Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 220

Chapter 220: Chapter 107: Hidden Murderous Intent

Translator: 549690339

Paris

On August 28, 1853, the much-anticipated negotiations commenced. Representatives from various countries—including the numerous small German states and the Free Cities—gathered together to participate in the conference.

The conference room was instantly flooded with over a hundred people, making it resemble a marketplace, buzzing with noise. After several days had passed, not a single agreement had been reached.

On September 2, Russian Foreign Minister Carl-Wassell proposed to the assembly, “Ladies and gentlemen, at this rate of clamor, we probably won’t reach any agreements by this time next year. Perhaps we should reduce the number of participants in the meeting!”

Clearly, public relations expenditures had made an impact. Carl-Wassell was still quite credible, adhering to the principle of getting paid to get things done. This proposal was bought with five hundred thousand rubles.

As the negotiations were at an impasse, Metternich watched with concern and urgency. If this dragged on, problems were bound to arise sooner or later, which would be extremely disadvantageous for Austria.

At this time, it wasn’t suitable for Austria to take the lead in disqualifying the participation of representatives from various countries. The only ones qualified to make such a suggestion were the representatives of England, France, and Russia.

The British needn’t be mentioned; they would be delighted to see Austria’s troubles. The French were also difficult to bribe, especially with Napoleon III watching, making it hard to engage in any trickery.

Carl-Wassell was the only one left who could be bought. After all, with the Russian-Austrian alliance in place, the Tsarist Government had long decided to support Austria at the conference.

Just how much backing Carl-Wassell had was now in his hands. To avoid protracted problems, Metternich naturally resorted to spending money on public relations.

Metternich said coldly, “Mr. Carl-Wassell has made a good proposal. Time is precious to us all. There is no need for irrelevant people to participate in the subsequent negotiations.”

He had no fondness for the opportunistic fence-sitters, who were now only adding chaos for Austria.

“Alright, the countries involved can participate in the subsequent meetings.”

After some thought, Foreign Minister Auvergne also expressed support. Continuing in this way was of no benefit to France.

Three against one, British Foreign Minister Thomas could only nod in agreement. His time was precious too. If he was to waste it here every day, what would happen back home?

Under the common will of the major powers, the number of countries participating in the conference was reduced to fifteen, including England, France, Russia, Austria, Prussia, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, along with the South German States due to be merged.

It was just the beginning. Under Metternich’s manipulation, the scale of the conference was further reduced by September 5th, with the German Confederation losing its right to participate, and instructed to wait at home for the results.

By September 10th, as these smaller states were successively ousted from the game, only England, France, Russia, Austria, the West, and Prussia remained—reminiscent of the Paris Congress.

In this world, power still speaks the loudest. A multilateral negotiation ultimately became a private meeting of England, France, Russia, Austria, and Prussia.

The Spanish representative was only there to make up the numbers, but as a member of the European powers, they still obtained the right to participate in the conference, although their right to speak was practically non-existent.

The decisive outcomes would still be determined by the five nations of England, France, Russia, Austria, and Prussia. Finally, the conference could proceed normally.

In the Germany Region, as time went on, the idea of a divide between North and South Germany gained momentum. Many experts and scholars published articles in newspapers, arguing the feasibility of a “division between North and South Germanic” regions.

Even the most optimistic individuals no longer believed in the possibility of unification for the Germanic territories, hadn’t the Kingdom of Prussia openly declared their opposition?

In the Northern Germany, two more sub-state governments responded to the Prussians’ proposal, condemning Austria for disrupting the peace and stability of the region and seeking to expel them from the German areas.

These two foolish German Confederation governments soon paid a harsh price for their stance, facing a public backlash.

Had the Prussians not intervened militarily, they would have become republics. After this cautionary tale, the remaining German Confederation governments became more careful.

Germanic nationalism in the region was mostly limited to verbal rants, but they still had the power to subvert one or two small sub-states.

Without going into detail, they could topple a governing body with mere words.

The German states in the region comprised a total of 39 sub-states, along with a host of Free Cities. Apart from Austria and Prussia, the two large states, the remaining 37 sub-states and a multitude of Free Cities collectively held over two hundred thousand square kilometers of territory.

If Bavaria, Hanover, Württemberg, Saxon, Hesse, and Baden were set aside, the rest of the thirty-plus sub-states and Free Cities were squeezed into forty to fifty thousand square kilometers of territory.

Excluding the two principalities occupied by Denmark, on average, each sub-state and Free City occupied less than a thousand square kilometers, with an average population of less than one hundred and fifty thousand.

With the governments’ deterrent power naturally insufficient, a village-level rebellion could overthrow a government, making it impossible for the authorities to defy the will of the people.

As soon as news of the “division between North and South German” spread, public opinion exploded. There was both support and opposition, making the entire German Region abuzz with activity.

Inside the University of Munich

A young student exclaimed passionately, “It’s impossible, Beyer. Besides the division between North and South Germany, do we have a better option now?

With foreign intervention from European countries on one hand and the traitorous Kingdom of Prussia on the other, you still want to forcibly unify the Germany Region. Do you know the consequences of doing so?

You’re insane. If war breaks out, thousands of German People will be displaced, and our great German nation will sink into obscurity like the Polish.”

There is never a shortage of idealists in the world, and Beyer is one of them.

