Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 219:

Chapter 219: Chapter 106: The Suffering Franz

Translator: 549690339

Ever since the twelve-nation Intervention Alliance intervened in the German unification process, the entire Germany Region sank into a low ebb, as if the sky had collapsed. Even the most radical nationalists despaired of the unification of the Germany Region.

To pacify the public, the Austrian Government still posted placards in its controlled areas, explaining that the Vienna Government was making a final diplomatic effort to achieve the unification of the Germany Region to the greatest extent possible, and by the way, it cast another shadow on the Kingdom of Prussia’s disloyal behavior.

But this was to no avail, and aside from cursing the Prussian Government, all people could do was wait for the final verdict of the Paris talks.

Inside the University of Munich campus

A young student said with grief and indignation, “We can’t just wait like this; we must do something!”

A young man beside him quickly grabbed his right arm, comforting him, “Beyer, don’t be foolish. Now, we can only rely on the Vienna Government for diplomatic mediation. Prime Minister Felix has already gone to London, and Mr. Metternich to Paris.”

It’s said that His Majesty Franz has also visited St. Petersburg, and now the Austrian Government is making the utmost effort to achieve the unification of the Germany Region.

What can you do now? Besides causing trouble, can you make these countries change their stance?”

Beyer shook off his companion’s hand and said, “Schwar, I can’t stand it, even if we can’t do much, we can organize a protest march to show them our determination to achieve unity!”

“Humph!”

Schwar let out a cold snort and then said, “Don’t be silly, Beyer. Even if, as the newspapers say, all the people in the Germany Region protest together at this time, it won’t have any effect at all.

The London Government won’t see, the Paris Government won’t see, the St. Petersburg Government won’t see, and the governments of the European countries won’t see.

Our most important task now is to strive to make Germany strong, strong enough that they dare not interfere in our internal affairs, so that the Germany Region can achieve unification.

Now, even Austria, the strongest in the Germany Region, does not have the courage to fight a war in the face of interference from European countries!

A protest march, other than disrupting social order, cannot add a bit to national strength; aside from delaying our development process, it has no practical significance.”

They all share “hatred,” hating that the Germany Region is not strong enough, that even all the sub-states together cannot face the collective pressure of the great powers.

Beyer cursed angrily, “It’s all the fault of those Prussian barbarians; if they hadn’t played the traitor, the situation would never have been so passive.

The French-Russian War is ongoing, presenting the best opportunity for the unification of the Germany Region. Instead, those bastards sided with the French-Russian, betraying the interests of the Germany Region!”

Ever since Austria occupied this place, the Black Prussia Kingdom became a regular part of daily propaganda, especially after the Kingdom of Prussia appeared on the list of intervening countries, and they were beyond redemption.

At this time, people’s discontent naturally turned into cursing them, for traitors have always been more detestable than enemies since ancient times.

When making this decision, the Prussian Government should have been prepared to be cursed; after all, they were not eyeing South German, so it doesn’t make much difference whether they have public support or not.

There’s no need for explanations, because there’s no way to explain it. It can’t simply be stated: If the Kingdom of Prussia hadn’t joined the Intervention Alliance, the remaining North German State would have been merged into one country again, with not even a slight benefit for them.

As for joining forces with Austria to unify the Germany Region? Frederick William IV made it clear he was not foolish, for to play politics with the Habsburg Family would be to disgrace himself.

The Hohenzollern Dynasty has always excelled in military power, and Frederick William IV could proudly claim that, in terms of leading troops into battle, he was streets ahead of Franz.

Genetic heritage sometimes does play a role. The Hohenzollern Dynasty has produced many famous generals, and the Kings of Prussia have generally been quite capable in war.

Because they’re not very good at political struggle, Wilhelm II was quickly sidelined by his subordinates after the outbreak of World War I, whereas members of the Habsburg Family ended up bringing about their own demise.

Even the last Emperor, who was a poor choice, almost managed to save the Empire; it was only Wilson’s “Fourteen Points” that triggered nationalism to rise up and ended the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s life.

This can also be seen now; ever since the Kingdom of Prussia joined the row of intervening nations, nationalism within the country surged, and dissatisfaction with the Prussian Government reached its peak.

If it were Franz, he would rather have chosen to join forces with Austria to divide up the Germany Region and then put on a facade of merging with Austria, only to separate again under pressure from the great powers.

Seizing the opportunity to swallow the Northern Germany under the banner of unification and when offending the British, he could drag Austria into sharing the blame.

Since it was bound to happen eventually, if the Kingdom of Prussia intended to advance further, it would have to absorb the Northern Germany, and Hanover could not escape.

Yet Hanover was no ordinary case; in addition to its importance to British interests as the Queen’s homeland, it also concerned the pride of the Great Britain Empire. How could John Bull, now beginning to get high and mighty, tolerate being slapped in the face?

