On November 14, 1873, the South West African Railway was completed. This artery, which stretches from Guinea in the west to Pretoria in the south, was built, and Austrian rule in South Africa was completely consolidated.

From exploration to completion, this strategic railway took more than ten years to complete, making it the longest, most difficult and most expensive railway in Austria to date.

Of course, only the main road was completed, and the branch lines along the way may not be completed for another 20 years. The main reason is not that the construction is difficult, nor is it a shortage of labor, but that the colonial government has no money.

The continent's development is relatively lagging behind, and government tax revenues are limited, unable to support large-scale railway construction. The construction of the main road is a strategic need and is allocated by the central government.

The railway, which is 7,476 kilometers long, costs a total of 74,286,000 Aegis. On average, the construction cost per kilometer is nearly 10,000 Aegis, which is far more than the local one.

This is based on the premise that there is free labor to use. In order to build this railway, the colonial government has recruited millions of laborers, and maintains a huge construction team of more than 200,000 people all year round.

After the construction of the main road is completed, the branch railway behind can only take its time. Priority should be given to the construction of railways with high economic value and strategic value, and railways with low value should be put in the planning map first.

The Southwest Africa Railway has set many records, such as: the largest investment, the most labor, the longest distance, and the most new technology development......

If you convert labor into money, you can add one: the most expensive long-distance railway.

It may be easy to build such a railway in the 21st century, but in this era, it is a well-deserved world record, a manifestation of Austria's comprehensive national power.

Despite the significance of the South West African Railway, Franz did not go to the opening ceremony, and there was no way to get seasick, and it would be tragic if he died on the way if he was unlucky, and the happy event turned into a funeral.

In order to show their attention, Crown Prince Frederick and Prime Minister Felix attended the opening ceremony in person. Franz was frankly opposed.

Prime Minister Felix is 73 years old, although he is still in good health, but the medical technology in this era is limited, in case there is a cold along the way, he will hang up directly.

There is no way, the old guy has the stubbornness of the Germans, and if he has to go to the African continent for a field trip, Franz can't stop him.

This has something to do with Franz's "Africa Localization Strategy", which many in the Vienna government are skeptical, and in recent years the government has repeatedly sent people to visit the site just to reassure them.

No matter how good the information is, it's better to take a look at it truthfully. In a responsible manner, Prime Minister Felix has always wanted to visit the field in person, but the matter has been delayed.

Frederick could only be regarded as an accident, it was not his turn originally, after all, he was only 17 years old, and he only played soy sauce when he went, and he could not make decisions on behalf of the emperor.

It's just that the Grand Dukes of the Habsburgs are very busy, and the two younger brothers are not in the country, and they can't let the railroad wait for it to be open.

The only one who was more idle was Massimiliano, but after thinking about it, Franz felt that sending his son was more reliable than him in the past.

Besides, Massimiliano is now also the emperor of Mexico, and is no longer the archduke of Austria, so it is rude to call for this.

It's a little smaller, anyway, there is Prime Minister Felix, and he can decide on behalf of him in case of sudden major events.

In fact, after so many years of Franz's teaching, Frederick's ability is not bad, but he lacks experience.

Franz's health is fine, and he has time to train the next generation, so he will naturally not rush to pull out the seedlings to help him grow.

That's how he came over himself, and he felt a little difficult as a traverser. If it weren't for the old ministers, Franz would not have been able to take power so easily.

In addition to the continuity of politics, the sentiment established in times of crisis is also an important factor.

Back then, those heroes, even if they were incompetent, were offered high by Franz. In addition to affection, there is actually too much helplessness.

The emperor also needs to buy people's hearts. It is not wrong to hide the bow of the bird, but it is also necessary to show it from time to time and show its glory to those who come after it.

Franz can proudly say that he has never done the "rabbit dead dog cooking" thing, and he still has to raise a dog to take care of the house. In this world of great controversy, there is no saying that Ma Fang Nanshan.

……

Paris, compared to Franz's calmness, Napoleon III was a heroic twilight. Although he did not lose the Franco-Prussian War, he did not die depressed, but his body could not deceive people.

The indulgence of youth, the after-effects left behind, are now showing. If it weren't for luck, with Eugène, the crown prince, he would have worked hard all his life to make wedding dresses for others.

European illegitimate children could not inherit the throne, and Napoleon III lived an inappropriate life in his youth, and in his forties, he began to develop various diseases, including kidney disease, bladder stones, chronic bladder disease, prostatitis, arthritis, gout, and obesity.

In the face of disease, there is no distinction between high and low. Napoleon III, who was still struck down by illness, is now trying to instill his experience in his son.

This is not a brain-dead drama, I want my son to grow up happily. As the heir to the French Empire, if you don't have a little skill, Louis XVI is a ready-made example.

In this regard, Napoleon III is something to be proud of, from the exiled children of the royal family, all the way to the throne, his life is a legend.

There was one more person behind the original plane, and he was just a little bit close to accomplishing this great feat again. It's just that under the intervention of foreign forces, they chose to retreat at the last moment and did not forcibly restore.

Napoleon III put down the newspaper in his hand and asked: "What do you think of the turmoil in the Balkans?" ”

After a little thought, Crown Prince Eugène: "It is too much of a coincidence that the Greek coup d'état and the Bulgarian uprising took place almost simultaneously.

