Chapter 1721 Telephone Conversation One
Chapter 1721 Phone conversation 1
The Austrian Emperor now leaves a rich "inheritance" to his daughter. In the eyes of top nobles like the Grand Duke of Baden, he is cultivating another line of the Wittelsbach family and the Habsburg family. In Ruprecht's generation, the kingdom of Bavaria and Bohemia-Moravia were one, but after that? The eldest son with Austrian citizenship obviously cannot go back and inherit both Bavaria and Bohemia at the same time.
And this will inevitably lead to the split of the originally powerful Wittelsbach family. This is a good thing for Prussia! Perhaps decades later, the Wittelsbach family may have two crowns, one is the Bavarian crown and the other is the Bohemian-Moravian crown. This is not surprising. In the Grand Duke's view, the future It is also possible for the Grand Duchess to become Queen. And the line of the Austrian Emperor's direct line has at least maintained a considerable status. On this point, the Grand Duke of Baden expressed his understanding.
"After the war, will Hungary no longer be able to guarantee its own independent army? At the same time, the other states will no longer have independent armies and internal financial power?" Grand Duke Baden asked.
"In the future, the new empire will be divided into three major parts, the center headed by Austria, the weakened Hungary, and the Ukrainian region. Hungary will be divided into two independent states, namely Slovakia and Croatia, while the Germans gather The region will be incorporated into Austria. Parts of Ukraine will become autonomous regions, while others will become provinces. The provinces under the direct control of the center will account for half of the empire. The Bohemia-Moravia region will serve as a Special Zone. At least, this is the case in Ruprecht's generation." Austrian Emperor thought for a while and said.
"You seem to be very concerned about maintaining a very special relationship with Bavaria." The Grand Duke frowned and said. The Austrian Emperor once again expressed his political inclinations from the side. This move close to Bavaria made the Grand Duke very dissatisfied and worried. .
"It's just respecting the facts. In terms of blood, Austria and Bavaria have been married for three generations. In the future, it may continue. Now, Austria needs more foreign aid, not only military but also economic and technological. In fact, This connection has been going on for more than ten years, and it cannot be denied. In the situation that cannot be changed, I think we should learn to admit the reality." Ao Huang said.
"However, if you think so, it does not mean that your successor will also implement this route." The Grand Duke of Baden said in his heart. After he thought he had figured out the cards of the Austrian Emperor, he had no intention of continuing to discuss these matters with Fritz. After all, Austria was unwilling to make concessions, and the Kaiser really had nothing to do. It seems that in the end, a trip to Saint Sophia is needed to solve the problem. To be honest, the Grand Duke of Baden was unwilling to face the Crown Prince of Bavaria. The opponent's ability and tough personality made him feel very weak.
"Actually, Your Excellency the Grand Duke doesn't need to go to St. Sophia. Ruprecht thinks it would be very awkward to meet at this time. For some things, just talk on the phone." Austrian Emperor thought for a while and then said.
"There are some things that can't be explained over the phone.
"Although Grand Duke Baden doesn't want to see the crown prince, but no matter how unwilling he is, things must be done well.
"Now we can only talk on the phone, because Ruprecht told me that his command post will move to Kiev in three days," Austrian Emperor said.
"Are you kidding? In winter, moving the command post to Kiev, is it necessary to launch a large-scale attack?" The Grand Duke said angrily, but then, the Grand Duke suddenly thought of a possibility, and this idea shocked him very much. .
"It seems that your Excellency has already thought of it. Compared with this matter, I think our internal conflicts are not worth mentioning at all, isn't it?" Austrian Emperor said with a smile.
So, on the second day, according to the agreement between the two parties, the Archduke of Baden and Ruprecht talked directly on the phone. Some people may say that it is enough to let the Kaiser talk to Ruprecht directly? Why do we need a middleman? This is no nonsense. Now that the two sides are so angry, what if the talks really collapse? Neither the Kaiser nor Ruprecht is someone who can easily admit defeat, the faces of both parties are the two biggest faces in the German Empire! And as a second-class family in the empire, the Grand Duke of Baden feels that he is the one who takes the blame for both parties...
"Your Excellency, I think you should have understood something from the words of His Majesty the Emperor of Austria. The German General Staff has also received news about this matter. There has been turmoil in St. Petersburg, and it is getting worse. In this case, We obviously shouldn't affect the great cause of the empire because of some domestic problems, so I hope you can act as a buffer between Bavaria and Prussia, and some problems need to be put aside for a while." After a brief courtesy, Ruprech Go straight to the topic.
"Your Highness, His Majesty the Kaiser is the emperor after all. Even though some actions are not so appropriate, the authority of the central government of the empire must be maintained. You are already fighting against the imperial government by doing so." The Grand Duke of Baden said carefully.
"So? What is William II going to do? Take away my title of Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Front or prepare for a strong confrontation?" The prince's tough answer came from the microphone.
"Your Excellency, you are working hard to bridge the differences between the two countries, so I will not make it difficult for you. I will say the conditions, you listen, and then go back and tell William that this is my final bottom line." The prince said.
"I take care of his face. The Bavarian Army can give up part of our area to Prussia. This area is about 10,000 square kilometers. In exchange, the Kaiser must ensure that other occupied areas maintain the status quo. At the end of the war No discussion or voting on the ownership of the occupied areas will be held before!"
"Secondly, I want to use this time to launch an offensive. Therefore, I ask the central government of the empire to pre-allocate me the material ration for the next month." The prince stated his conditions.
The prince didn’t have many requests, just two, but these two made it really difficult for the Grand Duke of Baden to make a decision. Let’s talk about the prince’s concession first. The Bavarian Army gave up a quarter of the Polish territory it controlled. It counted as a step up for the Kaiser. Regardless of whether the Kaiser is satisfied or not, anyway, I feel quite satisfied... After all, Bavaria's attitude is still to make concessions, the place is not small, and both the face and the inside are justified!
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