Chapter 227: On the necessity of buffering

Berlin
The Austrian act of fanfare had no meaning at all, and the Prussian government naturally received the news.
Frederick-William IV was still hesitant to join the interference coalition, and now he does not have to consider it. No longer wanted to deal with it, before the coalition was established, the Kingdom of Prussia would become history.
Foreign Minister Andrea analyzed: "His Majesty, Austria is intimidating us. It is not good for them to divide us among the three countries. Once we are finished, Austria in the middle of France and Russia will be embarrassed.
The share of the gains they can make is absolutely impossible than the annexation of South Germany, and they pay a lot more. "
This is inevitable. The Prussian and French-Russian forces that can be divided between Prussia and Russia are limited. The Russians can also send 200,000 troops, and the French will take out more than 100,000 troops. The task of main attack must fall on Austria on.
The military strength of the Kingdom of Prussia is not weak. At the juncture of life and death, it is entirely possible for an army of five to six million to erupt.
If this is done together, even if the three nations can't do it together, when they die, it will be no problem to break a few teeth in Austria.
After paying such a large price, the gains after the war will be divided by half between France and Russia. Without the Prussian kingdom of Poland and the Rhineland, the value is not comparable to the South German region that Austria has now acquired.
In addition, the rule is much more difficult. The Junker aristocrats will not buy Austrian accounts, but the local people in South Germany are welcoming the king.
Frederick-William IV said with grief and indignation: "Theoretically it is correct, but this threat still exists. Austria dared to do so obviously. It is clear that we dare not take risks."
Where is the risk? It is clearly suicide. As long as Austria fully attacks Prussia, Russia and France will surely take advantage of the fire.
Will Austria do this? No one knows this answer. But Frederick-William IV can be sure that this is Austria's easiest way to break the game.
Joseph von Radovitz thought about it and said, "Sir, we can throw this problem over to the British. If they cannot guarantee our safety, then we will not participate in the nine-nation interference in the coalition forces.
The Austrians also need us to contain the French. If we are finished, they will face the French threat. As long as we quit now, they will stop. "
This multiple-choice question is very easy to do. The Prussian government joined the interference army for the benefit, and it can also withdraw for the benefit.
The nine-nation coalition seems very powerful, but in fact the main forces in it are only France and Prussia, and the rest of the country are made up. As long as any one of the French lawmakers persuaded, the British plan went bankrupt.
Andrea shook his head and said, "Prime Minister, I am afraid that the British cannot solve this problem. They can persuade the French, but they cannot persuade the Russians.
According to Austria's plan, before the coalition organization was completed, we were at war, and the British were unable to rescue us.
The only people who can help us are the French, but for their own benefit, I am afraid that the French are waiting for us to fail and then annexing our territory west of the Rhine is more likely.
At this time, we cannot put hope on the British. It has long been proven that their commitment is unreliable most of the time.
If sufficient benefits cannot be obtained from the intervention army, it is also a good choice to join forces with Austria to divide up the German region.
The big deal is to join the Russo-Austrian alliance, rebuild the Nordic three-court system, and jointly dominate the European continent, and Britain and France simply cannot prevent it. "
Frederick-William IV hesitated. The Austrian annexation of the South German region caused everyone's fear, but the direct loss of interest to all countries was not large. The biggest loss of interest among the powers should be Prussia, and the market became smaller.
Prussia's annexation of the North German region is not the same. It is only a minor problem to hit the British. The biggest trouble is to break the financial path of British capitalists.
Historically, Prussia annexed the North German region, but after joining the free trade system, the industry of the Kingdom of Prussia had already developed a lot and was not afraid of British competition.
It's different now. If the Prussian government dared to join the free trade system during this period, the national industry in China would be dead.
There is no way. In this era, the Kingdom of Prussia did not have a pillar industry with strong competitiveness. The industry relied entirely on the cottage British, or the whole world was in the cottage British.
The Prussian government stands on the opposite side of Austria. One of the reasons is that after Austria controls the South German region, it will raise import tariffs on Prussian goods and use administrative methods to squeeze them out of the market.
This is not possible, but it is certain to happen. For the industrialized Kingdom of Prussia, not having enough markets means what goes without saying.
On the issue of North Germany, it is impossible for the London government to make concessions. Otherwise, Prime Minister George will step down in advance, or he will have to attach a ticket to heaven.
This is one of the reasons why the British want a three-point German. The interests of domestic capitalists have prompted the London government to act.
As for the fact that the British have many colonies and large markets, that is nonsense. Most colonial markets were not developed in this era, and the main market is still in continental Europe.
The risk of ocean trade is much greater than the trade at the doorstep. Besides, which capitalist would dislike to make more money?
In contrast, South Germany is different. Bavaria is the textile center of the German region. In this era, the biggest export products of the British were textiles. The London government let the Kingdom of Bavaria and Austria leave, and it did not mean to exclude competitors.
International politics in the mid-nineteenth century has not only stayed in politics and military affairs, but the proportion of economic influence has also become larger and larger, especially in a country with a strong capital like Britain.
...
Austria's counterattack was both unexpected and unexpected. The London government also thought that Austria would intimidate and lure the Prussian government, but did not expect the Vienna government to directly enlarge its tactics.
The effect of the big move is naturally very powerful, and the Prussian government has euphemistically stated that it is afraid to play.
