Chapter 730

The changes at the Paris Conference were passed on to Franz. Metternich expressed her views, and the senior government officials in Vienna also made suggestions.

In general, Austria's original plan was to annex South Germany. Now that Baden couldn't be kept, there was an additional Saxony.

In terms of territory, the two were about the same. Obviously, Saxony was more important to Austria. Not to mention the industry, at least the population was hundreds of thousands more than the Duchy of Baden.

The plan to divide Germany into three was part of Austria's unification plan. It was first proposed by Metternich, and she started to arrange it as early as a few years ago.

However, the original ideal plan was to integrate the small states in North Germany and establish a new country to stop Prussia from unifying North Germany.

Without a doubt, if this plan was proposed by Austria, it would fail 100%. The Government of Prussia probably wouldn't even think about it and would roll up their sleeves to do it.

Therefore, this big task could only be completed by the British. In the early stage, the Government of Austria also had to be timid enough to make the Government of Prussia think that under international pressure, Austria would admit defeat and leave the German Region.

Once Austria was out, there would be no suspense for the Kingdom of Prussia to unify the German Region. Under this temptation, Frederick William IV Of Denmark couldn't hold back and missed the opportunity to divide Germany into two.

Franz didn't have the ability to order the British. He could only make the British think that dividing Germany into three was in their best interest. To be precise, he wanted the capitalists in London to think that dividing Germany into three could protect their market.

Austria didn't have the ability to interfere with the Government of London's decision. At most, they could buy some experts and scholars to create public opinion.

They couldn't even have anything to do with Austria. From the beginning to the end, it was done by the Bavarian government, and the money and manpower were all provided by Maximilian II Of Macedon.

The theory of dividing Germany into three was first deceived by Maximilian II Of Macedon. In history, it was also the Kingdom of Bavaria who proposed the idea of dividing Germany into three, but it didn't succeed due to lack of strength.

On the surface, the Austrian Foreign Ministry didn't seem to have done anything, but in fact, Metternich did a lot.

In order to make the Bavarian government believe that as long as the Great Powers supported, dividing Germany into three could be a success. The Government of Austria spent millions of Duns on propaganda every year.

Austria controlled the beginning, but couldn't control the end. It was unreliable to control a country's government's decision. Trying to control the rhythm was simply a dream.

Without much hesitation, Franz made a decision. "Send a message to the Vienna government. They can make some concessions, but don't make it too obvious. We also need to use the pressure from other countries to force the Prussian government to give up the Rhineland."

Originally, the establishment of a new country was to contain the Kingdom of Prussia. But now, the British actually proposed a strategic buffer, letting the Kingdom of Prussia and the new country exchange territory.

This must be supported. Throughout history, most of the famous diplomatic allusions began with whimsical ideas. If there were no surprises, could this still be considered a classic?

The Rhineland didn't seem to be famous. Everyone knew about the Ruhr area or the Rhine Ruhr area.

It had 80% of Germany's hard coal, 90% of coke, and 60% of steel. It was also the most important machinery manufacturing center in the German Region. It was known as the "heart of German industry."

Without the Rhineland, could the Kingdom of Prussia rise as it did in history?

Obviously, it was impossible.

Of course, the importance of the Rhineland in this era wasn't as great as it was in later years. The local industry had just started in the mid-19th century.

Otherwise, when Austria invaded South Germany, Napoleon Iii would have rushed forward without a care.

Even if the proposal failed, the Kingdom of Prussia would refuse to change land. It didn't matter. When France lacked coal in the future, Napoleon Iii would definitely provoke the Franco-Prussian war.

Even if he didn't want to fight, the French capitalists would find a way to start a war. If it didn't work, Austria could add fuel to the fire.

If the people of Prussia won, Austria would divide the new country with them. If the French won, then it would be even better. Austria would annex the new country in one go, just in time to balance the French who annexed the Rhineland industrial area!

…

Berlin

Ever since the British proposal came out, the Government of Prussia was in an uproar. Frederick William IV was so angry that he cursed out loud. No one was a fool. Wasn't the main purpose of them following the British for their own benefits?

