Chapter 406: Chapter 400: The Vienna System on the Verge of Collapse
The elderly man and the young man on the train were none other than Prince Metternich, who had once dominated Europe for more than thirty years, and his son Richard Metternich.
Why should he be here when he was supposed to be serving as an advisor by Emperor Franz Joseph’s side, and in the company of Richard Metternich? This involves the diplomatic divergences of the Austrian Empire.
After Felix Schwarzenberg suffered a sustainable stroke, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Austrian Empire changed from Felix Schwarzenberg to Count Baur, and Austrian foreign policy changed accordingly.
During the era of Felix Schwarzenberg, the foreign policy of the Austrian Empire was based on ensuring the safety of the Austrian Empire itself, with the strategy of weakening Prussia, while also wooing and suppressing France and Russia to maintain the balance of power in Europe.
This diplomatic strategy undoubtedly required superb diplomatic skills. Looking at the entire Austrian diplomatic field, besides Felix Schwarzenberg, the only person capable of mastering the delicate balance was Prince Metternich.
However, after Felix Schwarzenberg’s stroke, Metternich, who was supposed to succeed Schwarzenberg as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, still could only participate in the empire’s diplomacy in an advisory capacity.
The fundamental reason is that Prince Metternich’s political foundation was completely destroyed during the storm of 1848, and now, apart from enjoying the treatment that an old minister should have, he has nothing. It can be said that neither faction in the current political arena of the Austrian Empire is willing to see Metternich make a comeback.
In their view, the era belonging to Metternich has ended with the European revolution.
If it weren’t for Felix Schwarzenberg’s "vigorous protection" during his stroke, Metternich would not have been able to participate in any political activities.
Even with Felix Schwarzenberg’s protection, Metternich only obtained the power to advise and implement, not the power to formulate specific policies.
Of course, this power was not held by Count Baur either. In Metternich’s view, Count Baur was merely the Emperor’s echo, and the Emperor’s diplomatic strategy always wavers.
This wavering diplomatic thinking has cost the Austrian Empire opportunities for mediation.
When negotiations with the Ottoman Empire broke down, and news of France’s suspected mobilization came, Emperor Franz Joseph woke up as if from a dream and asked Metternich for his strategy.
With the two camps already taking shape, Metternich could only first go to Paris to test the attitude of the Emperor of France before making further plans.
To avoid excessively provoking the Russian Empire, the Austrian Empire did not include Metternich in the list of envoys sent to France for mediation.
Instead, Prince Metternich boarded the train to Lombardy just as it was about to depart.
On June 13th, Metternich and Richard Metternich switched to the Sardinian train heading to Nice.
Upon entering Sardinian territory, Prince Metternich was constantly gloomy after hearing the discussions of travelers at the Sardinian train station.
Sitting in the carriage, Richard Metternich asked Metternich in a low voice why he was worried.
"I seem to have made a mistake!" Prince Metternich sighed and said to Richard Metternich beside him.
"What?" Richard Metternich asked curiously.
"Back then, I focused too much on France, to the point of forgetting the Apennine region! I should have foreseen that the Apennine region would be like Germany was at that time..." What Prince Metternich meant by "like Germany was" was the surging Italian nationalist movement.
To address the revolutionary issues that could erupt in France, Metternich not only returned all the territory of the Sardinian Dynasty to Sardinia but also handed over the Republic of Genoa to Sardinia, turning Sardinia into a medium-strength nation.
With the rise of Italian nationalism, the Sardinian Kingdom became increasingly restless!
Once a vassal of Austria, Sardinia quickly aligned with France.
Not only Sardinia but even the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies also leaned towards France, not to mention the Pope State.
Nowadays, the entire Apennine Peninsula is shrouded in the shadows of France and Austria.
If either of these two beasts attacks the other, then the entire Apennine would likely suffer a catastrophic disaster.
Of course, there is also the possibility that one of the states in Italy might unify the entire Apennine Peninsula with the help of one of these beasts.
In that case, the situation for the Austrian Empire would become even more difficult.
"Father, it’s not your fault! At that time, no one could have foreseen what would happen decades later!" Richard Metternich consoled his father, Prince Metternich.
"We are not only tasked with mediation as we head to France but also with making peace with France!" Prince Metternich said worriedly to Richard Metternich, "If a conflict breaks out between Austria and France, Austria might lose Lombardy and Venice, which we’ve worked so hard to acquire! At that point, the entire fate of the Austrian Empire would be plunged into chaos."
