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

Chapter 1959 Rebuilding the Empire
The Kingdom of Prussia prepared for war against the Austrian Empire for nine years, employing every means possible in politics, economics, diplomacy, military affairs, and even religion.

In a way, you could say you left without any regrets.
However, what they didn't know was that Franz had been preparing for this war for twenty years.

"Please take your seats."

Franz pointed to the chair furthest away.

Franz's actions and words were quite surprising, because even if it was to give the defeated a dignified impression, there was no need to go to such lengths.

By this time, the outcome was already clear, and Prussia had even lost its last trump card.

This defeat is different from the usual kind; it means that not only the war was lost, but also the people.

If Austria had not immediately dispatched troops to protect the Prussian royal family, it would not have been surprising if the angry populace had sent them to the guillotine.

There have been many powerful and assertive monarchs in history, but Franz was different from them all; he didn't even need to lift a finger.

Normally, even in defeat, a king could be spared the humiliation of trial. But now, the princes of the German Confederation had tacitly accepted that the emperor of the Austrian Empire had this power to try the king.

On the other hand, although William I was somewhat surprised, he did not refuse, nor was he afraid in the slightest. He may not be a good king, but he would try his best to act like one.

However, it would be impossible to say that William I was not at all uneasy. In the traditional sense, defeat meant ceding territory, paying reparations, and abdication.

The Kingdom of Sardinia was very experienced in this regard. Even when it repeatedly provoked the Austrian Empire and was soundly defeated, each time it handled the situation in accordance with the aforementioned principles.

But Prussia faced a unique situation, as this national wave brought enormous uncertainty.

Destroying the peace of the Confederation, splitting the Confederation, and attacking member states are all serious offenses, but they pale in comparison to the crimes leveled by nationalists.

In the eyes of German nationalists, Wilhelm I was a traitor to the nation, the chief culprit in destroying unity and solidarity, and a butcher who murdered his own compatriots.
Each charge was enough to condemn him to a thousand cuts; those nationalists were truly capable of such acts. In fact, the group had already begun attacking the palace before the Austrian army arrived.

Unlike previous rebels, this group was ubiquitous and omnipresent, like a virus that could constantly replicate and multiply itself, paralyzing the entire country in almost a single day.

William I and Bismarck did consider remedial measures, and even wanted to fight to the death.

Tragically, his orders never left the palace, and even when they were issued, they received no response.

Ultimately, he could only wait in near despair. Standing here now is, in a way, a relief for William I.

The next step should be to suppress and dismantle Prussia and Hanover, the two ringleaders, so that Silesia will completely return to the Austrian Empire. Some people may not understand the Austrians' obsession with Silesia, but in reality, it is a permanent scar on the Habsburg dynasty.

In 1740, the Prussians tore up the Decree of State and, taking advantage of the instability at home and abroad at the beginning of Queen Theresa's accession to the throne, seized the then very wealthy Silesia.

This is where it all began.

Although Silesia is now a mess of liabilities in the hands of the Prussians, it has strong symbolic significance for the Austrian Empire, declaring to the world the reckoning with Prussia and that the Habsburg family will surely get back what it has lost.

Then came the separation of the Rhineland. Prussia, at the Congress of Vienna in 1815, acquired territory that would be completely separated and reorganized into the Kingdom of the Rhine.

The king was naturally from the Habsburgs, and Franz chose his father, Archduke Franz Karl, from among a group of uncles and brothers.

The reason for doing this was twofold: firstly, Archduke Franz Karl was indeed easy to manipulate, and secondly, it ensured that the future crown of the Kingdom of the Rhine would fall into the family.

On the other hand, it was compensation for Archduke Franz Karl, since legally he was the heir who was ranked higher than Franz.

Up to this point, everything was as expected, but everyone knew this was just the beginning.

Although the National Assembly sent out a message and then fled, the fact that the Austrian Empire, contrary to its usual practice, did not launch a crackdown speaks volumes.

What's even more frightening is the attitude of the Austrian people. They have become accustomed to this victory and are ready for another battle.

