Chapter 109: Anglo-Austrian Negotiations
Under what circumstances would the conflict between Austria and the Kingdom of Sardinia disappear?
Well, that depends on the specific situation. Palmerston certainly wasn’t naive enough to believe that Austria would send its armies to the Kingdom of Sardinia and, in the name of world peace, simply let them off the hook. In reality, for the conflict to disappear, one side would have to fall. It takes two to tango, and if the enemy falls, then the conflict naturally ceases to exist.
There was no doubt that, in this case, it would be the Kingdom of Sardinia that would fall. Palmerston had little faith that the Sardinians could turn the situation around.
Even if the remaining soldiers of Sardinia turned into Spartans, it wouldn’t change the outcome of the war.
Palmerston pondered for a moment and said, “Mr. Metternich, for the sake of world peace and stability, the British government suggests that your country should end the Austro-Sardinian War as soon as possible and return to the pre-war status quo.”
The relationship between the British and the Austrians was complex. They opposed Austrian expansion in Italy but also didn’t want to antagonize Austria due to their European strategic needs. This was the reason for Palmerston’s visit to Vienna. They wanted to try to resolve the disputes between Austria and Sardinia through diplomatic means.
After all, following the Napoleonic Wars, Europe had entered an era of the dual hegemony of Britain and Russia. While the Vienna System led by Austria had isolated the British Empire from the European mainland, it had also restrained Russian expansion.
For the British, isolation was acceptable as long as the balance of power was maintained on the European continent, ensuring that their hegemonic position remained unchallenged. The Vienna System also safeguarded their core interests.
Now that the Vienna System had collapsed and the situation on the European continent was on the brink of a dramatic transformation, containing Russian expansion became the top priority for the British. Austria, as the barrier to Russian westward expansion, was the ally London needed to secure, and they couldn’t afford to break apart British-Austrian relationship until it was certainly necessary.
Metternich was well aware of this complex diplomatic strategy employed by the British, and Austria also saw the need to cooperate with the British under these circumstances.
Even though Russia and Austria are allies, it doesn’t mean Austria is no longer concerned about curbing Russia’s expansionist ambitions. In fact, the Austrian government was one of the least enthusiastic about Russia’s outward expansion.
Of course, this does not include Franz.
The Russian westward expansion has practically few options left, as neither the Prussian nor Austrian nations are easy targets. And the Russian government was unlikely to focus its attention on this front.
The northern European region, Sweden in particular, is also a tough nut to crack for the Russians. They won’t take on such a challenge. So, in terms of European expansion, the only region left for Russia is the Balkans.
In this era, people generally believed that if Russia entered the Balkans and captured Constantinople, it would be an unstoppable force on its way to the Mediterranean.
However, Franz’s assessment was quite the opposite. He believed that Russians, staying in their icy realm, were the real threat. Once they entered the Mediterranean, the British would have to deal with the “Russian Bear” all over again.
Being formidable on land doesn’t necessarily translate to naval prowess. Franz wasn’t belittling the Russians; they could rely on their vast numbers for land warfare, but when it came to naval power, they were inexperienced.
If the topic was about naval development, even Austria had an advantage over Russia. After all, Venice was once a maritime powerhouse, and there were still plenty of skilled sailors around.
Having a vast expanse of sea doesn’t automatically make a navy formidable. Russia may have a large maritime territory, but it’s not particularly suited for naval development.
Even today, Russia is still considered a land power rather than a naval one. Building a substantial navy would take decades.
Even as Russia expanded into the Balkans, Austria could have secured a piece of the pie, maybe not the tastiest part, but still a share.
However, Franz’s attitude was: “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”
As long as it could strengthen Austria’s power, he didn’t really care about restraining Russia’s expansion; whoever wanted to do it could go ahead, as he lacked this kind of internationalist spirit.
If the Russians were led astray and decided to vigorously develop their navy, he didn’t mind fully supporting them, allowing them to go further down this self-destructive path.
