While the British were eyeing the French warships, the Austrian Admiralty was also attacking the idea of the French warships.

The seemingly ordinary warship dispute has actually evolved into a dispute for maritime supremacy, and the final ownership of the warships in the hands of the French will directly affect the next world pattern.

In the Vienna Palace, in the face of the eager crowd, Franz asked calmly: "Do you think the French will obediently hand over the warship to us?" ”

Frankly, Franz also hit the idea of the French warship. The direct inheritance of the French naval legacy, the combined naval power of the two countries surpassed the British, this picture is really wonderful.

However, the harsh reality told him that this was impossible. The Franco-Austrian navy is a self-contained system, and the integration alone cannot be completed in a moment and a half.

If it's just a matter of time, then it's not insurmountable. The trouble is that under Franz's butterfly effect, the development of naval technology has greatly exceeded that of the original time and space, and it is only one idea away from the birth of the dreadnought.

If Austria gets the French warships, the British will definitely increase their investment in the navy in order to maintain maritime supremacy.

Once the dreadnoughts come out, these ironclads that have been obtained at great cost will immediately be swept into the dustbin of history.

There is no doubt that the birth of dreadnoughts Austria will definitely follow. When the time comes, what will happen to these chicken-ribbed ironclad ships?

It definitely can't be sold, even if it's given away for free, no one can raise it. The plate of the world's second navy, even Britain and Austria are struggling to pick it up, and the rest of the countries together are enough to choke.

In addition to looking good in the face, the actual value is about zero. You can't kill the British in a naval battle before they get the dreadnoughts, right?

It's not Franz who coaxed it, but it's really not sure. The Franco-Austrian navy surpassed the British in terms of tonnage, and 1.5:1 seemed to have an advantage, but in fact, if there was a fight, it was unknown who would win and who would lose.

The Royal Navy in these years is really awesome, and Franz doesn't know how the French Navy is inside, anyway, the Austrian Navy has a lot of moisture.

As one of the first countries to enter the era of ironclad ships, the Austrian Navy is now in a special period of aging ships and in need of large-scale replacement.

In addition to the capital ships, which are advancing with the pace of the times, most of the auxiliary warships have fallen behind, and there are even many sail warships.

There is no other reason than to save money. The hardships of developing both sea power and land power at the same time will only be known by those who have experienced it personally.

Franz had reason to believe that the French Navy was also heavily flooded. The world's three major naval powers are nominally on the same level, but in fact that is for other naval powers.

In essence, the Royal Navy is going to be one notch higher, and the navies of the three countries are forcibly pulled together for comparison, just because of interests.

How can there be military spending without competitors? The slogan of the three major naval powers was originally shouted by the British Navy in order to put pressure on Parliament.

Compared to the large number of old warships in the French and Austrian navies, the Royal Navy is much better. As the king of the international warship trade market, the British can export a batch of second-hand warships every few years.

The funds returned from the arms trade, coupled with the fact that the military expenditure itself is the highest, has made the Royal Navy far more than France and Austria in the replacement of warships.

"Your Majesty," explained Castagni, the Minister of the Admiralty, "the outbreak of civil strife in France and the danger of the Bonaparte dynasty are at stake, and Napoleon IV will compromise if we are willing to help them retain power." ”

After a little thought, Franz vetoed: "No! ”

"Intervening in the French regime change may seem like a clever move, but in fact it is more than worth the loss. It is no longer the Middle Ages, and the nationalist French simply cannot accept a regime supported by foreign powers.

The war has knocked down the foundations of the Bonaparte dynasty, and unless our men show mercy, otherwise the mess after the war will not be cleaned up by anyone who goes up.

This is impossible, and even if we are willing to give up suppressing France, our allies will not rest on our laurels. If you don't mess with France, how do you let everyone sleep in peace?

Napoleon IV was not a fool, even if he was a fan of the authorities, he would have been reminded. At the moment, the most suitable thing for the Bonaparte dynasty is to retreat quickly and find a backstabber to bear the wrath of the people. ”

This is not the case, and it is now the time when the Franco-Austrian hatred is at its deepest. To prop up a pro-Austrian regime in France is obviously a thankless effort.

If the Bonapartist dynasty was to be propped up, the best thing Austria could do was to openly support their rivals, and then the angry French populace would take care of everything.

"But this opportunity is so rare that if we miss it, it won't happen overnight if we want to overtake the Royal Navy."

Admiral Castagni contended.

Foreign Secretary Wesenberg: "Your Excellency, calm down, if you want to get the warship from the French, it is not impossible to do it, the key is to see whether the price paid and the benefits reaped are matched."

The price we paid in this war was also very large, and in the short term we simply did not have the financial resources to compete with the British for supremacy in the sea.

After the war, we gave priority to restoring the economy, and we couldn't afford to get the French warships. Besides, there are quite a few people who are eyeing the French warships, and it is too ugly for our family to devour it alone.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggested that a few capital ships should be selected from them to get back, and the rest should be distributed to allies to avoid unnecessary trouble. ”

Theoretically, this is the most sensible thing to do. Austria would choke enough to eat the French warships, and there would be no problem for the entire anti-French alliance to eat the French warships together.

