Welcome to 19th-century Europe, where strength reigns supreme

As the New Year approaches, the once mighty British Empire has fallen into an economic crisis. The conservative Conservative Party, the reformed Liberal Party, the radical Workers' Party and the Social Democratic Party will start a new round of zero-sum game in the next general election. , the winning party will lead this powerful empire into tomorrow.

The French Empire's economy is hardly getting better. Although it has recovered a wave of blood through indemnities, the economic growth has grown from rapid growth in the beginning to gradually failing to meet its expectations. The situation in the Iberian Peninsula is not optimistic either. Queen Isa of Spain Although Bella II gained an advantage in the war with Morocco, the country was not very stable, and the gap between the rich and the poor was widening.

National conflicts, party struggles, and economic crises have dealt a big blow to several traditional powers in Western Europe, and this gave Prussia an opportunity.

August once said at the meeting, "We will not have a better opportunity than this time. Britain is unable to assist the Nordic countries, and France has no time to take care of itself. Since the Napoleonic War, the German region has been in war for a long time. In the long-term In the annexation and foreign wars, only two countries stand out in the German region, Austria and Prussia, and this war of unification of the German Empire will determine who of us will survive, and the arrow must be fired when the arrow is on the string."

In the first shot of the German Unification War, August set his sights on Denmark. Denmark was the former overlord of Northern Europe and once ruled Norway, Sweden and Finland. The Kalmar Federation included almost all Nordic countries and was the most powerful nation in the world at that time. One of the most powerful empires, Sweden later replaced Denmark and became the overlord of the entire Nordic countries. Even in later generations, Sweden still has the strongest comprehensive national strength among the Nordic countries.

Denmark, which is in the sunset, has long coveted Schleswig for a long time, and now their country has also fallen into a political crisis. An emerging party has become one of the most important political parties in Denmark, namely the Danish National Party. They have proposed Many whimsical and radical policies gave many people who had long been tired of the king's rule a new way out.

The Danish royal family didn't think it was anything. They just regarded it as a nonsense of civilians. However, the Danish kings did not put out the fire of revolution from the beginning. They were arrogant and believed that a group of unruly people could not make any waves. They just wanted to He is trying to use this party to suppress liberals, but he doesn't know that the fire will eventually burn on him.

.......

Not long ago, a new constitution for Denmark and Schleswig was drafted. If this constitution is passed, Denmark will set up a special parliament in Schleswig. This action will also make the relationship between Schleswig and Denmark closer.

King Frederik VII of Denmark was the last monarch of the Oldenburg branch of Denmark. His abilities were not very good, his reactions were slow and erratic, and he was not very popular among the people. People did not pay enough attention to him. If he could By signing this treaty, Denmark will be able to achieve control over Schleswig, and Holstein will also be incorporated into Denmark due to the indivisibility treaty.

He could have become a hero, but Frederick VII died in November 1863, just after the new constitution was released. This incident caused an uproar throughout Denmark. The old king left no legal heirs during his lifetime, and there was no way. Find a prince from the heirs of Oldenburg who can legitimately inherit the Danish throne.

Because of this, the inheritance issue of Schleswig and Holstein has become the focus of attention of the Danes and Germans.

The German view is that the inheritance laws of the two principalities are different from those of Denmark. Holstein adopts the male inheritance law, so the Danish king's male branch, Frederick von Augustenburg, should be the heir to the throne. , and Danish nationalists believe that although the inheritance law in Holstein is different from that in Denmark, the inheritance law in Schleswig is the same as that in Denmark, and because the Treaty of Ribe stipulated that Holstein and Schleswig The issue of succession between the two principalities was further complicated by the fact that Ige was never separated.

Most of the Germans in Schleswig and Holstein supported the Augustenberg family's succession to the Danish throne, while the Danes supported the Glücksburg family more.

The Danish royal family still chose to find a new heir to the throne from the maternal descendants of the deceased king according to Danish tradition. Danish Prime Minister Monrad finally announced that Prince Christian of the Glücksburg family would be crowned Christian IX.

The task of signing the new constitution fell to Christian IX, but Christian IX was not loved by the Germans in the first place. If the previous king Frederick VII could reluctantly accept it, then Christian IX was not. He is already an unacceptable king, and the Germans may not necessarily allow him to rule the Germans.

By then, German national uprisings may break out in Holstein and Schleswig, and Prussia and Austria will not stand idly by. The worst-case scenario is that Prussia and Austria will join hands to do it themselves.

What if you refuse to sign? Then Christian IX may have to make up a better reason to convince the Danish nationalists who support the constitution, otherwise he, the king, will probably receive the same treatment as Louis XVI.

Even the parliament has the idea of ​​deposing the king, and others have their say. If you don't agree with the new constitution that we have put so much effort into, you are not giving us face.

In the end, in order to keep his throne, Christian IX could only choose the less bad one among the two bad options. Of course, he would also bear the corresponding responsibilities after signing the constitution.

The new constitution aroused the dissatisfaction of German nationalists in the two principalities of Schleswig and Holstein. The princes of other German states were also dissatisfied with Denmark's attempt to annex the two principalities. You are a Nordic country with different ancestry. Pure Scandinavian, what's wrong with you to dare to touch the Germanic Schleswig and Holstein.

Among them, Austria and Prussia, the most powerful of the German states, nominally disagreed. Prussia clearly supported that the Germans should enjoy legitimate rights. As the people of the two principalities, they have the right to choose the fate of the country, and this right is not allowed. interference from other countries.

But to be honest, the views of Prussia and other German princes are fundamentally different. Prussia hopes to maintain the status quo. In the trade alliance of the North German Confederation, Prussia has an absolute trade advantage. Most of the countries in the North German Confederation have industrial products. They all have to be obtained through foreign trade. Prussia in the Customs Union has more unique conditions than other countries.

Other German princes know that Prussia is powerful and has acquired many colonies overseas. Compared with Austria, which has no colonies, Prussia's international competitiveness is stronger and its advantages are more obvious. It is also the national issue.

The German princes hoped that the heirs of Augustenburg would sign the new constitution. They still planned to sell Schleswig and Holstein to the Danes, but they could not sell them to Christian IX.

But the signing of the new constitution has nothing to do with the local Germans. After all, they do not have a strong motherland. If they did, they would certainly not become pawns for checks and balances between countries.

......

Tina looked at Holstein and Schleswig, which are on the Jutland Peninsula. They are extremely important. She does not want Denmark to get this place. She hopes that it can remain as it is for the time being. If it is occupied by Denmark, then she wants to return to it in the future. It will be difficult to come back.

The entire Prussian Army General Staff is here. Tina and August have already made a division of labor. If a war is coming, preparations are very important. August will handle this part, and Tina Na was granted the highest authority during the war, and her decisions could determine the direction of the war.

Tina said, "King Christian IX of Denmark has signed a new constitution. They have used Schleswig and Holstein as bets. This war may be inevitable. We have been preparing for this war for many years. It’s finally about to start, the army reform, economic reform, everything we have done will be put to the test today!”

When Tina said these words, she was determined to go to war. This war was her lifelong ideal. August built this decadent feudal country into a capitalist power standing in Central Europe. Its strength The bottom is bottomless, and whether the country's potential can be unleashed depends on Tina's level.

She would crown Prussia in three dynastic wars.