Chapter 65, Alexandrovich

The French-Russian rapprochement was not just lip service. Although Napoleon III was now just making a tentative move, attempting to gain more leverage within the British-French-Austrian tripartite alliance, it was necessary to take concrete actions.

On March 6, 1871, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Crown Prince Alexandrovich would visit the European continent, with France being the first stop.

The Russians' cooperation came as a surprise. Under normal circumstances, the Crown Prince's first visit should have been to Vienna, or he could have started from Denmark.

The order of the Crown Prince's visits may seem trivial, but it actually contained deep political implications, signaling political messages to the outside world.

Austria was the Russian Empire's most important ally and the only substantial one, holding a significant weight in diplomacy.