Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 145: What to Do When the Loot Is Unevenly Divided

Vienna in January was immersed in the cold winds, with snow lightly falling from the sky like a gentle rain. When the wind blew, it scattered like fine salt, creating a fairy-tale-like icy world at the Vienna Palace.

Franz had abandoned his habit of winter swimming. He couldn’t risk falling ill in this icy winter, as he had little confidence in the medical practices of this era.

The artificial lake had frozen over with a thick layer of ice, and his younger brothers were playing on it.

If someone fell in? No problem. They’d consider it a refreshing ice bath, get back up, change their clothes, and continue playing.

They were not pampered. All the brothers had received military training from a young age, and their strategic skills were unquestionable. Otherwise, Franz would not have had the confidence to command armies in history.

As snowflakes danced around him, Franz stood in a pavilion gazing into the distance. The water in the teapot beside him had already started boiling.

Making tea had become a habit for Franz, though he couldn’t remember when it started. Yes, just making it. He enjoyed the aroma of the tea brewing.

How much tea was wasted each day was not a concern for Franz. There were so many sycophants around him, so if he doesn’t spend a little more, where will they get the chance?

Coffee was the main beverage at the Vienna Court, and tea was just an occasional treat, often black tea with added sugar and milk, making it what they referred to as “milk tea.”

“Your Majesty, the Archbishop of Carinthia is requesting an audience,” a maid’s clear voice sounded nearby.

The Church had come to visit, and Franz furrowed his brow. Since the Austrian government had taken action against the Church within the country, there had been a rift in the relationship between the Church and the Vienna Court.

Even the Archbishop of Carinthia, who had a good relationship with the royal family, had reduced his interactions with the Court. If he was coming to visit now, it was likely not for good news.

“Bring him in,” Franz said in a subdued tone.

Since the Archbishop had come all the way to the palace, Franz couldn’t simply avoid seeing him, given their past relationship.

……

Crisis erupted in the Holy Land, skipping the details as to avoid touching on religious matters.

“Your Majesty, what do you think?” the Archbishop of Carinthia asked anxiously.

As a devout Catholic, he was a true believer, quite different from the pseudo-faith of someone like Franz. He was deeply upset by what was happening in the Holy Land.

“I understand. This issue involves many complexities. I will consult with my cabinet before making any decisions,” Franz replied with a furrowed brow.

He was already beginning to feel apprehensive. If his suspicions were correct, this crisis could be the spark that ignites the Crimean War, and Franz had no intention of getting embroiled in it.

There was nothing the Archbishop of Carinthia could do if he couldn’t achieve the outcome he desired. It was no longer the Middle Ages, and in Austria, secular authority had clearly surpassed ecclesiastical authority.

……

“Your Majesty, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte is ambitious and seeks to restore France’s great power status in Europe. This could be an opportunity for them. We should let the French take the lead in this matter,” Metternich suggested.

If Austria doesn’t want to stand out, it has to find another country to take the fall. There are many Catholic countries in Europe, but there are only three big countries: Austria, France, and Spain.

However, Spain was facing its own internal issues and was not in a position to intervene in this matter.

France seemed like the most suitable candidate, given their ambition and current international standing.

Louis Napoleon Bonaparte’s desire to secure France’s position was not only about international standing but also about gaining the support of the people to legitimize his rule.

If he were to pursue other agendas, the parliament would undoubtedly oppose him and obstruct his efforts. Therefore, intervention in the Crimea crisis was the best choice. Even his political rivals would be hesitant to stand against him on this issue.

“Then let’s give the opportunity to the French. The government should appease the domestic public sentiment, and the News Supervision Bureau should pay attention to guiding public opinion, not letting others take advantage of us.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should coordinate relations with allies, and the government should allocate a special fund of two million guilders for propaganda in the Southern German region.

We need to find ways to gradually control public opinion in these regions. It would be best to secretly acquire some newspapers and publishing houses in the area and strongly support the pro-Austrian and Greater Germany Unification factions.

For these matters, the government may not be able to act directly. We can let intelligence organizations or private exchange organizations take the lead.

The German Confederation is one body, we can also establish some comprehensive civilian organizations, such as the German Writers Association, the German Art and Music Association, and so on,” Franz thought and said.

He didn’t realize it at first, but upon reflection, Franz discovered that Austria in this era still had advantages in the arts and culture.

Of course, these advantages couldn’t compare to France, which was the leader of Romanticism, or Italy, the birthplace of the Renaissance, with Rome as the cultural center of Europe.

However, in the German region, especially the smaller states, it was a different story. Their influence was limited.

Prussia, being a military-dominated state, didn’t prioritize the arts. So, wasn’t it somewhat absurd to discuss art with them? Their system inherently hindered their cultural development.

Bavaria had many qualities, but it was a bit financially challenged, which was an awkward problem because the arts also required financial support.

In this context, Austria stood out. Vienna, being a historical city, had a cultural heritage that surpassed any other German state.

In modern times, the saying “the misery of the state leads to the emergence of great poets” rang true. As a multi-ethnic country, Austria was a melting pot of various cultural and intellectual influences, sparking creative brilliance. In this era, Austria reached its peak culturally.

