At the Vienna Palace, ever since the news of xico City’s fall arrived, Franz has been dealing with troubles.
Although Maximilian I was not well-regarded within the Habsburg family, this did not include Archduchess Sophie and Archduke Karl.
Maximilian might not have been a good emperor, but he was a good son. During his ti in Vienna, he behaved well and was much loved by the two of them.
Upon hearing about the troubles in xico, they ca to inquire about the situation. Despite Franz’s repeated assurances that Maximilian was safe and currently at the Austrian embassy, they remained uneasy.
Now, every telegram related to Austrian Central Arica had to be personally reviewed by Archduchess Sophie, and she even sent a telegram to Governor Hüml in her na.
This made Franz quite annoyed, but given the circumstances, he couldn’t say much. Parents’ deep love for their children can sotis lead them to do unreasonable things.
To have a few peaceful days, Franz unhesitatingly chose to tour the country. Of course, this was limited to mainland Europe, as Asia, Africa, and Arica were too far, and long-distance travel in this era still posed risks.
Just as Franz departed, Alexandrovich’s European tour reached its final stop in Vienna.
The long-awaited opening of the Imperial Palace suite at the Austrian Grand Hotel had finally happened. It wasn’t easy, considering that since its completion, it had hosted fewer than ten guests and sotis didn’t open even once a year.
In fact, whether it opened or not didn’t make much difference, as room fees weren’t collected anyway. Traditionally, when royals visit each other, the host is responsible for all arrangents.
Of course, Franz still hoped for more visitors to stay, as this was also a form of advertising. This is how the Austrian Grand Hotel’s status was elevated, claiming to be the world’s premier hotel.
Despite being far from recouping the investnt, the hotel’s performance growth rate remained impressive. From its opening until now, annual revenue has tripled and continues to grow at a rate of 30-40% each year.
The Imperial Palace suite was originally built to palace specifications, with luxury beyond description, and its garden landscapes were uniquely stunning.
However, the newly arrived Crown Prince Alexandrovich showed no interest in these beautiful sights, overwheld with deep sorrow.
Franz’s reason for traveling naturally didn’t need to be explained to the outside world, so Alexandrovich mistakenly assud that Franz didn’t want to et him.
Every action of the emperor carries political significance. Franz’s unwillingness to et him signaled that the Austro-Russian alliance had reached its end. For Alexandrovich, this was terrible news.
It ant that his European tour was a failure. Although relations with various European countries had been eased, it couldn’t offset the impact of the Austro-Russian alliance’s collapse.
With the emperor absent, Crown Prince Alexandrovich also lost interest in upcoming diplomatic etings. After tentatively proposing a loan, which was rejected by the Austrian governnt, negotiations ended.
A wonderful misunderstanding led to a wasted opportunity for high-level contact between Russia and Austria, which could have resolved their conflicts.
When Franz’s daily records were declassified a century later, this misunderstanding was revealed and listed by historians as the 19th century’s biggest “political blunder,” sparking renewed debates in the academic world.
Franz, who was inspecting Württemberg, naturally didn’t think much about it. He couldn’t possibly turn back to Vienna just because of Alexandrovich’s visit. That would be undignified. It would be a different story if Alexander II himself had co.
A crown prince eting a crown prince is perfectly appropriate, and Franz left his son in Vienna. Even if he was a bit young, he was still the Austrian crown prince, of equal standing, fully capable of handling the reception.
For discussions, Austria’s Foreign Ministry was available. With the advent of telegraphs, Franz didn’t need to travel with governnt officials.
Purely in terms of distance, Württemberg wasn’t far from Vienna. With Austria’s developed transportation, it was possible to leave in the morning and arrive by evening.
Not only is Württemberg relatively close, but all of Austria’s European territories are not far from each other. Even the most distant, Cyprus Island, is only a little over a thousand kiloters from Vienna.
With such a short distance, it is theoretically possible to reach within three days. Of course, this is only in theory. Under normal circumstances, using ordinary transportation would take about ten days.
