Holy Roman Empire

Industry has been hit hard, and agriculture will naturally be preserved.It is the Junker nobles who are in power, and the interests of the class must be safeguarded first.

After the Russo-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Prussia acquired a large amount of land and directly changed from a grain importing country to a grain exporting country.

In terms of food exports, Pubo and Poland have become competitors.Fortunately, everyone has just ended the war, and food production has not returned to its peak period. Before that, everyone's competition was not fierce.

This contradiction, by the autumn harvest of 1868, the situation changed.It happened to be the most violent period of the economic crisis, the purchasing power of the people declined, and international food prices fell by 28%.

The major grain exporting countries in Europe are suffering. In order to protect their own interests, the Berlin government led by the Junker nobles had to restrict Polish grain exports with tariffs.

This is not entirely to blame for the Berlin government. Who asked the Polish capitalists to dump grain directly into the Kingdom of Prussia?

At first, the governments of the two countries agreed that Polish farm products could not be sold in Prussia.This kind of constraint between governments obviously cannot restrain capitalists.

Seeing the high grain prices in the Kingdom of Prussia, the capitalists naturally couldn't help it in the face of their interests.

At first they just secretly sold a little to the people along the way during transportation, and the quantity was not large and did not attract everyone's attention.Later, the business grew bigger and bigger, until the cover couldn't hide the explosion.

There is no warmth in the face of interests, and the Junker nobles whose interests have been damaged have made a fuss. The Berlin government naturally knows which side to stand on.After the negotiations were fruitless, they directly resorted to a big tariff move.

Chapter 7 The Battle for the Spanish Throne

With the outbreak of the economic crisis, it is not only the two countries that have deteriorated relations.As the source of this economic crisis, the British are the most hated.

It doesn't matter if they dump it for fun, the problem is that they dumped it to Europe.For international relations in this era, it is enough to look at the European continent, and it doesn’t matter if other countries ignore it.

Everyone already had excess capacity, and the dumping by the British directly detonated the crisis.There is no doubt that the governments of all countries have shifted the responsibility to the British.

In Paris, patriots took to the streets again.This time it is not anti-government, they are calling on the people to boycott British goods and support domestic production.

The same scene has happened in many cities in Europe, and the capitalists are naturally behind it.The British have seized the market and have threatened their existence.

The governments of various countries have indeed increased tariffs, but the goods that have already poured in cannot be returned, right?There is no shortage of compradors in any country, and the integrity of people in front of interests is always very low.

In the context of the dumping, the relationship between Britain and France has deteriorated, the relationship between Britain and Austria has deteriorated, the relationship between Britain and Prussia has deteriorated, and the relationship between Britain and Belgium has deteriorated...

If the British were from a continental country, they would have to worry about being gang-beaten.However, being an empire of the seas, there is nothing to fear from the Royal Navy.

Don't dream of uniting European countries, and these countries are not the only ones whose relations have deteriorated.Because of the trade conflict, the relationship between Prussia and Austria has deteriorated, the relationship between Prussia and France has deteriorated, the relationship between France and Austria has deteriorated, and the relationship between Russia and Austria has deteriorated...

To put it simply: In order to save ourselves, everyone's relationship is not good.

You dump on me, I can dump on you, everyone hurts each other.Many conflicts are provoked by capitalists for their own interests, and they are simply out of control.

In the face of a crisis, only the fastest-responding companies can escape, cash out their inventories in the shortest possible time, and cut production capacity in a timely manner.Companies that are unresponsive can only rely on strength to hold on.

To survive the economic crisis, the most common means used by everyone is war.War can consume surplus materials, and can also plunder wealth and markets.

As a result, many countries have suffered unwarranted disasters.

The French launched the Egyptian War, the Mali War, and the Algerian War; while the British launched the Ethiopian War, they also launched a war against Tunisia.

This is directly related to the rapid deterioration of relations between Britain and France.Between each other, they are no longer giving each other face, they just do it directly.

