Chapter 216: Bluffing
When the war broke out, Franz's nerves became tense, and not only his entire high-level Austrian government, no one dared to relax.
Although the advance of the front was very fast and smoother than planned, the Austrian government was still mobilizing the whole country.
Perhaps in the eyes of many people, this is a bit of a fuss. To fight a single kingdom of Bavaria, 400,000 troops were dispatched, and millions of reserve troops were mobilized in the country.
As a party, Franz can say very clearly that this is not a fuss, but a strategic need.
The lion and the elephant fight the rabbit with all their strength.
It is the current state of Austria. If it is only to deal with a Bavaria, it may be possible to send 300,000 troops to complete the task.
Anyway, Munich is close at hand, and it is enough to launch a sneak attack of 30,000 to 50,000 troops. There is absolutely no need to make a fuss and engage in such a big battle.
This is only military, but this war is politically determined and cannot be treated with common sense.
For example, many local governments and military forces in Bavaria have declared neutrality. This is the result of the combination of the power of the 400,000-strong army and political offensive.
If there are only 30,000 to 50,000 troops, will the local power factions in Bavaria easily compromise? Without the cooperation of these people and the absolute advantage in strength, could Austria neutralize the defenders of Bavaria?
The real situation is not that Franz was destined to return, nor how popular the Habsburg dynasty was, but that strength brought people's hearts.
The Bavarian people saw the strength of Austria, and the local ruling class was intimidated. At this time, when the lobbyists entered the battle, they naturally made the choice that best suited their own interests.
Whether it is a capitalist or aristocrat, they will not do anything to stop the car, and relying on the strong is their way of survival.
These people are also shameful. "Neutrality" happens to be a fig leaf, and public opinion is the best weapon to cover up their rebellious nature.
The Austrian government also needs their help to create a desirable atmosphere in order to win the hearts of the people of the Kingdom of Bavaria and endorse the war.
The current results are very good. Everyone tacitly guided public opinion and used the pretext of German unification to position the war initiated by Austria.
They also put on the hat of a patriot on the grounds that they "can't betray their loyal monarch, and can't destroy the unity of the country", and then honorably declared their neutrality.
They told so many lies that they had to believe it themselves, because now Austria is truly unpopular and popular.
The people at the bottom couldn't think of it so much. After boasting a few times, they thought that the unification war launched by Austria was just. Anyone who considers himself patriotic must not hinder national unity at this time.
It can be said that Franz made up the biggest routine in history, and all the parties involved were caught in the routine, and they still couldn't get out.
People around you all talk about "German Unification", and you can't help but follow along in order to fit in with the group, but you don't know that people around you don't agree with this concept as much as you say.
Those who really support German unification are still nationalists, and these people are the real supporters. Ordinary people are only influenced by the general environment and are preconceived by the rhythm, and subconsciously think that they are also supporters of German unity.
Now the brainwashing work is going very smoothly. At least one million Bavarian people have been tricked into it, and it is precisely the local celebrities in Bavaria who have completed this plan.
They themselves are in the game, and once they get in, they can't get out. It can be said that this war made the idea of German unification deeply rooted in the hearts of the Bavarian kingdom.
This kind of thing, Franz knows it himself, he will not say it. Everyone in the outside world just saw that the Bavarian people supported Austria to overthrow the Bavarian government in order to support the unity of Germany.
Including Maximilian II in Munich, he thought that he was abandoned by the people, otherwise he could not explain that the Austrian army appeared outside the city without encountering any obstacles.
Vienna
Prime Minister Felix said optimistically: "Your Majesty, the first step strategy is stable. Under the banner of German unification, the Bavarian people have no intention of resisting. It seems that our plan is still too conservative.
The public base in Germany is much better than we expected, maybe our steps can be enlarged a little bit, just…”
Franz shook his head. The people in Bavaria have been operating in Austria for many years. With the combination of the right time and place, there is no other region in Germany that can compare.
If you continue to play, you will have to wear help. It's better to just let it go now, let everyone think that the people of the German region support reunification, and induce them to make wrong judgments.
"Prime Minister, greed is the original sin of this world. The more critical it is, the more we must control our desires. What Austria needs is stability, not risk!"
The awakened Prime Minister Felix broke out in a cold sweat. Sure enough, success can easily make people lost and become arrogant.
Foreign Minister Metternich said: "That's right, no matter how good the people's base in Germany is, now we don't have the ability to unify Germany.
Austria cannot stand on the opposite side of all powerful countries. What it needs to do now is to settle down and digest these spoils and convert them into national strength. "
Franz nodded, and then ordered: "Mr. Metternich, you will go to Berlin yourself. The Prussian government should be frightened, and now they need to stabilize them.
Prime Minister, you are also fortunate to have a hard time, come out again
Visit the German states, starting from Saxony this time, and try to persuade them by political means. "
Does the unification war have to be fought? Franz said that history can be used for reference. The Prussians can use political means to regain these states, and so can Austria.
When it comes to internal affairs, it is better to use military means if you can. If you kill a river of blood, it will be refreshing at the time, and you will be ready to cry when you govern the place in the future!
These small state governments can continue to exist, and naturally they have their own way of survival. Why did the two German empires in history leave these states, not for stability.
Historically, the central government of the Second German Empire relied on Huairou's means to nibble away the power of each state government.