Franz’s national tour definitely does not include islands like Cyprus for a simple reason—seasickness.
Traveling by special train, it takes no more than three days to reach any major city in Austria from Vienna.
This is why Franz could embark on an impromptu journey, knowing he could return to Vienna promptly if needed.
As it turned out, the youthful Alexandrovich could not withstand the wait. After a week in Vienna without seeing Franz return, he decided to head back ho.
No one could have predicted that this seemingly inconspicuous European visit by Alexandrovich would mark the beginning of the Austro-Russian alliance’s collapse.
A simple misunderstanding led the Russians to believe that the Austrian governnt had decided to abandon the Austro-Russian alliance, prompting the Russian governnt to lean towards the British.
But that was all in the future. Franz’s so-called inspection was actually more about sightseeing and leisure.
If it were a genuine inspection, he wouldn’t start with these smaller states. Despite being the Holy Roman Emperor, he has limited say in the economic developnt of the individual states.
Such were the unspoken rules. Franz didn’t interfere in matters that weren’t his concern. As long as he was assured that the economic developnt of the various states was going well, that was enough for him.
As an emperor, ensuring national peace and prosperity was enough to secure his position. Ambitious individuals were always a minority, and in peaceti, these people were at most just all talk.
Compared to other European countries, the German region remains relatively conservative, with Austria being a stronghold of conservatism. Many new ideas originate here but fail to flourish.
The main reason Paris beca the beacon of the free world and the holy land of revolution was that Parisians were more receptive to new ideas, with emotion often overriding reason.
If one were to study history, one would find that France had beco the battleground for European thinkers, with Paris being the first testing ground for any theory or ideology.
...
In xico City, upon receiving the notice of leave from Ambassador Kompten, the soldiers who had been eating bread for days let out a cheer.
The xican governnt had the power to prevent its citizens from doing business with the Austrian embassy, but not the courage to obstruct the movent of Austrian embassy personnel.
Groups of two or three ‘Austrian soldiers’ appeared on the streets of xico, and these n knew the area well. Even if they weren’t locals, they had lived there for many years.
When they were following Maximilian I, they had picked up quite a few bad habits. In the Austrian embassy, they naturally didn’t dare to be unruly, but now that they were out, they had no reservations.
Of course, this doesn’t an they were entirely without morals. In fact, under Maximilian I’s restraint, these guards were generally decent, albeit a bit hot-tempered.
As part of the first group to take leave, Captain Mikkel and a few colleagues imdiately decided to improve their als, having had enough of eating bread continuously.
…
With a loud “bang,” a palm slamd heavily on the table. Captain Mikkel roared, “What do you an, you won’t sell to us? Why not? I’m not refusing to pay!”
The restaurant staff stamred through an explanation, but this only fueled Captain Mikkel and his companions’ anger rather than easing it.
This anger wasn’t directed at the waiter, but mainly at the xican Republican governnt. Unfortunately, he was in front of them and was caught in the crossfire.
Captain Mikkel had recomnded this restaurant, and now it was making him lose face. He lifted his gun and sneered, “Cut the crap and get my steak.”
With a gun to his head, the server didn’t dare refuse and quickly nodded in agreent.
This action clearly angered the other patrons, and a few young n in military uniforms ca over to argue. They appeared to be about 17 or 18 years old, just the age when one fears nothing.
“You bunch of scoundrels, how can you force people to sell? If they don’t want to do business with you, that’s their right!”
The words “scoundrels” and “right” completely infuriated Captain Mikkel. They were staunch royalists, and the fact that they didn’t betray Maximilian I at the last mont was proof of their stance. They despised liberalism.
Compared to reasoning, they preferred using their fists. Without hesitation, Captain Mikkel and his companions imdiately resorted to violence. Soon, the young n who had stood up to them were left on the ground groaning in pain.
With the fight over, no one bothered Captain Mikkel and his companions as they ate. As for the agents from the xican Republican governnt sent to follow them, they pretended to see nothing from start to finish.
