In a sense, the refugee crisis also pushed forward the progress of the Prussian war. After replenishing their numbers, Mao Qi hastily launched a counterattack.
There was no other way. If they didn't fight now, they wouldn't have the ability to fight later. They originally hoped the refugees could slow down the Russians, but they didn't expect this trouble to follow them all the way back.
The Russians didn't immediately launch an attack. Other than resting and reorganizing their troops, they were more restricted by logistics. Ivanov was a steady commander. Without the logistics in place, he wouldn't advance to the final battle.
No matter how the Government of Berlin mobilized, the population had already determined the upper limit. After losing most of their territory, the Kingdom of Prussia only had a population of ten million. Those who could carry a gun were all on the battlefield.
They couldn't compete with the Russians in this aspect. The longer they dragged, the more advantageous it was for the Russians.
Of course, this was only in military terms. Economically, the Tsarist government couldn't hold on any longer. If it wasn't for Ivanov's persistence, the Russian Army would've launched an attack.
Mao Qi naturally didn't know this inside information. Even if he knew, it was useless. They still had to fight.
The government didn't have money, but it didn't mean they couldn't get it. In a crisis, robbing Peter to pay Paul could be used as an emergency measure.
The Russian Empire had a solid foundation. As long as they were willing to pay the price, they could still raise funds for a few months of war.
Mao Qi's efforts didn't go to waste. The Prussian army defeated the Russian Tenth Army that threatened Berlin, the Russian Third Army, and the Sixth Army that drove the refugees. They also heavily damaged the Russian Eighth and Ninth Army stationed in the Poznan area.
If one didn't look at the overall battlefield, no one would believe that the Prussian army with such a strong record was actually struggling before death.
In just two months, Mao Qi caused more than five hundred thousand casualties for the Russians. As the price of victory, the Prussian army also paid nearly three hundred thousand casualties.
In a situation where there was a limited gap between the soldiers, as the attacking side, they were able to fight a 3: 5 exchange ratio. Their tactics were impeccable.
However, the tactical victory still couldn't make up for the strategic loss.
The Russians didn't passively take a beating. Ivanov placed the battlefield in the East Prussia region where the Russian Army had an obvious advantage. As for the Russian Army, their only mission was to stall the Prussian Army's main force.
On March 18, 1880, the Battle of East Prussia ended with the Russian Army's victory after nearly 300,000 casualties.
This was just the beginning. East Prussia was lost, and West Prussia could not stop the advance of Russia. The flames of war continued to burn the hinterland of the Kingdom of Prussia.
…
In the Palace of Vienna, Franz put down the war report in his hand and looked at the map of the Kingdom of Prussia. He knew that the war between Prussia and Russia was about to end.
The Kingdom of Prussia was almost completely weakened. The Rhineland was sold to the German Confederation, Silesia to Austria, and Prussian Saxony.
Now, Poznan was in the hands of Russia, East Prussia was lost, West Prussia was lost, Pomerania was turned into a battlefield, and the foundation of the Juncker nobles was severely damaged.
There was no meaning in continuing the war for Austria. If they didn't stop the war, the Russians would drink the Maod River. This wasn't what Franz wanted to see.
"What's the situation in Prussia and Russia?"
If he wanted to interfere, he would have to first understand the situation in Prussia and Russia. Franz had an intelligence organization and had gotten the information a long time ago, but it couldn't see the light of day.
An intelligence organization that frequently appeared in people's eyes wasn't an intelligence organization. It was more appropriate to call it a government department.
Franz had always played down the existence of the intelligence organization. Other than a few high-ranking government officials and big nobles, no one else knew that the emperor had a secret intelligence organization.
Even if they knew, not many people took it seriously. After all, this organization was too low-key, so low-key that it could be forgotten.
For so many years, other than gathering intelligence, Franz almost never used this secret organization. The missions that were carried out were already exposed and were under the government's control.
Just like the Imperial Secret Service, no matter how important it was or how much it contributed to the country, as long as it threatened their own interests, if they couldn't be controlled, the bureaucrats would find a way to destroy it.
Purposely making things difficult and causing trouble wasn't a big deal. What was troublesome was framing, slandering, and finally using public opinion to pressure the emperor to give up.
History told Franz that emperors who compromised on this issue didn't have a good ending. Whether it was Zhu Yunwen or Zhu Youjian, they were both ready-made negative examples.
Kidnapping by public opinion, moral attack, right? Fine, I'll hide the intelligence organization. Normally, they wouldn't show themselves and only collected dirt on the bureaucrats and interest groups.
These dirt were ammunition. When needed, they could be thrown out to blow up a large number of people.
In comparison, the overseas intelligence business was only a side job. Collecting some basic information wasn't a problem, but the real responsibility was the intelligence organization on the surface, reporting to the emperor and the government.
It was for balance and also practical needs. Being a secret agent was also a high-risk industry, especially when conducting espionage activities overseas. It often required the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to come out and rescue people, and it was inevitable to deal with them.
In addition, when carrying out international diplomacy, intelligence was also needed as support. In order to cooperate with each other, the overseas intelligence organization was also subordinate to the embassy.
