Chapter 8 London and Berlin

London, Great Britain

"So the Austrians wants to end the army size limit that we together with the French and Germans enforced to them during 1839…. Hmmm… so what is their offer to us in exchange for our agreement?" Prime Minister Richard Archibald, the current Prime Minister of Great Britain, spoke indifferently to the Head of the British Minister of Foreign Relations, Sir Mark Bawell, who is reporting on the confidential message that the Austrians sent to them.

"Nothing that can benefit us. Just superficial deals like lower tariffs, friendship, and other so-so offers. I think it is not even worth it for you to check the contents, sir. It is better to reject this offer outright for we don't benefit from this deal," Sir Bawell replied. He found this offer preposterous and outrageous without any benefit for their side, it seems that the Austrians are seeing them as fools for just attempting to end this offer.

Even with a such strong statement from the Minister of Foreign Relations, Prime Minister Archibald still read the offer of the Austrians with seriousness. He knows that there is no such country that would be this foolish as to send such nonsense offer to the most powerful country in the world just to offend them. Even the Germans and French who they view as their rival in world domination won't even dare to provoke them in this kind of way, even more, the Austrians who need help due to being encircled by countries more powerful than the Austrians.

He carefully read the offer sent and when he reached the military part of the offer, he was shocked and then laughed. The Austrians are willing to buy British warships and to be trained by also the British, this is a very big deal for the Prime Minister. A country that is willing to be trained by another country signals that they were weaker and is willing to be instructed by another country's doctrine. It would also increase British influence in the Austrian Empire, enabling the British smoother and better negotiations and deals with the Austrians in the future. It can also indoctrinate the military officers of the Austrian to be more Pro-British.

The British are having a hard time expanding their influence in the Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean. The Ottomans are the sole major power in the region and it is allied with the Germans while the Kingdom of Sicily is allied with the French. The British supported a lot of insurgents and minorities like the Balkans, Armenians, Arabs, and Persians, inside the Ottoman Empire deteriorating their relationship with the Ottomans.

The timely offer of the Austrians may seem like a joke at first, but what the British needed right now is an ally in Eastern Europe, and the Austrians fit the bill. Austria is a good ally for the British, it is strong enough to deter other major powers but is not strong enough to be a threat to the British global empire.

"Calm down Sir Bawell. There is merit to us in accepting the offer sent by the Austrian to us. I would convene a meeting tomorrow regarding this offer. I want you to be the one to lead the negotiations. Add some conditions from our side," Prime Minister Archibald said. "Like they would purchase weapons from our country, especially naval assets, also they would pay our men who would train them three times the normal amount, and we can station our troops in their naval base in Venice."

"But that is just like treating Austria as a vassal power or a second-rate power like the Qing and the Japanese. Would Austria even allow that to happen Sir Archibald?" Sir Bawell asked. Sir Bawell knows that a European nation would never allow any country to take advantage of its own country. He also knows that Austria even if it has a small military power but its economic and political power is strong, Austria would not immediately fall or collapse even if it lost a major war. Its long and rich history and culture would ensure it and other European powers are not willing to see its destruction for it would destroy the balance of power in the continent.

"Germany… Austria knows that Germany plans to gobble it together with the Ottomans and maybe the Sardinians." Prime Minister replied. He already deduced that the Austrians know the German plans and is trying to build up strength to avoid its destruction. What is lacking in the Austrian Empire now is time and military power, and asking for help from other European powers would help them faster to build up their deficiencies in a short amount of time.

"But we would not allow that to happen… and also the French… and the Russians." Sir Bawell respond. He knows that the demise of Austria would trigger a massive change in the balance of power, so to prevent the destruction of the status quo, the other world power would intervene to stop it.

"I'm sure that the Germans would distract our attention to our colonies, especially India. There is a lot of suspicious movement of Ottoman and German spies and agents in India. Even we are cracking them down but based on the report I received, we even need to invade the Kingdom of Afghanistan because their bases are in that region," Prime Minister Archibald said gloomily and closed his eyes. "If the Germans are the one who is pulling the strings it may be too late to provide help to the Austrians. The only way for the Austrians to survive is to be able to stand on their own and defeat the Ottomans and even the Germans."

