Chapter 136: Peace Negotiations

"Furthermore, while we agree to engage in peace talks, the movements of our armies must not cease. The French currently have the upper hand on the Italian front, and we must be wary of their attempts to seize Venice," emphasized Emperor Franz II. Venice was Austria's most crucial province in the south, not only strategically but also as a major source of tax revenue. Franz II was adamant that Venice must not suffer any losses.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Prince Windischgrätz nodded in agreement. He understood the significance of Venice to Austria and was relieved that it was well fortified, making it difficult for the French to capture.

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In Vienna, Austria, a visitor from afar had arrived by the name of Tom. He was a British diplomat, sent here on the orders of Sir Edward Grey, the British Foreign Secretary, to represent Britain in mediating this war.

"Poor Austrians, this war is nothing but a joke to them! A once-powerful nation that once dominated Europe, now beaten so badly in war. It seems even the Holy Roman Empire, which ruled over Europe for centuries, is on the decline," sighed Tom.

Once upon a time, the Holy Roman Empire had been a dominant force in Europe. No nation dared to challenge the authority of the Habsburg dynasty. However, nations, like people, age and decay, and Austria was showing signs of aging.

Nevertheless, Austria was Britain's ally. Therefore, Sir Edward Grey had instructed Tom to ensure Austria's interests were protected in the negotiations. Whether it was to contain the French or to fight alongside against the Turks, Austria's assistance was indispensable to Britain.

A weakened Austria was not something Britain desired. Furthermore, Britain could not afford to antagonize Napoleon excessively. He was a legendary figure with a strong sense of pride. If pushed too far, Napoleon might decide to wage war against both Britain and Austria simultaneously, a scenario Britain wished to avoid.

If, in the past, Britain had looked down upon the French revolutionary government, now Britain needed to take the new French government seriously.

After the French Revolution, they quickly regained their strength. In the battles of Turin and the expedition to Egypt, the French had proven that their combat prowess remained at a world-class level.

Balancing the need to safeguard Austria's interests while avoiding angering the French made Sir Tom feel somewhat uneasy.

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"Fetch an Austrian diplomat to meet with me; there are matters we need to discuss," ordered Tom. Although he was here to mediate, he still needed to inquire about Austria's views.

So Tom intended to meet with an Austrian diplomat first and get their perspective on the matter.

"Yes, Your Excellency," nodded the embassy secretary, immediately setting out to make arrangements.

"Your Excellency, I assume you've received instructions from your foreign ministry. For the sake of peace in Italy and our mutual interests in the Balkans, we will personally mediate between Austria and France. I hope you will cooperate with us," Sir Tom said with a smile.

"Sir, Britain is Austria's staunchest ally. We are more than allies; we are friends. While Austria may not wish to end the war immediately, we are willing to give our ally some leeway. However, we expect Britain to prioritize Austria's interests during mediation," the Austrian diplomat said, smiling.

At these words, Sir Tom couldn't help but inwardly curse the Austrians for acting as if they were the victors. Did they not realize they were about to lose Italy?

Nevertheless, Sir Tom relied on his good manners to keep his composure. The most important task now was to mediate between France and Austria; everything else was secondary.

"Your Excellency, what are Austria's specific demands?" Sir Tom inquired.

"Austria's demands are simple. First, the French must withdraw from Italy, which is Austrian territory. Second, France must compensate Austria for its losses. Our Emperor is merciful, so we only ask for compensation of 100 million Austrian guilders!" the Austrian diplomat said with a smile, as if they had made a significant concession.

Upon hearing the Austrian diplomat's words, Sir Tom was speechless. Such demands—calling them "not much"? Did these Austrians have no shame? They were clearly asking for the moon! Sir Tom could already imagine that upon learning of Austria's demands, the French would likely flip the table rather than sit down for negotiations.

"Well, Your Excellency," Sir Tom said, somewhat at a loss for words, "let's proceed to Genoa now and negotiate with the French."

From this moment on, he held little hope for the mediation. He couldn't fathom what the Austrians were thinking. Where did they get the audacity? They had lost over a hundred thousand troops, had no hope of victory, and had lost all Italian towns. How could they dare to make such harsh demands? From the standpoint of the French government, they would never accept such conditions.

Nevertheless, on August 9th, a month after the French won the Battle of Genoa, Sir Tom, the British diplomat, and the Austrian diplomat sailed to Genoa.

Sir Tom, using the pretext of maintaining peace, formally proposed mediating the war between Austria and the French government to maintain peace and stability in Europe.

In the headquarters of the French army in Genoa, the British diplomat Sir Tom and the Austrian diplomat appeared together in the reception hall.

The commander of the First Division, Larna, received them.

"Both of you are the First Prime Minister of my country, Napoleon." Lanna took Tom's two men to Napoleon and introduced them.

"Respected Prime Minister Napoleon, I'm Tom, a British diplomat. I came here to see you because of the war with Austria, which has already seriously affected the peace and stability of Europe. So, the British Empire hopes to mediate this war and get you both back to the negotiating table to solve the problem. This is very beneficial to both parties." Upon seeing Napoleon, Sir Tom directly said.

Upon hearing Tom's words, Napoleon felt somewhat Tricky. With the French army having achieved victory on the battlefield, it was unexpected for the British to jump in and mediate. This was not good news.

"France also hopes to achieve peace. However, this war was instigated by Austria, and they were the ones who declared war on us first. Moreover, Austria took advantage of our internal turmoil to deceitfully seize our Italian territories and cruelly killed French officials and pro-French individuals within Italy. This matter cannot be overlooked," Napoleon stated.

Although the arrival of the British added significant pressure, the French army had decisively established superiority on the battlefield.

"Slander! This is a slander against the Austrian Empire. Italy is our territory!" the Austrian diplomat immediately retorted loudly.

"What did you say? Italy is clearly an inseparable part of France," Napoleon responded angrily upon hearing the Austrian diplomat's words. This Austrian diplomat seemed not to have recognized the situation. How could he still be so arrogant?

"Alright, let's not discuss this issue for now. There's no point in arguing further. Let's set it aside. Since the French government also desires peace, we now have a basis for negotiations. If that's the case, why don't we negotiate peacefully?" Napoleon suggested.

Seeing Napoleon and the Austrian diplomat arguing with each other, Sir Tom quickly stepped forward to intervene. If they continued to argue like this, the mediation effort might be jeopardized.