Foreign Minister Wesenberg replied, "The situation in the Kingdom of Prussia is very bad. Even if the refugees are expelled, the lives of ordinary people have been affected. Many people rely on wild radishes to fill their stomachs.
According to the news from the embassy, this month alone, the Government of Berlin has suppressed eight strikes and three revolutions. The Kingdom of Prussia is now like a powder keg.
The situation in the Russian Empire is slightly better. The victory on the battlefield has covered up the crisis to a certain extent, but the domestic labor conflict is very serious.
In the past year, more than a hundred strikes broke out one after another, almost catching up with the French.
This winter, which has just ended, more than 50 cities, including St. Peter's Castle, experienced varying degrees of shortage of supplies.
In order to save coal, the residents of St. Peter's Castle have to work together to cook. In many areas, large families have squeezed into one room to keep each other warm. "
The strike in Russia did not attract Franz's attention, mainly because of the freak in France, which had already refreshed his understanding.
It turned out that the French people's love of strikes had a historical heritage. Even in the 19th century, the French people fell in love with this meaningful activity.
Unlike the many challengers in later generations, France now had a three-digit number of strikes every year. It was perennially at the top of the world's strike list. For the time being, there was no one that could compete with them.
Franz had been on the throne for so many years, and the total number of strikes in Austria might not necessarily be as many as the number of strikes in France in a year.
Of course, this was only the number of strikes on a large scale. It had to be more than a thousand people to count. No one knew how many small-scale strikes would occur every day.
Now that he thought about it, France was a combination of France and Italy. They had rich experience in strikes, so it was normal for there to be more strikes.
Winter had passed, and the people's demand for supplies was declining. The Tsarist government had passed the most dangerous moment.
The Government of Berlin was different. The frequent uprisings of the revolutionary party were undoubtedly a sign that Prussia was extremely weak.
War was not a problem. Under the "theocratic" system, the people of Prussia were not afraid of war. The prerequisite was that they had to eat their fill first.
It was absolutely impossible for them to starve. It was not surprising that they had joined forces to expel the refugees. If they could not eat their fill, who would be willing to have another group of people compete for food?
Franz asked doubtfully, "Prussia is connected to us by the Oder River and the Elbe River. The domestic railway network is relatively complete, and we can travel by land and water. There should not be a shortage of food.
Holls, how much food has the Government of Berlin bought from us in the past few months? "
After the sea route was cut off, only Austria, Denmark, and the German Confederation were left to trade with the Kingdom of Prussia.
There was no doubt that the Government of Berlin would have to look for Austria to import food. The other two countries did not have that much food to sell to them.
Agriculture Minister Holls said, "After Christmas, we have exported 768,000 tons of agricultural products to the Kingdom of Prussia, including 200,000 tons of flour, 300,000 tons of potatoes, 120,000 tons of corn, 20,000 tons of soybeans, and 30,000 tons of meat products …"
The number of potatoes exported exceeded that of flour. Franz knew that this was a precursor to the collapse of Prussia's economy. Only when they really could not hold on would they purchase cheaper potatoes on a large scale.
Franz sighed, "At this time, there are still people who are hoarding. William the First's control over the country is really not good. They lost this time.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs intervened to mediate. The Kingdom of Prussia is about to collapse, and the Russians are almost done eating. I believe they will not refuse our mediation this time.
Try to hold this international conference in Vienna. Now we need to let everyone see that we are working hard to maintain the territorial integrity of the German Region. "
The result was not important. It was enough to let everyone see the efforts of the Government of Vienna.
War was a high-risk activity. As the defeated party, the Government of Berlin would definitely pay a heavy price this time.
This was what Franz was happy to see. Without a sense of crisis, how could the various states in the German Region realize the importance of Austria?
The arrogant Kingdom of Prussia could be used as a negative example to awaken the German people's sense of crisis and let the idea of Grand Unification take root in the hearts of the people.
This meant that the Government of Vienna would not help the Kingdom of Prussia deal with the aftermath. They had to pay their own debts, and a harsh armistice was inevitable.
The Foreign Minister Wesenberg asked with uncertainty, "Your Majesty, it is not good to abandon the British so early, right?"
The Government of London had been calling for mediation for a few months, but there was no result.
If at this time, the Government of Vienna achieved its goal by taking action, it would be a slap in the face.
This was not only a matter of face, but also international influence. It was conceivable that after the Vienna Peace Conference, the reputation of the British in Europe would fall to the bottom.
Franz shook his head, "It will come to this sooner or later. If we don't take advantage of the opportunity to weaken the British, we don't know when we will have the next opportunity.
Don't you think it is very interesting to let the European countries think that Britannia is declining?
Napoleon Iv, who has endured for so many years, should shine his own light. If he continues like this, he will probably go crazy.
You know, the Government of London is ready to merge with Prussia and establish North Germany to fight against us. If they dare to do this, it is not too much for us to fight back! "
It was not that Franz underestimated Napoleon Iv, but the internal situation in France was really not good. Compared to Napoleon Iii, his control over the country was much weaker.
