Chapter 1017: Thwarting Every Move
Talleyrand immediately revised his plan to meet Francis II directly. He refrained from making a public appearance, choosing instead to gather intelligence through his extensive network in Vienna. He then relayed the situation to Paris via the Chappe signal tower in Baden.
Six days later, he received the Crown Prince's latest instructions. Without delay, he summoned the "wealthy merchant" Schulmeister—the Security Bureau's top operative in Austria.
...
Inside Francis II's study, the Austrian Minister of State, Little Cobenzl, was speaking with practiced eloquence.
"...In certain respects, the British are indeed correct. If we continue to exhaust ourselves in Silesia, the French will be the ultimate beneficiaries. We might find ourselves unable to reclaim Italy for another decade or more."
While the Queen of France had provided some assistance to her "dear nephew," that was strictly a matter of royal family relations. Currently, the Austrian leadership and populace remained deeply hostile toward France following their crushing defeats in the previous wars. Everyone was determined to reclaim Italy and the Southern Netherlands.
The Minister of Finance, Count Stadion, nodded in agreement. "Furthermore, this war is simultaneously depleting Prussia's resources, which is exactly what the French want to see."
General Hohendorf immediately countered, "But we cannot simply abandon our claims to Silesian territory just to spite the French. If we accept British mediation, you know as well as I do that they are allies with Prussia. They will certainly conspire to suppress our national interests!"
Currently, the Austrian government was split into two factions regarding the cessation of hostilities.
The hardliners, primarily the military, advocated for taking advantage of the momentum Archduke Charles had built to completely liberate Silesia.
A few days prior, the British Foreign Secretary, Fox, had proposed to Vienna that Britain chair a mediation. He suggested that Prussia and Austria enter into ceasefire negotiations in Thuringia.
Britain had grand designs for this mediation. The Grenville government planned to use the opportunity to broker a Permanent Silesian Delimitation Agreement between Prussia and Austria, ending the centuries-old cycle of conflict over the territory once and for all.
Following this, Austria would "look south," expanding its influence into the Balkan Peninsula. Prussia would "look east," seeking to devour the weakened Poland while occupying the Swedish enclaves in Central Europe—Pomerania and Wismar. At this time, Sweden still held three German provinces, and Britain intended to lead Russia and Denmark in recognizing Prussian sovereignty over these areas.
Only by ending the Prusso-Austrian rivalry and reuniting them could a balance of power be formed on the continent to contain the meteoric rise of France.
The problem was that Prussia could not possibly bear the loss of Silesia. Consequently, Fox had to exert every ounce of pressure on Austria to force them to sign the "Permanent Delimitation Agreement."
Count Stadion said coldly, "General, if we reject the British proposal, it is highly likely they will intervene directly in the Silesian conflict."
Hohendorf shook his head dismissively. "Have you forgotten? Their armies are tied down in Portugal. they cannot spare a single soldier for Central Europe."
"Even if Britain only provides financial aid to Prussia, it would have a massive impact on the theater of war."
Marshal Leo, who had remained silent until now, suddenly raised his hand. "Gentlemen, I believe we must absolutely prevent the British from meddling in the affairs of Silesia."
Francis II and the gathered ministers were startled, turning their eyes toward him.
Leo spoke in a low, gravelly voice. "Consider this carefully. We held every advantage at Glogau, yet the Ottoman army appeared in Wallachia without the slightest warning. A few days later, Mr. Fox arrives in Vienna. The nation that fears a Prussian defeat more than any other in Europe is Britain. I have more than enough reason to suspect that the Ottomans attacked Wallachia at their instigation."
These thoughts had, of course, occurred to him thanks to the subtle "hints" provided by Talleyrand.
Francis II frowned deeply upon hearing this.
Leo continued, "Just recently, the British provided Potsdam with hundreds of thousands of pounds sterling. It was that very capital that allowed the Prussians to stabilize their defensive lines."
Hohendorf immediately added, "And when the French were at the gates of Klagenfurt and we needed help the most, the British shamelessly abandoned us."
At this, even the ministers who had been neutral began to whisper among themselves.
Leo declared loudly, "I believe we should handle the matter of Silesia ourselves. Tell Fox to leave Vienna immediately!"
If the British were going to mediate and prevent Prussia from being crushed, then Joseph was no longer in a hurry to see the war end. If the British wanted to pull this carriage, Joseph was more than happy to pile a few extra stones on top of it.
Seeing the hawks and doves locked in a stalemate, Francis II irritably adjourned the meeting, announcing that discussions would resume the following day.
That evening, representing the reformist faction, Little Cobenzl quietly visited the residence where Fox was staying.
After he briefly outlined the hardliners' arguments from earlier that day, the British Foreign Secretary's face darkened. "This is a complete fabrication. We have no connection whatsoever with the Ottomans!"
Little Cobenzl nodded. "We believe so as well. However, I fear His Majesty may be swayed by the military."
Fox suppressed his anger and asked, "Then what is your suggestion?"
"Perhaps you could demonstrate your country's sincerity to His Majesty," Little Cobenzl suggested. "That way, His Majesty will surely believe you have come truly in the interest of peace. As you know, our country holds the military advantage in Silesia; a ceasefire now means a loss of potential gains."
Fox couldn't help but scowl. Britain placed great importance on this mediation; he could not afford to return home empty-handed.
He took a deep breath. "My country can provide His Majesty the Emperor with a loan. I have heard your brother is preparing to implement reforms, which will undoubtedly put pressure on the treasury."
Little Cobenzl tested the waters. "Three hundred thousand pounds?"
The Briton gritted his teeth and nodded. "I will submit the request to Parliament."
Meanwhile, Schulmeister, acting as a "Vienna grain merchant," was introduced by an official from the Ministry of the Interior to the estate of Baron Walter. The Baron was, after all, a member of the imperial family; Cobenzl hadn't dared to be too harsh with him and had released him once his own power was secure.
Over a dozen officials had gathered at the estate, all of them members of Vienna's pro-British, anti-French faction. Since Thugut's fall, they had been marginalized, but collectively, they still carried significant weight.
These men had been brought together here through the subtle maneuvering of Mr. Schulmeister.
The Emperor's cousin gestured excitedly with his crippled arm. "This is a magnificent opportunity! If Mr. Fox can successfully lead this mediation, Britain's influence over Vienna will be greatly strengthened. Cobenzl and those pro-French lackeys will no longer be able to act with such arrogance!"
In truth, Cobenzl pursued a policy of balancing Britain and France, but because he had collaborated with the pro-French Kaunitz family this time, he had been branded with a pro-French label by his rivals.
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