Since Austria had these advantages, they naturally had to make use of them. When comparing, there’s bound to be an impact. The idea of Greater Germany Unification had begun spreading across the German region. When it comes to supporting a cultural cause, who do you think the intellectuals would favor? This choice was quite straightforward when compared to the rigid Prussian state.

Don’t underestimate the power of these intellectuals; it seems like they might not have much influence, but once Austria annexes the Southern German States, having them as supporters rallying the masses will allow Austria to digest these regions quickly.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Prime Minister Felix replied.

As a staunch advocate of the Greater Germany cause, he supported any decisions that were favorable to the unification of Germany. In history, had he not died so early, the task of Prussia unifying Germany might not have been as straightforward.

Metternich said, “Your Majesty, the Prussian-Russian conflict is about to end, and at this time, crisis had erupted in the Holy Land. The Russians are likely to intervene, and they might even use this as a pretext to take action against the Ottoman Empire.

Based on the intelligence we’ve received, the Russian Empire is preparing for war, and it’s evident that they don’t intend to wait for us to be fully prepared before launching hostilities.

If the war starts prematurely, we’ll have to make a choice. Austria’s resources can’t support a two-front war. So, we must decide between seizing the opportunity to unify the Southern German States or focusing our efforts on the Balkan Peninsula.”

Franz furrowed his brow. The idea of fighting on two fronts was too risky, and he thought this was sugarcoating the situation.

Without major foreign powers intervening, Franz might have considered it. However, in reality, except for the Russians that have already been deceived, none of the other major powers supported Austria.

Leaving aside whether the British were willing to invest money, Prussia was likely to turn against Austria, and the possibility of French military intervention was very high.

If they will only fight on a single front, Austria, with its concentrated forces, could still pose a certain level of deterrence. However, if they split their forces into two fronts, it wouldn’t be very intimidating to anyone.

Minister of War Prince Windisch-Gr?tz suggested, “Your Majesty, I propose prioritizing expansion into the Balkans. In this matter, we can potentially secure the support of the German Confederation. We have also reached an agreement with the Russians, so our main opposition would come from the British and the French.

The Russians aim to annex the Ottoman Empire, and the primary target for the British and French will likely be the Russians. If we act prudently and expand into the Balkans, they may be more inclined to accept our expansion.

At this point, if we also send troops to unify the Southern German States, we would find ourselves opposed by all the German states. Due to geographical factors, it would be more challenging for the French to intervene militarily, and we might face a united front of France, Prussia, Bavaria, and other nations.

If our strategic endeavor were to fail, Austria could find itself isolated from the German Confederation. The Holy Roman Economic Alliance that we’ve worked to establish might crumble as well.”

Understanding history, Franz knew that if Austria expanded into the Balkan Peninsula at this time, it would almost be a win without much effort.

Even in history when Austria sided with the wrong factions, there were opportunities to annex Wallachia and Moldavia, only that Vienna was unwilling to give up the Italian territories as a cost.

Author’s Note: Wallachia is in present-day southern Romania, and Moldavia is in present-day northeastern Romania, Moldova, and parts of Ukraine.

Prime Minister Felix quickly opposed, saying, “No, Austria doesn’t lack territory; what we lack are sufficient numbers of core ethnic groups. Even though we’ve started implementing ethnic integration, it’s not something that can be achieved in the short term.

Expanding into the Balkans at this time may indeed be easy to succeed in, but the more we acquire, the harder it will be for us to achieve integration.

Let’s do some calculations: a small part of Serbia has a population of five to six hundred thousand, Bosnia and Herzegovina has four to five hundred thousand, Wallachia has nearly a million, and Moldavia has over a million and a half.

This means that Austria would suddenly gain a population increase of ten percent, and they would all be ethnic minorities, different from our domestic ethnic groups. They won’t have a sense of belonging to this country.

How much effort will it take for us to assimilate these people? Twenty years, thirty years? Before completing ethnic integration, we can’t do anything.”

He continued: “If we annex the South German States, it’s a different story. The people there have a strong sense of identity, and with just three to five years of effort, we can establish effective governance and convert their potential into national strength.

We can always turn to expanding into the Balkans afterward, and there will be plenty of time for it.

As for the risks, they can actually be controlled. If Prussia objects, we can threaten their unification with the Russian-Austrian Alliance. If the French have objections, we can cede all territories west of the Rhine to them, make bigger concessions in the Italian region, and even support them in annexing Belgium.

In this world, so-called conflicts are ultimately about interests. As long as everyone takes what they need, there's nothing that can’t be resolved!”

It’s undeniable that Felix is quite ruthless. If they really go through with this plan, it will become a collective expansion of territories by the European powers.

If Prussia, Austria, France, and Russia all simultaneously start expanding, is there a solution to this problem? Even if the remaining countries unite to resist, it might not be of use. Even if the British take a stance against it, they can just be ignored.

But why haven’t European politicians thought of this? Why hasn’t it been implemented?

Clearly, the situation isn’t that simple. The problem lies in the unequal distribution of spoils. Russia is getting too much, and everyone is dissatisfied with that.

Additionally, Russia’s sheer size has caused fear among the others, as they worry about Russia’s continuing expansion, which would then become unstoppable.

And the British are always causing trouble on the sidelines, which significantly reduces the practicality of any united plan for external expansion.