Chapter 716 Vienna Peace Conference and Tiankeng

In a sense, the refugee crisis also promoted the process of the Russian-Prussian War. After supplementing the establishment, Mao Qi hurriedly launched a counterattack.

There is no way, if they don't fight now, they won't be able to fight in the future. Originally expecting the refugees to delay the actions of the Russians, I did not expect this trouble to come back all the way.

The Russians did not launch an attack immediately, and in addition to resting their troops, they were more subject to logistical constraints. Ivanov is a moderate commander, and the logistical materials are not in place, and he will not fight in advance.

No matter how the Berlin government mobilizes, the population has set the ceiling. After losing most of its territory, the Kingdom of Prussia was left with a population of more than 10 million, and those who could resist the use of guns went to the battlefield.

There is no comparison with the Russians in this regard. The longer it takes, the better it will be for the Russians.

Of course, this is only military. Economically, the tsarist government could not stand it anymore. If Ivanov hadn't insisted, the Russian army would have launched an attack long ago.

These inside stories are naturally not something that Mao Qi can know. Even if they knew, it was actually useless, they still had to fight.

Just because the government doesn't have money doesn't mean it can't get money. At a critical moment, it is also possible to take down the east wall to make up for the west wall.

The Russian Empire has a solid foundation. As long as you are willing to pay the price, you can still make up the war expenses for a few months.

Mao Qi's efforts were not in vain. The Prussian Army defeated the Russian Tenth Army, which threatened Berlin, the Russian Third Army, and the Sixth Army who drove away refugees. Nine Army.

If you don't look at the overall battlefield, no one can believe that the Prussian army with such a sturdy record is actually struggling to the death.

In just two months, Mao Qi caused more than half a million casualties to the Russians. As the price of victory, the Prussian army also paid nearly 300,000 casualties.

Under the circumstance that the gap between soldiers' combat effectiveness is limited, as the attacking party, they can play a 3:5 exchange ratio, which can be said to be impeccable tactically.

However, tactical victories still cannot make up for strategic defeats.

The Russians were not passively beaten, and Ivanov placed the battlefield in East Prussia, where the Russian army's advantages were more obvious. As for the Russian army fighting against Mao Qi, the only task is to hold back the main force of the Prussian army.

On March 18, 1880, after nearly 300,000 casualties, the Battle of East Prussia ended with a Russian victory.

This is just the beginning. The East Prussia region, which has been painstakingly managed, was lost, and the West Prussia region was unable to stop the Russian troops, and the war continued to burn into the hinterland of the Kingdom of Prussia.

...

Vienna Palace, put down the battle report in his hand, and looked at the map of the Kingdom of Prussia, Franz knew that the Prussian-Russian war was over.

The Kingdom of Prussia was almost weakened, the Rhineland was sold to the German Confederation, Silesia was sold to Austria, and the Prussian Saxony was sold.

Now Poznan has fallen into the hands of the Russians, East Prussia has been lost, West Prussia has lost most of it, Pomerania has been reduced to a battlefield, and the foundation of the Junkers aristocracy has been severely damaged.

There is no point in continuing this war for Austria. If the war is not stopped, the Russians will drink the Maod, which is not what Franz wants to see.

"How is the internal situation of Prussia and Russia?"

If you want to interfere, you must first understand the respective situations of Prussia and Russia. Franz has an intelligence organization and got the information early, but it's not visible.

An intelligence organization that frequently appears in people's sight is not an intelligence organization, and it is more suitable to become a government department.

Franz has been downplaying the existence of intelligence organizations. Except for a few high-level government officials and aristocrats, no one else knew that there was a secret intelligence organization in the hands of the emperor.

Even if they know it, not many people take it seriously. After all, this organization is too low-key, so low-key that it can be forgotten.

For so many years, apart from collecting intelligence, Franz has almost never used this secret organization, and the mission is also the responsibility of an intelligence organization that has been exposed and linked to the government.

Just like Jin Yiwei, no matter how important it is and how much it contributes to the country, as long as it threatens its own interests, if it cannot be controlled by itself, the bureaucrats will find ways to bring it down.

Deliberately making things difficult and disturbing is nothing, the trouble is framed and smeared, and finally pressure from public opinion, forcing the emperor to give up.

History tells Franz that the emperor who compromises on this issue will not end well. Whether it is Zhu Yunwen or Zhu Youjian, they are ready-made negative examples.

Public opinion kidnapping, moral attack, right, then I will hide the intelligence organization. In normal times, it doesn't appear at all, and it just collects black materials from domestic bureaucrats and interest groups.

These black materials are ammunition, and when needed, they can kill a large piece when thrown.

In contrast, overseas intelligence business can only be regarded as a sideline, and it is no problem to collect some basic information.

It is not only for checks and balances, but also a practical need. Secret agents are also a high-risk industry, especially when they are engaged in espionage activities overseas. They often need the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to come out to find people, and they have to deal with them.

