Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 415 The King's Visit (Part 1)

Since its construction, Tehran's railway station has been responsible for transporting large numbers of passengers to destinations throughout the country. Today, however, it welcomes a special guest.

"Your Majesty, we have arrived."

King Maximilian of Sicily stepped off the train; this was his first visit to Iran. The different architectural styles fascinated him, and he felt it was a pity his brother, the emperor, couldn't come in person.

"Welcome, Your Majesty Maximilian. The Shah is already at the palace to welcome you."

Abdullah welcomed the King of Sicily, after all, they were practically allies. Moreover, Sicily's economy currently relies on Iranian investment, sulfur mines, and maritime transport, and they are doing quite well.

As the convoy drove through Tehran's newly widened streets, Maximilian noticed signs on the buildings lining the streets, written in Persian and French: "Oil brings prosperity." Even more surprising, every two blocks there were bank buildings under construction, all displaying the crest of the "Crédit Agricole" lion and sun above their entrances.

Before the gilded gates of the Gulestan Palace, Persian guards stood at attention, rifles at the ready. Maximilian had barely stepped into the Hall of Mirrors when he was blinded by the dazzling light—hundreds of Venetian mirrors refracted the light from the crystal chandeliers into a galaxy.

"Welcome, Eagle of Sicily," the Shah's voice echoed beneath the dome. Attendants presented silver basins filled with rosewater, and the two monarchs washed their hands together according to ancient Persian custom. They then entered the banquet hall.

During the banquet, roasted whole lamb was served side by side with Iranian wine in an unusual manner. After several rounds of drinks, Nasser al-Din suddenly clapped his hands to dismiss the servants: "I heard your brother has been having a lot of headaches lately?"

Maximilian paused slightly on his food with his fork: "The Prussian exercises on the Bohemian border are indeed unpleasant."

Prussia was finally about to show its teeth, two years earlier than usual. From the signing of the peace treaty with Denmark, Bismarck led the Prussian government in actively preparing for war, determined to use military force to resolve the issue of Prussian hegemony in Germany.

The outbreak of this war was not unexpected for either side, and the lines were already clearly drawn. Prussia's side included Melenberg, Oldenburg, and the other states of North Germany, as well as the free cities of Hamburg, Bremen, and Lübeck. Austria's side included Saxony, Hanover, Bavaria, Baden, Württemberg, Hesse-Gassel, Hesse-Darmstadt, and the other members of the German Confederation. In terms of the number of large states, population, and area, Austria held the advantage. However, in terms of military strength, Prussia was clearly superior.

Prussia's total military strength reached 630,000, while Austria's strength amounted to only about 580,000. Prussia's breech-loading rifles had a rate of fire three times that of Austria's muzzle-loading rifles. In addition, the railway system and the General Staff system were also key factors in suppressing Austria.

Furthermore, Prussia's industrialization and railway network enabled it to rapidly mobilize and supply its army. Austria, on the other hand, was facing financial difficulties, even defaulting on soldiers' salaries. Moreover, the diplomatic situation was extremely unfavorable for Austria.

Because of Russia's defeat in the Crimean War, relations between Russia and Austria-Hungary were strained, and Prussia's support for the Polish uprising meant they would not intervene. Britain, on the other hand, was eager for another powerful nation in Europe to maintain its balance of power policy. As for France, the most important power, Bismarck offered Napoleon III an irresistible bargaining chip: Prussia would not interfere in France's future annexation of the Rhineland, including Belgium. This convinced Napoleon III that his younger brother was cooperative, and he naturally wouldn't intervene either. However, the lack of a written agreement sowed the seeds of future problems.

“That’s why Franz sent you here,” Shah said, pushing aside his plate to reveal a military deployment map underneath. “Bismarck’s foreign policy was truly flawless, but they overlooked one thing: Iran.”

Did Bismarck overlook something? No, he believed that, given the current situation, Iran's attention was still focused on the Indian Ocean, their struggle with Britain was not yet over, and they didn't have much interest in Austria, which made him relax.

However, he still had Moltke, who was now the Chief of the General Staff, write a letter to the Shah of Iran, saying that there might be some changes between the two countries recently, and he hoped that the people of your country would be careful.

Naserdin's voice slithered into his ears like a snake: "The Prussians think their iron and blood can decide everything, but they forget that gold is the real weapon of this era."

A servant silently presented an ebony box. The Shah opened the lid, revealing a neatly stacked pile of bonds—Austrian war bonds from the Vienna Stock Exchange, each bearing the seal of the Rothschild Bank. "How much military spending does the Austrian army need? Twenty million florins? Or thirty?" The Shah casually picked one up and toyed with it. "I can have the Banque de l'Indochine subscribe to half of them tomorrow, on the condition that…" His gaze lingered on the vast expanse of Austrian territory.

The sound of a military band rehearsing drifted in from outside the window; the melody was an eerie blend of traditional Persian music and the tune of "Germany Above All Else."

“The Shah has probably misunderstood,” Maximilian said, trying to remain calm as he closed the wooden box. “The Habsburg family would never sell any territory.”

“Selling out? No, no, no, this is just an investment,” Naserdin continued. “This money could arm fifteen Austrian legions, or… help His Majesty Franz build another line of defense in Venice.”

Nasserdin knew that the Italians wouldn't easily relinquish control, especially the Venetian region. Given the previous conflict, Iran was already in a cold war with the Kingdom of Italy; therefore, it was better to align with a country with closer ties.

In order to counter Austria, Prussia sought to win over Italy. If Italy were to join Prussia, Austria would face a two-front war, with its army divided into two parts, which would greatly increase Prussia's chances of victory.

Having ascertained France's stance, Italy began considering declaring war on Austria. At the time, Italy was still two territories away from unification: Rome, occupied by the Pope, and Venice, under Austrian control. Italy hoped to use this war to reclaim Venice from Austria. (By the way, Naples in the south was excluded from their consideration.)
Therefore, Italy and Prussia reached an agreement that Italy would declare war on Austria after the start of the Austro-Prussian War. During the war, Italy could not unilaterally cease hostilities or make peace. In return, Italy would receive Venice after the war.

Franz Joseph felt the pressure. Although the other states supported Austria, it was only superficial. At present, only Iran remained as an ally. Maximilian was appointed to a critical mission and sent to negotiate with Nasser al-Din to see what the outcome would be.

(End of this chapter)