When the war broke out, Franz's nerves were stretched taut. Not only him, but the entire Government of Austria didn't dare to relax.
Although the frontline was advancing very quickly and smoother than planned, the Government of Austria still mobilized the entire country.
Perhaps in the eyes of many people, this was making a mountain out of a molehill. The Kingdom of Bavaria mobilized 400,000 troops, and the country also mobilized a million reserve troops.
As the person involved, Franz could clearly say that this wasn't making a mountain out of a molehill. It was a strategic necessity.
Lions and elephants used their full strength to fight rabbits.
With Austria's current state, if it was just to deal with Bavaria, perhaps thirty to fifty thousand troops could complete the mission.
Since Munich was close, thirty to fifty thousand troops would be enough to launch a sneak attack. There was no need to make a mountain out of a molehill and make such a big fuss.
This was only military, but politics determined this war and couldn't be treated with common sense.
For example, many local governments and armies in Bavaria announced their neutrality. This was the result of the power of the 400,000 troops combined with the political offensive.
If there were only thirty to fifty thousand troops, would the local forces in Bavaria easily compromise? Without the cooperation of these people and the absolute advantage in strength, could Austria make the Bavarian garrison neutral?
The real situation wasn't Franz's destiny, nor was it how popular the House of Habsburg was, but strength brought the hearts of the people.
The Bavarian people saw Austria's strength, and the local ruling class was frightened. At this time, they naturally made the choice that best suited their own interests.
Whether it was the capitalists or the nobles, they wouldn't do something like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Relying on the strong was their way of survival.
These people also wanted face. "Neutrality" happened to be a fig leaf, and the public opinion was the best weapon to cover up their rebellious nature.
The Government of Austria also needed them to help create a popular atmosphere in order to win the hearts of the people in the Kingdom of Bavaria and support this war.
The current results were very good. Everyone tacitly guided the public opinion and used the unification of Germany as an excuse to position the war initiated by Austria.
They also used the reason of "they can't betray the monarch they were loyal to, and can't destroy the unity of the country" to wear a patriot hat and gloriously announced their neutrality.
They told so many lies that they had to believe it themselves, because Austria was now really popular.
The people at the bottom didn't think that much. After bragging a few times, they thought that the war of unification initiated by Austria was just. Anyone who considered themselves to be patriotic would definitely not stand in the way of national unity at this time.
It could be said that Franz had created the greatest trap in history. Everyone involved had fallen into it and couldn't get out of it.
The people around you were always talking about the unification of Germany, and you couldn't help but say it in order to fit in. Little did you know that the people around you were the same. They didn't agree with this concept as much as they said.
Those who truly supported the unification of Germany were the nationalists, and they were the true supporters. Ordinary people were just influenced by the environment and were prejudiced, subconsciously believing that they were also supporters of German unity.
Now, the brainwashing was going very smoothly. At least millions of Bavarians had fallen into the trap, and the ones who completed the plan were the local celebrities of Bavaria.
They themselves were also in the game. Once they fell into it, they wouldn't be able to get out. It could be said that this war had deeply rooted the concept of German unity in the hearts of the people in the Kingdom of Bavaria.
It was enough for Franz to keep this to himself. He wouldn't say it out loud. Everyone in the outside world only saw the Bavarian people supporting Austria to overthrow the Bavarian government in order to support the unification of Germany.
Including Maximilian II Of Macedon in Munich, they all thought that they had been abandoned by the people. Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why the Austrian army appeared outside the city without any resistance.
Prime Minister Felix said optimistically, "Your Majesty, the first step of the strategy is stable. Under the banner of German unity, the Bavarian people have no intention of resisting at all. It seems that our plan is still too conservative.
The foundation of the people in the German Region is much better than we expected. Maybe we can expand our steps a little more and simply … "
Franz shook his head. The people's hearts in the Bavarian region were built by Austria for many years. With the combination of the right time, place, and people, there was no way for the other regions of Germany to compare.
If they continued to play around, they would be exposed. It was better to stop while they were ahead and let everyone think that the people in the German Region supported the unification, luring them into making the wrong judgment.
"Prime Minister, greed is the original sin of this world. The more critical the situation, the more we have to control our desires. What Austria needs is stability, not taking risks! "
Prime Minister Felix, who was awakened, broke out in a cold sweat. Sure enough, success could easily make people lose themselves and become arrogant.
Foreign Affairs Minister Metternich said, "That's right. No matter how good the foundation of the people in the German Region is, we don't have the ability to unify Germany now.
Austria can't stand on the opposite side of all the powerful countries. What we need to do now is to settle down and digest these spoils of war and turn them into national strength. "
Franz nodded and then ordered, "Mr. Metternich, I'll leave it to you to personally go to Berlin. The Government of Prussia should be frightened, so we need to stabilize them now.
Prime Minister, you'll have to work hard too. Visit the German State again, starting from Saxony this time. Try to use political means to persuade them. "
Did war have to be fought in the war for unification? Franz said that history could be used as a reference. The people of Prussia could use political means to recover these states, and Austria could do the same.
When it came to internal affairs, it was better not to use military means if possible. If they killed until rivers of blood flowed, it would feel good at the time, but they would be prepared to cry when governing in the future!
The fact that the governments of these small states could continue to exist naturally meant that they had their own ways of survival. Why did the German and German empires keep these states in history? Wasn't it for stability?
In history, the central government of the German and German empires relied on soft means to nibble away the power of the various states' governments bit by bit.
