Holy Roman Empire

Interested people have already guessed Marcel Jenson's plan, but for their own benefit, no one pierced this layer of window paper.

If you look carefully, you will find that the participants in this meeting are basically military Junkers, or "agricultural Junkers". Most of their interests are in the land. For them, the good land in Poland is comparable to the bad land in the north. much more important.

A young military officer objected: "No, Your Excellency the Earl. If we give up the German Federal Empire, no one will be able to control Austria. Even if we annex Poland, we are not their opponents."

Austria's strength is already very strong, and European countries have tacitly suppressed Austria to unify the German region, and the Kingdom of Prussia is also one of them.

Marcel Jensen shook his head: "Reis, you are still too young. Who is most anxious about Austria's annexation of the German Federation?

Our current enemy is the Russians, and it is not our task to contain Austria. Britain and France will not watch them expand. "

This waywardness was not created by Marcel Jensen, he learned it from Austria.

On the surface, the Vienna government seems to have more than enough energy, and it seems that every time it wants to contain competitors, it reacts a step slower.

In fact, if you look at the changes in the map of Austria, you will know that there is something tricky in it.

Where it is letting France and Russia expand, it is clear that they have made a deal in secret, and everyone is expanding together.This made Marcel Jensen very excited. Austria can do this, why can't Prussia follow suit?

……

The seed has been planted, just waiting to take root and germinate.

After the secret meeting was over, Marcel Jenson appeared in the palace the next day, and he was also serving as Little William's equestrian teacher, so it was normal for him to enter the palace.

On the royal racecourse, several princes were training in riding, and William I did not know when he had arrived on the field.

"How did they react?"

Marcel Jensen: "Everyone is very supportive of the annexation of Poland. There are only a few people who oppose the abandonment of the German Confederation, but I am convinced."

William I nodded: "Well, let's start to push it secretly. Before the Near East war starts again, don't rush to take the lead."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

……

Anyone who heard the conversation between the two would have been surprised to learn that William I was behind the Radicals.

This is not surprising when you think about it carefully. It is normal for a monarch to place a few cronies into various organizations.If an extremist organization such as a radical group is not included in his own hands, the monarch will not feel at ease!

The king's strength depends on his strength. If he has nothing in his hand, what else can he do besides being a rubber stamp?

At this moment, William I's heart was not at peace. This proposal was put forward by his staff, and he very much suspected that it was secretly instigated by Austria or France.

But for the sake of profit, William I decided to pretend to be confused.Let Austria annex the German Confederation and cede the Rhineland to France. I really think he is a fool. I don’t know what political consequences this will bring?

At that point, domestic nationalists will riot.While accepting this plan, William I was already prepared to deal with it.

Poland is to be annexed, but the German Federation must also be kept, and the Rhineland region cannot be ceded to France.

Just wait for a suitable opportunity to break the news to the British, let them take action to destroy the plan of the mastermind behind the scenes, and Prussia will get the greatest benefit.

Chapter 1 The Balkan Storm

Things that you like and I want are always easy to produce results.The Tsarist government quickly persuaded Austria, and the two sides unanimously decided to beat the Ottoman Empire.

Now there are some detailed issues that need to be communicated further.For example: when to attack?Where to attack?Distribution of benefits after the war...

A preliminary agreement was reached, and Alexander II's mood did not relax.The current state of the Russian Empire is not good, and theoretically it is not suitable to provoke a war at this point in time.

The Ottoman Empire was not the first choice of the Tsarist government. If possible, Alexander II would like to beat the Kingdom of Prussia now.

It's a pity that the Vienna government didn't cooperate. No matter how they set conditions, even if they supported Austria's unification of the German region, the Vienna government couldn't be tempted.

This is also expected by Alexander II. This kind of promise between countries is very unreliable, and the Vienna government naturally cannot easily believe it.

If Austria really unifies the German region, it is estimated that Russia and Austria will also turn their faces.In the face of interests, allies are not worth mentioning at all.

There is no choice for the rest. The Far East is beyond reach, and the value is too low, which will not help the domestic agricultural crisis.

The major khanates in Central Asia are good targets, but when fighting in Central Asia, all the pressure falls on the tsarist government.

Now the tsarist government is still waiting for the loan from the British to be used as military expenses. If they go to beat someone else's younger brother, isn't that just a slap in the face?

Only the hapless Ottoman Empire is left. This enemy is big and fleshy, enough for the two countries to carve up.International pressure can still be left to the Vienna government to deal with, and Alexander II also understood that they really can't play diplomacy.

Joining forces with Austria, this offensive does not need to smash the Caucasus region, and any area along the coast of the Ottoman Empire can become a battlefield.

Alexander II, who was good at learning and good at learning, now attaches great importance to logistics.He would not undertake a military adventure without mobilizing sufficient supplies.

"Has the Vienna government promised to provide us with strategic supplies?"

The second reason for joining forces with Austria is logistics. This attack mainly relies on sea supplies, and the logistical pressure is relatively small.

The most critical issue is not the transportation, but the "money" issue.The Tsarist government's finances were not good, and the funds raised with great difficulty were used to build railways, so they had no money to fight wars.

