Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 492

Chapter 492: Chapter 65, Alexandrovich
 

The French-Russian rapprochement was not just lip service. Although Napoleon III was now just making a tentative move, attempting to gain more leverage within the British-French-Austrian tripartite alliance, it was necessary to take concrete actions.

On March 6, 1871, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Crown Prince Alexandrovich would visit the European continent, with France being the first stop.

The Russians’ cooperation came as a surprise. Under normal circumstances, the Crown Prince’s first visit should have been to Vienna, or he could have started from Denmark.

The order of the Crown Prince’s visits may seem trivial, but it actually contained deep political implications, signaling political messages to the outside world.

Austria was the Russian Empire’s most important ally and the only substantial one, holding a significant weight in diplomacy.

The Kingdom of Denmark was related to the Russian royal family by marriage; Crown Prince Alexandrovich had married the Danish Princess Maria Feodorovna.

Geographically, both countries bordered the Russian Empire, and following tradition, if one were to travel by sea, Denmark should be visited first, leaving Austria as the last stop; or if by land, Vienna would be visited first and Denmark last.

This was the normal diplomatic visitation procedure, demonstrating diplomatic importance without losing protocol.

Now, starting from France marks an interesting departure from tradition. This was not just an official trip abroad. With so many countries en route that are also visitation targets, it’s clearly awkward to bypass them in such a direct manner.

When politics get involved, even if it is cumbersome, Crown Prince Alexandrovich had to press on, as it concerned the Tsarist Government’s foreign policy.

Generally, this was perceived as the Tsarist Government expressing dissatisfaction with the Vienna Government. Austria’s Foreign Ministry had recently disrupted the Tsarist Government’s “grain for debt plan,” and it was natural for the St. Petersburg Government to have objections.

Problems in Russian-Austrian relations were pleasing for European countries to see. Many onlookers were ready to watch the excitement unfold, and the international media did not hesitate to voice their opinions.

Everyone was waiting for Vienna Government’s reaction, which turned out to disappoint them. There was no reaction at all, as if nothing had happened.

This was just the commoners’ view. In the eyes of government officials, no reaction was in itself the biggest reaction.

Either there had been prior communication between the two sides, and thus there was no issue, or the Vienna Government just didn’t care.

The former was inconsequential, but the latter was a different matter. If the Vienna Government truly did not care about the actions of the Russians, there were only two reasons:

Either the relationship between the two countries was very good, and this small matter was of no concern. This was obviously not the case, as while Russian-Austrian relations were not bad, they were far from intimate.

Or the Vienna Government had lost faith in the Russian-Austrian Alliance, or rather, it was no longer a priority. Undoubtedly, this was the actual truth.

The Tsarist Government expressed its dissatisfaction in this way, and besides receiving a fee from the French, it was more likely a probe into the Vienna Government, looking to gain advantages from Austria.

Without solid silver, Alexander II would not have given the French such face, collaborating with them in this act, as there had never been any so-called traditional friendship between the two nations.

The fee for Crown Prince Alexandrovich’s appearance was France’s agreement to provide a loan of 500 million francs to the Tsarist Government.

This was no small feat, as after the Tsarist Government announced its default, all international financial institutions shut their doors to it. Be it bonds or loans, nobody was willing to entertain any dealings involving the Tsarist Government.

To gain something, one must lose something else. The French promise had not yet been fulfilled, and a crisis had already emerged in the Russian-Austrian Alliance. The more indifferent the Vienna Government appeared, the more the Tsarist Government worried.

With the expiration of the Russian-Austrian Alliance not far off, if it could not be renewed, upon the expiration of the alliance, the Russian Empire would face unprecedented isolation in foreign affairs.

Alexander II was under increasing pressure, and within the Tsarist Government, there was considerable dissent. Many believed that it was the Tsar’s unilateral actions that led the alliance towards rupture.

This was a stain from Alexander II’s younger days. Initially, on the issue of the Germany Region, he was pro-Prussian and had a clear anti-Austrian stance.

In the original timeline, the Kingdom of Prussia could establish the German Empire partly because of Alexander II’s personal political tendencies.

Having political inclinations was normal, but upon ascending to the throne, Alexander II did not compromise with Prussia because of his pro-Prussian stance; similarly, his personal anti-Austrian feelings did not lead him to distance himself from Austria.

Even if it was an unintentional act that sparked speculation among his subordinates and unintentionally caused a cooling of relations, Alexander II later made amends.

However, every ruler possesses a proud spirit, and at the dawn of Alexander II’s reign, when the Russian Empire was at its zenith, naturally, his pride was more pronounced.

After the failure of the Prusso-Russian War and the decline of the Russian Empire, Alexander II did not adjust his mindset in time, which made subsequent efforts to repair Russian-Austrian relations less successful.

This attempt at testing Austria only added frost to the already frosty relations, providing an opportunity for the domestic opposition and the conservative faction to politically challenge him.