It was even easier for Austria to do this now. After all, the largest state in South Germany, the Kingdom of Bavaria, had been defeated, and the remaining small states were not worth mentioning.
As long as the ruler and subject's status was set, the rest would be easy. The central government had both the power and the righteousness in their hands. It was too easy to suppress the local governments.
If it really couldn't be done, wasn't there a saying in history that there was a transfer of titles?
If he was forced into a corner, Franz could be shameless. As long as he had something on them, he could change the territories of these so-called kings and dukes.
They had operated for decades, or even centuries. If they couldn't deal with them in their lair, they could change to an unfamiliar place. Would he be afraid that they wouldn't behave?
Franz could even be more shameless and give them a false title, such as the title of King of Jerusalem, and exchange the throne with some unlucky person.
This holy throne was extraordinary, but unfortunately, the territory was within the Osman's sphere of influence. It was unknown when the country could be restored.
…
In the Munich Palace, Maximilian II Of Macedon had to accept the cruelest reality. He might not even be able to escape.
The Munich City Defense Army actually announced their neutrality. Other than the palace guards, there was only a new infantry division that had just been mobilized to defend Munich.
But was this army reliable? The answer was no. The public's will couldn't be disobeyed. Since the Bavarian people had already made their choice, they were unavoidably affected.
The reason why they didn't announce their neutrality was that the higher-ups were still loyal to the king, unlike the City Defense Army that was infiltrated by the nobles and capitalists.
June 10th, the second day of the Austrian siege. The Austrian representatives had already entered the Munich Palace.
Negotiating terms after a defeat was a common occurrence in Europe. In the history of the Kingdom of Bavaria, this wasn't the first time it happened.
But unlike in the past, the position of the Bavarian royalty was in danger. Maximilian II Of Macedon didn't have much confidence in keeping his throne.
But Prime Minister Ogyust assured him that the Austrians wouldn't remove his throne. There was only one reason — table manners.
There were so many states in the German Region, and everyone was watching. The Government of Vienna couldn't go too far.
…
The Foreign Affairs Minister Backhaus said angrily, "Mr. Jonas, your conditions are too much. We agreed to join the Holy Roman Empire, but you put forward so many excessive demands. This is clearly to annex Bavaria!"
The Austrian Minister to Bavaria, Jonas, shook his head and said, "There's always a price to pay for doing something wrong. The current Bavarian government doesn't have the capital to negotiate terms.
Mr. Backhaus, do you believe that even if Austria withdraws immediately, the Bavarian government will still be finished? The people outside can't wait to send you to the gallows.
The current situation in the Kingdom of Bavaria is no longer suitable for the royal family to continue ruling. Exchanging territory with Austria is the best choice.
At that time, the honorable King Maximilian II Of Macedon can become the King of Serbia, and you can also become the ministers of the Kingdom of Serbia.
This is the limit of what Austria can do. You have already lost the foundation to rule. If you continue to rule the Kingdom of Bavaria, the future is destined to be endless.
The unified German central government is not a tool to help you in the real revolution. Mr. Backhaus hopes you can understand this. "
Did the Bavarian government really lose the hearts of the people? Franz knew that it had not. It could be judged from the fact that the local government chose to remain neutral instead of defecting.
But they themselves did not know that the thick stack of declarations of neutrality made it seem as if the Bavarian people were Austria's supporters.
From their point of view, this kind of neutrality was betrayal. There was no need for them to directly defect. Austria did not need them to do anything. If they could save their own face, no one would lower themselves, right?
The Foreign Affairs Minister Backhaus continued to argue, "No, The Balkans are too remote. Serbia is a barren land. This is clearly an exile!
Since we want to exchange the throne, we must exchange it with equal value. Austria must come up with a rich region for it to be fair. "
This was not because his bottom line was low, but because of the wrong perception, it caused the Maximilian II Of Macedon to lower his expectations. Naturally, Backhaus, who was in charge of the negotiations, lost his confidence.
From their point of view, the Bavarian royalty had lost the hearts of the people. No matter who supported him, he could not continue to sit on the throne. He was originally prepared to abdicate to take responsibility.
Unfortunately, Austria did not agree and threatened them. If the royal family did not cooperate, they would incite the Bavarian people to start a revolution and send them to the guillotine.
This kind of threat was not something Maximilian II Of Macedon was afraid of. As long as Austria was still an imperial country, it was impossible to send him to the guillotine. It was different for others.
When it came to killing ministers, the Austrians would not be afraid. Wasn't killing a national traitor the best excuse? For the sake of their own lives, the Bavarian government had no choice but to do ideological work for the Maximilian II Of Macedon.
Even the current negotiations were done for Maximilian II Of Macedon. They were afraid that he would suddenly take things too hard. If he suddenly hanged himself, Franz would cry.
That meant that Austria's efforts this time were in vain. A king had died, and they still dared to annex the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was estimated that there would never be a day of peace in the future.
If they wanted to win the hearts of the people, they needed the cooperation of Maximilian II Of Macedon. Only if he agreed to give up the throne, could Franz legally obtain the rule of the Kingdom of Bavaria.
Maximilian II Of Macedon had to live, at least until Austria annexed Bavaria. He had to live well.
He also had to live a good life so that the people of Bavaria would not sympathize with him when they saw him in dire straits. That was why there was the exchange of land. The Austrian representative proposed to exchange Serbia for Bavaria.
When this proposal appeared, the negotiations reached an impasse. Backhaus wanted to fight for the interests of the king he was loyal to, and Jonas was not willing to make concessions.
…
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