Chapter 211: The Fight Between the Snipe and the Clam
Austria and Bavaria have gone to war. And as soon as this news came out, it sent shockwaves across the entire European continent.
Despite everyone knowing that relations between the two countries have deteriorated, the accumulated tensions were not thought to be sufficient for an outbreak of war. Therefore, the only plausible explanation was that Austria was aiming for the military unification of Germany.
The pretext for the war revealed many things. Many used their imagination, speculating that Austria’s strategic plan to rebuild the Holy Roman Empire had been thwarted by Bavaria, prompting Austria to abandon diplomacy and resort to military force.
London
Upon receiving Bavaria’s calls for aid, the British government was initially shocked, followed by a determination to intervene. Only then did the headaches come.
“Austria seeks military unification of Germany. They have taken the first step so we must stop them! The balance on the European continent must not be disrupted!” Prime Minister George Hamilton-Gordon sternly proclaimed.
Foreign Minister Thomas analyzed: “Prime Minister, the current situation is indeed complicated. It must be acknowledged that Austria has chosen an opportune moment, with Russian forces diverting the main focus of both us and the French.
Even if we want to intervene, our support will likely remain verbal for the foreseeable future.
Austria, daring to act against Bavaria, might have reached a consensus with the Russians, making it challenging for diplomatic pressure to loosen their grip.”
Britain, France and Russia ceasing hostilities? Such possibilities indeed existed, but that presumption was based on Austria successfully unifying Germany. Currently, with Austria only attacking Bavaria, it was insufficient to prompt an immediate compromise among the three parties.
Home Secretary Henry John Temple suggested: “There are numerous German states, and when these small states unite, their combined strength becomes formidable. Coupled with the Kingdom of Prussia, once these forces are mobilized, Austria does not have the capability to eliminate them quickly.
Intervening in Germany doesn’t necessarily require our military involvement. As long as we unite these states, it will be sufficient to contain Austria.
After the conclusion of the Near East War, we can consider mediation. Perhaps using this opportunity to expel Austria from Germany is also a viable option.”
Secretary of State for War Edward Smith-Stanley opposed: “That would be difficult. Just our alliance with France and the Ottomans has birthed many messy complications.
(TN: Due to an error in my research, I thought it was Sir Fox Maule-Ramsay but at this point in time it was actually Edward Smith-Stanley. Please forgive me for this error.)
In Germany, with so many states and deep-seated conflicts among them, uniting them is not a simple task.
The Balkan War demonstrated that without sincere cooperation, it’s easy to be defeated separately by the enemy.
Austria holds significant influence in Germany, and their current attack on Bavaria is framed as a move for national unification, gaining support from Germanic nationalists.
In this scenario, even if the German states unite, the combat strength that can be mustered is significantly reduced.”
This was an unsolvable conundrum. if the soldiers were unwilling to fight, one shouldn’t expect them to exhibit any combat effectiveness on the battlefield.
Prime Minister George Hamilton-Gordon said: “Regardless of whether they have combat effectiveness, let’s organize them first. As long as we can hold off the Austrians, it will suffice.
The Foreign Ministry should communicate with European countries as soon as possible. I believe no one wants to see Austria unify Germany. Let’s join forces to intervene and compel Austria to cease the war that undermines European stability.”
……
Paris
In response to the military actions taken by Austria, Napoleon III’s reaction was even more intense. If it weren’t for the current lack of military strength, he would have immediately intervened with military force.
Interior Minister Persigny suggested: “Your Majesty, Germany is not so easily unified. The Austrians probably don’t have the capability. We should wait until both sides are exhausted from the fighting before we seize the opportunity to intervene.
We can also take advantage of the situation to annex territories west of the Rhine. Now, we shouldn’t stop Austria’s actions; instead, we should encourage the Austrians to continue their campaign.”
Without much hesitation, Napoleon III made up his mind.
“Exactly, this war cannot stop immediately. Secretly send someone to negotiate conditions with Austria, reassuring them to boldly continue the fight.
Publicly, we should still maintain unity with other countries, exert diplomatic pressure on the Austrian government, and encourage the German states to fight Austria as much as possible.”
Interests would be the eternal theme between nations. Intervening in this war was inevitable. The timing of when to get involved all depended on interests.