If the family has no money, it is natural to find an ally.No real money is needed, as long as the Vienna government is willing to pay for strategic supplies, then they have nothing to fear.

Foreign Secretary Chris Basham: "Your Majesty, the Austrians have made a concession and they have agreed to provide us with half a year's worth of war supplies for an army of 15.

It's just that we suffered a lot this time in terms of the division of interests. The Austrians have a big appetite. They want the Middle East and half of the Asia Minor peninsula. "

Playing a full set, on the surface, the Vienna government is going to wipe out the Ottoman Empire in one go, and completely solve this old enemy. Naturally, there will be competition for interests.

Alexander II shook his head: "This is a small problem. Most of the Middle East is desert. The actual value is not high, and we can't reach it. If they want it, they can give it to them.

Three points of this war depend on military affairs and seven points depend on politics. If the interference of European countries cannot be prevented, we will not be able to sustain the Ottoman Empire at all.

As long as we get the Caucasus and half of the Asia Minor peninsula, we will not suffer. "

The Middle East in this era left everyone with the impression of a desert. Although the area is large, the actual value is not high.

Not knowing what he was throwing out, Alexander II naturally didn't feel that he was at a disadvantage.On the bright side, Austria needs to bear heavier responsibilities, and it is normal to take the biggest share.

Chris Basham nodded in agreement. The tsarist government has many goals to achieve in this war:

First, alleviate the domestic food crisis and avoid large-scale agricultural bankruptcy;

Second, get rid of the Ottoman Empire and solve the enemies in the next Prussian-Prussian War in advance;

Third, restore the morale of the army through victory and get rid of the shadow brought about by the Russo-Prussian War;

Fourth, expand power and build up the prestige of the monarch;

……

To achieve the above goals, preparatory work is naturally indispensable.The Tsarist government couldn't afford to lose, and Alexander II himself couldn't afford to lose.

Large-scale military preparations cannot deceive anyone. Following the actions of the Russians, Prussia, Poland, and the Ottoman Empire also followed suit, and the smoke of gunpowder filled the European continent.

It was true that William I wanted to take millet out of the fire, but before the war broke out, no one could guarantee whether the Russians would feint and turn around to face them.

Prussia's family background is not strong, as long as it fails once, it will be lost forever.The Berlin government can't afford to gamble, so it can only prepare for the war.

On the contrary, Austria, one of the protagonists, did not make much movement.This is not Franz's arrogance, the main reason is that he is not prepared to kill the Ottoman Empire in one go.

The Russians are willing to fight hard, and Franz will not object, anyway, the Vienna government provides so many strategic materials.It is impossible for the Ottomans to face 10,000+ Russian troops, and they can't even last half a year, right?

To carry out the main decisive battle, it is not that Franz looks down on the Ottoman Empire, the Sudanese government in this era is really not good.

In recent years, in order to consolidate the regime, there has been no peace within the Ottoman Empire.The power struggle within the government continued, and the reformists relied on bloody violence to maim the conservatives in the government.

This is not enough, the power of conservatives scattered among the people is still strong, and these forces usually put on the cloak of religion, making things more complicated.

The reforms of the reformers did play a positive role, but they did not resolve internal ethnic conflicts.The Greeks, Armenians, Jews, and Slavs within the Ottoman Empire wanted independence.

Of course, there are external forces promoting nationalism, but more of it is caused by internal ethnic inequality, and the main problem is religion.

Franz was naturally not worried about an enemy full of loopholes.Anyway, he has decided to slowly erode away from the Middle East, and fight a long-term war of attrition, or an actual combat training.

Steady and steady, even if Britain and France give blood transfusions to the Ottoman Empire, it will have no effect. Unless they are willing to explode their livers, the Sudanese government must lose.

Halfway through 1873, it was impossible to launch a war within the year.Even though Alexander II improved the efficiency of the Tsarist government, they were still unable to organize an expedition of 10,000+ troops in a few months.

In this war, Alexander II wanted to win beautifully, so the gray cattle must also be trained well, which will take time.

Franz naturally had no objection as the time dragged on.Strategic layout also takes time, and it is definitely not a simple matter to induce all parties to make the decisions they want.

In case something goes wrong in the middle, he will also be responsible for the aftermath, so that these problems cannot affect the overall situation.

To be sure, Franz is now very concerned about the body of Napoleon III.Although I received the news that Napoleon III fell ill in January this year, his body was already failing.

Since June, Napoleon III has never appeared in any public occasions, and many activities were attended by Crown Prince Eugene.

If the hero is not dead, then it is worthy of vigilance.It would be even more secure if it was delayed until after the death of Napoleon III.

Crown Prince Ou Ren was young, if the peaceful years were harmless, slowly accumulating prestige and controlling power step by step, it would be fine, but it is a pity to catch up with this world of great controversy.

In recent years, France has begun to hide its strength and bide its time. It is Napoleon III who wants to leave his son with a relaxed international environment as much as possible, lest his enemies will attack the door when he dies.