In recent years, France had fallen, not only because of the objective lack of resources, but also because of the changes in the government's economic policy.
Sometimes, the more you do, the more mistakes you make. How about developing North Africa? Of course, it would be good to add a resource source and a commodity sales market, but the problem was that it had to be developed.
The government's policies seemed good, and many of them were based on the successful experience of Austria, but the key was that the national conditions were different.
First of all, the Government of Paris lacked the ability to execute. Napoleon Iv did not have the prestige to say what he said, and the French cabinet did not have the ability to coordinate effectively.
This was a trap left by Napoleon Iii. Although it cleared the obstacles for Napoleon Iv to take power, the price paid was the escalation of the internal political struggle.
Napoleon Iv did not have enough prestige. In order to control the government, he could only play balance in the government, and the internal struggle consumed a large part of the energy of the Government of France.
Second was the problem of cultural tradition. Whether it was France or Italians, influenced by the maritime civilization, they were keen on business and had no love for farming.
Even if they brought people to the colonies, they had to stay in the cities. There were too few people who were willing to take root and open up wastelands.
Capitalists obviously lacked interest in remote colonies. Even if they invested in colonies, they preferred mining, which was a profitable business.
Occasionally, there were a few plantations, but they were national treasures, and there were too few of them.
People were impetuous. Everyone liked to chase overnight wealth and did not want to struggle bit by bit. There was no market in France to get rich through hard work.
The social environment could not be changed by one's strength. If you couldn't change the society, you could only change yourself.
If Napoleon Iv was mediocre, it would be fine. With France's strong capital, it would not be a problem to maintain its status as a great power.
If there was ambition, it would be a tragedy. If ambition exceeded strength, it would inevitably be beaten by society.
Looking at Franz's expression, Wesenberg wanted to say something but stopped. He wanted to say that the British plan was all Austria's indulgence.
To establish North Germany, not only Hanover and Prussia were enough, but they also had to rope in other German states.
With more people involved, keeping it a secret would naturally be a joke.
Perhaps the British didn't realize the problem. After all, the Government of London was really careful this time. The targets were all states that had a distant relationship with Austria.
At this point in the plan, there were not more than thirty people who knew about it. All of them were the absolute top officials of each country, and there was no possibility of betrayal.
In theory, as the master of the country, it was impossible to betray themselves. However, there were exceptions to everything. If someone found out that the situation in North Germany was not good and wanted to leave a way out for themselves, then there was no other way.
If it was the merger of Puder at its peak, Franz would definitely find a way to stop it. However, at this point, it was no longer important whether Puder merged or not.
This war had caused too much damage to the Kingdom of Prussia. They lost a lot of territory, population, and were also burdened with huge debts. It was a complete mess.
If North Germany was established, the central government would not have the energy to do anything else. They must first find a way to keep the Kingdom of Prussia alive.
This was no joke. After the war, there were a lot of orphans and widows in the Kingdom of Prussia. The economy was in decline, and without an injection of funds, they would collapse on their own.
At this time, the British couldn't be counted on. They weren't doing charity. If they really thought that they had good intentions by messing with North Germany, don't even think about it.
In addition to the need to balance Austria, it was probably more to let the Kingdom of Prussia's debts be fulfilled normally. The former was just a slogan, and the latter was what the domestic interest groups needed.
As soon as he thought about the huge debt the Government of Berlin was carrying, Franz backed down. This time, he really couldn't afford it.
The British's debts + the debts of other countries + domestic debts + compensation for the casualties of the soldiers + post-war reconstruction costs. There might even be a war reparations to be paid to the Russians.
The North Germany Empire was such a nice name. First, he should help the Government of Berlin pay the debt. Otherwise, why would the Kingdom of Prussia come in?
1 billion SD didn't seem to be enough to pay the British's debts. 2 billion SD didn't seem to be enough to fill this hole. 3 billion SD should be enough, but who knew until the dust settled?
3 billion SD, what kind of concept was that?
The current revenue of the new Holy Roman Empire's central government was less than 200 million SD, and 15 years of revenue wouldn't be enough to fill this hole.
Of course, this 3 billion SD didn't need to be paid in one go. It was calculated with the interest of the funds, and the funds needed to be paid in the end.
If it was the capital, not even the Government of Vienna could take over, let alone the North Germany that hadn't been born yet.
Even if it could be paid in installments, the Government of Berlin didn't have the ability to pay such a huge debt, and this required micro-manipulation.
Franz was almost clear about what the Government of Berlin would do next. First of all, he couldn't care less about his face anymore. He would print money at full capacity and use inflation to erase the domestic debts.
He would also slowly grind down the international loans, and strive to get the creditors to waive part of the interest. It would be best to only repay the capital. All the bonds issued would be deferred, and they would be repaid when they had the money.
He estimated that he could cut it in half, but the Government of Berlin still couldn't afford it, so he could only ask the central government to share part of the debt.
The problem was, would the other countries be willing to pay for the Kingdom of Prussia? When it came to their own interests, what was the North Germany Empire?
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
