Holy Roman Empire

Everyone's eyes lit up. Although it was a little dark, it was indeed a good solution.

The tsarist government had a limited wealth, and if the Central Asian war was resolved quickly, it would be fine; if the war continued, the Russians would definitely borrow money from Austria.

At that time, the Austrian financial community will not buy the Russians' account, and the Vienna government will lend them the shipbuilding funds to fight the war for the sake of the friendship between the two countries-perfect.

Seeing that everyone had unified their positions, Franz smiled slightly: "Then the matter is settled like this, and the Ministry of Finance is responsible for giving the Russians an explanation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs secretly contacted the French, which contributed to this great melee in Central Asia, weakening Britain and Russia as much as possible. "

……

Austria is on the move, and the British are not idle either.They were all forced out, and the British government was also under great pressure to confront the three major powers at the same time.

An enemy's enemy is a friend, which may not apply to all international struggles, but it can be effective in a single incident.

The marine civilization endowed the British with a sense of crisis. After discovering the confrontation with Russia, France and Austria at the same time, the British government began to seek a solution.

Russia and Austria have been united for many years, and it is unrealistic to obtain the support of Austria. The British government has targeted the French.

On March 1888, 3, British Foreign Secretary George visited Paris.The London government has very high expectations, and Sir George also publicly stated that this is an ice-breaking trip for Anglo-French relations.

Napoleon IV himself did not welcome sudden and uninvited guests.The reason can be seen by looking at the Palace of Versailles not far away.

Damaged by the Paris Revolution, the Palace of Versailles has only recovered 70.00% to this day, and the rest is still under construction.

And the British happened to be the culprits who triggered the Paris Revolution. Even after the revolution was suppressed, many leaders of the revolutionary party were sent out by the British.

The hatred of the country and the family got together, so Napoleon IV naturally didn't like the British, to be precise, he didn't like the British and Austrian black hands.

Napoleon IV was absent from the routine welcome banquet without any reason.This should be regarded as the first time since the era of Napoleon III that the French emperor did not give the British face so much.

In addition to the deterioration of diplomatic relations, it is more due to the change in the balance of power between Britain and France.

As the world's largest army power and the world's second naval power, France no longer recognizes the hegemony of the British.

Especially the younger generation in France, including Napoleon IV himself, have no awe of the British, but only eager to challenge.

It just confirms the sentence: Whoever is the world's hegemon has the most enemies in the world.

……

In the Palace of Versailles, Napoleon IV asked sullenly: "The British are here, what do you think they want from us?"

It doesn't matter if you are unhappy with the British, diplomatic activities still have to be carried out normally.Whether the results can be discussed or not, in the final analysis, still depends on the interests, not the personal feelings.

Foreign Secretary Karel Kadlecs: "Your Majesty, the British are in a hurry.

The Russians are eager to try in Central Asia, and the war is about to break out, and there is the shadow of Austria behind it.

In case the situation gets out of control, it is very likely that Russia and Austria will jointly expand to India.

If no one can be found to contain Austria, the British will have to fight against Russia and Austria alone.Even if they win in the end, they will suffer heavy losses, even India. "

Colonial scrambles not only look at the superficial victory or defeat, but also consider the issue of colonial rule.

Especially in a densely populated area like India, once nationalist ideas are imported, the cost of governance will be beyond imagination.

There is no integrity in the game of great powers, and everyone often does things that harm others and benefit themselves.

Prime Minister Terrence Bulkin sneered: "That's just the trouble of the British, Russia and Austria can't swallow India even if they unite.

The British have been operating in India for so many years, even if they can't keep it, they can still instigate local independence.

The Austrians should not have such illusions, but the Russians are not sure, they have a Yellow Russia plan.

India should be easier to obtain than the Far Eastern Empire. With the greed of the tsarist government, as long as there is an opportunity, it will not give up.

Because of the Russia-Austria alliance, even if Austria does not go on its own, it will not prevent the Russians from expanding into India.

This is also our opportunity. We can sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, and maybe we can pick up some bargains.

What we need to do now is to compare the quotations of all parties and choose the one that maximizes the benefits to join. "

The opinions of Terrence Burkin can be said to represent the mainstream of the French government.It is true that everyone hates the British, but they will not make life difficult for their interests.

As long as the British bid high enough, anything is possible.