According to the prevailing international practice in this era, whoever grabs it belongs to him.Before actual occupation, all countries have opportunities.

Austria has not been idle either, and has ignited war on the African continent. Botswana, Tanzania, Kenya and other regions have all become battlefields.

The atmosphere in the Middle East has also become tense, and Franz is still hesitating whether to launch an attack on the Arabian Peninsula.If the economic situation continues to deteriorate, it is certain that the Ottoman Empire will suffer again.

The relationship between countries on the European continent is tense, the African continent is full of wars, and there is no peace in Asia.The relationship between the four Central Asian countries suddenly became tense, and the uneven distribution of spoils led to the breakdown of this fragile alliance.

There is no doubt that the handwriting of the British is indispensable.The four countries in Central Asia contain each other, and they mediate in the middle, which is beneficial for them to obtain the greatest benefits.

In order to get rid of the economic crisis, European countries also stepped up their invasion of Japan, Indochina Peninsula and other countries, among which the Kingdom of Prussia and the German Confederation performed extremely well.

The Phnom Penh Dynasty was destroyed by the Prussians, and the Malay Peninsula was occupied by the German Federation. It also fought a battle with the Thai army.

Relatively speaking, the Americas region is still peaceful and generally stable.However, the Mexican Civil War is still going on, and it has become an indisputable fact that the rebels have grown bigger.Maximilian I had written several times to complain to Franz about this problem.

……

Spain has not escaped the impact of the economic crisis. Affected by the deteriorating domestic economy, the Spanish government has delayed payment of military salaries, which has aroused strong dissatisfaction from the military.

In September 1868, a special group of mysterious guests ushered in the military camp in Cadiz, Spain.They disguised themselves as grooms transporting logistics supplies and entered the barracks.

"General Prim, that temptress Isabel knows how to fornicate the court with her male favorite all day long, and cronyism makes a mess of the country.

For the future of Spain, we cannot allow her to continue to act recklessly.Otherwise, the great Spain will be destroyed by her. "

The person who spoke was Bourgeois, the representative of the radical group "Irage" in Spain. The purpose of secretly entering the barracks this time was to say that General Prim, a young military faction, launched an armed uprising and overthrew the rule of Queen Isabel II.

Although the adjective spans a bit, Queen Isabel II is indeed not a good monarch, and her bad private life is even more notorious.

In this era, if there is a ranking of the world's stupid kings, Queen Isabel II will definitely be at the top, known as: the most unpopular queen in Europe.

Not only has a bad reputation among the people, but it is also notorious among the nobles.In the circle of the monarch, she was even more excluded, especially the other queens in Europe were very upset when they saw her.

In short, she not only lowered the average IQ of the monarch, but also lowered the overall image of the queen as a group.

The military has been dissatisfied with Isabel II for a long time. General Prim, the representative of the military, is in charge of this secret negotiation.

The location of the negotiation is placed in the military camp, which is enough to explain many problems.

Prim didn't beat around the bush, and asked directly, "After overthrowing Isabel II, who will be the king of Spain?"

As an aristocrat, Prim was a born royalist.Like most countries, the Spanish army is also the stronghold of the nobles and the force of the royalists.

The radical group represented by Bourgeois is actually a part of the constitutional monarchy, otherwise they would have no basis for unity.

If it were the republican faction, General Prim would not be so easy to talk to, and it would be normal to order the arrest directly.

"Your Excellency, General, we agree with your proposal last time that a prince from the Hohenzollern dynasty should assume the throne of Spain."

The question of the throne has always been the focus of disputes between the two sides.With that problem solved, the rest is easy to handle.

The main reason why the military supported the Hohenzollern Dynasty was to expand its power.No one is indifferent to the treatment of the Junker nobles. Now that the opportunity comes, they will naturally not miss it.

Spain is to implement a constitutional monarchy, and the rights of the king are to be suppressed.It didn't matter who the king was, the Radicals made the compromise.

Of course, having the prince of the Hohenzollern dynasty as king also has political implications, which means that the strength of the military will expand.

