Chapter 396: Alexander the Second

  Chapter 386 Alexander II

Soon Franz saw the power of Alexander II. The news of the secret negotiations between Russia and Austria had, not surprisingly, gotten out, with only a slight change in content.

This little change directly made Franz bite the bullet and approve the loan, and the amount was also from 30 million guilders, bargained to 50 million guilders, and is still an interest-free loan.

Of course, the Russians also came up with new collateral – the tariff revenues of the Ukrainian region – to avoid a bloodbath.

If the tsarist government got Prussian Saxony after the war, the debt was canceled and the tsarist government used the Prussian Saxony region to offset the debt.

It couldn’t be helped. The Russians were blowing it out of proportion. The loud-mouthed Russian ministers went around proclaiming the efforts of the Vienna government to recover Prussian Saxony.

He also said that Franz had telegraphed several times with Alexander II, and the two sides had reached a preliminary agreement that the Tsarist government would sell Silesia and Prussian Saxony to the new Holy Roman Empire after the end of the war.

There is no doubt that this must have gained the tacit approval of Alexander II. The Russian Minister raised the banner of Russo-Austrian friendship and repeatedly emphasized the contribution made by Franz, which appeared to the general public as an effort to unify the Empire.

After all, the Congress of Paris had split up the German regions, and it was already very difficult to reunite them. Now only roundabout measures could be taken to slowly push for national unification.

Reclaiming the country was always a good thing, and the nationalists were happy and sang along.

The nationalists were happy and sang their praises. Public opinion in the country was mobilized, and Franz was roasted on the fire, and had no choice but to take the blame for the loss of prestige if he had to step down.

Now he realized that the Tsarist government’s promise to give Silesia to Austria was a bait.

If Austria recovered Silesia after the war and watched the Russians annex the Prussian Saxony region what would happen?

Franz was the Emperor of Austria and equally the Emperor of the Saxon population. Once this bowl of water was not leveled, the hearts and minds of the people below were scattered.

Not only would the Saxon people be dissatisfied, but other states would also be dissatisfied with the central government. By then, the new Holy Roman Empire, which had been united with great difficulty, would once again return to a state of fragmentation.

Franz did not dare to gamble that the Russians would lose the war, a loss he had to take.

After all, this Prussian-Russian war was entirely the result of his butterfly effect, and now the Russians had the upper hand again, and they themselves possessed a strong strength, under normal circumstances the final winner of the war would only be the Russians.

If it was only a question of money, this deal was also considered to be each to his own. The Tsarist government did not mess around with the offer, and it was even a little on the low side.

However, the Russians hadn’t gotten their hands on the Prussian Saxony region yet, so the price was justified.

But Franz was clear that in front, for Silesia, the Vienna government had already guaranteed for the Russians a large amount of strategic materials on credit from the country, and now came a loan of 50 million Shendian.

If they didn’t want to lose their money, the best option for the Vienna government now was to support the Tsarist government to win the war.

Otherwise, I don’t know how long it will take to collect these debts.

In the face of the allies on the tsarist government is not likely to directly renege on the debt, but they just do not have the money to pay back, the Vienna government can still force the debt collection is not?

Once the Russians lost the war, not only the current debt, but also the old debt, may eventually become bad debt. At least until the Tsarist government’s finances improved, they couldn’t afford to pay it back.

Not only did they kidnap Austria economically, but at the same time they broke up Prussian-Austrian relations completely. Now the Vienna government was almost openly supporting the Tsarist government, naturally standing against Prussia.

Incidentally, it also polarized the Anglo-Austrian alliance, putting the two countries on opposite sides again.

Britain and Austria in the maintenance of the European balance of the issue of the same national policy, from the first Vienna system was established, Britain and Austria are secret allies, the two sides are just short of a piece of paper alliance.

After the outbreak of the Near East War, the relationship between the two countries fell to the freezing point. However, because of common interests, the relationship between the two sides soon warmed up again, the two countries jointly promoted the establishment of the second Vienna system.

It was not enough to provoke the Austro-Prussian and Anglo-Austrian relations, but the Austro-French and Anglo-French relations were also in the Russians’ calculations.

