Holy Roman Empire

Forming an alliance is a complex matter that requires contemplation of various issues, as England and France are rivals in many areas, not devoid of contradictions.

Austria has placed enough pressure on the British yet has not put sufficient pressure on the French, at least the Paris Government does not deeply feel the threat from Austria.

Do not be fooled; the recent civil war has severely damaged France, and it will take several years to recover. This is the external view, but most French still feel good about themselves.

The perception and awareness cannot change overnight, and the larger the country, the more stubborn it is in this respect, with self-confidence often accompanied by arrogance.

Moreover, the French only suffered economic losses, as their military forces were essentially intact. They remained the most fearsome man-eating beast in Europe.

Inside the temporary palace in Paris, Napoleon IV still had not recovered from the devastation to his family. He abandoned his previous tolerance towards the Revolutionaries and ushered in the era of the White Terror.

This was an inevitable outcome. No ruler could tolerate the existence of rebels. The prior leniency was for the greater good, and with the situation now stabilized, it was natural to settle scores after autumn.

If the rebels were not punished, would it not encourage everyone to rebel?

For Napoleon IV, the urgency was to regain the lost majesty and rebuild the glory of the monarch.

A haggard Napoleon IV asked in a heavy voice, "What do you think about the British proposal for an alliance? How likely is it to be genuine?"

Doubt is necessary. Relations between England and France were mostly terrible, with numerous instances of being cheated. It would be hard not to learn from these lessons.

Foreign Minister Terence Burke analyzed, "Considering all factors, the Foreign Office believes there's at most a fifty percent chance.

In recent times, we have been preoccupied with domestic affairs, and the international situation has undergone earth-shattering changes.

Without our restraint, Austria has revealed its ambitions.

From the current situation, as long as we do not interfere, the downfall of the Ottoman Empire is a foregone conclusion.

A Persia alone cannot stop Austria's expansion. The British have felt a direct threat and are eager to garner allies to share the burden.

However, the fall of the Ottoman Empire does not cause pain for the European world, with the public still cheering—making it impossible for the British to force Austria to stop through international pressure.

From this perspective, we are their only choice. That said, our disputes with the British are not minor.

The recent events in our country bear British traces. We have yet to settle these accounts. Why would the British think we would stand with them?

Merely the threat from Austria is not enough to set aside the issues between our two countries.

Unless the London Government compensates us for our losses without a price, I have every reason to doubt: this is the British worrying about our retribution, deliberately diverting our attention."

The French have been tormented lately. Although many European countries played a part, the biggest hand was Britannia's.

First, there was the short selling of the Franc, followed by product dumping, supporting the Revolutionary Party, and even conflicts in overseas colonies.

Do not think that the French Government will be grateful to them just because the London Government pulled back at the last moment and gave them a hand.

That is impossible - the human attribute of holding grudges is much stronger than that of remembering kindness. If it weren't for being preoccupied with internal matters, the French Government would have already been considering how to retaliate.

"There are no eternal enemies between countries, only eternal interests."

While this saying is not bad, it is not entirely accurate. States can forget grudges, but people remember them.

As beneficiaries of the French civil strife, the British naturally harbor no resentment; but as victims, the French, to forget their grudges so soon and rationally weigh pros and cons, is asking too much.

Of course, if the interests are sufficiently large, it's possible to temporarily forget the grudge.

Finance Minister Roy Vernon: "Regardless of the British's true intent, it's necessary for us to make contact with them.

Our current task is to recover the economy, and for a long time to come, we do not have the energy to involve ourselves in international affairs.

Even if Austria hasn't destroyed the Ottoman yet, even if they have already annexed it, that's the British's problem."

This is a common view in European countries; in most people's minds, the Ottomans lived in a Savage Land, uncivilized barbarians.

Especially after witnessing the fierce resistance of the Ottomans, everyone felt even more assured. The land seized by the Anti-Turkish Alliance was basically a ruin, with no way to add to Austria's power.

Many were preparing for a laugh, and even newspapers openly ridiculed: Austria engaged in a war bound to be unprofitable due to hatred.

It's true. From an economic standpoint alone, the Vienna Government was bound to suffer losses.

According to news from war correspondents, Ottomans fully mobilized for war; it was truly a case of bloodshed for every inch of the land.

Lands occupied by the Anti-Turkish Alliance were almost entirely destroyed, with roads and bridges ruined, farmland wrecked, dams and waterways blasted apart, cities left in rubble, and even the wells were poisoned.

The few remaining inhabitants were mostly vulnerable women and children, each with a look of resentment, constantly posing the potential to become terrorists.

Napoleon IV nodded, "Let the Foreign Office talk to the British. If the London Government wants our help in restraining Austria, then they should exert themselves first to help us recover economically.

