Chapter 341 Dream of a Great Power

It was not only William I who had a hard time, but even more tragic was George I, Emperor of the German Federal Empire, who was really having a hard time.

Because he was supported by the British, he also has the identity of the Duke of Cumberland in the United Kingdom, and is also nicknamed by the folks: Cumberland I.

From the very beginning, King George I's throne was unstable, and there were a bunch of big and small princes below, and he was not a bird at all. Even with the support of the British, he could not do anything about these princes.

An elected emperor with as much power as the medieval Holy Roman Emperor. In addition to the nominal co-owner, his rights are probably left to preside over the federal meeting.

That's fine, it's enough for him to manage Hanover anyway. George I did not expect the nations below to do his bidding.

As a buffer between the great powers, as long as the situation in Europe is not broken, the German Federal Empire is still very safe.

What troubled him most was the low prestige of the monarch. Many people called the German Federal Empire a "comedy empire", and regarded the empire imposed on them by various countries as a shame.

After so many years, George I made a lot of efforts, but nothing has changed.

The people don't even agree with this empire, and naturally they won't agree with him as an emperor.

The states within the empire were worried that George I would learn from Franz and use the pressure of public opinion to consolidate the power in their hands, and everyone tacitly suppressed his reputation.

George I was very wronged, but he did nothing, and was scolded by the people, making Hanover's rule not so stable.

If he knew that being the emperor would have such serious sequelae, he would rather not have this crown.

It's too late now, he has already become a laughing stock, and if he abdicates again, the family's reputation will be all involved.

In order to restore his reputation, George I has also made great efforts to manage Hanover in recent years, and it is still very good to govern Hanover.

Unfortunately, there is no way to compare. The New Holy Roman Empire has also been in the limelight these years, and it has come out to brush its presence every three or five years, and the two have been ignored when comparing his achievements.

In the final analysis, Hannover is only a small country. No matter how well it is governed, it is only an economic achievement. Politically, it cannot satisfy the people's desire for a great power.

Even if the German Federal Empire is integrated, it is only a medium-sized country with a population of over 10 million. The dream of a great power is really a dream.

Of course, George I's goal is not so high. He can integrate a bunch of small states in the country and turn the German Federal Empire into a medium power, just like the kingdom of Prussia next door, and he is satisfied.

It is not easy to do this. Europe is a society that speaks the rule of law. Nobles and capitalists rely on the law to protect their own interests, and the existence of breaking rules will be rejected by everyone.

This is the way for George I to use force to solve the domestic state. Even if the Kingdom of Hanover has such strength, he does not dare to take action by force.

He did not want to participate in the invitation of the Vienna government to colonize the Southeast Asia. George I had a backstage. As a pawn placed by the British Empire on the European continent, there was no need to follow Austria to open up colonies.

The power of the British is not unlimited, so they become picky eaters. Where economic value is low and there is not much strategic value, John Bull has long dismissed it.

All of these areas can be distributed to the younger brother. For details, please refer to the Netherlands and Portugal, and share some of the sites that John Bull is not interested in.

It is a pity that the German Federal Empire is not the final say of George I. Many domestic states and free cities are interested in opening up overseas colonies in the Southeast Asia region.

"Paul, do you think we need to go to the muddy waters in the Nanyang region again?"

As George I's chief staff, Paul pondered for a while and then replied: "Your Majesty, it depends on what you want.

The Vienna government used a conspiracy. Up to now, the fertile land in the world has basically been carved up, and there are too few owners of high-fat land like the Nanyang region.

Of course, the Austrians want to win over domestic interest groups and prepare for the unification of the German region. This is also an opportunity for us.

Although there are many states in the country, their strength is very limited. To open up overseas colonies, everyone can only stay warm.

The establishment of colonies is inseparable from the navy. We will jointly form the navy. As the central government, we are likely to dominate. "

George I was tempted. If he could control the navy, then the central government was no longer just a name, and he, the emperor, also got rid of the embarrassment of rubber stamps.

If he can get huge returns in overseas colonization activities, his reputation as an emperor will definitely increase significantly.

Regardless of whether the empire can be integrated in the end, at least he doesn't have to be scolded every day. It is obvious that the German region is divided, and everyone has a share. Why should he bear the blame alone?

If the states are determined to merge with Austria, even Britain and France cannot stop it.

George I said hesitantly: "I'm afraid it's not easy. Even if the colony is successfully established, the distribution of benefits will be troublesome."

