Chapter 720 The Great Emperor's Tragedy

At a time when the Prussian-Russian negotiations were in turmoil, another thing that affected the European political landscape happened.

On May 15, 1881, Alexander II was assassinated in St. Petersburg. The time and place have changed, but the ending has not.

It's not that Franz's butterfly effect is not strong enough, the key is that Alexander II committed suicide, knowing that he had offended so many people and still wandering around.

As early as a few years ago, Alexander II was given the reputation of "King of Assassination" by the media with a triple-digit assassination count.

He was assassinated every three days, perhaps because he had experienced too much. Alexander II had become accustomed to this kind of life, and he still went his own way and often appeared in public.

After walking a lot at night, I still encountered a ghost after all. He finally won the war, and before he had time to pick up the fruits of victory, Alexander II had to pass away with regret.

Alexander II is dead, but the assassination is not over. Regarding the question of the murderer, the tsarist government has not given a clear answer for a long time.

Assassin's identity is a member of the National Opinion Party. It doesn't matter whether others believe it or not, Franz will never believe it anyway.

Being able to survive hundreds of assassinations, Alexander II's security decision was not bad. Under normal circumstances, if a stranger approaches, they will definitely be intercepted by the guards.

Let the assassin rush within a few dozen meters to throw bombs, do the guards eat shit?

Being able to mobilize the guards and create opportunities for the assassination, there are obviously internal people involved, even the emperor's cronies.

Which side is the specific force, this is not something Franz can determine. Alexander II's reforms offended too many people, and many high-profile households fell because of the reforms.

As far as Franz knew, Alexander II was already preparing for a new round of reforms after the war that would fundamentally change the Russian Empire.

There is no doubt that this will touch the cheese of the vested interests, and it is understandable to be backlashed.

Even those who originally supported reforms stood on the opposite side because they violated their own interests at this time.

Victory on the battlefield, while bringing fame to Alexander II, also propelled him to hell. The vested interests are reluctant to continue the reform, and a tsar with high prestige who likes reform has become a stumbling block for everyone.

No matter what the reason is, "killing the king" is the most intolerable thing for the rulers, and Franz, as a member of the vested interests, is no exception.

"What did the Russians say, have they identified the murderer?"

Foreign Minister Wesenberg shook his head: "Not yet. Now all the evidence points to the Russian People's Will Party, but Crown Prince Alexandrovich refused to accept this result and threatened to refuse to succeed the throne.

Now the tsarist government is also in turmoil, many people suspect that conservatives did it, and the two sides are fighting very hard.

According to the information collected by the embassy, ​​there are still many suspicious points in this assassination case. For example, the head of the bodyguard responsible for protecting the safety of Alexander II committed suicide at his home on the day of the crime.

The guards who guarded Alexander II's carriage, successively committed suicide in prison.

Also, after the assassination of Alexander II, he did not die on the spot, and he died the next day after the rescue failed. When the doctor arrived at the scene, a traffic accident also occurred, delaying the rescue time.

 …”

The father was assassinated, so naturally the son could not let it go, and it was inevitable for Alexandrovich to track down the murderer.

It's just that the investigation team is interesting. Knowing so many doubts, they put the murderer's hat on the head of the "People's Will Party". Isn't this doubting everyone's IQ?

The revolutionary party has the ability to put its hands in the Tsarist Guard, and it has long since raised the flag to rebel, and it is still using the assassination with no technical content?

The latter series of suicides because of fear of sin is even more nonsense. Franz can understand that there are people who commit suicide because they feel guilty. A large group of people committing suicide collectively is clearly telling everyone that it is killing their mouths.

When a person dies, the clues are broken, and it will definitely not be so easy to continue the investigation.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is keeping a close eye on it and refraining from commenting for the time being. The police are ordered to immediately arrest members of the National Opinion Party operating in Austria, pending further developments in the case."

Now is a sensitive time, and Austria must avoid suspicion. Although no one would suspect that Austria did it, this one was clearly inappropriate.

The arrest of members of the Populist Party is Franz's position to the outside world. Whatever the reason, the kingslayer was severely punished.

The Russian People's Will Party is not wronged. Even if they were used as gunmen, Alexander II died at their hands.

The assassin has been arrested and confessed, directly pointing the clues to the top of the National Opinion Party, they can't do anything about it.

The assassination case that shocked Europe last time directly wiped out the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the all-powerful Italian coal-burning party vanished.

Those who hide their identities are fine, those who are exposed on the bright side will be out of luck if they don't respond quickly at this time.

No matter what position they stand on, the monarchs of European countries will not tolerate the existence of "kingslayers". This is a matter of principle.

In fact, this is also the case. At the same time that Franz ordered the arrest of members of the Russian Populist Party, the monarchs of European countries also issued similar orders.

It doesn't matter if they are caught or not. The members of the Russian People's Opinion Party are naturally in the Russian Empire, and only a very small number of them have gone outside.

