask for help.Marshal Radkis also asked for help on the battle report, but he didn't ask for reinforcements to be sent immediately, which means let the country figure it out!

There is only one explanation, he is planning something.For the sake of confidentiality, many key places have been hidden.

"Your Highness, this battle was lost at an inappropriate time!" Foreign Minister Metternich said with a frown

It's really not the time, are they preparing to mess up the Frankfurt Conference?A defeat made Austria's reputation drop a bit.

Even if it is connected to diplomatic negotiations with other countries, Austria will be at a disadvantage.

Looking at the map, combined with what happened in history, Franz seemed to understand Marshal Radeski's plan.

All European politicians know that the current domestic and foreign situation does not allow Austria to fail on the Italian battlefield.

Under such circumstances, Marshal Radesky did the opposite and lured the enemy to go deep. The military feasibility is very high.

Chapter 52 Aftermath

Which is more important, politics or military?

There is no exact answer to this question.

Militarily, Marshal Radesky's decision was completely correct, but politically it was completely wrong.

His retreat, in the eyes of the outside world, means that Austria has lost on the battlefield, or that the Austrian Empire has decayed.

This will add confidence to domestic careerists and make the domestic situation more complicated; at the same time, Austria's international status will also be shaken internationally.

"This is the end of the matter, it's useless to say more!"

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs communicates with Britain and France first, and we cannot allow them to give substantive support to the Kingdom of Sardinia. The focus is on the French. When necessary, we can let the French enter northern Italy." Franz said without hesitation

Deep down in his heart, he also supports Marshal Radesky's approach. As long as he can win the war, is it okay to pay a little price?

The political adverse effects will at most cause the cabinet to take the blame. Anyway, he, the regent crown prince, is still young and a good-natured young man, so the people will not scold him.

Prime Minister Felix's face was gloomy and terrifying, but it's a pity that Marshal Radeski is far away in Venice, no matter how angry he is, he has no place to vent it?

You can't order now to let Marshal Radeski take back the Lombardy region right away?War is not a child's play, how could it be taken for granted?

Do you want to change?This idea flashed in his mind. It is a big taboo for military strategists to change the general in the middle of the battle. Not to mention that the crown prince will definitely not agree, even he himself dare not take this risk?

Franz has already expressed his attitude, let's deal with the aftermath first.If this war is won, Marshal Radesky will be a hero and a hero of Austria, and needless to say otherwise, the consequences will be very serious.

"Your Highness, the French have nothing to worry about. Since the end of the Anti-French War, the strength of the French Army has been restricted, and they only got rid of the restrictions after the February Revolution in Paris.

Now the internal struggle in France is serious, and the conservatives who are unwilling to fail are fighting back. The French are too busy to take care of themselves, and they will support some supplies at most.

On the contrary, the British are very troublesome. They are less affected by the revolution and have the power to intervene in the Italian battlefield. We have a good relationship with the British. We should seek their support at this time! "

On the surface, this is true. Since the time of Metternich, the diplomatic relations between Austria and the United Kingdom have always been good. Everyone wants to maintain the balance of the European continent.

With the same political goals, the relationship between the two parties will naturally be better. Austria has always been an ally of the British in maintaining the balance of the European continent.

Metternich shook his head and said: "Your Excellency, from the standpoint of the British, it is more in their interests to establish a unified Italian kingdom and at the same time check and balance Austria and France.

On this issue, it is almost impossible for us to get their support. It would be nice to be able to keep the British neutral. "

He has studied the British Metternich very thoroughly. All relationships are false, and only interests are the most reliable.

We are allies in maintaining the balance of Europe, but the British don't need a strong Austria, they just need an Austria that can stop the expansion of the Russians.

None of them took France seriously. Although the Vienna system collapsed, the vigilance of all countries against France has not disappeared.

The news of the February Revolution in Paris reached St. Petersburg, and Tsar Nicholas I wanted to carry out armed intervention, but he had to give up this plan due to financial constraints.

However, the tsarist government still announced the severance of diplomatic relations with France. Before the Russian ambassador to France Kiselev left Paris, he also warned the Paris government and asked the French to abide by the territorial boundaries determined by the Vienna Conference and the Paris Peace Treaty.

The British also expressed concern on this issue, and they are still watching the foreign policy of the Paris government and have not recognized their legitimacy.

In this context, if the French government dares to send troops to Italy, it is very likely to start a new round of anti-French war. Obviously, the Paris government does not have the courage.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Carl suddenly said: "Your Highness, our war with the Kingdom of Sardinia has just begun, even if the British want to support the Kingdom of Sardinia, their efficiency is not so high.

At this time, our biggest problem is still at home. The defeat on the Italian battlefield will stimulate the ambitions of some people. "