Chapter 148 The power of the victorious country

"The Austrian envoy seems to be weary from his journey and hasn't quite caught up yet, so let's have the French representative present their conditions next!" Sir Tom said, ignoring the Austrian diplomat and turning to the French Foreign Minister, Talleyrand.

"Firstly, I must thank Mr. Izquierdo, as he provided me with a good laugh right at the beginning of this meeting," Talleyrand said. He did not follow the Duke of Tom's suggestion, but instead mocked the Austrians before him.

"You..." Upon hearing Talleyrand's words, the Austrian diplomat's veins bulged, clearly reaching the peak of anger.

"We find Austria's demands completely unrealistic. However, we must also state our conditions. This war was entirely provoked by Austria. If Austria had not first annexed our territories (Italy), there would have been no subsequent conflict. Therefore, Austria must apologize to France."

"In addition, our army has paid a tremendous price to regain our lost territories. These lands have historically belonged to the French people, so to prevent further disputes over territory, we demand that the borders between our two countries be redrawn to reflect the current areas controlled by both armies. Finally, in order to achieve victory in this war, our country has mobilized over 150,000 troops, resulting in countless financial losses. Austria must compensate us for these losses, totaling one hundred million francs!" Talleyrand said. His conditions were equally pointed.

Sure enough, when the Austrian representative Izquierdo heard Talleyrand's conditions, his face darkened like the bottom of a pot.

"Impossible! The Austrian Empire will never agree to such conditions. If that's the case, Austria would rather continue the war!" Izquierdo shouted loudly.

"Hmph! Now, the French army holds absolute dominance on the battlefield. We have the right to demand this, as it is the rightful power of the victorious nation. Of course, if Austria wishes to continue the war, then we will meet you head-on," Talleyrand insisted.

"Rubbish! You just haven't thought about negotiating properly..." Izquierdo roared.

"Calm down! Calm down!" Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Sir Tom hastily stood up and urged both sides to calm down.

"The conditions from both sides are too far apart. I hope both parties can propose reasonable conditions for the sake of peace," Sir Tom said.

"In peace negotiations, it's only natural for the victorious nation to have the right to dictate terms to the defeated," Talleyrand said sternly, his face dark.

"I'll say it again, the Austrian Empire is absolutely not a defeated nation!" Izquierdo angrily roared.

"Whether you're a defeated nation or not isn't determined by the volume of your voice, but by the facts. Everyone is very clear about the facts now," Talleyrand also shouted. After all, it was the French army that held the advantage now, so what did he have to worry about?

The differences between the two sides were too great, and the Austrians were unwilling to concede even a step. France, seeing itself as the victor, naturally refused to back down. This deadlock meant negotiations were dead in the water from the start.

Therefore, British envoy Tom had no choice but to suggest adjourning. After both sides communicated privately, they would resume negotiations.

At the same time, British envoy Tom secretly approached Austrian representative Izquierdo. However, Izquierdo remained furious, feeling that Britain had not fulfilled its obligations as an ally during negotiations.

"Look at what those despicable Frenchmen are demanding! They not only want to occupy the territories of the Austrian Empire but also demand huge compensation from us! This is a provocation to Austria. We should unite and pressure them together," Izquierdo said angrily, hoping to resonate with Tom. However, he was disappointed. Tom showed no sympathy for his anger.

"Your Excellency Izquierdo, the current situation calls for negotiations with the French! I understand that the French have already sent diplomats in private to contact the Turks. If the Turks abandon their grievances and cooperate with France, it would be a devastating blow to us," Sir Tom said calmly.

"So, are you willing to sacrifice the interests of the Austrian Empire just because of that?" Izquierdo asked coldly.

"No, it's not that we want to sacrifice the interests of the Austrian Empire, but it's the situation you've brought upon yourselves. If the Austrian Empire's army could win on the battlefield, even if it were evenly matched, we would fully support you. But unfortunately, the final outcome was quite the opposite. In such a situation, we simply cannot help you. After all, Britain's strength has never been in its army," Sir Tom explained.

Upon hearing Tom's words, Izquierdo was left speechless. As a diplomat, he knew this well. What you can't achieve on the battlefield, you won't achieve at the negotiating table either. If the Austrians couldn't defeat the French on the battlefield, they certainly wouldn't prevail over them at the negotiating table.

"Very well, Your Excellency Izquierdo, let's return and communicate with the French once again. During our discussions, I will do my best to safeguard the interests of the Austrian Empire. However, please also relay to the Austrian government not to indulge in unrealistic daydreams. If this round of negotiations collapses again, it will benefit neither of our sides," Sir Tom said.

Afterward, Sir Tom left and went to visit the French Foreign Minister, Talleyrand, hoping that France would make some concessions so that the peace negotiations wouldn't collapse like this.

Talleyrand gladly received Sir Tom. He knew well that the British attitude was crucial to making the Austrians yield.

"It's good to see you, Sir Tom," Talleyrand smiled as he approached.

"Your Excellency, I must say, the conditions you proposed this morning were too harsh. Such terms are not conducive to bringing about peace. So, Britain hopes that France can lower some of these conditions. Contribute to European peace," Sir Tom said, his face filled with righteous determination. He presented Britain as the defender of peace in Europe, casting France as the disruptor of peace.

"No, Sir, I cannot agree with your viewpoint. The conditions I proposed this morning are entirely reasonable. France has won the victory in this war, and we have the right to obtain these benefits," Talleyrand shook his head repeatedly, not agreeing with Tom's words.

"The Austrian Empire has not lost; they still have enough strength to continue fighting," Tom reminded.

"Of course, I believe that as well. But at the same time, we can continue fighting too," Talleyrand said with a smile. The current situation was unfavorable for Austria, so France could use this as leverage against them.

"Your Excellency, don't forget, Austria is our ally. If France insists on continuing the war, we will not stand idly by," Sir Tom said sternly.

"Of course, Sir. However, we are not afraid of war. We also believe that even in war, we will not lose," Talleyrand showed France's determination in the face of Tom's threat.

"Your Excellency, I think you misunderstand. The British Empire has always sought peaceful coexistence with France and has no intention of forcing you into anything," Sir Tom immediately changed his tone upon seeing Talleyrand's firmness. If being tough didn't work, he had to try being conciliatory.

He had no intention of going to war with France. If the French were mistaken about that, it would be a disaster.

"The people of France also consider the UK our most important friend," Talleyrand said. Such nonsense came naturally to diplomats like them.

"Well then, given the friendship between our two countries, we hope that France can reduce its demands to some extent. After all, continuing the war would be detrimental to France as well. Your country has much to rebuild and needs construction, not war," Sir Tom said.