Most of the countries do not have members of the Russian Popular Opinion Party. The arrest is just a gesture made by everyone to show that everyone is related to this evil organization.

determination to fight.

As if overnight, the Russian People's Will Party became a rat crossing the street and had to disappear from the world and turn to lurking in the dark.

...

Alexander II was assassinated, and William I was mixed.

The good news is that the internal situation in Russia is turbulent, and there is no energy to entangle with them. In the next negotiations, the price that the Kingdom of Prussia needs to pay will be greatly reduced.

Worry's murderer has not yet come to a conclusion. In case this black pot is put on their heads, the Sardinian Kingdom will be a lesson for the future.

All the attempted assassinations destroyed the country, and now that Alexander II is dead, if the Russians are hit with this thunder, it will be difficult for the Russians to kill them.

Nothing is impossible until the dust settles. On the issue of arresting the Populist Party, the Berlin government has worked extremely hard.

Not only the members of the National Opinion Party, but also members of other revolutionary groups in Russia and the Berlin government have also been arrested. In order to show his intentions, William I also took great pains.

At the Berlin Palace, William I said in a low voice, "Marshal, what do you mean?"

Looking at the resignation submitted by Mao Qi, William I instantly had a bad feeling.

Mao Qi replied bitterly: "Your Majesty, the situation has developed to this point, and the Kingdom of Prussia no longer needs a marshal.

After the death of Alexander II, the tsarist government was busy sorting out internal affairs, and the possibility of another war breaking out was almost zero.

If I continue to stay, it will be an eyesore, and if I don't leave, I will be kicked out. Neither the Russians nor Hanover wanted to see me in Prussia. "

Sometimes it is a sin to be too capable. Mao Qi gave in to this taboo, the tsarist government regarded him as a thorn in the eyes and a thorn in the flesh, and Hanover did not want to see him stay and snatch the command of the army.

At this time, I took the initiative to retire, and actually did not want to make it difficult for the Berlin government. Lest personal reasons make the situation of the Kingdom of Prussia even more critical.

William I persuaded: "But there's no need to give up everything. After retiring, they won't..."

Mao Qi shook his head: "If you don't make a complete cut, George I will not be relieved. Besides, on the Russian side, we also need to pay a higher price."

This is not Mao Qi's pride, but a fact. With the flag of Maoqi, it would be difficult for Hanover to divide the Prussian army, and George I would naturally not give up.

Not to mention on the Russian side, Mao Qi's glory was set off by their series of defeats. How can the Russians be reconciled if they don't take him down.

If external troubles can be solved, internal troubles will kill people. After the war, the military is bound to be suppressed, and if there is suppression, there will be counterattacks, and then the internal conflict in the Kingdom of Prussia will definitely intensify.

As the leader of the military, as long as he stays in the country, Mao Qi cannot avoid this dispute. He is old and has no energy to participate in the following disputes.

In order to avoid follow-up troubles, Mao Qi simply took the opportunity of defeat, gave up his title of marshal, claimed to be disheartened to the outside world, and left the political whirlpool of Prussia.

It seems that he has given up the title of marshal, but in fact he is retreating, which not only eliminates the impact of the defeat on him, but also further establishes his glorious image in the minds of the people.

After thinking about all this, William I did not continue to hold on. Not only the marshal Mao Qi needs to retire, but the king will also retire.

There is no abdication now, that is, things have not yet been settled. The Peace of Vienna was destined to be a humiliating treaty for the Kingdom of Prussia, and William I was unwilling to throw this political stain on his son.

The country has failed, and now it is time to seek life.

These things were actually doomed from the start. If you win the bet, you will achieve the foundation of the empire, but if you lose the bet, you will be rich.

In a sense, it is only William I who has lost now, and Mao Qi is still considered a success.

The main reason for the defeat is that the strength gap between the two sides is too large, not that the army cannot fight. A general who has always won the battle does not need to be responsible for the lost war due to the huge gap in strength.

After pondering for a while, William I asked with concern: "Marshal, after leaving Prussia, where are you going?"

Mao Qi shook his head: "I don't know. Maybe I will travel the world, find a place to hide when I get tired, and then summarize my life's experience."

William I hesitated for a moment, and seemed to have made a decision: "You may consider Austria, the end of the Russian-Prussian War is just a prelude, and the European continent has never been peaceful."

Mao Qi was surprised that there was too much implied in William I's proposal. The bottom line is that he has experienced strong winds and waves, and Mao Qi quickly reacted.

It is no exaggeration to say that the European royal family is one family. William I has a connection with the Austrian royal family. That is normal operation. If there is no connection, there will be a problem.

At this time, the Hohenzollern family wants to keep the throne without the support of Austria, and it is normal for the two sides to have a secret transaction.

At this time, Mao Qicai realized how hot the invitation letter he received was.

"I will consider it carefully!"