I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 1296 The Deadly Elector

Metternich didn't even bother with lunch; he immediately lay down on the table and began to examine the Dresden Treaty clause by clause.

Previously, because Austria was also overwhelmed by the French attack, the high-ranking officials were busy with their own affairs. So all they knew was that Saxony surrendered to France, announced its withdrawal from the anti-French coalition, and limited the size of its army to no more than 26,000 men. But no one really studied the specific contents of the treaty seriously.

"Article Three: Saxony will adhere to its neutrality and grant neighboring countries and France the right to pass during wartime..."

Article 5 states that Saxony will join the Seine-Rhine Trade Agreement, or a subsequent trade agreement that inherits its content…

"...

"Article 11: The Elector of Saxony relinquishes all rights and claims to Poland, as well as all Polish territories he possesses..."

The Elector of Saxony had served as King of Poland for a long period and wielded considerable influence over the latter.

Metternich was about to skip the "meaningless" clause when his pupils suddenly contracted.

On the second-to-last line of this item, he saw: "[The Elector of Saxony must remain in agreement with the Elector Palatine in all resolutions concerning the Imperial Diet...]".

He didn't read any further, but hurriedly put on his coat and rushed to the Foreign Minister's office with the treaty text. Because this small, seemingly insignificant passage was enough to shake the very foundations of the entire Holy Roman Empire!
That evening, Kobbutzl, Spielmann, and other important Austrian officials stood before the emperor with worried expressions.

Finally, Metternich, who was standing to the side holding the Treaty of Dresden, broke the silence and whispered, "Your Majesty, the most urgent task at present is to win over the Electors of Mainz and Salzburg as much as possible and get them to cooperate with our country's interests. Another thing is to push forward the transfer of the Electorate of Cologne to the Archbishop of Paderborn."

The Elector of Mainz had always served as the head of the "Imperial Diet" and wielded considerable influence, so it was necessary to win him over at any cost.

After the Archdiocese of Trier was destroyed by the French, Francis II allowed the Archbishop of Salzburg to inherit his electoral status.

Archbishop Franz Egon's father had been serving as a senior advisor in Vienna.

These two electors are the most likely to side with the Habsburg family.

Only with the support of these three electors, plus the Elector of Bohemia in the hands of the Holy Roman Emperor, could the Imperial Diet barely guarantee that it would not make a decision detrimental to the Habsburg family.

The so-called "Imperial Diet" was the legal governing body of the Holy Roman Empire. In particular, the "Electorate" within it possessed the power to elect the emperor, enact imperial laws, determine imperial tax rates, and even declare war. The Electorate, as its name suggests, was essentially a "board of directors" composed of the eight current electors of the Holy Roman Empire.

Although the Habsburgs had effectively monopolized the power of the Imperial Diet over hundreds of years, according to the Golden Bull and the Peace of Westphalia, the Electors had the right to restrict the Holy Roman Emperor and even depose him!
Historically, there were two emperors, Adolf von Nassau and Winzel, who were deposed by electors in 1298 and 1400 respectively. Of course, while it was said that the emperor was deposed by "vote," the actual decision rested with the army.

For centuries, Austria held overwhelming power in Germany and therefore did not care about the electors' attitudes.

If any elector were to jump too high, Austria would soon bring them down with a big stick.

At present, however, Austria has just suffered a major defeat, its national strength is weakened, and it has almost lost control over the German states.

If the Elector Palatine, who is now the King of Bavaria, were to incite other electors to enact any decrees that would be detrimental to the Emperor, it would be an absolute disaster for Austria.

Especially now that the three electors of Brandenburg, Palatinate, and Saxony are clearly on the opposite side of Austria, if one or two more electors support them, this disaster will almost certainly happen!

Franz II impatiently gestured to Kobbutz Jr.: "You should immediately go to Mainz and other countries to mediate, and also keep an eye on the situation in Bavaria."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Metternich cleared his throat and continued, “Your Majesty, there is another very important matter at present. Oh, perhaps it is precisely what France truly wants to promote.” “Please continue.”

"That concerns the succession to the Elector of Hanover."

Franz II's brow furrowed instantly, resembling the Mariana Trench.

Yes, Hanover was destroyed. Its territory was divided among Prussia, Brunswick, and Oldenburg.

According to imperial tradition, the Elector will be chosen from among these three families.

Excluding Prussia, which is already an electorate, namely Brandenburg, the remaining two countries are currently very pro-French.

This would result in four votes against Austria in the Reichstag…

"God..."

Franz II then dispatched several other high-ranking officials to various states for diplomatic missions.

For a fleeting moment, he even felt that being the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire would have been worse than not being one at all...

Just as Metternich had predicted, only five days after the Austrian "diplomatic dream team" left, news reached Vienna that Elector Franz Egon of Mainz had convened a meeting of the Electoral Council.

Yes, this is Joseph's strategy towards the Holy Roman Empire.

The various laws and regulations of the Holy Roman Empire, as well as the electorate system, were tools for the emperor's rule, but also shackles that restrained him.

When Austria is unable to effectively control the German states, the nature of the chains becomes even more apparent.

Historically, Napoleon's decision to dissolve the Holy Roman Empire was an absolute waste of its resources.

Now, if the electors hold a meeting anytime, Vienna is thrown into chaos, and Vienna offers a large amount of benefits as bribes to the electorates.

The countries that benefit will thank France, the "convener," and be eager to do more of these things.

As for the Holy Roman Emperor feigning death and ignoring the electors?
Let the Imperial Diet pass a decree today ordering the payment of tolls on the Rhine and Danube Rivers based on the population of each country, and tomorrow issue a decree stating that "the Emperor has no right to mobilize the Imperial Legion." Let's see if you, Franz II, can withstand that.

Imperial legions were armies recruited by the emperor from various states, stationed there, and funded by a percentage of the emperor's expenses. While most countries have now abolished imperial legions, if the emperor has no authority to mobilize them yet still has to pay for their upkeep, the number of legion members will inevitably increase rapidly.

Of course, if one day Franz II himself were to cry out and insist on ending the Holy Roman Empire, then Joseph would only be able to express his regret.

……

Paris.

All factories and shops are closed today, and dense crowds stretch from the city center to more than ten kilometers in the suburbs, all to welcome their triumphant Crown Prince.

(End of this chapter)