Beyer retorted, “Stein, stop yelling. The Intervention Alliance may look strong, but in reality, only England, France, and Russia have the capability to intervene in the unification of the Germany Region.

With the three countries deeply at odds, the likelihood of forming an Allied Force is virtually zero. If they act independently, we may not be powerless to fight.”

A person beside sneered, “Indeed, we have the power to fight one battle, but after that, the German people will become history, or we could learn from those barbaric Prussians and become traitors, kowtowing to the enemy.”

Not everyone likes war, even among German nationalists, most still hope for a peaceful unification.

Facing joint intervention by different nations, many are rational and know that the German Federation is powerless to resist the collective will of Europe; thus, compromise has become the only option.

The theory of governing North and South Germany separately is not so much a product of the Austrian Government working behind the scenes as it is a necessity for these rational factions.

In the absence of a greater unification, this has become the reluctantly chosen secondary plan.

In the South German Region, things are still acceptable; after the division between North and South, they merged with Austria and remained one of the world’s strongest nations, which most of the populace could accept.

However, in Northern Germany, it was different. No one liked traitors. Merging with the Kingdom of Prussia, many found this psychological barrier insurmountable.

Furthermore, even when combined, Northern Germany merely stepped into the ranks of the great powers and was still far from being a true major nation, which was not what they wanted.

Against this backdrop, the Kingdom of Hanover began to spread a new idea, which rapidly gained traction in Northern Germany and even found its way into Southern Germany.

“Expel Prussia and Austria, and let the remaining states of the German Confederation form a new nation.”

This proposition found a market in Northern Germany, as residents who were unwilling to merge with the Kingdom of Prussia preferred to join this new nation.

Though this nascent nation would only be a middle-power with an area of over two-hundred thousand square kilometers and a population of seventeen or eighteen million, far from the grand nation of everyone’s dreams.

Undoubtedly, there was a touch of the Great Britain Empire in this. Once the region of Germany established a tripartite balance, whether it was Austria, Prussia, or this newly born state, none would be able to unify the German region.

Under such a balance system, the European Continent would become more stable. It not merely served British interests, but also allayed the French’s concerns, while the Russians too were very enticed by this system.

This concept had existed before, with the Bavarian Government being a supporter of a tripartite balance. Unfortunately, this idea lacked support in the German region, even among the Bavarians themselves.

Now, the circumstances had changed. With unification of the German region determined to be impossible, and unwillingness to merge with the Kingdom of Prussia, the states of North Germany became proponents of this idea.

In far-off St. Petersburg, Franz was still unaware that John Bull had already made his move, and it was a deadly one at that.

A theory with public support is no longer just an idea; it has the potential to become reality.

The populace of the South German Region might not support this rhetoric, but the governments of these states felt differently. Their influence would inevitably be limited under Austrian rule.

Having a say means having benefits. If a group of small states came together to form a union, no single state could dominate, necessitating a federal system!

In a federal state, the power of a central government is bound to be limited, ensuring that everyone’s interests are well protected.

Driven by such interests, these small state governments could not help but promote this theory domestically, as undercurrents swirled through the German region.

Baden

Prince Friedrich was hesitating over whether to join the Federal Empire organized by the British. According to the British, joining this empire would maximize their benefits.

“Gentlemen, what do you make of the British proposal?”

After a moment of silence, Prime Minister Woltz replied, “Your Highness, if the British plan proceeds smoothly, joining the Federal Empire would indeed align with our interests.

The Kingdom of Bavaria is still under Austrian control, and it’s unlikely they will cede their position.

If the new Federal Empire is established, no single nation could dominate. We, along with Hanover, Württemberg, Saxon, Hesse, and others, would jointly dominate this country.

However, though the potential benefits are immense, the inherent risks are not small either.

The newborn Federal Empire is too weak. Whether compared with Austria or France, we are very fragile, and our potential for development may even be less than that of Prussia.

If the balance in Europe is broken, we will be in great trouble. Unless the British can force Austria to voluntarily give up the New Holy Roman Empire, we, having become traitors, will surely be held accountable in the future.”

And it’s not just about future retribution; retaliation is possible even now. Austria could simply lift a finger to crush the Baden Duchy, which is one reason for their hesitation.

Foreign Minister Nicholas thought for a moment and said, “The issue of Austrian retaliation can be managed. If it comes to it, we could just elevate a member of the Habsburg family to Emperor, which would be enough to quell their rage.

The problem now is whether the British can coerce Austria and Prussia. If they fail to do so, this newly formed Federal Empire will forever remain theoretical.”

Prince Friedrich nodded. He desired the benefits, but not the risks that came with them. Should the British plan fail, the probability of the Austrian Government abolishing the Baden royal family was all too high.

Unlike other kings, Ludwig II was deemed insane, with virtually no prestige among the common people; the majority of the population of Baden held no affection for the Grand Duke.

“Given that, let’s reply directly to the British that we agree with their plan, but until a final decision is made at the Paris Congress, we won’t express any opnions.

We should be cautious about domestic propaganda, not letting anyone catch us out; these ideas must be freely spread by the people and cannot be linked to the government in any way,” said Prince Friedrich.

Without a choice, the way of survival for a small country is to “be a wallflower.” They couldn’t afford to offend the British nor provoke the Austrians. Caught between two major powers, trying to gain benefits was like dancing on eggs.