Chapter 286: Revised: Chapter 283 Otto von Bismarck
On November 21, the wooden sail gunship carrying the Tsar’s Envoy arrived at the nearest port to Brandenburg after a day’s journey.
As the gunboat was about to approach the port, a wooden sail battleship appeared on the northeast side of the gunboat. At the same time, several shallow water gunboats sailed from the port towards the gunboat where Alexander Menshikov was.
The captain responsible for piloting the gunboat quickly informed Alexander Menshikov of this news.
"Don’t worry! Let them approach us!" Alexander Menshikov responded indifferently.
Under Alexander Menshikov’s order, the gunboat stopped, and the wooden sail battleship and the shallow water gunboats approached Alexander Menshikov’s ship.
A wooden boat was slowly lowered into the water from the shallow water gunboat, and the marines on the wooden boat rowed towards Alexander Menshikov’s gunboat. With the help of Tsarist Russian sailors, they successfully boarded the gunboat.
"Honored friends of the Russian Empire, we wonder if you’re lost! This is the waters of the Kingdom of Prussia!" The soldiers courteously reminded the captain of the shallow water gunboat.
At this moment, Alexander Menshikov appeared, arrogantly saying to the soldiers, "Go back and tell your captain! Do not block our path, or else Prussia will lose our friendship!"
The soldier was somewhat annoyed by Alexander Menshikov’s condescending noble attitude but restrained his anger and asked, "May I know who you are?"
"I am the Tsar’s Envoy, Alexander Menshikov! I am now going to Sanssouci Palace to have a talk with your Regent Prince William!" Alexander Menshikov continued to respond arrogantly to the soldier.
The soldier’s face lit up with joy upon hearing Alexander Menshikov’s words, and he quickly responded to Alexander Menshikov with a delighted expression: "Yes!"
Then, he pulled out two signal flags from his waist and signaled to the surrounding gunboats.
Upon receiving the soldier’s instructions, the surrounding gunboats quickly made way, allowing Alexander Menshikov’s gunboat to reach the port.
When Alexander Menshikov arrived at the port, the mayor, who had received the news, warmly greeted him, greatly satisfying Alexander Menshikov’s self-esteem, inclining his heart towards Prussia.
At the mayor’s enthusiastic invitation, Alexander Menshikov decided to stay in this passionate city for a day before heading to Sanssouci Palace.
That afternoon, a flatboat from Sassnitz Port arrived at Sanssouci Palace.
At this time, Prince William, who was redeploying Prussian soldiers to encircle the Berlin Region, received the news from Sassnitz Port. His previously gloomy face finally showed a smile.
Regent William hurriedly ordered the soldiers to summon Count Brandenburg... no, he should be called Prime Minister of Brandenburg.
"Your Highness, what happened?" the Prime Minister of Brandenburg asked Prince William.
"The Tsar’s Envoy has arrived at Sassnitz!" Regent William said to the Prime Minister of Brandenburg.
"That’s great news!" The Prime Minister of Brandenburg also smiled: "It seems our efforts have not been in vain!"
"But!" After the joy, Prince William hesitated again, pointing towards Berlin and asked, "What should we do now?"
On November 16, Regent King William I of Prussia, after announcing the abolishment of the constitution granted to all Prussian people in 1848, also abolished the bicameral system.
For a time, all of Berlin was in an uproar. The once-dissolved revolutionary organizations were re-established, the Prussian Middle Class resisted the Regent King’s policies, and the National Guard stationed in Berlin once again mutinied.
Overnight, the entire Berlin Region transformed into an autonomous state, an unexpected yet somewhat inevitable action that prompted the Prime Minister of Brandenburg to resolve to make the Berlin Region understand the meaning of obedience.
On the night of the 16th, mobilization orders were issued, and soldiers from the East Prussia Region began to assemble in the City of Potanz.
Having experienced one failure, Prince William knew that sending small forces into Prussia would only result in being overwhelmed by the citizens of Berlin. He had to mobilize all available troops from the East Prussia Region to encircle Berlin.
On the 17th, 18th, and 19th, over 60,000 Prussian soldiers, including regular troops and the Junker Homeland Regiment, encircled Berlin.
This time, Berlin no longer had the internal and external support as during the 1848 Great Revolution. With revolutions in other regions suppressed, only the City of Berlin and parts of the Rhine Land stubbornly resisted, and Prussia was confident to counter these sporadic uprisings.