This raises serious doubts that even without the intervention of the German National Council, this group would have marched north (the Austrian Empire was part of the southern part of the German Confederation).

Next comes the main event, as the Welf family has deep ties with Britain.

If the punishment of the Kingdom of Hanover is too severe, it will certainly cause dissatisfaction in Britain. After all, Britain has maintained a near-global hegemony for nearly half a century, which makes some people wary of it.

However, it was impossible not to deal with the Kingdom of Hanover, since George V's collusion with foreign enemies was far more hateful than Prussia's actions, not to mention that Hanover had previously been an ally of the Austrian Empire.

If this double betrayal is not severely punished, the prestige of the Austrian Empire will be completely destroyed.

Furthermore, the people of Hanover and the German National Council had unilaterally expelled King George V.

If the German Confederation or the Austrian Empire had also ruled in this way, wouldn't that have been tantamount to tacitly acknowledging the legitimacy of the people and the German National Council?
Even if we take a step further and assume that Prussia and Hanover had collapsed one after the other, who would have filled that huge power vacuum?
At this point, none of the Welf family members were present, clearly indicating their unwillingness to accept the German Confederation's verdict. Whether this was at the behest of Britain remains unknown.

In fact, directly abolishing the dynasty is a very sensitive issue for a traditional country like Austria, and Franz would not do it lightly unless absolutely necessary.

But George V went too far in all of this, colluding with France and siding with Prussia. If he could not be punished to the highest degree, then the so-called authority of the Austrian Empire would be completely destroyed.

Although many had similar ideas, they were still deeply shocked when they heard the Austrian Empire's decision. Franz deposed not only a country, but also a dynasty that had lasted for hundreds of years.

However, no one objected. Some people were actually relieved that they hadn't directly sided with Prussia, otherwise they would certainly be facing retribution now.

The situation was similar in the Kingdom of Denmark, but no one cared about the punishment of Frederick VII, except for Christian IX, who had already been recognized by the British as the Prince of Denmark.

The Grossburg family was quite adept at interpersonal relations; they directly distanced themselves from Frederick VII, which, while somewhat despicable, demonstrated their sincerity.

The Confederation Congress still had some established procedures, which were nothing more than assimilation, merger, and transfer.
At this moment, Prince Schwarzenberg stepped forward.

"Your Majesties, I believe the most urgent task is to restore order in the German region."

Prince Schwarzenberg, as the Chancellor of the Austrian Empire, carried enough weight to speak on matters of great concern to the monarchs.

“That’s right, His Highness is right.”

“Yes! It’s time to get down to business!” Everyone echoed, and Prince Schwarzenberg cleared his throat and said.

Five hundred years ago, the ancestors of the Habsburgs took over the crown of the Holy Roman Empire and assumed the responsibility of protecting the land of Germany.

It was not a light crown; it bore a heavy responsibility, tasked with protecting all Germans. It was a war that lasted for hundreds of years, a long process of gradually uniting the Germanic tribes from division and chaos.

Over the course of five hundred years, Germany has suffered countless invasions from foreign enemies.

The Ottoman cavalry once besieged Vienna, the French army once ravaged the banks of the Rhine, Napoleon's empire once tore the German territory into pieces, and the British tried to destroy our reason and culture with sweet words.

But each time, it was the Habsburg army that stood at the forefront, and it was the candlelight of Vienna that guarded the embers of life for all of Germany in the darkest of times.

This is not self-praise; it is a verifiable historical fact! This is a national memory that no one can erase.

This time was no exception! The Austrian Empire once again saved Germany, the German nation, and German civilization, protecting Germany from Britain, France, and even the Jews!

In order to ensure the continuation of this protection, I propose establishing a German Empire in response to the calls of the German people.

Before the monarchs and high-ranking officials of the various states present could recover from the shock, a large group of Greater Germanists suddenly emerged from the room.

"Long live unification!"

"Long live the German Empire!"

"May God bless the Great German Empire! May God bless the Habsburg dynasty! May God bless the prosperity and glory of all nations!"

