Holy Roman Empire

Just like Pandora's box, once ambition is opened, it is very difficult to take it back.

What Napoleon left to the French is not only a glorious record, but also a dream of a great country.With the sensibility of the French people, once the enthusiasm for expansion is mobilized, most of Italy and Belgium will not be able to satisfy their desires.

Plus Spain and Portugal are not too much, right?Back then, Napoleon occupied Spain, so we must inherit this fine tradition!

The French unified Western Europe, and Austria unified the German region. Against this background, do Switzerland and the Netherlands, which are sandwiched between the two giants, still have a choice?

Either take the initiative to join one side, or be forcibly annexed, this is the fate of a small country.

The three Nordic countries that are outside should not think about being alone. For strategic considerations, the Russians will not let them go.

The three major powers are all expanding outward, and the British can only be dumbfounded.If you want to interfere, you can't interfere, maybe before everyone turns their faces, they will be cleared first.

There is even a basis for an alliance among the three countries.After the expansion is completed, it will definitely take time to digest, which means that there will be no fighting on the European continent in the short term.

Then the British, who have the most colonies in the world, are in danger.You can't run to form an alliance with the Americans, and it's useless to form an alliance!

Of course, the odds of this happening are extremely small.After the annexation of Italy and Belgium, France's internal conflicts must be dealt with, and it simply cannot continue to expand.

Not to mention Austria, Franz who unified the German region was just a slogan to carve up the European continent, isn't he awake?

Now that nationalism has awakened, the unification of the German region is almost the end of Austria's expansion in continental Europe.

However, due to the limitations of the times, many people believe that after Austria unifies the German region, it will continue to expand.

The reason is very simple: Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands were all split from the Holy Roman Empire and belonged to the same cultural circle, and the radical Greater Germanists counted them all.

In order not to cause panic and ensure the smooth implementation of the plan, both France and Austria chose to keep it highly confidential. There are many people who know the existence of this treaty, but only a handful of people who know the content of the treaty.

Austria knows that the treaty is easy to only three, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and Franz himself, and France is almost the same.

In recent years, the French economy has developed well, the throne of Napoleon III has also stabilized, and the people's calls for the establishment of Greater France are also increasing day by day.

This is definitely the voice of the French people, and Franz only guided it a bit at most.There is evidence for this: Emperor Napoleon III of the original time and space did a good job, but he was kicked out of power only because he was defeated and could not satisfy the people's dream of a great country.

Compared with the original owner who lost twice in a row, he still secured the throne. The French people's desire for a great power can be seen in general.

It was not Napoleon III who really contributed to the French-Austrian alliance, but the general French people.The shouts they inadvertently put pressure on the emperor.Since the emperor was elected by the people, Napoleon III naturally had to respect the choices of the people.

On June 1866, 6, the foreign ministries of France and Austria once again signed a "France-Austria Transaction on the Sovereignty of Italy, the Balkans, and Part of the African Colonies".

This is a cover-up of the "[-] Treaty", which only deals with territorial sovereignty in Articles [-] and [-].Anyway, this cannot be hidden. Once the two countries start handover, all will be exposed.

It can be traded in Europe, let alone suzerainty and colonies?The deal you like, at best, is that the British will be upset and create some sales for the newspaper.

Konrad Holmann is the editor of an Austrian daily, and occasionally a commentator on current affairs, expressing some official opinions.

Of course, as a commercial newspaper, such opinions are usually very cryptic, and are usually attacked from the side.

As soon as the news of the French-Austrian territorial deal came back, Conrad Holman's job came.There is no doubt that this kind of news must be praised!

Turning the pen, Conrad Holman fell into deep thought.News must attract people's attention. For the highly commercialized Vienna Daily, direct official articles are not pleasing.

There are too many people who write, how can the sameness ensure the sales of newspapers?The Vienna Daily is a large newspaper with a daily sales of [-], so it will lose readers if it is played like this.

Looking at the globe blown by the wind on the table, Conrad had an idea, picked up the pen and started writing on the paper.

Title: Reflections on the Colonies and Suzerainty Transactions Between France and Austria—Win-Win Cooperation

This is no longer news, but an argumentative article.For commercial newspapers, as long as they comply with Austrian law and ensure that the news is true and reliable, there are not so many requirements on how to publish the content.

