Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 57
Chapter 57: Chapter 57, John Bull’s Plan (New Week, Asking for Votes)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
While fooling the Paris Government, Austria’s Foreign Ministry naturally did not forget about the London Government, which, in this era, the Great Britain Empire was very powerful.
As the only industrialized nation in the world at that time, it was their moment of glory. Fortunately, the narrowness of the British mainland constrained population growth, otherwise, there would be no opportunity for others to rise.
In the 1848 revolution, the British were also unable to avoid turmoil, but compared to countries such as France and Austria, their struggles were relatively minor.
The Revolutionaries, ambitious yet unskilled, were suppressed by the police before they could even erupt. In the end, after a few strikes, the unrest came to a swift conclusion.
Franz knew that the Sardinian War was actually orchestrated by the British. Before the Kingdom of Sardinia deployed troops, British Foreign Secretary Palmerston had already begun lobbying King Charles Albert.
Under such circumstances, it was naturally impossible for Austria to achieve any diplomatic success in London.
Moreover, the reputation of the British was unreliable, ready to switch sides whenever their interests demanded.
Fortunately, Franz did not count on getting British support. The goal of the Ambassador to England, Humeraul, was straightforward—to lobby pro-Austrian members of Parliament to prevent the London Government from providing substantive support to the Kingdom of Sardinia.
Downing Street
Prime Minister John Russell was contemplating the current world situation. The first issue was France: the newly established provisional government had already extended an olive branch to the Great Britain Empire in foreign affairs, and he was hesitating whether to accept it.
The Vienna System had collapsed, and the question was how to establish the future political structure of Europe?
Though the British were well-versed in diplomatic maneuvers, before the collapse of the Vienna System, John Russell had not seen any cause for concern, but now that it had indeed crumbled, he felt a headache brewing.
Under the Vienna System, the European nations maintained a balance of power, allowing the British to boldly expand their overseas territories.
“Prime Minister,” suggested Foreign Minister Palmerston, “given the current situation, we can continue our previous strategic concept, establish a united Italy, weaken Austria’s power, and at the same time, block the French expansion into Italy!”
John Russell, frowning, said, “Mr. Palmerston, that is the ideal scenario. However, for the balance of power among European nations, we also need Austria to exist.
“Right now, Austria is full of internal strife, and it might collapse at any moment. If that happens and there is no check on its power, the Habsburg Family will return to the Germany Region.
“There is a strong call for unification in the Germany Region, and with the
Habsburg Family’s prestige, they might very well unify the Germany Region.”
In bloodline-conscious Europe, John Russell’s concerns were not unfounded; if Austria were to disintegrate, it would almost inevitably lead to the remaining Austrian Sub-States rejoining Germany.
In such a scenario, the Habsburg Family really could achieve the unification of Germany. The saying about conquering the world with one’s lower body parts was no joke.
Even if it weren’t the Habsburg Family that unified Germany, a united Prussia would be just as problematic. The emergence of a unified Greater German Empire was certainly not good news for the British.
Franz had also considered whether to give up Hungary and Italy and instead focus on creating a German Empire. However, after a careful analysis, he decisively abandoned this temptation.
Uniting the Germany Region was easy, but how to deal with the internal conflicts? At the very least, he had no way to overcome the Prussians, with the Catholic South Germany and the Protestant North Germany starkly divided.
Historically, the Germans had never been able to resolve this issue, and the Second Empire was fraught with contradictions from its inception.
That was only Lesser Germany. If Greater Germany were to be established, the contradictions would be even more terrifying, with North and South Germany evenly matched, the internal strife alone could be enough to cause a breakdown.
Looking at the map, Germany’s strategic location is truly a pitfall; it is a land of four battles with no natural defenses.
Even if Franz was confident, he didn’t believe that amidst continuous internal strife, he could punch France, kick Russia, and also squash England.
To unify the Germany Region without giving up the Austrian Empire was, Franz admitted, a fantasy—one could refer to Napoleon’s case of challenging the major powers of Europe single-handedly.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have needed to wait for him, right after the anti-French wars, it was the best time for Austria to unify Germany.
Without a doubt, Franz was not the only shrewd person; Metternich resisted the temptation and established the Vienna System instead of attempting the perilous unification of Germany.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
By consolidating the present Austrian Empire, the comprehensive national strength was not much different from that of the unified Germany Region. Slow and steady development while waiting for the right opportunity was the true strategy.
If they advanced, they would compete for dominance over the European
Continent and rebuild the Holy Roman Empire; if they retreated, they would roar over Southern Europe and become a regional power.
“The situation in Austria might not be as dire as we imagine. The Vienna Revolution has been suppressed, and although other places are unstable, no major chaos has erupted.
In order to prevent the European revolutions from spreading to Russia, the Tsarist Government must support Austria. With our support as well, even if the Hungary rebellion breaks out, it will be swiftly suppressed!” Palmerston thought for a moment and then said
John Russell asked, “Mediating the Ausa war is not difficult, but how do you plan to respond to the Austrians? If they can’t get support here, they will have to seek help from Russia.
The Russians won’t miss this opportunity. Once Russian-Austrian agreement is reached, no one in the Near East would be able to counterbalance them.”
The main contradiction in the world today lies between England and Russia, with the Russian Empire, thanks to its formidable power, becoming England’s greatest enemy, second to none.
Austria is the greatest force in the Near East countering Russian expansion. If the Austrians now seek help from Russia, they will inevitably have to give up some of their interests in the Balkan region.
The British do not want the Russians to enter the Mediterranean. In history, the Crimean War even broke out over this, and it took a combined effort from England and France to block the Russians from advancing.
“No matter, we need not directly respond to the Austrians. Giving them ambiguous hints that they interpret as our support for Austria will do.
The Kingdom of Sardinia has to work hard if they wish to unify Italy. We will only offer limited support. If they succeed, all the better; if they fail, it will not involve us.
Allowing France and Austria to contain each other is also a good choice. The foreign policy of the Great Britain Empire cannot be hung on a single tree! ” Palmerston said with a sneer.