After hesitating for a while, Napoleon IV nodded, expressing his approval of this point of view.

The trace of sadness between the brows still shows that he is not so willing.There is no way, the interests of countries still come first.

……

Chapter 1 The Anglo-French Entente

In the British Embassy in Paris, British Foreign Secretary George and Minister Roberto Fernandez sat facing each other, and the atmosphere in the room was very depressing.

It can be seen from their faces that the welcome banquet that just ended was not so pleasant.

Not only was Napoleon IV himself absent, but he also temporarily notified a government meeting during the banquet, and the French high-level officials left collectively.

All the powerful people left, and only a few staff members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a bunch of nobles with vacant titles were left to receive Sir George.

The most basic principle of reciprocal reception has been abandoned. This is not just a matter of dismissing Mawei, it is a complete disregard for George, and it does not give the British Empire any face.

It is not surprising that such a thing is diplomatically ignored.Anglo-French relations were not good to begin with, and things more disrespectful than this had happened. What worried George was the task.

"Minister, you have been in Paris for a long time and know the French government well. What price do you think it will take to persuade the French to support us?"

Georges visited Paris this time in a hurry. Before he was sure what France wanted, he could only adapt to the actual situation.

After a little thought, Roberto Fernandez said, "Sir, the French have a big appetite, and some benefits may not be enough to satisfy them.

If the situation is not particularly critical, I suggest that it is enough to stabilize the French government, and the price to be paid to win them over is too high.

In fact, the French government is now busy sorting out its internal affairs, and the French government is unable to blend in international affairs in a short period of time. "

Taking advantage of the fire to rob is the normal state of the country. Now that Britain needs France, the French government will naturally not be polite.

George said unmoved: "What do the French want most now?"

In diplomatic activities, even eloquence is not worth the benefits.

George doesn't think that the French can be persuaded by fooling around. Now, if he wants to win over the French government, he must show tangible benefits.

Minister Roberto Fernandez replied: "The French's strategic goals have hardly changed. They have always aimed at European hegemony. After the Great Revolution, they have restrained a bit, and now there is a trend of resurgence.

Radical groups in France want to expand to Central Europe and seize continental hegemony; capitalists want to seize Belgium and the Rhineland to solve the cost problem of industrial raw materials.

These demands for interests were opposed by the domestic aristocratic conservatives, who worried that marching into Central Europe would trigger a new anti-French war.

It is precisely these conservatives who currently hold power. They oppose expansion in continental Europe, advocate easing relations with continental countries, and use the method of developing colonies to solve the problem of insufficient domestic industrial raw materials.

Recently, the French government has been very lively.After Napoleon IV finished his trip to Algeria, he ordered the replacement of a group of local bureaucrats as soon as he returned to Paris.

For the vacated official hat, the major factions within the French government are fighting for life and death, and even high-ranking officials directly fight.

Now Napoleon IV is busy balancing the forces of all parties. Unless we can come up with conditions that no French interest group can refuse, otherwise we will not be able to win over the French in the short term. "

Because he knew in advance that the internal situation in France was very complicated, George could not imagine that the French government was in such a mess.

When political struggles are fierce, there is no need to ask why. "You're for it, I'm against it" and vice versa.

Everyone is opposing for the sake of opposing, maybe nothing can be achieved, but it is enough to hurt the other party.

Everyone can quarrel endlessly over any trivial matter, not to mention the important international standings involved?

If he really did ideological work one by one, George had no doubts that he would retire before he could convince these people.

"Belgium and the German Confederation are our potential allies, and to support French expansion into Central Europe would mean abandoning these allies.

Moreover, based on the current strength of the French, expanding to Central Europe at this time may not be successful.

With Austria's appeal, it is entirely possible to form a new anti-French alliance.Other countries cannot be sure, and direct victims such as Belgium and the German Federation will definitely come to them as soon as possible.

No matter who wins in the end, there will be a dominance in Europe, and we will be passive. "

There is no way. Supporting the French to expand to Central Europe will not only lose Britain's international reputation, but also mean that they will give up their fulcrum in Central Europe. It will be difficult to intervene in European affairs in the future.

If it's just these, it's not impossible to discuss.Anyway, the international reputation of the British is not very good, and they can't lose it no matter how much they lose.

