Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 383: Alexander II

Soon, Franz witnessed the prowess of Alexander II. The news of the secret negotiations between Russia and Austria, unsurprisingly leaked out, albeit with some changes to the content.

These slight alterations directly led Franz to grit his teeth and approve the loan, with the amount negotiated up to 50 million guilders from the initial 30 million, and it was interest-free.

Of course, the Russians also presented new collateral the tariff revenue from Ukraine, avoiding a situation of total loss.

If, after the war, the Russian government obtained Prussian Saxon territories, then this debt would be written off, with the Russian government using these lands to pay off the debt.

There was no way around it. The Russians boasting was too effective. The Russian envoy, with a big mouth, spread propaganda everywhere, praising the efforts of the Austrian government to reclaim Prussian-held Saxon lands.

He even blatantly claimed that Franz had communicated with Alexander II via telegraph multiple times and that preliminary agreements had been reached, stating that after the war, the Russian government would sell Silesia and Prussian-held Saxon territories to the new Holy Roman Empire.

Without a doubt, this definitely obtained the tacit approval of Alexander II. The Russian envoy waved the banner of Russo-Austrian friendship, emphasizing Franzs contributions multiple times, which in the eyes of the common people appeared to be efforts towards the unification of the empire.

After all, the Paris Conference had divided the German territories, making reunification extremely difficult. Now, only indirect measures could be taken to slowly promote national unity.

Reclaiming territory was always a good thing, which delighted nationalists, who then began to sing praises.

With domestic opinion mobilized, Franz found himself over a fire, unable to back down without losing prestige, leaving him no choice but to swallow this bitter pill.

Now he understood that the Russian governments promise to give Silesia to Austria was merely bait.

If Austria recovered Silesia after the war but watched Russia annex the Prussian Saxon lands, what would be the consequence?

Franz was not only the Emperor of Austria but also the emperor of the Saxon people. If this situation was not properly handled, the loyalty of his subjects would dissipate.

Not only will the Saxon people be dissatisfied, but other states will also harbor discontent towards the central government. At that time, the newly unified Holy Roman Empire, which was painstakingly brought together, will once again fall into a state of disunity.

Franz cannot risk betting on the Russians losing the war; he must accept this loss.

After all, this Russo-Prussian War is entirely the result of his butterfly effect, and now that the Russians have the upper hand and possess substantial strength, under normal circumstances, they are most likely to win the war.

If it was just a matter of money, this transaction met the needs of both sides. The Russian government did not overcharge, even pricing it a bit low.

However, the Prussian-held territories of Saxony have not yet fallen into Russian hands, so the price seems reasonable.

However, Franz was well aware that the Austrian government had already guaranteed substantial strategic supplies for the Russians from the domestic front, all in exchange for Silesia. Now, with another loan of 50 million guilders, the Austrian governments best option to avoid total loss was to support the Russian government in winning this war.

Otherwise, these debts may take an eternity to recover.

Out of respect for their alliance, the Russian government probably wont directly default. However, they simply dont have the money to repay. Can the Austrian government forcibly collect the debt?

If the Russians are defeated, not only will the current debts become problematic, but also the old debts, which could all end up as bad debts. At least until the Russian governments finances improve, they wont be able to repay.

Not only was Austria economically held hostage, but Prussian-Austrian relations were completely shattered. Now, the Austrian government was blatantly supporting the Tsar, naturally putting itself at odds with Prussia.

Incidentally, it also fragmented the Anglo-Austrian alliance, placing the two countries at odds once again.

Since the establishment of the first Vienna System, Britain and Austria have been secret allies in maintaining the balance of power in Europe, lacking only a formal treaty of alliance.

After the outbreak of the Near East War, relations between the two countries dropped to the freezing point. However, due to shared interests, their relationship quickly warmed again, and both countries jointly promoted the establishment of the second Vienna System.

Provoking the Prussian-Austrian relationship and the Anglo-Austrian relationship is just the beginning; the Austrian-French relationship and the Anglo-French relationship are also part of Russian schemes.

Once the French take the bait offered by the Russians, the Anglo-French relationship will also rupture, and the Austrian-French relationship will be directly ruined. In any case, Franz cannot simply watch the French swallow up the Rhineland.

