Chapter 582

With the withdrawal of the army, the Mexican affairs came to an end for the time being. As for the southern territories that were forcibly occupied, they would have to wait for later.

These days, the colonists were not to be trifled with. Even if the Government of Vienna ordered them to give up, they might not let go. With the current strength of the Mexican government army, they might not necessarily be able to defeat these plantation owners.

This was proven in the Civil War. When fighting for themselves, the plantation owners could always burst out with greater potential.

No matter what Maximilian I Of Castile thought, Franz immediately ordered him to be "escorted" back to Vienna. From the literal meaning, the process was certainly not so harmonious.

This was a small problem. Being able to bring him back to Vienna alive, Franz could already report to the elderly Empress Dowager Sophie. The farce that happened halfway was not worth mentioning at all.

Now, Franz was shocked by a sudden invitation. Monaco was independent, and Charles III invited him to attend the ceremony.

It had to be said that the French really knew how to play. In order to reverse their unfavorable image in the world, Napoleon Iii actually allowed Monaco to be independent.

Monaco was just a small country with a territory of less than 2 square kilometers and a population of less than 10,000. It was estimated that Charles III could walk on the street and call out the names of every citizen.

On the surface, whether Monaco was independent or not didn't matter to France. But from a political point of view, the situation was completely different. This would stimulate the Italian independence movement.

If a small country like Monaco could achieve independence through an independence movement, would the Italians be able to endure it?

Of course, the benefits were also very great. Monaco's independence was highly praised by the European world, and the image of Napoleon Iii in the newspapers suddenly improved.

If he could continue to work hard and make Italy independent, he would be a saint of the 19th century. Maybe he could even become the father of the Italian nation. He was the one who brought several Italian states together.

Franz couldn't remember when the original Monaco was independent. Anyway, it was in the era of Napoleon Iii.

Now Franz had to admit that the evaluation of Napoleon Iii by the keyboard warrior in his previous life was still reasonable: "Smart in small things, stupid in big things."

This was in line with the character of Napoleon Iii. In Kissinger's words, "Napoleon Iii didn't like domestic affairs, but made outstanding contributions to France's internal affairs; liked diplomacy, but made a mess of diplomacy.

Devoted his life to the fight for colonies, but had no strategy; wanted to prevent the unification of the German Region, but helped Prussia complete the unification of Germany, and lost his empire. "

Not only did he help Prussia unify Germany, but he also helped Sardinia unify Italy. The life of Napoleon III in the original space-time was a song of madness.

In fact, it was almost the same now. It seemed that Napoleon III's achievements had surpassed those of the same period in history, and now he was messing around again.

If the current Great French Empire wanted long-term peace and stability, the first thing to do was to cut off the possibility of independence and kill all the independent organizations.

The Italian independence movement wouldn't stop if they didn't intimidate the latecomers. It wasn't that political means couldn't be used, but the problem was that it was too troublesome to operate, and the hidden dangers were very big.

Franz didn't think it could be done, so Austria had been enforcing the policy of ethnic integration. Even if there were people who resisted, children wouldn't.

Compulsory education was a movement of ethnic integration. The new generation that grew up, even if there were traces of the original ethnic group, had completed the German language.

France also needed a movement of ethnic integration. Even if the Italians weren't easy to integrate, it had to be promoted. Otherwise, France and Italy would go their separate ways sooner or later.

Franz didn't know what Napoleon Iii was thinking. In short, it was another political failure. Even if it was to release a smoke bomb and confuse the international community, Monaco shouldn't be independent at this time.

If it was Franz, he would rather let the Regions of Italy be independent and get a chance to unify the western part of the Rhineland River.

In addition to the people, Italy's handicraft industry was relatively developed, and the economy seemed to be developing well. However, these people couldn't be integrated and couldn't increase the national strength of France.

On the contrary, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Rhineland region had the coal and iron resources that France needed, which could greatly increase the overall national strength of France.

The local population wasn't as large as the Regions of Italy, so it was relatively easier to integrate.

It wasn't that there wasn't an opportunity. In fact, France had missed two opportunities to annex these places. When Austria unified South Germany, and during the Prussian War, it was an opportunity for France to make a move.

Don't be fooled by Franz's arrogance. In fact, if the French really wanted to annex the territory west of the Rhine River, Austria really couldn't do anything to them.

The prerequisite was that Napoleon was willing to give up the Regions of Italy. Without the directly bordering territory, Austria would have to make a cross-border expedition. Franz didn't have this kind of internationalist spirit.

If they won, they would get a few words of thanks, but they had to be responsible for the expenses of the war. Unless they could fight to Paris in one go, the French wouldn't lose money. If they lost, it would be even worse, and it might cause internal unrest.

"What does the Ministry of Foreign Affairs think of Monaco's independence? What is Napoleon Iii up to?"

Although he couldn't see the French's purpose, Franz still thought there was something more to it. Even if Napoleon Iii lost his head for a moment, it was impossible for the entire Government of Paris to follow suit.

The Foreign Minister Wesenberg replied, "Your Majesty, the issues involved in Monaco's independence are very complicated, and it also involves England and Spain.

Before the Napoleonic era, Monaco had always been a Spanish protectorate, and it became a protectorate under France at the end of the 18th century.

