Holy Roman Empire

Cuba is still fighting fiercely, the Philippines is still digging ravines, the war in the Far East continues, and Europe is in chaos again.

Everyone has taken care of the continental economic revitalization strategy, except France.

Although Spain recruited a group of French mercenaries, which alleviated the crisis in France to a certain extent, it was still a drop in the bucket for a country.

Theory is always just theory, reality is cruel.Franz's vision of "a mercenary supporting a family" now seems more like a beautiful fairy tale.

Not everyone has a strong sense of responsibility.Except for the initial settling allowance, which was left behind, most of the mercenaries did not send money home as soon as their salaries were paid after they left the mainland.

I have to admit that they have strong adaptability and quickly adapted to the life of mercenaries.After getting their salaries, everyone lived a life of "drunk today".

Less than half of the people who are willing to send money home, and most of these people who are willing to send money only send a small part of their income, and those who can account for 1/3 of their income can be called "Gu Jianan".

Against this background, the plan of mercenaries to make money to support their families, which Franz placed high hopes on, naturally ended in bankruptcy.

People always have to eat, and the French economy has collapsed as early as the war.The European economic crisis has come to an end, but the economic crisis in France is still far away.

The trauma caused by the war is too great, and the refugees expelled by various countries have made this country miserable.

Although the French government has worked hard to resettle refugees, develop the economy and create jobs as much as possible, but with huge war reparations on their shoulders, the resources they can use are really limited.

The fact that the Vienna government did not collect the indemnity does not mean that other countries did not send people to collect it. At least the Russian army stationed outside Paris completed the task of collecting the indemnity immediately.

That's right, the Parisian government couldn't afford to pay the reparations, so the Russians did it themselves.The Russian army has been dispatched, and the collection of war reparations must go smoothly!

There is no standard at all, the taxation is purely based on personal preference, and it is necessary to charge more than three or five buckets.The officers and soldiers of the Russian army who participated in the tax collection activities earned a lot of money.

It's just that they have suffered so much for the French people.Unable to bear the humiliation, King Carlos directly led the government to strike in protest.

The angry French people have taken up arms to resist the atrocities of the Russian army, including some government troops who also participated in the attack on the Russian army.

Just as Franz took a nap, France became full of smoke again.Looking at the mess in front of him, Franz suddenly regretted leaving the Russian army stationed in Paris.

That's right, suppressing the revolutionary Russian army is indeed a good hand.The problem is that their ability to cause trouble is even better.

There is no problem in obtaining war reparations from France, but you have to leave a sigh of relief!

Sending troops out to collect taxes, Franz very much doubted what kind of commander would be able to issue such a stupid order.

But anyone with a little self-knowledge will know what the Russian army is.Usually stationed in the military camp, it makes the place miserable.

Rather than saying that it is released to collect taxes, it is better to say that it is released to rob.It was fine to play like this during the war, but now that the war is over, it is no wonder that the French do not break out after playing like this.

Tossing is tossing, as long as he makes trouble and can clean up the mess, Franz has no objection.

Apparently, the matter was brought up in front of him, the emperor, and the allied forces stationed in France must have been unable to hold back.

Otherwise, who is full and has nothing to do to make trouble for his leader?You must know that this kind of ignorant behavior will greatly affect your "official career".

It has always been easy to create problems, but difficult to solve them.As the leader of the Allied Forces, his butt decides his position, and it is self-evident which side he should stand on.

Years of emperor career told Franz that he should not just look at the surface of things in a hurry, but also analyze them deeply.

On the bright side, the disaster was caused by the Russians, and it was naturally the responsibility of the Russian troops stationed in Paris.However, are the French not responsible?

Now that you know you have filed a complaint, why did you go early?

If the Carlos government had protested to the Allied Army headquarters as soon as the problem occurred, I am afraid that someone would have interfered in the actions of the Russian army.

Even if I didn't think of it at the time, then when a problem broke out, it would be possible to immediately report the situation to the Allied Forces Headquarters, right?

There were so many opportunities to prevent the Russian army from taxation, but the French government perfectly missed them all.When things got serious, a government strike came to protest.

Such an obvious behavior is clearly deliberate indulgence.Just waiting for things to get serious, so that they can take advantage of the sympathy of caring people in the alliance to reap benefits.

Franz admitted that the French's plan had succeeded, and the Allied forces really needed to give the French an explanation for such a big mess.

It's just that it's not sure whether this explanation is what they want.After gaining an insight into the goals of the French, Franz's fear of the Carlos government was raised to a higher level.

In this context, to deal with the current mess in France, it must be carefully considered.

……

Chapter 49 Complex Russian Politics

For Franz, there are always endless problems to deal with. As long as you don't deal with it, it is no longer a problem.

France is in chaos, which is indeed a big news for the media, but for the Holy Roman Empire, it is actually not even a small cold.