According to the information we have gathered, just days before the incident, the Austrian police had also eliminated a Balkan independence group in Macedonia.

Taken separately, there is no connection between these things, and when viewed together, it is very problematic. According to the preliminary judgment, there should be someone behind this.

It's just that the people behind the scenes miscalculated and overestimated the Balkan Independence Organization and failed to start a rebellion in Austria. ”

Napoleon III nodded, then shook his head again: "The analysis is good, so who do you think did this?" Or who is the most suspicious, and what is the ultimate goal? ”

Without any hesitation, Crown Prince Eugène made his judgment: "I guess it's the Ottoman Empire." Both Russia and Austria have suffered heavy losses due to the agricultural crisis, and they need to transfer the crisis to the outside world.

The Ottoman Empire happened to be their common enemy, and the hatred between the two sides lasted for hundreds of years, and now the Ottomans have declined and become the meat of the mouths of both countries.

Some time ago, there was also news that the two countries were going to join forces to take revenge on the Ottoman Empire. There was not much movement in Austria, but the Russians were already preparing for war.

The accuracy of this news was as high as 80%, and the Sudanese government felt the crisis and acted in advance to get them in trouble and buy time for themselves.

However, something didn't feel right. The Bulgarians and the Ottomans had a deep enmity with each other, and even if they wanted independence, they would look for us or the British for support. ”

Napoleon III smiled slightly: "Yes, on the surface, the Ottoman Empire is the most suspicious, but in fact the most unlikely is the Sultan government."

If they had this strength, they wouldn't have ended up in the field they are now. It's not so easy to manipulate the Greek coup, the Bulgarian uprising, and the Balkan independence organization at the same time, without showing the slightest hint of it.

Without long-term preparation, it would not have been possible. There are not many countries in the world that can do this, and we count as one, but we certainly didn't do it.

Then there are the British and Austrians, who are the experts. The child remembered that if there were such insurrections and revolutions in the future, which could not be found out, more than ninety percent of them would be carried out by Britain and Austria, just keep an eye on London and Vienna. ”

When he spoke, Napoleon III also exuded a deep sense of jealousy. If possible, he also wants to take out the two greatest enemies and leave behind a solid empire.

It's a pity that both of these enemies were slippery, and they simply did not give Napoleon III a chance to strike. He was emperor for twenty years, and for more than half of them, France was ostracized by European countries.

The leaders were Britain and Austria, and Napoleon III was sure that if he was not careful, the war against France would begin.

Fighting alone, France is not afraid of any enemy, but the enemy has to play a group fight! This forced Napoleon III to be cautious, for fear of another war against France.

As a military emperor, I have not been able to live a war in my life, and I have to say that it is also a pity.

Eugène asked suspiciously: "Why is there Austria, they are also victims of this Balkan turmoil, there is no reason to do this?" ”

"Cough, cough, cough......"

Napoleon III coughed for a while, and Eugène hurriedly slapped his reserve. Then he poured a glass of water and handed it to Napoleon III.

After taking a sip, after a pause, Napoleon III said: "Think about it, what did Austria lose and what did it gain?"

In the future, if you want to deal with Franz, you have to have a few more eyes. Especially when it comes to benefits, the benefits sent to your door should be decided after weighing the pros and cons, and if you don't understand it, don't do it at all. ”

This is the lesson of Napoleon III himself, since the annexation of the Kingdom of Sardinia, France has been broken on the path of annexing Italy.

Initially, Napoleon III did not find a problem, but over time he gradually understood.

The Italian region is good for everything, but there are no resources. It looks fat, but in fact it is not worth as much as the land west of the Rhine.

A conspiracy brought France into an embarrassing situation, and now France needed to import many resources, especially coke for steelmaking, and the output of the French African colonies could not meet domestic demand, so it could only be imported from Britain or Prussia.

However, I can't say that in the eyes of everyone, the annexation of Italy was a great victory for France. Now I can't let go, I can only digest it hard.

Before it can digest the Italian region, France needs to shrink strategically. The pace of overseas expansion has slowed down, let alone the European continent, which is affected by the whole body.

Looking at Eugène's thoughtful expression, Napoleon III added: "The same is true of the British, and dealing with them should not be taken lightly.

Don't look at the fact that Britain, France and Austria are allies now, in fact, everyone is eager to stab each other in the back and kill each other.

Franz is not a man of fame and reputation, and he has never broken the contract for so many years, not because of his good reputation, but mainly because the interests are not big enough for him to break the contract.

Not to mention the British, who are more vigilant than enemies with them. The War in the Near East is an example of this, and we would not have lost if they hadn't stabbed them in the back. ”

Even now, Napoleon III is still haunted by the defeat in the war in the Near East and puts this account on the heads of the British.

There is no way, who let the French army miss a move and be sold by the British and Sardinians? Sardinia, not to mention, they have already paid the price and become part of France.

The British, who seemed to have failed, became the winners after the war, and Napoleon III, who was trapped, naturally couldn't swallow this breath.

……

(Note: Eugène's full name was Napoleon Eugène Louis Jean-Joseph Bonaparte, the first illegitimate son of Napoleon III was also called Eugène, not a person)