Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 514

Chapter 514: 87. John Bull stirring up trouble
 

As the army withdrew, the affairs of Mexico came to a temporary close. As for the southern territories that were occupied, that would have to be slowly negotiated later.

Colonists from those years were not to be trifled with; what they swallowed, they seldom spat out. Even if the Vienna Government ordered them to abandon their claim, it’s not guaranteed that they would comply, and with the current strength of the Mexican Government army, victory over these plantation owners was far from certain.

This was proven during the Civil War; when fighting for their own interests, plantation owners could always unleash greater potential.

No matter what intentions Maximilian I may have had, Franz promptly had him “escorted” back to Vienna. Just from the wording, one can tell that the process was certainly not harmonious.

These were minor issues; being able to bring him back to Vienna alive meant that Franz could report back to the aging Empress Sophie. The farce that occurred along the way was not even worth mentioning.

Now, Franz was stunned by an unexpected invitation; Monaco had become independent, and Charles III invited him to attend the celebration.

It must be said, the French certainly knew how to play the game. To reverse the unfavorable international image, Napoleon III actually allowed the independence of Monaco.

Monaco is a tiny state with a territory less than 2 square kilometers, with a population that barely exceeds ten thousand — it’s estimated that Charles III could call out the name of each citizen when walking on the street.

On the surface, whether Monaco is independent or not seems trivial to France. But politically, the situation is entirely different, as it would stimulate the Italian independence movement.

If a tiny state like Monaco could achieve independence through the independence movement, could the Italians hold back?

Of course, the benefits were great; the European world hailed the French highly for Monaco’s independence, and the image of Napoleon III in the newspapers improved significantly overnight.

If he could continue this success and allow Italy to become independent as well, he would be a saint of the 19th century. He might even be regarded as the Father of Italy, for bringing the various Italian sub-states together.

When exactly Monaco became independent in the original timeline, Franz could not recall, but it was definitely during the Napoleon III Era.

Now, Franz agreed with the keyboard warriors’ assessment of Napoleon III from his past life; they had a point: “Clever in small matters, confused in large ones.”

This fits with the character of Napoleon III. In Kissinger’s words: “Napoleon III did not like domestic policy, yet made outstanding contributions to French domestic affairs; he enjoyed diplomacy, yet made a mess of it.”

“He spent his life vying for colonies without a strategy; he wanted to prevent the unification of the Germany Region but ended up assisting Prussia in unifying Germany and lost his empire in the process.”

It wasn’t just helping Prussia unify Germany, he also helped the Kingdom of Sardinia unify Italy. The life story of Napoleon III in the original timeline was essentially a mad rush towards doom.

Now, it seemed virtually the same, it appeared that Napoleon III’s great achievements were already surpassing those of his historical counterpart — and here he was, stirring things up again.

The Greater French Empire, if it wanted long-term stability, first needed to eliminate any possibility of independence and completely eradicate all Independence Organizations.

Without harsh measures to deter others, the Italian independence movement would never stop. Milder political measures were not out of the question, but they were too complicated to implement and carried great risks.

Franz acknowledged he couldn’t complete such a task, that’s why Austria had always been forcefully implementing ethnic integration policies. Even if there were those who resisted, young children would not.

Compulsory education was a massive movement for ethnic integration. As the new generation grew up, even if traces of their original ethnicities remained, they had already been Germanized in language and writing.

France now too needed an ethnic integration movement; although Italians were difficult to assimilate, it was necessary to promote it, or else France and Italy would inevitably part ways.

What Napoleon III was thinking, Franz couldn’t discern, but this was another political blunder. Even if it was intended as a smokescreen to confuse the international community, Monaco should not have been allowed to become independent at this time.

If Franz had been in charge, he would have rather seen the Italian Area become independent to gain an opportunity to unify the territories west of the Rhine River.

Aside from its population, Italy had a relatively advanced handcraft industry which made it appear to be doing well economically. But these people could not be assimilated, hence they could not enhance the strength of France.

On the other hand, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Rhineland region possessed the coal and iron resources that France needed, which could significantly increase the overall national strength of France.

The population there was even less than in the Italian Area, making assimilation relatively easier.

This was not without opportunity; in fact, France had already missed two chances to annex these areas. During Austria’s unification of the South German Region and the Prusso-Russian war, there were opportunities for France to make a move.

Despite Franz’s vociferous posturing, if the French had actually tried to annex the territories west of the Rhine, Austria truly had no way to stop them.

The precondition is that Napoleon would be willing to give up the Italian Area, devoid of directly bordering territories, making an Austrian transnational expedition unlikely. Franz had no such spirit of internationalism.

If victorious, he would reap a few words of thanks, but the cost of war would still be his to bear, unless he could march all the way to Paris — otherwise, the French would not pay up; if defeated, it would be worse, potentially sparking internal strife.

“How does the Foreign Ministry view the independence of Monaco, and what is Napoleon III’s underlying intention?”

Even though he could not discern the French’s purpose, Franz still believed there was more to it. Even if Napoleon III was momentarily confused, it was impossible for the entire Paris Government to be disoriented as well.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg replied, “Your Majesty, the independence of Monaco involves complex issues, including influences from the United Kingdom and Spain.

Before the Napoleonic Era, Monaco had always been a protectorate of Spain, only becoming a protectorate under France at the end of the 18th century.

