Metternich replied helplessly, "Your Highness, the Government of France has always been inefficient. They're still discussing in parliament at this time!"
He was impressed by the French's efficiency. Both sides had signed a treaty and all the conditions had been agreed upon in advance. Yet, they still dropped the ball when it was time to take action.
"Why? Did the French suddenly lose interest in the Regions of Italy and want to go back on their word?" Prime Minister Felix asked doubtfully.
Metternich did not know whether to laugh or cry. "No, the Government of France has no intention of going back on their word. They're now debating how many troops to send, who will be the commander, and which troops to send."
Thinking about it made him speechless. They still had to let the parliament decide on such a small matter. Austria would probably have finished dealing with the Kingdom of Sardinia before they could come to a conclusion.
Franz rubbed his forehead and said, "Forget it. Our French ally is unreliable. Fortunately, we didn't expect them to do anything. As long as they don't cause trouble, it's fine.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is keeping an eye on the British. With their style, they will definitely do something at this time. Don't give them a chance. "
According to the Austro-French secret treaty, the French should have sent troops to raid the Sardinians' nest and destroy the Kingdom of Sardinia during the Battle of Venice. Then, the two sides would divide the land of the Kingdom of Sardinia equally.
Now that the Battle of Venice was over, and the French parliament had yet to come up with a result, Franz no longer expected the French to do much.
"Your Highness, the French parliament has been unable to come up with a result. This is partly due to the British. Many pro-British MPs are also opposed to sending troops.
It's just that the temptation of Italy is too great, and the powerful people in France can't resist it at all. The French bourgeoisie and the military are pushing for this military action, which overwhelmed the voices of opposition, "Metternich replied.
Franz was not surprised by the British's intervention. If the Fao and the two countries divided the Kingdom of Sardinia, John Bull would lose at least tens of millions of pounds in loans and a large piece of interest in the Regions of Italy.
However, the internal problems of France were still somewhat beyond his expectations. He had thought that the division of the Kingdom of Sardinia would go smoothly with Austria making major concessions and the promotion of the bourgeoisie and the military. He did not expect it to still be stuck.
As the saying goes, a long night brings many dreams. The longer it dragged, the more the British could do, and the smaller the chances of the two countries dividing the Kingdom of Sardinia.
However, the French would not give up easily. No matter who the government was, they had to consider the voices of the interest groups.
France had been suppressed for too long and had been silent for too long. The interest groups were crying piteously for food. It would not be easy for them to give up the fat meat that was delivered to their doorstep.
"Your Highness, if the French can't fulfill their promise, Prince," Duke said.
A strong France is not in our interest, especially if we let them expand their influence into Italy! "Grand Duke Louis said after thinking for a while.
The temptation of swallowing Italy was too great. The military operation that was too smooth had also stimulated the ambitions of some people within Austria. Grand Duke Louis was only speaking on behalf of these people.
"France" and "Great risk" Bull "France." Bull "France," French "Charles" King "France's Italy was the time." Austria "." Germany. "
Franz thought for a while and said, "It's too risky for us to take Sardinia alone. We also have to consider the attitude of the Great Powers. We may be suppressed by Britain and France."
If Austria had the strength of Germany and France, it would not be impossible for them to swallow Italy.
He did not mention Russia and Prussia because they were at loggerheads and had no time to care about Italy.
After the March Revolution in Berlin, Prussia's Liberal Foreign Minister, Baron Arnim, came to power. He pursued a pro-British and anti-Russian foreign policy.
He saw through Russia and thought that Russia was just a giant with feet made of mud. Prussia's Liberals, led by him, advocated supporting the Polish revolution to weaken Russia.
Of course, Prussia's Liberals were not internationalist fighters. They supported the French Restoration Movement and even threw away Poland. Their main purpose was to contain Russia and create favorable conditions for the unification of the German Region.
Fortunately, Frederick William IV Of Denmark stopped the operation in time. Otherwise, Prussia would have started fighting with Russia.
However, the Liberals did not stay idle. They set their eyes on the two German duchies, Schleswig and Holstein. Right after the Berlin Revolution, they asked Denmark to incorporate the two duchies into Germany.
This was obviously not possible. If they could not fight with words, they would fight with force. On April 10th, Prussia took military action against Denmark, and on April 23rd, the two countries officially declared war.
There was no doubt that the fallen Kingdom of Denmark could not defeat Prussia. They were beaten by Prussia. On May 21st, Prussia's army had reached the Jutland Peninsula.
The Danish government saw that it could not go on like this. The enemy was too strong. They had no choice but to use their ultimate move – to summon their boss.
Seeing that their underlings were being bullied, the boss of Russia naturally had to stand up. Otherwise, where would the Hairy Bear put his face?
"Your Royal Highness is right. The risk of annexing the Kingdom of Sardinia alone is too great. Just look at Prussia. They want to annex Schleswig and Holstein. Now they are in a difficult position. "Prime Minister Felix echoed.
Thinking about Frederick William IV Of Denmark, Franz's mood was much better. They were also sharpening their knives and preparing to slaughter the sheep. The diplomatic situation of the Government of Austria was much better.
This war was initiated by the Kingdom of Sardinia. The Kingdom of Sardinia was in the wrong, and all the responsibility for the war could only be borne by themselves. The international public opinion was mostly inclined towards Austria.
In this era, Italy was just a place. No one had recognized it as a country. The so-called unification of the Regions of Italy could not be used as a legal basis to start a war.
In the eyes of the international community, this war was an invasion launched by the Sardinians. Austria did not need to bear moral responsibility. This was also the reason why the British clearly supported the Kingdom of Sardinia but did not take any actual action.
The German Region was also just a place. The two German duchies, Schleswig and Holstein, had nothing to do with Prussia in the eyes of the outside world.
Of course, even if there was a relationship, no one would admit it. Otherwise, wouldn't Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg also belong to Germany?
At least in the Frankfurt Conference, these areas and the two duchies, Schleswig and Holstein, were considered part of Germany.
The lack of legal basis made the military action of Prussia unjustified and weak, and it fell into a passive situation in diplomacy.
