Capítulo 1500: Chapter 1406: Swiss Federation
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Count Stadion, Austria’s Finance Minister, imdiately agreed: “Your Majesty, actually we only need to expand the ‘State Council’ in size, such as increasing its mbers to 200, and adding so influential lawyers and writers to counteract the impact from France’s House of Representatives.”
What he referred to as the “State Council” was established during Joseph II’s reforms and is sowhat similar in structure to England’s House of Lords, with a Pri Minister set up for overall managent.
However, as soon as Leopold II ca to power, he quickly marginalized this institution, opting instead to use a series of “Court Committees,” such as the “Court State and Foreign Affairs Commission” and the “Court War Committee” to hold real power.
Therefore, the State Council represents enlightennt and democracy in the minds of Austrians.
Little Kobtsel frowned slightly: “Perhaps, we still need to hold an election, even if only symbolic…”
Count Speelman imdiately shook his head: “That would only make those elected feel like they’ve gained support, thereby emboldening them to disobey His Majesty’s wishes!”
Count Stadion continued: “We also need to consider the attitude of the noble congresses of Hungary and Bohemia…”
The debate lasted for three days, ultimately resulting in Franz II adopting a compromise—
Expanding the State Council to 300 mbers, but with mbers only so-called elected among four to five thousand designated by the Emperor. At the sa ti, further restricting the Council’s rights, limiting them to rely discussing legislation, with the eting tis decided by the Emperor.
…
August 9, 1800.
Switzerland.
In a villa to the west of Basel City, tternich frowned while looking at docunts just sent from Vienna, shaking his head repeatedly: “Allowing those lawyers and journalists into the State Council and even participate in discussing legislation?
“Count Kobutsel is simply destroying the Empire!”
Sitting across from him, the secretary, Friedrich von Gentz, cautiously remarked: “I think, this is rely His Majesty the Emperor’s way to stabilize people’s hearts…”
tternich maintained a graceful posture, but his voice grew louder: “At no ti should His Majesty the Emperor show retreat, not even a little!
“That will only encourage those who disrupt order, prompting further ventures!
“Whether it’s the Bohemians, Hungarians, Styrians, or Moravians, they all need a strong and resolutely determined emperor.
“His Majesty should let everyone in the Empire know that the Emperor’s authority is unique and supre, and no one should have other ideas!”
Gentz nodded, looking at him: “So, should I draft a letter of advice to His Majesty for you?”
tternich raised his hand to stop him: “No, I’ll bring it up when I report to His Majesty after handling matters here, making my suggestion more influential.”
The secretary seed sowhat worried: “But, today, the ‘Council of Seven’ in Basel seems not too inclined to join the Confederation.”
tternich got up and moved to the window, looking at the faintly visible Rhine River in the distance: “I will convince Vienna to allocate an additional fund, as long as we can gain the support of Baron Boyceville, others won’t be hard to deal with.”
Yes, Austria’s prior intervention in the Swiss situation did not arouse displeasure from France. Vienna learned through various channels that France not only has no interest in the poor and chaotic Swiss German-speaking area but also doesn’t want the trade routes there to be affected by rebellion.
Therefore, tternich imdiately suggested to Franz II to invest resources to promote the formation of the “Swiss Federation” by several northwestern Swiss cantons.
Although the terms Confederation and Federation differ only in word order, their anings are vastly different.
A Confederation is a loose alliance with the governnt having almost no binding power over the states. And once it becos a Federation, it ans forming a highly unified country with most of Switzerland.
Then Switzerland could not only beco a solid barrier to France advancing northward but also propose the return of cantons like Bern and Solothurn to France when the ti is ripe in the future.
To this end, Franz II allocated 600,000 florins to tler, along with promises of various aid to the future Swiss Federation, allowing him to proceed to Switzerland to promote this matter.
tternich then took advantage of the previous unrest of “rging into France” in the northern Swiss cantons, warning Zurich, Basel, Schwyz, Uri, among others, that Vienna’s aid cannot support so many cantons, and if they do not further unite, they may not withstand the next rebellion.
Currently, Zurich, Schwyz, and Uri have all agreed—the forr being the Swiss capital stands to gain the most from forming the Federation, while the latter two poor cantons’ economies are heavily reliant on Zurich, forcing them to comply.
Only the wealthiest, Basel, still hesitated, primarily out of concern over having to “subsidize” other poor cantons post-unification.
Several days later, after tternich lavishly spent 150,000 florins in bribes, he finally “convinced” the Basel political core, and the rger proposal passed in Congress.
tternich promptly set off for Zurich, preparing to personally preside over the negotiations for forming the Swiss Federation among the northern cantons there.
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The Vienna Conference, also known as the tternich System, was the largest and longest European power diplomatic conference in modern history, held from September 18, 1814, to June 9, 1815, in Vienna, Austria, proposed and organized by the Austrian politician Clens Wenzel von tternich, without the Ottoman Empire’s participation.
The conference aid to address the European political landscape following Napoleon’s defeat, with the core goal of restoring old dynastic rule and feudal order, and preventing a resurgence of France. tternich facilitated the talks through a dual strategy of simultaneously proposing peace negotiation terms to the allied nations and exerting military pressure on Napoleon. He led decision-making, establishing the principles of legitimate monarchy, compensation, and balance of power through informal etings. Disrupted by Napoleon’s Hundred Days restoration, the “Final Act of the Vienna Congress” was signed after the Battle of Waterloo, redistributing territories like Poland and Saxony, establishing the German Confederation under Austrian leadership. The system ford by the conference maintained a great power coordination chanism through the Quadruple and Holy Alliances, becoming the international political order following the Westphalian system, lasting until it was replaced by the Versailles-Washington system after World War I in 1918.
It recognized the pre-1789 French and other feudal monarchs as legitimate dynasties, restoring their ruling power, political systems, and territories. If the original monarch was overthrown by Napoleon, their brothers or relatives could succeed them as hereditary monarchs. Thus, Louis XVIII in France, Ferdinand VII in Spain, the Orange Royal Family in the Netherlands, Ferdinand I in the Two Sicilies Kingdom, and the Pope in the Pope State were all restored to power.
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