Since both sides didn't want to fight, then they could only negotiate. On May 2, 1866, representatives of Austria and France held secret talks in Naples.
The interests of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies were just an appetizer. The most important thing was the great strategy of the two countries to divide the European continent.
There was no overnight hatred in the face of interests. The military conflict between Fao and the two countries, both sides tacitly pushed the blame to the British.
Anyway, the British were not there, so they couldn't defend themselves. It was good for everyone to let them take the blame.
Compared with the conflict between Fao, the conflict between Britain and France was actually much deeper. In Franz's view, the current conflict between Britain and Austria was deeper than the conflict between Fao.
The British's little tricks on the African continent seriously affected Austria's African strategy. For Franz, who was interested in localizing Africa, this was impossible to compromise.
In contrast, the conflict between Fao was easy to deal with. Before dividing the European continent, the two countries still had a series of interests to exchange.
Under common interests, the conflict between the two sides could be suppressed.
On the contrary, the conflict between Britain and Austria in Africa was difficult to solve. With John's style, it would be strange if he could sit back and watch Franz complete the strategic layout!
It was Austria's national policy not to have a conflict with two great powers at the same time. For the sake of safety, now it was necessary to take the French into the gutter.
This strategic negotiation to divide the European continent was to fool Napoleon Iii. As long as the French took the first step, they would be isolated!
It was not the current level of isolation. The vigilance of small countries was not worth mentioning. Only the hostility of the great powers could really make the French feel uncomfortable.
To some extent, Franz didn't mind that the French strategy could succeed. Only by reaching that step, could they really cross the France Empire.
Just think about it, a France + three-quarters of the Regions of Italy + Belgium + all the territories west of the Rhine River in Germany. With the appearance of such a giant, was there any other choice except for the anti-French alliance?
This trap was the strategic plan of the French in the original time and space. No, in the original time and space, Napoleon Iii planned to swallow Italy. With the rise of Austria, it had now shrunk.
The Fao's war was part of their strategy to annex Italy. It was just that Napoleon Iii's plan failed in practice.
In order to annex Luxembourg and Belgium, there was even a European crisis, which was suppressed by the United Kingdom, Russia, and Poland.
Franz's strategy of dividing up Europe was almost a copy of the French's strategy to fool Napoleon Iii.
It was just that France's military strength was insufficient more than a decade ago. Napoleon Iii had just ascended to the throne and coincided with the Near Eastern War, so they did not dare to take the risk.
Now that France's military strength had been developed and Russia had been weakened, they were unable to intervene in European affairs in a short period of time. Naturally, Napoleon Iii's ambition could not be suppressed any longer.
Reaching out to the Kingdom of Two Sicilies was to test Austria's reaction. Now that the results were out, it was naturally time to wrangle.
If Austria did not have enough benefits, even if he wanted to fool Napoleon Iii, he would not dare to directly implement this crazy strategy.
Only when both sides had common interests and everyone took action at the same time could Napoleon Iii rest assured.
There were too many exchanges of interests and involved in all aspects. This negotiation was bound to be long. In comparison, getting Francesco II to leave was not worth mentioning.
While the Fao was negotiating, the Prussian War broke out again. The British were still very helpful this time. Although they did not find an ally for Russia in Europe, they still had results in Central Asia.
Under the British's plan, at the end of April 1866, the people of Samarkand broke out in an anti-Russian uprising, which started the wave of resistance against Tsar's rule in Central Asia.
Not only did the British sponsor the rebels' weapons, but they also formed a volunteer army – 8,000 Gurkha mercenaries to help the people of Central Asia get rid of the Tsarist government.
The Gurkha mercenaries were the top three mercenaries in the world. They once defeated 30,000 British troops with 12,000 people with outdated weapons and equipment. They gained the recognition of the British and from then on, they stepped onto the world stage.
If it wasn't for the small population and a strong military power, India would probably not have a chance. India would probably be out of the picture. They were invincible in South Asia.
The Khaganates of Central Asia, which had not yet been conquered by Russia, were also forced into the battlefield by the British, including Afghanistan. In a short period of time, hundreds of thousands of anti-Russian forces appeared in Central Asia.
By the middle of May, Tashkent, the largest city in Central Asia, had been captured, and the rule of Russia in Central Asia was in danger.
In order to deal with the crisis in Central Asia, the Tsarist government was forced to transfer troops from the Caucasus region to reinforce Central Asia.
Looking at the battle map, Franz knew that Russia was in big trouble. If they were not careful, all their efforts in Central Asia over the years would go down the drain.
If Tsar's army had not attacked the Three Khaganates of Central Asia, the situation would have been better. Under normal circumstances, these countries wouldn't dare to provoke Russia.
However, the current situation was no longer normal. Everyone knew the ambition of the Russians, and there was no possibility of compromise. In order to protect themselves, they had no choice but to rely on the British.
Now that their boss had requested to go to the battlefield, these Khans could only bite the bullet and go. If they offended the British, they would really be finished.
Franz asked, "The Russians have transferred troops from the Caucasus region, and the Osman's opportunity has come. Do you think the British can persuade the Government of Sudan to hit them when they are down?"
Prime Minister Felix replied, "It's hard to be sure. At present, although the voice of the pro-war faction in the Osman Empire is very loud, the Government of Sudan is still immersed in the shadow of the defeat in the Near East and doesn't dare to challenge the Russians.
They can't ignore the position of the British. If the Osman Empire wants to survive, it can't do without the protection of the European countries, and the British are the most important part of their diplomacy.
