With the development of the Russo-Prussian War to the present point, the international situation in Europe after the war will certainly undergo earth-shaking changes. The Vienna government, as the standard-bearer, naturally has to steer the situation in its favor.

Pulling back his errant thoughts, Franz said slowly: "The Berlin government is already in a hurry. The situation in the Popo Federation may be even worse than we know.

According to the current development of the situation, the possibility of a reversal of the Pupo Federation is already very small, and we can prepare for the aftermath.

This time, we not only have to crack down on competitors and recover the previous investment, but we also have to take the biggest dividend. ”

The Russo-Prussian War was not just as simple as it seemed, and the Vienna government did not invest so much money just to make the Russians win the war.

The credibility of the tsarist government was well known, and how could Franz support them without a handsome reward?

Russian-Austrian friendship can at most fool ordinary people. Anyone with a little common sense knows that this thing is not reliable.

Perhaps before the Russo-Prussian War, the friendship between Russia and Austria was indeed long-standing, and after the war, the two countries will have to transition from allies to rivals.

Of course, the tsarist government paid a heavy price in this war, owed huge debts, could not turn over for decades, and did not have the capital to turn against Austria in a short time.

For a long time to come, Russian-Austrian friendship will remain the subject of diplomacy between the two countries until one side does not need it.

The reason for Franz's blood will naturally not be the temptation of the collateral offered by the Russians. In fact, the claim for territory as a mortgage is just to reassure Alexander II, who can rest assured and boldly take revenge on the Poppo Federation.

No matter how fertile the land in Ukraine is, it will only fall into the hands of Austria if the Russians are defeated and breaches.

If the tsarist government had won the war, Austria would have earned an interest on the loan, plus a small amount of war money, and the benefits would not be proportional to the risks.

The use of debt defaults to hit the British can be counted as one; Taking advantage of post-war overcapacity to suppress the French manufacturing industry can also be regarded as one of the goals; What really made the Viennese government lose money was to eat the legacy left by the Poppo Confederation after the defeat.

It was not land, and although there was a lot of land in the Pupo Federation, it was not enough to impress Franz.

Besides, the Russians have paid a terrible price of millions of casualties for this war, and it is impossible for the family to do it in vain, right?

If Austria stupidly ran to receive the territory of the Poppo Federation, it would not be able to eat much meat, but would have to shoulder the heavy responsibility of guarding the eastern gate of Europe, and from then on it would fight to the end with the Russians.

The creation of a Central European empire is tempting, but it is also very costly. Austria's strategic position was already very bad, and if it extended its territory to the Baltic Sea, there would never be peace.

In Franz's view, the greatest legacy left by the Pupo Federation was not the land, but the people on it, especially the officers who were experienced in combat.

After the end of the Pupo Federation, the only people who are eligible to inherit these inheritances are Russia and Austria.

There is no doubt that Prussia has just fought hard, the seeds of hatred have been planted, and the Junker nobles will no longer have discipline and will not be able to take refuge in the past immediately.

Besides, even if they are willing to defect, they must be willing to take them in.

Not to mention that the Junker aristocracy was not welcomed by the Russian military, even the Austrian military would not welcome them, and no one wanted to add a group of people to their own bowls to grab food.

Franz wanted to subdue these people for his own use, and he would not recruit them directly, and there were not so many places in the Austrian army to house them.

With the exception of a few generals, who were able to serve in military academies and impart war experience, most of the Junker nobles had to return home to farm and become part of the Austrian military reserve officers.

If a continental war breaks out, there is still a chance for them to perform, otherwise they will have to die in the field.

This is the instinct of the emperor, and there is no doubt about the military qualities of the Junker aristocracy, Franz must hold it in his hands. Even if you don't use it yourself, you can't give it to others.

After the Russians won the war, they had to settle their own people in the area on the basis of merit and merit, and it was inevitable to liquidate them, those with vested interests.

Not only the Junker aristocracy, but even the common people are probably unlucky. In fact, they can't be unlucky if they don't want to, the Russians don't raid their homes, what will they use to pay off Austria's debts?

There is also a secret agreement between Russia and Austria on loans, but it is not only a territorial exchange, but also one of the conditions that the two sides have secretly agreed on.

The Tsarist government could clean up local instability, and Austria could get a group of labor to develop the colonies.

Of course, there are limits to conventions. After the war, the Vienna government would buy these prisoners of war from the Russians in the name of rescuing the German compatriots, and by the way, take away the families of the soldiers.

