Chapter 231:

  Chapter 226: Calculations

An aristocratic banquet is underway at an estate in Paris, and in a small, unassuming corner, British Foreign Minister Thomas and Russian Foreign Minister Karl Wasser are gathered.

If this news gets out, the front pages of the Parisian newspapers could be booked ahead of time.

Karl Worcel frowned and asked, “Mr. Thomas, you didn’t ask me to come here just to drink, did you?”

Originally he was busy hooking up with noblewomen in the cocktail party, having fun, and was interrupted by Thomas who came to his door, it would be strange if his mood could be good.

Talking about things, Karl Worcel didn’t think he had anything to talk about with the Englishman right now. Besides, the occasion was not right, and the secrecy of the cover-up was simply a deliberate attempt to let the Austrians find out.

Thomas smiled and said, “Mr. Karl Worcel, don’t you think that after annexing the South German region, Austria is a little too strong?”

Karl Worcel’s face changed, there were quite a few people in the Tsar’s government who felt that Austria was too strong, and he himself was one of them. He himself was one of them. It was just a matter of talking about it in the house, but now that it was revealed by the British, he did not dare to admit it.

Who knows if there are any Austrian eyes in this neighborhood, and even if there are not, I’m sure the British have a way of letting Austria know the content of the conversation.

Karl Worcel’s political ability is still passable, know that this is the British dug political traps, naturally will not go along with the topic down to pick up.

At that moment, he said nonchalantly, “Mr. Thomas, if it’s this matter, it’s not for you to worry about, it’s not your turn to tell us what to do.”

Ignoring his irrationality, Thomas still said smilingly, “Mr. Karl Worcel, there are no eternal friends in this world, as long as the eternal interests, today you and Austria are allies, tomorrow may become enemies.

Now for the sake of alliance, you condone Austria’s expansion in the German region, tomorrow you can face a unified Central European great empire.

It is never wrong to prepare in advance, to take precautions.

Russia and Austria are too close to each other, and when Austria’s path of expansion in Europe is blocked, they will have no choice but to move into the Near East, and sooner or later you will come into conflict. ……”

Without waiting for Thomas to finish his sentence, Karl Walser simply excused himself and left, already regretting that he had taken the risk of contacting the British.

The Russo-Austrian alliance was the most important foreign policy of Russia, how could it be changed so easily anymore, the alliance could not be abandoned just because of a possible threat.

It was so obvious to sow discord that if he could not see it then there was something really wrong.

This seemingly uneventful meeting has actually undergone a qualitative change in the eyes of those who are interested.

These problems Karl Worcel naturally did not notice, he had to admit that the British provocation is very effective, deep down he is also very afraid of Austria, and the Austrian government is afraid of the Russians, allies also need to be guarded ah!

This is Thomas’s mastery, once things have been singled out, it is difficult not to be affected.

Whether or not to pull the leg of Austria, became in front of Karl Worcel’s difficult problem, the body of the matter he hesitated.

Sleepless night, the next day, the General Assembly held normally, Thomas on the spot, Karl Worcel involuntarily reduce the speech.

Originally was a wave of Britain and Prussia, Russia and Austria, the French on the side of the mud, the Spanish representative is responsible for presiding over the meeting, and so the stalemate is not stand out to announce the adjournment of the meeting.

Now the attitude of the French has changed, Karl Worcel’s support is not enough, the beginning of Metternich has been under enormous pressure.

But the negotiation was not to see how many people there were, otherwise all the countries would have been brought in, and there would have been still more opposition to Austrian expansion, for reasons that need no explanation.

Diplomatic world of battle-hardened Metternich, naturally, will not be intimidated, let the representatives of the three countries of Britain, France and Prussia how to righteously spray, anyway, I since the stalwart.

Thomas threatened, “Mr. Metternich, if your country refuses to give up the establishment of the Holy Roman Empire, then the countries will have to impose sanctions on you.”

