Chapter 1268: The Monarch
After an impassioned and stirring speech, Joseph surveyed the dozens of monarchs present and got straight to the point: "We will discuss the following matters at this conference—
"Firstly, the reconstruction of order in North Germany..."
His words immediately made the monarchs present tense.
With hundreds of thousands of French troops watching North Germany with predatory eyes, how could the French Crown Prince speaking of "reconstruction of order" not make their hearts pound?
Archbishop Maximilian Franz of Cologne immediately snorted softly, speaking in a voice just loud enough for a few people around him to hear: "Hmph, the Franks actually want to become the masters of Germany. We must make them understand this can only be a pipe dream!"
He was the youngest son of Queen Theresa of Austria and the uncle of the current Holy Roman Emperor, so he was naturally determined to obstruct any French ambitions.
No one took his bait.
However, Count William IX of Hesse-Kassel leaned closer to Duke Karl August of Thuringia and others beside him, whispering:
"If it comes to the worst, we will all rally behind Prussia as our leader to resist France."
Count Frederick Francis of Mecklenburg, however, frowned and said: "I saw His Majesty William II not long ago, and he seemed to have lost his fighting spirit."
William IX's tone was quite firm: "That's because Prussia has exhausted its capacity for war, but if they receive the support of all North German states, the situation will be entirely different."
"That's right, as long as we are united, we are perfectly capable of contending with the French!"
Joseph's voice came from the front again: "...Secondly, we must ensure that the security and independence of the North German states are fully guaranteed...
"Finally, after this war ends, the development of the North German region is also something we must focus on..."
The Archbishop of Cologne muttered disdainfully: 'Only a fool would consider French occupation forces a guarantee of safety.'
Someone immediately chimed in: "Just you watch, His Majesty the Emperor will soon fight his way back..."
"Indeed, the war isn't over yet."
"The French wanting to become the 'new Holy Roman Emperor' is an absolute pipe dream."
The murmurs and discussions in the hall grew louder. Joseph, however, appeared not to hear any of it, raising a hand and waving at the guards by the door.
The latter immediately led men to carry a wooden board, taller than a person and displaying a map of North Germany, to the north side of the hall.
Joseph took a slender wooden pointer from Eman's hand. He turned and pointed to the yellow-marked areas on the map: "These Imperial Free Cities, such as Dortmund, have theoretically become unclaimed land after the Holy Roman Emperor's influence was expelled from North Germany."
What he called "Imperial Free Cities" were actually free cities. Legally, these places were the private property of the Holy Roman Emperor, who granted them High Autonomy. At the same time, these free cities also paid substantial taxes to Vienna.
Joseph then pointed to Bielefeld: "Furthermore, Prussia has already promised to relinquish all territories outside its homeland, such as Bielefeld and Ansbach. Currently, these areas are also temporarily unmanaged.
"Of course, Berlin received large tracts of Hanover as compensation."
He once again surveyed everyone in the hall, smiling as he said: "So then, as the first step in establishing a new order for North Germany, we must first determine the ownership of these regions.
"For instance, Nuremberg would be very suitable for Bavarian rule."
The North German monarchs exchanged surprised glances. From what the French Crown Prince was implying, he intended to distribute these territories among them?!
Yes, for centuries, the Holy Roman Empire's influence on the German regions had been deeply entrenched. Furthermore, the ethnicity, language, and customs here were entirely different from those of France, making it difficult for France to establish rule purely through military force.
Even if they could temporarily suppress the various states, they would face endless rebellions and covert resistance. The cost of rule would far exceed the revenue.
Moreover, in the process of resisting French rule, the North German states would gradually develop National Identity due to their Shared Hatred of the Enemy, and ultimately move towards unification.
Historically, Napoleon had set a poor precedent.
After occupying North Germany, he established the Confederation of the Rhine to govern it. This ultimately became the embryo of Germany—after Prussia unified North Germany, they didn't even change the Confederation of the Rhine's laws and governmental structure, a testament to its efficiency and convenience.
Joseph's goal, however, was to ensure that the North German states remained independent. He would then leverage France's immense economic and cultural influence to continuously infiltrate the region, turning it into France's "backyard."
These "unclaimed lands" were the "irresistible temptation" Joseph was offering the North German states.
"So then, let's discuss how to allocate these areas."
Joseph had barely finished speaking when the hall erupted into shouts. "I believe it would be most reasonable for Nassau to administer Frankfurt."
"We have very close trade ties with Frankfurt, it should rightfully be administered by..."
"I agree! Ownership should be determined by trade connections, for example, Goslar..."
"Ansbach is so large, perhaps a portion could be given to Würzburg."
Soon, officials distributed documents to the attendants of the various monarchs and explained them eagerly: "This is the proposal form for the allocation of 'unclaimed lands.' Please submit it to Count Foch after filling it out.
"These proposals will be discussed in the final session of the conference."
Of course, some states that still held hopes for Austria, such as Cologne and Hesse-Kassel, remained silent.
After the day's meeting concluded, Count Foch had already received dozens of proposals.
Next came the routine banquets and balls. These occasions, too, became diplomatic battlefields for the various political figures.
Most countries gathered around French officials, trying to gauge their intentions. Meanwhile, Count William IX of Hesse-Kassel was secretly assembling a small circle to resist France.
The next day, the summit continued.
After Joseph entered the hall, he first greeted the monarchs politely. Then he immediately gestured towards the door: "Today, another esteemed guest has arrived here. He has some very important news to share with all of you."
Music began to play, and a cleric, clad in the vestments of a cardinal archbishop, entered the hall.
"It's Archbishop Muzzarelli!" Someone recognized him.
Muzzarelli walked to the north side of the hall. He first bowed to Joseph. Then he produced a gold-edged document and had his attendant display it to everyone: "This is the plenary proxy granted to me by the Holy See.
"The Holy See has now agreed to the request for the Grand Duke of Baden to be elevated to King. Here is the act of investiture signed by the Pope."
A commotion immediately broke out in the hall.
It was important to know that throughout the entire German region, apart from the Holy Roman Emperor, only Prussia had a King. The remaining monarchs were all Dukes, Counts, or Archbishops.
And tiny Baden had actually become a kingdom!
Muzzarelli, however, continued: "The Holy See has now agreed to the request for the Grand Duke of Bavaria to be elevated to King. Here is the act of investiture signed by the Pope."
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