Even if he could endure it, domestic nationalists would push Austria onto the battlefield.

Franz wasnt afraid of war with the French. The alliance for mutual defense against the French was still intact, and if necessary, organizing an anti-French coalition had always been an option, an area where the Austrian government had experience.

The problem was that from the Metternich era onward, the situation of Austria having allies across Europe would change, leaving it diplomatically constrained.

Indeed, both France and Austria were in a quasi-alliance relationship now. Otherwise, Franz wouldnt have remained indifferent to Napoleon IIIs annexation of the Kingdom of Sardinia.

A verbal commitment counts for little. Ultimately, it comes down to interests. Since the time of the Orlans Monarchy, France and Austria have maintained a quasi-alliance relationship, one where they can form an alliance at any time if needed.

There was a brief interruption during the period of the French Revolution. But with the emergence of the Franco-Austrian secret treaty, based on shared interests, relations between the two sides warmed again.

Especially after the French annexation of the Kingdom of Sardinia, the relationship between the two countries reached new heights.

The pro-English faction in the French government was strong, but the pro-Austrian faction also wielded considerable strength. Politicians switched stances based on practical needs, so it was unsurprising to be both pro-English and pro-Austrian simultaneously.

Napoleon III was no dim bulb. As a skilled political strategist, how could he not prioritize a balance of power?

A pro-British faction dominating completely does not serve the interests of this emperor. If someday he finds himself in conflict with the British, and all his subordinates are pro-British, who will he send to the front lines?

Although Napoleon III appears as a pro-British figure, in reality, most of the people he promotes are not pro-British; instead, they are mostly anti-British individuals.

This dynamic applies similarly in Austria. Under the Russo-Austrian alliance, the anti-Russian faction has always remained powerful within the Austrian government.

Many politicians dont genuinely oppose Russia. Rather, they politically need to oppose it. This is about taking sides, or rather, political opportunism.

Having unraveled the schemes of the Russians, Franz could only sigh. Figures who left a glorious legacy in history couldnt possibly be ordinary!

Since ascending to the throne, Alexander II had been focusing on domestic matters, exhibiting mediocrity in diplomacy.

Such performance aligned with everyones perception of the Russian government. After all, past Tsars were generally more brawn than brains.

Over time, Franz relaxed his vigilance against him. Diplomacy also required talent, which had always been a weak point of the Tsars, and no one in later generations claimed that Alexander II possessed strong diplomatic skills.

By not acting, this storm would not have erupted. But now, with just a single move, the effect was earth-shattering with Britain, France, Austria, and Prussia all factored into Russias calculations, along with a host of smaller European nations dragged in.

If the plan proceeded smoothly, the ultimate result would be the rupture of Austro-Prussian relations, the rupture of Franco-Prussian relations, the rupture of Austro-French relations, the rupture of Anglo-Austrian relations, the rupture of Anglo-French relations...

Shattering the diplomatic ties between all the nations, the opportunity for the isolated Russian Empire would arise.

The Russian governments ambitions had never been small. How could they defeat the Kingdom of Prussia without biting off a chunk of flesh first?

Against this backdrop, dividing the European nations became important. This gambit, starting with France and Austria, was to sever the potential for intervention in the Russo-Prussian War.

Apart from the deep-seated conflict between Britain and Russia, which concerned core interests and left no room for compromise, the alliance between Russia and Austria and the relationship between France and Russia were not irreconcilable.

As long as these two countries were pacified, the European continent would no longer be able to organize intervention with a coalition.

The British strength was indeed formidable, but unfortunately, it was mostly concentrated in the navy. With the pitiful strength of the British army, there was no country foolish enough to form a coalition with them and go to war against the Russians.

This determined that on continental issues, John Bull had to have an ally, otherwise they could hardly wield influence matching their national power.

After the Near East War, the British made efforts to minimize interference in European conflicts, which also played a role in this regard.

In this context, even though the English, French, and Austrian civil organizations often clashed overseas in colonial disputes, Anglo-Austrian relations and Anglo-French relations could still be maintained.

Despite this setback, Franz did not become angry, nor did he immediately retaliate. After so many years as emperor, his temperament had long been tempered.

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