Chapter 395: Drawing the Woe to the West
Chapter 385 – The Wastewater Leads West
The Russian Navy suddenly exploded to occupy the Baltic region, the entire European world was stunned by the news, and many thought that the Kingdom of Prussia was going to be finished.
When you open the map, you know that the Prussian Kingdom’s coastline is all in the Baltic Sea, which is the Russian Navy’s sphere of influence.
From the outbreak of the war, the Danish Navy blocked the Prussian sea transportation channel, the British and French support of strategic materials can only be transferred from the land.
The former tsarist government ignored the role of the navy, did not attack the Prussian coastal areas, purely on land against, the Kingdom of Prussia still have a fight.
Now it is not the same, the land is slow to break through, the Russians turned their attention to the sea, the use of naval superiority to combat the Kingdom of Prussia.
This was the unsolvable dilemma, the Russians could launch a landing operation at any point, while Prussia was unable to do a total defense.
……
At the Vienna Palace, Foreign Minister Weissenberg said, “Yesterday afternoon, the Russian Minister presented us with a new loan request, they are prepared to use the Prussian Saxony region as collateral for a loan of 30 million guilders.”
To use the enemy’s territory as collateral for a loan, that’s something only a tsarist government could do. No, it may not be a mortgage, it may well be a sale.
With the financial situation of the Tsarist government, the possibility of being able to repay the loan on time was very small, and the possibility of selling the collateral in the end to pay off the debt was very high.
The prerequisite was that the Russians won the battle and tore this piece of meat from the Kingdom of Prussia.
Franz asked with concern, “What is the opinion of the Saxon government? Are they interested, in paying to buy back this land?”
The Prussian region of Saxony was assigned to Prussia at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Now that the Kingdom of Saxony was part of the New Holy Roman Empire, this part of the land, if returned, would naturally be returned to the Kingdom of Saxony.
The Prussian Saxony region occupied forty percent of the Saxon Kingdom’s territory, and the Saxon Kingdom had always wanted it back. Back then, when they joined the New Shen Luo Empire back then, Prime Minister Felix had made a promise.
Now that the opportunity had come, could the Saxon government hold back?
Franz was very skeptical.
If the Saxon government could not resist, then there was no way for the Vienna government to stand in the way on this issue, after all, Franz also had to consider the hearts and minds of the people.
The price of 30 million guilders was not unaffordable to the economically developed Saxon Kingdom. As long as they were willing to find a way, they would be able to raise it.
Prime Minister Felix replied, “The Saxon government should be inclined to fund the purchase of the Prussian Saxon region, and Prime Minister Frisell will arrive in Vienna this afternoon.”
Franz thought for a moment and said, “Appease them first. Now that the lands are still in Prussian hands, the Russian promises won’t do the trick at all.
We must have other collateral to reduce the risk of the loan.
A promise can be made to the Saxon government that the approval of this Russian-Austrian loan will be conditional on this – that the Russians agree to sell the Prussian Saxony, and that the price will be agreed upon in advance.”
The matter was so troublesome that one could say the Russians had chosen a good time.
Most people now believed that the Russians would win the war, and at this time the use of the Prussian Saxony region as a bait could not be refused by the Vienna government.
The loan collateral was a fake, the real purpose of the Czarist government was to raise money to continue this war.
As soon as word got out, the Saxon population would demand to buy back the land, the Saxon government could not refuse and Vienna had to cooperate.
Franz was not willing to be the wrongdoer. If the Russians had already won the war, then he would have offered even 50 million guilders, not to mention 30 million.
But now it was just an unknown. In case the Tsarist government lost the war, or did not cede the land from Prussia, then the loan would probably go down the drain.
Besides, mortgage and sale are two concepts. Now the tsar is in dire need of money, in order to raise military spending, naturally do not dare to ask for a lion’s share of the money, lest it scare away the gold master, the future is not certain.
At that time, the main and secondary change, using the people are eager to recover the heart of the Prussian Saxony region, but also not sell a sky-high price out?
Foreign Minister Weissenberg worriedly said, “Your Majesty, since the Russians threw out the Prussian Saxony region, I worry that they may promise the Rhineland region to the French in exchange for a loan.”
Franz’s face changed, it was not possible, but very possible.
Short of money, what could the Tsarist government not do?
Moreover, it was still generous at the expense of others. Once the French were tempted, would the Paris government be so dedicated to supporting the Kingdom of Prussia next?
The Berlin government could not promise the same. Not everyone was Bismarck and dared to give the French a blank check.
Diplomacy can not make promises, if not for Bismarck’s strong hand and good luck, the Rhineland would have fallen into the hands of the French.
The Rhineland, as a part of Germany, had long been regarded by the Viennese government as a possession, so how could it be easily acquired by the French?
Sabotage, the Franco-Russian deal had to be sabotaged!
This was Franz’s first reaction, followed by a headache as to how to sabotage a possible Franco-Russian deal.
