Time flies, and winter begins again in a blink of an eye.

Based on Franz's years of experience, we can tell that this is a warm winter. Usually, it has snowed in Mount Glockner at this time. Not to mention snow this year, there is even little rain.

With a warm winter drought, it has almost been announced that agriculture will reduce production in the coming year. Austria is a major industrial country and an agricultural country, and agriculture occupies an important position in the national economy.

The Vienna government has always attached great importance to agricultural production. After years of hard work, the domestic agricultural infrastructure has become more perfect and has a complete disaster response system.

Usually, as long as it is not a large-scale disaster that affects the whole country, Franz will not interfere. Now he has attracted his attention, mainly because he was born in Vienna.

Minister of Agriculture Halls: "Your Majesty, the current situation is not too bad. According to the data monitored by various places, the scope of the disaster is not very large.

It is mainly concentrated in the Bohemia region around Vienna. These areas have relatively high industry and commerce, and the people have strong risk resistance. The reduction in winter wheat yield will not have much impact."

This is the benefit brought by the industrial age. In the economic development areas, farmers who enter the city to work during the slack farming period have become a common social phenomenon.

Increased income sources and naturally increased risk resistance. If you are still in an agricultural society, the government should be vigilant.

Franz just asked casually that food production reductions within a certain range are not needed within Austria's tolerance for "disaster relief".

Reducing yields is not a complete harvest. Receiving a hundred or eighty kilograms per mu of land is not enough to make farmers bankrupt. Unless the disaster is persistent and government relief is needed, otherwise the people can overcome the disaster by themselves.

...

Foreign Minister Wesenberg: "Your Majesty, the news has just been heard from Paris that the French are preparing to send troops to escort the son of Isabella II back to the country. The dispute over the throne of Spain is about to end.

Judging from the collected data, Britain and France should have reached an agreement. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that it may be related to the Near East War, and the London government concessions on the issue of the Spanish throne in exchange for the French support for them on the Near East issue."

Not beyond Franz's expectations, if the British wanted to preserve the Ottoman Empire, they had to join the French.

Although the Paris government has been in constant internal struggle, they also do not want to see Austria pull out the nails behind it. It is not surprising that the British have made concessions on the issue of the Spanish throne, and the French have chosen to support them.

Austria wants a stable rear, isn’t it the case for the French? Unlike the Ottoman Empire, Spain cannot even pull out this nail.

It’s not that you won by fighting or not, the key is that you can’t use force. European countries may be able to accept the end of the Ottoman Empire, but they will never allow Spain to be annexed.

Since it cannot be beaten to death, then it will be won over. Spain is now a mess, with a lot of internal problems. It is completely in line with France's interests to support a pro-France and a weak government.

Queen Isabella II of Spain had long been bad, and her son Alfonso XII also suffered a loss of reputation. If you want to hold the throne firmly, you cannot do without the support of the French.

A vulnerable pro-French government, the French will not have to worry about threats from Spain for a long time in the future.

Franz: "So that's the case, then we are ready to end. Telegram Hummel, once Britain and France intervene fully, they will negotiate with the Ottoman Empire. The bottom line is to take down our actual control zone, plus Jerusalem.

The Russians also appeased the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. How much profit they can get depends on the Tsarist government's own diplomatic ability."

Franz knew in his heart that this might be the last joint military operation of the Russian-Austrian alliance. According to the current international situation, the alliance between Austria and the Russians has already done more harm than good.

Although Alexander II was a talented and strategy, suppressed all forces in the country and completed the preliminary social reforms, his diplomatic performance was really unsatisfactory.

On the one hand, the Russian Empire has too much historical burden, and it is like a European overlord and has not adjusted its mentality in time; on the other hand, it is too much of a territorial and has bad relations with all its neighbors.

It is not that it is wrong to pay attention to territory. The problem is that many territories of the Russian Empire were stolen, which are similar to colonies.

When you are strong, you can pay attention to it no matter how you are. When you are declining, you should pay attention to the methods and make concessions. If you should make concessions, you must make concessions.

Unfortunately, the Tsarist government did not do that. The last time the Russians were defeated in the Prussian-Russian War, it was actually a failure in diplomacy.

If the Tsarist government gathers its ambitions, there will be no problem with Central Asia and the Far East. If the Tsarist government had not been expanded before the War, it would have made people angry, Prussia would not have any allies.

Logically speaking, after being beaten by society, the Tsarist government should wake up and take the initiative to build relations between neighboring countries. If there is any problem, it will be dealt with slowly after it is defeated.

