Chapter 719
The laissez-faire of the Vienna government undoubtedly fueled the arrogance of the North Germans. Although the governments of the states did not express their position, the voices of the people were constantly rising.
In order to implement the plan smoothly, Kaiser George I also privately declared that the establishment of the North German Empire was a key step in the process of German unification.
On the surface, there seems to be nothing wrong. From the three-legged confrontation to the two-strong side, it is indeed a step closer to the reunification of Germany.
But if you think about it carefully, the problem here is too big. If Depp combined the North German Empire, then Franz's new Holy Roman Empire became the South German Empire.
In the future, it is necessary to discuss who will unify who.
George I wanted to unite South Germany with North Germany?
Well, if this is said, it is estimated that a normal person will not believe it.
If the merger of the Pope Federation and Germany in the peak period was changed, there may still be a chance. The precondition for this lost opportunity is that Austria is under a collective siege by European countries.
At this point, the last chance is gone. The comprehensive national strength of the severely damaged Kingdom of Prussia is not comparable to that of Bavaria, and the comedy empire is at most comparable to the strength of several states within Shinra.
The lack of strength has a lot of internal problems, not to mention the army has not cleared up. The armies of each state exist independently, and the central government has no command.
If this is okay, the more important thing is that most of the states, including Hannover, have a joint defense treaty with Austria.
Mainly for the French, but also for the Russians. According to the treaty, in the event of an invasion by a foreign enemy, a coalition army will be formed with Austria as the core.
This is Metternich's contribution. The international environment at that time was completely different from now. Everyone was only worried about the threat of France and Russia. At that time, Austria was still harmless to humans and animals, so they happily boarded the ship.
Now this treaty has become a double-edged sword. While protecting the security of the German Federation, it also restricts the German central government from consolidating the military power of the state.
The Vienna government can pull everyone together for joint exercises, but the German central government cannot. They do not have this power, and the state government does not cooperate with Yiwu.
In order to unify the domestic military and political issues, George I negotiated with the governments of various states for many times, but to no avail.
No one is willing to give up power in the absence of external threats. The inconspicuous joint defense treaty at the beginning has become one of the legal foundations for states to independently own armies.
After many failures, George I was desperate. He was about to give up, but at this time, the British also gave him new hope.
The establishment of the North German Empire is another round of political reshuffle. The original biggest competitor, the Kingdom of Prussia, has been affected by the war and has lost its qualification to compete for the leadership of the empire.
Even for financial reasons, the Berlin government had to make a series of concessions in exchange for financial assistance from the central government.
Among them is the command of the army. There is no problem. The Berlin government is not going to want the army.
It's not that William I didn't want an army. The problem is that he really can't afford it now. The Berlin government can't even pay for the pension at this time.
In exchange for financial assistance from an army that was originally unable to support it, it would not be a loss.
Unlike Austria, Hanover is limited in size. If the armies of the two countries merge, Junkers aristocrats with rich combat experience can easily occupy an advantageous position.
This is also William I's appeasement to the military. Through the exchange of interests, the pension can be distributed normally. Losing part of the power is more acceptable than letting everyone go back to farming directly. It can be said that everyone takes what they need.
Concessions are not only military, but financial concessions are even more ruthless. The Berlin government proposed: as long as Hanover accepts the debt, the Kingdom of Prussia's fiscal revenue can be turned over in full first, and the central government will distribute it uniformly.
There is no doubt that this unreasonable request was rejected by George I righteously. What a joke, is he someone who covets the financial income of the country, he must not want it!
Different from the generous financial and military, when it comes to the territory, the Berlin government has become stingy, and the two sides have not been able to reach an agreement.
...
At the Hanover Palace, King George I angrily threw away the document in his hand and scolded: "Damn Prussian barbarians, do you really think that we are just like them, all arrogant idiots!
Just wanting to get benefits, but unwilling to pay the price, how can there be such a good thing in the world?
Thinking about calculations all day long, treating others as fools, and not thinking about the Germans at all.
It seems to have been with the Poles for a long time, they have forgotten who they are, and they have thrown away our fine traditions.
…”
Although he didn't know why George I was able to associate "a rib in his head" with the "calculation" behind it, Prime Minister Philip still cooperated: "Your Majesty, don't worry. The cruel reality will make the Prussian barbarians sober.
Now they are still indulging in the glory of the past and have not figured out their situation. After the Vienna Peace Conference was over, they would know what to choose. "
Frankly speaking, George I was right. The Berlin government seems to have made major concessions, but in fact it is an exchange of interests.
If you want to take away financial power, you must bear the debts they left; if you want to take away the command of the army, you must pay them to pay casualty pensions.
Debt is absolutely untouchable. If George I really dared to take it in the name of the central government, the imperial parliament would not mind changing the emperor by the way while rejecting it.
The army behind can still negotiate. The Berlin government has paid a lot of pensions, and the remaining part will also need to be paid in installments every year.