Unlike the British, whose strategy is destined to prevent continental expansion and maintain a balance among European nations, the French aspire to dominate the European continent.
They have long had their eyes on the territories in Germany, and now that an opportunity has presented itself, how could they let it slip away?
Although the Germanic states were small individually, their combined strength was not negligible. If France doesn’t let them and Austria mutually exhaust their strength, where would the opportunity for France be?
Napoleon III aims to be the fisherman, and from the perspective of interest, the positions of England and France are divergent. There is no possibility of close cooperation between them.
……
Frankfurt
Whether or not to dispatch troops was a dilemma.
Who to assist was another dilemma.
Prime Minister Felix’s sweet words were not without effect. At least, the capitalists in Frankfurt believed that the unification of Germany better suited everyone’s interests.
In shallow waters, one cannot raise a dragon. If the capitalists in Frankfurt want to develop further, they must have a larger market.
Interests were always the best catalyst, and when it comes to rebuilding the Holy Roman Empire, these capitalists have no objections. Anyway, whether it becomes a free city or an autonomous city, it doesn’t matter.
It was not just them. Most of the free cities in Germany were hesitating. The blueprint painted by Prime Minister Felix was too tempting, making the capitalists unable to resist.
Of course, there were also dissenting voices, and the reason was very practical: the status of the Austrian capitalists was too low, which did not meet their expectations.
Many people were skeptical of Felix’s promises; they doubted whether these conditions could be fulfilled after the establishment of the Holy Roman Empire.
“They make for great things but grudges the necessary sacrifice. They lose sight of everything else in view of a little present advantage.”
This phrase was most suitable to describe them.
……
Baden
As one of Bavaria’s staunchest allies, in 1830, the Baden royal family faced extinction, and Bavaria came close to annexing the Grand Duchy of Baden. Unfortunately, plans could not keep up with changes, and the intervention of the great powers led to failure.
This small episode did not affect the relationship between the two countries much, at most causing some minor dissatisfaction among the royal families.
Whether to send troops to help Bavaria became a dilemma for Louis II or, in other words, for his brother Prince Regent Frederick.
There was no other choice. In modern Europe, royal families seemed to be cursed, with a host of troublesome matters. Louis II was suffering from a mild mental illness.
Undoubtedly, once afflicted regardless of severity or mildness, none dared permit him to rule any further. No one could guarantee his mental soundness when making decisions.
“Bavaria has requested our aid. Should we dispatch reinforcements immediately?” Prince Frederick asked.
“Your Highness, now is not the opportune time to send troops. The Austrians are well-prepared, and solely relying on our strength won’t save Bavaria.
It’s best to take joint action with other countries; if we hastily participate in the war, we might incur heavy losses,” replied Prime Minister Waltz.
Bavaria must be rescued; they understood the principle of mutual dependence. However, the strategy must be skillfully executed. If not handled properly, they could end up causing harm to themselves instead.
Interior Minister Johannes added, “Not only that, we must also consider the attitude of the domestic population. Most citizens have no favorable opinions about Bavaria.
Since the Bavarian government proposed the Three-States Cabinet plan, many civil activist organizations have demanded the government cut ties with them.
The news hasn’t spread yet, but once it does, there is a high likelihood of public opposition to the government’s intervention.”
Austria’s deceptive plan to rebuild the Holy Roman Empire misled not only the public but also many governments of the various states, including the Baden government.
While the high echelons of the government could quickly change their views, the common people couldn’t. Many would be influenced by preconceived notions, believing that Austria launching this war was justified.
Undermining the Bavarian government was not solely Austria’s achievement; it was more of a spontaneous act by the people. The discontent stemmed from the Bavarian government’s proposal for German unification, which angered many nationalist factions.
In the eyes of numerous nationalists, German unification was inevitable, and the Bavarian government, opposing national unification, was seen as a malignant tumor. By eliminating them, the first step towards national unity could be taken.
The ideas Franz intentionally cultivated had already begun to ferment at this time. The Baden government couldn’t simply tell the people about the principle of mutual dependence; even if they did, it wouldn’t be effective.
Most citizens hoped for German unification, and the Grand Duchy of Baden, which wasn’t particularly popular, had even established a republican government at some point during the revolutionary period, relying on Prussian assistance to suppress it.