"Yes!" Richard Metternich, though not understanding what specifically worried Metternich, did not hesitate to follow his father’s instructions.
Richard Metternich’s accomplishments in diplomacy were far inferior to his father’s.
On the evening of June 14th, the train arrived in Nice. Richard Metternich, along with Metternich and several members of the delegation, took a carriage across the border into France.
Subsequently, Richard Metternich and the others transferred to a carriage and arrived in Lyon, the southern transit hub, on the afternoon of the 15th.
In Lyon, Prince Metternich made a new observation: many goods were being unloaded in Lyon, the streets were filled with patrolling members of the National Guard, and people hurriedly walked back and forth on the streets.
In Metternich’s eyes, the entire city of Lyon had turned into a huge military camp.
As Metternich left Lyon by train, he glancingly noticed soldiers at the Lyon military train station, as well as train cars loaded with supplies at the station.
This made Prince Metternich even more pessimistic about the prospects of mediation.
Under these circumstances, how could France be willing to heed the Austrian Empire’s call for mediation?
For now, all they could do was take one step at a time!
On the afternoon of June 17th, Richard Metternich and Metternich officially arrived in Paris.
The low-profile father and son, along with the delegation, quietly arrived at the Austrian Embassy in France.
The Austrian Ambassador was surprised to see Prince Metternich and then shook his hand excitedly, saying, "Your Highness, what brings you here!"
"I am here on the orders of His Majesty! The goal is to mediate relations between the Russian Empire and the French Empire. How are things currently with the French Empire?" Having just entered the embassy, Prince Metternich inquired about recent French activities from the Austrian Ambassador.
The Austrian Ambassador conveyed everything he knew to Prince Metternich.
Combining the information previously observed at the Lyon Railway Station with the Austrian Ambassador’s description, Prince Metternich made a bold conjecture: France was already fully prepared for war!
"Your Highness, I do not believe the Empire can mediate the conflict between Russia and France! Perhaps we should consider which side we should be on!" the Austrian Ambassador said worriedly to Metternich. "If we don’t consider it, I’m afraid..."
"I know!" Jerome Bonaparte raised his hand to stop the Austrian Ambassador from continuing. "Tomorrow, I will meet with De Luy!"
While Metternich and others were discussing Austria’s future, Jerome Bonaparte at the Tuileries Palace also received intelligence from the National Intelligence Bureau.
The intelligence stated that the Austrian mission included not only Richard Metternich but also Prince Metternich.
"It seems that this time, it’s not Richard Metternich who has come for mediation, but Prince Metternich," Jerome Bonaparte shook his head and said to Marcel Yale beside him.
Marcel Yale didn’t speak but quietly listened to Jerome Bonaparte’s words.
"In this case, it’s fine! I just want to see what kind of surprises a hero of the last era can bring me!" Jerome Bonaparte’s lips curled into a smile as he continued to talk to himself.
He then turned to Marcel Yale, waved, and said, "Alright! You’ve worked hard too!"
"Yes!" Marcel Yale left Jerome Bonaparte’s study.
On June 18th, when Richard Metternich and Prince Metternich went to the residence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs De Luy to visit, they encountered someone who shouldn’t have been there.
"Your Majesty!" Prince Metternich and Richard Metternich kneeled and saluted Jerome Bonaparte.
"Mr. Metternich, Mr. Richard Metternich, please have a seat!" Jerome Bonaparte invited Metternich and Richard Metternich to sit down.
After the Metternich father and son were seated, Jerome Bonaparte got straight to the point, "Mr. Metternich, I know your purpose is to mediate the conflict between Russia and France! I am very grateful for the efforts of the Austrian Empire for European peace, but I regret to inform you.
Your mediation efforts are doomed to be futile. If the Russian Empire does not halt their ambitions of aggression against the Ottoman Empire, the French Empire will never cease its march to war!
We will join the Kingdom of Britain in crushing the evil Russian Empire!"
Upon hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s declaration of war, Metternich’s face fell, and he said coldly, "Your Majesty, you remind me of that person decades ago, who similarly refused my advice back then!"
As soon as Metternich’s words fell, De Luy’s expression also changed.
Everyone present knew that the "person" Metternich was referring to was none other than Emperor Napoleon of the past.
Back then, Metternich advised Emperor Napoleon to end the war in respectable terms, which meant recognizing the interests of other nations and withdrawing from the conquered lands of France, in exchange for the House of Bonaparte’s rule over France.
Emperor Napoleon rejected his advice and stubbornly continued the fight, eventually ending in exile on an isolated