Chapter 357: Emperor of Mexico
Chapter 347: Emperor of Mexico
Mei Quan Palace
The head of intelligence, Theron, reported, “Your Majesty, the Grand Duke and Mrs. Massimiliano left Vienna yesterday, with France as their destination.”
Franz took a sip of tea, suppressed his dissatisfaction and said, “Forget it, let him be!”
Going to France at this point in time now, it was obvious that Massimiliano was preparing to rely on the support of the French to become the Emperor of Mexico.
It is estimated that there is also Napoleon III’s handiwork in this, the French need a puppet monarch of noble birth, convenient for them to secretly control Mexico.
Massimiliano can stand out, that is because the French have no better choice. Not the kind of person that the Mexican constitutionalists would accept, at least not the Napoleonic family.
In fact, the only alternatives at the beginning were the Habsburgs and the Bourbons. There is no doubt that Napoleon III could not have supported a Mexican emperor of the Bourbon family, it would have been asking for trouble.
In case the Bourbons were revived in Mexico and someone thought the Bourbons were doing a good job and wanted to give France a new monarch that would have been disastrous.
After all, the Bourbons were recognized as orthodox, much more legitimate than the Napoleons, and the likelihood of a revival occurring was very high.
The Habsburgs became almost the only option, and Napoleon III supported Massimiliano not because of his outstanding ability, but precisely because of his middle-of-the-road political ideas.
If they were really capable, neither the Mexican Constitutionalists nor Napoleon III would have let them become Emperor of Mexico.
People need a puppet, not a male lord. The Habsburgs were not weak, and if Massimiliano was really capable, he could have turned against them at any time.
Now the family is not willing to invest, that is because Massimiliano is not capable enough, the possibility of success is too low. If he really has the ability, Franz does not mind giving him a hand.
Facts proved that middle-aged teenagers couldn’t be messed with, even though Massimiliano wasn’t small anymore.
How odd a brain was it that came up with the idea of refusing to travel to Mexico on an Austrian warship in protest of the family’s failure to provide him with support?
Mind you, this escort also had a political implication, showing that the Habsburgs were still standing behind him.
With this he could easily pull in support from the Germans within Mexico, and also gain support from the colonies in Central America, and by the way be able to fool a bunch of relics as well.
At this time, Massimiliano ran to France, certainly hit him in the face of the older brother, but also denied the family’s political resources in the Americas.
Without these resources, he would only be able to rely on the support of the French to get to the top, and in the future, if he wanted to get rid of the control of the French, it would not be so easy.
For Franz, this is also a good thing, do not need for the glory of the family, hard to smash resources into it.
Britain, France and the West are all eyeing Mexico, Austria and then intervene very easy to cause everyone’s hostility. What happened now, Austria just got out of the way.
Instead of so many people together to fight for Mexico, it is better to run to run the Central American region. At least integrate this area, when the Panama Canal opened, is Austria said.
Franz would have delayed digging this canal as long as possible if possible. Without this canal the United States east and west of the two oceans divided, want to take the sea must be a big circle, the first and last can not be taken care of.
Whether it is commercial trade, or national defense will be greatly affected.
……
Paris.
Napoleon III gave a grand welcome to Massimiliano’s arrival.
It was obvious that he was very happy and that the Mexican Emperor who left the support of the Habsburgs was the Mexican Emperor he needed.
Dealing with an idealist was too easy for Napoleon III.
He was not born in a high position, Napoleon III is also all the way to climb and roll, rely on their own struggle to become the French emperor.
With this, he surpassed all his contemporaries. If he hadn’t lost himself in a series of victories, he would have been one of the greatest emperors of France.
The day after the banquet, Napoleon III and his close associates gathered to exchange views.
These men did not have much presence in history, but they were the ones who, together with Napoleon III, created the glory of France in the middle of the 19th century.
Historically, the Second French Colonial Empire was started in this period, the French Industrial Revolution was completed in their hands, and this period was also the era of the fastest development of the French economy and the fastest improvement of the living standard of the people.
Napoleon III asked, “What do you think of Massimiliano, does he have supportive value?”