Conrad started directly from the international competition, cited several historical cases, and compared the solutions of France and Austria.

Finally, it is concluded that cooperation can win-win.By the way, he praised the efforts of the French and Austrian governments for world peace.

From the standpoint of France and Austria, this transaction is indeed a win-win situation.

The French paid part of their colonies in exchange for the absolute right to speak in central and southern Italy, laying the foundation for swallowing Italy.

In the Mediterranean strategy, the French took the initiative.Controlling Sicily and Tunisia, the French could split the Mediterranean in two if necessary.

The strategic layout of the British in Malta was abolished, and the strategic value of the heart of the Mediterranean was greatly reduced.Unless the era of aircraft comes, it will be able to play the role expected by the United Kingdom again.

Austria exchanged the dispensable suzerainty of the Italian state for the French Balkans and some colonies in West Africa, which not only pulled out a nail, but also consolidated the colonial hegemony in West Africa.

By the way, another bargaining chip for trading with the Russians was added, and the Dardanelles were still very tempting to the Tsarist government, at least until they gave up the Mediterranean.

After finishing the manuscript, I proofread it several times and corrected several writing errors.Seeing that there was no problem, Conrad Holman handed over the manuscript to the editor-in-chief for review.

This kind of big news usually does not have only one press release, usually three or five people write the release at the same time, and the editor-in-chief selects the most suitable one for publication.

Occasionally, there may be meetings to discuss, but because of the timeliness of the news, such discussions rarely happen.

Not surprisingly, Conrad's press release came through. "Win-win cooperation" surpasses others in terms of conception. News has never been separated from politics. The slogan of "win-win cooperation" is very in line with Austria's current diplomacy.

Although the government has not publicly chanted this slogan, it has actually been doing it for a long time.Since the Russia-Austria alliance, it has opened the prelude to win-win cooperation.

For example: In the Near East War, the Russians took Bulgaria and the coveted Constantinople, Austria unified the South German region, and annexed parts of the Balkans by the way.

This is the embodiment of win-win cooperation. Of course, this example cannot be cited, otherwise it will cause too much hatred.

Not only are Britain and France about to run amok, but even the tsarist government is expected to have opinions.My family knows their own affairs, they are only winners in name, they paid a heavy price, and the gain is only a political victory.

It is no problem to use this result to fool ordinary people. The top officials of the tsarist government are still very clear that they have failed in strategy and lost the best opportunity to enter the Mediterranean.

Take this Fao deal as an issue, then there is no problem.Anyway, France and Austria each get what they need, and any reason is enough to satisfy the domestic people.

The slogan of "win-win cooperation" was shouted by Conrad, but the impact was not what he could have expected.

As the news was published, it quickly caused a sensation in Vienna, and over time the slogan became the official propaganda slogan of France and Austria.

With the signing of the treaty, the diplomatic relations between France and Austria entered the honeymoon period.Many people optimistically believe that the contradiction between France and Austria no longer exists.

No matter what others think, anyway, Franz is very clear that the contradiction between Fa and Austria was artificially suppressed under the common interests.

This is not the point, the point is that Austria can withdraw its troops from Italy.The effect of military training has been achieved, and they have discussed with the French, which can almost prove the combat effectiveness of the army.

The rest of the Italian guerrillas, let the French do it themselves!Suzerainty is not only a benefit, but also a responsibility.

To some extent, this unfriendly exchange of force has also accelerated the pace of the alliance between the two countries.On the battlefield, there was no one-sided battle between the French and Austrian armies, and the combat effectiveness of the two sides was almost evenly matched.

Of course, this is due to the fact that the area of ​​the conflict is too small and there are not many fighting troops. Most of the two sides are fighting for strength, and the officers do not have much room to play.

This situation has made the top leaders of France and Austria fearful.The Vienna government was afraid of the prestige of the French, and the French were afraid of the large number of Austrian soldiers.

This is determined by the population advantage. Even after the annexation of the Kingdom of Sardinia, the population gap between France and Austria is still huge.Once it turns into a war of attrition, the French are definitely the first to be unbearable.

