Frederick The Great was particularly excited to visit European countries for the first time. However, this good mood didn't last for a few days before he became bored.
Every day, there were more banquets. What he imagined was discussing the fate of the country with the monarchs of various countries?
Sorry, that didn't exist. The accompanying officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already taken care of everything. He, the crown prince, only needed to follow along to make up the numbers.
No matter how much Franz wanted to train his son, he didn't dare to try national affairs. If something went wrong, the loss wouldn't be small.
There was no room for carelessness in the face of politics. If something went wrong, even the heir would be lost.
Therefore, the mission of Frederick The Great's visit to European countries this time, in addition to the engagement with the royal family of Baden, was to visit relatives and exchange feelings.
Almost all the crown princes of European countries would walk around the European continent when they reached adulthood. In the name of traveling around the world and increasing their knowledge, it was actually to make their presence known and learn about the development of various countries.
Franz was one of the few exceptions. The Great Revolution made him ascend the throne in advance, and he lost this opportunity to communicate with his peers.
It seemed like an ordinary tour, but in fact, it also contained a strong political meaning.
The initial exchange activities were mainly to enhance the feelings between the future monarchs of various countries and reduce conflicts between countries.
Now, it had been proven that this idea was too idealistic. The personal feelings of the monarch were insignificant in the face of national interests.
Of course, there were still positive meanings. In the absence of conflicts of interest, the friendship between the monarchs could also evolve into the friendship between the two countries, reducing conflicts to a certain extent.
The most important thing was to add an insurance for oneself. If there were many friends, if there were any changes, there would be someone to help speak for them. For example:
If there was a defeat or a coup, the monarch could use international pressure to keep the throne. At the worst, there would be a place to stay when they were exiled overseas.
These were effective before the decline of the monarchy. If it weren't for the lack of suitable opportunities, Franz was ready to launch a "Movement of Unyielding Monarchy" in Europe.
Frederick The Great was a tragedy. His daily schedule was full, and he was busy with social engagements all day long. He didn't even have time to go sightseeing.
This was the drawback of having many relatives. It was impossible not to meet people when you arrived, and the protagonist couldn't avoid holding a welcome party.
As the top of European society, it was inevitable to flatter each other in business.
If Frederick The Great wanted a good reputation, he had to visit the homes of these big shots and meet the local leaders of society. Only then would they help him build up his reputation.
Because of the relationship between relatives, Frederick The Great had to give face to certain people, even if their statuses were one level lower. This increased his workload by a lot.
He had no choice but to go. This was the mission that Franz had given him. Networking was something that one would rather never use in their lifetime than not having it when they needed it.
The First World War of the original space-time is a classic case. The monarchs of the defeated allied countries could all go into exile. As an allied country, Tsar had nowhere to go.
It wasn't that Nicholas II didn't want to run, but that the provisional government was ready to send him to England for political asylum, but George V refused to accept him.
Not only did the British reject it, but the rest of Europe also did not welcome Nicholas II. It seemed that William II had the intention to accept it, but it was more like he was watching a joke.
Franz didn't think that the House of Habsburg would be so miserable. With the resources in his hands now, as long as the monarchs didn't court disaster, it wouldn't be a problem for them to survive for hundreds of years.
The main purpose of letting Frederick The Great build a good relationship with everyone was to build a good reputation for his son. This needed everyone's support.
Looking at the invitation in his hand, Frederick The Great asked dejectedly, "Cole, how many banquet invitations are there?"
Cole replied seriously, "Your Highness, I can't give an accurate number for this question. Based on preliminary estimates, you have to attend at least a hundred banquets before the end of the journey.
This is the result of declining most of the invitations. In fact, there should be more. Those who are closer to you may even hold a few more banquets. "
In this era where there was almost no entertainment, the nobles were very keen on holding banquets. They would come almost two or three times a month, and those who were well-off might attend two or three times a week.
If there was no reason to hold a banquet, they would make up a reason. For example, if the pet dog in the house gave birth, they would need to hold a banquet to celebrate; if the fruit trees in the manor bloomed, they would need to hold a banquet to celebrate …
There were all kinds of reasons for holding banquets. There was nothing that could not be done, only unexpected. The expenses of banquets were also the biggest expense of the nobles in this era.
Frederick The Great rubbed his forehead. He was almost suffering from banquet phobia. At this moment, he finally understood why Franz didn't like to hold banquets.
"Can you decline a little more? For example, I can hold a banquet and invite them over, and settle it all in one go. "
Cole refused seriously, "No, Your Highness. This time, you are representing the House of Habsburg. According to the rules of the nobles, you can only hold a thank-you banquet after the host has held a welcoming banquet.
At most, you can decline invitations from those who are below the rank of duke. In fact, it would be very rude to do so. This time, you will be visiting every German state, and many of the states' monarchs are not even dukes. "
Frederick The Great looked hopeless. There was nothing he could do. The German Region did not have many things, but there were many small states.
For the sake of politics, he could not avoid it at all. Even if some of the small states were only the size of a village, he had to visit them.
This was the House of Habsburg's respect for the various states' governments, and it was also an opportunity to export Germany's ideology.
After hesitating for a moment, Frederick The Great compromised with life. "Forget it, let's go with the original plan. If it affects the overall situation, I can't bear the responsibility. "
Frederick The Great did not lack political foresight. He was very clear about Franz's intention for this arrangement. As long as he did it step by step, he would have a lot of halos above his head.
If such a simple thing could be messed up, Franz would probably have to reconsider the issue of an heir.
There was no freedom to act freely. The next Austrian Emperor needed a ruler who could continue Franz's policies. The most taboo thing was to be greedy and overjoyed.
Frederick The Great did a good job in these aspects. He basically fulfilled the above requirements. In general, he followed the rules and could complete the tasks assigned by Franz. He would not act smart.
He did not have outstanding talent, but he had a keen political foresight. Perhaps he could not make Austria more glorious, but he would not let the Empire decline.
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