Make France Great Again-Chapter 137: After Revision - France and Sardinia Alliance?
Chapter 137: After Revision: Chapter 137 France and Sardinia Alliance?
Jerome Bonaparte’s words caused a flicker of excitement in Achille Fuld’s eyes.
After so much effort, he had finally gained Jerome Bonaparte’s recognition, indicating that his "loyalty" had been duly rewarded.
However, the so-called loyalty of Baron Achille Fuld was more accurately political speculation, much like the banker Lafayette who once helped Louis Philippe gain the throne.
In France, the highest returns were not from securities trading speculation, but from political speculation.
Once speculation succeeded, the bankers who placed heavy bets would double their earnings in a short time.
Of course, there was also a large number of bankers who placed the wrong bets on the wrong people and directly went bankrupt, and here Lafayette’s name is also mentioned.
In Jerome Bonaparte’s view, Achille Fuld’s previous actions were enough to bring him into Bonaparte’s circle, not to mention that he also needed someone knowledgeable in finance to assist him in managing the Ministry of Finance after replacing all members of the Barrow Cabinet.
No one was more suitable to manage finance than a banker.
However, Achille Fuld still had a long way to go before he could become a confidant to Jerome Bonaparte.
Percy, who received Jerome Bonaparte’s straightforward instructions without hesitation, immediately reported, "Mr. President, the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Tocqueville, was looking for you this morning!"
"Hmm, Tocqueville?" Jerome Bonaparte suddenly remembered that Audion Barrot had already replaced the Minister of Foreign Affairs with Tocqueville. "Did he say anything?"
"No," Percy shook his head and replied to Jerome Bonaparte, then added, "However, judging by Tocqueville’s expression, something major must have happened!"
"A major event?" Jerome Bonaparte softly repeated, and went through his memories of 1849.
The dispute between Prussia and Austria? No, it’s only August now!
The Hungarian Revolution? Also not right, it’s already August, Kossuth and his people should have already been finished by now.
Prussia-Danish? Austria? Or the Pope State issue?
Jerome Bonaparte, after pondering for a moment, went through all the major events Tocqueville might want to discuss, and then reconsidered Tocqueville’s behavior, ruling out the Prussia-Danish War again.
What remained were the issues with Austria and the Pope State.
"Percy, please help me invite Mr. Tocqueville to the Elysee Palace!" Jerome Bonaparte instructed Percy.
"Yes!" Percy responded.
"Baron, forgive me for not being able to stay! Our minister has important matters to discuss with me!" Jerome Bonaparte said with a slight hint of apology to Baron Fuld.
"Mr. President, please feel free to leave! I await your next visit at any time!" Baron Achille Fuld said with a bow and a smile.
After bidding farewell to Baron Achille Fuld, Jerome Bonaparte boarded a carriage under the escort of a team of Dragoons.
Percy took the carriage prepared by Baron Fuld to Tocqueville’s residence.
Jerome Bonaparte hastily returned to the study at the Elysee Palace, gazing at the scenery outside the window, waiting for the arrival of Minister Tocqueville.
Half an hour later, there was a knock on the door.
Jerome Bonaparte, standing with his hands behind his back in front of the window, quickly turned and sat by the desk, picking up a newspaper and pretending to read, and responded, "Come in!"
The door opened, and Percy and Tocqueville entered the study.
"Mr. President, Minister Tocqueville is here!" Percy said to Jerome Bonaparte, then bowed to him and left the study alone, closing the door behind him.
The room now had only Jerome Bonaparte and Tocqueville.
Jerome Bonaparte put down the newspaper and gestured to Tocqueville to sit down.
"Thank you!" Tocqueville politely expressed his gratitude to Jerome Bonaparte before sitting opposite him.
With hands tightly clasped on the desk and body slightly leaning forward, Jerome Bonaparte, in a calm tone, said to Tocqueville, "Minister, it’s been almost a year since we last met, hasn’t it?"
"Mr. President, technically it’s been less than two months. Two months ago, we met when you went to the National Assembly. However, we didn’t exchange a single word then," Tocqueville precisely "corrected" Jerome Bonaparte’s mistake.
"Alright! Mr. Tocqueville, what I meant was that it’s been almost a year since we’ve spoken a word to each other!" Jerome Bonaparte continued in a casual tone. "Mr. Tocqueville, may I ask what brings you to me today?"
