Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 545 Prussia-Austria Alliance with France
Dresden, the capital of the Kingdom of Saxony, is where Bismarck said he vacationed because of the excellent thermal springs of Bad Schulen nearby, which are said to have therapeutic effects.

Bismarck seemed to enjoy it here; it would have been great if the other two had thought the same.

Austrian Council of Ministers President Prince Carl von Olsperger and Austrian Foreign Minister Derich Ferdinand von Boister secretly visited Dresden. Austria's current situation requires discussion with Prussia, after all, the two countries were once brothers.

"Your Highness, you must experience the hot springs here. They will be extremely beneficial to your health."

Prince Orspeg coughed twice, politely declining Bismarck's offer.

"Your Excellency the Prime Minister, you should know the purpose of our visit. While there have indeed been unpleasantries between Austria and Prussia, the two countries were once one. Moreover, we share a common enemy: France..."

Bismarck interrupted the prince, saying, "Your Highness, France is an important neighbor of Prussia, and our country has always attached great importance to our relationship with France. You should be careful with your words."

Listen to that, who would believe it?
"Prime Minister, there is no one else here now, so let's speak frankly. Austria needs Prussia's strength to guard against France."

Franz had already ordered Tyrol and Lombardy to declare martial law, and 15 troops were sent to defend Milan. But compared to France, the Austrian army seemed somewhat inadequate.

On paper, France has nearly 60 troops, while Austria's military reforms reduced that number to 30. Furthermore, France possesses over a thousand artillery pieces, while Austria has only 600. These figures left the Austrian cabinet feeling uncertain about their position against France.

When it came to serious matters, Bismarck's expression was completely different. Because everyone knew that this would determine the future of Germany.

“Your country is adjacent to France. If France were to cross the Rhine River directly, not only would your territory be affected, but Baden and Bavaria, which are located nearby, would also suffer the same fate. Therefore, it is necessary to deprive France of its ability to attack.”

The last sentence is ignored; to achieve this, France would have to be divided into at least six parts. However, both countries share a common interest in weakening France.

"I hope to receive a promise from your country that if France and Austria go to war, Prussia will directly follow suit and jointly resist the attack."

Although Austria and France are not neighbors, only sixty years have passed since the Battle of Jena and Austerlitz. What if Napoleon III were like his uncle?

"His Majesty the King supports King Maximilian's trip to Spain, and Prussia hopes that Austria can cooperate more in trade, as well as with Russia."

Bismarck had been committed to an agreement between Austria and Russia, so that the three countries could maintain stability in Eastern Europe, especially in Poland. The Polish uprising had also shaken the Polish-populated areas of Austria and Prussia. "Your Excellency, you should know what Russia did in Vojvodina, and also in Galicia and Romania. Maintaining peace with Russia is already His Majesty's greatest act of goodwill. An agreement would be somewhat difficult."

Since the prince had said so, Bismarck couldn't say anything. But he knew that Iran was behind this.

Iran has been investing heavily in Austria for years. In the joint venture Austrian Railways, the largest bank in Austria (the Austrian National Bank), and the largest shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), Iran holds a 25%–50% stake. Not to mention, there are also factories wholly owned by Iran operating on Austrian soil, which are extremely important to Franz. Furthermore, half of the factories in Hungary and Transylvania are Iranian investments.

In diplomacy, Austria and Russia maintained a cold peace in order to avoid offending this major financial backer. Bismarck understood this, as even an emperor had to bow to money. However, Bismarck also needed Austria to communicate with Iran, hoping that Iran would purchase their government bonds.

Well... well... there's no way around it. Prussia still has a deficit of 2800 million taels. If it goes to war with France, its expenses will definitely skyrocket. Iran is so rich, it should be able to come up with the money, even if the interest rate is higher.

"I will pass on the Prime Minister's request to Iran. Please rest assured, Iran will understand your efforts and will agree soon."

The prince's words of comfort had no effect on Bismarck. Without Iran, he would have had to rely on the Jewish bankers in his home country. But these people were driven by self-interest; they wanted a 10% interest rate. Perhaps it was better to look at loans from other countries.

The three reached a consensus on their stance towards France and entered into a written agreement. This agreement stipulated that if either Austria or Prussia was declared war on by France, the other would be obligated to participate in the war against France.

William I was thoroughly annoyed by the French ambassador. When the French ambassador to Prussia urgently requested another audience with William I, who was recuperating at the Ems spa, he conveyed instructions from Paris: the King of Prussia must guarantee that he would never support a member of the Hohenzollern family ascend to the Spanish throne. He also deliberately chose offensive and harsh language, following instructions from Napoleon III.

William I, of course, could not accept this demand, which sounded like an ultimatum. Moreover, in his view, Prussia had already satisfied France's demands, and making such a guarantee was not only unnecessary but also clearly an insult to the Hohenzollern family's reputation. William I tried to respond with diplomatic language as tactfully as possible, but the ambassador was extremely persistent, repeatedly pressing the issue. Finally, William I, exasperated, said, "Mr. Ambassador, I have nothing more to say. Please allow me to take my leave."

Meanwhile, within France, the French Foreign Minister made a further demand, proposing to the Prussian ambassador in Paris that Wilhelm I should write a letter to Napoleon III expressing his apologies for what had happened and assuring him that he had no intention of harming France.

On the morning of December 13th, Bismarck met with the British ambassador, Lord Augustus Loftus, who informed him that the diplomatic incident between Prussia and France was not yet over. Bismarck stated that the Germans neither wanted nor feared war. The Germans should not endure the humiliation inflicted by France. After this matter was resolved, the Germans needed to secure some guarantees for the future.

The British saw this as preparation for war, and they were already waiting, not letting any opportunity slip by to weaken or mock France. However, this situation would also create an unprecedentedly powerful nation on German soil, something Britain could not tolerate. Ultimately, however, they had to wait and see how things unfolded.

(End of this chapter)