Everyone was in a difficult position. Franz sighed with relief, knowing that the Prussian-Danish War wouldn't end in the short term, which meant he had enough time to cover up the mistakes.
Secrets can't be kept forever. If the mistakes weren't rectified, even if they blamed the Prussians, it wouldn't be a credible excuse!
If the truth got out one day, what would become of Emperor Franz's reputation?
There's a difference between misappropriation and corruption. The former can be explained as regular bank operations, as long as money is provided on time. The latter, however, would forever be a stain on one's history.
While Prussia and Russia were at a standoff, the major European powers weren't idle.
The French, besides occasionally expressing their opinions on international matters to assert their presence, were mainly preoccupied with internal strife. Even their overseas colonial expansion was affected.
The British were busy. They accelerated their invasion of India, expanded their colonies in Southeast Asia, and initiated an invasion of New Zealand...
The British colonial empire was almost fully established, except in Africa. They had, or were in the process of including, territories from other regions into their empire.
Everyone was preoccupied, which gave Austria an opportunity.
While the world's attention was focused on the Prussian-Danish battlefield, on April 15, 1849, Austria formed the Holy Roman Economic Alliance with Naples, the Papal States, Tuscany, Bavaria, Württemberg, Baden, and Hesse-Darmstadt in Rome.
The European media was in an uproar. Luckily for Franz, he did not set up the headquarters in Vienna; otherwise, the political repercussions would have been even more significant.
Prussia reacted most strongly. They were struggling against Russia for the unification of Germany, and Austria took advantage of their preoccupation.
Except for the Kingdom of Prussia, the main German states had joined Austria's Holy Roman Alliance, effectively sidelining Prussia in matters related to the German-speaking territories.
With the establishment of the Holy Roman Alliance, the idea of Greater Germany surged again. Many nationalists believed that economic unity would pave the way for national unity.
Some even in Prussia advocated joining the alliance led by Austria. As for the German Customs Union, its historical task was completed, and it could be discarded.
This shift gave Frederick William IV of Prussia a headache. Nationalism is a double-edged sword.
Regarding the inclusion of parts of Italy, nationalists didn't care. In their view, as long as the German people dominated, the bigger the empire, the better.
"Prime Minister, what stance are other nations taking against Austria's ambitions?" Frederick William IV inquired expectantly.
Joseph von Radowitz pondered for a moment before answering, "The British have issued a diplomatic note to Austria opposing their alliance move, vehemently condemning Austria for violating the principles of free trade. The French government protested against Austria's exclusionary economic alliance but hasn't taken further action. The Spaniards stated they are closely monitoring the situation. Most European countries remain neutral, and the Russians have not commented yet."
Clearly, everyone is too busy now, too occupied to deal with Austria.
Given that the British didn't intervene powerfully in the Prussian-Danish War, they also lacked the resources to interfere with Austria's actions. Without the backing of major European powers, their influence on the continent was limited.
As for the French, they would address the issue once they sorted out internal factions. Otherwise, amidst factional strife, the French government wouldn't be able to achieve anything.
Frederick William IV was frustrated. In his view, the Russians, the most capable of intervening against Austria, were held back by their assistance. The Tsarist regime couldn't possibly interfere with both Prussia and Austria at the same time.
Without the threat of force and only relying on protests, could they really suppress Austria? Frederick William IV shook his head. Didn't Prussia withstand even greater diplomatic pressures?
Most European countries didn't care about Austria's economic alliance, becoming mere spectators.
"Didn't the British take any action?" Frederick William IV asked with concern.
...
London
How could the British, being the world's number one troublemaker, stand by and watch Austria form an alliance?
It's worth noting that the Holy Roman Economic Alliance is a behemoth, consisting of half of Germany, more than half of Italy, and the Austrian Empire. In terms of economic volume, this is Europe's top economy.
Although most of these areas are still under a semi-feudal and semi-capitalist system, their industries are not weak, and the British market share there isn't significant. They are not short of markets.
But even a mosquito is still meat, and giving up opportunities isn't the British way.
"Something's off. Why are the Russians so slow to react this time?" Prime Minister John Russell wondered.
Palmerston pondered and replied, "Perhaps they're hesitating. The Schleswig-Holstein War has already consumed much of their attention. If they intervene in Austria now, it might lead to an alliance between Prussia and Austria.
Tsar Nicholas I isn't a fool. If that happens, the 'Northern European Three Court' system would collapse. As long as they don't want to be isolated in Europe, they won't take action against Austria."
Starting with the "Treaty of Berlin," the European continent entered the era of the "Prussian-Austrian-Russian Triumvirate", with the three nations jointly maintaining the Vienna system, and even the British were excluded from continental Europe.
Now, due to the Schleswig-Holstein War, a rift has emerged in Russo-Prussian relations. The British naturally want to break up this alliance.
Whether it's encouraging Austria to expand into the Balkans, supporting Austria's occupation of the Danube basin, or allowing Prussia to wage war against Denmark, all are part of this plan.
