Holy Roman Empire

Before these issues can be determined, any action we take is risky.Now we have to find a way to control the risk within a certain range. "

This is the difference between a big country and a small country. A small country does not need to consider the aftermath when formulating its strategy.

Austria is different. As long as you don’t act blindly, even if you fail once, you still have a second chance to come back. Risk control in advance is essential.

Marshal Radesky shook his head and said: "If we want to control risks, after the Russian-Turkish war broke out, we can only wait for the war to escalate, and we can't move until the French send troops.

What if the French don't go to war?Are we giving up on this plan? "

Prime Minister Felix said affirmatively: "It depends on the determination of the British. As long as they are willing, they will definitely have a way to pull the French to do it together."

This conclusion is the same as Franz's. Who said that Louis Napoleon Bonaparte relied on the British to get to power?

Historically, he himself was a severe anglophobia patient, and he echoed the British many times.During his administration, the French government and the British hard-top were hardly seen.

Franz thought for a while and said: "The key to the success of this strategy lies in secrecy, a sudden attack by various countries, creating established facts, and forcing Britain and France to admit it.

As long as the plan is not exposed, the initiative is in our hands, and it is up to us to decide when and whether to do it.

After the outbreak of the Russo-Turkish war, whether Britain and France will participate in the war is beyond our control, but the Ottomans must be more anxious.

Winning Britain and France into the war is their only option to get out of the crisis.When necessary, we can let the Ottoman Empire know that our goal is only the Danube Basin. "

Franz did not have any psychological pressure to deceive the Ottomans. If he told them that the Austrian government had no interest in them this time, the Sudanese government would not believe it.

It is better to expose a false message and make the Ottomans believe it. Compared with the Russians who want to swallow them, the appetite of the Austrians is undoubtedly much smaller.

After distinguishing between the main enemy and the secondary enemy, the Ottoman government did not have many choices.A bite from Austria is nothing more than skin ringworm, and if bitten by a Russian, you will be half-mutilated even if you are not dead.

……

Chancellor of the Exchequer Carl proposed: "Your Majesty, in order to deal with the upcoming war, the Ministry of Finance proposes to implement a tobacco and alcohol monopoly system in order to raise more war funds."

Austria has a war fund, which is enough to unify the southern German region, but it is not necessarily necessary to face the interference of various countries.

The Austrian Empire is also a big business, and it has long passed the stage of adventure.Franz didn't like taking risks either. It was impossible for him to start a war foolishly with only a few months of war funds.

So from the very beginning, the strategic plan made took into account the intervention of the great powers. The worst situation is to go to war with Britain, France and Prussia at the same time.

Of course, this is based on the joint efforts of Russia and Austria.If they were singled out, Franz was not so reckless, and the Austrian government did not have that confidence.

The side with more soldiers always has an advantage, especially when there may be two-front battles, or even three-front battles.

With a large number of soldiers, the military expenditure will naturally be large, and it is necessary to raise as much war money as possible.

The most direct way is to collect war taxes. Unless the war has already broken out, Franz will not do it. He is a man who abides by the rules.

"After implementing the tobacco and alcohol monopoly system, how much income can be increased?" Franz asked with concern

After thinking for a while, Karl replied: "Judging from the current domestic economic development, after the implementation of the tobacco and alcohol monopoly system, the annual income can be increased by at least 3500 million dong."

In the case of the original fiscal and taxation, it can also increase the income of 3500 million dong. It is conceivable that the profits of tobacco and alcohol are huge.

"Prime Minister, what do you think?" Franz asked.

The 3500 million dong was enough to impress Franz, and he had already agreed in his heart. Now he is asking the Prime Minister for his opinion because the cabinet is responsible for implementing this plan.

Prime Minister Felix replied without hesitation: "Your Majesty, special circumstances can be treated specially. The government will do ideological work for capitalists. I think they will understand."

