Rise of Empires: Spain.

Chapter 235 Visit to Austria

In addition to simply reminiscing about the past, Carlo and Garibaldi also talked about his two sons, Menotti and Giotti.

It has to be admitted that Garibaldi had a very rich resume, and his two sons also traveled around with him and developed quite good abilities.

Carlo planned to let Garibaldi's eldest son Menotti serve as the Minister of Royal Affairs in the Spanish cabinet. This would be Carlo's confidant in the cabinet. If Carlo did not attend the cabinet meeting, the Minister of Royal Affairs would directly represent Carlo.

This fully reflects Carlo's heavy use of Menotti. Although the Minister of Royal Affairs does not have much real power, his status and influence are not inferior to any cabinet minister.

Garibaldi's second son, Giotti, currently serves as the commander-in-chief of the Spanish Royal Guard and also serves as the commander of the Guard Division.

Although the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Guard was only a nominal position created by Carlo in order to control the Spanish Military Council, no one could be sure whether the Guard would expand in the future.

As the commander-in-chief of the Guards, Jyoti is definitely Carlo's confidant. Before the local officers trusted by Carlo are trained to the level of division commander, Jyoti will continue to serve as the commander of the Guards Division.

But what is certain is that when the native Spanish officers have sufficient qualifications in the future, the commander of the Guards Division will definitely be replaced.

Although Carlo trusted Jyoti enough, it was not a good thing for an officer to stay in a position for too long.

The Guards were the private army of Carlo and the royal family, and only the royal family and Carlo could control this army. Of course, Carlo would not take advantage of Jyoti, who had helped him in the early stage.

Even if Jyoti were to step down as commander of the Guards Division and commander-in-chief of the Guards, his new position would definitely be of a higher level, such as Chief of the General Staff of the Spanish Ministry of Defense, Minister of Defense, etc.

Garibaldi was quite concerned about his two sons. After learning that both of his sons performed quite well, Garibaldi was very pleased.

As early as the period of seclusion, Garibaldi knew that he would never be reused by the Italian royal family. In addition to Garibaldi's early record of supporting the republic, Garibaldi's high reputation in Italy was also an important reason.

No ruler likes a person who is too successful to be a threat to the ruler. This has been the case since ancient times.

In Spain, Garibaldi was just an ordinary foreigner, and his two sons naturally would not gain any fame.

In addition, Garibaldi had a good impression of Carlo, which was why he was willing to let his two sons go to Spain instead of staying in Italy to play.

At present, it seems that his choice was very correct. Both of his sons have been reused in Spain, and they can also give the Garibaldi family a new life in Spain.

On Caprera Island, Carlo and Garibaldi had a very pleasant conversation, and then returned to Rome on a warship.

Because King Umberto's coronation ceremony would be held in half a year, Carlo did not plan to continue wasting time in Italy.

Before leaving, Carlo had a complete plan and decided to visit some European countries.

In addition to Italy, his first destination, Carlo also visited Austria-Hungary, Germany and France.

In fact, according to the current cooperative relationship between Spain and Russia, Russia can also be included in the list of visits.

But considering that his father-in-law Franz Joseph I did not have a good relationship with the Russians, Carlo finally removed the Russians from the list.

Anyway, the Russians have been at war recently, and Tsar Alexander II is leading the army himself, so there is really no need to visit Russia.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was an ally of Spain, so it was necessary to visit the Austro-Hungarian Empire. As for why Germany and France were included, it was mainly to make France feel a sense of crisis by visiting Germany, so as to gain more benefits from France.

Carlo had a relatively thorough understanding of the current situation in Europe. Logically speaking, Germany and Austria-Hungary were allies, as were Italy. Based on the principle that a friend of a friend is also a friend, Spain and Germany should also conclude an alliance.

But in fact, at this time, the alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy was more of a diplomatic policy, and getting close to Russia was Germany's active choice.

This is not the First World War. France and Russia have not united together, and Germany is more trying to win over Russia.

More importantly, although Germany's industry achieved rapid development during this period, Germany, like Spain at the time, was a powerful country with little money.

Even if Spain and Germany signed an alliance, the support Germany could provide to Spain was very limited and far less attractive than the francs that slipped through the fingers of the wealthy French.

Spain is the straw that helps France escape Germany's isolation policy. While the straw is still there, the French must be desperately trying to grasp it.

But if the straw breaks, there is no telling how crazy the French will be. After all, France was once the hegemon of Europe, and its comprehensive strength is overwhelming that of Spain.

Carlo did not want Spain to face the French military force head-on, so he decided to adopt a neutral attitude and gain more benefits from France.

Of course, if the French gave more, it would not be impossible to sign an alliance with the French. Anyway, the Germans could not defeat them, and even if France and Spain signed an alliance, it would still be France that would directly confront Germany.

Carlo's requests for this visit to France were not many. It would be great if he could get another 500 million franc loan from France.