"Mr. President!" Tocqueville said seriously to Jerome Bonaparte, "I urge you to provide some assistance to Piedmont!"
So, it is indeed about Austria and Sardinia!
Feigning surprise, Jerome Bonaparte reprimanded Tocqueville, "Minister Tocqueville, I don’t know what reasoning led you to this statement, but I must remind you that you are the Minister of Foreign Affairs appointed by the French Republic, not the Sardinian Kingdom. You represent the interests of France, not that of the Sardinian Kingdom."
"Mr. President, it is precisely in France’s interest that I am advising you... no, I should say advising France to assist the Sardinian Kingdom!" Tocqueville argued vehemently. "The Sardinian Dynasty is a buffer between the French Republic and the Austrian Empire. If the Sardinian Kingdom faces any misfortune, our nation will risk bordering the Austrian Empire. If war between France and Austria breaks out, the southern regions of France might become engulfed in flames! Over 300,000 Austrian troops and their Italian allies would invade the southern region."
Despite the Austrian Imperial Army’s questionable combat power in 48 and 49, it remains undeniably a "strong" first-rate power.
Moreover, Radetzky’s campaign against the Sardinian Dynasty in 1848 was among its few standout achievements.
A sheep in wolf’s clothing mingled among the wolf pack of first-rate powers, maintaining a facade for nearly 18 years.
[PS: The baseless guise of Austria as a strong power not only deceived major powers but also a large number of military scholars. Engels once predicted during the 1866 Prussia-Austrian War that Austria would surely win and Prussia would surely lose, considering Old Maoqi an inept commander. The outcome surprised everyone.]
From a certain perspective, the facade carefully crafted by Radetzky and Schwarzenberg for the Austrian Empire has its merits.
At least in 1849, it still managed to deceive its Foreign Minister, Tocqueville.
Seeing through the hollow nature of the Austrian Empire, Jerome Bonaparte was not alarmed by Tocqueville’s claims of an Austrian advance from Italy on southern France. He remembered well how his cousin painstakingly supported the Sardinian Dynasty, only to be betrayed outright by them in return.
"Not only that!" Tocqueville said pessimistically, "If the Austrian Empire were to initiate war with France, the Kingdom of Prussia and the Russian Empire would surely follow suit. Lamoriecy recently informed me that the Tsar might intervene in the German revolution. After suppressing the German revolution, we might be the next target!"
[Lamoriecy: Initially Minister of War during the Cafenak Cabinet period, later sent by Audion Barrot to serve as the Ambassador to the Russian Empire.]
Tocqueville’s pessimism did not affect Jerome Bonaparte; rather, it amused him greatly.
"So, Minister, are we to send our soldiers into battle for the entirely unrelated Sardinian Dynasty?" Jerome Bonaparte retorted sarcastically. "Minister, do you expect our Republic to rescue a Kingdom?"
"Mr. President, I only wish to help France maintain balance!" Tocqueville relayed his wishful thinking to Jerome Bonaparte.
This literary mind, brimming with romanticism, truly lacked understanding of what diplomacy entailed.
"So, Minister, what should we do? Should we commit our Italian Army directly to defend the Sardinian Dynasty?" Jerome Bonaparte pressed further.
"No! I believe we should provide the Sardinian Dynasty with some support to maintain leverage in negotiations with Austria!" Tocqueville continued. "If necessary, I propose forming an alliance with the Sardinian Kingdom!"
"Alliance? Oh God! Minister, do you think Europe isn’t chaotic enough, or are you trying to replicate my uncle’s achievements?" Jerome Bonaparte exclaimed exaggeratedly to Tocqueville. "If the citizens of Paris learn that we’re willing to engage in war with three countries just to win over a kingdom, they would likely overthrow us immediately!"
"Mr. President, that’s not what I meant... I mean..." Tocqueville tried to explain to Jerome Bonaparte.
"Alright!" Jerome Bonaparte spread his hands and inquired of Tocqueville, "Since you don’t want to see France attacked by three countries, at the very least, we need a helper, correct? For instance, Britain across the English Channel, known for being a major European agitator, surely they have some unique insight?"
In fact, before Tocqueville reported his position on the Sardinian Dynasty to Jerome Bonaparte, he had already exchanged a message with British Foreign Minister Lord Palmerston through carrier pigeon.
Palmerston’s attitude towards the Sardinian Dynasty was much colder than he anticipated.
"Lord Palmerston told me they would provide the Sardinian Dynasty with all support except military protection."
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