Chapter 208: The Time is Ripe
On March 16, 1853, Prime Minister Felix arrived in Munich. After a week-long negotiation, it ended in failure.
The Bavarian government firmly opposed rebuilding the Holy Roman Empire, resulting in failure for Felix’s diplomatic efforts.
Under public pressure, the Bavarian government proposed the reopening of the Federal Parliament on March 27 to decide whether or not to rebuild the Holy Roman Empire.
On March 28, Prime Minister Felix delivered a speech at the University of Munich, publicly responding to the Bavarian government:
“I have a dream, to witness the unification of Germany in my lifetime. It’s the genuine unity of the German nation, not the nominal German Confederation, which is nothing but a joke.
Today is an awful day; the Bavarian government has closed the door to rebuilding the Holy Roman Empire, and all our efforts have failed.
It seems that my dream has a long way to go before becoming a reality. If I can’t see it, I hope you can continue the journey. As elites of Germany, it is your responsibility and duty.
We all know that rebuilding the Holy Roman Empire is the best choice for the unity of Germany. It is the only way to swiftly achieve national unity.
The German states have been divided for so long, each forming its own system, making it difficult to achieve unity overnight.
Let the Federal Parliament decide? In reality, we all know this is not a simple majority rule, nor is it a child’s game of playing house.
Rebuilding the Holy Roman Empire must obtain full approval from all states. Forcibly merging an empire together despite dissent will inevitably make it collapse from internal contradictions.
The consequences of coercion are clear. Switzerland gained independence, Belgium gained independence, the Netherlands gained independence, and even Luxembourg gained independence. These were their own choices, and there is no need to delve into historical reasons today.
Now, if we don’t handle this well, a new wave of independence will emerge. Don’t doubt it; international forces are already plotting to divide Germany, and they have even colluded with internal forces.
Therefore, I must be cautious, fearing that one wrong step might make me a sinner of Germany.
A unified German Empire must be an empire recognized by all. If this cannot be achieved, it will be just a federation, not an empire.
I know many people oppose the rebuilding of the Holy Roman Empire because they feel the empire is too loose, with too much power in regional governments and too little in the central government, a system that doesn’t appeal to everyone.
But one thing to note is, if you want the approval of the entire population, you cannot shed blood, or at least not too much blood.
If a civil war breaks out due to unification, with rivers of blood flowing, can everyone sit down calmly after the war?
The answer is no. Under the guidance of certain individuals, such hatred will quickly take root and sprout, ultimately leading to division…”
……
Felix entered the zone, unleashing a barrage of words.
The officials of the Bavarian government in the audience were already livid but couldn’t react aggressively as diplomatic etiquette still had to be maintained. Although Felix was ranting vehemently, he didn’t explicitly criticize the Bavarian government.
If they were to step forward and stop the speech, wouldn’t it indicate a guilty conscience? Moreover, the emotions of the students had already been stirred up. Stimulating them at this moment might lead to some teenagers shouting for revolution in a fit of adolescent fervor.
This was not unprecedented; over 90% of European revolutions were sparked by a casual remark from a passionate youth, followed by blind adherence.
For example, the February Revolution in France, the March Revolution in Vienna, the March Revolution in Berlin, and so on. These revolutions had no well-organized structures beforehand. With a passionate slogan, everyone blindly followed and unknowingly got involved in the upheaval.
Since the Bavarian government made its decision, they have increased security measures, guarding against any rebellious actions by the youths.
For instance, at this moment in the University of Munich, there were over a hundred police officers, ostensibly to protect Prime Minister Felix’s safety. In reality, this was also to monitor the people he interacted with.
It was important to note that Prime Minister Felix was currently the most unstable factor in the Kingdom of Bavaria. However, due to his high status, the Bavarian government could only hope that he leaves sooner rather than later.
As much as the government dislikes him, the public welcomes him. Most Bavarian citizens hold great respect for this pacifist Austrian prime minister.
After over an hour, Felix concluded his speech and opened the floor for interaction.
A young student excitedly said, “Respected Prime Minister Felix, I would like to ask how we can ensure that the Holy Roman Empire can treat each state fairly?”
Felix has answered this question many times along his journey. He repeated:
“This question is very simple, relying on a system, a fair system. I don’t believe in so-called rule of man because people all have personal interests, and they are naturally biased. The only solution is through a fair system.
This system will be jointly formulated by all states, and it will be publicly announced nationwide for everyone to judge its fairness.”
He entered bullshitting mode and applause erupted from the audience. The accompanying officials from the Bavarian government closed their eyes, seemingly wanting to turn a blind eye.
Another curious young student asked, “Honorable Prime Minister, does such a perfect system exist?”
Felix answered without hesitation, “It does not exist!”
Ignoring the commotion in the audience, he continued, “There is no perfect system in the world. The system that seems perfect today may be outdated tomorrow. What we can do is constantly update the system to make it more suitable for us.
From the origin of human society, the earliest tribal civilizations, the matriarchal family system, then the patriarchal system, and then entering the era of slavery, the earliest appearance of nations…
This series of social changes is all about self-adjustment and perfecting social systems. From our perspective today, the current system is more advanced than the past.
