Chapter 352: Playing with Fire

Chapter 352: Playing with Fire

The collaboration between France and Austria surprised many nations. Generally, on the European continent, Austria was seen as the greatest threat to French hegemony. According to this perspective, France should have worked diligently to exploit Austria's natural weaknesses as a multi-ethnic country, supporting internal turmoil, ideally leading to Austria's disintegration. This would have solidified France's dominance in Europe.

However, the French made the surprising choice to support the Austrian government in this event. It seemed as though they had foregone the opportunity to dismember Austria, leaving many armchair politicians disappointed. Some British newspapers even expressed a mix of relief and disdain, suggesting that Joseph Bonaparte, swayed by immediate minor gains, had let go of an unprecedented opportunity. This indicated that while he indeed lived up to the reputation of "White Plume" on the battlefield, politically, he seemed too naive.

Of course, French media wouldn't attack their leader in such a manner, but their rebuttals were confined to a moral standpoint. French newspapers emphasized that this demonstrated France's commitment to peace, portraying itself as a pillar of global peace, unlike aggressive entities like England.

In discussing this matter, the pinnacle perspective was found in "The Scientific Truth Gazette." The Gazette acknowledged that the French government should protect its interests but pointed out that France's interests extended beyond the visible. For France, intangible aspects held greater value. These intangibles were the spirit of the French Republic.

"The spirit of France embodies the persistence in 'democracy,' 'freedom,' and 'benevolence.' Under this spirit's influence, the French people united, establishing the great French Republic. This spirit forms the foundation of France, uniting its people. For France, there's no greater interest than upholding this spirit. However, such reasoning might be lost on those fixated solely on mundane interests."

"Mr. Mencius once said: 'If aspiring politicians worldwide wish to serve in your country, farmers aspire to till your land within your borders, merchants desire to trade in your markets, and travelers long to walk your roads, while those oppressed by their own king seek solace in your land, who else can contend with you?'"

However, maintaining this persona wasn't the sole reason for the French siding with the Austrians this time. Their actions had more pragmatic, darker undertones.

Firstly, according to the research of the three brothers, they believed that, in the long term, only the Germanic people posed a threat to France's position on the European continent. In general, the Germanic population was large and reasonably educated. If they ceased being fragmented and unified into a single country, a Germany would undoubtedly challenge France's status.

Presently, Germany was divided into three parts: the Rhine Federation, Prussia, and Austria. The Rhine Federation and Prussia were Protestant, while Austria was Catholic. So, although the Rhine Federation was currently an ally of France, the concern was whether they would eventually align with Prussia, potentially forming a Germany—a worry for France. However, in the current scenario, France could stop this using its hard power. Yet, doing so would damage France's persona. Hence, to maintain Germany's fragmentation, France preferred not to weaken Austria excessively.

Moreover, Austria faced deep internal conflicts. To sustain the empire and counter North Germany, the Habsburgs increasingly relied on France. Consequently, they became advocates for French interests or, to put it more bluntly, 'collaborators.'

These factors combined were the reasons behind France's actions. As for Austria's national debt maneuvering, fundamentally, it was merely a ploy to catch rabbits while embracing the grass.