Chapter 896 George I Is in Action

Like it or not, since the French had declared war on Belgium, Leopold II had to bite the bullet and keep up.

Leopold II could not do such a skinless thing without declaring war, and the Belgian people would not agree to it.

On September 28, 1890, in a panic, the Belgian government issued a call to the public to declare war on France.

There is no doubt that this telegram of war was not only for the French, but more for the Austrians.

It seems to be saying: the boss and the younger brother are all on, now it's up to you.

That afternoon, Franz delivered an anti-aggression speech at the Imperial Parliament, denouncing France's shameless behavior, and then the delegates unanimously passed a motion to declare war on France.

The next day, Franz released the "Message to the French People" at the Vienna Palace, listing a bunch of the consequences of the war, calling on the French people to stand up against the government's war of aggression.

There is no doubt that such an advisory document is of no use at all. War has already been declared. Naturally, it is impossible to listen to him and stop after a few shouts.

Of course, if the Italians are barely included in the French population, then this political show is perfect.

After the announcement, anti-war and anti-aggression movements broke out in Rome, which quickly spread to many Italian cities. If it weren't for the incompetence of the Italian Independence Organization, it might have been another popular uprising.

On September 29, 1890, the French government declared war on Austria, and the French army invaded Belgium and Luxembourg on the same day, kicking off the European Continental War.

In the Hanover Palace, King George I was cursing endlessly at the moment: "Damn British liars, they are all a group of children..."

It can be seen from the expression that George I was miserable by the British.

The strength of the German Confederation is not weak, and there is also an Austria behind it, joining the security guarantees promised by the British. George I mistakenly believed that the goal of the French was only Belgium this time.

In this context, George I naturally wanted to encourage Austria to go to the theater, and hid behind to watch the play.

In order to drag Austria into the water, in the early stage of the establishment of the anti-French alliance, George I actively cooperated.

After the covenant was signed, he believed that the overall situation had been set, and coupled with the constant deceit of the British, George I began to slack off.

Anyway, the internal chaos of the German Confederation is very chaotic, and it is reasonable to move slowly, and I am not afraid of allies being held accountable.

In addition to being pretentious in face, George I did not urge the states to expand their armies and prepare for war, and allies urged him to push them to the imperial parliament.

After the two countries declared war on the French, George I was still secretly celebrating the success of the plan. Who knew that the French would even let them go to the theater.

It is impossible to hide. Because of the butterfly effect, Luxembourg is still a member of the German Confederation and has not gone out independently.

As the "Gibraltar of the North", such a strategic location as Luxembourg is naturally impossible for the French to let go of.

Otherwise, when the war reaches a critical moment, the Germans are killed from Luxembourg, and the French can only cry.

As it turned out, the British guarantees were worthless on the French side. Regardless of whether the German Confederation participated in the war or not, the French army had already started.

Unless George I can sit back and watch Luxembourg fall, the war is over.

"Your Majesty, calm down! The British affairs will be settled with them in the future. The top priority is to mobilize as soon as possible to ensure the safety of the western country.

At the same time, strengthen ties with allies, eliminate previous misunderstandings, and find ways to win this war. ' said Prime Minister Aiwar.

Ignoring the Prime Minister, George I pressed: "What do the British say? Shouldn't they give us an explanation when such a thing happened?"

The German Federal Central Government dominated by Hanover is pro-British from top to bottom, and even the most pro-Austrian factions in the German Federal are very few here.

The traditional friendship between English and Chinese has a long history. The two countries have shared a common monarch for a long time, and the two countries have been the closest allies for nearly a century.

Now that this kind of thing has happened, the impact on George I can be imagined, and even the prime minister who is the leader of the pro-British faction is not welcome.

"The British government said that this was a misunderstanding. They are communicating with France. Let's keep calm first." Foreign Secretary Weidlund replied nervously.

It can indeed be regarded as a misunderstanding. At least France and Germany have not declared war on each other. In theory, there is still the possibility of mediation.

It is impossible to calm down. The French army is attacking the Luxembourg region. George I can calm down, but the officers and soldiers on the front line cannot calm down.

No matter how pro-British, George I was not a fool. If the British government strongly announces its intervention, he can wait and see, and understate the misunderstanding, which is fooling the fool.

"Misunderstanding, are the French troops who went to Luxembourg on vacation?

Tell the British that if the French don't withdraw from Germany within 24 hours, then war!