Unfortunately, the Tsarist government did not change its thinking, and regarded the reclaiming of neighboring countries as an enemy invasion, believing that its own family was the victim.

There is no need to say that there will definitely be no friends if you play like this. Franz is very suspicious that the Russians will be besieged in the next Prussian-Russian War.

Because of the Russian-Austrian alliance, Austria has had bad relations with these countries. Of course, Austria is strong enough. Even if the relationship is not good, the treatment of the great powers is still there, and it has no impact on trade exchanges with various countries.

Felix reminded him: "Your Majesty, why not notify the Tsarist government first and leave them buffering time."

The Russian-Austrian alliance is not over yet, and the matter of cheating teammates cannot be done too clearly. The Near East War can create the current situation, mainly because Austria is providing strategic materials.

If Austria withdrew from the war, the Tsarist government could not afford the expense. The same strategic materials would have different costs for different countries.

Relatively speaking, the industrial power with its own production capacity has lower costs of strategic materials, while the agricultural countries that need to be imported bear much higher costs.

Taking weapons and ammunition as an example, the cost of the Russians is one-third higher than that of Austria. This is still the cost of ordinary times. It is possible that even if it is half higher during the war period.

There are many factors involved, such as: production costs, transportation costs, procurement costs, and the integrity of the bureaucratic system.

If the Vienna government now had the Russians, perhaps the Ottoman Empire would have no effort and the Tsarist government would have to withdraw its troops.

The main enemy of the Russians was the Prussian Kingdom, and the Tsarist government could not have devoted its efforts to the Ottoman Empire.

Since the war has been underway, the strategic goal of the Tsarist government to weaken the Ottoman Empire has been completed. Even if the Ottoman Empire is reborn from the ashes, it will not be able to threaten the Russian Empire within twenty years.

Remind the Russians that there is no need to pay a price, Franz naturally acts as good as he does.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified the Russians and passed on the news that Britain and France were closer to them. I believe the Tsarist government would understand."

It is impossible not to understand. Without Austria's money and supplies, the Tsarist government had no financial resources to continue the war.

...

In the Downing Street Office, Gerston was in a very unhappy mood and said in a cold tone: "Raul, call the cabinet members to come for a meeting."

Franz believes that the British made concessions on the issue of Spanish throne in order to preserve the Ottoman Empire, but in fact, the London government did not make a decision so quickly.

Austria is a threat, and France will also threaten. No matter which company is allowed to grow, it will threaten the interests of Britain.

Unless there is no way, the London government will not compromise with the French.

After the British in the original time and space were turning to the Allies, or the German Empire expanded their navy, which made them feel threatened, they were swaying before this.

Austria has not expanded its navy significantly now. The navy has always been below the French and its total tonnage ranks third in the world.

From the British standpoint, France and Austria are both huge threats. However, these two threats have common weaknesses and must exert their power at the same time. In the European 6th period, the two countries restrain each other, and the pressure on the London government is not great.

...

Gerston asked, "Marquis Marquis, didn't you tell me that the French are busy with internal strife and are unwilling to participate in international affairs?"

What's going on now? We have restrained Austria for them, and the French sent troops directly to interfere in the Spanish throne.

I really can't imagine how much sensation this news would cause if it spread."

Marquis McLean was also in tears. He really didn't expect the French in the infighting to suddenly use this trick.

It has to be said that the French candidates have a good time. Britain and Austria have conflicts over the Ottoman issue, and the two countries have restrained each other and have no time to intervene in the Spanish throne.

"Sir, this is our misjudgment and underestimation of the French ambitions. Now that things have come to this point, we must find a way to deal with the aftermath, otherwise we will create the biggest joke of the century.

In the current situation, we can only choose one of two. Either join forces with the French to preserve the Ottoman Empire; or join forces with Austria to force the French to give up interfering in the succession of the Spanish throne.

My personal suggestion is to save the Ottoman Empire first. The Spanish issue will be long. There are no eternal allies in politics. Today, the Spanish government can be pro-French, and tomorrow they can be pro-British.

If the Ottoman Empire perishes, it will be difficult to resurrect again. Without the restraint of the Ottoman Empire, Austria can expand to the Central and European regions with all its might, and the balance of Europe is likely to be broken."

There is another reason Marquis McLean didn't say, that is, the war in the Near East has begun. If we stop now, it would be like the failure of the intervention and would be criticized by the opposition parties.
Chapter completed!