In order to annex here, the French also did a lot of work, but because the regime changed too frequently, Monaco was gradually ignored by the Government of Paris.

After so many years, the local call for independence had never weakened. The French were only a nominal suzerain, and they didn't control the local area.

This time, Monaco's independence was led by the British. As the price of independence, the Monaco government also gave up sovereignty over the two major towns of Menton and Roquebrun, and the territory was reduced by 90%.

The Government of Paris agreed to Monaco's independence mainly to legally annex Menton and Roquebrun, and to clean up the radical independence elements. "

Sure enough, there was a story behind it. Franz couldn't pay attention to a small place like Monaco. The small states in the German Region gave him a headache.

On the surface, it seemed that the French made a profit. They annexed more than 90% of Monaco's territory, and it was an economically developed area, and then they sent the independence elements away.

In fact, this was not the immediate problem. It could only be judged by the subsequent impact. It seemed that the British were digging a trap for the French. Franz began to be secretly vigilant. If he was accidentally tricked by John Bull, it would be a tragedy.

"Well, in that case, as an ally, we will create artificial momentum for France. Their international image is too bad, and they need to repair it.

Don't do it too deliberately. The French should also know the consequences of Morocco's independence. If we do it too much, it will easily make them vigilant. "

This pit was not big enough to bury the French Empire. Even if it stimulated the Italian independence movement, it would be difficult to play a role in the short term.

Some people opposed the merger with France, and there were also people who supported the merger with the French. Napoleon Iii did not work for nothing. He still had a group of supporters in the Regions of Italy.

Although there were more opponents, these people only talked about it. If they were really asked to take up arms and fight the French, it was estimated that most Italians did not have the courage.

Dripping water penetrates a stone, not a day's work.

Since the British made a move, Franz was naturally willing to cooperate. A strong France was not in Austria's interest. It was better to weaken a little.

After a pause, Franz added, "We also have to be wary of the British's little tricks. Some seemingly inconspicuous actions may actually cause a disaster in the future.

The bait thrown by the British, as long as the consequences cannot be determined, just give up. God told us that greed is the original sin of mankind. Everyone must be vigilant. "

Looking at Franz's cautious warning, everyone looked at each other. They secretly wondered: Is the British so scary?

…

In Paris, Napoleon Iii put down the newspaper in his hand with satisfaction. Since the announcement of Monaco's independence, European public opinion sang praises, which made him feel a little light-headed.

A good reputation was not a drawback. If a monarch did not even want his reputation, it would be disastrous. But if it was too much, it would be troublesome. One bad move and he would pay a heavy price.

Letting Monaco be independent, Napoleon Iii also hesitated. As early as a few years ago, he was ready to do so. But in order to expand in the Regions of Italy, he considered the political impact, so it was delayed until now.

The great powers also needed to show off. Establishing a small village-level Principality of Monaco was an important part of it.

Looking at the European countries, only France did not have a younger brother to wave the flag and shout for support on the international stage, which made Napoleon Iii very embarrassed.

Every time an international conference was held, France's proposal had to wait for the big powers to shout out before anyone responded. If a few big European countries remained silent, then there would be no response.

Nowadays, the small European countries basically had a big boss. If one wanted to rope them in, the price needed to pay was too high.

Since there were no younger brothers, then it was better to create younger brothers. This was how Monaco's independence came about, which was completely different from the outside world's speculation.

If it was not for Napoleon Iii's needs, the British would not have succeeded no matter how hard they tried. Although Monaco was already independent, it was actually a country within a country.

Except for one side facing the sea, the other three sides were surrounded by France, and the politics and economy were inseparable from France's control.

Napoleon Iii asked lovingly, "Eugène, do you understand?"

(Eugène's full name: Napoleon Eugène Louis Jean-Joseph Bonaparte)

Napoleon Iii had several sons, but he only had one legitimate son. Moreover, he had a son in his middle age, so he was naturally valued.

Although he was not yet 16 years old, Napoleon Iii brought him into contact with government affairs. This young crown prince became a unique existence in French politics.

Crown Prince Eugène nodded, then shook his head and said, "I understand a little, but I don't understand. Since we know that the British are up to no good, why should we accept their suggestion?

With or without Monaco, France will not be of much help, but it will bring about a lot of hidden dangers. Why should we let them be independent? "

Napoleon Iii smiled and patted his son's head, saying earnestly, "You can't look at a problem on the surface. Monaco's independence will stimulate the Italians' desire for independence.

But without Monaco's independence, wouldn't the Italians want to be independent?

The British are indeed up to no good in encouraging Monaco's independence. If we don't deliberately show them a weakness to attract their attention, they will still be stirring up trouble elsewhere.

Remember, an enemy exposed in front of your eyes is never as scary as an enemy hidden in the dark. France is already very strong, and the only one who can defeat us is ourselves!

As for the Italian independence organization, they are a bunch of clowns hiding in the corner. If they don't come out, we won't be able to find them. Once they come out, we can catch them all.

France's real enemy is not this bunch of rats that can't see the light. The only countries that are qualified to be taken seriously are Britain and Austria. Prussia and Russia are only half of them. "

Eugène nodded reluctantly, as if he had learned something, or as if …