Chapter 291

Vienna Palace

The intelligence chief Tai Lunhui reported: "Your Majesty, the negotiations between Britain and France on the Suez Canal failed. The Paris government decided to leave the British aside and dig the Grand Canal alone."

This is to be expected, the Suez Canal is not only of great significance to Austria, but also to the French. With such a large investment in the early stage, it is naturally impossible to give up because of the opposition of the British.

The gap in strength between Britain and France is not as wide as it was at the end of the century, and the French are still obsessed with the position of world hegemony.

Moreover, they also have the strength to match their ambitions.

The total strength of the French Army's standing army is as high as 400,000, which is the only two countries on the European continent. The total tonnage of the French Navy is more than six layers of the Royal Navy, close to the scale of seven layers.

At the same time, it has a world-class navy and army. The French are the country with the most balanced development among the powers, and their comprehensive national strength is not weaker than any other power. With such a strong strength, it is difficult for them to stay safe even if they want to.

The only pity is: this is already the pinnacle of the French, and their national strength is not enough to support them to go further.

In order to compete with the Russians for hegemony on the European continent, the French population is too small. In this era of tactical domination of the sea of ​​people, the slow population growth rate has directly put the French out of the game.

In order to compete with the British for maritime supremacy, the construction of the Continental Army has diverted resources, and it is impossible to achieve the power of the country. Naturally, it will not be an opponent of John Bull.

The French who are in the game only see the strength of their own strength, but do not see the potential for development. They have been left behind by their competitors and are still dreaming of world domination.

From this strategic point of view, the dilemmas faced by France and Austria are somewhat similar. Both must develop the army and navy at the same time, and cannot concentrate on one side.

Austria's advantages lie in a larger population, a larger native area, and more advantages in resources; its disadvantages are also very obvious. If a multi-ethnic country cannot complete national integration, it will be troublesome when nationalism awakens.

After clearing the cards in his hand, Franz thinks he is still happier than Napoleon III. No matter how many Austrian people are, they are still more peaceful than the French people!

Taking history as a mirror, Napoleon III has done a good job in history. He was ousted by the hot-headed people after only one defeat; and the original owner has lost the Franco-Austrian War and the Prussian-Austrian War in a row in history, and he still sits firmly on the throne. You can see the gap. .

From the moment he took power, Franz has been promoting the unity of language and writing on the one hand, and inter-ethnic marriage on the other.

At present, the language unification is the best. German is basically popular in the towns. In the villages, there is no need to think about it for the time being. Except for the children receiving compulsory education, the older generation can speak a few words of German to be considered activists.

In any case, there are still nearly seven floors of people in the country who speak German. In minority areas, the newly occupied Balkans, the popularization rate of German is the highest.

Needless to say, although the literacy rate according to official statistics has exceeded 67%, the social status quo in which most people are illiterate has not changed.

Franz didn't think he was an intellectual if he could write a few words. This 67% can also be understood as 67% of the people who can write their names.

If we want to truly unify the language and writing, we have to wait for the generation receiving compulsory education to grow up. This kind of thing cannot be rushed.

In contrast, the increase in the number of mixed-race children is much larger. With the advancement of industrialization, the exchanges between people of all ethnic groups have increased significantly, and naturally there will be more marriages.

In theory, as long as three million couples were interracial marriages, all the races of the entire New Holy Roman Empire would be tied together.

Everyone has become relatives, and the concept of ethnicity has been diluted. To put it bluntly, apart from ultra-nationalists, who would discriminate against their own relatives and friends?

Franz instructed: "Continue to stare at the French. Not only is the excavation of the Suez Canal a huge investment, but the risks involved are also unknown. The French government is bound to raise funds in the capital market."

Investing in the Suez Canal is a lucrative business. Once this golden waterway is navigable, it will be a source of wealth, and Franz will naturally not miss this opportunity.

In theory, after being opposed by the British, in order to reduce the risk, most of the French will draw Austria to join.

However, it is impossible for the French to give up the controlling stake in the canal, and Franz did not expect to get the controlling stake.

In this case, the investment share that the Vienna government can get is only three or four layers at most, which seems a lot, but there are more people who share the cake. As Emperor Franz, he must pay attention to his appearance.

Instead of taking it from government investment, it is better to secretly buy a part of the shares in the capital market. Anyway, this is an investment that only takes dividends. The more secretive the better.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Tyron replied

After a pause, Franz asked, "What's the latest news from the Kingdom of Prussia?"

Tyron replied: "The kingdom of Prussia is still undergoing reforms. The rule of Frederick William IV is somewhat unstable, and there are undercurrents in the country. His own state is also not good, and he has not appeared in public for a long time.

The exact circumstances are uncertain, and the Prussians have blocked the news. However, from the frequent activities of William Friedrich Ludwig in the political arena, we can infer that Frederick William IV is afraid of his health. "

After hearing this news, Franz realized that the famous Emperor William the Great in history was about to enter the stage of history.

But one step is slow, and the next is slow. At this time, the Kingdom of Prussia has been lost.

It's time.

The three-point German pattern was created by Franz. How could it be easily broken under the circumstances of the re-establishment of the Vienna system?

Now Britain, France, Russia and Austria all want stability in the European continent, which cannot be controlled by individual power. Unless he can open the hook and let everyone's brains get flooded together, there will be a chance.

Historically, the unification of the German region by the Kingdom of Prussia was under the background of the establishment of the Napoleon III government. Not only did they smoke once, but three times in a row, they created a chance.

The current international situation is even more severe. Unless France and Austria can fight in Italy and Britain and Russia can fight in India at the same time, there is no room for them to play.

After thinking for a while, Franz ordered: "Terran, look for an opportunity to get rid of Bismarck, the Prussian ambassador to Russia. Do it naturally, don't expose that we did it.

If there is no suitable opportunity, then smear him first and let him lose further opportunities. "

His hero, my enemy.

Although Franz has always followed the rules of political struggle and seldom played these intrigues, it did not mean that he would not play intrigues.

To be on the safe side, he still decided to get rid of the iron-blooded prime minister first. Without him as the helmsman, the Prussians would not have been able to make waves even if other radicals came to power.

The Kingdom of Prussia has limited national strength and cannot afford to lose in the competition for hegemony.

Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig was not a simple man either, and he would not take risks with the radicals if he had no chance of winning. Not all prime ministers are Bismarck, able to force the king to make concessions.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Tyron replied

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