After William I's trip to London, the international situation became more and more turbulent. Anglo-Prussian relations warmed up, Russia and Austria, which had just ended their alliance, once again leaned together, and the choice to determine the future direction of the situation in Europe was again in the hands of the French.

If the Paris government had supported the Russians, the outcome of the war would have been decided in advance. On the other hand, if you support the Popo Federation, then this war will have to be fought to know.

At Versailles, Napoleon IV was very pleased with the current situation. The feeling that Prussia and Russia are vying to win over France first is a wonderful way to shape the future of Europe.

Foreign Secretary Dumbledore: "Your Majesty, the Russian delegation has suddenly changed its itinerary and cancelled its trip to London, and is expected to arrive in Paris in three days. ”

Napoleon IV smiled slightly, he knew that the tsarist government was in a hurry. The Russian Empire is superior to the Pop-Polish Federation in terms of comprehensive national strength, but the war is not only in terms of comprehensive national strength, but also in external forces.

The Pop-Po Confederation had already gained the support of the British, and if it had the support of the French, even if Russia had the support of Austria, it would still suffer.

The harsh reality tells the Russians that it is impossible to have no money. In terms of financial resources, the two major financiers of Britain and France combined will certainly be able to provide more funds than Austria can come up with.

To put it bluntly, this war was a war of the Russians, not a war of Austria, and the Viennese government could support them, but it could not invest indefinitely.

Unless the war can be ended in a short period of time, the final fight is financial resources. Having learned the lessons of the last war, the tsarist government had no illusions of a quick victory.

Napoleon IV shook his head: "It's only now that we start acting, I'm afraid the Russians are not stupid!" ”

The arrival of the Russian mission before Wilhelm I's visit to Paris was certainly not too late on the surface. However, Napoleon IV said that it was late, and it also made sense.

In the past, France and Russia had the opportunity to get closer to each other, but unfortunately neither side cherished it. This is a problem left over from history, and the contradictions between the two countries brought about by the anti-French war were once again magnified in the Near East War.

Alexander II tried to ease Franco-Russian relations, but was blocked by Britain and Austria, and finally failed.

After the Prussian-German territorial deal, France and Russia lost the hub of interest in joining forces, and the last chance for an alliance was shattered.

There is no regret medicine in this world, and with the changing international situation, France no longer needs to form an alliance with the Russians.

The young Napoleon IV was also ambitious, wanting to surpass his father and build greater achievements.

Therefore, France needs only a little brother, not a competitor.

It is impossible for the Russian Empire to put down the shelf and be a little brother, and even if Alexander II can lie down and taste the courage, the Russian people will not agree.

Foreign Secretary Dumbledore waved his hand: "Russian diplomacy has always been more casual, there is nothing surprising about it.

This is true from the alliance between Nicholas I and Austria, to the pro-Prussian and Austrian strategy implemented by Alexander II after his succession, to the later reversal of the Prussian-Russian alliance and the rupture of the Russian-Austrian alliance.

The foreign policy of the tsarist government was too much influenced by personal will. Not only does there be no long-term planning, but it is also constantly changing, even contradictory. ”

As if aware of something, Dumbledore's decisive choice stopped. The foreign policy of the tsarist government was chaotic, and the foreign policy of the French government was not much better.

Among the major European powers, Britain and Austria have had the best continuation of their foreign policy, and the policy of balancing the European continent between Britain and Austria has continued from the end of the war against France to the present.

Although there were changes along the way, the general direction never changed. The current political landscape in Europe is a product of the Anglo-Austrian policy of "continental balance".

Napoleon IV nodded: "Forget it, this is also a good thing." The Russians are coming, so I can negotiate with the Pop-Po Federation.

The European continent is too small to accommodate so many large countries. One Austria, one England, is enough for us, and there can be no more fourth poles. ”

The cake is so big, three families can no longer satisfy everyone's appetite, and no one will welcome another family to share the cake.

On the issue of suppressing the rise of latecomers, the positions of Britain, France and Austria can be said to be unanimous. Whether it is to support the Pop-Po Federation, or to support the Russian Empire, there is a prerequisite - they cannot be allowed to grow and develop.

Britain, France and Austria were divided into two waves this time, seemingly because of interests, but in fact, everyone had already reached a tacit agreement in their hearts: neither of the two countries could easily win the war.

In this round of diplomatic competition, the Russians lost from the very beginning. No matter how hard the tsarist government tried, it was impossible to gain more support.

Foreign Secretary Dumbledore: "Your Majesty, news has come from London that William I is seeking an alliance with the great powers, and the British have definitively rejected them.

If nothing else, Wilhelm I will seek an alliance with us. The stakes are high, and we must be cautious. ”

If it had been twenty or thirty years ago, the French government would have liked to have an ally to share the pressure. Even a decade ago, the French government would have agreed without hesitation.

Now it's different, the British, French and Austrian Triple Alliance aside, France also has a Spanish ally, and the need for allies is no longer so hungry.

Napoleon IV sneered: "There is nothing to think about. If the Pop-Po Federation wants to ally with us, it must first defeat the Russians. If they lose the war, what qualifications do they have to negotiate an alliance with us? ”

Now that France and Prussia are in an alliance, what benefits can the French government get in addition to its obligations?

Even if the Pop-Po Confederation was victorious, Napoleon IV would have to weigh the pros and cons of an alliance with the Prussian-Prussian Federation. At least the attitude of Britain and Austria, they have to take into account.

……

At the end of the grand welcoming ceremony, Crown Prince Alexandrovich (Alexander III), who was visiting Paris again, had a deep sadness on his face.

