Chapter 288: Chapter 37, Make a Sneak Attack

Vienna Palace

“Your Majesty, ” Tyren reported, “the negotiations between England and France regarding the Suez Canal have failed. The Paris Government has decided to set aside the British and dig the grand canal on their own.”

This was an expected development. The Suez Canal was not only of great significance to Austria but also held special importance for the French. With such a significant initial investment, it was naturally impossible for them to give up simply because of British opposition.

The current disparity in power between England and France was not as pronounced as it would be at the end of the century; at this moment, the French were still fixated on the position of world hegemon.

And indeed, they possessed a matching strength for their ambitions.

The standing army of the French Army was as high as four hundred thousand, second only to Russia and Austria on the European Continent; the total tonnage of the French Navy was more than six-tenths that of the Royal Navy, nearing seventh-tenths in size.

Having a world-class navy and army, France was the most balanced country in terms of development among the great powers, and its comprehensive national power was not weaker than any other great power. With such strong capabilities, it would be difficult for them to remain peaceful even if they wanted to.

The only pity was that this was the pinnacle for the French; their national power was no longer sufficient to support a further advance.

If they wanted to compete with the Russians for hegemony on the European Continent, France simply had too few people. In an era dominated by human wave tactics, France’s slow population growth rate directly disqualified them from contention.

If they wanted to compete with the British for maritime hegemony, the construction of the Continental Army diverted resources, preventing them from mobilizing the entire nation’s effort, and naturally, they could not contend with John Bull.

The French, embroiled in their situation, only saw the strength of their own capabilities but failed to recognize that, in terms of development potential, they had been left behind by their rivals and continued to dream of world domination.

Strategically speaking, the predicaments faced by France and Austria were somewhat similar; both had to develop their navy and army simultaneously and could not concentrate their forces on one front.

Austria’s advantage lay in having a somewhat larger population, a larger native land area, and more advantages in resources; the drawback was also very clear, as a multi-ethnic state, if it could not achieve ethnic integration, it would face significant trouble once nationalism awakened.

Having clarified the cards in hand, Franz believed himself to be somewhat happier than Napoleon III. No matter how numerous Austria’s ethnic groups were, they were still more peaceful than the French populace!

Looking to history as a guide, Napoleon III had actually done quite well; he was ousted by the feverish public after only a single defeat, while the original monarch remained secure on his throne after consecutive losses in the Franco-Austrian War and the Prussia-Austria War, which highlighted the difference between them.

Since taking power, Franz had been pushing for the unification of language and text on one hand and inter-ethnic marriages on the other.

So far, language unification was proceeding the best; German was essentially universal in towns, but the countryside was a different story—for the older generation, speaking a few words of German was already considered progressive.

Regardless, nearly seven-tenths of the nation was using German. In minority ethnic areas and the newly occupied Balkan region, the prevalence of German among the common folk was actually the highest.

As for literacy, while official statistics indicated that the literacy rate had surpassed sixty-seven percent, the reality of a largely illiterate society had not changed.

Franz did not believe that writing a few words qualified one as an intellectual. This sixty-seven percent could also be interpreted as sixty-seven percent of the populace being able to write their own names.

To truly unify language and text, it would be necessary to wait for the generation receiving compulsory education to grow up; such a thing could not be rushed.

Compared to that, the increase in the number of mixed-race children was much greater. With the advancement of industrialization, the interaction between various ethnic groups had greatly increased, and so had intermarriages.

Theoretically, with three million couples in inter-ethnic marriages, all the races of the New Holy Roman Empire would be bound together.

With everyone becoming relatives, the concept of ethnicity would fade. Frankly speaking, aside from extreme nationalists, who would discriminate against their own friends and family?

Franz instructed, “Continue to monitor the French. Digging the Suez Canal is not only a massive investment, but the risks involved are also unknown. The French Government will inevitably need to raise capital in the financial markets.”

Investing in the Suez Canal was indeed a highly profitable deal; once navigation opened through this Golden Waterway, the money would pour in. Naturally, Franz wouldn’t miss this opportunity.

Theoretically, after being opposed by the Britons, to reduce the risk, the French would likely draw Austria into joining them.

However, the French would never cede control of the canal, and Franz had no expectation of gaining that control.

Under such circumstances, the Vienna Government could at most seize an investment share of only three to four layers—it might seem significant, but with more people slicing the cake, Emperor Franz needed to mind his manners.

Rather than taking from governmental investments, it was better to secretly buy a portion of the shares on the capital market. After all, this was an investment for dividends only; the more secretive, the better.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Tyren answered.

After a pause, Franz asked, “Has there been any news from the Kingdom of Prussia lately?”

Tyren responded, “The Kingdom of Prussia is still undergoing reforms. The rule of Frederick William IV of Prussia is somewhat unstable, with undercurrents surging domestically. His own state of health is not good, and he has not made a public appearance for a long time.

The specifics are uncertain, as the Prussians have sealed off the news. However, given Wilhelm Frederick Ludwig’s frequent activity in the political arena, we can infer that Frederick William IV’s health is probably failing.”

Upon hearing this news, Franz realized that the renowned Wilhelm the Great was about to step onto the stage of history.

But to be one step behind was to be late in every other step; by now, the Kingdom of Prussia had already lost its temporal advantage.

The tripartite structure of Teuton was single-handedly crafted by Franz; in the context of a reinstated Vienna System, how could it be easily broken?

Now, England, France, Russia, and Austria all wished for stability in the European Continent, beyond the influence of any individual’s power. Unless he could ‘cheat’, making everyone collectively lose their minds, there would be no chance.

In history, the unification of the Germany Region by the Kingdom of Prussia took place under the backdrop of Napoleon III’s government going haywire. It wasn’t just a one-time frenzy; it was a continuous series of blunders that created their opportunity.

Under the current stringent international situation, unless he could simultaneously provoke France and Austria to start a war in the Italian Area and Britain and Russia to begin a conflict in India, there wouldn’t be a space for them to act.

After pondering for a moment, Franz commanded, “Tyren, find a chance to eliminate Bismarck, the Prussian ambassador to Russia. Make it look natural, and do not reveal that we were involved.

If there is no suitable opportunity, then first tarnish his reputation to deny him the chance to advance further.”

The hero of others is the enemy of ours.

Although Franz had always abided by the rules of political struggle, seldom engaging in these conspiracies and deceptions, it did not mean he was incapable of using them.

To be cautious, he decided to deal with the Chancellor of Iron and Blood first. Without this helmsman, even if other members of the Radical faction came to power, the Prussians would be unable to stir up any significant trouble.

The Kingdom of Prussia’s national power was limited; they could not afford to fail in the contest for dominance, as any mishandling could spell disaster.

Wilhelm Frederick Ludwig was no simple character; without the certainty of success, he would never take risks with the Radical faction. Not every Prime Minister was Bismarck, capable of pressuring the King to yield.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Tyren answered.