Franz is not afraid that someone will rob the business, nationalism has risen, except for him, the emperor of the HRE, holding high the banner of unified Germany, and can subdue them with national righteousness, other countries do not have this capital.

By scattering these people in the colonies, Austria could quickly digest them. If it falls into the hands of Britain and France, I am afraid that they will not dare to put these people in the colony.

The defeat of the remnants of the army is also relative, the combat effectiveness of these people is not bad, and they are definitely at the top when they reach the colony.

If you enter the British and French colonies, the cultural traditions are different, and you will not be able to integrate at all in a short time. That's a proper unstable, and the kind that could ignite wolf smoke at any moment.

Prime Minister Felix: "Your Majesty, the most troublesome thing right now is the British, who may incite the rest of Europe to intervene in this war.

It doesn't matter to us whether the Popor Confederation lives or dies, but the Kingdom of Prussia is one of the German states, although they themselves have already announced their withdrawal.

As the leader of the German nation, we cannot completely turn to the Russians on this issue. On the bright side, we must also make a gesture of trying to protect Prussia and give an explanation to the outside world.

If the tsarist government could not withstand the pressure and let the Kingdom of Prussia go, it would be difficult for our plan to proceed. ”

Nationalism is a double-edged sword. Since Austria has enjoyed the benefits of nationalism, it has to assume the obligations that come with it.

For example, the reunification of the German regions, the maintenance of the territorial integrity of the German regions, and the fight against separatism......

There is no doubt that the Vienna government will intervene. Not to mention the preservation of the entire Kingdom of Prussia, at least the territory of the Prussian German region.

After a little thought, Franz shook his head: "Don't worry. Poland and Lithuania were once internationally recognized as Russian territory, and the tsarist government would certainly be able to take them back as the victors.

Even if the Kingdom of Prussia is preserved, it will have to shed a layer of skin. Huge debts, war reparations, and a tired economy at home are not so easy to get rid of.

If you want to make a comeback, you must also be allowed by the international situation. The Russians will not give up on suppressing them, and we will not give them this opportunity. ”

For Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia was still too large, so big that Austria feared that they would choke to death if they swallowed it.

Without the dismantling of the Kingdom of Prussia, the road to German reunification would always be in the air. The new HRE Empire established by Franz did not need a powerful state, and the existence of the Kingdom of Prussia would weaken the authority of the central government.

Splitting is easy to say, but very cumbersome to do. First of all, this kind of hatred cannot be done by Austria. Otherwise, even if there was future reunification, the Prussian people would be alienated from the central government.

Against this background, Franz chose the Russians as the knife. For the sake of strategic considerations, it is not surprising to support the Russians in the Russo-Prussian War.

Foreign Secretary Wissenberg: "Your Majesty, if the Pop-Po Federation is defeated, the European continent will be dominated by Britain, France, Austria and Russia in the future."

Geographically, we occupy the center of the European continent and are naturally the most favorable contenders for continental supremacy.

Whether we like it or not, we will inevitably participate in the European disputes in the future. In recent years, our strength has grown rapidly, which has made many people feel uneasy.

With the development of the times, the number of international conflicts will gradually increase in the future, and under the trend of interests, it is very likely that France and Russia will get closer.

Theoretically, we could also enlist the British as allies against the Franco-Russian alliance, but this is the worst option. ”

Not a possibility, but a very good one. France and Russia were all close together in the original time and space, but the Anglo-German alliance came to naught.

Did the Russians really go to the French because of the loans? Before the crossing, Franz thought so, but now he doesn't think so.

The original time and space, France and Russia are closer, in essence, it is still a strategic need, and the German Second Empire is too strong, so they feel threatened, and they must huddle together to keep warm. Loans are only a catalyst, not a decisive factor.

Although the international situation has changed somewhat, Austria's strength can also arouse the vigilance of France and Russia.

France and Russia have not yet come closer, it is nothing more than the current friendly relations between Russia and Austria, and the French are still immersed in the glory of the Napoleonic era, and do not clearly recognize the Austrian threat.

Franz nodded with satisfaction, being able to clearly see the potential threat to Austria from the post-war international pattern is enough to prove that the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has matured, has not immersed itself in the glory of the past, and has a sober self-awareness.

"It's a big threat, but it's for the future. We still have time to lay out and completely weaken our competitors before they react.

The most important thing at the moment is the Russo-Prussian War, to eat the legacy left by the Prussian Federation, and to strengthen our potential strength. ”

……