Metternich’s face did not change, “Well, we can make concessions, if we don’t establish the Holy Roman Empire, we’ll establish the New Holy Roman Empire, all right!”

This is completely evasive, after wasting so much effort, it’s not just to let Austria change the name of the country and be done with it, but to make them give up the benefits that are at hand.

Further coercion, in the General Assembly Thomas will not say it, this will have to be communicated privately. Can’t stand in the way of the Russians and make Austria fall back, right?

The Russians are not stupid, as long as the slightest hint is revealed, they will immediately react and take measures.

Thomas’s previous series of work, in fact, are just to create a gap between Russia and Austria, in preparation for the split of the Russian-Austrian alliance.

If there is no gap between Russia and Austria, there is no place for the British to start!

The second is to suppress Austria, this primary and secondary strategy, Thomas divided very clearly. Now it seems to work very well, the Russians do not act, obviously become a thorn in Metternich’s heart.

After the meeting, did not give Metternich left time, Thomas showed him the cards.

Either give up the Russo-Austrian alliance, and Austria could swallow all the benefits she had gotten her hands on; or keep the Russo-Austrian alliance, and spit out the benefits she had eaten; or meet the Nine Interventionist Allies.

If it was an ordinary person would have been stunned, Metternich was equally unsettled inwardly, but did not show the slightest break on the surface.

Directly sneered: ”Mr. Thomas, this joke is not funny. Nine Allied Forces are you sure you’re not teasing me?

Holland and Belgium have a conflict, Spain and Portugal relationship is not much better, your country and the French if you can close cooperation, the Near East war has long been over.

If you can make this conflicted coalition army close, then I have nothing to say, Austria has no power against the Nine.”

If it could be done, Thomas wouldn’t need to talk nonsense here, the Austrian government custodian conceded as soon as the allied forces were out of the way.

Everyone is not a fool, to interfere in Austria also have to look at the interests ah, interests are not enough even if the British forced them to pull together, that is also out of work.

Perhaps, in the view of many people, fight Austria is not as good as pit teammates more cost-effective, at least you can borrow a knife to kill, consume the enemy’s strength.

This kind of pit teammate thing, the British did a lot, can be said to be they pulled down between the allies of the temperament of the lower line, and now we all follow the example, close cooperation has long gone.

Being exposed to the weakness, Thomas said unhurriedly: ”Mr. Metternich, all these problems you mentioned exist, but even if the nine allied forces are in conflict, the strength advantage cannot be ignored.

Even as long as Prussia and France join forces, your country may not be able to hold out.

Do not doubt our determination, the big deal is to draw back the allied forces on the Crimean Peninsula, as long as Constantinople is still in our hands, the initiative is in our hands.

If we make certain concessions and recognize the Russian occupation of Bulgaria and the Danube Valley, what do you think are the chances of the Russians compromising?

In the face of profit, will the Russians have any regard for the Russo-Austrian alliance? The credibility of the Czar’s government is well known to all; is it necessary for you to put it to the test again?”

Without changing his face, Metternich said, “Mr. Thomas, I admit that you have a very good point. It’s a pity that you can make concessions to the Russians; the French can’t make them!

Monsieur Thomas, I suggest that it is necessary for you to go out into the streets of Paris and see the attitude of the French public towards this Near Eastern war.”

There was no way around it, the French population of this era was completely repressed for a long time and had just been unleashed in an outburst.

Napoleon III’s launching of the war against Russia could be more than just his personal will, but the French people were dissatisfied with the failure of the war against France and wanted to take revenge on the Russians.

In this ideological background, let the Paris government to make concessions, this is simply let Napoleon III get out.

With his own interests at stake, even if the British could be fooled, Napoleon III could not compromise.

A future threat, that’s a future thing. If he made concessions now, the French public wouldn’t have the foresight to tell him to get lost right away.

At this point, the Near East war Napoleon III can not win, but absolutely can not admit defeat, even if the battlefield losses of the French army, he must be a big victory to be able to end.

