I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 1269 Germany in disarray

The monarchs present looked at Baden and the Grand Duke of Bavaria with a mixture of envy and surprise.

Envy is palpable, because becoming a kingdom is more than just a prestigious title; it represents a significant boost to international standing and national prestige. It also enhances national morale and can attract more investment, promoting economic prosperity.

Becoming a kingdom is by no means a simple matter. While the Papacy ostensibly confirms a nation's status, the actual decision-making power rests with the major European powers. Only with the endorsement of a sufficient number of powerful nations will the Papacy dare to approve a nation's application for upgrade.

Of course, for the newly crowned king himself, this is an absolutely tremendous honor and achievement worthy of being recorded in history.

Brandenburg provided crucial military support to the Holy Roman Emperor during the war, which enabled it to be elevated to the Kingdom of Prussia. After that, Prussia's development accelerated rapidly, surpassing all other Holy Roman states and becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Who wouldn't want to be a powerful nation like Prussia?
Joseph raised his arms at the opportune moment and proclaimed, "Congratulations to His Majesty Frederick and His Majesty Theodore! May God bless you forever!"

Most monarchs immediately put on bright smiles and congratulated the two of them with standard etiquette.

After a moment, as the hall gradually quieted down, Joseph continued, "In fact, there are many other countries that have been suppressed by Vienna for many years, and their strength is enough to make them kingdoms."

He spotted two figures in the crowd: "For example, His Majesty Ludwig X and His Majesty Eugen."

They were the Counts of Hesse-Darmstadt and Württemberg.

Upon hearing this, the two immediately became nervous.

Being a king isn't so easy.

Because no other king was allowed to exist within the territory of the Holy Roman Empire.

Many people don't know that the Kingdom of Prussia is not located within the Holy Roman Empire—it consists of two parts: the Elector of Brandenburg and the Royal Prussia.

The former is a state of the Holy Roman Empire. The latter, however, is legally separated from the Kingdom of Poland and is not within the Holy Roman Empire's sphere of influence.

Frederick I was crowned king in Königsberg, East Prussia, and his standard title was actually "King of Prussia".

Baden and Bavaria had already declared war on Austria, so there was nothing to worry about. But Hesse-Darmstadt and Württemberg were less so…

Joseph, seeing the two men with their heads down, not daring to speak, didn't seem to mind. Instead, he politely invited Archbishop Muzarelli to sit beside him.

He had originally intended for Pius VI to come to Stuttgart, but the latter, unwilling to offend Austria, made various excuses to decline, even refusing to sign the edicts of Baden and Bavaria's elevation.

In the end, it was Muzarelli, the second-in-command of the Papacy, who volunteered to "represent" the Pope. Joseph would naturally commend him for his performance.

Joseph then gestured to Count Foch beside him: "Next, we will vote on the 'Proposal for the Division of Unclaimed Lands' that we have already submitted. If more than two-thirds of all participating countries agree, then the proposal will be implemented."

The monarchs of various countries all looked surprised. They had assumed that the ownership of these lands would be decided by the French, but they had not expected that it would be decided by public vote.

Yes, this was also Joseph's calculated move.

The Holy Roman Emperor's directly controlled territories were divided up by all the North German states through a vote, so no one can ever turn back to Austria again.

Just then, Count William IX of Hesse-Kassel suddenly stood up and said sarcastically, "Your Highness, I think it's up to you to decide this. After all, the smooth transfer of these territories still requires the 'protection' of the French army."

He knew it would be difficult to stop the current situation, but he still tried his best to incite discontent among the northern German states towards France. Currently, French occupying forces were present throughout northern Germany, and it was impossible for the various countries not to be angry about this.

He wanted to remind the monarchs of various countries not to be fooled by the French's small favors, because as long as the French army was still there, these lands, now given to them, could be taken back at any time.

The Archbishop of Cologne and the Duke of Thuringia, among others, immediately echoed his sentiments loudly. Joseph sneered inwardly, thinking, "How could I possibly fall into the same trap that Napoleon did?"

He immediately put on a surprised expression and looked at William IX: "Didn't you receive the message from home?"

The latter was taken aback: "What news?"

Joseph smiled and said, "Our army was forced to cross the Rhine River in pursuit of the invading Allied forces. Now that the fighting here is over, our army has withdrawn to the west bank of the Rhine in batches two days ago."

William IX and Archbishop Franz exchanged a bewildered glance.

The French army actually withdrew?

They left behind vast swathes of northern German territory and just withdrew!
The door to the hall was pushed open a crack, and a diplomat tiptoed to the side of Count Franz Ludwig of Würzburg and whispered a few words of report.

The latter immediately stood up and said, "Indeed, as Your Highness said, the day before yesterday at noon, all the occupying... cough, all the French troops had already left Würzburg."

The gazes of all the monarchs instantly turned fervent.

Surprisingly, the French had no intention of replacing Austria in controlling North Germany.

If that's the case, they could become a completely independent and sovereign nation simply by eliminating Austrian influence!

Then we should try our best to gain more territory.

Of course, many people thought of something deeper—after breaking free from the Holy Roman Empire's control, these small countries also lost Austria's protection. How could they ensure their own safety?
As Count Foch presented the first proposal, everyone's attention quickly turned to the vote on the allocation of territory.

"Proposal content: Mainz shall take over the entire territory of Rothenburg... Please begin voting."

As Count Frege read out the proposal, only two people raised their hands in agreement, creating an awkward moment.

The Württemberg official standing nearby solemnly announced the votes: "Two votes in favor, less than two-thirds. The proposal is invalid."

Count Foch then picked up the second proposal: "Würzburg shall acquire the entire territory of Bamberg... Please begin the vote."

This time, there were more people in favor, with 5 votes. But it's still far from two-thirds.

In a game of such vital interests, it would be impossible to reach a consensus without months of clandestine negotiations.

Voting continued into the afternoon, but no proposals passed. Joseph announced a new vote tomorrow.

Everyone present realized that it was time to begin diplomacy.

As night fell, an unexpected visitor arrived in the room of the Count of Hesse-Darmstadt—Viscount Flavius, an attendant of the French Dauphin.

The latter dismissed all the servants from Ludwig X, bowed to him, and then said directly, "Your Majesty, His Highness the Crown Prince has asked me to inquire whether you wish to restore the glory of His Majesty Philip I?"

Philip I was the last Count of Hesse during the unified Hesse era.

After his death, Hessian split into four parts.

(End of this chapter)