Franz’s attitude, to some extent, also influenced Austria’s diplomacy, making them less actively involved in many international affairs than during the Metternich era.
Metternich shook his head and said, “Mr. Palmerston, there are consequences for wrongdoing. If the Kingdom of Sardinia can dare to go against Austria, they must naturally bear the corresponding consequences.
The dignity of the Austrian Empire cannot be profaned, and the wicked Kingdom of Sardinia, by daring to violate the Vienna system and launch a war of aggression, must pay the price for it.”
Palmerston breathed a sigh of relief as Austria wasn’t adamant about annexing the Kingdom of Sardinia. This meant there was still room for de-escalation, primarily revolving around issues of interest.
Encouraging the Kingdom of Sardinia to start the war and providing them with loans, he also had a share of responsibility in this matter. If the Kingdom of Sardinia were to be defeated, these loans would turn into bad debts, and British bankers wouldn't spare him.
Palmerston thought for a moment and said, “Of course, since the Kingdom of Sardinia initiated this war, they should naturally pay the price for it. For the sake of world peace, the British Empire is prepared to mediate this war, and we hope your country can temporarily halt military actions.”
Metternich smiled slightly and said, “Unfortunately, Mr. Palmerston, you have arrived far too late. At this point, the Kingdom of Sardinia has already been occupied by the Austrian military, and King Charles Albert of Sardinia has gone into exile overseas. It may not be long before he arrives in London. If your country can restrain the Sardinian guerrillas from further disruption, we can cease the upcoming military actions.”
Have the Austrian forces occupied the entire Kingdom of Sardinia?
If it was merely referring to major cities, then yes, Austria has indeed occupied the major cities of Sardinia. However, if you mean the entire country, Austria has only occupied about half of Sardinia’s territory. This didn’t stop Metternich from boasting. During this era, military occupation most often referred to major cities, and vast rural areas were often overlooked.
At this stage, Palmerston was already too tired to continue fighting. Sardinia has lost all its bargaining chips, and avoiding significant bloodshed seems impossible.
Palmerston quickly got into character and asked, “Mr. Metternich, to bring an end to this conflict, what are the conditions your government has in mind? We can serve as intermediaries.”
Metternich didn’t respond; instead, he handed over a prepared ceasefire treaty. After scanning its contents, Palmerston's expression changed dramatically. If Austria’s terms were to be followed, it seemed that the Kingdom of Sardinia was not far from becoming history.
“Mr. Metternich, these terms seem rather harsh, don’t you think?” Palmerston said, furrowing his brow.
It’s not just harsh; it’s blatantly and excessively so. These terms essentially place the Kingdom of Sardinia’s politics, military, finances, and territory entirely under Austrian control, with little difference from an outright annexation.
For instance: The appointment of government ministers and officials at or above ministerial rank would require approval from the Austrian government.
Another example: Sardinia would be prohibited from maintaining a military force, allowed only to retain a police force not exceeding ten thousand personnel. Furthermore, half of their financial revenues would be allocated to employing the Austrian military to safeguard their territory.
The right to issue currency in Sardinia would be managed by the Austrian government.
The Kingdom of Sardinia’s taxation rates would be determined by the Austrian government.
Sardinia would be prohibited from manufacturing weapons and equipment, and all weaponry must be imported from Austria.
Sardinia would also delegate its diplomatic authority to the Austrian Foreign Ministry, relinquishing control over its foreign relations with any other countries or regions.
……
There are no territorial or monetary compensation demands on this document. However, compared to the listed requirements, it’s likely that the Sardinians would prefer ceding territory or paying reparations rather than becoming a colony of Austria.
Metternich kindly remarked, “This is just a draft for negotiations. Sardinia’s invasion inflicted severe losses on Austria, with Lombardy and Venice almost completely devastated.
It has also resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Austrians and left millions of our citizens homeless. How can such extensive losses be accounted for?
If the Sardinians find our terms unacceptable, there is an alternative. They can compensate us in full for all our losses, and that would suffice.”
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