Now it is easier for Austria to do this. After all, the largest state in South Germany, the Kingdom of Bavaria, has been destroyed, and the remaining small states are not worth mentioning.
As long as the titles of monarchs and ministers are fixed, the rest will be easy. The central government has both strength and righteousness, and it is too easy to suppress local governments.
It's really not possible, isn't there another way of saying that the seal is transferred in history?
In a hurry, Franz can still be shameless, as long as he seizes the handle, he will change the territory of these so-called kings and archdukes.
In their old nest, which has been in operation for decades, or even hundreds of years, there is no way to deal with it, and if they change to a place they are not familiar with, are they afraid that they will be dishonest?
Even Franz could even be more shameless and give a false title, such as taking the title of King of Jerusalem and exchanging the throne with some hapless man.
The status of this sacred throne is extraordinary, but unfortunately the site is within the sphere of influence of the Ottomans, and it is unknown when the country will be restored.
...
In the Munich Palace, Maximilian II had to accept the cruelest reality, maybe he couldn't even run.
The Munich City Defense Army has actually declared its neutrality. Now, apart from the palace guards, the only ones loyal to the king are a new infantry division that has just been mobilized to defend Munich.
But is this unit reliable? The answer is no, and public opinion cannot be violated. Since the Bavarian people have made a choice, they will inevitably be affected.
The reason why they have not declared neutrality now is that the upper-level officers are still loyal to the king, and they are not infiltrated by the nobles and capitalists like the city defense army.
On June 10, which was the second day of the Austrian siege, representatives of Austria's persuasion to surrender had entered the Munich Palace.
Negotiating conditions after defeat is a common occurrence in continental Europe. Nor is this the first time in the history of the Kingdom of Bavaria.
It's just different from the past, this time the status of the Bavarian royal family is at stake, and Maximilian II himself does not have much confidence to keep the throne.
But the prime minister, August, assured him that the Austrians would not abolish his throne for only one reason - eating.
There are so many states in the German region, and everyone is still watching. The Vienna government cannot do too much.
...
Foreign Minister Buckhouse said angrily: "Mr. Jonas, the conditions of your country are really too much. We have all agreed to join the Holy Roman Empire. You have put forward so many excessive demands, which are obviously to annex Bavaria! "
Jonas, the Austrian ambassador to Bavaria, shook his head and said: "There is always a price to pay for wrongdoing, and the current Bavarian government has no capital to negotiate conditions.
Mr. Backhaus, believe it or not, even if Austria withdraws its troops immediately, the Bavarian government will be finished, and the people outside can't wait to send you to the gallows.
The current situation of the Kingdom of Bavaria is no longer suitable for the royal family to continue to rule, and replacing the country with Austria is the best choice.
At that time, the respected King Maximilian II can serve as the king of Serbia, and you can also serve as ministers of the Kingdom of Serbia.
This is already the limit of what Austria can do. You have lost the foundation of your rule. If you continue to rule the Kingdom of Bavaria, the future is destined to be a continuous revolution.
The unified German central government is not a tool for your real revolution, Mr. Backhouse wants you to understand that. "
Flicker and flicker, has the Bavarian government really lost the hearts of the people? Franz knew that it was not yet, and it could be judged by the local government choosing to be neutral rather than defecting.
But they themselves don't know, the thick stack of neutrality declarations, as if the Bavarian people are all supporters of Austria.
In their opinion, this kind of neutrality is a betrayal, and there is no need for a direct defection. Austria does not need them to take action. If they can save their face, no one will betray them, right?
Foreign Secretary Buckhouse continued to win: "No, the Balkans are too remote, Serbia is a wild place, this is clearly exile!
Since the throne is to be replaced, it must be replaced equally. Austria has to come up with a wealthy area to be fair. "
This is not because of his low bottom line, but because of his wrong perception, which made Maximilian II lower his expectations, and Buckhouse, who was in charge of the negotiation, naturally lost his confidence.
In their opinion, the Bavarian royal family has lost the people's hearts, and no matter who supports him, he cannot continue to hold the Bavarian throne firmly. Originally, he was ready to abdicate to take responsibility.
It is a pity that Austria did not agree and threatened them. Once the royal family did not cooperate, they would agitate the Bavarian people to launch a revolution and send them to the guillotine.
This
This kind of threat is not afraid of Maximilian II. As long as Austria is still an imperial state, it is impossible to send his king to the guillotine, and others will be different.
Austrians will not be afraid of killing ministers. Isn't killing the traitors the best excuse? For their own lives, the Bavarian government had to do the ideological work of Maximilian II.
Even the current negotiations are for Maximilian II to see. He was afraid that he would suddenly lose his mind, and if he hanged himself at once, Franz would cry.
That means that Austria has been busy this time, dead a king, and dares to annex the kingdom of Bavaria. It is estimated that there will be no peace in the future.
If you want to win the hearts of the people, you must cooperate with Maximilian II. Only when he agrees to give up the throne can Franz legally obtain the right to rule the kingdom of Bavaria.
Maximilian II had to survive, at least until Austria annexed Bavaria.
He must also live well, so that the Bavarian people cannot see him down and have sympathy. Then there was the exchange of land, and the Austrian representative proposed to exchange Serbia for Bavaria.
Negotiations stalled when the proposal emerged. Backhouse is fighting for the king's allegiance, and Jonas is unwilling to make concessions.
...