Chapter 289: Bismarck
Franz had long harbored the idea of taking action against Bismarck, but unfortunately, there were too many people with the same name in Europe. Before they rose to prominence, who could tell who was who?
Without knowing which was which, he could do nothing.
By the time Bismarcks identity was verified, he had just been transferred from being Prussias representative in Frankfurt to envoy to the New Holy Roman Empire.
Taking action against an envoy on ones own territory would have serious repercussions. The political risk was too great, and Franz was not one to take risks.
Now that Bismarck had been reassigned as envoy to Russia, the situation was different. With a little caution, his removal would not be so serious, and even if trouble arose, it would be the Russian governments headache.
If possible, he wouldnt mind taking out all three of Prussias top figures. Unfortunately, the other two were in the military, and it was difficult to track their movements. They couldnt just storm into a military camp and eliminate them, could they?
Franz did not believe that his assassination team was capable of such a feat. Trying to assassinate military officers in Prussia would be risky. If they were caught, it would be a disaster.
The greatest threat was Bismarck. As skilled as the generals were in warfare, they could not escape the constraints of national power in the age of modern weaponry. In this respect, Franz was not intimidated.
By comparison, politicians and diplomats were the ones who decided the fate of nations. With Metternich around, and Bismarcks position being not that high currently, Franz wasnt worried about him causing trouble.
But this Prime Minister of Europe was already old, and it was only a matter of time before he stepped down. Meanwhile, the young Bismarck was rising rapidly under Williams regency.
Unfortunately, the candidates for the Foreign Ministry of the New Holy Roman Empire are only of average ability. Franz himself was no expert in diplomacy. If he were to make a mistake and allow Bismarck to form an anti-Austrian alliance, it would be a big problem.
At present, the strength of the New Holy Roman Empire poses no threat to anyone. The comprehensive power of the four nations of Britain, Russia, France, and Austria is relatively balanced, although there are differences among them.
In the coming decades, however, France may fall behind because of its population, and the situation in the Russian Empire is still unclear. Nevertheless, Franz does not believe that the reform-delayed Russia will become stronger.
In this context, sooner or later all countries will realize the threat of the New Holy Roman Empire. Once the balance of power shifts, the international order will change again.
Under normal circumstances, as long as France and Russia do not become close friends, Austria has nothing to worry about. But if the Kingdom of Prussia were to get involved, the situation would change.
The appointment of Bismarck as diplomatic envoy to the Russian Empire marks a shift in Prussias foreign policy as it seeks to improve relations with the Russians.
Before this, Bismarck had already repaired diplomatic relations between Prussia and Austria. Even if William Frederick Louis despises Bismarck, he still relies on him, and theres a reason for that.
In Franzs view, this was a dangerous sign. The fact that Prussian-Russian relations had not improved was due to the fact that he had constantly sabotaged things from the middle and provoked trouble between them. Basically, the Prussian-Russian contradictions were not irreconcilable.
In St. Petersburg, Bismarck, who had just been appointed diplomatic envoy to the Russian Empire, was still pondering how to reforge an alliance with Russia.
If it werent for the purpose of once again facilitating the alliance between the three Northern European courts, Bismarck would not have accepted the position of envoy to Russia. After all, it is only a lateral move, not a true promotion.
Bismarck ordered, Prepare the carriage, Im going to visit Crown Prince Alexander.
Officials of the Russian Empire generally dont have much fondness for the Kingdom of Prussia, but relations between the two royal families have always been amicable.
For whatever reason, pro-Prussian tsars often appeared in Russia, even the mad Peter III. Even the current Crown Prince Alexander, the future Alexander II, was also pro-Prussian.
Relying on this alone is obviously not enough; given the interests at stake, mere affinity is not enough to make the Russian government change its attitude.
As history took a different course, Russia did not lose its hegemony over Europe. The Russian government could not possibly abandon the Kingdom of Denmark. As a hegemon, it cannot afford to be without vassals; this has escalated into a matter of dignity for the hegemonic state.
As long as the Kingdom of Prussia harbors ambitions towards the two German principalities occupied by Denmark, relations between the two sides cannot be improved.