Since it was caused by the Russians, let the tsarist government settle it by itself.Anyway, Shinra didn't garrison troops in France, so the Vienna government wouldn't be in a hurry even if they were beaten to death.

The only trouble, probably, is that international public opinion will be very unfavorable.It's just that today is different from the past. As the boss of the European Continental Union, the Vienna government's lightning resistance has become much stronger.

It is not the Shinra army that is making trouble now.Even if it is attacked by public opinion, at most it will accuse the Vienna government of "inaction".

"Omission" is not a crime. Looking at modern history, we know that the Vienna government's policy of inaction has continued for many years.

For the governments of European countries, the "action" of the boss above his head is far more terrifying than "inaction".If the Vienna government had to take care of everything, it is estimated that the European Union would not be as stable as it is now.

Similar to later generations, if the U.S. government suddenly stops making troubles and doesn’t care about things, countries around the world will only celebrate with their crowns, instead of jumping out and accusing the Americans of inaction.

There is only one main reason for being sprayed and not being considered, and that is that you have to participate in the usual trivial matters, but when it comes to critical moments, you shrink back and refuse to take responsibility.

Although the chaos in France shows signs of expanding, it has not yet reached the point where it cannot be dealt with.The Vienna government has not taken action for the time being, and there is nothing wrong with letting the Russians handle it by themselves.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with this, and it is only from the standpoint of the Holy Roman Empire itself and a third party with no interest.

The French and Russians in the center of the storm would never think so.

Without the mediation of the Vienna government, the governments of France and Russia at this moment have essentially been cornered.

compromise?

If the Carlos government dares to make concessions, the French people dare to change their king.

If you don't have the strength to fight the enemy hard, it is already very shameful; if you don't dare to cooperate without non-violence, how can you prove that you stand with the French people?

The French government had no choice, and the tsarist government was embarrassed.Nicholas II, who had just succeeded to the throne, encountered this big trouble before he had time to adapt to the supreme power brought by the tsar.

It is meaningless to pursue right and wrong. Once an in-depth investigation is conducted, the final result will most likely be slapped in the face.

According to the command of the Russian Army in France, this was a French conspiracy to deliberately provoke conflicts between the Russian army and the local people, which led to the situation getting out of control.

Regardless of whether others believe it or not, Nicholas II will not believe it anyway.The French conspiracy may exist, but the main reason for the out-of-control situation is definitely not a small conspiracy.

There is no way, the damn reporter recorded the atrocities committed by the Russian army, and the photos have already appeared in the newspapers, and they can't be washed out even if they want to.

Someone even mailed a small video movie to Nicholas II, and at the same time attached a letter with a sincere tone, hoping that Nicholas II would stop the atrocities committed by the Russian army.

That's all for letters, Nicholas II received a lot of similar letters.If they are all gathered together, they can hold several train skins.

Not to brag, if living in the twentieth century, Nicholas II could live a middle-class life by selling the waste paper that he receives letters every day.

Especially recently, almost all the well-known figures in Europe have sent him letters.Be polite and tactful to persuade, and scold those who don't save face.

Fortunately, Nicholas II had a good self-cultivation. If he was replaced by a narrow-minded tsar, he might send someone to kill these fiddling guys.

However, no matter how good self-cultivation is, it cannot withstand the impact of "small movies".If it weren't for the distance, Nicholas II would definitely call the commander in Paris to let him know what it means to give orders.

I have never seen such a stupid thing before.Being secretly photographed by reporters is barely understandable.But if someone filmed a documentary on the spot, it would be unreasonable.

The camera these days is not a small toy, and the Russian soldiers on the scene did not stop it when it was so big. Nicholas II can no longer describe it in words.

In short, these video materials are quite detrimental to the Tsarist government.Recently, I have lived in peace for more than ten years, and finally squeezed into the circle of European civilization, and now I am about to be kicked out again.

The "barbaric" and "brutal" hats will not be removed by the Russian Empire in a short time.The international image that was painstakingly cultivated in the era of Alexander III is now gone.

Thanks to the blurred video data, it is impossible to accurately identify the identities of the Russian officers and soldiers, otherwise Nicholas II would have to send these wastes to God.

The situation has become rotten, and it will be a matter of the future to be held accountable, and the most important thing right now is to deal with the aftermath.

The headquarters of the Allied Forces, controlled by the Vienna government, directly ordered the Russian army stationed in Paris to solve the trouble by themselves.Regardless of whether the Tsarist government is willing or not, it can only bite the bullet now.

……

St petersburg

In the Winter Palace, Nicholas II sat on the top seat with a sullen face, and said coldly: "What happened in France has seriously affected our international image.

In order to restore these adverse effects and safeguard the interests of the Russian Empire, we must now take decisive measures.

......"

Obviously, Nicholas II has not figured out the point so far. Once the "international image" is corrupted, it will be really bad.

It is not impossible to restore it, but it is definitely not something that can be changed in a short period of time.