England and Austria control the international coal trade prices, and it's time for that to end. As a token of cooperation, have the British lower their coal export prices by half."

After the economic crisis erupted, in order to gain an advantage in international competition, the capital of the Anglo-Austrian two countries deliberately inflated the export prices of coal.

French industries had to bear twice the energy costs of their English and Austrian counterparts. For the French commercial and industrial sectors, breaking this malevolent monopoly was of paramount importance.

...

The news of England and France drawing closer was no secret. The very existence of the alliance was meant as a deterrent, necessitating widespread promotion.

Austria was the primary target, whether Franz was willing to admit it or not. The Alliance of England and France was still considered the most formidable combination of the time.

At least in terms of influence, even now, more than eighty percent of the world still believes England and France are the strongest countries.

In the original timeline, for a long time after the Prussian and French War, it was commonly believed that France was stronger than Germany. The failure was seen as a mere fluke. How could one argue with that?

Foreign Minister Weisenberg said, "Our treaty with England and France is expiring in a year, and from the current situation, the possibility for renewal is almost zero.

In recent times, we've put too much pressure on the British, spurring them to hastily court the French.

However, there are still numerous contradictions between England and France, and it will be difficult for them to reach consensus quickly. If we show some goodwill, the British and French Alliance could very likely fizzle out."

Standing up and pacing the room for a few steps, Franz spoke cautiously, "We must prevent England and France from drawing closer. This is a dangerous signal.

Austria doesn't fear any major power but cannot tolerate an antagonistic alliance.

When two major powers form an alliance, it isn't as simple as 1+1=2. It means that the European world's tolerance towards us is about to cross a line.

Napoleon served as a warning to us. An event like that must not happen to us.

Aside from an alliance led by us, there should be no other major power alliances in the European world.

In this aspect, the British are worth learning from. If we cannot disband the British and French Alliance, then we must find a way to join it.

The treaty between England, France, and Austria is about to expire, isn't it? But it hasn't expired yet.

If the British can buy the French over, so can we, and we can even offer a higher price.

If Napoleon IV wishes to surpass his father, then good, we'll offer them an opportunity. It remains to be seen if the French peoples' appetite is that big."

When it came to spending others' money, Franz was always generous. Concepts like the bigger picture and long-term interests were all fleeting in his eyes.

The nineteenth century and the twenty-first century are completely different concepts. What is most valuable now doesn't necessarily hold the same value in the future.

After a pause, Franz continued, "Aren't the British busy with the construction of North Germany? Then let's indulge them by playing dumb and pretending to see nothing."

Prime Minister Felix immediately objected, "Your Majesty, this cannot be accepted. Otherwise, the path to German unification will be indefinitely delayed."

Franz waved his hand and said, "Prime Minister, calm down. It's easy to establish the North German Empire, but not so easy to keep it.

After this economic crisis, the French have realized the importance of energy, and the French government is bound to find a solution.

Napoleon III had always coveted the resources of the Rhineland region but was cheated by us into focusing on Italy instead.

If, after searching, the French find that only the Rhineland region has the coal mines they want, will Napoleon IV be able to resist? Your next journey awaits at empire

Even if the Emperor needs to consider the bigger picture and restrain his desires, will the French commercial and industrial sectors be able to withstand it?

When necessary, we can add fuel to the fire. Once contradictions accumulate to a certain level, just a spark can detonate the crisis.

I am curious to see what choice the British Government will make after a war breaks out between France and Germany."

Prime Minister Felix said in alarm, "Your Majesty, allowing France to advance eastward is far too risky and could easily lead to an uncontrollable situation!

We..."

Franz interrupted, "It's not that serious. If North Germany can't hold up, we will step in ourselves. As long as we defeat the French, the strategy for German unification will be completed.

If France proves too difficult to conquer, we can purposely fail at the front, allowing the situation to deteriorate, and dragging the rest of Europe into the water.

A powerful and aggressive France is a threat to all European nations. Why should we be the only ones fighting desperately in the forefront?"

Observing the shocked expressions around him, Franz did not continue. Their shock was a matter of crossing lines.

In Franz's view, as long as Germany was not unified, Northern Germany didn't count as territory of the New Roman Empire.

A deteriorating situation was perfect for eliminating the smaller sub-states. At its peak, the German region had over a thousand lords and more than two hundred independent sub-states.

After mergers and reorganization, at the Vienna Congress of 1815, there were still 39 legal sub-states in the German region.

Up to now, there were still more than thirty independent sub-states. Without resolving some of them, Franz would not be able to rest easy as Emperor.

The French were undoubtedly a good tool. With the threat of France, everyone had to lean towards Austria.