Now, Austria was kicked out of the competition, but they also took away a large amount of inheritance. Not only did the Kingdom of Prussia not get any benefits, but it was also kicked out of the German Region.

He didn't need to think to know the reason. It was benefits.

The new regime would definitely be pro-British in the future. After Belgium, the Government of London put another nail in the European continent.

It was called a strategic buffer. In fact, this buffer not only restricted Austria, but it also cut off the Kingdom of Prussia's road to becoming a great power.

Frederick William IV Of Denmark asked angrily, "What about Austria? What's their reaction? Are they going to let the British do whatever they want?"

Foreign Minister Andrea replied, "Your Majesty, Austria's attitude is very contradictory. They seem to be hesitating. They don't want to give up the Duchy of Baden, but they also don't want the negotiations to break down.

Now, all the pressure is on us. Whether we agree to the change of land or not, this new country will be born. "

To put it simply, this country would be born in accordance with the interests of a great power. However, the Kingdom of Prussia could reject the proposal of the change of land. The other countries didn't force them to agree.

"If we join forces with Austria now, how high is the success rate of dividing the German Region?" Frederick William IV Of Denmark asked with concern.

What England? In the face of benefits, Frederick William IV Of Denmark still mustered up his courage and wanted to take a gamble.

"Your Majesty, the premise is that the Austrians are willing to join forces with us. The situation has changed now. Austria has almost gotten everything they want except for the Duchy of Baden.

What benefits would they gain by joining forces with us now? Unless we make a major concession in the distribution of benefits! "Foreign Minister Andrea replied.

Frederick William IV Of Denmark was silent. If they were to make concessions now, once Austria annexed the central German Region, the Kingdom of Prussia's territory would be too small.

A small territory and a small population meant that the potential for development would be limited. The dream of a great power must first be big enough!

According to Austria's original proposal, the Kingdom of Prussia that annexed North Germany had a population of more than 20 million and a territory of nearly 380,000 square kilometers. The price was to offend England and France.

If they started a war now, they would also offend England and France, but the benefits would be much smaller. Frederick William IV Of Denmark was naturally unwilling.

"Your Majesty, the opportunity has been missed. Why don't we wait for the next opportunity? The European continent can't be balanced forever. As long as the Anglo-Russian Fao's power is unbalanced, war is inevitable, "Josef von Radowitz said after thinking for a while.

After pacing around for a while, Frederick William IV Of Denmark said, "What about the exchange of land? Should we reject it?"

"Your Majesty, from a strategic point of view, after we exchange the Rhineland region, we can centralize our territory and ensure national security. We can also avoid a border with the French.

However, the resources of the Rhineland region are also very important to us. Even if we exchange it with the economically developed Hamburg region, we will still be at a disadvantage, "Josef von Radowitz replied.

It was a dilemma, and Josef von Radowitz suspected that the English proposal had been ill-intentioned. Of course, it might not be aimed at the Kingdom of Prussia. It was more likely to provoke a conflict with the Fao.

Once the Rhineland region fell into the hands of the new country, Austria would definitely not be able to accept the French's future intentions. If the British added more force, both sides would start fighting.

If the Government of Prussia rejected the exchange of land, then the situation would change. At that time, it might not be Austria but the Kingdom of Prussia that would replace it.

This was only a guess based on his intuition. Reason told him that it was not reliable. Thanks to the prestige of Napoleon the Great, as long as the French expanded, there would be a strong reaction from everyone. Napoleon Iii would not be so unwise.

…

While the people of Prussia were hesitating, Metternich also had a headache. Many countries in the German Region were waiting for Austria's reply.

In theory, the German Confederation had not been dissolved yet. The governments of the various countries were waiting for Austria's stance on whether or not to dissolve the federal parliament.

The British proposal to divide Germany into three was not kept secret. Almost everyone knew about it. For the governments of these countries, forming a new country would naturally guarantee their interests.

However, they were all experienced and would not show any expressions of surprise at this time. Instead, their faces were gloomy, as if they were all against the dissolution of the German Confederation.

Facing a group of actors, Metternich only felt a headache. Even though she knew that they were putting on a show, Metternich had to play along with them.

