Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 542 The Question of the Spanish Throne

The situation in Spain affected the nerves of all parties. The primary task of the insurgents was to establish a provisional government. Both the Progressive Party and the Liberal Union joined the new government. The leaders of the insurgents quickly arranged their positions and assigned powers and duties.

In November 1867, the Provisional Government issued a statement demanding the abolition of slavery and the emancipation of all female slaves; and recognizing the rights of the people, such as the right to vote, religion, association, and education.

However, although a provisional government was established, the difficulties it faced remained the same. Revolutionary enthusiasm was high among the people of Spain's vast colonies, and a wave of national independence movements emerged. They launched uprisings demanding liberation from Spanish colonial rule, such as in Puerto Rico and Cuba.

With Queen Isabella II in exile, the throne became vacant, and the question of who would succeed her became a crucial issue for the interim government, as a family cannot be without a head, and a country cannot be without a monarch. After ruling out the Bourbon family as a potential heir, various Spanish political factions engaged in fierce debate over the succession, a significant issue rife with complex and intertwined interests.

To balance the interests of various factions within the country, the new Spanish government decided to select a foreigner to serve as King of Spain. The new government ultimately chose Prince Leopold of the Hohenzollern family as his successor to the Spanish throne.

Nothing has changed from history, except that the timeline has been moved forward by a few months.

"Those damned Spaniards!" Napoleon III's face was ashen, veins bulging on his forehead. "They dared to put a member of the Hohenzollern family on the throne! This is an insult to France!"

This made him nervous. The Hohenzollern family was the royal family of Prussia, while Spain was located in the south of France. At that time, Franco-Prussian relations were already very tense. If the Spanish throne were to be inherited by a member of the Hohenzollern family, France would inevitably be caught in the disadvantageous situation of being attacked from both Spain and Prussia.

The French Foreign Minister immediately said: "France will never tolerate a foreign country placing one of its princes on the throne of Charles V, thereby disrupting the current balance of power among European powers, causing us to suffer losses, and harming France's interests and honor. If they want to restore the Charles V Empire, France will immediately go to war with them."

"Tell the King of Prussia that either Leopold must abdicate the throne, or..." The Emperor suddenly grabbed a letter opener from the table and plunged it into the map of Europe on the table, the tip of the knife precisely piercing the location of Berlin.

In Berlin, Bismarck also saw a golden opportunity. He urged the king to agree, so that Prussia's power could be greatly enhanced.

“My Prime Minister, do you really think Leopold should accept this crown? Look at the people in their provisional government—republicans, Freemasons, and that general who burned down the church!”
Sending someone from the Hohenzollern family to be king is tantamount to suicide.

William I was particularly afraid that the Spanish would send their king to the guillotine, but fortunately Prince Leopold was also a coward and directly refused the invitation.

Bismarck consistently wanted the Prince to become King of Spain, which was geographically feasible, but the Chancellor overestimated the monarch's unwavering resolve. After all, every foreign policy he implemented was a tightrope walk, and France was a long-established power; Prussia couldn't afford to lose. They had struggled so much against Austria; was it even possible to defeat France?

"Your Majesty, we must at least give it a try. France has oppressed us for too long. Are you really going to just stand by and watch Napoleon III squander our opportunities time and time again?"

"Alright, I can agree to anything else, but not this. I can't easily tie Prussia to the Spanish chariot." Wilhelm I was determined to oppose it, and Bismarck couldn't force the king to change his mind. The matter was likely to be dropped.

Back in the office, the secretary was already waiting there.

"Prime Minister, a telegram from Iran."

Bismarck took it; it was sent to him by Nasser al-Din. The message could be summarized in one sentence: Wait for the right opportunity.

Even this prime minister, well-versed in the psychology of leaders, couldn't understand the telegram from the Iranian Shah. Now it seems France has won; there's no need to worry about a Charles V resurrection. But what opportunity awaits?
Under pressure from France, on December 6, William I agreed to relinquish the Spanish throne to a member of the Hohenzollern family. Shortly afterward, Prince Leopold's father also issued a statement on his behalf, announcing his relinquishment of the Spanish throne.

Napoleon III was surprised that Prussia accepted his terms so readily, and his confidence swelled up. He decided to press his advantage and further expand his gains.

On the very day that Prince Leopold's father announced his abdication of the Spanish throne, Napoleon III convened a royal council. The attendees, ecstatic about France's diplomatic victory, unanimously decided that the matter could not be dropped and that they must seize the opportunity to thoroughly humiliate Prussia and vent Luxembourg's anger. War Minister Lebeauf arrogantly declared, "Our army is ready, down to the last button on the last soldier's shoe cover."

But before they could make any decisions, new circumstances arose. The Spanish interim government announced that it would invite Maximilian, King of Sicily and a member of the Habsburg family, to become King of Spain.

This directly led to Napoleon III's downfall again; this is outrageous. Why are Germans always chosen as kings? Why not Frenchmen as kings of other countries?
So the French ambassador went to "advise" Maximilian not to become King of Spain, but the man was completely unmoved and said directly...

"If I really can't be King of Spain, it should be the Spanish people who tell me, not you, an outsider!"

The Austrian Emperor also expressed his support for Maximilian and vehemently criticized France. Franz even went so far as to say he was willing to go to war with France.

The whole of Europe was shocked by Austria's remarks. The front page of The Times was about the status of Spain and the start of the Franco-Austrian war.
Napoleon III also temporarily abandoned his plans to torture Prussia and began to deal with Austria. He ordered troops to be prepared on the border with Italy and negotiated cooperation with Italy, just as in the previous wars, aiming to take not only Milan, but also Venice and Rome.

Italy also wanted to acquire those Italian territories, and they quickly reached an agreement, signing a second contract.

Austria began cooperating with Sicily, continuously transporting troops via land routes, while imposing curfews in the Apennine region. Both sides were gearing up for conflict; was peace about to be broken again after the Austro-Prussian War?
(End of this chapter)