Therefore, it would be good to have someone share the pressure, and what a wonderful excuse the task of unifying Germany is?

By doing this, although external pressure would increase, internal support could be gained from the people, making the rule more stable. The pros and cons for the country are hard to determine, but for the King, this is the best choice.

Napoleon III was a master in this regard, willing to fight a battle with the Russians in the Near East to consolidate his throne.

From a national interest perspective, the French only needed to hold Constantinople; there was no need to continue fighting in the Crimea Peninsula, but the French sent troops nonetheless.

After a few victories in the Crimea historically, Napoleon III decisively entered into peace talks with the Russians once he had gained the political benefits he sought.

A gentle breeze caressed his face as Franz leaned out of the window, savoring the delightful moment.

He was currently on his way to St. Petersburg, ostensibly to seek diplomatic support from the Tsarist Government for the unification of the Germany Region.

In reality, his visit to Russia at this time had no direct connection to the negotiations; it was purely for political show.

Although he knew that unification of the Germany Region was impossible at this time, as the Emperor of Austria, Franz had to put forth his greatest effort, or at least appear to the public that he was trying.

In mid-July, Franz set out from Vienna, his carriage slowly making its way toward St. Petersburg. The transportation within Austria was barely acceptable, and Franz managed to travel by train for part of the journey.

Upon entering the Russian Empire, he refrained from complaining any further. If it weren’t for his robust constitution, he likely would have fallen apart on the way before even reaching St. Petersburg.

What Franz now longed for most was the era of airplanes and trains, when a later journey from Vienna to St. Petersburg would take at most two to three hours by plane or about a day by train.

But in this era, traversing the 1,583 kilometers was a matter of months.

Fortunately, after passing through Poland, he was able to take to the sea, saving a considerable amount of time. Otherwise, he would still be en route while the Paris negotiations were underway if he traveled solely by carriage.

In fact, it was also possible to travel to St. Petersburg from the Germany Region via a more direct route, either by boat through the Rhine River or by navigating the River Elbe to get to the North Sea.

Unfortunately, both these routes required passing through the Kingdom of Prussia, and given the political necessity for Austria to be at odds with Prussia, Franz had no choice but to go through the Polish Region.

It just so happened that the Vistula River was in the flood season, making navigation extremely dangerous. Concerned about his safety, Franz decided to proceed at a slower pace.

After all, this was a one-time ordeal. He would absolutely not visit St. Petersburg again before the railway network was completed. Such a long journey was practically murderous.

When would the rail link between St. Petersburg and Vienna become operational? That was a question for the Russians. Given the pace of development in Austria, the domestic railway network would likely be well established in twenty years.

As for the Russian Empire, completing the railway network coverage this century was impossible; perhaps it could be realized in the next century.

Although the road was a bit bumpy, the scenery along the way was splendid, completely natural, especially after entering Russia, where smog-belching factories were very rare.

Occasionally, when encountering exceptionally beautiful scenery, Franz would stop to enjoy and relax during the journey.

Now, Franz’s entourage was advancing at a speed of thirty kilometers per day, resting whenever it rained. Travelling through the rain was out of the question; he was a considerate emperor who minded the well-being of his subordinates, not wanting to unduly strain them.

In terms of hospitality, the Tsarist Government was very meticulous about etiquette, arranging for his treatment strictly according to the standards befitting an emperor, even though Franz was accompanied by a battalion of guards during his visit, the Russians did not frown upon it.

One day, Count Medvedev, the Russian delegate accompanying him, approached the carriage and asked, “Your Majesty, up ahead, the Vistula River is now navigable. Shall we switch to water travel?”

Change, of course, we must change. Whoever wishes to ride in this carriage, let them have it!

Franz made up some excuse on the spot: “Arrange it, we need to make haste!”

Franz soon regretted it, as it became clear that travel by water in this era was by no means enjoyable, especially since he was prone to sea sickness.

While sailing along the river was bearable, with frequent stops at ports, things were different upon reaching the sea. The sea swells and the conditions of inland waters were fundamentally dissimilar.

On the first day at sea, Franz withstood the ordeal with his robust health, but by the second day, he was looking a bit pale, and by the third, he began to vomit.

With this vomiting, the journey was delayed again, as the entourage hurriedly docked at the nearest port. By this time, the large party had already reached Estonia, and in reality, they were not far from St. Petersburg.

With no other option, considering the emperor’s precious life, no one dared to be careless. Even though the accompanying physicians knew full well that this was just a normal reaction to seasickness, they still stopped to rest for three days, waiting for Franz to recover before setting off again.

The remaining journey, naturally, had to be slower, docking at every port they came to, with Franz spending each night on land to rest.

By the time Franz finally arrived in St. Petersburg, he had lost a considerable amount of weight.