Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 429 The Treaty of Prague

“I’m afraid Austria won’t agree to this request,” Naserdin replied. “As far as I know, neither side has gained an advantage in this war. In that case, a ceasefire should be declared immediately and both sides should withdraw to their respective borders.”

Did Bismarck not know this? Prussia had always been a military state. What would be the consequences of not meeting the needs of the army and the conservatives? He now had to win the support of the conservatives to fight against the liberals.

"This is already the biggest concession our country has made. As you know, if Austria hadn't agreed, the Prussian army might have done something."

Naserdin smiled and said, “If Prime Minister Bismarck can persuade the King to cancel this condition, I can give your country a gift.”

Bismarck became interested; he wanted to hear what Iran could offer Prussia.

Naserdin had a map of Europe brought out and pointed to France with his pipe. "I suppose the people here should also return to German unification."

Looking at Alsace-Lorraine, which was now independent outside of France, Bismarck felt that the deal was worthwhile.

Alsace was part of the Holy Roman Empire of Germany for a long period during the Middle Ages. In 1639, the Kingdom of France occupied most of Alsace to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Spanish Habsburgs. Surrounded by enemy powers and with Hungary granting it full authority, Spain sold the southern counties to France, which had already occupied the region, for 120 million thalers in 1646. Therefore, after the Treaty of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years' War, most of Alsace became French territory, except for a few towns that remained independent.

The Treaty of Reswick in 1697, which ended the War of the Grand Alliance, further solidified this territorial change. However, Alsace remained a unique entity within France. The local government, schools, and education system continued to use German, and the University of Strasbourg, located in Germany, continued to accept German students. Alsace was bordered by the Vosges Mountains to France, but it lacked a similar natural boundary with Germany. Therefore, prior to the French Revolution, Alsace retained German culture and remained economically dependent on the German states.

As part of the German cultural sphere, Alsace was inevitably incorporated into Germany. This wasn't just about culture, but also about economic importance. The region possessed abundant coal, iron, and agricultural resources, which was beneficial to Germany.

"Ahem! What are you doing? The friendship between Prussia and France is unbreakable. There will be no war between the two countries."

Upon hearing this, Nasser al-Din burst into laughter. "Your Excellency the Prime Minister, has anyone told you that if you went to perform in the theater, you would surely become the most famous actor?"

Alsace has abundant coal and iron resources, and the local people still speak the same language as you. You wouldn't be content if this place wasn't unified, would you?
Moreover, as far as I know, the French government has repeatedly tried to push its borders to the entire western Rhine region. Isn't that part of Prussian territory? What would happen if France annexed that area?

The barrage of questions nearly stumped Bismarck, whose plan indeed included war against France as the final hurdle to German unification. However, at that time, no country anticipated a war between Prussia and France, and Naserdin's ability to see through Bismarck's plan was something the Chancellor had not foreseen.

"Austria has given you what you wanted, Your Excellency. If you want to gain an ally in the future, then this is the end of it."

Nasserdin, 33, earnestly advised Bismarck, 49, but there was still a problem: what about Italy?
At this time, the war between Austria and Italy was still ongoing. On June 20th, Austria occupied Milan and then advanced towards Parma. Simultaneously, Austria, under the pretext of restoring Papal States territory, marched south and occupied large swathes of land along the Adriatic coast. The Kingdom of Italy was in grave danger.

"Please refrain from interfering in Italy's affairs; you must allow Austria to vent its frustrations." For Bismarck, Italy had already lost its value as an ally after being repeatedly thrashed by Austria. Giving it a favor was a good idea.

"But the wishes of the local people must also be respected..."

"Don't worry, Austria will only get back what it lost."

Bismarck nodded; these were probably the best possible conditions.

However, Wilhelm I would not agree to this condition. Bismarck even put one foot out of the window, intending to jump, in order to get the king to compromise. Iran's mediation also led to a swift agreement between Austria and Prussia, and on June 24th, the Treaty of Prague was signed. This ended the ten-week war.

The treaty stipulated that: 1. Austria shall not interfere in the internal affairs of Germany and shall dissolve the German Confederation.

2. Prussia annexed Schleswig-Holstein, Hanover, Hesse-Kassel, the Duchy of Nassau, and Frankfurt.

3. Austria allowed the formation of the North German Confederation with Prussia, and Austria was prohibited from participating or interfering. However, the southern German states did not join, forming some pro-French and ambiguous alliances.

4. Prussia withdrew from the war and remained neutral in the war between Austria and Italy.

Although Austria was the loser in this war, Franz's announcement in major newspapers of the dissolution of the Confederation caused a great stir. Many people believed that Austria was forced to dissolve, and that Prussia was the evil party. As a result, many in Austria sympathized with Franz, and when he arrived in the Bohemian countryside, farmers lined the roads to welcome this patriotic emperor.

Meanwhile, Franz began a systematic purge of Hungarian nationalist forces, using the attack on the Iranian Shah in Hungary as a pretext. He dispatched the National Guard to conduct a large-scale manhunt in Hungary, forcing Matthias and others to flee to the Ottoman Empire via Transylvania.

When a foreign head of state is attacked, it's an indefensible issue. Those who sympathize with Hungary can't really say anything; Austria rounded up over 1000 people from Hungary and exiled them all to the Congo colony.

The Hungarian Parliament was also forced to distance itself from them, saying it was an impulsive choice made by the lower classes. Count István, a member of the House of Nobles, pleaded with the government not to involve the people, but it was too late; he had no choice.

Italy was the most devastated, having been invited to attack by Prussia, expecting it to come to its aid like France had. Instead, it withdrew from the war, leaving itself to fight alone.

Moreover, France wouldn't come either. Austria declared it would only reclaim Lombardy and restore the Papal States. Pius IX issued a decree excommunicating Garibaldi and others, stating that anyone aiding apostates would also be excommunicated. Napoleon III, wanting Catholic support, could only bless the Italians in the church.

(End of this chapter)