The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1909 What if the Savoy Dynasty didn't have Savoy?
Sardinia has a bandit culture, and the islanders see these bandits as heroes who rob the rich to help the poor, which is why bandits are rampant.

The Piedmont government spends a lot of money and energy every year to control bandits, but officers from the local area often seize the military merits and pensions of local soldiers.

This caused the soldiers to complain bitterly, but they had nowhere to turn for help, because the local judges were appointed by the Piedmontese government, and even the Sardinians spoke a different language than the Piedmontese.

There are also huge differences in religion. Although both Sardinia and the Sardinian mainland are Catholic, Turin also wants to learn from the great powers and control religion.

However, it lacked sufficient strength and ability, resulting in Turin's religious influence being less than that of the Roman Catholic Church.

This is why a few missionaries from Rome were able to organize such a large-scale rebellion.

In fact, the Vatican's influence on Sardinia at this time was astonishing, and Franz's influence on the Vatican was even more astonishing.

In fact, the involvement of churches and clergy in politics was not uncommon in European history, and it was still quite common in the nineteenth century.

However, it is indeed rare to see such blatant subversive activities at this time, since they rely on dogma and order.

However, as mentioned earlier, the Kingdom of Sardinia actually wanted to establish a state religion, which would inevitably lead to friction between them and the Papacy, especially in the Papacy's stronghold.

Coupled with the previous incident involving Pius IX, the relationship between the Vatican and the Sardinian government had deteriorated to an extreme point.

On the other hand, Franz was the guardian of faith in the eyes of the Church, a true pope, even more orthodox than Pius IX.

On one side was their mortal enemy, who had dug right under their noses; on the other was their great savior, the saint who rebuilt the church. The priests naturally knew which to choose.

Sardinia was indeed very backward and wild, but the more backward and wild a place was, the more terrifying the religious forces were. Those Roman priests probably never imagined that they could stir up such a big storm.

In fact, priests in hundreds of parishes on Sardinia had long been dissatisfied with the Sardinian government. Starting in 1830, the Kingdom of Sardinia began to gradually confiscate church land and property and close monasteries.

The 1855 Monastery Act further worsened relations between the two sides, leading to the closure of many monasteries that refused to relinquish their land and property, and the expulsion of priests and nuns.

The Sardinian government's subsequent actions of confiscating church schools in order to promote public education further fueled the anger of the priests.

Originally, the whimsical persuasion of a few Roman missionaries could not sway them. However, upon hearing that the Austrian Empire was about to launch a war against the Kingdom of Sardinia, and that Turin across the sea had already taken the lead in rebellion, they naturally would not let go of this good opportunity to kick them while they were down.

All of the above factors combined to create the almost magical scene on Sardinia at that time.
Sardinia was even once part of Austria and was ruled by the Habsburg family for centuries.

Therefore, the islanders had no psychological burden when they rebelled, and the nobles did not fight to the death for leadership, since they had never been qualified to compete with Franz in the first place.

Without internal friction, efficiency will naturally be high.

Life on Sardinia wasn't exactly easy during the Habsburg era, but it didn't stand out much in the dark Middle Ages.

In addition, due to the passage of time, people tend to remember the good times and downplay the sadness and pain in order to survive, which is why there are so many nostalgia servers.

For the islanders of Sardinia, the Austrian Empire is like a nostalgic version of the classic game, and they are even more eager to join in, especially since this classic version looks so appealing.

Of the three governors on Sardinia, two were killed on the spot, and one was captured and imprisoned in a water dungeon. The reason for having three governors was primarily to prevent rebellion and to create a system of checks and balances between them.

After all, Sardinia is surrounded by the sea, and such an isolated island is most likely to give rise to separatist forces.

However, this system of checks and balances also has a problem: it greatly weakens the power of the governor.

When the rebellion actually broke out, they were unable to effectively organize their manpower and resources, and the departure of a large number of soldiers left them without sufficient troops.

Despite this unfavorable situation, there was no large-scale desertion or surrender among the soldiers and officials of the Kingdom of Sardinia; many fought to the last moment of their lives.

This may have stemmed from loyalty to the dynasty, from a sense of dignity and honor, or perhaps from contempt for the Sardinians.