In addition, when conducting international diplomacy, intelligence is also needed for support. In order to cooperate with each other, the overseas intelligence organization branch is also subordinate to the embassy.

Foreign Minister Wesenberg replied: "The situation in the Kingdom of Prussia is very bad, even if the refugees are expelled, the life of ordinary people has also been affected, and many people rely on wild radishes to feed their hunger.

News from the embassy, ​​the Berlin government cracked down this month alone

Eight strikes, three revolutions, the Kingdom of Prussia is now a powder keg.

The situation in the Russian Empire was slightly better, with victories on the battlefield to some extent masking the crisis, but the domestic labor conflict was very serious.

In the past year, there have been more than 100 strikes one after another, almost catching up with the French.

In the winter that just ended, more than 50 cities, including St. Petersburg, experienced material supply shortages to varying degrees.

In order to save coal, the residents of St. Petersburg had to cook together with several families. In many areas, a large family huddled in a room to warm each other. "

The Russian strike did not attract the attention of Franz, mainly because the French freak was there, which had refreshed his cognition.

Facts have proved that the French people love to strike has a historical heritage. Even now in the nineteenth century, the French people fell in love with this meaningful event.

Unlike the many challengers in later generations, France now ranks first in the world's strike world with three-digit strikes per year, and there is no existence that can match them for the time being.

Franz has been on the throne for so many years, and the total number of strikes that broke out in Austria may not necessarily be able to catch up with the number of strikes by the French in a year.

Of course, this is only a count of the number of large-scale strikes. It must be counted when more than a thousand people participate. No one knows how many times a small-scale strike will occur every day.

If you think about it, it's right. Now France is a combination of France and Italy, and they all have rich experience in strikes. It's normal to strike more often.

Winter has passed, the demand for supplies is declining, and the tsarist government has passed its most dangerous moment.

The Berlin government was different. The frequent uprisings of the revolutionary party were undoubtedly a manifestation of the extreme weakness in Prussia.

War is not a problem. Under the "***ist" system, the Prussian people are not afraid of war, the premise is that they must be fed first.

It is absolutely impossible to be hungry. In front of them, they share the same hatred to expel refugees, so it is not surprising. If you can't get enough to eat yourself, who wants to have more groups to grab food?

Franz asked suspiciously: "Prussia is connected to us by the Oder River and the Elbe River, and the domestic railway network is relatively complete.

Halls, how much food has the Berlin government bought from us in recent months? "

After the sea route was cut off, and bordering the Kingdom of Prussia, only Austria, Denmark, and the German Confederation were left to trade.

There is no doubt that the Berlin government must look to Austria to import grain, and the other two do not have so much grain to sell to them.

Agriculture Minister Halls: "After Christmas, we have exported 768,000 tons of agricultural products to the Kingdom of Prussia, including 200,000 tons of flour, 300,000 tons of potatoes, 120,000 tons of corn, 20,000 tons of soybeans, and 30,000 tons of meat products. …”

Potato exports outnumbered flour, which Franz knew was a precursor to the collapse of the Prussian economy. Only when it really can't stand it will they buy cheaper potatoes on a large scale.

Franz sighed: "At this time, there are still people who are hoarding, and William I's control over the country is really not very good. They have not lost unjustly this time.

Let the Ministry of Foreign Affairs intervene in mediation. The Kingdom of Prussia is about to endure, and the Russians have eaten almost as much. I believe they will not refuse our mediation this time.

Trying to put this international conference in Vienna, now we need to let everyone see our efforts to maintain the territorial integrity of the German region. "

The result is not important, as long as everyone can see the efforts made by the Vienna government.

War is a high-risk activity, and the Berlin government, as the defeated party, will surely pay a heavy price this time.

This is what Franz is willing to see. Without a sense of crisis, how can many states in the German region realize the importance of Austria?

The powerful Kingdom of Prussia just acts as a negative teaching material, awakening the German people's sense of crisis, and making the idea of ​​grand unification deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

This is doomed that the Vienna government will not take care of the aftermath of the Kingdom of Prussia, and repay the debts it owes by itself. A harsh armistice treaty is indispensable.

Foreign Minister Wesenberg asked uncertainly: "Your Majesty, it's not good to leave the British so early?"

The London government has been calling for mediation, and they have been tossing and turning for several months without a result.

If at this time, the Vienna government has achieved its goal, it will be very shameful.

This is not only a matter of face, but also involves international influence. It is conceivable that after the Vienna Peace Conference, the British's popularity in Europe will drop to the bottom.

Franz shook his head: "Sooner or later, we will come to this point. If you don't take the opportunity to weaken the British, you won't know when to wait for the next time.

Don't you think it is very interesting to make European countries feel that Britain is in decline?

The Napoleon IV, who has endured for so many years, should also shine with his own light, and if he goes on like this, he is about to drive himself crazy.