If it could get some industrial support, coupled with cooperation with the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy, Spain would surely achieve rapid development in the next decade.

Thinking of this, Carlo became even more excited about the visit.

Although Carlo came to Italy in a hurry, he also brought several foreign ministers and many important government officials. The purpose of their visit was to help Carlo conclude an agreement with other European countries.

On January 1878, 1, after staying in Rome for a few days, Carlo took a train from Italy to Austria with a group of diplomatic officials.

Before departure, the Spanish government had already sent telegrams to the countries he needed to visit, and these countries also formally sent invitations to Carlo to visit.

Because of this, the journey from Italy to Austria was quite smooth. Apart from changing a train halfway, there were no other problems.

The train continued along the way and finally arrived in Vienna, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

At the Vienna train station, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had already organized a grand welcoming ceremony.

In addition to Spanish government officials, the visitors also included Carlo, the King of Spain, which was enough to make the Austro-Hungarian Empire take it seriously.

What's more, Carlo is the son-in-law of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so he is half a member of the family.

In addition to the main officials of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, those responsible for welcoming Carlo at the train station included Crown Prince Rudolf, who had previously attended the funeral of Vittorio Emanuele II.

Crown Prince Rudolf has reached adulthood and has frequently participated in various diplomatic activities on behalf of Franz Joseph I in recent years.

After all, Franz Joseph was the emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and it was impossible for the emperor to personally participate in all diplomatic activities.

Although Crown Prince Rudolf was a little young, he was less than 20 years old at most. But considering that Carlo was only 7 years older than Rudolf, it was appropriate for the young to receive the young people.

As the brother-in-law of Crown Prince Rudolf, Carlo had a good relationship with Rudolf. When Carlo first met Rudolf, he was just a teenager.

More importantly, Queen Sophie grew up with Archduchess Gisela and Crown Prince Rudolf, and they have a deep friendship, which makes Rudolf feel closer to his brother-in-law Carlo. When Carlo walked out of the train, Crown Prince Rudolf took the lead and said to him with a smile: "Welcome to Vienna, Your Majesty Carlo."

"Okay, Rudolph. Let's not be too formal between us. Just call me brother-in-law." Carlo smiled and shook hands with Rudolph. He still wanted to have a good relationship with his brother-in-law.

The old Emperor Franz Joseph I was still very capable, but unfortunately his only son Rudolf died young, causing the Austro-Hungarian Empire to lose its heir at an early age.

In the end, Franz Joseph I had no choice but to let his nephew serve as crown prince, the famous Crown Prince Ferdinand.

What’s even more regrettable is that Rudolf’s death was not caused by an unknown disease, but rather he committed suicide with his mistress.

It is worth mentioning that before Rudolf's mistress Marie Alexandrina von Vechera became Crown Prince Rudolf's mistress, Marie's mother Elena once suggested to Crown Prince Rudolf that they should have an extramarital affair, but Crown Prince Rudolf politely refused.

Unexpectedly, Elena's daughter Marie was eventually favored by Crown Prince Rudolf, but Crown Prince Rudolf also lost the opportunity to marry both mother and daughter.

It has to be admitted that younger girls are more attractive to Crown Prince Rudolf. Before the two became lovers, Crown Prince Rudolf was already 30 years old, while his lover, Baroness Marie, was only 17 years old.

Of course, there is still a long time before Crown Prince Rudolf committed suicide for love, and the story may not necessarily develop into that ending.

Hearing what Carlo said, Rudolf naturally stopped being polite. He nodded and said with a smile: "Welcome to Vienna, brother-in-law. Father is already waiting for you at Schönbrunn Palace and has personally prepared a welcome banquet for you in the evening."

Carlo nodded with a smile and said, "Let's go and visit His Majesty Franz Joseph first. We can discuss political affairs another day."

Although diplomatic visits are inseparable from negotiations between the two countries, these are obviously not what Carlo is going to do. At most, Carlo and Franz Joseph I can only confirm some major aspects of cooperation. As for the negotiations on small details, officials from both countries have to deepen discussions based on the interests of both countries.

Although there were many people coming to the train station to welcome Carlo, the real welcome ceremony was held at Schönbrunn Palace.

After all, he was the ruler of a powerful country, so the Austro-Hungarian Empire still attached great importance to this. Moreover, the Austro-Hungarian Empire currently needed Spain's diplomatic support, which was one of the reasons why they attached too much importance to Carlo.

Of course Carlo had been to Schönbrunn Palace before, but every time he came, he was amazed by its size and luxury.

Of course, the Royal Palace in Madrid in Spain is no worse. But after all, he has lived in the Royal Palace for several years. Compared with the seldom visited Schönbrunn Palace, the Royal Palace in Madrid is already familiar to Carlo.