Internal pressures left Alexander II in a state of disarray. To be frank, Alexander II was not largely to blame for the diplomatic issues; the cooling of Russian-Austrian relations was more a consequence of conflicting interests.

The Tsarist Government’s diplomacy was always known for being “brutal,” which just wasn’t something the Russians were good at. For the most part, the Tsarist Government’s diplomacy has been below par.

Unfortunately, Alexander II was not a diplomatic strongman, whose chief accomplishments in the original timeline were only domestic reform and territorial expansion, without much success in foreign affairs.

This European tour was requested by Alexandrovich himself. The famed Alexander III from the original timeline clearly had a sharper diplomatic vision.

Alexandrovich’s own proposed route for the visit, in order, included Denmark — Nordic Federation — German Federation Empire — Netherlands — Belgium — Portugal — Spain — Britain — France — Greece — Montenegro — Austria.

Prussia and Poland were omitted since they had become enemies, and as Crown Prince it was natural he couldn’t visit a hostile nation. Switzerland was left out because the country was not important and was inconveniently landlocked.

This geographically ordered itinerary might seem trivial, but it was actually the best choice, taking into account the face of all parties involved.

Starting from France meant that many countries would have to be skipped halfway. Representing the Russian Empire, Alexandrovich couldn’t meander and then turn back.

If that were to happen, it would certainly emphasize the importance given to France, but it would reek too much of sycophancy, completely embarrassing the Russian Empire.

Alexandrovich tore up the itinerary in his hands, extremely dissatisfied with the Foreign Ministry’s approach, or rather, with his father Alexander II’s decisions.

Just because of a loan of five hundred million Francs, this European tour had to start in France, totally disrupting the original plan to use this opportunity to mend relations with various countries, now all needing reconsideration.

Despite his dissatisfaction, Alexandrovich only vented in private. He was well aware of the government’s dire financial state; when impoverished, the spirit is lessened, and it’s much the same for a country.

Alexander II’s grand homesteading plan indeed resolved the peasants’ land issue, but the cost was spending money like water.

The harvest that was cultivated now couldn’t be sold, making it difficult to see any return on the investment in the short term.

The government was now heavily investing in infrastructure construction to develop industry, starting many railway projects.

This all required money, the funds from confiscations were already spent, and now the Tsarist Government wished they could make a single penny stretch further.

In the Winter Palace, with the sudden change in the tour plans, Alexander II had to soothe his son’s mood. Otherwise, if the son threw a tantrum and announced he wouldn’t go, that would be terrible.

The voice of a Crown Prince in Europe carried significant weight, and there were quite a few who would stand up against the Emperor. Although Alexandrovich wasn’t so extreme, their political differences were still quite substantial.

“I’m sorry, Alexandrovich. The circumstances this time are exceptional, as you know our government is in desperate need of money. We cannot refuse the terms laid out by the French.”

Looking at his father’s troubled face, Alexandrovich’s anger subsided. Emperor Nicholas I had seized Constantinople, bringing the Russian Empire to its pinnacle, but also left behind a mess.

Unfortunately, underneath the seemingly shiny exterior of the Empire, the last war had laid bare its vulnerabilities.

For the sake of reform, Alexander II had paid a huge price, and he looked at least a decade older than his actual age.

Alexandrovich coolly replied, “There’s no need for that. While I don’t agree with your decision, I understand it. Making some sacrifices for the national interest is normal for a Crown Prince.

But I must remind you, this is playing with fire. Getting too close to the French at this point is extremely dangerous. If not handled carefully, it could bring a disaster upon Russia.

The Austrians have made their stance clear through their actions. In our view, it’s not that they truly don’t care about the Russian-Austrian Alliance, but a warning to us not to cozy up to the French.

Once the Vienna Government feels threatened, they might take preemptive action. The target might be the French, but it’s even more likely to be us.

When national strategic security is at stake, the Russian-Austrian Alliance seems insignificant. If things continue this way, I suspect the Vienna Government will most likely not renew the pact when it expires.”

Having heard his son’s words, Alexander II nodded, as he had also considered these issues. However, he had misjudged the Vienna Government’s reaction.

“Alright, I understand. For your trip to Europe, you’ll still need to prepare extensively. While visiting, you should also examine the developmental states of each country in person, learning what is useful for us.

In comparison to the European states, Russia has fallen far behind. Especially England, France, and Austria, their powers are quite fearsome.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that during the Near East war, we defeated the Anglo-French forces and seized Constantinople from them.

Actually, that war was a gambit between the Russian-Austrian and Anglo-French. Russia provided manpower, Austria supplied materials and equipment, and only after paying a bitter price did we force England and France to concede.

Years have passed, and the British-French-Austrian tripartite alliance has made considerable advancements, while we have stagnated or even regressed, widening the gap with them.

In the last war, the Russian Empire was defeated not by Prussia nor by the Allied Forces, but by ourselves.”

…