Chapter 227: The New Holy Roman Empire
Vienna Palace
Upon learning that Franz had offered the throne of the Kingdom of Lombardy in exchange for the throne of the House of Wittelsbach, Archduchess Sophie breathed a sigh of relief. This deal could appease most of her family members.
The relationships between European nobles are complex and intertwined. Pulling one thread affects the whole cloth. If the Austrian government were determined to force a Serbian crown on the House of Wittelsbach, Archduchess Sophie would have lost too much face to see anyone.
It should be known that during the war, Franz made promises to the Bavarian royal family, and Sophie was also brought out as a guarantor.
Munich was then won by negotiation, partly because it couldn’t be won by force, and partly because everyone’s interests were guaranteed, so naturally no one would stubbornly oppose Austria.
Had it not been for the decision of the royal family to abandon the centuries-long rule of the House of Wittelsbach, it would not have come to the point where even the defense of Munich could not be launched.
The title of Duke of Palatinate can only be seen as a figurehead. This was originally a place ruled by the Bavarian royal family anyway. Even without Austrian support, the title would most likely still be theirs in the end.
The foundation of a major noble was thus preserved. Politically, Lombardy could not be compared to Bavaria, but economically, the Bavarian royal family did not suffer any losses.
Even if the central government takes away the most important powers, turning the king into a figurehead is impossible, at least not in the Austrian system.
Being sidelined is only temporary. As long as the king has some ability, he can regain most of his power. As Emperor Franz would not tolerate the bureaucracy being arrogant.
Otherwise, if today they can put a king on the sidelines, tomorrow these people might have the audacity to put the emperor on the sidelines.
Suspicion is an emperor’s instinct. Things that cause offense must be dealt with decisively, leaving no room for bureaucracy.
In the Munich Palace, the Bavarian royal family was in the process of moving out because they were no longer welcome. Neither the people nor the officials wanted them to stay.
Everyone agreed that the Bavarian royal family exchanging thrones with Austria was the best choice for everyone to get along.
Those who declared neutrality during the war no longer had to worry about the royal family settling scores with them. Now that the royal family has a good place to go, they can rightfully swear allegiance to the Habsburgs.
Looking at the slowly closing palace gates, Maximilian II sighed. The reign of the House of Wittelsbach over the Kingdom of Bavaria had come to an end. He would soon become Maximilian I of the Kingdom of Lombardy.
As if cursed, the House of Wittelsbach ruled many places, but never lasted long anywhere, the Kingdom of Bavaria being only one of them.
But the House of Wittelsbach still had some foundations. Even after their departure, many people continued to follow them. Soon, they gathered a force of several thousand people and, under the protection of the royal guards, marched toward the capital of the Kingdom of Lombardy, Milan.
That was why the Austrian government did not want to use force. Deep-rooted royal families are not easy to deal with. It is much better now that they have taken the initiative to leave.
If they turned hostile, these people could cause chaos and instability in Bavaria for three to five years if they wanted to.
Paris
Napoleon III smashed countless vases in anger. The reason was very simple. There was a problem with his marriage. Most European royal families looked down on him as a nouveau riche.
Not long ago, his attempt to marry Princess Carola of Sweden, a member of the abdicated royal family, was rejected. Now, when he proposed to Princess Adelheid of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, he was rejected again.
This was not limited to him, even the famous Napoleon was worried about this problem. The major nobles look down on them as nouveau riche, since the European continent is a world that cares about lineage.
If the lineage is not noble enough, the legitimacy of the rule is questioned. If one’s lineage is not noble enough, it can be compensated for by political marriages.
Napoleon III felt this deeply. Since he was only a nephew of Napoleon, his domestic popularity was not high, and he desperately needed a political marriage to consolidate his position.
He has been troubled by this issue since 1851. So far there has been no result; the major nobles do not like him, and he does not like the minor nobles.
No wonder he’s angry. After all, he is the Emperor of France. Even if he can’t marry a princess from a direct line, can’t he at least marry a princess from a collateral line? But the result is that, not to mention legitimate princesses, even princesses from abdicated royal families look down on him.
Since he has been rejected repeatedly, it would be strange if he could tolerate such a thing.
Perhaps after letting off steam, Napoleon III asked coldly, “Are there any other candidates?”
The palace minister whispered: “Your Majesty, the status of the later candidates is somewhat low to match your status!”
Napoleon III glared at him. Isn’t that rubbing salt in his wounds? Those that match his status don’t want him either!
In this context, the Spanish noblewoman of Scottish descent, Eugénie de Montijo, appeared at the French court.
Napoleon III didn’t want to continue to struggle over this problem. If he couldn’t marry someone of equal status, he might as well marry someone he liked.
On December 1, 1853, Napoleon III announced to all senior officials that he was about to marry. At the same time, he emphasized that he wanted this marriage to be free from the constraints of the French people and foreign royal families:
“I prefer a woman I love and respect to a woman who gives me advantages and disadvantages through a marriage of political convenience.”
The pioneer of free love has emerged, and it can be said that Napoleon III set a good example that many others followed.
This tea-time gossip among the nobility quickly spread to Vienna, drawing the attention of the Vienna Court. The direct consequence is that Franz’s days of being single are about to come to an end.