Pelissis replied, “Your Majesty, Massimiliano is like a spoiled child. To actually run away to Paris like that, I guess the one in Vienna should be furious.”
Napoleon III laughed, “It’s better if he’s pissed off, otherwise with the Habsburg family’s tactics of playing politics, it’s not likely that we’ll have to suffer a big loss.”
Under Franz’s butterfly effect, Austria was reborn by fire, which naturally became a must for monarchs of all countries.
Combined with the history of the development of the Habsburg family, it was put together a book “Habsburg family politics”.
The lower half of the empire, can not just rely on marriage can do, more also need political means.
Otherwise, Europe would not be the only Habsburg a lower half of the empire.
The marriage between the big nobles is intricate, the same stallion family is not only the Habsburg family, but only the Habsburg family is able to integrate an empire, which the gap is in the political wrist.
Of course, the political skill is not equal to the military skill is also powerful, these two abilities seem to be inversely proportional.
The peak of the Habsburg family, occupying a small half of the European continent, including: Spain, most of Italy, Belgium, Holland, Shen Luo commonwealth, Hungary ……
Habsburg colonial empire is even from North Africa to Mexico, is the world’s first Sunless Empire, claimed to have occupied half of the planet.
This title is not an exaggeration, the peak of half the planet in the Habsburg dynasty’s sphere of influence, just because of the times there is no way to directly rule.
However, this behemoth was still defeated by the French. At a later stage, the Habsburgs were forced to split in order to maintain their rule.
The ability to play a good hand to the hilt is proof enough that being politically strong is not the same as being militarily strong.
At that time, the French were surrounded, as long as they did not make a super mistake, and rely on the strength of the hard pressure over, all can achieve victory.
Unfortunately, Charles V made a lot of stupid moves, although relying on the strong strength of each other, but strategically lost in a mess.
Of course, the strength of the Habsburg loss, but Charles V consumed too much wealth, the successor behind the bad days, and gradually lost the hegemony.
Staff Patti analyzed: “Your Majesty, even if that person in the Vienna Palace is willing to contribute, I am afraid that Massimiliano may not appreciate it.
Having an excellent elder brother may be a good thing for ordinary people, but not necessarily for a spoiled child.
Living under the shadow of his elder brother since he was a child, what Massimiliano wants to do most now is to do something great and prove his abilities.
And staying in Austria will never give you that chance, Franz can’t possibly not know his brother, so all of Massimiliano’s positions over the years have been vanity titles.”
Napoleon III frowned and said, “That doesn’t seem to be a good thing for us either. If Massimiliano is too incompetent, even with our support, it will be equally very difficult to sit as Emperor of Mexico.
The current Mexico is a mess, and ordinary people simply can’t clean up the mess.
Hopefully, Massimiliano will be able to inherit a few moments of the Habsburg family’s talent, or else we’ll be in big trouble behind us.”
This was the contradiction. On the one hand the French needed a puppet emperor that could facilitate their manipulation of Mexican politics and maximize their profits from it;
On the other hand the French wanted the emperor to be somewhat capable of stabilizing the situation in Mexico, otherwise how could they make money if they fought a civil war every day?
……
After some discussion and synthesizing various factors, the French still came to the conclusion that Massimiliano was worth supporting.
As for the risk of failure is relatively high, that is also something that can not be helped, high investment to have a high return.
Even if Mexico changed the ruler, but also do not dare to rely on their accounts. If you support a male lord out, then there is no chance that it will be blood money.
At the end of 1863, Mr. and Mrs. Massimiliano traveled to the Mexican Empire on a French warship.
Franz, far away in Vienna, directly ignored all this. In addition to the Empress Dowager Sophie sent a telegram, scolded Massimiliano, the rest of the Habsburg members chose to look on coldly.
From the moment of leaving Vienna, Massimiliano together with the descendants, directly by default to give up the Habsburg family inheritance.
However, Massimiliano, who was writing a guide to court etiquette on board the warship, seemed unaffected. It was as if leaving the Habsburg family support was just an insignificant matter.
Princess Charlotte was a bit uneasy in her heart, but she, who was seeping in the good life of becoming the Empress, did not speak to her husband about her worries.
(End of chapter)