The reality tells the British that sometimes it is not possible to fully look at national interests, and the personal interests of high-level governments can also determine national politics.
Having determined Napoleon III's position, the Austrians seized the loopholes of the coalition forces and could counterattack unscrupulously.
"The situation has changed. The Prussian government has been threatened by Austria and is preparing to withdraw. If we do not want to stop it, I am afraid that it will not be long before the Nordic Tripartite Alliance will reappear in Europe." Prime Minister George Hamilton-Gordon said seriously
The Russo-Austrian League has not been dismantled. If it becomes the Russ-Ou League again, don't say anything. They will contract again and return to the British Isles.
The Minister of the Interior Henry thought for a while and said, "Prime Minister, the Prussians may not have made up their minds, otherwise at this time they should send troops to annex North Germany instead of communicating with us.
There is nothing we can do about Russia and Austria, but there is still a way to deal with the Prussians. The Royal Navy blocked the North Sea for a month, and the domestic economic crisis in the Kingdom of Prussia will erupt. They cannot ignore this consequence.
Even if the Prussians and Austria join forces to divide the German region, it does not mean that the North German region belongs to them. I am afraid that many states will not give them the opportunity to do so, and directly put them into the arms of Austria.
In this case, it is impossible for the Prussian government to consider clearly. This expansion does not eliminate the crisis, but only postpones the crisis.
Russia is in the east, France is in the west, and Austria is in the south. The rest is surrounded by the sea. The geographical position of the Kingdom of Prussia is extremely bad.
Austria is very similar to them in this respect, both of which are sandwiched between France and Russia. It is only that Austria can develop in the Italian region and the Balkans. Prussians can only colonize overseas.
This is probably why Frederick-William IV did not dare to make up his mind. Without our acquiescence, they could only be trapped at home and watch the countries continue to grow and develop. "
This is the core reason for the collapse of the Nordic Three-Court Alliance. The alliance cannot bring greater benefits to the Kingdom of Prussia. To industrialize it is inseparable from overseas markets. They must deal with relations with the British.
George Hamilton-Gordon hesitated for a moment and then made a decision: "Tell Thomas that this tentative plan failed and activated a second plan."
This is the most ideal solution, but it is not the only solution. The London government does not consider everyone to be a fool, and naturally prepared an emergency plan.
The reason why the British use this unreliable scheme is very simple, the implementation cost is low, and the benefits are great!
Of course, everyone is happy when they succeed. If they fail, they have no loss. Why not try it?
Do they really fail now?
Obviously not!
The British stabbed a stab at the Russian-Australian alliance and worsened the relationship between Austria and Austria. At the same time, it stimulated the French and provoked Austria's relations with European countries.
What about the British? It was just that the Minister of Foreign Affairs ran a little harder and balanced Austria's strategy, and they were mostly done.
Affected by the worsening diplomatic situation, Austria will have to repair international relations for a long time to come. After all, the annexation of the South German region this time has stimulated everyone's sensitive nerves.
...
Paris
The Prussian government withdrew from interfering in the coalition, and the British plan naturally changed, and negotiations resumed.
Thomas proposed again: "Dear everyone, considering the stability of the European continent, there must be a buffer between the great powers. I recommend that Baden, Hanover, Hamburg, Bremen ... and other German states form a new state.
Considering the actual situation, the Kingdom of Prussia can exchange land with this new country, leaving sufficient buffer space between France and France and between Austria and France. "
The recommendations of this meeting are much more reliable. At least Metternich thinks so. Except for the absence of Baden, the British in other states of South Germany have not put forward.
In order to maintain a certain buffer with the French, in order to gain everyone's recognition, and pay a Principality of Baden, this price can also be considered in Metternich's view.
While Metternich was thinking, French representative Auvergne took the lead in expressing his support: "Mr. Thomas's proposal is good. It is necessary to leave a buffer between the great powers for the peace and stability of the European continent."
The reason is naturally beneficial to everyone's strategic security. The French now have neither the domineering power of the world nor the strength of the warlords alone.
Since it cannot be swallowed, it is necessary to avoid conflicts with major powers as much as possible. As a member of vested interests, a stable European continent is in the interests of Britain and France.
My hometown is unstable. Even if I open a colony overseas, my heart is not solid. Don't look at the British people repeatedly provoking contradictions in European countries, in fact they most want European stability.
Of course, this kind of stability must be established in a situation where nations are evenly matched. Obviously, at this time, countries on the European continent are restraining each other, and no one can be the sole proprietor, so stabilization is necessary.
And this new country, dominated by the British, will inevitably move closer to them politically and increase their voice on the European continent.
At the same time, they also kept their market in the German region, and the government could gain a wave of gratitude from the capitalists.
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Karl-Wasser was also eager to try, but seeing that Metternich did not express his position, considering that it involved Austrian interests and was clearly stipulated in the covenant, it was not easy for him to openly support.
It's no surprise that the Russians' current strategy is to go south to Constantinople, and the European continent can't take care of it temporarily, and a stable Europe is also what they need.
Metternich thought for a moment and said, "This question involves the Principality of Baden and the Palatinate of Bavaria, and we must think about it carefully."
Seeing the Austrians was not against it, the Prussian representative Rotrov could not bear it. He knew that if they did not come out now to fight for benefits, they would lose out.
"No, the Rhineland region is the most important industrial area in the Kingdom of Prussia, and we can't give up like that!"
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