The 1st, 2nd, and 7th Divisions stationed in the Rhineland were ordered to immediately reinforce Luxembourg, and the 9th and 11th Divisions were ordered to move to the Belgian region and be ready to reinforce Belgium at any time.

Inform the representatives of the states that the Imperial Parliament will be held this evening. The government immediately issued a nationwide mobilization order in the name of the central government.

Make arrangements, I'm going to Berlin tomorrow. At this point, we must win the support of Prussia.

 …”

At a critical moment, George I still showed what a monarch should have

quality, and methodically issued a series of orders.

Not wanting to go to war with the French does not mean that the German Confederation is not prepared for war. The German region has been fighting for hundreds of years, and the surviving princes and kings all have family backgrounds, and there is no fuel-efficient lamp.

The situation in Europe is tense, how could everyone be unprepared? The biggest problem with the German Confederation is the difficulty of coordination, and nothing else.

George I was fooled by the British, and in fact he was forced to do nothing. Because fighting with the French at this time, no matter what the outcome is, there is a 99% chance of losing the throne.

If you lose the war, you will either be sacked by the French, or you will be ousted by the people.

After winning the war, the German-Austrian merger was the general trend. In the German region, the Gotha Dynasty could not compete with the Habsburg Dynasty, and Hanover could not compete with Austria.

For a monarch to lose the throne, it is not just a loss of a name, but a lifetime of shame.

The promise of the British is a life-saving straw, and the desire in the heart drives King George I to believe.

Now that the lie has been debunked, George I has come to his senses. Since war is unavoidable, we must face reality.

After winning this war, he still has the capital to negotiate the conditions. Even if he can't keep the throne, he can have a decent ending.

If you lose the war, you will lose all the initiative, you can only rely on the support of the British to maintain the system, and it may be overthrown by the people at any time.

After what had just happened, George I had lost faith in the British and was ready to be self-reliant.

To fight the French, the importance of the Kingdom of Prussia is reflected. With its brilliant record against the Russians, the Kingdom of Prussia is the military force of the German Confederation.

Despite the heavy losses in the previous war and the poaching by Austria after the war, the Kingdom of Prussia still has a good fighting capacity.

"Your Majesty, in view of the current complex international situation, the British are likely to stand with the French, and I propose to suspend the payment of the British's loan." Prime Minister Aiwar remedied

The German Confederation was swindled by the British. As the leader of the Anglican faction, I believe that the Prime Minister Aiwar promised by the British must be responsible.

Not wanting to follow the ruined Prime Minister Aiwar, he decisively chose to cut with the British, and the pro-British faction became an anti-British faction.

Political figures, changing faces like flipping a book, this is a normal operation, and Prime Minister Aiwar does not feel any pressure in his heart.

"I'm afraid this won't work. The British government is supporting the French, but it's all secret, and Britain is still a neutral country on the surface.

When we declare debt default at this time, it is very likely that the British will really be forced to the French side, and the situation will be even more unfavorable for us. "Foreign Secretary Weidlund

It's the 19th century, and defaulting on debts is no fun. Forcible collection is a common occurrence. The only European countries that have successfully defaulted on debts these days are the Russians.

In the face of British creditors, the German Confederation obviously does not have the strength to default. If their faces were torn apart, they would be unlucky.

After hesitating for a while, King George I gritted his teeth and said: "On the grounds that the war broke out and the financial strains broke out, I sent electricity to the British and told them that we would postpone the payment of the loan.

This time they put us together, and if nothing else happens, the London government will give us some reassurance.

Now defer debt payment, the British should not make a big deal. Remember to be sincere in your tone, and the Foreign Office will try to reassure the British.

When necessary, we can make a promise to the British that we will resume payment as soon as the French withdraw their troops. "

George I was forced to rely on the accounts of the British. The German Confederation had money, and that was the money of the local states. The central government was always poor.

Taxes cannot be collected, and the German Federal Central Government cannot even pay the salaries of its staff. In many cases, it cannot be paid, and it must be paid in advance by the Hanoverian finance.

War is a beast of gold, and the central government will definitely not be able to spend huge amounts of money on war.

It is another protracted wrangling for state governments to bear the burden. At this juncture, it's a penny to save, better to defer paying Britons than to be financially bankrupt.

By the way, the British can also be warned not to go too far, or the German Confederation is over, and their debts are over.

It is a pity that George I lacked confidence, and the meaning of warning was blown away.