In fact, Carlo also had the idea of ​​building other palaces outside Madrid. Although the Royal Palace of Madrid is one of the three largest palaces in Europe, it is located in the center of Madrid, which makes travel a little inconvenient.

Building a new palace in the suburbs of Madrid can be given to his children in the future. A king will never be dissatisfied with the number of palaces he has. After all, the number of palaces, castles and manors is also a proof of his heritage and wealth for European nobles.

These dukes and grand dukes in Spain have numerous castles and manors. Any duke may own several or even more than ten castles and manors, and most of them are ancient castles with a long history.

Carlo currently owns only one proper palace, which is the Royal Palace of Madrid.

There are quite a few castles and manors, but they were all taken back from the rebellious nobles, and few of them are large in scale.

Franz Joseph I had already prepared a grand welcome ceremony for Carlo in the square of Schönbrunn Palace. Carlo, who was already used to big occasions, was naturally calm and attended the entire welcome ceremony with a smile on his face.

Afterwards, the accompanying officials were received by officials of the Austro-Hungarian government, while Carlo went directly across the square of Schönbrunn Palace to pay a visit to Franz Joseph I's office.

When I met Franz Joseph I again, he was still smiling and kind. Franz Joseph I is only 48 years old this year. From a politician's perspective, he is still in the golden age of his political career.

In fact, this is true. Politicians who are too young will always be considered inexperienced, and youth also represents rashness and recklessness.

As the saying goes, if you don’t have hair on your lips, you can’t do things well. Politicians who serve as prime ministers in European countries are around 40 to 50 years old, and some of the older ones are even 60 to 70 years old.

"Carlo, long time no see." Franz Joseph I first exchanged pleasantries with Carlo, then changed the subject and asked about his granddaughter whom he had yet to meet: "Why didn't you bring Sophia with you?"

"The trip was too hasty, and Sofia was too young, so Sophie stayed in Madrid with the two little ones," Carlo explained.

Carlo understood that Franz Joseph I wanted to see his grandson and granddaughter, but the trip was too hasty and he needed to visit various European countries, so Carlo did not take them with him.

Besides, Franz Joseph I is indeed young, and there will be plenty of opportunities for the three generations of grandparents and grandchildren to meet in the future.

After hearing Carlo's explanation, Franz Joseph I nodded regretfully, but said nothing.

His two daughters, Sophie and Gisela, are already married, and his only son, Rudolf, is still unmarried, so the palace is naturally sparsely populated.

Fortunately, Franz Joseph I himself was not too old, otherwise his main task every day might have become urging Crown Prince Rudolf to get married.

“It is indeed a pity what happened to King Vittorio Emanuele, God will lead him to heaven.

Carlo, don't be too sad, you still need to go back to Spain to deal with the matter. People are always like this, and they can't avoid birth, aging, illness and death. We can only wish them to go to heaven as soon as possible, and cherish the relatives we can still see. "Franz Joseph I enlightened Carlo.

Carlo nodded. The death of his father, Vittorio Emanuele II, did make him a little sad, but it was absolutely impossible for him to be too sad.

But it was difficult for Carlo to refute this kind of thing. He couldn't just say that he wasn't too sad, right?

"Since you are in Vienna, I will tell you about our plan in the Balkans." Franz Joseph I said with a smile: "Although the Russians won the war, they also made the British firm in their attitude and decided to stop the Russian expansion in the Balkans at all costs.

This is a good thing for us. Perhaps we can use diplomatic means to prevent Russia from over-expanding in the Balkans, and the British are standing in our way."

With the support of Britain and Spain, the Austro-Hungarian Empire could at least ensure its annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is why Franz Joseph I was smiling.

As long as they took over Bosnia, the Austro-Hungarian Empire would be invincible. If they could ensure that Russia did not gain much in this war, it would be a double blessing.

Hearing what Franz Joseph I said, Carlo smiled and nodded in response.

The situation in the Balkan Peninsula has little to do with Spain. Even if there is a war, it will be Britain and Austria-Hungary joining forces to fight Russia.

Even Carlo hoped that the Balkan Peninsula would be in chaos. If the three powers fought a big battle in the Balkan Peninsula, how many arms trade orders could Spain sign?

The contest between the great powers was not a war with poor firepower like the Russo-Turkish War, but a shocking scene of millions of soldiers and thousands of artillery pieces bombarding each other.

Even if Spain could only choose to cooperate with Austria-Hungary or Russia, the money earned from the arms trade would definitely not be comparable to the money earned from the Russo-Turkish War.

If a war between the great powers really breaks out in the Balkan Peninsula, it will also attract the attention of the British. This will be very beneficial to Spain's expansion in African colonies, at least it can ensure that the British will not interfere.

Carlo was annoyed by the British's trouble-making character. If the British really set their sights on Spain, I'm afraid that countries like Portugal could become pawns and constantly block Spain's progress.

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(End of this chapter)