v3 Chapter 198： Undercurrents in the German Confederation

Prussian Prime Minister Bismarck:

"Since 1714, the Hanoverian elector George was elected to the United Kingdom, and he also served as the king of the United Kingdom. Hanover and Great Britain and the Irish Festival were not able to co-own the Confederacy. However, because in 1803 Hanover, like the Netherlands, was under the command of Napoleon I. Occupied by France, it was not until the fall of Napoleon in 1814 that Hanover began to be upgraded to a kingdom with the consent of the major powers.

At the Congress of Vienna, it was decided to give the King of England a say in the affairs of the German Confederation, when it was decided to elevate the Electoral Empire of Hanover to the Kingdom of Hanover and to form a Princess Confederation with Great Britain.

But this princess federation soon disintegrated. At that time, in 1837, our Kingdom of the Netherlands intervened in the Netherlands because the Viscount Palmerston had just risen, and the Belgian rule and the successful split began in 1830, and in 1838, the Netherlands recognized the Belgian independent kingdom. After the death of King William IV of England, the British throne was passed to Victoria, the heir of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, who was the closest son of blood.

When she succeeded to the British throne, the German Confederation initiated the implementation of the Sari Act on the European continent, prohibiting women from inheriting the throne. The throne of the United Kingdom of Great Britain-Ireland-Hanover, ruled by Queen Victoria's third uncle William IV, was eventually divided into Hanover. He went out and passed it on to his fifth uncle, the Duke of Cumberland. "

He looked at Mo Qi and William I, and said gloomily: "Britain has too much say in Germany. Queen Victoria is not like William IV. Although the Principality of Luxembourg is also within the German Confederation, the Netherlands is rarely involved. The things of the German Confederacy, Britain was the opposite, Hanover became the will of the United Kingdom.

Just like this time we launched Schleswig and Holstein against Denmark.

Hannover actually took the lead with Saxony in front of us, well, if it weren't for Denmark's thumping, they would even be vying for dominance with us now, so"

Bismarck said to William I: "Your Majesty, Hannover must be pulled out, so that the road to our rise in Prussia will be smoother."

"Will this not be very good?" Crown Prince Frederick asked before William I made a statement: "Will Britain send troops to support Hannover because of this? If it does send troops, then for Prussia, it will be the enemy on the back. Ah, the Prime Minister should know that Austria will not pass up the opportunity to join forces with Britain against us, and Prussia's attack on Hanover is an excuse for them."

"Is the crown prince worried that Austria will join forces?" Bismarck asked.

Crown Prince Frederick: "Yes, this has to be guarded against, shouldn't it?"

After Bismarck received the approval of William I, he revealed a message to Crown Prince Frederick, but Prince Frederick jumped up from his seat in shock.

Because Prime Minister Bismarck said: "Hanover must be won, that's for sure. As for him becoming an excuse for Austria to unite with the United Kingdom, hey, the crown prince can rest assured"

Seeing that Prince Frederick was puzzled, he continued: "Because, my plan was that at that time Prussia was already thinking about the Austrian Empire going to war first, and then taking the opportunity to take Hannover directly. You said, do you still need the excuse of Austria? ?"

To fight Austria?

Seeing that William I, Mao Qi and others were indifferent, it was obvious that they had known about this plan.

Formerly Denmark Schleswig and Holstein, now the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hanover.

"This" while Crown Prince Frederick was shocked, he couldn't help but said: "Since you are going to fight Austria, then the United Kingdom"

"Okay, Frederick"

William I stopped Crown Prince Frederick, he stood up, pointed to the latest version of the map on the wall, he said solemnly: "Come and see, look around the map around Prussia, the Baltic Sea to the north, the Principality of Poland ruled by the Russian Empire in the east.

To the southeast is the Austrian Empire, and to the south are the Kingdom of Bavaria, Thuringia, Saxony, Hesse, Baden, and Bohemia.

In the west are the Kingdom of Hanover, the Principality of Lorraine, the Principality of Alsace, the Principality of Mecklenburg, the Principality of Brentenberg, the Principality of Holstein and the Principality of Schleswig in the north.

The geographical location of the Kingdom of Hanover is crucial, as it connects with Holstein on the northern Jutland peninsula.

To the northeast is the Baltic Sea and borders with Mecklenburg. The South West is linked to our Rhine Province and separates our homeland from the Rhine Province.

To the west of Hannover is the north of the Netherlands. Of course, Hannover is our continuation of the Atlantic Ocean outlet.

Therefore, Bismarck and I have already planned, our next goal will be to provoke a war with Austria, and take the opportunity to win Hannover, Mecklenburg, Budenburg, etc., and get through with the Rhine Province and the Netherlands in one fell swoop Even the Atlantic and other passages, as long as these places are won, even if the final result of the war with Austria is to maintain the current status quo. After winning Hannover, Bundesburg, and Mecklenburg, Prussia is absolutely different from what it is now. "

Crown Prince Frederick: "However, Austria's strength is there, will it hurt both sides and the British will gain?"

Bismarck smiled: "His Royal Highness, have you forgotten that the current Austrian Empire is a wounded person who has just suffered heavy losses."

Crown Prince Frederick was stunned for a moment, and then he stared at Prime Minister Bismarck with wide eyes.

Looking at William I and the Chief of General Staff Moqi again, he swallowed in disbelief, "The Prime Minister's plan is not to take advantage of Austria's loss of nearly 100,000 people in the Schleswig War, so he wants to take him while he is sick. Life......"

Bismarck shook his head: "The crown prince is wrong."

Crown Prince Frederick: "What's wrong?"

William I: "But you are wrong, because we have already calculated the Austrian war losses from before the Schleswig War, so it is better to say that it is not so much to take advantage of his illness to kill him. From the beginning, Austria fell into the trap we set for him."

No way!

Crown Prince Frederick reacted and looked at the people even more incredulously.

Then Austria was counted!

"The Schleswig War?"

He couldn't help but ask Bismarck: "We also calculated it"

It was only at this moment that Frederick realized that everything that caused a sensation in Europe before was in the hands of the few people in front of him.

Suddenly, a link appeared in his mind quickly.

"African Ethiopian Austrian War, Nigerian Expansion, Plus Schleswig War"

Crown Prince Frederick exclaimed: "I didn't understand before, why I thought that Prussia chose to launch support for Austria's opponent there, but now I understand, it turned out to want Austria's forces to be trapped there, and then The local soldiers can only lose heavy losses on Schleswig under our deliberate alliance. Then, the Austrian mainland also deployed heavy troops outside Europe, but the local area is empty. According to Prime Minister Bismarck, at this time, it was Prussia. Good chance to attack Austria."

He asked, "I don't know, what time did His Majesty and the Prime Minister choose?"

Bismarck: "1866..."