Chapter 550: Sacrificing Poland
Marquis Wellesley nodded slowly. "You're right. As long as Prussia and Austria can't expand eastward, their only option will be to contend for control over the German states."
In this era, nations universally acknowledged that to survive in the world's jungle, they had to constantly strengthen themselves. Those who didn't grow strong would be swallowed by the powerful.
Expansion was, without a doubt, the most effective way to boost their strength.
Lord Grenville continued, "And as long as Prussia and Austria remain in constant conflict, no single power on the European continent will pose a threat to France.
Therefore, to re-establish a balance of power on the continent, we must first end the hostilities between Prussia and Austria."
Marquis Wellesley frowned. "That's likely easier said than done. Just a few months ago, they were clashing over Silesia, and hundreds of thousands of their soldiers are still locked in a standoff near Breslau."
"Indeed, it won't be easy," Grenville conceded with a nod, "but it's not impossible.
Prussia and Austria have endured a year of major conflict, and their national finances are in dire straits. As you know, the droughts of recent years have crippled the economies of nearly all nations. From what I gather, both Prussia and Austria are eager to end the stalemate over Silesia as quickly as possible.
So, at this juncture, we need another objective to divert their attention—one far more alluring and easily attainable than Silesia."
"It's always a pleasure to discuss matters with you," Grenville remarked with a slight smile. "Prussia and Austria have fought over Silesia for so long, suffering countless casualties, with very little to show for it.
If they were to deploy their hundreds of thousands of troops into Poland, they could conquer several times the territory of Silesia with barely any effort.
If the timing is right, I'm confident they won't be able to resist such a temptation."
"No, no, Prussia and Poland are still allies, that should..."
"Trust me, Prussia's covetousness for Gdańsk port will make them tear up any alliance without hesitation."
Gdańsk, known later as Danzig, marked the mouth of the Vistula River. The Vistula flowed through Warsaw and across vast, fertile Eastern European plains all the way to Hungary, connecting to the Baltic Sea in the north. It was a crucial hub for Eastern European participation in Atlantic maritime trade.
It was also the closest seaport to Prussia, holding unparalleled appeal for a nation lacking good harbors.
Later, a core factor in Germany's lightning invasion of Poland during World War II was the desire to seize the port of Danzig. Allied naval blockades against Germany also largely focused on this area. This clearly illustrates its immense strategic importance.
Marquis Wellesley swirled the wine in his glass. "Then we return to our initial problem. First, Prussia and Austria must agree to a truce."
"That will require us to take certain actions, and perhaps even pay some necessary costs," Grenville declared, clearly having planned this for a long time, his voice brimming with confidence. "Fortunately, we can still leverage Russia's power.
As you know, Russia desires Minsk and Podolia more than anyone. These are 'forward camps' that would grant them easier access to the heartland of Europe.
I believe Russia would be willing to concede some interests for this, and also to make necessary threats.
With that as leverage for our mediation, Prussia and Austria will surely sign a truce agreement."
Wellesley's eyes lit up. To have the Russians expend effort to serve British strategic goals—his successor truly was a genius of strategic planning.
Any other man would likely have showered the Foreign Secretary with compliments at this point, but Wellesley pondered for a moment before cautiously posing another question: "One final point.
Even if we succeed in making Prussia and Austria abandon their mutual animosity, perhaps even forming a military alliance to some degree, by offering them a share of Poland and other incentives, how can you guarantee they will become France's enemies?
Especially since Austria is currently allied with France."
"To be frank, I don't have a foolproof plan for that either," the Foreign Secretary admitted with a shrug. "At the very least, we will have built up a force outside France capable of standing against it.
Oh, there is one thing we might exploit. I've heard that Holy Roman Empress Maria Ludovika harbors resentment towards the French, and she might be willing to assist us."
"Oh? I've truly been away from Europe too long to have missed this."
"Apparently, the woman her dear cousin loved was taken by the French Crown Prince," Grenville revealed with an amused smile. "Later, the French, presumably still uneasy, dispatched assassins to kill Baron Walter. Fortunately, he was lucky enough to escape, though he lost his left hand in the process."
Indeed, after Walter's hand had three fingers amputated, he followed the advice of a renowned British physician and soaked the wound in a concoction made from over a dozen ingredients: mallow leaves, violets, beetroot, cinnamon, cardamom, and more. Unsurprisingly, his "marinated" left hand became infected and had to be entirely removed.
It was a testament to his robust constitution that, after five days of high fever, he miraculously fought it off, narrowly clinging to life.
However, this brush with death only fueled his hatred for the mastermind behind the assassination attempt—the French Crown Prince.
Consequently, he began constantly badmouthing the French to Ludovika. In fact, the Holy Roman Empress had already harbored resentment towards the French monarchy due to the humiliation of her daughter's rejected marriage proposal—or at least, that's what she firmly believed. With the added grievance of her cousin's injury, she had now become a central figure in Vienna's anti-French faction.
Marquis Wellesley shook his head slightly. "This alone is far from sufficient. After all, pro-French sentiment in Vienna is quite substantial.
We must identify the divergences of interest between France and Austria, and endeavor to widen them, to have any hope of truly shifting Vienna's stance."
Grenville shrugged, resigned. "But there are no immediate conflicts of interest between France and Austria; in fact, there are some shared interests, such as the Southern Netherlands..."
Before he could finish, Wellesley suddenly struck upon an idea, exclaiming excitedly, "You truly are a strategic genius! Yes, the Southern Netherlands—that's it!"
The strains of waltz music echoed through the ballroom. The two most brilliant young British statesmen soon exchanged smiles and then nodded to each other, deep in conversation.
In reality, many momentous decisions that shaped the fates of countless nations and cost millions of lives didn't stem from solemn discussions in conference rooms, but rather emerged from social gatherings like balls and salons.
Five days later.
In his 10 Downing Street office, William Pitt Junior surveyed the assembled cabinet ministers and nodded. "I believe Lord Grenville's diplomatic proposal is exceptional. It will grant us a reliable military alliance on the European continent, one capable of effectively countering France."
Comments