No country in the world dares to say that it can do better than the Kingdom of Prussia in terms of pensions for soldiers.
No matter how tight the finances were, William I never paid attention to it. Even if there is an occasional default, it is quickly made up.
Pensions also accounted for an important share of the huge military spending of the Berlin government.
George I looked slightly slower: "I hope so! We cannot make any concessions on this issue.
Although I don't know what price the Kingdom of Prussia will have to pay at the Congress of Vienna, it can definitely keep the traditional territory of the German region.
The remaining part of the territory is also far beyond Hanover. Without weakening the Kingdom of Prussia, even if the North German Empire was established, we would not be able to maintain dominance.
Taking the duchies of Schleswig-Holstein and the territory west of the Elbe is our minimum requirement and the basis for the future suppression of Prussia.
The Foreign Office continues to do the work of the London government, the plan was proposed by them, and now we need their support. "
The two duchies of Schleswig-Holstein + the territory west of the Elbe River in Prussia have actually surpassed the Kingdom of Hanover in terms of territorial area alone.
Of course, the economy of the Kingdom of Hanover is more prosperous and the population is larger. Everyone's cultural traditions are the same, but they can still swallow this piece of fat.
Even because they were separated from the Kingdom of Prussia, they could avoid huge debts after the war and did not need to bear high taxes, and the local people would feel fortunate.
After digesting this fat, coupled with the Rhineland region controlled by the imperial parliament, the central government after the merger of Prussia has the power to suppress the Kingdom of Prussia and has an absolute advantage over other states.
In this context, as long as the Kingdom of Prussia made concessions on military and political issues, other small states could not last long.
The rest can only be honed by time. In theory, in another 20 to 30 years, the North German Empire can be basically integrated by political means and enter the ranks of the great powers.
If it weren't for this piece of cake being too tempting, George I would not be tempted. If you can stand on your own, who would like to be a younger brother?
Although the probability of failure in operation is somewhat high, compared with joining the Shinra Empire, the latter is obviously more risky.
No way, when Austria unified the German region, it was when the European War broke out. Enemies all over the world, George I had no confidence in Austria.
Instead of entrusting your destiny to others, it is better to be your own master.
Dare to jump out so early to participate in the Anglo-Olympic game, George I is naturally ready to retreat. Stand with the British now, and that's because there is more to gain from being with the British.
It doesn't matter if you fail, the special system of the Shinra Empire has decided that as long as you don't play too much, you won't be killed if you pick the Vienna government.
If you succeed, you will create the foundation of the empire; if you fail, you will give up the throne. The Hanoverian throne can always be kept.
As long as there is no battle on the battlefield, there is no reason for Austria to abolish his throne. The most serious consequence is to let him abdicate and the descendants will continue to serve as kings.
A low-risk, high-return business is always fascinating.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" replied the Foreign Secretary
"Your Majesty, although our financial income is not low, our expenses are also very large, and there is not much money that can be used to buy land.
When negotiating, you must control the transaction price and not exceed the market price too much. ' reminded Chancellor of the Exchequer Gomez Fallas
"Market price", in fact, the current situation is that there is no market at all. Not just now, but most of the time. Colonial deals don't count, and few European countries are willing to sell their territories unless necessary.
The valuation of land is not high these days, but as long as it is the territory of Europe, regardless of the value, the price will not be cheap.
The international territorial transaction price can only be used as a reference. The specific price should be determined according to the needs of both parties, taking into account various factors.
The Russians sold Alaska, which covers an area of one million square kilometers, for only a few million Aegis, while the Rhineland area, which was only tens of thousands of square kilometers in front of the Kingdom of Prussia, was as high as hundreds of millions of Aegis.
A similar case is the case of territorial transactions in the Commonwealth of Sachs. Even in times of war, tens of millions of Aegis can be sold.
George I waved his hand: "Money is not a problem, the British are very happy to take this business. The Prussian Kingdom owes them a huge debt, which may turn into bad debt at any time, and the bankers have long been anxious.
What the Prussians lack most now is money, and they may make concessions in other areas, except for the issue of "money".
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will do its best. As long as the final transaction price does not exceed the previous Rhineland region, we can accept it. "
I have to admit that George I's judgment is still very accurate in grasping people's hearts.
The British are really worried that the Berlin government is over, and the loans they have given out have turned into bad debts. At this time, Hannover is willing to take the lead, and they dare to lend even if there is no mortgage.
To put it bluntly, this is the problem of left hand over right hand. The Hanover loan is to buy land, and the Berlin government has to take the money and pay it back to the British.
In essence, John Bull does not need to take a penny out, and he completes two transactions with one debit on the account, which also reduces his own business risks.
Hannover is in a good financial position, the government has almost no debt
, lending them money is definitely more reliable than lending money to Prussia, which is going bankrupt at any time.
The worse the finances, the more governments value money. For the current Berlin government, money is not just money, but also their lives.
Without enough money, they will collapse on their own next.