You must know that the London government is preparing to merge the Pude with the establishment of North Germany against us. They all dared to take this step, and it is not too much for us to counterattack a little! "

It's not that Franz underestimated Napoleon IV, but the internal situation in France was really bad. Compared with Napoleon III, he had much weaker control over the country.

In recent years, France has fallen behind, not only because of the objective lack of resources, but also directly related to the changes in the government's economic policies.

Sometimes the more you do, the more you go wrong. Would you like to develop North Africa? Of course, it is good to add a resource origin and commodity sales market. The problem is to develop it.

The government's policies seem to be very good, and many of them have learned from Austria's successful experience. The key is that the national conditions are different.

First of all, the executive power of the Paris government is insufficient, Napoleon IV does not have the prestige of his words, and the French cabinet has no efficient coordination ability.

This is the pit left by Napoleon III. Although it cleared the obstacles for Napoleon IV to take power, the price paid was the escalation of internal political struggles.

Napoleon IV lacked prestige. In order to control the power of the government, he could only play a balance in the government. The infighting contained a large part of the French government's energy.

The second is the issue of cultural traditions. Whether it is the French or the Italians, influenced by the maritime civilization, they are keen on business and have no love for farming.

Even if people are brought to the colony, people have to stay in the city, and there are too few people who are willing to take root and open up wasteland.

Capitalists obviously lack interest in remote colonies. Even if they invest in colonies, they prefer mining, which is a lucrative business.

Occasionally there are a few plantations, all of which are national treasures, and the number is too small.

People are impetuous, and everyone likes to get rich overnight.

The social environment cannot be reversed by oneself. If you cannot change the society, you can only change yourself.

If Napoleon IV did nothing, it would be better. With the strong capital of France, there is no problem in maintaining the current status of a great power.

If there is ambition, it will be tragic. Ambition exceeds strength, and will inevitably be severely beaten by society.

Seeing Franz's expression, Wesenberg hesitated. He was tempted to say that the British plans were all indulged by Austria.

To establish North Germany, not only Hannover and Prussia are enough, but also other German states must be wooed.

With a large number of participants, confidentiality is naturally a joke.

Maybe the British haven't noticed the problem, after all, the London government is really careful this time. The targets of the courtship are all countries that have far-reaching relations with Austria.

Now that the plan has been carried out, all the insiders do not necessarily add up to more than 30 people. All of them are absolute high-level people in various countries, and there is no possibility of betrayal.

In theory, as the master of the country, it is impossible to betray oneself. However, there are exceptions to everything. Some people find that the North German market is not good, and there is no way to leave a way out for themselves.

If it is the merger of Pude at its peak, Franz will definitely find a way to stop it. However, at this stage of development, it does not matter whether Pude is merged or not.

This war has done too much damage to the Kingdom of Prussia, losing a lot of territory and population, and carrying huge debts. It is a complete mess.

If North Germany is formed, the central government will not have the energy to do anything else. They must first find a way to keep the Kingdom of Prussia alive.

This is no joke. After the war, there were a lot of orphans, widows and mothers in the Kingdom of Prussia, and the economy was withering. Without an injection of funds, they would collapse on their own.

At this time, you can't count on the British, they are not charitable. I really thought it was good intentions for them to mess with North Germany, don't even think about it.

In addition to the need to check and balance Austria, it is more likely that the debt of the Kingdom of Prussia can be fulfilled normally. The former is just a slogan, and the latter is what domestic interest groups need.

Just thinking about the huge debt that the Berlin government is carrying makes Franz back off, and this time it really sucks.

British debt + other countries' debt + domestic debt + soldier casualty pension + post-war reconstruction costs, and there may even be a Russian war reparations.

What a nice name for the North German Empire, let's help the Berlin government pay off the debt first, otherwise why would the Kingdom of Prussia come in and be a little brother?

1 billion Aegis seems to be not enough to pay the debt of the British family; 2 billion Aegis seems to be unable to fill the hole; 3 billion Aegis is probably possible, but who knows before the dust settles?

3 billion Aegis, what is this concept?

The current fiscal revenue of the central government of the New Holy Roman Empire is less than 200 million Aegis, and the fiscal revenue for fifteen years cannot fill this huge pit.

Of course, the 3 billion Aegis does not need to be paid at one time, and it is the funds that need to be paid after calculating the interest on the funds.

If it is the principal, let alone North Germany, which has not yet been born, even the Vienna government has no ability to take over.

Even if it can be installed in installments, the Berlin government cannot afford to pay such a huge debt, which requires micro-manipulation.

What the Berlin government will do next, Franz's is almost clear. First of all, I can't take my face anymore, print money at full speed, and use inflation to wipe out domestic debts.

International loans should also be slowly grinded down, trying to allow creditors to forgive some of the interest, and it is best to only repay the principal. All the issued bonds are deferred, and when there is money, it will be repaid.

It is estimated that it can be cut in half, and the Berlin government still cannot afford it, so the central government can only share a part.

The question is will other states be willing to pay for the Kingdom of Prussia? Self-interest is involved, what is the North German Empire?