Can not let the tsarist government acting, deliberately create a great defeat, right? Nicholas I, who was born a soldier, could not do such a thing, not even if the interests were great.

The tsarist government also can not afford to lose, lose the status of the European hegemony no longer exists, was suppressed domestic conflicts, will immediately be detonated, the things they can not do to sacrifice themselves for others.

……

St. Petersburg.

Franz is hanging out with a bunch of Russian nobles, basically eating, drinking and having fun every day, living a very lavish life.

Diplomatic PR? Aside from exchanging ideas with Nicholas I about the future strategy of the two countries and communicating further politically, his men were in charge of talking about the rest.

On the issue of German unification this time, Franz only symbolically mentioned, Nicholas I is also a formulaic answer, everything in accordance with the provisions of the covenant to do.

Then, most of the time is the future of that great name of Russia Alexander II in the reception of him, the tsar is also very busy, every day there are official business to deal with, there is not so much time out of the wave.

Touring the sights and sounds of St. Petersburg, attending noble banquets, hooking up with noble ladies, in short, Franz in St. Petersburg to play very high.

The valet whispered in Franz’s ear, “Your Majesty, the telegram of the Paris conference from Vienna, please read it.”

Thanks to the establishment of the Russo-Austrian alliance, in order to strengthen the communication between the two countries, St. Petersburg to Vienna wire telegraph is finally connected.

Franz is a responsible emperor, even if he is far away from St. Petersburg, the domestic affairs also did not forget to pay attention to, especially this Paris conference, is the focus of attention.

Received the telegram, the first brief look once, Franz headache, he did not expect the British in the last minute out of the move.

Interference in the Allied Forces, it is not a question of whether to fight or not to win, but certainly not win ah!

It’s not a matter of fighting a wave and then forgetting about it, once the battle is ignited, the desire to stop is not controlled by personal will.

Difficulty really want to be tied together with the Russians, against the entire European continent? This idea has just risen, was Franz thrown away.

The Russians have a geographic advantage, can not goad, Austria will not work, once the fight will become the front line, lost to lead the box, win is also a heavy loss, destined to lose business Franz will not do.

Looked at the map of Europe, Franz made a decision.

“To the domestic return telegram, suggested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French to communicate, but also can pull the Russians together, make us divide the Kingdom of Prussia of the frame, see how the British to cope.”

Not to see how the British would cope, but to see how the Prussians would cope. The British can still sit tight, and as long as the European continent is not dominated by one country, they can continue to play the balancing act.

The Kingdom of Prussia is different, France, Russia and Austria divided Prussia, this is completely in their lives, one-on-one can not win, one-on-three this battle simply can not be fought.

The French got the territory west of the Rhine, the Russians got Prussian Poland, and Austria got that part of Berlin, which seemed to be perfect.

No one had to worry about Austria getting bigger, and both France and Russia expanded. With the friendship of having shared the spoils together, the Near Eastern wars could all be stopped, and after getting the Rhineland region, Napoleon III could also have an explanation to the populace.

Franz very much want to see Frederick William IV received this news after the expression, can not get the South German region, take the interests of the Kingdom of Prussia as compensation, for Austria seems to be acceptable.

The only trouble was that the Kingdom of Prussia was a tough nut to crack, it was easiest for the Russians to take Prussian Poland, and it wasn’t hard for the French to take the Rhineland region, so Austria would have to fight the Kingdom of Prussia to the death if they were to make a move on the Berlin region.

The most troublesome once the firefight is too intense, both sides hands are stained with each other’s blood, then the post-war rule is a copy of hell.

Specific reference can be made to Switzerland, originally is the ancestral land of the Habsburg dynasty, because of the initial old ancestors do not give power, did not suppress the Swiss aristocratic rebellion in time, the war for a long time on both sides of the hands stained with too much blood, into a feud.

(End of chapter)