This is one of the foundations of the cooperation between the two parties. After the overthrow of Queen Isabel II's rule, radicals can control the new government, and the military will naturally benefit.

Without enough benefits, no one would do this decapitation business.Expanding the power of the military is their reward for participating in this uprising.

Everyone knows the aftereffects of the expansion of military power, and the radicals are no exception. At first they opposed it.

However, the plan could not keep up with the changes. With the deterioration of the domestic economy, their behind-the-scenes supporters have reached the limit of their patience with Queen Isabel II's rule.

It is impossible for any group to be separated from its supporters, otherwise it will be rootless. "Iraq" is no exception. Under the pressure of their supporters, they decided to compromise with the military.

No way, the Revolutionary Party has failed so many rebellions, and they have learned a lesson from it, knowing that without the support of the military, the uprising is impossible to succeed.

After getting the answer he wanted, Prim showed a satisfied smile. The subsequent negotiations can be said to be smooth sailing, and the two sides reached an agreement soon.

This is the famous "September League" in the history of the Spanish revolution. The military minors and the domestic political radicals formed an alliance. Everyone decided to join forces to overthrow the rule of Queen Isabel II.

The Spanish people have suffered from Isabel II for a long time, and the uprising will naturally be resolved quickly.

On September 1868, 9, Francisco Serralo led the Cadiz army to launch an armed uprising.

The wave of uprisings was ignited, and many of Spain became violent. Ordinary people, nobles, capitalists, the army and other Spanish classes all demanded that Queen Isabel II abdicate.

Seeing that the situation was out of control, Queen Isabel II, in a panic, appointed Marquis Jose to lead an army to quell the chaos.Not surprisingly, Queen Isabel, who has always been cronyistic, paid the price.

The government forces were defeated by the rebels, and the rebel army led by Francisco Serralo went straight to Madrid. On September 9, Isabel II, who was gone, went into exile in France.

The sudden Spanish revolution disrupted the deployment of European countries. "Revolution" is a topic that all governments are afraid of. In order to avoid the spread of revolution, everyone is paying close attention to the situation in Spain.

Franz was no exception. After the outbreak of the Spanish Revolution, he immediately held a high-level meeting.

Although Spain has fallen in recent years, the centipedes are dead but not stiff, and they are still a member of the great powers.

For Austria, a stable and powerful Spanish presence can restrain the energy of some French people and ease the defense pressure on the Western Front.

The Vienna government has repeatedly wooed Spain in an attempt to establish an alliance to deal with the common enemy-France.

However, the mud was still unable to support the wall, and Franz gave up after many attempts.Seeing that Spain couldn't help it, the Vienna government turned to form an alliance with the French.

Having learned from failures, Franz did not have much confidence in the nascent Spanish revolutionary regime.

No way, this Spanish revolution is more appropriate to say it is a coup than a revolution.

The traditional interest class has not been broken, and those who launched this uprising are those with vested interests. They are just dissatisfied that Isabel II's policies have harmed their own interests.

Simply put, Isabel II reformed.

The reform is good, and the nobles will not rebel easily under normal circumstances.But Isabel II's reform policy offended all parties.

It also happened to encounter an economic crisis, and domestic conflicts intensified. When it was time to vent, this created conditions for the uprising.

Now just overthrow a queen, and her corrupt government, put in a new government, essentially no change in Spain.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg analyzed: "Isabel II's reputation in Spain is already rotten, and it is impossible to restore it.

If the French are willing to support and support her son, Prince Alfonso, to succeed him, there is still some possibility.

However, Prince Alfonso is too young to deal with the current situation. It is impossible for all parties to let Isabel II be regent, which can basically be ruled out.

There are many candidates behind. After excluding the Bourbon dynasty, the support rate is relatively high: Prince Leopoldo of the Hohenzollern dynasty. He has the support of the Spanish military, but Napoleon III should oppose it.

There is also Isabel II's brother-in-law, the Duke of Montponcher, but he killed Prince Enrique in a duel, and it is very difficult to succeed to the throne.