Paul said confidently: "Your Majesty, when there is trouble, there is a chance. When there is a conflict between the states, they will not join forces to fight against you.

Only by disintegrating and disintegrating the alliance of states can you truly control the empire. "

The word "empire" always felt harsh in George I's mind, but as an emperor, he still longed to be in power.

As for the threat from Austria, the two of them had no tacit understanding from beginning to end.

carry. Unlike William I, George I never expected to take force against Austria.

The German Federal Empire was originally a needy country, and its own strength was limited. The best way to survive was to act as a buffer between major powers. As long as the European continent is not a monopoly, they are safe.

Under this concept, the armament of the Kingdom of Hanover has hardly developed, but the economy has come to the forefront of Europe, which has become a clear inverse relationship with the Kingdom of Prussia.

...

Vienna Palace

Foreign Minister Weisenberg said: "Your Majesty, both Prussia and the German Confederation have accepted our invitation and can begin the next step."

Hearing this news, Franz directly took out a map of the Nanyang region, which marked the spheres of influence of various countries.

"What do you think is the right place for them?"

Since it is a bait, naturally it cannot be without oil and water. Otherwise, the ambition that people finally mustered up would simply be tossed away.

As long as the first colony is earned, there is no need for Franz to continue to intervene in the future. Under the influence of interests, they will go further and further on the road of colonization.

Foreign Minister Wesenberg proposed: "Your Majesty, it should be a good choice to let the German Federation colonize Malaysia, and let the Kingdom of Prussia colonize Sumatra or Indochina."

There is no doubt that this arrangement is also meaningful. Don't look at these areas as borderless, in fact, the British have already set their sights on Malaysia, but they don't have the time to eat it yet.

If Austria occupied Malaysia, it would threaten the security of Singapore. For the sake of the Straits of Malacca, John Bull would definitely not agree. It would be different for the German Federal Empire.

The small country is not a threat, and at the same time is the little brother of the British. John Bull has a great chance of letting it go. After all, they have too many colonies to take care of.

Even if the British intervened, Austria would have nothing to lose. Instead, this conflict can be used to divide the relationship between the British and the German Federal Empire.

Letting the Prussians choose Sumatra or Indochina also has a political purpose.

The former Dutch people have already been eyeing them. As early as more than ten years ago, the UK and the Netherlands made an agreement that Sumatra should be owned by the Dutch as compensation for giving up the Strait of Malacca.

Once the Prussians rob Sumatra, the Prussian relationship will definitely be over. For Sumatra, the Dutch have waged several wars and also occupied parts of the island.

The Indochina peninsula seems to be unowned. In fact, the French have been eyeing it, but the Paris government is now busy annexing the Kingdom of Sardinia and has not yet taken any action.

Once the Prussians entered the Indo-China Peninsula, they planted another nail in the future Franco-Prussian conflict. Unless the Prussians open the door, they can occupy the Indochina before the French move.

Franz nodded with satisfaction, and then asked: "The bait is well placed, but they can see these problems, how can they be fooled?"

Foreign Minister Weisenberg explained: "Your Majesty, this is a conspiracy. There are tentacles in Britain and France all over the world, so we can't let everyone give up just because they may be interested?

Britain and France are very busy now, which is a good opportunity to do it. Just do a good job of keeping secrets, and wait until they find out that the established facts have been created.

The interests are moving, and we can arrange for people to advocate it and let them know that this is a risk that overseas colonization must take. "

Franz nodded in agreement.

Conflicts often occur between the overseas colonies of various countries, such as: the conflict between England, Portugal and South Africa, the conflict between England, France and the Netherlands in the South Seas, the conflict between England, France and Australia, the conflict between England, France and West Africa...

There are a lot of ready-made examples. In these conflicts, the final victory is not necessarily a powerful country, at least the Dutch are the dominant players in the Southeast Asian region.

Moreover, these conflicts will not break out immediately. The French are still making a last-ditch effort to annex the kingdom of Sardinia, and the British are plotting to divide the United States.

After they are done with their work, they will have the energy to think about the Nanyang region. Such a long time was enough for Prussia and the German Confederation to open up the first colonies.

After eating the first piece of meat, the capitalists and nobles who have benefited will push the two countries to the road of colonial empire.

However, they will soon find that the world is almost divided up, and the rest are leftovers.

But these scraps are cold, and they don't have the strength to seize them. Stimulated by interests, the dream of a great power will once again become the mainstream of society.