As long as there’s no major trouble, it’s best not to bother the higher-ups with these minor issues. When it cos to foreign soldiers, even if they commit cris, their superiors also don’t have the authority to deal with them.
Handling it well brings no credit, but mishandling it could make soone a scapegoat. As a country transitioning to a semi-colonial society, it’s hard for the xican Republican governnt not to be timid.
If it were just this, the matter would pass. Daily clashes in xico City with foreign powers are nurous, usually resulting in xicans getting the short end of the stick.
It’s just that the protagonists this ti are different. Regardless of what these soldiers were before, now that they’re wearing Austrian uniforms, they are Austrian soldiers, and the xican governnt can’t do anything to them.
However, the young n who suffered didn’t agree to let it go. After leaving with injuries, they didn’t want to just let it slide. Instead, they thought about revenge.
“Koller, we can’t just let this go. If we don’t retaliate, these bastards will only beco more arrogant!”
Koller responded, “Kend, what do you plan to do?”
Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Kend sneered, “Of course, it’s…” He made a throat-cutting gesture, and their conversation ca to an abrupt halt.
Despite their youth, they’ve been baptized through blood and fire and are mbers of the radical faction within the xican Republican governnt.
After a pause, Koller slowly said, “We must be cautious with this, not leaving any traces, and it would be best to fra…”
...
Captain Mikkel and his companions, still wandering outside, were unaware that they had been targeted. They were looking for entertainnt everywhere.
There were many soldiers in the embassy, and they had to take turns resting. Leave was hard to co by, and if they missed this opportunity, they’d have to wait until next month.
Around midnight, already quite drunk, they were supporting each other as they headed back. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to stay out, but their wallets couldn’t handle it.
With such a small military salary, they couldn’t afford to squander it. Occasional indulgence was fine, but they weren’t in a position to live a life of debauchery.
“Bang, bang, bang…”
Gunshots rang out, and the group instantly sobered up, imdiately dropping to the ground and returning fire in the darkness.
Thanks to the tense situation, the xican Republican governnt had increased its vigilance, and the gunfire attracted the attention of patrolling police.
Captain Mikkel escaped by the skin of his teeth, but his companions weren’t so lucky. Of the eight n who had gone out, three were dead and two were wounded.
This was just the beginning of the conflict. Several other soldiers returning ho suddenly found their residences occupied by new owners, leading to more fierce confrontations.
In just one day, these soldiers on leave caused over a dozen shootings in xico City, resulting in dozens of casualties.
Ambassador Kompten was pleased rather than angry upon receiving the news. He no longer had to worry about lacking a pretext for intervention. With so many shootings, the xican Republican governnt had to provide Austria with an explanation.
As for the deceased, Ambassador Kompten could only regretfully express the need to seek justice for them. After all, these people had been issued Austrian citizenship by him.
Especially concerning the matter of hos changing owners—these were “Austrian citizens” whose properties had been forcibly taken. This matter could not simply be brushed aside.
Ambassador Kompten was a clever man. Since the Austrian army had not yet arrived, it was not the right ti to provoke the xican governnt. If they were pushed too far and decided to retaliate in a last-ditch effort, it could end disastrously.
In his view, finding an excuse to intervene and then politically blackmail the xican Republican governnt under the threat of military force was the best course of action.
If the army were to outright crush xico, what role would diplomats like him have?
To avoid excessively provoking the xican Republican governnt, Ambassador Kompten initially downplayed the situation, focusing solely on the shootings and demanding that the xican governnt hand over the perpetrators.
The matter of ordinary Austrian citizens’ properties being seized and even the horrific massacres that wiped out entire families was temporarily not pursued. In fact, the xican governnt was entirely unaware that these people had beco Austrian citizens.
Originally, Ambassador Kompten had hesitated about granting these soldiers’ families Austrian citizenship, as many did not et the standards.
Now, there was no need to hesitate—they must be Austrian citizens. Even their relatives who perished during the purges could beco Austrian citizens.
The greater the number of casualties and the more significant the property loss, the stronger the justification for demanding compensation in the future.
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