Chapter 718: Information Asymmetry
Keep in mind, at the communication speeds of this era, even if horses were ridden to exhaustion, the journey from Rome to Paris would still take four or five days.
In fact, most of the two days between the assassination attempt and Joseph receiving the news were spent on the journey from Rome to Lyon.
Lyon, using the optical signal tower, sent the message back to Paris in just 40 minutes!
This was despite the signal operators being new to their work and quite unfamiliar with the system, and the report from Rome being somewhat lengthy.
According to Chappe's estimate, if the signal towers were fully connected and everything ran smoothly, transmitting a 20-word message from the southernmost point of France to its northernmost would take less than half an hour.
It was essentially the telegraph of this era!
Joseph looked at the secret report, nodding. "This incident will have a significant impact on the political landscape of all Europe. Eman, please have Archbishop Brienne and Monsieur Talleyrand come at once."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Before long, the two prominent French statesmen arrived at the Crown Prince's reception room.
The two quickly finished reading the report. Brienne mused, "Although the Pope escaped harm, Archbishop Inodi was severely wounded protecting him. The Pope must be furious right now and will surely punish the Holy Roman Emperor severely."
Talleyrand, however, shook his head. "I, on the other hand, believe the Pope does not seem to wish to sour relations too deeply with the Austrians."
"Oh?" Joseph turned to him. "Please elaborate on your reasoning."
"Yes, Your Highness." Talleyrand bowed slightly. "If the Pope intended to retaliate against the Holy Roman Emperor, he would have publicly announced the Emperor's crime and the form of punishment immediately.
"Instead, he has chosen not to reveal the Holy See's stance, dispatching a special envoy to Vienna without even clarifying the envoy's mission.
"This is clearly to allow the special envoy flexibility in negotiations."
Joseph nodded, lightly tapping the armrest of his chair. "Your point is well-made. So, what does the Pope want?"
Brienne interjected, "More substantial support from Austria for the Holy See, and a promise of protection for the Papal States."
Talleyrand added, "Greater control for the Holy See over Austrian church affairs. It's even possible they might directly demand a hefty sum of money."
Joseph nodded slightly. "If Austria chooses to cooperate with the Holy See, while it will fall under deeper ecclesiastical control, it could gain significant short-term benefits.
"For instance, the war in Poland would become more legitimate.
"Perhaps we should do something about this."
What Joseph didn't say was that, in his long-term plans, the Papal States were to be dismantled, and the legitimate authority of the Holy See eventually transferred to Avignon in France.
However, if the Papal States and Austria became deeply intertwined, the former would gain a more stable political and military environment, creating immense obstacles to its eventual dismantling.
Brienne suggested, "We could choose to assassinate the Papal special envoy on Austrian soil. This would further deepen the Pope's anger towards Austria."
Talleyrand continued, "Alternatively, our nation could directly condemn Austria for the attempted assassination of the Pope. This would force the Holy See, for the sake of its dignity, to punish Austria, rendering any private negotiations impossible."
Joseph suddenly narrowed his eyes. "I'm wondering, if Austria and the Pope reach a compromise, what will happen to Cardinal Muzarelli?"
After Muzarelli debunked the rumors in Vienna about the Pope calling for a "Crusader Holy War," the Holy See had remained silent. Given his delicate relationship with the Pope, it was easy to surmise he had made some sort of deal with Austria.
Talleyrand stated, "He will likely be abandoned by Austria. The Pope would then settle accounts for his unauthorized actions."
"So, if he knew in advance that the Holy Roman Emperor was going to negotiate with the Pope, what would he do?"
Talleyrand immediately replied, "He would do everything in his power to sabotage the negotiations."
Joseph nodded, then looked at Fouché. "How long will it take for the Papal special envoy to travel from Rome to Vienna?"
"Around 20 days, Your Highness," Fouché replied. "The Holy See's various formalities and entourage will slow his progress."
"And how long for us to send a message to Vienna?"
"About 10 days. The signal tower would first transmit the message to Lorraine, and then riders would carry it on horseback to Vienna."
Joseph smiled. "In other words, if we intervene, Archbishop Muzzarelli will have about 10 days to prepare?"
"That is correct, Your Highness."
...
Vienna.
Schönbrunn Palace.
Franz II, his face grim, addressed Chiaramonti. "I have stated that the assassin had no connection to me, and I deeply regret the Pope's ordeal.
"Furthermore, Archbishop Muzzarelli and I share a profound friendship; I will not allow anyone to harm him."
He had recently been plagued by headaches over the Pope's assassination attempt.
And that damned assassin turned out to be an officer from the Royal Carpathian Regiment!
Franz II knew the Pope would seek trouble and had made preparations, but he hadn't expected the Papal special envoy to immediately target Muzarelli.
Chiaramonti's voice rose sharply. "Evidently, you fell under some form of Muzarelli's deception, leading you to harm the Lord's representative on Earth. The Pope can, according to sacred scripture, impose 'excommunication' upon you!"
So-called "excommunication" is a punishment involving "expulsion from the church." The recipient of this penalty would be unable to participate in any Catholic religious activities, prohibited from entering churches, no longer recognized as a believer, and unable to ascend to heaven after death.
For a Catholic, this was even more terrifying than death itself.
Especially for Franz II, if he were excommunicated, he would even lose his eligibility to become Holy Roman Emperor, as the most fundamental requirement for the title was to be a Catholic himself.
Historically, after Napoleon occupied Rome, he too was excommunicated by Pius VII. However, Emperor Napoleon, with hundreds of thousands of troops at his command, paid it no mind.
Franz II's face darkened completely. He stared coldly at Chiaramonti. "Is the Pope declaring war on me?"
Chiaramonti suddenly adopted a smile. "That depends entirely on your choice, Your Majesty.
"As long as you no longer succumb to Muzarelli's deceptions, the benevolent Pope will forgive all your transgressions.
"And regarding the rumors of a Crusader Holy War in Poland, the Pope will not support them."
Franz II, hearing that the Crusader matter was negotiable, immediately relaxed. "I can cease cooperation with Archbishop Muzzarelli. I trust the Pope will also remember his promise."
Chiaramonti shook his head, lowering his voice slightly. "No, Your Majesty, what you must do is secretly arrest the man who led you astray."
Franz II's brows furrowed deeply. "He is a Cardinal. Do you understand the immense repercussions of arresting him in Austria?!"
"Rest assured, the Holy See will not object to this action. As for other matters, I trust you are capable of handling them."
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