Pulling everyone to share the spoils together, the international pressure will disappear.

Anyway, the most essential part of the French Navy is those capital ships, and Austria has no shortage of auxiliary warships.

Admiral Castagny hurriedly objected: "Your Excellency, please don't do this, the French Navy has different technical standards from ours. If you can't get them all back, then don't get any of them at all.

For the sake of a few French warships, it is necessary to provide special supporting facilities, which is completely more than worth the loss. ”

Since the completion of the military reform in Austria, standardization has been imprinted on everyone's mind. From a warship or a port to a screw, there are specific standards.

If all the capital ships of the French could not be obtained, then a few warships would be meaningless to the Austrian Navy after losing the strategic significance of surpassing the Royal Navy.

"Since the Navy doesn't want it, it's better to just give it up. After the war, a large auction of warships was held, in which countries from all over the world were invited to participate, and the funds raised were used as part of the war reparations. ”

Franz's decisive decision directly made Castagni want to cry without tears.

Increasing logistical pressure for a few French warships is indeed more than worth the loss, and it will be different if it becomes dozens.

As the second naval power in the world, France has hundreds of ironclad ships alone, and even if Austria takes a few dozen, the rest is enough for everyone to share, and there is no distribution problem at all.

Originally, he just wanted to bargain, but he was tossed all of a sudden, and Castagni's mood naturally couldn't be better.

Obviously, Franz was not a good leader who cared about the mood of his subordinates, and after making a decision, he immediately moved on to the next topic, and did not give Castagny any time at all.

……

While the Vienna government was considering the aftermath, the battlefield changed again.

First, the French army on the southern front could not withstand the pressure and took the initiative to abandon the Italian region; Then the French army in Central Europe once again abandoned their armor on the battlefield and was forced to retreat to their homeland; Even the Franche-Comté district in the east lost most of it.

The only one that was still strong was the western battlefield, where a group of second-rate French troops withstood the attack of the Spaniards with their blood and bravery.

Of course, this does not prove that they are fighting hard. It's more because the Spaniards are unreliable, they have jumped out and fallen into the ground, and they are still looking ahead.

Napoleon IV now had only two options: either to run away and go into exile on his own, or to be exiled by the anti-French allies.

No matter how you choose, your own safety is guaranteed. Compared with Napoleon the Great, who went around pulling hatred, Napoleon IV actually did not offend many people.

Except for the domestic capitalists, there are basically few enemies of life and death. If the Bonapartes were good at public relations, they wouldn't even have to go into exile.

Whether to go into exile and continue to raise the banner of resistance, or to admit defeat and retire from politics became the most tangled question for Napoleon IV.

At the Palace of Versailles, the declining Napoleon IV asked: "The war is already doomed, what do you think we should do now?" ”

Everyone present was a die-hard supporter of the Bonaparte dynasty, and Napoleon IV did not act perversely, so naturally there was no such thing as betrayal.

What's more, it is the anti-French alliance that is coming now, and even if someone wants to change jobs, no one will accept it!

Prime Minister Terence Bulkin was the first to speak: "Your Majesty, the situation is irreparable, and now we can only retreat for the time being and come back at an opportune time."

However, we cannot bear the responsibility for defeat, let alone sign a harsh armistice treaty. This war was originally provoked by the consortium, and it was defeated because of them, and they must be held responsible.

According to the latest investigation results, 485 of the suspects we arrested have confessed to collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country, but unfortunately they have escaped from the leader who planned this operation.

According to their confessions, a series of problems, including instigating a conspiracy to war, raising prices during the war, and deliberately creating social contradictions, were all done at the behest of international forces. ”

It is clear that Terence Bulkin is ready to get rid of the pot before he runs away, to preserve the reputation of the Bonaparte dynasty as much as possible, and to prepare for future restoration.

It no longer matters whether the capitalists collude with international forces or not. Anyway, the charges on their heads are all real hammers, and it is just right to push them out to pull hatred.

It doesn't matter if it's a goof, just by what these guys do, their reputation has long been stinky, and some enthusiastic people are willing to testify.

The internal competition of the bourgeoisie is equally brutal, and it is able to take out competitors without mercy. Even if you want to rehabilitate them, it's after these guys die.

Napoleon IV asked uncertainly: "You mean to throw Paris to the revolutionaries and let them deal with the anti-French alliance?" ”

Paris is now a hot potato, and whoever takes it will have to face a devastating problem: how to get rid of the anti-French alliance.

As the loser of this war, don't even think about getting through without paying a terrible price. Land reparations are indispensable.

However, whether it is land cession or indemnity, the French people cannot accept it, and such a treaty can be said to be signed by whoever signs it. If you don't sign it, you can't do it, and the millions of anti-French coalition troops are not vegetarians.

France can expel the people of the occupied territories, and the anti-French coalition can do the same. The lessons of the Ottoman Empire have already emerged, and no one dares to guarantee that France will not become a second Ottoman.

International pressure does not exist. In this era of the jungle, the biggest anti-French alliance represents the international order.

Terrance Bulkin nodded, "Yes, Your Majesty." Since the revolutionaries chose to rebel at this time, they must have the ability to bear the consequences. ”

……