Moreover, during the time Prince William dispatched troops, "Autonomous City" Berlin, due to internal divisions among the compromisers, revolutionary faction, and those surrendering, lost its final opportunity.
On November 20, the day Alexander Menshikov was ordered to go to Berlin, over 70,000 Prussian troops had completely surrounded Berlin. Heavy artillery was deployed on the outskirts of Berlin, waiting for Prince William’s command to launch a bloody massacre over the entire city.
The stage for the massacre of the revolutionary drama was set, only the audience was missing.
Now, the Tsar’s envoy, responsible for watching the play, had arrived, and Prussia’s tale of hardship could begin.
On November 22, Alexander Menshikov arrived at Sanssouci Palace in Potanz.
Prince William, the Regent of Prussia, warmly welcomed Alexander Menshikov to Sanssouci Palace.
In front of Regent William, Alexander Menshikov put aside his previous arrogance and respectfully said to King William of Prussia, "Honorable Regent, I come here under the orders of Emperor Nicholas I of the Russian Empire, with the aim of mediating the conflict between Prussia and Austria! His Majesty Nicholas I mentioned that Prussia and Austria are brothers of the Russian Empire, and we should unite to maintain the Holy Alliance together!"
Alexander Menshikov’s words were exactly what Regent William and Count Brandenburg wanted to hear, for they dissolved the 1848 Constitution in order to please the Tsar and mediate from the middle.
Count Brandenburg immediately stepped forward to Alexander Menshikov and said, "The Kingdom of Prussia is very grateful to the Russian Empire! May our two countries support each other in the path ahead and forge ahead together!"
With that, Count Brandenburg invited Alexander Menshikov to watch a "grand drama."
At Brandenburg’s invitation, Alexander Menshikov arrived at the military camp outside Berlin.
At this time, the military camps were arranged like stars, encircling Berlin.
"Envoy, sir!" Count Brandenburg pointed to Berlin and said to Alexander Menshikov, "Berlin is currently occupied by a bunch of damned rioters, and we must reclaim the capital, this city of charm!"
"Indeed! Revolution, like a cancer, spreads from one city to another, and we must nip it in the bud to stop its spread! The ravaged Berlin will shine again once the revolutionary cancer is eradicated!" Alexander Menshikov replied, equally satisfied.
While Alexander Menshikov and Count Brandenburg were conversing, a man dressed in the Prussian militia uniform quietly approached them.
"Your Lordship, Count! Envoy, sir!" A voice from the Prussian militia uniform came from behind Alexander Menshikov and Count Brandenburg.
Alexander Menshikov and Count Brandenburg turned around.
Standing behind them was a dignified middle-aged man, whose appearance displayed both the manner of a Prussian soldier and the gravitas of a politician, two styles that did not usually coexist, surprising them greatly.
Looking at his appearance, his burly figure, and rugged face with two captivating mustaches, a broad forehead, and sharp eyes, his decisive style was unmistakable.
Alexander Menshikov and Count Brandenburg immediately felt a favorable impression toward him and hastily inquired about his name.
"Otto von Bismarck! I was once a member of parliament!" This man before them was later hailed as the "Iron Chancellor," Bismarck.
At present, he was with the Prussian main forces in the siege of Berlin.
Even though he believed this suppression might impact Prussia’s future negatively, he supported this suppression because his political position dictated it.
"What business do you have?" Seeing that this person was one of their own, Count Brandenburg asked with a kind smile.
"Prime Minister, sir, I wonder if we should give Berlin another chance!" Bismarck suggested diplomatically.
Although he knew his words would inevitably be rejected, speaking was better than silence.
Bismarck’s diplomatic response aroused Count Brandenburg’s displeasure, and he said sternly, "Mr. Bismarck, do you think we shouldn’t suppress them?"
"No!" Bismarck immediately responded to Count Brandenburg. "I just want to say..."
Bismarck had intended to argue that the suppression would lead to unmanageable conflict in Prussia, but his class made such words unspeakable.
Bismarck responded with a bitter smile, "We should suppress them!"
Count Brandenburg nodded satisfactorily at Bismarck. After Alexander Menshikov’s departure, Count Brandenburg once again approached Otto von Bismarck and delegated a fine job to him (something Count Brandenburg considered an attractive job).
Otto von Bismarck successfully became the commander of the militia in the suppression of Berlin, following the regular army in their massacre of the city.
After the task was completed, Count Brandenburg promised to find him a suitable position.