Among the induction plans, the Vienna government also has a top-secret plan for the French.The success rate of this plan is very low, and the French must take the initiative to cooperate before it can be successful.

To put it simply, let the French send troops to occupy Belgium, the Rhineland, or the German Federal Empire, any of them is fine, and it is best for the little emperor to lead the troops himself.

It is too difficult to defeat the French in mainland France.If the main force of the French army is fished out, the chances of winning will be greatly increased.

The successful annexation of the Italian region has already caused many French people to drift away. If it weren't for Napoleon III's strong pressure, they would have been unable to bear the annexation of the territory west of the Rhineland.

Franz knew very well that the annexation of the Italian region by the French had already exceeded the bottom line of the European countries. If there was no anti-French alliance formed, there would be no one to take the lead, and the opposition between Prussia and Russia would not allow them to join forces.

If the French continue to expand, European countries will die if they can't think of it.Don't look at the limited strength of these small countries, but they are more important than the last straw that broke the camel's back.

As for beating France disabled, Franz is not worried about whether he will form a death feud because of it.If you have too many debts, you will find that France and Austria have a lot of muddled accounts to settle when you look at history.

Moreover, the two countries do not border each other. How dare the French fight all the way over?

The conflict between France and Germany in the original space-time is not in the war, mainly in Alsace and Lorraine, and neither side has any way to make concessions on this issue.

Alsace and Lorraine are the old lands of Shinra, which are part of the German region, and the Germans must not let them.Nationalism in France is bursting, and John Bull is fanning the flames, and the Paris government also dare not compromise.

This problem does not bother Austria. At worst, it will be assigned to the Federal Empire of Germany, and Austria will just need to distribute some colonies.

If the French send troops to take revenge, then the German Federation will cry and shout to join Shinra, and no one will be able to stop it then.

The prerequisite is that Napoleon III dies first, and the little emperor can't hold down the main war faction in the country. Otherwise, the French will stay at home and not show off, and Franz will not dare to call the door.

This is related to the issue of power projection. If the local army in Austria can exert a very high combat effectiveness, then it will be only five or six points at most if the battlefield is placed in France.

It is not that the combat effectiveness of the army has declined, but mainly because of logistics problems.The Kingdom of Prussia in the original time and space won the bet, and that was completely blessed by God. Napoleon III personally led troops to the door.

The emperor was captured, a revolution broke out in France, and the government was killed by himself, so resistance was out of the question.

Otherwise, as long as the war drags on for a few months and the French mobilize, the result will be completely different.

Intelligence leader Tyron: "Your Majesty, something happened in Greece. Last night, a revolution broke out in Athens. The rebels defeated the government forces and captured Prince Ludwig who had not yet succeeded to the throne."

Prince Ludwig is the Bavarian King Ludwig III in the original time and space.Now Ludwig II has not had time to fall ill, and his father, Prince Luitpold, has not had time to be regent.

In the order of succession of the Lombard royal family, Prince Ludwig is already out of five, and the possibility of inheriting the throne is almost zero.

In theory, he wasn't even entitled to the throne of Greece, but the few guys ahead of him refused to come, so it was his turn.

Having encountered such unlucky things, Franz can only attribute it to Ludwig's unlucky attributes. Sending him to Greece as king is a good move.

This original time and space is also the first master to abdicate in the world war.This time it was even worse. Before becoming a king, he became a prisoner.

"The call was made to the General Staff to prepare for armed intervention in Greece, and at the same time, the cabinet ministers on duty came to the meeting."

In Franz's view, this is just a trivial matter, and it does not require all cabinet ministers to discuss it together.Franz was not worried about Ludwig's safety at all.

Now Ludwig is only one of the heirs to the Greek throne, and more importantly, he is the prince of the Lombard Kingdom of the new Holy Roman Empire.If the Greeks dared to smack him, there would be an excuse for war.

Austria did not annex Greece, it was paying attention to eating.In continental Europe, the consequences of annexing a sovereign state for no reason can be very serious.

If the Greeks took the initiative to do things, the situation would be different.Even if it is not easy to annex them, it is very simple to beat them up.

Such a simple truth, many people want to get it.Therefore, it should be the rebels who are most worried about the safety of Prince Ludwig.

If this guy dies unfortunately, they will be unlucky with him.Even for the sake of face, Austria must send troops to avenge Ludwig.

Chapter 1 Suspects everywhere

Franz's prediction was not wrong. The Greeks did not know what to do after they captured Ludwig, the queen-to-be.

There were also splits within the rebel army, and some advocated the establishment of a republic in an attempt to get rid of Austria's control of Greece.

Another group of people advocated the establishment of Ludwig's succession on the grounds that Prince Ludwig is the legal heir to the throne.

Before Austria had time to send troops to intervene, the republicans and royalists were about to start fighting.The republicans are mostly capitalists, and there are a bunch of middle-school boys, while the royalists are naturally nobles.

As for the large number of farmers and workers, they are all spectators. This coup has nothing to do with them, and they do not need to express their positions.

Before the coup, they were able to cooperate in order to oust the Bavarian cabinet of Otto I and seize the highest power in the government.