In efforts to annex it, the French undertook considerable work, but because of the frequent changes in government, Monaco gradually fell out of focus for the Paris Government.

Over the years, the calls for independence there never subsided. The French were merely nominal suzerains and exercised no control over the territory.

The British led this instance of Monaco’s independence, and as a price for independence, the Monaco Government also renounced sovereignty over the towns of Menton and Roquebrune, shrinking its territory by ninety percent.”

“The Paris Government agreed to Monaco’s independence mainly to legitimize the annexation of Mentone and Roquebrune and, by the way, to clear out the radical independence activists.”

As expected, there was more to the story. To Franz, such a tiny place like Monaco was hardly worth noticing, let alone the small sub-states in the Germany Region, which already gave him a headache.

At first glance, it seemed that the French had made a profit, annexing over ninety percent of Monaco’s territory, which happened to be economically developed regions, and then getting rid of the independence activists.

In reality, this wasn’t an immediate issue; the subsequent effects had to be considered to make a judgment. It looked like the British were setting a trap for the French. Franz started to be discreetly wary; if by any chance he was duped by John Bull behind the scenes, that would be tragic.

“Hmm, since that’s the case, we, as allies, should help create some momentum for the French. Their international reputation is too damaged and needs repair.

Don’t be too deliberate about it; the French are well aware of the potential troubles that Moroccan independence may entail. If we overdo it, it’s easy to make them vigilant.”

This trap wasn’t big enough to bury the French Empire. Even if it stimulated the Italian Independence Movement, it would hardly have an effect in the short term.

There were people opposing unification with the French Empire, but there were also those who supported merging with the French. Napoleon III wasn’t idle; he had his supporters in the Italian Area, after all.

Even though there were more opponents, these people were only talk, and if it really came down to taking up arms against the French, it’s likely that most Italians wouldn’t have the courage.

Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Since the British had made their move, Franz was naturally willing to cooperate. A strong France didn’t suit Austria’s interests; a decline was preferable.

After a pause, Franz added: “We must also be vigilant of the British’s little schemes. Some seemingly insignificant actions could potentially lead to a disaster in the future.

Any bait thrown out by the British that we can’t be sure of the consequences of, we should just give up on. God has told us that greed is the original sin of mankind; everyone must be watchful.”

As Franz solemnly issued his warning, those around him exchanged glances. They wondered to themselves: Are the British really that terrifying?

…

In Paris, Napoleon III put down the newspaper he was reading with satisfaction. Since the announcement of Monaco’s independence, European public opinion had started to sing praises, which made him feel somewhat elated.

A good reputation wasn’t a flaw. If a monarch did not even care for reputation, that would be catastrophic. But an excess could be troublesome, as a single misstep could have dire consequences.

Granting Monaco independence was a decision Napoleon III hesitated over. He had been ready to do this several years ago but had been delayed due to political effects, given his plans to expand in the Italian Area.

Even the great powers needed to show off at times, and establishing the small village-level principality of Monaco was a crucial part of that.

Looking across Europe, only France lacked vassals to cheer for them internationally, which embittered Napoleon III.

Whenever an international conference was called, France’s proposals had to wait until louder voices from bigger nations were heard before receiving any response. If the Great European Nations remained silent, then France’s proposals could fall on deaf ears.

The current small states of Europe basically had their patrons, and the cost of winning them over was too high.

If there were no underlings, then why not create some? The independence of Monaco was just that, and entirely different from the speculation of the outside world.

If it hadn’t been for Napoleon III’s needs, the British could have strived as much as they wanted, but they wouldn’t have succeeded. Despite Monaco’s independence, it is, in effect, a state within a state.

Surrounded by France on three sides except for a coastline, its politics and economy were inseparable from France’s control.

Napoleon III, with a fatherly love, asked, “Eugénie, do you understand now?”

(Full name: Napoleon Eugene Louis Jean Joseph Bonaparte)

Napoleon III had several sons, but only one legitimate son, Eugénie. Being a child of his middle age, he was naturally given much attention.

Although not yet 16 years old, Napoleon III had already exposed him to state affairs. The young Crown Prince had become a unique figure in French politics.

Crown Prince Eugénie nodded, then shook his head saying, “I sort of understand, but also don’t understand. If we know the British are up to no good, why should we still accept their suggestion?

Whether we have Monaco or not, it’s not of much help to France, but it does bring considerable risks. Why did we let them become independent?”

Napoleon III smiled faintly, patting his son’s head as he spoke earnestly, “You can’t just look at the surface when evaluating problems. Monaco’s independence could stimulate the Italians’ desire for independence.

But would the Italians not want independence without Monaco?

The British were indeed up to no good by encouraging Monaco’s independence, but if we don’t deliberately expose a vulnerability to them to attract their attention, they will cause trouble elsewhere.

Remember, an enemy exposed under your nose is never as scary as one hiding in the dark. France is already very strong; the only one who can defeat us is ourselves!

As for the Italian Independent Organization, they’re just clowns hiding in the corner. If they don’t come out, we can’t find them; but once they do, we can capture them all in one fell swoop.

The true enemies of France aren’t these rats afraid of the light. The only adversaries worth our attention are the Anglo-Austrian two countries, and Prussia and Russia are only considered half a match.”

Crown Prince Eugénie nodded tentatively, seemingly having learned something, yet also, perhaps…