Obviously, everyone's bottom line is so high. In order to increase the fiscal revenue of 3500 million dong, we don't mind sacrificing the interests of some people.

Whether the capitalists whose interests have been damaged can figure it out is not important anymore. Anyway, they have no right to speak in politics.

Historically, the Austrian government implemented salt and tobacco monopolies.However, Franz, who has integrity, included salt and food as necessities of life in the previous people's livelihood bill.

In order to allow the people to fill their stomachs and not run to rebel, the prices of these daily necessities are strictly controlled by the government.

Under the circumstance that the price cannot be raised, including table salt in the monopoly will not increase much income, so the Ministry of Finance naturally chose another wine with higher profit.

These two commodities are not necessities of life. Even if the price is a little higher, it doesn't matter. Smoking and drinking less are also good for your health.

This is Franz's true thought. Although he himself smokes and drinks, this does not prevent him from guiding the people and cultivating a correct living habit.

Franz thought for a while and said, "Since this is the case, then the government should legislate and implement the tobacco and alcohol monopoly as soon as possible."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Prime Minister Felix replied

Chapter 53 French Entry

On March 1851, 3, the Tsarist government appointed Prince Alexander Menshikov as a special envoy to Constantinople to negotiate with the Ottoman government.

After hearing the news, the diplomatic community was in an uproar.Duke Alexander Menshikov served as Governor of Finland, commanded wars with Persia and Ottomans, and served as commander of the Black Sea Fleet and Minister of the Navy.

As the core figure of the ruling group of the tsarist government, Duke Alexander Menshikov served as the special negotiating envoy, which is enough to see the attention of the Russians.

This emphasis seems to be sending a signal to the outside world that the Russians want to solve the problem through negotiations.

However, considering that Duke Menshikov is a member of the main combat faction and also commanded the last Russian-Turkish war, it seems that this is another demonstration against the Ottomans.

Before going to Constantinople, Prince Menshikov first went to Sarabia to inspect the troops stationed there, and then went to Sevastopol to inspect the Black Sea Fleet.

Even Russia conducted a landing exercise, the target of which was Constantinople.After the exercise was completed, on March 3, Prince Menshikov took the warship "Thor" to Constantinople.

Menshikov is not a qualified diplomat. He despises diplomacy and etiquette. As the backbone of the main combat faction, he opposes all compromises and concessions to the Ottoman Empire.

Franz is not optimistic about the negotiations in Constantinople. The Russians have such a big appetite. Can the Ottoman Empire compromise?

While the Russians were negotiating with the Ottoman government, the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was also not idle, and diplomatic negotiations with the Ottoman Empire also started, but Franz did not pay attention to this negotiation and directly authorized the station in Constantinople Minister Mestercell was in charge.

Schönbrunn Palace

It was a sunny afternoon and Franz was fishing.It seems that he is lucky, the fish just don't bite.

In contrast, the neighboring father, Archduke Karl, has already harvested three, the largest of which weighs three catties.If nothing else, this unlucky egg fish will probably appear on the dinner table tonight.

The maid's crisp voice sounded: "Your Majesty, Mr. Metternich asks to see you."

"Take him to the gazebo, I'll go there right away." Franz said lightly

After finishing speaking, Franz put down his fishing rod, and said to his father and several younger brothers not far away: "Go on, I'm going to work."

Grand Duke Karl blurted out without thinking: "Go, unlucky boy, may God bless you!"

Franz was choked directly, he originally wanted to say "fish eat bad food".However, there is no such proverb in Austria, and no one can understand it.

Good upbringing allowed him to directly filter out his father's words, and just gave a hard look at the younger brothers who were laughing and watching.

Seemingly recalling the days when they were dominated by horrible homework, the little ones restrained their smiles in a very timely manner, and Franz left satisfied.

If Grand Duke Karl is not discounted, can't you still deal with a few brats?Based on the principle that being happy alone is worse than being happy with others, Franz directly copied the pain he had experienced to his younger brothers.