“Poke the news to the British, although the Rhineland region has slowed down in recent years, but the rich resources and industrial base is still there, once it falls into the hands of the French will soon trigger a qualitative change.
France is already strong, if it grows any stronger, the London government will have trouble sleeping.”
This was the bogeyman to the west. The Russo-Austrian alliance was still in place, and many things against the Russians were inconvenient for the Vienna government to do.
Prime Minister Felix proposed, “Your Majesty, should we push and simply let the Russians lose the war?”
Wanting the Russians to lose the war was simple, as long as Austria suddenly imposed a material embargo. Right now, most of the strategic materials for the Russian army on the front line are produced in Austria.
Even if the Tsarist government wanted to buy them elsewhere, it would be too late in time, not to mention that they wouldn’t be able to find a buyer.
The only people in Europe with this production capacity were Britain, France and Austria. If the Russians could be pulled down from their position of hegemony, how could Britain and France refuse?
The Franco-Russian compromise was also based on the fact that the Tsarist government was winning. Napoleon III was not going to help the Russians win the war and consolidate their enemy’s hegemony.
This is also the reason why countries are afraid of the Russian-Austrian alliance, the two countries allied to carry out the complementary resources, able to burst out of the strength has been 1 + 1 > 2.
Franz shook his head and said, ”No, we can’t make a move at this time.
The Prussians still have the power to fight, as long as Britain and France are a little more generous, so that the Prussians will be armed with the country’s young and strong, the Russians may not be able to win.
Have you noticed that Alexander II’s reforms have been suspended, and after the war is over, will the Tsarist government still be able to continue them?”
In order to sustain the war, Alexander II had to compromise with the conservatives at home to ensure domestic stability.
This compromise made it harder to reform in the future. At least when faced with the same problems, the difficulty of reform increased dramatically.
In the long run, this Russo-Prussian War had accomplished its strategic goal. An imperfectly reformed Russian Empire was what Austria needed.
Since the strategic objective had now been achieved, there was naturally no need to continue targeting the Russians. The Russo-Austrian alliance had not yet come to an end, and the pulling of hatred could only be done by others.
……
Plans can never catch up with changes fast enough, and while the Tsarist government was negotiating with Austria, it likewise opened negotiations with the French.
Versailles, to the tsarist government threw out the olive branch, Napoleon III hesitated.
There can be only one European hegemon, and in this matter the Russian Empire was France’s greatest rival.
To lend money to the Czarist government now would undoubtedly be to capitalize on the enemy.
In Napoleon III’s opinion, the greatest difficulty in obtaining the Rhineland was not military but political.
Annexation of the Kingdom of Sardinia enough, the European countries against them to make a joint defense circle, if the force of the annexation of the Rhineland region, is bound to trigger the intervention of the countries.
At this time, the French will need allies. And mortgage Prussian Saxon region loan is not the same, the tsarist government gave the commitment is: support the French annexation of the Rhineland.
This is a geopolitical decision, no matter how powerful the tsar, it is impossible to cross the German Confederation to occupy the Rhineland region, the mortgage is naturally out of the question.
With the support of the Tsarist government, France would not be politically isolated. With some more exchanges of interests with various countries, the success rate of the annexation of the Rhineland region was very high.
Foreign Minister Abraham proposed: “Your Majesty, whether to give loans to the Tsarist government or not, I think the key is that it also depends on the final result of this war.
Right now the Russians have a very good chance of winning, and I can’t imagine how the Prussians can turn the tide. Even without our loan, the Czarist government can raise funds elsewhere.
In that case, why not simply divide the Kingdom of Prussia with the Russians to maximize our interests.”
Allen, the Minister of Finance, objected, “No, the Russians’ credibility is so bad that they simply cannot afford to repay this loan with their financial capacity.
Our money doesn’t come from the wind, we can’t just waste it for nothing. To divide the Kingdom of Prussia and not give the Russians a loan could be done just as well.
Once the Kingdom of Prussia is defeated, we can use the claiming of the debt as an excuse to temporarily administer the Rhineland, creating an established fact.
Then, we can slowly exchange benefits with other countries to get them to recognize our occupation of the Rhineland.
The support of the Russians does not matter at all, with or without their support we have to trade with all countries, even if the Tsarist government opposes it, they do not have the ability to intervene.
Why bother spending this wasted money?”
Foreign Minister Abraham retorted, “Count Allen, this is not a waste of money. With the support of the Russians, it’s much easier for us to gain the acquiescence of the countries.
If there is no Russian support, when the time comes and all the European countries are against it, even if we eat the Rhineland region, we will still end up spitting it out.”
The support of the European countries might not be important, but the support of the great powers had to be there.
The five major European powers, except for Spain in civil strife, which could be ignored, had to gain the support of at least one of the remaining ones.
The lessons of history have taught the French that going it alone is not an option, and recklessness is even more so.
……
(End of chapter)