To be honest, these monarchs all knew there were spies among them, but they didn't expect there to be so many. This group made up almost a third of the entire audience, and their numbers were still growing.

The monarchs of the various states had been somewhat prepared before they arrived, but they couldn't even deal with the nationalists in their own countries, let alone the behemoth that was the Austrian Empire.

As long as the Austrian Empire harbored this intention, the outcome was already predetermined. They had no room for resistance, or perhaps they didn't even have the courage to resist from the very beginning.

Why did Prussia and the Kingdom of Hanover take such a huge risk to go to war with the Austrian Empire? Perhaps they were the ones who felt the despairing sense of oppression most acutely.

However, some people still showed signs of physical discomfort. Some had pale faces and sweat rolling down their foreheads. Some held their heads in their hands, unwilling to accept what was happening in front of them. Some had empty eyes, as if their souls had been taken away.

But no one stood up to oppose it, and even William I had chosen to give up. He was even somewhat relieved, at least he had tried and was better than those incompetent people.

Of course, there were many supporters, after all, Franz had really made a lot of money for many people over the years, and made it easier for those people to rule.

Franz was not a stingy ruler; he did indeed save many dynasties from imminent collapse. In the eyes of some, without Franz and Austria's help, the great upheaval of 1848 would have already brought them to their doom.

All the comfort and wealth we've enjoyed these past years are thanks to Franz; today's scene is simply an inevitable consequence of fate.

Even if the Austrian Empire hadn't done it, the so-called Germans would have done it, and they would have done it even more ruthlessly, just as they had done to George V and Frederick VII.

In fact, European monarchs have always had supreme immunity. Even if they start a war or do something outrageous, they can escape punishment. Even if they are forced to abdicate, they will still retain their dignity.

But now the common people who call themselves Germans have broken this rule. They have seen the removal and expulsion of the king done by the French, and after 1848 they are even more convinced that it will happen to them sooner or later.

Therefore, when Austria proposed to establish the German Empire, they had little intention of resisting.

"The Lesser Germany approach will only divide us and confine Germany to the status of a middle power. But joining our Greater Germany family will allow us to stand at the top of the world!"

From the North Sea to the Alps, it will all belong to us!

The Greater German movement's lectures continue, and more and more people are joining.

However, Franz's expression did not show much joy. His original plan was not so straightforward. Prince Schwarzenberg, a great Germanist, had arbitrarily changed some of the wording.

Of course, everything seemed to be more advantageous to the Austrian Empire on the surface, Franz finally said.

"Enough has been lost in this war; the blood of hundreds of thousands cannot be shed in vain. But now, with order broken and the economy in recession, no one can remain uninvolved."

We should put an end to this chaos and restore order to the world.

For this, we need sufficient power, and I hope you will temporarily relinquish power to me. I will give you all, and the entire German Confederation, an explanation.”

Franz adopted a very humble stance, which is unusual for a victor. However, his purpose was very clear: the old confederation system was no longer suitable for the new era.

If the rulers of the various states cannot unite and continue to fight their own battles, they will eventually be eliminated by the times.

No one would refute this point, because in fact, all the states except the Austrian Empire had been overthrown by nationalists. If it weren't for the Austrian Empire stopping them, the French Rebellion would probably have been repeated long ago.

At this moment, it was King Maximilian II of Bavaria who stood up first.

"I believe that His Majesty Franz Joseph I, the Wittelsbach family, and the Kingdom of Bavaria are willing to join the German Empire."

The surrounding monarchs also rose to their feet.

"The Kingdom of Württemberg is willing to join the German Empire."

"The Zellinger family and the Grand Duchy of Baden are willing to join the German Empire."

“The House of Orange-Nassau, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is willing to join the German Empire.”

Finally, everyone's attention fell on Wilhelm I. No one forced him; in fact, he could have easily given Franz a hard time and embarrassed him.

"The Hohenzollern family and the Kingdom of Prussia are willing to join the German Empire."

On August 15, 1859, the First German Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire, was officially revived.