Holy Roman Empire

“Baden!”

“The British royal family may seem prestigious, but in reality, the support they could provide Frederick is quite limited. At most, it’s good for appearances.

The Grand Duchy of Baden, while seemingly insignificant, holds considerable influence within the German Federal Empire. If Austria wants to unify the German region, Baden is a critical piece of the puzzle,” Franz explained.

The deeper the parents’ love for their children, the more comprehensive their plans will be.

The crown prince’s marriage, if it contributes to the cause of unifying the empire, will undoubtedly earn the support of German nationalists. This would significantly enhance Frederick’s popularity among the public.

After considering for a moment, Empress Helene replied, “Then we’ll prioritize Sophia Maria Victoria. Her age is just right, and we could even look forward to holding a grandchild sooner.”

Indeed, men and women often think on different wavelengths. Franz focused on political impact, while Empress Helene was more interested in having grandchildren early.

Of course, the arrival of the next generation could also bolster Frederick’s position.

The Habsburg dynasty’s foundation was deeply rooted, and while a marriage could add value, it wasn’t a necessity. As long as no reckless moves were made, Frederick’s position as heir would remain unshakable.

Franz was confident about this marriage. The Baden royal family had no reason to refuse. Hanover wanted to consolidate the German Federal Empire while Baden depended heavily on Austria’s support.

Due to its size, the Kingdom of Hanover lacked a decisive advantage over the other states within the Confederation. Moreover, the sheer number of states meant it was impossible for Hanover to adopt Austria’s centralized model.

Otherwise, it would remain as it is now: the Empire’s parliament dominated by representatives from smaller states, with the central government’s powers confined within a cage by parliamentary limitations, unable to leverage the advantages of unity.

From the perspective of the central government, unification can only be achieved through centralization. However, this is something the numerous smaller states cannot tolerate.

In Austria’s unification of Southern Germany, apart from losing control over diplomacy and currency issuance, and sharing legislative authority and military command, the smaller states retained most of their powers.

(Author’s Note: The legislative body is the Imperial Parliament, where representatives from all member states participate. Military command is shared between the central government and the rulers of the states, as previously mentioned.)

For most of the smaller states, diplomatic authority and military command were of little practical use. They lacked the capability for international diplomacy, let alone maintaining an army.

Currency issuance rights, though seemingly lucrative, were more of a burden for smaller states. Due to their limited currency demand, the cost of printing currency could often exceed the seigniorage revenue.

Initially, the smaller states, wary of Austria reneging on its promises and annexing them outright, banded together under British guidance to form the German Federal Empire.

Now, the situation is reversed. Austria has no intention of annexing them. Instead, it is the Hanover-led central government seeking to absorb them.

As the second most prominent state in the German Federal Empire after Hanover, the Grand Duchy of Baden has naturally faced oppression from the central government. Without Austria’s backing, they would have long since been overwhelmed. ȐåꞐƟʙƐṠ

From this perspective, the Baden royal family has an even greater need for this marriage alliance than the Habsburgs. It is even a matter of their survival.

After a brief pause, Franz added, “We might as well include Peter, Wilhelm, and George in the plan. Once Frederick’s marriage is settled, we can also arrange their engagements.”

Arranging a marriage for the other sons was much simpler. Although it would still be a political alliance, the requirements would undoubtedly be a tier lower.

Empress Helene smiled slightly, “Alright, I suggest we start by engaging with the British Royal Family, the Montenegrin Royal Family, and the Belgian Royal Family.

I originally thought highly of princesses from the House of Hesse and the House of Oldenburg, but it’s a pity the royal disease is simply too terrifying.”

After a brief hesitation, Empress Helene hesitantly said, “Franz, should we discreetly leak the information? If this continues unchecked, it could be a serious problem for our descendants in the future.”

Franz’s expression darkened. It wasn’t a question of “could be” but rather an inevitable outcome. He considered the matter on an even broader scale. If hemophilia continued to plague European royalty, it could lead to a decline in monarchical power, just as it had in the original timeline.

It might appear that royal extinction could simply be resolved by finding a distant relative to inherit the throne, seemingly without much impact. However, in reality, the damage to monarchical authority would be fatal.

For an outsider to seize power was never easy. In the original timeline, most instances of the bourgeoisie gaining control occurred during periods of royal succession crises.

If there were no extinctions, most royal families would have been well-established local dynasties, with centuries of solid foundations. Governments would find it far harder to undermine such monarchs.

The decline of royal authority in Europe was by no means beneficial to the Habsburgs.

Franz nodded, “Alright, I’ll arrange for it to be done. You don’t need to worry about it.”

After weighing the pros and cons, Franz could only decide to prioritize his own dynasty, even at the expense of these princesses. Once the news got out, they would find it difficult to marry. Few families would dare risk extinction by allying with them.

However, this disclosure had to wait until his sons’ marriages were finalized. Otherwise, the already limited pool of eligible candidates would become even more competitive, and unexpected complications might arise.

Political marriages weren’t just a royal affair and they were also matters of state. Although Franz could personally decide his sons’ matches, he would still need to inform the government.

If the chosen partners didn’t receive governmental approval, it would create unnecessary complications. Such scenarios weren’t unprecedented, as European royalty seemed to cause a scandal of this kind every few decades.

…

While Franz was busy arranging his sons’ marriages, changes were also unfolding on the African front. The French successfully took control of the Sudan region, much to the frustration of the British, who were locked in a tough fight.

