The Anglo-Russian negotiations were not kept secret, and Franz, who was far away in Vienna, received the news, and even the content of the negotiations was restored.

Wait for the price to sell, everyone understands such a simple truth. The Russians deliberately leaked the news, apparently waiting for Austria to bid.

It didn't have to be higher than the British, as long as it was about the same, the tsarist government would definitely choose to side with Austria.

This is determined by interests, the value of the existence of the Russian-Austrian alliance is much more valuable than that of the Anglo-Russian alliance, and the British will not form an alliance with them.

If you open the map, you will know that the long border between Russia and Austria is not so much a natural danger at all. Without the Alliance, the pressure on national defense alone would be a headache.

Especially for the already exhausted tsarist government, the situation was even more serious. If they turn the other cheek with Austria, it means that all countries bordering them are enemies, or potential enemies.

When the Russian Empire was strong, it was a crusade from the east to the west and established a great reputation, but now it shows fatigue and becomes a pack of wolves devouring tigers.

The last Russo-Prussian war told the tsarist government how many enemies they really had. If the Second Russo-Prussian War is lost again, then it will be time for the Nordic Confederation to rush up and divide the meat.

It's no secret that Finns and Sweden hook up and play together. When the Russian Empire was strong, the Swedes were very peaceful, but with the defeat of the Russo-Prussian War, Karl XV dared to openly meet with the leaders of the Finnish independence movement.

Of course, this potential threat does not intimidate the Russians. It is difficult for the Russians to fight out, but it is still not a big problem to keep the current foundation.

Although there are many enemies, there are not many who are willing to contribute. With the exception of the Kingdom of Prussia, the Kingdom of Poland, and the Ottoman Empire, there is no possibility of easing these three feuds, and the rest of the enemies will only fall into the ground.

Now the tsarist government is so poor that they have no other hole cards except for the domestic market that can be used as bargaining chips, and now they naturally have to sell them at a good price.

Originally, they wanted Britain, France and Austria to bid together, but unfortunately the French are now very busy and are unwilling to participate in the competition.

……

Putting down the teacup in his hand, Franz asked with a gloomy face: "The Russians have shown their chips, do you think we should compete with the British?" ”

It can be seen that he is in a very bad mood. The tsarist government's efforts at this time were completely striking at the heart of Austria.

South Africa's gold has not yet been mined, and in the struggle for monetary hegemony, the Aegis-gold system was already at a disadvantage, and at this time the tsarist government fell to the British, and it was basically possible to declare the British pound-gold system victorious.

Prime Minister Felix replied angrily: "Your Majesty, we cannot allow the Russians to blackmail like this, we need to teach them a profound lesson." ”

In order to win over the Russians to join the Aegis-gold system, Austria also paid a lot of price. The benefits have been taken, and when the matter comes, this one comes again, in the eyes of Prime Minister Felix, this is a betrayal.

Franz nodded, and without waiting for others to speak, he immediately said: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reminds the Russians that the Russian-Austrian alliance is about to expire, and what they do is very chilling!" ”

It is impossible to bid, how is it possible to sell the same item twice? The tsarist government was short of money, and this was none of Franz's business.

Regardless of the reason, as long as the agreement is broken, even if it is a verbal agreement, it is also a betrayal.

After a pause, Franz stopped again: "Forget it, you don't have to be annoying at this time." Invitations were sent to the Prussians, and Wilhelm I knew what to do. ”

How can verbal threats have actual actions and deterrence? The Russians dared to turn to the British, and he supported Prussia in the next Russo-Prussian war.

Although the Berlin government can't come up with a bargaining chip, the pie drawn by others is big enough!

Unless Alexander II was able to take the Prussians down before the end of the Russo-Austrian alliance, then Franz had nothing to say, he was not a perfidious man, and Austria would certainly be neutral.

If the Russian-Austrian alliance is dissolved and the Russo-Prussian war breaks out again, then don't blame him for falling into the ground. Not to mention anything else, simply cutting off Russian-Austrian trade can make the Russians break their bones.

If that wasn't enough, it would also be a good idea to let the Prussian navy into the Aegean Sea and have them join forces with the Ottoman navy to block the Russians' trade routes to the Mediterranean.

This kind of thing is something that many people will play. If the Nordic Confederation did not yet know about closing the gates to the Baltic Sea, then Franz would have looked down on them.

As soon as the two lifelines were broken, the tsarist government could not import strategic materials from the Far East to wage war, right?

The construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway has not yet begun, and even if it starts immediately, it will take more than ten years.

Foreign Secretary Wesenberg analyzed: "Your Majesty, there is no need for us to be so proactive. The Prussians should be in a more anxious situation than we are, or it won't be long before they come to the door themselves.

Britain and Russia are beginning to move closer, and it is unknown whether their boss will support them in the next war.

If the Prussians could not sabotage this Anglo-Russian deal, then they would have to move closer to us. Relatively speaking, it is in Eastern Europe that we have the most important voice. ”

……

Every politician is a qualified actor, and the Russians are testing the monetary system, and Franz naturally has to cooperate.

It's not like the Vienna government and a bunch of bigwigs, they all put on a big show for them, showing the Russians what they want to see.