Instead of being obsessed with the international image, it is better to find a way to stabilize the situation in France.These benefits are truly tangible.

Donos Chaf reminded: "Your Majesty, the Allied Army Headquarters has authorized us to deal with French affairs.

As a matter of urgency, the first thing we need to do is to stabilize the situation in Paris.Recall the commander stationed in France and investigate the relevant responsible persons. It can be dealt with after the situation stabilizes. "

(Peter Donos Chaf: Nicholas II's private teacher and adviser, director of the General Administration of Orthodox Affairs)

There was no other way. The Allied forces authorized the Russian troops stationed in Paris to deal with it with full authority. It seemed to be very trustworthy, but in fact it was to let the tsarist government clean up the mess by itself.

The matter was provoked by the Russian troops stationed in France. Now the situation is out of control, and the tsarist government cannot absolve itself of the blame.

And the aftermath work must be done beautifully.Otherwise, the other garrisoned allies who have encountered unreasonable disasters will come to make trouble.

It's not a question of whether you are afraid or not. The key is that everyone eats in the same pot and needs to cooperate with each other.If the relationship is really froze, the situation of the Russian troops stationed in France will be even worse.

To put it bluntly, if the French were to go completely berserk, the strength of the Russian troops stationed in France alone would not be able to hold back the situation at all.

Limited by the distance, even if the Russian Empire wanted reinforcements, it would be too late in time and could only rely on the strength of its allies.

Perhaps the strength of a single country is limited, but the combined strength of these dozen countries is actually not too far from the Russian Empire.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Sergei Witte: "The Secretary is right, the situation does not allow us to delay.

The Vienna government has now made it clear that it does not want to intervene.The French government is on strike again. From now on, we need to finance all our expenses in France.

The longer the delay, the greater the empire's loss.

In order to solve the problem as soon as possible, I propose to send a delegation to Paris immediately to investigate the cause of the incident and coordinate relations with the French government.

In any case, the French government must first be appeased.Only when they come out to work can social order be restored as soon as possible. "

It's not that Serge Witte opposed violent suppression, but mainly because the situation in France is too complicated to solve the problem by violence.

Those who want to solve the problem seem to be beyond the capabilities of the Russian troops stationed in France.Considering the financial pressure, it is impossible for the tsarist government to send 80 million Russian troops to play a big purge.

Since playing with violence is not enough, we can only reason.Anyway, France is a defeated country, and it will be three points short at the beginning.

Foreign Minister Mikhailovich: "I'm afraid it will be difficult to do. The main purpose of the French government's strike protest is to want us to withdraw our troops from Paris.

And yet, this is precisely our least likely concession.If there is no garrison, how can we guarantee our war reparations?

How can the interests of the empire in France be maintained?

Even if these don't matter, we must also consider the positions of the countries of the Anti-French Alliance.The empire's unilateral compromise with the French will only put the empire in a very embarrassing situation. "

If you don't object, you can't. The foreign ministry's capabilities are limited.It is simply an impossible task to persuade the French with a three-inch tongue.

The bottom line of the tsarist government is clearly laid out here, and the biggest concession is nothing more than: next time you don’t collect taxes in person, then there will be no future.

To investigate the person responsible is to deal with it internally, and the final result is nothing more than three glasses of fine wine.

The reason why the party was punished was not the atrocities committed by the Russian army; it was because the tsarist government fell into a passive position because they did not block the news well during the robbery and killing.

Regarding the issue of the atrocities committed by the Russian army, it is impossible for the tsarist government to admit anything now.Even if the evidence is sufficient, the tsarist government can only carry it to the end.

The French cannot be satisfied with such a result.

If you want to use diplomatic means to solve the problem, at least you have to throw a few scapegoats out and let the French vent their grievances.

Obviously, it is impossible for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to do this kind of offending the military.

Not wanting to offend his colleagues, but also unwilling to bear the consequences of the failure of the negotiation, Mikhailovich naturally wanted to tell the ugly things up front so that he could shift responsibility for future problems.

The positions of the civilian groups are not unified, let alone the military.In addition to suppressing by force, it is still suppressing by force. Anyway, it is impossible to take responsibility.

The interests of the empire are important, but personal status and future are obviously more important.Anyone in the position of Minister of War will first protect the interests of his younger brother.

……

For Nicholas II, who had a soft ear, the endless disputes at the top of the government were the greatest torture.Each has its own reasons, and it is too embarrassing for the Tsar to make a choice among them.

Perhaps because he was impatient, or because he thought of something, Nicholas II interrupted everyone's discussion.

"Okay, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will negotiate with the French first. If they are sensible, just accept our goodwill; if the French reject our goodwill, use bayonets to make them sober."

Diplomacy + military work together to solve the problem, exactly as described in the book, and there seems to be nothing wrong with it.

As for the effect, it will not be known until it is used.Anyway, Nicholas II is very satisfied now. He has taken everyone's opinions into account and taken care of everything.