Franz is very clear that the strength of the French is not weak.You can't take it for granted that the French army's combat effectiveness is not good just because Napoleon III of the original space-time game collapsed.

You must know that the ratio of troops between the two sides in the Franco-Prussian War was 47:22. Because of Napoleon III’s blind command, the first major battle—the Battle of Wissembourg, the Prussian army fought with the French army with ten times its strength; two days later, Walter In the battle, the ratio of troops between France and Prussia was 13 VS 4, and the result is self-evident.

The following battles were basically the same. In almost every battle, Prussia had more than three times its troops and was fighting the French army.

Don't ask why this is so, only Napoleon III can answer that question.Anyway, history is like this, who knows why he commanded the troops to send the heads.

In Paris, the French people have already begun to celebrate.Thanks to newspapers helping them popularize strategic knowledge, many French people believe that this marks the establishment of French Mediterranean hegemony.

Although this has not yet been recognized by Britain and Austria, it cannot hinder the carnival of the French people.The annexation of Italian regions has become the consensus of French radical groups.

Civilian celebrations, the reaction of the Paris government is quite different.Many people are worried that after this deal is concluded, it will attract hostility from the British.

Pro-British officials believed that this was an Austrian conspiracy to provoke relations between Britain and France. This speculation was close to the truth, but it was not a conspiracy but an overt conspiracy.

The reaction of the people of Paris has told them that if they want to stop the deal - there is no way.

"British-French Friendship", has this thing ever existed?

Opening any French history book can prove that hatred between Britain and France is enough, and friendship is too extravagant.

The centuries-old feud between Britain and France cannot be eliminated in a day or two.In fact, the Paris government has never made such an effort.

Whoever wants to try it, please be prepared to accept the honorable title of "national thief".Although there are many people who are pro-British in the government, there are still more people who are anti-British among the people.

Napoleon III has been very annoying recently. He suddenly found that too many pro-British factions in the government is not a good thing, even if he himself is pro-British.

But in the face of interests, personal positions must be compromised!Whether or not to carry out an official cleansing is a question worth thinking about.

Chapter 97 Anglo-Russian Reaction

Although the Treaty of June [-] has only exposed the tip of the iceberg, the London government has been unable to sleep.Now John Russell has a headache looking at the map of the Mediterranean, and the French army landed on Sicily in the name of helping to suppress the rebellion.

Austria suddenly let go, can anyone restrict the French from expanding their power in Italy?

The answer is brutal: no.

The Italian region has always been the focus of competition between France and Austria, but now that they have chosen to compromise, this contradiction will naturally disappear.

"Win-win cooperation" may be useful in resolving international disputes, but it is completely poisonous to the European balance policy of the British Empire.

Inside the Prime Minister's residence in Downing Street, John Russell said solemnly: "The strength of France and Austria has grown dramatically in the past ten years, and they already have the power to threaten us.

Let’s look at this latest map of Europe. Austria has annexed the South German region and expanded aggressively in the Balkan Peninsula. After this transaction with the French, their homeland has nearly doubled.

The French did not give up too much. A few years ago, Napoleon III took advantage of our suppression of the Indian rebellion to annex the Kingdom of Sardinia, and now he has extended his hand to South Italy.

Since France and Austria joined forces to dig the Suez Canal, they have crowded us out in the Mediterranean.If there is no way to prevent them from continuing to approach, the Mediterranean Sea will soon have no place for us. "

John Russell's statement is somewhat exaggerated, and the so-called exclusion is completely nonsense.Everyone's sphere of influence has expanded and collided, and they naturally have to fight for their own interests.

Unfortunately, in the new round of battle, the British lost.

In order to ensure the smooth progress of the Suez Canal project, the British Suez Railway Project and Egypt's cotton planting strategy went bankrupt under the joint intervention of France and Austria.

In addition, the interests of the British in the Ottoman Empire, Greece and other regions have not been affected, and it is not in the plan of the two countries to drive them out of the Mediterranean.

It's not that Franz doesn't want to do it, the key is that the French are too timid when facing the British.Unless the interests are large enough, it will be difficult to convince Napoleon III.