With the restoration of the Vienna System, the Kingdom of Prussia lacked the strength to break the status quo. Regent William Frederick Louis believed that the best opportunity had already been lost, and advocated domestic development first, temporarily abandoning external expansion.
The development of the domestic economy and the restoration of diplomatic relations with other countries became necessary. It was under these circumstances that Bismarck visited St. Petersburg.
Stepping out of the embassy, Bismarck felt a sense of foreboding, as if something was about to happen. However, once a diplomatic meeting was arranged, he couldnt back out.
As time passed, Bismarck smoothly entered the palace, seemingly without anything out of the ordinary happening.
A friendly-looking elderly man solemnly said, Alexei, weve just received word from our insider that the target has left. You can prepare now.
We have only one chance to strike, and regardless of the outcome, we must leave St. Petersburg tonight. If the Russian government gets wind of this, you know the consequences.
Alexei replied nonchalantly, I get it, Andrei. Youre just as long-winded as ever. Dont worry, we have it under control. To ensure success, well ambush him at the gate. Once hes in the carriage, theres no escaping death.
Andrei, the elderly man, glared and said, If you want to survive longer in this business, Alexei, keep your arrogance in check. Its not just the person in the carriage; the coachman and the guards are our targets as well. You should know the quirks of the nobility.
This target is no ordinary target, and Ive prepared a scapegoat already. As long as you lot dont get caught red-handed, there will be no problem.
Seeing the seriousness in the old mans demeanor, Alexeis relaxed expression vanished. They were no strangers to being assassins, but this was the first time they had seen the old man so serious.
Alexei asked confusedly, I dont understand. Isnt he just a Prussian diplomat? Who did he offend to warrant such a hefty price on his head?
The old man spoke solemnly, I warn you again, in our line of work, the more curious you are, the faster youll meet your end. It has not been easy to train the lot of you, and I dont want to see you all meet an untimely demise. When we finish this big job, well be even, and youll all be free men.
The names they used were obviously aliases. The old man looked old, but it was just makeup. His real age was not that advanced.
As a member of Franzs intelligence organization, specializing in assassinations no less, Andrei naturally could not reveal his true identity.
Alexei and his comrades were assassins trained by Andrei and had previously taken on contract killings. Since this mission was extremely important, these outside contacts could only be discarded.
Bismarck was a diplomat of a nation, and if he were assassinated in St. Petersburg, the Russian government would not let it go so easily. They couldnt afford to leave the perpetrators at large. Otherwise, they wouldnt be able to explain it to the international community.
This matter couldnt be tied to Austria, so it had to be carried out by these outside agents who were not yet officially part of the intelligence organization. Even if they failed, these assassins wouldnt know anything.
When it came to contract killings, people would naturally think of Bismarcks enemies. Who would suspect the unrelated Franz of orchestrating this assassination?
Even if an assassination were to be carried out, it would have to target someone of higher importance. Bismarck, even if he was a nuisance, clearly wasnt important enough to warrant Franzs special attention.
In the palace, Bismarck and Crown Prince Alexander had a friendly conversation. The Prussian governments willingness to compromise made it much easier to resolve the conflicts between the two countries.
The Russian government also sought to change its isolated position on the European continent. A Russo-Austrian alliance alone was clearly insufficient; if Prussia could be brought into the fold, it would be almost perfect.
Once the alliance of the three nations was established, the Russian governments hegemony over continental Europe would be stabilized. It would no longer barely maintain its reputation as an overlord, as it does now, with its actual influence limited to northeastern Europe.
Having won the support of Crown Prince Alexander, Bismarck returned satisfied. The first step in improving relations between the two countries had been taken.
The carriage creaked on the snowy ground as it moved slowly forward. Bismarcks good mood faded; the weather in the Russian Empire was awful. It was already April, but there was still snow on the ground, which made him very uncomfortable.
As time passed by, traversing street after street, he finally arrived home. Bismarck had just stepped out of the carriage when:
Bang! Bang! Bang
Gunshots rang out, and bullets were already flying toward him. Before he could dodge, he was shot.
Upon hearing the shots, the embassy guards rushed out, but by then the assailants had vanished without a trace.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om