"But that would be impossible for the Austrians to pull off. Based on the intelligence report we received, the Ottomans is expanding its army again and the German reserves every year increase by at least half a million," Sir Bawell said, his face contorting due to the impossibility of the situation.

"That's why a strong Austria is good for us, we're just adding some conditions so that we can benefit more." The Prime Minister stands up from his chair, walks toward the window, and lights a cigar that he is keeping in his pockets. It seems that the night tonight would be long and tiring.

** ** **

Berlin, German Empire

"Chancellor… there is a big problem. Look in today's newspaper headline sir." The secretary brought the latest newspaper inside the office of the Chancellor and give it to Chancellor Wilhelm. His expression turned pale and furious. He didn't expect that the German Crown Prince, Prince Wilhelm Frederick of Prussia, is having an affair with Lady Maria Louise of Pazzi, a daughter of a count in the Kingdom of Sardinia, while both of them are studying at Berlin International University.

This issue would not be such a big deal if only Crown Prince Wilhelm Frederick doesn't have a fiancée, but he has and she is the only daughter of all the children of the current emperor of France, Princess Charlotte Bonaparte. Emperor Napoleon III Bonaparte genuinely loves and cares for his daughter, but he dotes and spoils her too much.

This affair would cost the relationship not only of the Crown Prince and the Princess, but also of the two imperial families, the Hohenzollern and the Bonaparte, and their respective nations, Germany and France. Both the relationship between the two countries are very tense with each other and this affair would further strain the relationship.

"This… ughh…"

Chancellor Wilhelm knows that his plan to improve their relationship with the French went bonkers. All of the German Chancellors after the creation of the German Empire follows and prioritize the three-two power foreign policy. Where in every major international situation, the German Empire should be on the side of where the majority of the world powers, and the empire should not be ostracized in international relationships and alliances.

Especially now when the German Empire is at its crossroads to become the most powerful empire in the world. Their foreign policy relationship with the British and the Russians is abysmal and almost non-existent, and the two powers were very frustrated with the growth of the Germans. The Russian's defeat during the Russo-Prussian war of 1839 has egged them for vengeance and almost no political negotiations for decades. The British were also isolating the German international relationship due to becoming the biggest threat to the British colonial power. The only major world power where they have a positive alliance is with the Ottoman Empire, which also alienated the world for its brutal way to fight insurgents and its warmongering tendency to its neighbors.

The political marriage of the German Crown Prince and the French Princess is the only current way for the Germans to improve their relationship with another world power, the French Empire. But their efforts are all thrown into the void due to this scandal.

He knows that the German Crown Prince Wilhelm Frederick is arrogant, spoiled, and has an inflated ego and is not suitable to be German emperor unless he changes his attitude. The Crown Prince even financed organizations and groups that promote German superiority and ignites extreme nationalism in the empire.

He also pursues war as the solution to most problems of the empire and only expansion and conquest is his main policy, such actions worried the Chancellor for years as this man would soon become the most powerful person in the German Empire, and if there is no change it would soon become a bloodbath and will destroy the peace and equilibrium not only in Europe but throughout the entire world.

This blatant bad attitude of the crown prince stressed Chancellor so much that it made him curse inside the office. All of the Chancellor's efforts to repair their foreign relations with the French turned to waste and even further deteriorate their already bad relationship.

Out of the three powers of France, Great Britain, and Russia, it would be the French who would immediately threaten their plan of unification of the German lands. They had the next largest army in Europe after Germany and their forces are well-trained and well-equipped. Even their north African holdings are near to keep them providing colonial troops reinforcement if ever the conflict would become a sluggish fight.

The Chancellor immediately called another cabinet meeting to tackle and respond to this scandal. He also sends one of his aides to have a conversation with the current Emperor of Germany, Emperor Frederick Louie of Prussia. He knows that the damage was already done but still as the Chancellor of the German Empire, he must mitigate and control the damage as much as he can.