Chapter 344: Emperor of Mexico
Schnbrunn Palace
The intelligence chief Tyron reported: Your Majesty, Archduke Maximilian and his wife left Vienna yesterday, heading for France.
Franz took a sip of tea, suppressing his displeasure, and said: Do not mind them, let them go!
Going to France at this time clearly indicates Maximilian intends to become the Emperor of Mexico with French support.
Theres probably Napoleon IIIs involvement in this. The French need a noble puppet monarch, making it convenient for them to secretly control Mexico.
Maximilian stood out as there were no better options for the French. Any candidate would be accepted by the Mexican constitutionalists, except a member of the House of Bonaparte.
Initially, the only candidates were from the Houses of Habsburg and Bourbon. Undoubtedly, Napoleon III could not support a Bourbon Emperor of Mexico, as that would be awkward for him.
If the Bourbon dynasty revived in Mexico and did well, some might want them to replace the ruling French dynasty, which would be disastrous.
After all, the Bourbon dynasty is widely recognized as legitimate, much more so than the Bonaparte family, making the possibility of restoration very high.
Thus, the Habsburgs became the only choice. Napoleon III supported Maximilian not because of his outstanding abilities, but precisely because of his immature political thinking.
If he were truly outstanding, neither the Mexican constitutionalists nor Napoleon III would allow him to become the Emperor of Mexico.
What everyone needs is a puppet, not a capable ruler. The Habsburg dynasty is powerful, and if Maximilian were truly capable, he could easily turn the tables.
Now that the family is unwilling to invest in him, it shows Maximilians lack of ability and low chance of success. If he were truly capable, Franz wouldnt mind giving him a hand.
The facts prove that this delusional youth cannot be taken seriously, even though Maximilian is no longer young.
Refusing to travel to Mexico on an Austrian warship to protest the familys lack of support what kind of bizarre mind could conceive of such an idea?
He should know that such an escort also has political implications, showing the Habsburgs still back him.
With this, he could easily rally the support of Germans in Mexico and gain the support of the Central American colonies, while deceiving a bunch of old people and youngsters.
At this point, Maximilian went off to France, which was not only a slap on his elder brothers face but also a rejection of the familys political resources in the Americas.
Without these resources, he would only be able to rely on French support to ascend to power, making it much harder for him to break free from French control in the future.
For Franz, this was also a good thing, as he did not need to invest resources for the familys glory.
With Britain, France, and Spain eyeing Mexico, Austrias intervention would easily provoke everyones hostility. With the current situation, Austria can easily extricate itself.
Rather than joining the struggle for Mexico, it would be better to develop Central America. At least by consolidating this area, Austria could have a say when the Panama Canal opens.
If possible, Franz would delay the excavation of this canal as much as possible. Without it, the east and west oceans of the United States would be separated, forced to take a long detour by sea, and unable to link its two coasts easily.
This would greatly impact both its commercial trade and national defense.
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Paris
Napoleon III held a grand welcoming ceremony for Maximilians arrival. It was evident he was delighted, as a Mexican emperor free from Habsburg support was exactly what he needed.
Dealing with an idealist would be too easy for Napoleon III. He wasnt born into high status; Napoleon III had climbed his way up through struggle and effort to become Emperor of France.
This alone set him apart from all the monarchs of his time. If it werent for losing himself gradually in a series of victories later on, he might have become one of the greatest emperors in French history.
The day after the banquet, Napoleon III gathered with his advisors to discuss matters.
Though lacking historical prominence, it was this group, along with Napoleon III, who created Frances splendor in the mid-19th century.
Historically, Frances Second Colonial Empire was established during this period, its Industrial Revolution was completed under their leadership, and this was the era of Frances fastest economic growth and improvement in peoples living standards.
Napoleon III asked, What do you all think of Maximilian? Is he worth supporting?
Pelissier replied, Your Majesty, Maximilian is like a spoiled child. He actually ran off to Paris just like that! I bet the one in Vienna must be furious.
