Chapter 415: The Great Powers Want to Eat Meat
Chapter 405 – The Great Powers are meant to eat meat
Paris, Napoleon III has been smashed by this piece of pie falling from the sky.
France’s diplomatic situation has not been good, the European countries are if anything ostracizing them, many activities simply do not take them to play.
Europe’s four major powers in the number of their lowest political influence, slightly out of the ordinary moves, the neighbors as if the enemy, immediately prepare for war.
After Napoleon III succeeded to the throne, in order to improve the diplomatic environment, made a lot of efforts, but still little effect.
The governments talked well, but in practice they were still on the defensive. Especially after the annexation of the Kingdom of Sardinia, a joint defense alliance appeared directly.
At first Napoleon III was a bit worried, afraid of another anti-French alliance. In time he got used to it.
It was a good idea to take precautions, because these countries did not dare to cross the border. These actions of the neighbors, just from the side of the proof of the power of France.
The emperor has been doing for a long time, being touted for a long time, it is inevitable that there will be some drift.
With the passage of time, Napoleon III’s ambition also grows day by day, fortunately, the Near East war France did not win, or he will float more powerful.
Faced with the joint defense of the countries, Napoleon III or dare not mess. This point of self-awareness, he still has.
In order to break the situation, Napoleon III also made a lot of efforts, for example: as far as possible and Britain and Austria to maintain a good relationship.
To the Rhineland region salivating, Napoleon III restrained the desire did not do it; to the Italian region eyeing, he also held back.
The lessons left by his uncle had taught him that an anti-French alliance could be fatal. Without a reasonable excuse, as long as France expanded on the European continent, it would incur the boycott of all countries.
The Kingdom of Sardinia was brought to its own death, and no one could say anything. Now several Italian states were being watched to death by Austria, leaving no room for them to intervene at all.
Without Francesco II’s telegram for help, without a pretext for intervention, Napoleon III could now only sit back and watch.
Napoleon said spiritedly, “Here’s the opportunity, whichever of our troops are free, send them to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies as soon as possible. If we wait for Austria to send troops to suppress the rebellion, there will be no room for us to intervene.”
There is no doubt that the insurgent army of Gabori was directly neglected by him. In Napoleon III’s impression, the Italian army’s fighting strength are only 5, and the rebels’ war power is even less than 5.
In front of the absolute power gap, even if there was some slight, it was not a big problem.
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was close at hand, and the French were able to put in enough forces to exterminate any rebels.
In the original time and space, the red shirts led by Gabori still have the secret support of the Kingdom of Sardinia, and at this time the Kingdom of Sardinia has done the ancient, naturally will not support him.
If the U.S. federal government counts, Gabori also has supporters. Only this supporter is still licking his wounds, it is the time to keep a low profile, no ability to support them, not to mention dare to support them.
Minister of War Edmund LeBoeuf replied, “Your Majesty, the Third, Fourth, Seventh, Ninth, Twelfth, Fifteenth, and Second Cavalry Divisions of the Infantry can be mobilized.”
It was evident that Edmond LeBoeuf was very familiar with the French military deployment, and in one breath, he stated all the maneuvering force numbers.
Now that France was in its heyday, it maintained a large number of maneuver forces in times of peace. If war broke out, they could easily mobilize a million troops.
Intervening in the civil war in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, one or two divisions of troops are enough, and the number of rebels in Gabouri now is only 30,000 or 40,000 people.
Napoleon III immediately ordered, “Let the 4th, 7th, 9th, and 15th divisions form an intervention army, appoint Marshal Patrice McMahon as commander, and rush to the battlefield as fast as possible.
The Navy sends a fleet of ships to escort them, and at the same time blockade the coastline of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, forbidding any ship from docking in rebel-held areas.”
Mobilizing four infantry divisions at once was obviously not just to help suppress the rebellion. The rebels were not yet worthy of Napoleon III’s attention, but more to deal with the possible outbreak of a Franco-Austrian conflict.
This time it was equivalent to France sticking its hand into Austria’s back garden, and it was normal for the Vienna government to overreact.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Minister of War Edmund LeBoeuf replied
This result hurt Foreign Minister Abraham. Interfering in the civil war of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies would not only trigger Austria’s displeasure, but also upset the British and the Spanish.
The Spaniards were ignored for the time being, they didn’t have the energy to care so much right now. But London and Vienna reaction can not be ignored, in case it triggers a chain reaction, it will be trouble.