We have already secretly expressed our position. As long as the French ask the Osman Empire to send troops, the Government of Sudan is likely to be forced to go to the battlefield.
At present, the Government of Paris is still hesitating, but as long as Napoleon Iii wants to implement the European strategy, it is necessary to continue to weaken the Russians. "
In fact, it was not only the French's position. If Austria could openly ask the Osman Empire to send troops, it would also put a lot of pressure on the Government of Sudan.
The Russians' ambition towards the Osman Empire had never been extinguished. It could be said that the Government of Sudan most wanted to see the Russians fall.
The only problem was that the people who had experienced the Near East War had not been eliminated, and the younger generation did not have a dominant position in the government.
The old guys were afraid. In the recent "Turkish-Russian Wars," they had all ended in failure and had lost the confidence to defeat the Russians.
However, the uncomfortable thing was that even if they did not attack the Russians, the Russians would not let them go. Flipping through the history books, one would know that the "Turkish-Russian War" that happened once every 20 years had become a part of everyone's life.
The next "Turkish-Russian War" was at most ten years away. This was the rule of history, and there had never been an exception in the past two hundred years.
Without the support of the European countries, the Government of Sudan did not have the confidence to fight the Russians alone. Even if their social reforms were beginning to show results, the gap in strength between the two sides was still huge.
In this context, the position of the British, Fao, and the other three countries was very important to them. Moreover, Britain and France were their creditors and controlled their domestic finance. If the Government of London sneezed, the Osman Empire's economy would be shaken.
In history, the French could use economic means to pull the Russians onto their chariot. Now, the British and French influence on the Osman Empire was even further.
Franz said with a smile, "In that case, the people of Prussia should hope that God will bless Napoleon Iii and make up his mind early!"
He was very satisfied with the current situation. The British being able to make such a big move in Central Asia was completely beyond his expectations.
But when he thought about it, it was normal. Even a rabbit would bite when it was cornered. In order to protect themselves, the Central Asian Khaganate had to cooperate with the British.
Everyone laughed. Central Asia was just a problem for the Russians. Even if they lost all of it, the Russian Empire would still be the Russian Empire.
The Central Asian coalition forces formed by the British were full of internal conflicts. They could only reluctantly cooperate under the pressure of the Russians. Once the threat of the Russians disappeared, internal strife would occur.
If they wanted them to fight all the way to the interior of the Russian Empire, they'd better wash their hands and sleep! If these people had the ability to do so, it was impossible for Franz not to have any impression of them.
Not to mention the Osman Empire. Recovering the Caucasus region was enough for them to struggle for many years. To further threaten the Russians, they might have been able to do it in the last century.
The Government of Vienna had always been happy to see things that could weaken the strength of the Russians without killing the Tsarist government.
Foreign Minister Wesenberg said, "Your Majesty, the British have not only made achievements in Central Asia, but also made great progress in the Far East.
Under their instigation, the Japanese expelled the Russian Army on the island of Tsushima. In the old Empire in the Far East, there was also a war between the coastal defense faction and the fortress defense faction. At present, the fortress defense faction has the upper hand.
Maybe they want to make some noise. Unfortunately, the telegraph network has not been completed, so we don't know the specific situation at present. "
Franz was shocked. Was history going to be brought forward? It was not impossible. Now was the time when the Russian Empire was at its weakest. It was obviously a good time to recover lost territory. Maybe there would be unexpected gains.
After thinking for a moment, Franz said nonchalantly, "The Far East is too far to affect Europe. Even if the Russians lose the Far East, it won't affect them much.
The outcome of the Russian war would be decided by themselves. At most, the British could distract the Russians and waste Tsar's wallet.
Unless the Swedes can be persuaded to make a move, the Kingdom of Prussia would still have to rely on itself. These potential allies would not be able to provide much help to them. "
It is true that these operations tied up a large number of the Russian forces, but the Tsarist government had, if nothing else, a large number of soldiers.
No matter how much they were restrained, the number of Russian Army on the Prussia battlefield would not decrease. Unless the Swedes made a move, the Tsarist government would not be able to maintain a large number of troops at the frontline due to the lack of supplies.
This was determined by geographical location. Whether it was Central Asia or the Far East, the transportation of strategic supplies was to the east. But the Swedish and Prussia frontlines needed strategic supplies, and some of the routes overlapped.
For the Government of Berlin, other allies were not that important. The only one that could play an immediate role was the Swedes.
Foreign Minister Wesenberg analyzed, "I'm afraid this will be difficult. The Swedish government has no signs of participating in the war, and the British cannot give more bargaining chips.
The promised benefits would be taken from the hands of the Russians. The London government had played this kind of empty handed trick too many times, and it simply could not play the role it should have.
The Kingdom of Prussia was even worse. They wanted to rope in Sweden, but they could not even give any bargaining chips.
Carr XV asked the people of Prussia to withdraw from the Kingdom of Denmark, and the Government of Berlin agreed to only give up the Jutland peninsula. They did not dare to let go of the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. "
The Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein were now very important to the Kingdom of Prussia. Only by raising the national flag could Austria not fall to the side of Russia in the war.
With the Germans' recognition of righteousness, people donated money and goods to them, and there were volunteers who brought their own food to work for them.
Including Austria, there were volunteers who ran to support the Kingdom of Prussia, but it was not known if this had anything to do with the Government of Vienna.
In short, the Committee for the Unification of the German Nation, the German Folk Art Exchange Committee … and many other social groups dedicated to the unification of the German Region were strongly supporting the people of Prussia in the war against the Russians.
If they gave up the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, these support would disappear, and Austria's absolutely neutral position in foreign affairs might change.
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