It's nothing, just being stared at by more than 30 tutors alone, and there will always be endless lessons and homework.

Franz is a good brother, and he directly covered the education expenses.European nobles attach great importance to their children's education, and no one intercedes for them on this issue.

Then, the three little guys became well-behaved kids, they were not academic masters, they resolutely surrendered to their evil elder brother for a better life under the blue sky and white clouds.

Otherwise, they are still gnawing hard at the books, how could they have the opportunity to cultivate aristocratic temperament (fishing and playing).

Perhaps in the eyes of Grand Duke Karl, Franz is really a complete unlucky guy.What is there to be an emperor?There are endless official duties to be dealt with every day, and things will come to you even when you are on vacation.

Franz never expressed any opinion on his father's opinion.If he had any ambition, he would be sitting on the throne now.

In the opinion of Grand Duke Karl, it is more comfortable to eat, drink and have fun than to work hard to be an emperor.

Under this concept, Archduke Karl often looked at Franz with pity.

There was nothing Franz could do about it.You can't say: If you don't have your own efforts, you, a Habsburg family rice moth, will have no rice to eat in a long time.

……

"Your Majesty, news just came that the French have intervened in Jerusalem, and the Catholic Church hopes to get our support."

The news brought by Metternich made Franz only lament the power of historical revision.However, after careful analysis, this is also an inevitable result.

If Louis Napoleon Bonaparte wanted to restore, he had to win the support of the people.The current crisis in the Holy Land, in the eyes of others, is a trouble, but in his eyes it is an opportunity.

Not only can you take the opportunity to increase France's foreign influence, but you can also gain the support of Catholics. How can you refuse such a good thing that kills two birds with one stone?

As for the consequences of doing so, it is nothing more than offending the Russians and the Ottomans.Others are afraid of bears, but he is not.Anyway, with the German Confederation in the way, what if the Russians are afraid of getting through?

The attitude of the Ottomans can be ignored. The current Ottomans are no longer the Ottomans they used to be. Any European power can step on them.

Franz thought for a while and said: "So, the French have already entered the field. It seems that the Russians are in trouble, and this Russian-Turkish war may not be easy to fight.

But this has nothing to do with us. Since the French have already taken action in Jerusalem, with their strong strength, they probably don't need our help, just support them verbally. "

help?It is impossible for the French government to allow Austria to intervene. This is when Louis Napoleon Bonaparte gained popularity. How could it be possible for Austria to join in and share his "credit"?

Metternich frowned and said, "Your Majesty, things are not that simple. Not only are the Russians in trouble, but we are also in trouble."

Franz was taken aback for a moment, but he didn't realize that this had anything to do with Austria.

Metternich explained: "Your Majesty, the involvement of the French in this conflict means that Louis Napoleon Bonaparte is ready to seize power, and it won't be long before we hear the disappearance of his restoration.

At that time, a French government that is absolutely pro-British will emerge.In international affairs, Britain and France will further in-depth cooperation.

A bipolar pattern has emerged in the world, the Russian-Austrian alliance and the Anglo-French alliance.With the outbreak of the Russian-Turkish war, the contradictions between the two alliances will become deeper and deeper, and even lead to war.

Britain and Russia have geographical advantages, and the possibility of a full-scale war between the two countries is unlikely, and at most it will be a local conflict.

But we are different from the French. Under the conflict between the two major alliances, war between Austria and France is very likely to break out directly in the future. "

Franz was stunned, Metternich's analysis made him wonder who was the traverser.

He also considered the possibility of a war between Austria and France, but he always thought it was an Italian issue. Now it seems that the conflict between the two major alliances will be the fuse of future conflicts between Austria and France.

Against this background, Austria has only two paths to follow.Either join forces with the Russians and severely injure the French in the next war.Without this thug, the British will also be counseled.

Either do nothing and wait for the escalation of the Franco-Prussian conflict.It has not been a day or two since the French have been eyeing the Rhineland region. With the deepening of industrialization, the Prussian government has also paid more and more attention to this land, and the possibility of concessions is almost zero.