Foreign Minister Abraham reminded: “Your Majesty, I’m afraid that the issue of interfering in the civil war of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies has to be discussed in the long run. If we venture to intervene now, the international pressure we will have to endure will be very great.”
This was inevitable, and it was conceivable that as soon as the French army entered the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the protests of the Anglo-Australians would appear in the French Foreign Ministry.
What consequences that would trigger is unknown, and it wouldn’t be good anyway.
In the current international situation, the most that France can do is to spread its influence to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and the benefits it can actually obtain are very small.
Annexation is even more impossible to talk about. The telegram of Francesco II asking for help is only a pretext for France to intervene in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, it does not mean that they have the possibility of annexing the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
In the European continent want to annex a country is very difficult, the Kingdom of Sardinia such a good thing, can not be encountered every day.
Moreover, the same excuse can only be used once, and if it is used repeatedly, it will lose its effect.
Napoleon III said confidently: ”Don’t worry, this time it was Francesco II who invited us to go over, even if the governments are not happy in their hearts, they are not so strong as to forcefully intervene.
We have to face only the Austrians, the Vienna government is not so bad as to fight a war with us just for the sake of a mere Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, right?”
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies was the number one state in the Italian region, and also the poorest state in the Italian region. It looks like a not-so-small market here, but in reality the purchasing power is very low.
Food is basically self-sufficient, and the demand for industrial and commercial products is very small. With Austria, the number one trading partner, the annual import and export trade totaled no more than three million divine guilders.
In addition to the strategic value, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies has nothing. However, this strategic value for Austria, the same very chicken ribs.
Sicily is located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea is correct, but all the forces are gathered, Austria has no way to directly occupy this place.
Even if a naval base is left behind, it is still useless. To the east is the Royal Navy Mediterranean military base – Malta, to the west is the French naval base.
Putting the Austrian Navy in the middle of these two, how to look at it makes people feel unreliable.
Even if we ignore these two naval powers, what can we do? Would Austria dare to blockade the Mediterranean, something the British would not dare to do?
So the government of Vienna made the most sensible choice and left Sicily alone. Now Austria did not station troops on this little brother’s land, just a little economic interest.
This little interest, in essence, is also negligible. It was already poor, do you want to blow up oil?
Napoleon III thought he had won the plan, and sent an intervention army to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies as quickly as possible. At the same time, the Austrian intervention army also set off.
……
On February 11, 1866, the Austrian intervention army was in Gaeta, whereas the French army had arrived a day earlier because of the distance.
The war of pacification had not yet begun, and the smell of gunpowder between the French and Austrian armies was strong first. If both sides were not exercising restraint, it is not unlikely that these two armies would have been able to fight first.
Francesco II, who had just escaped from Naples and had taken refuge here, fully felt what is called the scene of the destruction of the world.
At the military conference, the French and Austrian officers did not look good to each other. Sincere cooperation, or do not dream.
Since the two sides are not interested in each other, they will fight each other, anyway, neither of them put the rebel army in their eyes, and each of them has the strength to crush the rebel army.
Francesco II embarrassed, sandwiched between France and Austria, completely in the tightrope, a bad fall will be finished.
In fact, when Francesco II asked the French for help, a minister warned him. It is a taboo in politics to waver in one’s position.
I don’t know what happened, but Francesco II had a stroke of genius and thought that the interests of the two Sicilian kingdoms could be maximized by keeping France and Austria in check with each other.
Reality told him that he was completely overthinking. The powers are all going to eat meat, and it’s the same everywhere you go.
Franz has always been more careful to eat, both sides have always been fair trade, and did not do things to squeeze the two Sicilian kingdoms.
Now the situation is different, another Frenchman came in. It was unknown how much it would cost in the end, but at least the military expenses for both countries to send troops fell on the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
At least ten million Shendian to start, nothing to say, the powers are not here to do charity.
For the great powers, it’s just a matter of squeezing out the military expenses. For the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, it’s a matter of a few years of revenue.
Exactly how many years, it depends on the fighting strength of the rebels. In case the rebel army opens up and lets the war continue, it’s only a matter of time before the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies goes financially bankrupt.
The chances of this happening were very high, and if only one country intervened, there was a possibility of a quick fix.
Now that France and Austria have sent troops together, tripping over each other and deliberately dragging their feet is destined to be rare.
When the rebellion will be suppressed will depend on the strength of the double pit teammates.
The allies to add more!
(End of chapter)