Of course, it's also possible that they had no other choice but to retreat.
When news of the uprising spread to Sardinia, the Genoese people couldn't sit still. They decided to launch a second uprising and severely punish the surrounding Sardinian elements and supporters of the Sardinian Kingdom.

However, due to the continued existence of the Austrian Empire's military, political, and legal systems, the Genoese dared not cause too much trouble. In addition, their merchant nature meant they could always negotiate as long as they did not directly confront the Venetians.

In the end, only the big merchants and die-hard loyalists of the Kingdom of Sardinia were purged. The local Austrian imperial officials were happy to see this happen, since it was rare to find someone willing to act as a smuggler.

The entire Kingdom of Sardinia was in turmoil, and pro-French elements in Nice and Savoy had begun to contact France, sending telegram after telegram to Napoleon III.

This time, Valevsky couldn't stop him even if he wanted to, since after losing Napoleon III's favor, he was only equivalent to a slightly higher-ranking diplomat.

Those traditional diplomats and those promoted by Valevsky were fine, but the people Napoleon III and the Duke of Morny who were placed in later had long been unhappy with him.

The fact that Valevsky intercepted intelligence could be a big deal or a small one, but identifying the person responsible at that time was clearly an attempt to kill him.

Looking at the evidence laid out before him, Napoleon III felt he had been shamelessly betrayed; Walevsky's actions had crossed his bottom line.

"What else do you have to say?"

Valevsky didn't deny it; he simply said...

"I did it for the Napoleonic family, for France."

Valevsky's explanation clearly failed to satisfy those who were judging him.

"Your Majesty, Mr. Varevsky remains stubbornly ignorant."

However, Napoleon III stopped his confidant from fabricating charges, but Walevsky's actions had crossed a line for a monarch, and no monarch could tolerate such a thing.

"Enough! Mr. Walevsky, I am now stripping you of your French citizenship. You must leave France immediately and never set foot on this land again!"

Napoleon III's verdict may seem lenient, but for a politician, it was a death sentence.

Valevsky paused for a moment, contemplating the possibility of being charged with treason and then being hanged.

Walevsky recalled his spirited self from ten years ago, the struggles and hardships of these years, the deceit and treachery of internal and external enemies, and the brother who wanted to revive the French Empire and the Napoleonic family with him.
In a daze, Varevsky felt as if he had been in a dream, and all his efforts had vanished into thin air in just a few minutes.

However, he still maintains his dignity.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I owe you a favor. I will pray for you and France in the days to come."

Napoleon III was not saddened by Wallewski's departure; he immediately promoted his half-brother, the Duke of Morny, to the position of Foreign Minister and Prime Minister of the Second French Empire.

However, the Duke of Morni, despite becoming Foreign Minister and knowing full well that Sardinia and Genoa were siding with Austria, did not act rashly. The imagined scenario of declaring war on Austria and siding with the Kingdom of Sardinia did not materialize.
Despite the Duke of Morny's previous appearance as a hawkish and impulsive leader, it was largely a political necessity to demonstrate his difference from Varevsky.

However, he immediately changed his tune after becoming Foreign Minister. He was not stupid and would not really risk his life for the Kingdom of Sardinia or the Italians. As a shrewd speculator, he naturally wanted to make a fortune at this time.

"Your Majesty, we should now put the capture of Nice and Savoy on our agenda."

Louis Napoleon frowned upon hearing this.

"We have an alliance with the Kingdom of Sardinia. It's one thing for us not to send troops to help, but now we're going to kick them while they're down?"

The Duke of Morny did not answer Napoleon III's question directly, but instead asked a question in return.

"Why did we sign an alliance with the Kingdom of Sardinia?"

Napoleon III immediately asked, alert.

"what do you mean?"

Duke Morni laughed.

“My brother! The so-called alliance is nothing but a means to an end; our goal is the benefit of France and our family.”

"Have you been blown out of your mind by a bomb?! Do you really want to shed blood for those Italian terrorists?"

Morni's smile quickly froze on his face, and Napoleon III's expression turned grim. As shrewd as the Duke of Morni was, he knew that one couldn't reason with a dictator, even if he constantly preached democracy and freedom.