It seems to be a grand welcome ceremony, but it is mixed with a strong sense of alienation. There is no doubt that they are not welcomed by the people of Paris.

If it weren't for the fact that the Bonaparte family wanted to integrate into the European royal circle and attached great importance to etiquette, I am afraid that they would not have bothered to do the face project.

From the beginning, Aleksandrovich had no hope for the next negotiations.

Originally, according to his intentions, the first stop was to visit Denmark, and the Nordic Federation was the focus of public relations, and Britain and France should just obey the destiny of heaven.

It is a pity that the Russian Empire has not yet been able to call the shots as the crown prince. Even though he has been involved in government affairs for many years, his diplomatic voice is still very low.

Winning over Britain and France seems to be rewarding and can directly lock in the victory, but in fact there is no possibility of success at all.

The most critical issue was the "bargaining chips", and the tsarist government simply could not come up with the interests that appealed to them.

Using gold as collateral? Sorry, the tsar did not dare. Britain and France could not trust the Russians, and neither could the tsarist government trust Britain and France.

Unlike Austria, if the Austrians break the contract, they can still fight with real guns. The costs of the war were clearly higher than the mortgage gold, and these benefits were not enough for the Viennese government to default.

Britain and France are different, thousands of miles away, the Russians simply can't reach them, and if one day they break the treaty in a bad mood, the Russian economy will collapse immediately, and there will be no chance of retaliation.

Territorial mortgage? Don't talk about mortgages, even if they sell or cede them, they don't dare to ask for them if they are willing to give them to Britain and France.

Under normal circumstances, no European country wants to be an ally of the Russians. Britain and France were both colonial empires, and there was no shortage of enclaves.

Diplomacy without interests is a hooligan. Crown Prince Aleksandrovich is just doing his best, and naturally his interest is not high.

"Your Highness, William I will arrive in Paris tomorrow, and the French have arranged the welcome banquet together, which is clearly uneasy and kind." An accompanying Foreign Ministry official was indignant

After a moment of silence, Alexandrovich said coldly: "Let's just say that I am not feeling well, and I will not attend tomorrow's banquet." ”

As the crown prince Aleksandrovich is also full of arrogance, how can he be willing to suffer such humiliation?

As the crown prince, now Alexandrovich is only a grand duke, and William I is the king, so they are put together in a lower rank.

At the moment when the Russo-Prussian War was about to break out, such an untimely meeting, who knows what news will be arranged in the newspapers outside?

"But, Your Highness. If you don't go, the outside world will ......."

Before he could finish speaking, Aleksandrovich interrupted: "Not so much, but, what will the outside world say?" It's nothing more than choreographing some jokes that we're afraid of.

Based on Franco-Russian relations, do you think the French newspapers will say good things about us? If you want to hear good things from people, you can just throw money at them, which is more effective than anything else. ”

The more he learned about France, the less confident Aleksandrovich became. Back then, for the Polish independence movement, the French actually organized a volunteer army.

Although the last volunteer army did not step out of the country, the strong malice towards Russia could not be concealed. Against this backdrop, if you want to fight a public opinion war in Paris, you have no choice but to throw money.

If France is in the republican era, and public opinion can influence government decision-making, then it will be smashed. Obviously not now, no matter how much money is spent.

Aleksandrovich deliberately forced William I, and William I was also avoiding Alexandrovich, and the two seemed to have reached a tacit understanding that they would definitely not appear in the same place.

seems to have seen through the sinister intentions of the French, and both of them are deliberately avoiding direct conflict, which disappoints the melon-eating masses who want to watch a good show.

At the Palace of Versailles, Napoleon IV was meeting with William I, and the scene was joyful, as if they were good friends who had not seen each other for many years.

On the other side, representatives of France and Prussia are engaged in a war of words over interests. Seeing that a breakthrough could not be made in a short period of time, Jeffrey Friedman, the foreign minister of the Poppol Federation, decisively changed the subject.

"Your Excellency, the current international situation is not only unfavorable to us, but also unfavorable to your country."

French Foreign Secretary Dumbledore shook his head: "Earl, there is no need to be alarmist here. The current international political landscape is the best for France in the past 100 years.

We have survived the most difficult days, let alone now! A few threats, not worth mentioning at all. ”

This is a fact, France has been in the maelstrom of European politics for nearly 100 years, and has been hostile and targeted by everyone.

Jeffrey Friedman took a sip of his coffee, then asked, "Really?" Don't you feel threatened by Austria, which has grown in strength dramatically? ”

Dumbledore sneered, "Austria is indeed strong and developing rapidly, but it is not yet a threat to the great France.

On the contrary, it is your country that needs to face the pressure of Austria, where the border between Prussia and Austria is so long, and now the Vienna government is supporting the Russians. ”

The Austrian threat, the French government naturally felt it, but not as obvious as the Po-Po Confederation. The border between the two countries is not long, and France is confused about its own military strength, so naturally it does not feel much.

Jeffrey Friedman took out the documents he had prepared and handed them to Dumbledore.

"This is part of the Austrian information we have gathered, you can take a look."

Now that Austria has been offended, let's just do it to the end. In order to prevent the Viennese government from pulling the strings in the ensuing war, the Berlin government naturally wanted to find an enemy for Austria.

Looking at the world, only Britain and France have the strength to contain Austria. The British were too cunning to fool, and they were so far away from Austria that they did not feel the threat of Austria at all.

It's not the same with the French as neighbors, the two countries have always been rivals, and they will care if there is a little wind next door.