However, there are only so many benefits in total, and it is impossible for Austria to do it in vain, and it is simply not enough to divide the two.

The Secretary of the Navy Edward pointed to the map on the wall and said: "The French have extended their tentacles to Sicily, and Tunisia has also been included in their protectorate. It won't be long before we enter and leave the Mediterranean Sea, it will all depend on the French."

There was no doubt that Edward was putting pressure on the Foreign Office.The Royal Navy controls the Strait of Gibraltar, which was the most important area in the Mediterranean Sea before the opening of the Suez Canal.

Foreign Minister Raistling replied with a gloomy face: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for the closeness of France and Austria, but why is it that we put too much pressure on them?

In recent years, in order to restrict France and Austria, our successive actions have aroused the vigilance of the two countries.

The ongoing Prussian-Prussian War is also one of the reasons for the relaxation of relations between the two countries.

For common interests, I have reason to believe that France and Austria are ready to form an alliance, or have already formed an alliance.

Compromise on the Italian issue is definitely not that simple.It is no secret that the French want to annex Italy, nor is it a secret that Austria wants to unify Germany.

In the current situation, countries hold each other in check, and none of them can achieve their goals.However, the alliance between France and Austria is different. If the two countries take action at the same time, even if we want to interfere, there is nothing we can do. "

Everyone's face changed drastically, and they thought of more.In recent years, conflicts between Britain and France, and between Britain and Austria have been escalating. In order to limit the expansion of the two countries, the London government has been taking constant actions.

Prime Minister John Russell said affirmatively: "The Prussian-Prussian War cannot continue. The Russians have almost weakened. If Prussia and Russia continue to fight, there will be no power to check and balance France and Austria on the European continent. "

Fighting the Russian Empire is the national policy of the British. The London government has done a very good job, but it didn't expect to patronize the Russians and ignore the rise of France and Austria.

Now the strength of the three major empires on the European continent has undergone astonishing changes. The Russians, who ranked first, fell directly to the bottom, and it will be difficult to recover in the next ten or twenty years.

The rapid expansion of the two countries, France and Austria, now any of them has the potential to challenge the hegemony of Great Britain.

Foreign Secretary Raistling objected: "It's too late to stop it now, Prussia and Russia have played real fire.

The Russians had lost so much, and the Tsarist government could not easily let the Prussians go. Similarly, the Kingdom of Prussia would not cease war with the Russians. If they missed this opportunity, their imperial dream would be shattered.

That being the case, it is better to beat the Russians once and for all, so as not to slow them down and threaten India again.

It is very simple to destroy the closeness of France and Austria. The Russians have lost their position as the European hegemony, and the next step will be between France and Austria. The seeds of contradictions have been planted long ago. "

Chancellor of the Exchequer Agarwal asked: "What if they're already in an alliance?"

Raistlin said domineeringly: "Then we will join the alliance, and then dismantle this alliance."

……

Raistlin was hurt by the outcome of this meeting.Perhaps due to strategic security considerations, he did not proceed according to his plan. The cabinet decided to act first and win the Tunisia region.

Purely from a military point of view, this is the best choice.The French army has landed in Sicily, and the Royal Navy has lost the opportunity to control the largest island in the Mediterranean.

That being the case, it can only start with the Tunisian Strait.The Royal Navy has Malta and Tunisia in their hands, and the Mediterranean is still in their hands.

As for offending the French, this issue is not within the scope of everyone's consideration.Since the French annexed the Kingdom of Sardinia, Anglo-French relations have not been better.

Except in the Near East War, the two countries had a honeymoon period, most of the time both sides appeared as opponents.

Raistlin had no time to dwell on this issue, and now his task was to dismantle the Russian-Austrian alliance.As long as this alliance exists, it is a threat to the world hegemony of the British Empire.

Who knows whether the tsarist government will return to Central Asia to expand to the Indian subcontinent after failing to expand on the European continent?

Don't look at the Russians' heavy losses and think that they have no strength to expand.As long as the Austrians are willing to contribute money and effort, this situation will become a reality.

With the escalating conflict between Britain and Austria, Vienna can compromise with the Paris government, so why not support the Russians?