Metternich reminded him, “Your Majesty, do we not need to prepare for the grand ceremony? It will be an object of ridicule otherwise!”
A new empire is about to be founded, and a new crown will be placed on Franz’s head. Of course, a grand ceremony is essential.
Franz now unexpectedly ordered them not to prepare in advance, suggesting that a simple ceremony would suffice. Many people took this as a joke.
Franz smiled bitterly and said: “It’s not going to happen. Although months have passed, people are still heartbroken over the division of Germany.
If we make it grand at this time, it’s easy to provoke public discontent. It’s better to keep it simple to show our protest against the results of the Paris Conference.”
His image cannot collapse. To the outside world, he is seen as a passionate and benevolent emperor, so he should be dissatisfied with the Paris Conference.
Whether it is giving speeches criticizing the conference or directly writing articles for showmanship, it all revolves around this image.
There is no problem for the young and impulsive emperor to make this decision in anger. He can win the approval of the people and avoid unnecessary disasters this way.
Ernest Augustus I, who had just been promoted from King of Hanover to Emperor of the German Federal Empire, was one of those unfortunate souls. He did nothing from beginning to end, yet German writers and poets badly scolded him.
The country is a comical empire, so of course the emperor is the comical emperor. This nickname will probably stick with him and be passed down forever.
Certainly, his accession to the throne was quite comical. Seventeen years ago, during the joint reign of Hanover and Britain, in the same year that William IV died, Queen Victoria ascended the throne. The situation changed because of the misinterpreted Salic Law, and the throne fell on his head.
The reason it’s called a comedy is that everyone at the time overlooked the fact that the Pragmatic Sanction of Emperor Charles VI had previously served as the legal basis for female succession to the throne. That’s how the legitimacy of the Empress Maria Theresa was established.
By the time people found out, the throne had already been decided. Those who are unhappy with Ernest Augustus I often bring up this issue. Now it has escalated to the level of “Comical Emperor”.
Unfortunately, his role as emperor comes with limited powers, and he has no control over public opinion in the various states. When people are in a bad mood, they take out their frustrations on him.
In fact, Ernest Augustus I was very docile and rarely caused any trouble, including how he came to have this imperial title, which was the result of maneuvering by various parties.
Austria, of course, argued that Franz should serve at the same time as Emperor of the German Federal Empire, on the grounds that he had the greatest support of the people.
This was obviously unacceptable to all parties. If Franz became emperor, German unification would probably take place within a few decades.
The Habsburgs have experience in this regard, as the Austrian Empire was integrated similarly. What’s the difference between Franz being emperor at the same time and the revival of the Holy Roman Empire?
The British supported the House of Hanover. The newly formed German Federal Empire was centered around Hanover. They were also quite competitive, with the only drawback being that the King of Hanover lacked prestige among the German states.
If Franz were to nominate an underling to compete for the throne, given the reputation of the House of Habsburg, coupled with the fact that the state governments did not want to see Hanover’s influence grow, the likelihood of that underling being elected would be almost one hundred percent.
However, this was impossible. Austria still aimed for the unification of Germany. Allowing an underling to become the Emperor of the German Federal Empire would only complicate matters for Austria.
With the Habsburgs out of the picture, the remaining royal families of the various states vied for the position. Naturally, the Hanoverian royal family, supported by the British, defeated numerous competitors and emerged victorious.
At Franz’s insistence, he was crowned “Emperor of the New Holy Roman Empire” at the Vienna Palace on December 22, 1853.
The coronation ceremony was a simple affair to which no guests were invited. It was attended only by individuals associated with the New Holy Roman Empire. After the oath of allegiance was taken by representatives of several states, the ceremony ended.
From the beginning to the end, everyone maintained a solemn expression without any sign of joy.
After the ceremony, Franz gave a self-deprecating speech in the National Assembly:
“Today another crown has been put on my head, and the burden on my shoulders grew heavier.
To be honest, I’m not happy at all. Instead of calling it the New Holy Roman Empire, it’s more appropriate to call it the Southern Holy Roman Empire.
Regardless, the Holy Roman Empire has been reestablished. Even if we become the laughingstock of the world, it’s still better than nothing.
There is still a long way to go and we have to keep moving forward. Today we have gone one step further than yesterday. Can we go one step further tomorrow than we did today?
Having been given this historic mission, we must fulfill it.
Someone asked me when Germany will be unified. My answer is: when we become the number one power in the world, then we can finally consider that!
We are close to this goal because there are only two countries ahead of us. Yet, we are far from it because the disparity in national strength is truly significant.
The path lies before you. Are you afraid?”
Fortunately, Franz was self-disciplined enough to know that certain words should not be uttered casually. Otherwise, phrases like “neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire” would have almost slipped out.
The current New Holy Roman Empire, though lacking the Holy and Roman aspects, can still be considered an empire, right? As for the first two, unfortunately, they are forever unattainable.
Franz is not God, so where would the “holy” come from?
As for “Roman,” apart from its great reputation, what practical use does it have?
It seems that Franz’s self-deprecation has struck a chord with everyone, or perhaps the Austrian government is actively shaping public opinion to prevent the New Holy Roman Empire from becoming a target of ridicule.
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