Britain, France, and Austria had all launched campaigns to expand into Africa simultaneously. Yet, despite being the first to act, the British were the last to make significant progress.

In fact, they still hadn’t achieved their strategic objectives. The Ethiopians continued to resist fiercely, and while British forces had gained the upper hand, the war was far from over.

There was no doubt that the British had lost face in this round of competition.

The Austrians had taken just over three months to occupy the Somali Peninsula. The French had secured the Sudan region in five months. Meanwhile, the British had been embroiled in their campaign against Ethiopia for more than half a year, with no clear resolution in sight.

Of course, “occupation” in this context meant establishing nominal control. True occupation only extended to the cities. Indigenous tribes in the jungles were far from being under effective governance.

Ethiopia’s larger size and stronger indigenous forces were the main reasons for the British struggle.

However, Europeans at the time had little understanding of what “strong” meant when referring to indigenous powers. European attitudes in this era were steeped in arrogance. How powerful could the natives really be?

Even the British government in London was hesitant to emphasize Ethiopia’s strength too much. After all, in the last Anglo-Ethiopian war, Britain had emerged victorious.

To frame Ethiopia as a formidable opponent would be seen by the public as a sign of governmental incompetence rather than proof of Ethiopian strength.

At 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister Benjamin slammed the war report onto the table and demanded, “What kind of war is this? The war has dragged on for this long, and the front line has only advanced 200 kilometers. At this rate, is the military planning to fight a Hundred Years’ War on the African continent?”

While something like the Hundred Years’ War was unlikely, it was entirely possible for the campaign to last 2–3 more years. The British had stumbled upon Africa’s toughest adversary. How could they expect an easy victory?

It must be acknowledged that this was Ethiopia during its peak under Emperor Menelik II, a ruler later regarded by historians as one of the greatest and most accomplished leaders in African history.

However, Ethiopia’s status as a powerful opponent wasn’t the core issue. Despite its peak, Ethiopia remained a backward agrarian state, incapable of sustaining a prolonged war. With enough effort, the British could still resolve the conflict.

The real problem lay in France and Austria, who were stabbing Britain in the back. Without their support, Ethiopia might never have been unified, let alone capable of training a quasi-modern army.

As the war dragged on, Menelik II had already mobilized an army of 150,000 troops, all equipped with rifles, and boasting over 700 artillery pieces.

Secretary of War Fox spoke up, “Prime Minister, we underestimated the resolve of France and Austria to interfere. No one anticipated the extent of their support for Ethiopia. Based on intelligence from the front lines, we can now confirm that the Ethiopian army is being commanded by French and Austrian officers.”

Fox, as always, demonstrated his mastery of political rhetoric. What had been an underestimation of Ethiopia’s strength was reframed as an underestimation of France and Austria’s willingness to back Ethiopia.

The concept had been subtly shifted, making it easier for everyone to accept. As for the claim that French and Austrian officers were commanding the Ethiopian army, that was pure nonsense.

At this time, Ethiopia didn’t trust any European powers. Who would dare entrust their army, their very means of survival, to people they didn’t trust?

The support from France and Austria was indeed a factor in Ethiopia’s ability to resist the British, but it was a secondary one.

Since the outbreak of the war, France and Austria had significantly restrained their actions. Beyond continuing to sell strategic supplies to Ethiopia, they had made no major moves.

That didn’t stop Fox from shifting the blame onto France and Austria. The presence of French and Austrian-made equipment in the Ethiopian military served as evidence of their alleged support.

Prime Minister Benjamin glared at him sharply and retorted, “I don’t want analysis or speculation. If France and Austria are supporting the Ethiopians, then provide concrete evidence.

Simply pointing to some weapons and equipment is not convincing. At most, it shows that French and Austrian arms dealers are skilled at business. It doesn’t prove that their governments are backing Ethiopia.”

Britain, France, and Austria were still allies, ranked as top-tier in the British government’s diplomacy. Even if accusations were to be made, there needed to be solid proof.

The argument based on arms supply was clearly insufficient. The Ethiopian army also had British-made equipment. If the British government used this logic, wouldn’t it imply they were supporting Ethiopia as well?

Such reasoning might work for public debates, but in diplomacy, it would only become a laughingstock.

Unless the British government could overpower France and Austria, the French and Austrian governments were unlikely to pay any attention to their protests.

Fox felt slightly embarrassed but quickly recovered, “Understood, Prime Minister. We will do our best to gather evidence, but that will take time.

Right now, the most critical task is to cut off Ethiopia’s supply of arms. Otherwise, this war will become extremely challenging.”

This was a significant problem. At this time, arms dealers were notorious for their audacity. As long as the profits were sufficient, there was no business they wouldn’t take.

“The best arms dealers are the ones who sell weapons to their own enemies.”

This wasn’t just a joke, British arms dealers were actually doing it. Behind the scenes, domestic elites were also involved. Without solid evidence, Fox naturally wouldn’t expose this issue.

Prime Minister Benjamin also found himself at a loss. Cutting off Ethiopia’s arms supply was an exceedingly difficult task. While they could block coastal trade routes, they couldn’t control inland supply lines.

The colonies of France and Austria bordered Ethiopia, and those two nations weren’t going to take orders from Britain. As long as the Ethiopians had the money, this trade wouldn’t stop.

“The Foreign Office must negotiate with France and Austria. We have to find a way to sever Ethiopia’s trade routes, even if it requires offering concessions.”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!