One has to admit, the Russians kept their cards close to their chest this time, fooling everyone.
"I don't think the Russians ever dreamed that Prussia would hold on this time. Now they're in a tough spot too.
However, the Holy Roman Alliance established by Austria is a problem. With Metternich, the cunning fox involved, it might be hard to unite the nations to pressure them," John Russell frowned and said.
Palmerston chuckled, "Why force the Austrians to disband the alliance? The ones most worried about its formation aren't us.
It's Russia, Prussia, and France. Especially Prussia, who's having a standoff with Russia. Austria would have been the perfect mediator, but now they've formed this alliance. The Northern European Three Court alliance might just be at its end.
Why should we ensure its survival?"
Prussia is at odds with both Russia and Austria, so they're naturally having a hard time in the three-nation alliance.
The British had made much effort to split this alliance, and now they're close. They certainly wouldn't want to extend the life of the alliance.
"It seems favorable to us, but we still have to be wary of Austria. Metternich excels at maintaining balance, and the influence of the Habsburg dynasty runs deep.
We can't let them turn this economic alliance into an empire. Otherwise, our interests in the Mediterranean would be jeopardized," John Russell cautioned.
Everyone knows that the Habsburgs excel at marital alliances. Within the framework of the alliance, intermarriage could, after a few generations, merge families. This is how the Austrian Empire came about.
If Franz found out what the British were thinking, he would probably laugh. Aligning with Italian states is one thing, but annexing them is another. He wouldn't want to ask for trouble.
"Don't worry, Prime Minister. The Austrians won't have the chance. If they dare take the first step, this alliance will crumble.
On the other hand, the Crimean War is problematic. Under public pressure, the Prussian government persists. I fear they might provoke the Russians, potentially leading to a war.
If the Kingdom of Prussia gets defeated by Russia, and without internal checks, Austria might actually dare to unify the German regions," Palmerston remarked.
Imperial nations often can't be analyzed solely from an interest perspective. If the Tsar gets provoked, he might indeed wage a reckless war.
"Prepare for mediation. If the situation gets out of control, pressure the Prussian government to compromise," John Russell said sternly.
There's no choice. Diplomatic pressure on the Russians is pointless, as they would just ignore them. Prussia, being the weaker entity, is the only option.
Although British-Prussian relations are strong, this doesn't mean the British will unconditionally support Prussia. When it comes to interests, forming relations with the British doesn't count for much.
...
Vienna
Ever since the establishment of the Holy Roman Alliance, Franz hadn't slept well for several consecutive days. Everything had gone too smoothly, which seemed quite abnormal.
It was natural for the Russians not to intervene; the two sides had secret agreements. If not for the sake of confidentiality, the Russians could openly support Austria.
But the reactions of other nations puzzled Franz. Neutral smaller states were understandable, as they held no significant influence. It was expected for them to be bystanders in such matters.
However, the reactions of the British and French were surprising.
He could somewhat understand the stance of France. They had internal affairs to deal with, and Austria hadn't invaded France. Expecting a united front against Austria might be asking too much.
But the British, aside from protesting, did nothing. According to prior analysis, at this juncture, Britain should have rallied France and other allies to exert pressure on Austria.
This unexpected move gave Franz a headache. Metternich, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, was currently overseeing matters in Rome. The foreign office provided two possible explanations:
1. The British were preoccupied with colonial expansion and had no time for Austria.
2. The British aimed to stir conflicts between Prussia and Austria, and between Russia and Austria, to dismantle the tripartite alliance of Prussia, Austria, and Russia.
Except for a few cabinet members, others were unaware of the secret agreements Austria had with Britain, France, and Russia, thus a comprehensive analysis was challenging.
Franz suddenly realized that in just over a year, Austria had signed so many secret agreements, which was simply incredible.
Without the stewardship of Metternich, Franz doubted if Austria could have managed.
Historically, Austria attempted to balance between Britain, France, and Russia, but failed to maintain equilibrium, turning potential allies into adversaries.
The thought sent chills down Franz's spine. While Austria's current position was far better than in history, a diplomatic failure could instantly lead to isolation.
The consequences? They were clear.
Austria would then keep to itself, focusing on agriculture, quietly observing Prussia's unification of German territories and then challenging the global order together.
In theory, a reformed Austrian Empire would be much stronger than the historical Austro-Hungarian Empire. Perhaps a German-Austrian alliance could even turn the tables.
However, this was unlikely. Franz was prepared. If the situation spiraled out of control, a direct alliance between Russia and Austria could confront Britain, France, and Prussia.
From a military perspective, the likelihood of defeat was low. The worst outcome would be a stalemate. Once Russia and Austria were financially drained, the war would end.
Historically, when Russia confronted Britain and France alone, they lost the Crimean War not mainly because of military failure but due to the government running out of funds. If they had the resources, they could have continued the fight.
A mere loss of three hundred thousand troops was a drop in the ocean for Russia. Even if this number was multiplied tenfold, they would still have ample resources.