The key is that after losing the backing, Belgium and the German Federation will definitely drag Austria into the water, and finally it becomes France VS the anti-French alliance headed by Austria.

Britain and Russia contain each other, and the outcome of the Franco-Austrian War becomes uncontrollable.

Unless both sides suffer, the winner is the European overlord, and the European overlord who is hostile to Britain.

Minister Roberto Fernandez nodded: "Of course, it is our national policy to maintain the balance of power in Europe.

If we cannot start from a strategic point of view, then we can only start from an economic point of view, but the sequelae will be more serious.

For example: the unilateral abolition of high tariffs against the French. "

Hearing this proposal, George's face collapsed.Not only is the sequelae more serious, it is clearly killing people.

High tariffs against France in retaliation for the withdrawal of the French from the free trade system.

Moreover, the tariffs between Britain and France are almost equal now.Britain's unilateral abolition means that French goods can freely enter and exit the British market; while British goods must pay high tariffs to enter the French market.

If George dared to agree to such a condition, the domestic capitalists would have to tear him apart.

"My lord, the joke is not funny at all. Do you know what it means if you unilaterally drop the tariffs?"

Minister Roberto Fernandez nodded: "Of course, that means that Britain has become an economic colony of the French.

Therefore, from the very beginning, I objected to wooing the French at this time.Now we have too few chips in our hands, and the French have too much appetite, so it is impossible to negotiate.

In fact, we all know that the possibility of Austria directly intervening in Central Asia is almost zero, and there is a Persian Empire in the middle.

It doesn't matter whether there is French restraint or not.As long as the French don't have any problems, even if they don't have to do anything, the Austrian government must take precautions.

The top priority is to find a way to end the arms race, rather than wasting time for an impossible goal. "

The risks and benefits are directly proportional. Let the French take action to contain Austria. No one can guarantee whether the guns will go off in the middle and detonate the war between the two countries.

If the appearance fee is not enough, how can the French government be willing to take risks?

After a pause, George said slowly: "What if we form an alliance with the French?

We can't support French expansion into Central Europe, but that doesn't mean we can't acquiesce in French expansion into Central Europe.

Anyway, Austria has to stand up, and the French will not rush to send troops until they are fully sure.

Britain needs time, as long as we have resolved the Central Asian issue, whether or not this covenant will be fulfilled in the end, the initiative is still in our hands. "

After contemplating for a while, Roberto Fernandez said solemnly: "Sir, is this the final domestic decision?

You know, after doing this, the results of our business in France for so many years will be destroyed. "

Pro-British faction does not mean being pro-British unconditionally. Most of the pro-British faction will still put their own national interests first.

Originally, the short sale of the franc in the past few years severely offended the French, which led to a sharp decrease in the number of Anglophiles in the French government.

Now there is another wave. It is estimated that even the pro-British group in the French government will disappear in the future, leaving only naked hatred.

In the eyes of most people, traitors are more hateful than enemies.There is actually only a thin line between the pro-British faction and the anti-British faction.

George said unmoved: "This is the price that must be paid. If possible, I would not be so extreme, but there is no way for the benefit of Britain.

Isn't our painstaking efforts just for this day?

From now on, the embassy will mobilize all our connections to make this alliance possible. "

……

Chapter 1: The Era of Confrontation between the Two Alliances

Forming an alliance is not something that can be done with a swipe of the head. It is necessary to carefully weigh the pros and cons, especially if the target of the alliance is the British.

It is not the first time that Britain and France have formed an alliance. According to past alliance experience, the results of each alliance are not satisfactory.

Napoleon IV was not deceived by the British rhetoric, no matter how hype he exaggerates, it must be realized.

As long as Britain and France are in an alliance, Britain will support France's expansion into Central Europe.Such a big stuffed pie, Napoleon IV did not believe that he would drop it on his head for no reason.

It was also because the stuffed pie was too big, and Napoleon IV was reluctant to discard it.

Prime Minister Terrence Bulkin: "Your Majesty, the British proposal seems to be beneficial to us, but it is actually full of evil intentions.

On the surface, they support our expansion into Central Europe, but in fact they let us contain Austria for them.

Judging from the current international situation, once we expand to Central Europe, we will encounter joint hostility from European countries, and even trigger a new round of European war.

If the situation really gets out of control, I really have no confidence in the British. With their style, if they don't make trouble, it's all..."