But in reality, if our ancestors had adopted the advanced regulations of today, the Germanic people would have become history, perhaps even absent from the history books.
Is it a problem with the system? Obviously not!
Social productive forces determine the production system, so don’t just criticize the past social systems as decadent and backward. At least for their time, those systems met their needs.”
The topic has inevitably deviated. Everyone’s thoughts are too active, and the questions are too tricky. Felix had to steer the conversation into a broader context, trying to control the pace as much as possible.
“Mr. Prime Minister, if the Holy Roman Empire is rebuilt, won’t Austria becoming the new central government be unfair to other states?” A question from a young student brought the discussion back.
“You’re mistaken. The central government is jointly formed by all the states. If Austria assumes the role of the central government, who can it effectively command?
As for fairness, I believe it can only be ensured through a just constitution. Large and small states will have different political influences. Forcing them to be equal is unfair to the larger states.
Real fairness is impartial treatment, not privilege. The ideal Holy Roman Empire in my mind is a world without privileges.
Your contribution to this country determines your reward — whether it’s in terms of money or social status.
In other words, it opens the door to the upper echelons of society, even if that door may only open a crack.” Prime Minister Felix continued to spin his narrative.
Mixing truth with lies made his speech more convincing.
Revealing the harsh reality of society, where no state has privileges but individual differences in social status persist.
This speaking style was the result of careful research by the Austrian government’s staff. It had to be capable of mobilizing public sentiment without letting it spiral out of control.
Balancing this was a delicate act, since if they stirred up fervent nationalism, Austria would find itself in a difficult position.
……
Due to the heightened vigilance of the Bavarian government, Prime Minister Felix, after delivering a few speeches, soon departed.
Undoubtedly, this diplomatic mission ended in failure. Except for a very small number of German states expressing support for the rebuilding of the Holy Roman Empire, most either subtly opposed or remained silent.
Especially after the Bavarian government openly expressed its opposition, a wave of criticism against the Holy Roman Empire swept through the German territories.
Of course, governments across the countries did not dig up dark histories. Local governments resisting the central authority were considered a stain, an absolute political mistake that couldn’t be brought up.
Vienna
Upon hearing Felix’s report, Franz realized that the situation in Germany was far more complex than he had imagined.
Most German people are single-minded, and once they set their minds on something, it’s challenging to change their views.
This means that they must be fully convinced. If they cannot gain their approval, unifying Germany would be like chasing a fleeting dream.
If mishandled, as Felix mentioned in his speech, there could be an outbreak of a wave of independence.
“Your Majesty, nationalism is developing rapidly in Germany. If we can manipulate national sentiments now, we still have hope of achieving unification through political means,” suggested Prime Minister Felix.
Perhaps getting too immersed in the situation, Felix was now seriously considering using political means to achieve German unification.
Franz shook his head and said, “This is impossible to succeed. If we really revive the Holy Roman Empire, Britain, France, and Russia will probably immediately cease hostilities to spoil things for us.”
German unification would mean the end of Russia’s dominance on the continent, the shattering of France’s continental hegemony dream, and the collapse of Britain’s continental balance policy.
This is a conflict of core interests that relates to their future development and survival. To avoid such a situation, they will certainly take action without a doubt.
Even though Britain, France, and Russia are fiercely fighting in the Near East, in reality, secret contacts between the three governments have never ceased.
Franz was certain Britain and France no longer wished for the continuance of the war. If not for being unable to back down after things have gotten into this point, they likely would have compromised with Russia already.
Now, they want to compromise, and the prerequisite is that the Russians make concessions; otherwise, they cannot justify it domestically.
Does the Russian government want to continue the war? The answer is no. The cruelty of the war has awakened many, and they are in the same predicament.
Making concessions may sound simple, but it’s difficult to do! Once the Russian government makes concessions, internal conflicts will erupt, and Nicholas I naturally wants to end the war with a brilliant victory.
Now, Constantinople is right in front of them. As long as they capture this fortress city, all crises will be resolved, and he will become the greatest Tsar in Russian history.
As for other interests, the Black Sea Fleet was already finished. Even if they enter the Mediterranean, they can’t really swim towards there, right?
Annex the Ottoman Empire? Wars require money, and the Russians have the military strength but not the matching financial resources.
They can even interfere in the German territories while locked in war. With the Kingdom of Prussia around, a few shouts from Britain, France, and Russia, and the Holy Roman Empire will dissolve again.
Pointed out by Franz, Felix immediately woke up. The Holy Roman Empire is far from being a real empire. Without external threats, they can slowly solve their problems. The current issue is collusion from within and without.
……
Metternich spoke, “Your Majesty, the timing is ripe now. We can proceed with the next phase of the plan.”
Franz nodded, indicating his approval.
Austria has not reached the point of starting a war at the drop of a hat. Without reasons acceptable to everyone, if they incur public anger without just cause, it would be a boon for the Prussians.
Mere political differences are not enough to constitute a cause for war. Now, they need to add fuel to the fire to give the Bavarian government its final historical portrayal.
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