Chapter 353: Catherine II's Ambition
To prevent the interests of Austria and Prussia from aligning, the partition of Poland had to be stopped first.
Therefore, for Joseph, Sweden would simply have to suffer a little.
If King Gustav III of Sweden knew his thoughts, he would likely give him a thumbs-up and exclaim, "You're amazing, you're so noble!"
Of course, Joseph had no intention of indulging Russia's unchecked expansion. On the contrary, he was extremely wary of Russia's boundless territorial ambitions.
The title "Gendarme of Europe" was no joke. Once the immense Russian Empire got a taste for war, its military might would sweep through the heart of the European continent. Historically, a mere two decades later, in 1814, Russian armies would usher Tsar Alexander I into Paris.
Joseph pushed Russia towards the Swedish front because he knew full well that Sweden could definitely withstand Russia's onslaught. Even if they failed to defeat the Russian fleet at the Battle of Svensksund, a decisive reversal would surely follow.
The reason was simple: Britain stood behind Sweden.
Britain was equally concerned about Russia's expansion. They consistently adhered to the policy of Continental Balance, which disallowed the emergence of a single dominant power on the European continent. Thus, Sweden served as Britain's bridgehead to block Russia's westward advance.
As for Poland, the British were less concerned. After all, even if Russia managed to annex Poland, the entirety of Germany, including Austria and Prussia, would stand in its way, making it difficult to reach further west.
Historically, Russia achieved successive victories in the early stages of its war with Sweden. Subsequently, Britain intervened forcefully, allying with Prussia to pressure Denmark, Russia's ally.
After securing some concessions, Denmark quickly withdrew from the war. Only then could Sweden concentrate its full strength against Russia, ultimately defeating the Russians with massive British aid and recovering all territories lost in the early war through the Treaty of Värälä.
Therefore, Joseph's strong support for Russia's war against Sweden offered several advantages: it would give Poland more breathing room to complete its national integration, and it would exhaust Britain by proxy. Meanwhile, France would only need to offer verbal support, with no actual investment, making it an incredibly cost-effective deal.
However, for Queen Mary, this was all a bit too much to take in.
After the Russian ambassador, Stroganov, finished speaking, Queen Mary's eyes were wide, and she racked her brain, trying to recall if Archbishop Talleyrand had ever submitted a report on such a crucial national strategic plan to her.
Stroganov, assuming her silence implied consent, leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Your Majesty, His Imperial Majesty expresses gratitude for your stance.
"Currently, Prussia and Austria are engaged in fierce combat in Silesia, and France has also intervened on a large scale in those conflicts.
"His Imperial Majesty fully understands your claims to the Low Countries and is prepared to offer support at any time."
"No..." Queen Mary was still pondering the matter of Sweden when she heard this, and her mind felt even more overwhelmed. France had no designs on the Low Countries, did it? Was the Russian ambassador drunk?
If Joseph were here, he would have been utterly astonished—the French army was currently still lingering on the borders of Liège, and Luxembourg legally still belonged to Austria for the time being, yet Catherine II had already perceived his intentions regarding the Southern Netherlands.
This woman was indeed one of Russia's most brilliant Tsars in modern history; her strategic foresight alone was enough to overshadow many of Europe's great powers.
Naturally, she was projecting her own ambitions onto France's strategy. In reality, Joseph only wanted the southern Wallonia region. Eating too much at once could lead to indigestion.
Count Stroganov continued, "However, His Imperial Majesty believes that France's strategy should not stop at the Low Countries."
Queen Mary immediately shook her head. "I never considered the Low Countries..."
"Yes, I understand," the Russian ambassador interjected, assuming she meant 'the Low Countries were never the ultimate goal.' He nodded at once. "His Imperial Majesty also believes that what you envision is the broad Rhine River."
He raised his right hand to his chest and gestured emphatically. "But that would undoubtedly be a very difficult goal to achieve. Oh, I'm certainly not questioning your strength, but for France to face the entirety of Germany alone, please believe me, Britain, the various Italian states, and even Sweden would all become hostile towards France. That would be a protracted great war, bringing immense losses to France.
"However, if France and Russia were to join forces, the situation would be vastly different.
"Provided His Imperial Majesty's armies can cross Poland—of course, this would be after the conclusion of our conflict with Sweden—they could offer you powerful support from eastern Austria.
"As for the subsequent strategy, that would likely need to be determined through detailed discussions between Your Majesty and His Imperial Majesty."
His words made it abundantly clear—Catherine II desired to ally with the strong woman of France, to partition the European continent from both east and west!
France would seize the west bank of the Rhine River, while Russia would acquire eastern Sweden and Poland. Ultimately, the two armies would flank Austria from two directions.
As for how far they intended to press their campaign, that would be for the two women to discuss and decide in detail.
After her brain repeatedly seemed to crash, Queen Mary finally concluded that the Russian ambassador was utterly drunk.
'What Low Countries? What Rhine River? What facing all of Germany?'
'Just wine wouldn't get him this drunk; he must have downed an entire bottle of vodka!'
Having clarified this in her mind, she immediately regained her composure and smiled at Stroganov. "You do have a way with humor. Perhaps you need to rest? De Beauninac, please arrange for a resting room..."
Stroganov grew a little anxious and hastened to say, "His Imperial Majesty bade me convey to you that, in today's Europe, only France and Russia can bring about a new order. Although France currently faces some financial issues, under your rule, France will ultimately become prosperous!"
He suddenly turned and gestured to Alexandra, who stood nearby. "Oh, you see, His Imperial Majesty possesses absolute sincerity in fostering closer ties between our two nations."
Queen Mary maintained her tolerant and polite smile for the inebriated man. "Right, right, I am very grateful for His Majesty's sincerity. Now, would you perhaps like to go to the resting room for something to eat first?"
Stroganov paused, slightly taken aback. He confirmed that he had made all his points clear, so the French Queen's words could only mean she needed time to consider.
He bowed, placing a hand on his chest. "Then I shall not disturb your appreciation of art."
Far away in Luxembourg, Joseph never could have imagined that his previous series of actions would ignite such immense ambition in Catherine II.
If Queen Mary truly chose her granddaughter to be the Crown Princess, then a tremendous upheaval would certainly shake the entire European continent.
Comments