"The Kingdom of Sardinia is too weak now; it's simply not acting as a firewall. A powerful Kingdom of Sardinia would definitely cause Austria much more trouble."

Napoleon III spoke stubbornly, seemingly speaking to the Duke of Morny, yet also seemingly speaking to himself.

“Your Majesty, I know what you’re saying. But that’s just an ideal situation. You also know what the Kingdom of Sardinia is really like.”

They are nothing but a bunch of clowns playing with fire and getting burned, trying to use the banner of Italian nationalism to make Italian nationalists work for them.

But they made a huge mess of things, and they couldn't fix it, so they came to us for help.

If it were merely an offense against the Austrian Empire, that would be one thing, but they can't even keep their own home clean.

Not only were rebellions rampant, but they themselves were driven out of their hometowns, and the army was doing something completely unknown.

Is such waste even worth our continued investment?

Napoleon III knew it was a bad debt, but he didn't want to admit it. After all, he was the Emperor of France; how could he be wrong? And how could an emperor easily break the treaty?

The Duke of Morny saw Napoleon III's concerns, but in his heart he utterly despised Napoleon III's unfounded moral fastidiousness.

Despite his displeasure, the Duke of Morny still needed to rely on his older brother, whom he considered a cheap substitute, to enjoy his wealth and luxury.

“Your Majesty, I know you want to make France and the Bonaparte family great again, and even surpass our great uncle.”

But you should first learn to be flexible. Our uncle is very flexible and won't be bound by the rules of ordinary people.

He knew when to persist and when to adapt to changing circumstances.

Napoleon III immediately looked thoughtful, and the Duke of Morny knew he was very susceptible to this.

Any comparison to Napoleon I would make Louis Napoleon's blood boil.

Moreover, the reason why the Duke of Morny was able to be highly regarded by Napoleon III was not only because they were related by blood, but more importantly because they were essentially the same kind of people.

However, Napoleon III's status is different now, so he has to maintain a certain demeanor.

At this point, Duke Morni decided to strike while the iron was hot.

“Those Italians deceived you, deceived France, their promises are not trustworthy and they should be punished!”
Moreover, the kind-hearted people in Nice and Savoy have long awaited our assistance, and we should not let them down.

What we need now is to accept them.

Napoleon III stroked his beard.

"That's right! This is not betrayal, this is saving our fellow Frenchmen!"
We absolutely cannot allow Nice and Savoy to fall into the hands of the Austrian Empire, as that would not only cause suffering to our compatriots but also put the whole of France under threat.

France's interests must be protected!

Duke Morni, who was standing to the side, nodded repeatedly.

Should we send troops directly?

The Duke of Morny lacked practical experience and had not seen much of the world (especially in foreign affairs). It was not that he lacked ability, but rather that he was somewhat flustered as it was his first time handling such a major event that would determine the fate of the nation.

The Duke of Morny did not receive a complete aristocratic education, and even before Napoleon III came to power, his contact with nobles and officials was very limited.

In fact, let alone illegitimate children like the Duke of Morni, even the entire Napoleonic family might not have been able to provide a true royal education.

However, it was precisely for this reason that Napoleon III trusted him so much; Louis Napoleon did not believe that such a country bumpkin could truly threaten his position.

"We can sign a secret agreement with the Austrian Empire. If they agree to divide Sardinia, it will be a piece of cake. If they don't agree, we'll strike first."
Remember not to take any extreme actions after the occupation, or mistreat our compatriots. Most importantly, don't forget to hold a referendum.

I, Napoleon III, am the Emperor of the French people.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Duke of Morny knew that Napoleon III was just a figurehead, but he still disliked this hypocritical attitude of constantly talking about the common people of France.

As an illegitimate child, or rather, the son of a plantation owner in Santo Domingo, the Duke of Morni suffered countless scornful looks from a young age, so he risked his life to gain military merit.

After realizing that his military achievements were insufficient to gain him recognition, the Duke of Morny turned to the business world, and then to politics, all in an effort to prove himself.

However, all his efforts were less effective than his nepotism with Napoleon III.