Once the French ate the bait given by the Russians, the Anglo-French relations would also be broken, and the Austro-French relations would be finished directly. In any case, Franz could not sit back and watch the French annex the Rhineland.

Even if he could endure it, the nationalists at home would push Austria into battle.

And the French war Franz is not afraid, the common defense of the French is still in the covenant, the big deal is to organize anti-French alliance, this aspect of the Vienna government has experience.

The problem is that so, from the era of Metternich, Austria’s allies throughout Europe has changed the situation, diplomacy can no longer be so comfortable.

Yes, now France and Austria were quasi-allies. Otherwise, Franz would not have watched Napoleon III annex the Kingdom of Sardinia without doing anything about it.

A verbal promise can’t do the trick, ultimately, we have to use the benefits to speak. From the time of the Orleans Dynasty, France and Austria have maintained a quasi-alliance relationship, if necessary, can be allied at any time of the kind.

During the Revolution, there was a break, but with the appearance of the Franco-Austrian pact, for the sake of common interests, the two sides warmed up again.

Especially after the French annexed the Kingdom of Sardinia, the relationship between the two countries reached a new level.

Now the pro-British faction in the French government was very powerful, and the pro-Austrian faction was actually not small at all, so it was not strange for a person to be pro-British and pro-Austrian at the same time, and the politicians changed their positions according to the actual needs.

Napoleon III is also not a light, as a master of political struggle, the balance of power how can not pay attention to it?

A dominant pro-British faction would not be in his interest as emperor. In the event that one day and the British against, under the hands of all the pro-British faction, then send who to charge?

Although Napoleon III appeared as pro-British, in fact, most of the people he promoted were not pro-British, but were mostly anti-British.

This also applied to Austria, where the anti-Russian faction in the Vienna government had always been very strong under the Russian-Austrian alliance.

Many politicians are not really anti-Russian, but it is politically necessary for them to be anti-Russian, which is taking sides, or political speculation.

Running through the Russian calculations, Franz could only sigh: how could a figure who left a hefty reputation in history be an idle one!

From the time he succeeded to the throne until now, Alexander II has been focused on the domestic, in the diplomatic performance is very mediocre.

This performance is also in line with the positioning of the tsarist government, after all, successive generations of tsars are basically the Lord of the battle of strength not wisdom.

Over time, Franz also relaxed his vigilance. Diplomacy also requires talent, which has always been the shortcomings of the tsarist family, and no one in later times said that Alexander II diplomatic ability.

As a result, if you don’t make a move, it is now a stone’s throw away. At the same time the British, French, Austro-Prussian counted in, and a bunch of small European countries were involved in it.

If the plan goes well, the end result will be: rupture of Prussian-Austrian relations, rupture of Prussian-French relations, rupture of Austro-French relations, rupture of Anglo-Austrian relations, rupture of Anglo-French relations ……

Rupture the diplomatic relations of all the countries, and then the isolated Russian Empire has its chance.

The ambitions of the Tsarist government were never small, and how was it possible to defeat the Kingdom of Prussia without biting off a piece of flesh?

Against this background, it became very necessary to divide the European countries. This time, starting with France and Austria, or to cut off the possibility of countries interfering in the Russo-Prussian war.

In addition to the fact that the Anglo-Russian conflict was too deep and concerned the core interests, the two sides could not compromise.

Russia and Austria are allies, and French-Russian relations are not impossible to ease, as long as the two countries are smoothed out, the European continent can no longer be organized to interfere in the coalition.

The British were indeed strong, but unfortunately it was all in the navy. With the pitiful strength of the British Army, no country would be foolish enough to form a coalition with them and run off to fight the Russians.

This dictated that John Bull had to have an ally when it came to the continental issue, otherwise it would be difficult for them to gain a voice that matched their own strength.

After the Near East War, the British interfered as little as possible in the Euroland strife, and there were also factors in this regard.

In this context, even if the overseas colonial struggle, the British, French and Austrian civil society organizations from time to time war, British-Australian relations and Anglo-French relations can still be maintained.

This time, Franz did not get angry, not to mention immediately retaliate back. So many years of the emperor’s career, his temperament has long been honed.

……

(End of chapter)