It won't be long before the contents of this meeting reach Alexander II's desk through secret channels, and then it will be his turn to have a headache.

True or false, even Franz himself did not know whether the content of this meeting would become a fact.

The only thing that is certain is that Franz is faking "angry". has been an emperor for so many years, and he has long learned to be moody and quiet, how can he show it?

Moreover, everyone has their own position, and thinking from the position of the Russians, there is nothing wrong with what they are doing.

Franz also often does things to pit teammates, and being pitted by teammates also happens from time to time. If this had been angry, it is estimated that Franz would have been angry to death.

If he was really angry, Franz would not have held a meeting. Instead, they took direct action in retaliation, for example: raising a pirate detachment in the Aegean Sea to block the doors of the Russians.

Or they could sponsor the Russian Revolutionary Party and let them add to the tsarist government.

In contrast, supporting the Kingdom of Prussia was a complete strategy. Isn't it a waste of effort to fall a Russia and a Prussia to rise?

The purpose of acting is to "repair the plank road in the open and cross the Chen Cang secretly". After so long in the making, Austria is about to act.

It won't be long before the strategic value of the Persian Gulf will be revealed, and Franz will naturally intervene to enter. In any case, the British cannot be allowed to dominate this place.

If it weren't for the proximity to India, the British would have been watching too closely. Franz had already acted.

If you don't take advantage of the alliance between the three countries to extend your tentacles to the Strait of Hormuz against Oman, how long will it take?

Austria knocked the British on the stick in South Africa, and the London government co-opted the Russians to join the free trade system and pry Austria's corner. Franz took the opportunity to reach out to the Persian Gulf, which was targeted by the British, and everyone relied on their own means.

The Russians probably never dreamed that Franz was ready to sell them to the British from the very beginning.

There is no way, having already robbed a large area of British South Africa, and now it is necessary to rob the Persian Gulf, which the British regard as their bag, it is always necessary to appease the emotions of the British.

Monetary hegemony was not so easy to establish, especially in the era of the gold standard. If the British don't have enough gold in their hands, will the pound sterling – the gold system still play around?

In that case, it is better to make the British happy for a few days first. Use the aura of victory to cover up their failures in overseas colonial expansion.

As for the Russians, I'm sorry that with the growing conflict of interests between the two countries, this alliance is no longer sustainable, and this is not something that can be redeemed by individuals.

Unless the Russian Empire continues to decline, then everyone can become good friends. Apparently this was impossible, and the reforms of Alexander II had already made Franz feel threatened.

In this reform, Alexander II imitated Austria in too many ways. Compared to the original time and space, this social reform is much more thorough.

Not only did he emancipate the serfs, Alexander II also solved the land contradictions, and even industry developed very quickly.

Since the end of the Civil War, the industry and commerce of the Russian Empire have entered a period of rapid development. Although industrial products are still as garbage as ever, the rate of growth in production capacity is still staggering.

The industrial capacity lost in the Russo-Prussian War was recovered in just a few years, and the total amount of industry exceeded that before the war.

If it had not been for the constraints of transportation and the lack of capital, the Russian Empire would have been reborn long ago. Once any of these problems are solved, it will enter a period of rapid development.

They already have the basic elements of industrial development: abundant resources, cheap labor costs, and suitable development policies.

There is no way, after the large-scale opening of the land, Russian grain has been unsalable, and domestic grain prices have fallen again and again, resulting in a significant drop in labor costs.

The cost of labor in Russia was only a quarter of that of Austria and one-fifth of that of the British. This is simply an unbeatable advantage for labor-intensive industries.

Not only labor is cheap, but even industrial raw materials are also very cheap. The only thing that is expensive is the cost of transportation, but this is not the case everywhere, and the Russian Empire also had rivers.

Sooner or later, the capitalists will see these advantages. As long as the tsarist government can maintain its current level of governance, it will be a matter of time before it develops.

This was the credit of Alexander II, who succeeded in intimidating the Russian bureaucracy by killing chickens and monkeys. By now, he had exiled thousands of bureaucrats to Siberia to enjoy the northern country.

The corruption of the tsarist government was still serious, but the executive capacity had been raised several notches, and no one dared to disobey the tsar.

The more he knew, the more Franz became aware of the horrors of the Russian Empire. Perhaps Austria is no longer afraid of Russia's rise, but there is no need to cultivate a competitor for itself.

Therefore, when the Russians were in a mood, Franz was no longer appeased. In order to reap the benefits of this means, the tsarist government made a mistake of judgment from the very beginning.

Including the currency reform carried out by Alexander II, Franz was not active. Although there is a lot of interest in getting involved, it is the Russians who benefit the most.

Since the tsarist government wants to make a deal with it and sell it at a price, it is better to simply drag it out. Even if the tsarist government fell in favor of the British, it didn't matter.

The British are not philanthropic either, and if the bankers in London do not peel off a layer of skin from them, are they embarrassed to call themselves bankers?

In order not to bear the name of treachery, Franz threw out this piece of interest. Anyway, the credibility of the tsarist government is rotten, and it is not a big deal to let them bear the charge of betraying the alliance.

……