Start 1861: I Just Inherited the Dutch Throne Chapter 221

The war with Prussia in Hungary, and the fierce war with the Russian Empire in Galicia, the Austrian Empire was unable to launch a new strong offensive at this time.

Under such circumstances, making peace with Prussia as soon as possible was the only option.

In contrast to Prussia, both the Russian Empire and Italy belonged to outsiders outside the German Confederation.

So, on January 25, 1866, Joseph I sent Rechberg, the foreign minister of the Austrian Empire, to Berlin this time. This time, Rechberg was very low-key, and Joseph I's approach was accepted by the Prussian government.

Since the beginning of the war, Prussia has been victorious because of the implementation of the plan. The Prussian army has a clear advantage over the Austrian army because of its successful industrialization.

Then Bismarck wanted to avoid too much intervention between France and the Russian Empire, especially when the Russian Empire had already invaded Galicia in the east, and Prussia did not want the Russian Empire to take too much profit.

At the same time, Bismarck also had scruples about the Tsarist Russian Empire. Therefore, he dissuaded William I, who wanted to continue the attack, and accepted it as soon as he saw it.

William I naturally agreed.

The current result is definitely what he has been looking forward to in the past, and he is also afraid of changes and new incidents.

So William I pretended to accept the mediation of the French Emperor Napoleon III and met Joseph I in Prague, which is now occupied by Prussia.

"The meeting in Prague marks the end of the Prussian and Austrian empires, who have been bickering and bickering all the time."

William IV showed a wry smile and joked: "If Napoleon III knows, because of his mediation, the Kingdom of Prussia will attack the French Empire after absorbing the resources of the newly unified German powers. It made the French Empire no longer. He was even arrested by Napoleon III, the throne was lost, and he died in 1873 unhappy. I wonder if he would work so hard to help Prussia reconcile?

The Tsarist Russian Empire is also true. Brothers fight, and your helper fights one of them. Haven't you heard that brothers are connected by blood?

Hit one, the other was grateful at the time, but after the brothers reconciled, you were miserable. "

William IV sighed: "Prussia's unification of Germany represents the arrival of this new era. When the Netherlands needs to face such a strong neighbor, more plans must be made."

William IV's eyes suddenly lit up, he thought of something, but he couldn't catch it all of a sudden, and he was a little distressed.

On January 30, 1866, after several days of negotiations, in the presence of Olivier, Prime Minister of the French Empire, the Prussian Prime Minister Bismarck and the Austrian Prime Minister Rainer Ferdinand reached an agreement in Prague. Well, the name is called The Prague Agreement.

According to the agreement, the small country that once followed the Austrian Empire to fight against Prussia in the war annexed Prussia, while the West German Confederation joined Prussia collectively. The Duchy of Nassau in the middle stated that the cost was a permanent neutral country, and signed it would never act against the Kingdom of Prussia. opponent's enclave.

In addition, the Austrian Empire previously used to control the German Confederation was announced to be dissolved, and Austria lost its right to speak in the affairs of the German Confederation.

In other words, except for the Austrian Empire and the Duchy of Nassau, all other countries became the territory of Prussia, which is no different from the Austrian Empire being kicked out of the German Confederation by Prussia.

Joseph I was naturally unwilling to lose and withdraw from the European arena for hegemony. Therefore, on the second day of the aforementioned Prague Treaty, he non-stop turned to Hungary, which had been under his rule and control for a long time, and signed a compromise agreement, expressing the Austrian Empire. Willing to give Hungary more regional rights, the title of the Austrian Empire can be shared with Hungary.

So under the coercion and enticement of Joseph I, Hungary joined (originally dissatisfied, and now agrees under the equal status of living more Austria).

As a result, the Austrian Empire, which had just finished its defeat, was stunned and turned into the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

This surprised everyone, including Napoleon III and William I, at the rapid transformation of Austria, and had to sigh that Joseph I was really good at playing.

"The first condition is that Austria must not interfere in the internal affairs of Germany and formally dissolve the German Confederation.

The second condition is the annexation of Schleswig and Holstein by Prussia, Hanover, Hesse, Oberhesse and the Free City of Frankfurt.

The Kingdom of Sacklin, the Duchy of Saxony-Meiningen, the Duchy of Reuss-Gleitz, and the Duchy of Schaumburg, which were annexed by Austria, were all put into the North German Confederation established by Prussia.

Austria allowed the German Confederation headed by Prussia to form the North German Confederation in 1867. Austria was not allowed to interfere or participate. Austria ceded Venice to Italy and eastern Galicia to the Russian Empire. "

However, Austria retained the pro-Austrian southern principality of Liechtenstein, allowing it to establish itself as a neutral state.

This puzzled William IV.

He did not understand what Joseph I meant.

"The Austro-Prussian War went on like history, and it was a coincidence that the war was completed in just seven weeks."

History reconciled, which made William IV certain.

"It seems that many things are still going in the original direction, so I can rest assured."

Major contemporary problems cannot be solved through speeches and majority resolutions, but need to be solved with iron and blood.

The Netherlands is still not strong enough. Compared with several major countries, it has technology, but the population of the Netherlands is only one-third of that of countries such as Britain and France. Even if it is time to incorporate people of color and immigrants from various countries, there are still some gaps.

Not to mention that both countries also have their own colonies of color.

The Netherlands can only make up for the gap by making good use of these indigenous people.

The war continues, and the opportunist policy of the Netherlands needs to continue.

After Prussia and Austria just signed the "Prague Treaty" that ended the war, especially after seeing the armies of the two countries retreating from each other, everyone thought that Central Europe was finally calm~www.mtlnovel.com~ Everyone can look completely. on the Balkans in Eastern Europe.

However, everyone is wrong, and it is quite wrong.

The international community is boiling, and even the object of the Austrian people's resentment was Prussia, but now it has been transferred to the French Empire.

"We reject the French want to seize the Lorraine and Rhine regions!"

With this title, "European Times" published a news article with the theme of an interview with the Prussian Prime Minister Bismarck, which attracted a public opinion in Austria against Napoleon III of France.

Bismarck said that before Prussia's seven-week war with Austria, France asked him to visit France, which was reported earlier.

Bismarck told everyone that after that time, France proposed to Prussia not to favor Austria, but Prussia had to give up the Lorraine region and the Rhine region.

Bismarck said that at that time he and Wilhelm I refused, but France pressed against each other, so when they faced the threat of Austria, they chose silence to deal with it, but did not agree.

Chapter end