The strength of German industry in later generations and the contribution of the Rhineland region are huge. The mineral resources here are indispensable and irreplaceable to the Kingdom of Prussia.

As for whether it is possible for the two countries to compromise?Franz can answer clearly-impossible, don't look at Bismarck's many promises in history to cede the Rhineland to the French.

But in the end, the Prussian government still preferred to take military adventures and fight the French, and did not really give up this area.

This is the future of the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Prussian government has been aware of its importance since industrialization.If the Kingdom of Prussia abandons this area, then the Ruhr industrial area will also be cold.

Franz frowned and said: "It seems that we can't do anything now. The French are caught in the Russian-Turkish war, which is very beneficial to our westward strategy.

Once the westward strategy was completed and the South German region was integrated, the balance of power between France and Austria changed.Even if there is a war in the future, our chances of winning are very high. "

This is not Franz self-confidence, but the fact.Austria, which has integrated the South German region, has definitely not seen a slight increase in its strength.

Many people in this era overestimate France, which is the shadow left by Napoleon's sweep of the European continent. They ignore today's France, and they are not the France of the year.

Whether in terms of comprehensive national strength or military combat effectiveness, they are no longer the number one power that makes the world tremble.

Metternich had a phobia, and as long as war broke out with the French, he was pessimistic, as if Napoleon had returned.

Franz couldn't do anything about it.Metternich was a statesman who came from that era. He personally participated in the anti-French war. He was cast into the shadow of Napoleon, and he had no solution at all.

Fortunately, the performance of the Austrian army that year was not too bad. The two sides fought back and forth, and they were not taken away by the French. The generals who came over from that year were not discouraged.

The military hardliners headed by Marshal Radesky were very dissatisfied with the failure that year, and wanted to find a chance to get it back.

If the military hadn't been tough enough, Franz would actually be cowardly.Who made the performance of the later Austro-Hungarian army leave him with the impression of waste?

Franz, who has personally known the Austrian army, is very clear that the Austrian Empire is definitely not equal to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Both in terms of military morale and soldier training, it is much stronger than the Austro-Hungarian period.

Metternich shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, a France with constant internal strife is indeed nothing to worry about. But once Louis Napoleon Bonaparte is restored, the internal strife of the French government will be suppressed.

At that time, we must take into account the situation of the joint efforts of law and law.As long as we put enough pressure on them, it is possible for France and Prussia to reach a compromise. "

Franz was surprised. If Austria annexed the South German region, its strength would undergo earth-shaking changes.

Then both France and Prussia will feel threatened. In order to solve this threat, as long as one side makes concessions, it seems that it is not impossible to join hands to give Austria a sudden ruthlessness.

Then Franz shook his head again, it was too early to consider this question.The French are very proud, and it is almost impossible for them to make concessions to the Kingdom of Prussia without experiencing failure.

It is certain that even if Austria is defeated, the French cannot allow Prussia to unify the German region.So is it necessary for the Prussian government to take risks for this?

If France and Austria are singled out, or Pu and Austria are singled out, the Russians may watch the show and use their strength to weaken Austria; if France and Austria join forces, as long as the Russians do not want to fall into isolation, sending troops becomes inevitable.

The French are far away and cannot feel the threat of the Russians, but the Kingdom of Prussia, which is close at hand, cannot do it.Maybe in the end, Austria was still crippled by the Prussian-Prussian alliance, and the Kingdom of Prussia was wiped out by the Russian-Austrian alliance first.

Franz thought for a while and said: "It seems that we have to restrain ourselves a little bit. If we are to be feared by other countries, then we will be in big trouble."

No matter what kind of alliance it is, it must speak for its own interests.Once interests conflict, turning faces is faster than turning books.

In order to avoid the worst situation, Franz chose to pretend to be cowardly.

Chapter 54 Loli Cultivation Plan