The second is Fernando, the former regent of Portugal. It is said that we have received information that Fernando has no interest in the Spanish throne.

The remaining candidates, including the former Sardinian royal family, the Orleans dynasty, and several princes in our country, do not have high approval ratings.It is still difficult to determine who will win in the end. "

After finishing speaking, Weissenberg looked at Franz anxiously. It seemed that he was worried that the emperor would forcefully push the Habsburg prince to succeed him.

If the ancestors had not divided the Habsburg dynasty into two, the Austrian line and the Spanish line had established their own systems and set the rules of non-interference between the two sides, there would not be so many bad things.

It is a pity that Charles V did not expect that the Habsburg dynasty would decline so badly, and the Spanish line was extinct.

In the last round of the battle for the Spanish throne, the divided Habsburg dynasty was unable to exert its full strength and lost to the French in the war, and the crown of Spain fell to the Bourbon dynasty.

It is easy to give up the Fa principles, but it is difficult to get them back.Now that the Habsburg dynasty has insufficient legal basis for inheriting the Spanish throne, and European countries are doomed to oppose it, it is naturally impossible for Franz to go against the trend.

Several princes of the Habsburg dynasty were able to appear on the list of candidates, which is because of their face.

"Don't think about the few princes in the country. With the current international situation, it is impossible for countries to let them take over."

After speaking, Franz sighed, regretfully missing this opportunity.

Chapter 8 Misfortunes never come singly

It is also a good thing that the Habsburg family does not participate in the battle for the throne. Only by standing on the sidelines can the most favorable decision be made.

Besides, there are a lot of bad things in the Kingdom of Spain now, and it is not so easy to solve internal problems.

Throughout the ages, courtiers have a common problem, that is, they don't like strong monarchs.Europe's inheritance system is perfect, and the situation is even better, so there is no room for them to play.

This time the Spanish king election is different. The outsider king cannot do without the support of the local power faction, so the last Spanish king is probably an incompetent king.

There has already been an unlucky Mexican emperor. If there is another incompetent king, Franz very much doubts how much glory the Habsburg family will have left.

After all, the palms and backs of the hands are full of flesh.The son is too young to ignore, and the two younger brothers and several offshoot princes have the same opportunity, and it is not easy for Franz to interfere.

Spain is already difficult to deal with, and another king with poor ability will make the problem more complicated?

There is no doubt that the Habsburg family has cultivated a lot of defective products. In addition to the idealist Maximilian, there are also playboys who eat, drink and play.

In terms of destructive power, playboys are far inferior to idealists.But it is impossible to expect these people to succeed.

Prime Minister Felix said: "Your Majesty, judging from the current situation, the struggle for the Spanish throne will not end in a short time.

Coupled with the fact that the battle for the Polish throne next door has not been finalized for a long time, I am afraid that the situation in Europe will become more tense in the future.

In order to deal with the complex situation that will follow, it is necessary for us to prepare in advance so as not to be caught off guard. "

Will war break out in continental Europe now?No one can answer this question, and it takes an instant for a gun to go off.

From the perspective of the Vienna government, of course I don't want to see a war breaking out in Europe at this time.

The second industrial revolution has just begun, and Austria has finally reached the forefront of the world. Once the war breaks out, all efforts will be wasted.

Franz could control Austria, but he could not control the rest of European countries.Now that everyone is so gunpowder, if any bastard starts a war, it will be a tragedy.

In the original time and space, the battle for the Spanish throne triggered the Franco-Prussian War. Now the Prussians have no courage to compete with the French. Who can guarantee that the French will not take the initiative to do things?

These days the French already have the biggest god, and they are the second.The British at sea can still suppress them, but no one cares about them on land.

If the French invaded Austria, then Franz laughed and easily piled them to death.If they attacked Prussia, the German Confederation or Belgium, it would be tangled.

In the local battle, Franz has full confidence in winning.Cross-border combat, you have to fight to know.