Of course social reforms were now implemented and governmental standing had risen in citizen views. But whether these exceeded yearnings for German unification or not, none could tell.
Foreign Minister Nikolaus proposed, “Your Highness, Austria’s plan for German unification will not succeed. Once the great powers intervene, it will be over. We have no need to seek advantages in the midst of chaos.”
Prince Frederick nodded in agreement. The financial resources of the Grand Duchy of Baden were not substantial. Engaging in a large-scale war with Austria could lead to significant losses, jeopardizing the foundation of their rule.
Without a standing army, how could they suppress domestic revolutionary forces?
In the end, with the intervention of the great powers, they had nothing to fear. The fate of the Bavarian government was not within their considerations.
……
Berlin
Upon learning of Austria’s use of military force to unify Germany, Frederick William IV became excited, seeing a rare opportunity unfolding.
With Austria taking the lead, the difficulty for the Kingdom of Prussia to unify the German territories was significantly reduced.
“Gentlemen, Austria finally can’t restrain themself. Now that they’ve broken the deadlock, should we send troops to rescue Bavaria?” Frederick William IV asked.
Prime Minister Joseph von Radowitz responded cautiously, “Your Majesty, now is not the time to send troops. We should avoid engaging the Austrians in battle until we form a coalition with the German states or until the great powers intervene.
Our domestic economic conditions have been poor in recent years, and our military development is constrained. Engaging in a war with the Austrians now carries too low a chance of victory.
Even if we win, we would still be losers. Hasty conflict with Austria would deplete our strength, only benefiting other German states.
If we suffer heavy losses in the war, we would lose the opportunity to unify Germany. The great powers won’t give us time. They oppose Austria’s and, likewise, Prussia’s unification of Germany.
The best option at this moment is to encourage other small German states to join the war, utilizing the opportunity to weaken their strength and reduce the difficulty of our own German unification.
As for Austria, leave them to Britain and France! They believe they’ve chosen the right time, thinking that no other countries can intervene in their military actions.
However, they forget that Europe is not limited to Britain, France, and Russia. Even if these three nations are at war, with their influence, they can still enlist other countries to organize an intervention army.”
In this era, the influence of the three countries, Britain, France, and Russia, was immense, especially with the formidable dominance of Britain and Russia. It was normal for Joseph von Radowitz to have confidence in them. Despite Austria being one of the four great powers, it couldn’t compare to the might of Britain and Russia.
Foreign Minister Otto Theodor von Manteuffel said: “Prime Minister, if we refrain from sending troops, it’s likely that the small German states in the German Confederation won’t dare to intervene. With their limited strength, they lack the qualification to interfere.
If no one intervenes, the Kingdom of Bavaria will be in jeopardy. By the time Britain, France, and Russia react, Austria will have already established a fait accompli.
Currently, the three nations are still fighting fiercely in the Near East, and Austria has a favorable relationship with Russia. If these two countries have reached a secret agreement, it’s not impossible.”
Otto Theodor von Manteuffel’s worries were reasonable. While the German states had numbers, powerful states were still few. At best each small state could field eight to ten thousand troops, hardly making any ripples on the battlefield.
With Austria’s substantial strength, once they established a fait accompli and gained Russia’s tacit approval, the pressure from Britain and France might not be sufficient to make them give in.
“Mr. Manteuffel, your assessment is plausible, so we must take action. At the very least, we need to organize the armies of the German states so that we can disrupt Austria’s conspiracy without incurring significant costs,” replied Prime Minister Joseph von Radowitz.
In short, fighting Austria in one-on-one battle was impossible. If the Kingdom of Prussia aims to play the fisherman, it couldn’t afford to have a head-on clash with Austria and risk losing precious military strength.
……
Britain and France pinned their hopes on the German states to send troops to thwart Austria while the German states also pinned their hopes on the intervention of the great powers.
Everyone aspired to be the fisherman, leaving the Kingdom of Bavaria in a tragic situation, as they had to face the initial stages of the war alone.
As the various countries were embroiled in disputes, the battle had already begun. The Bavarian government, unaware that they were being sold out, received affirmative responses from various countries. With unwavering confidence, they mobilized their army, preparing to fight a defensive war on their home soil.
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