If she did not do enough acting, how could she explain to the people in her country?

The unification of Germany was aborted, but they all tried their best. If you don't believe me, you can see that we are harassing every day. No, we are visiting the politicians of various countries, although we can't see them.

Others could not see these people, but Metternich could not avoid them. She could only brace herself to receive them. Everyone sighed together about the hardships of the unification of Germany, then scolded the interfering countries and went home.

In short, everyone here was a supporter of the unification of the German Region. There were absolutely no selfish people, at least that was what it seemed.

Under these circumstances, Metternich still had to visit the representatives of various countries every day and work hard to gain everyone's support.

Up until now, Austria had obtained the understanding and support of Naples, the Papal Kingdom, Tuscany, and other countries.

Even the attitudes of Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and other countries had changed. Considering the relationship of religious beliefs, everyone recognized the unification of Austria and South Germany.

As the saying goes, the first drumbeat of energy, the second weak, and the third exhausted. The interfering coalition, which had not yet been formed, had already been divided and disintegrated without anyone noticing.

On October 1, 1853, the Paris Conference, which lasted more than a month, came to an end. Under Metternich's insistence, Austria successfully annexed Bavaria, Saxony, Württemberg, Frankfurt, Hesse, Darmstadt, and other areas.

(Bavaria lost an enclave, Pfalz.)

The land area increased by about 114,000 square kilometers and the population increased by about 9.5 million, taking the first step on the road to unification of Germany.

Under the principle of unity of the major powers, the remaining states of the German Region, except for the Kingdom of Prussia, merged into the German Federal Empire, restoring the ancient traditional elective system.

The issue of the exchange of territory between the Kingdom of Prussia and the German Federal Empire was currently in a stalemate. The Government of Prussia's appetite was too big, and it was resisted by many states, especially the governments of the states that exchanged areas.

If it was only the government that opposed it, then the states could still suppress it, but the problem was that the people's reaction was even more intense. Most of the embassies of the Kingdom of Prussia in the German Region were besieged by the people.

This intense reaction directly shook the Government of Prussia's determination to exchange land. Frederick William IV Of Denmark did not want to rule a group of mobs. He had not forgotten the lesson of the Berlin Revolution.

Compared to stability, national strategy could be put aside. Moreover, the Rhineland region had great potential for development, and the Government of Prussia was reluctant to give it up.

If the benefits were too great, then it was not impossible to exchange. Obviously, it was not possible now. The German Confederation only agreed to the exchange of equal area, but the Government of Prussia did not agree to it.

If it was not for the face of the great powers, perhaps the negotiations would have ended by now.

After receiving the final decision of the Paris Conference, Franz let out a deep sigh of relief. Of course, he did not show his joy.

In the eyes of the outside world, Emperor Franz was now in a towering rage. In order to protest against the unfair treatment of the Paris Conference, he also wrote an essay called "Dark Days" in a very pretentious manner.

"Today is the darkest day of my life. The German Region has been forcibly divided by a group of shameless bandits and a national traitor.

Even God frowned. When the sun shone on the ground, only a few thin and weak rays of light were left.

The wind is howling, and a storm is coming. Is the great Germany ready?

Ready to welcome the wind and the rain, to welcome this dark moment.

This is a world of the strong. My people, you must be strong. The wind cannot blow us down, and the rain cannot crush us.

The only thing that can defeat us is ourselves! Only by being strong and facing everything bravely, the dark days will pass, and there will always be a rainbow after the storm.

… "

Before he returned to Vienna, Franz's essay was first passed to the German Region. Even if the telegram fee was sky-high in this era, he was not stingy.

Public opinion naturally had to seize the opportunity, and in this regard, Franz was very experienced. At this time, the people of the German Region were probably not in a good mood. Naturally, Franz had to stand with the people.

For the sake of the future, at this time, he had to call on everyone to hold on and never give in to reality. The division was only temporary, and the unification of the German Region was only a matter of time.

As long as the flag of unification did not fall, it was equivalent to opening a back door for the future expansion of Austria.

Influenced by Franz, the Government of Vienna also canceled the originally planned celebration. The whole government seemed to be sad for the division of the German Region.