Napoleon III chuckled, Even better if hes furious. Otherwise, with the political maneuvers of the Habsburgs, we might end up suffering losses.
Under Franzs butterfly effect, Austria was reborn from the ashes, naturally becoming a mandatory lesson for monarchs of all countries.
Combined with the development history of the Habsburgs, this was compiled into a book titled Habsburg Family Politics.
Building an empire is not merely achieved through marriage alliances; it requires a lot more political maneuvering.
Otherwise, Europe wouldnt have just one Lower Half Empire like the Habsburgs.
(TN: Lower half iykyk)
The intricate web of marriages among the nobility involves more than just the Habsburgs. Yet only they managed to consolidate an empire, showcasing their political acumen.
Of course, adeptness in politics doesnt necessarily translate to military prowess; these two abilities often seem inversely proportional.
During its peak, the House of Habsburg controlled nearly half of the European continent, including Spain, most of Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, the Holy Roman Empire, Hungary, and more.
The Habsburg colonial empire stretched from North Africa to Mexico, being the worlds first empire on which the sun never set, claiming to occupy half the globe.
This was no exaggeration. At their zenith, half the globe fell within the Habsburgs sphere of influence, though they could not directly rule it all due to the times.
Yet this massive behemoth was ultimately defeated by the French. Forced to divide in its later years to preserve itself.
Their ability to squander such strong cards proved that political strength did not equate to military prowess.
Back when the French were surrounded, any mistakes short of catastrophic ones would have allowed the Habsburgs superior strength to prevail.
Unfortunately, Charles V made numerous strategic blunders. Despite trading blows evenly due to their substantial power, he performed poorly in terms of strategy.
Of course, with their immense power, the Habsburgs could afford such losses, but Charles V depleted too much wealth, leaving his successors in dire straits and gradually losing their dominance.
Advisor Patti analyzed, Your Majesty, even if the one in Vienna Palace is willing to lend support, Maximilian might not necessarily appreciate it.
Having an outstanding elder brother might be a good thing for ordinary people, but not necessarily for a spoiled child.
Having lived his whole life in his brothers shadow, what Maximilian wants most right now is to achieve something great to prove his abilities.
Staying in Austria will never afford him that opportunity, and Franz cannot possibly be unaware of his brothers nature, which is why all of Maximilians positions over the years have been merely empty titles.
Napoleon III frowned and said, This doesnt seem like a good situation for us either. Even with our support, if Maximilian is too incompetent, it will be very difficult for him to secure his position as the Emperor of Mexico.
The current state of Mexico is a mess that an ordinary person cannot clean up. Lets hope Maximilian can inherit some of the talents of the Habsburg family; otherwise, well have big problems ahead.
This was the contradiction. On one hand, the French needed a puppet emperor to easily manipulate Mexican politics for their maximum benefit.
On the other hand, they also hope the emperor has some capability to stabilize the situation in Mexico. After all, if there are constant internal conflicts, how can they profit?
After a discussion and considering various factors, the French concluded that Maximilian was still worth supporting.
Although there was a significant risk of failure, it was unavoidable; high investment often yields high returns.
Even if Mexico changed rulers, they would not be held accountable. But if they supported a capable leader who turned against them, they could lose everything.
At the end of 1863, Maximilian and his wife boarded a French warship bound for the Mexican Empire.
Franz, far away in Vienna, chose to ignore it all. Apart from Archduchess Sophie sending a scathing telegram berating Maximilian, the rest of the Habsburgs opted to watch from the sidelines.
From the moment he left Vienna, Maximilian and his descendants were tacitly renounced from succession rights in the House of Habsburg.
However, Maximilian, busy drafting court etiquette guidelines aboard the warship, seemed unaffected. It was as if leaving the support of the Habsburgs was inconsequential.
Princess Charlotte felt somewhat uneasy, but immersed in the prospect of becoming Empress, she didnt voice her concerns to her husband.
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