In the history of mankind in the 20th century, the influence of Archduke Ferdinand, Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary, on the world can definitely rank in the top ten. This is not because he made any great achievements during his lifetime, but because his death brought a war catastrophe of unprecedented scale to the Anthropocene realm. On June 28, 1914, the Grand Duke and his wife were shot and killed by the terrorist Princip in Sarajevo, and Austria-Hungary used this as an excuse to issue an ultimatum to Serbia, and then through a series of chain reactions, the First World War that spread to four continents was detonated. In this tragic war, which killed nearly 20 million soldiers and civilians, the four great empires, including Austria-Hungary, collapsed violently, and the power of the traditional powers of Britain and France was greatly weakened; When the European powers were exhausted, the rice potato quietly took away the shining jewel that had been worn on the head of Europe for hundreds of years.

Ferdinand was born in Graz, Austria, in 1863, to Archduke Ludwig, the third brother of Emperor Franz. As Emperor Franz's only son, Rudolf, committed suicide due to mental illness, and his father, Ludwig, who was the legal heir to the throne, gave up the right to inherit the throne, Ferdinand was fortunate enough to become the crown prince of the third largest empire in Europe. Unlike the princely magnates of the Viennese court, who were full of medieval nobility and magnates, and the warmongers in the army who were full of national ideology and great power chauvinism, Archduke Ferdinand was not only an open-minded politician, but also a staunch pacifist, and his behavior was far from the inexplicable demonization of the "imperialist executioner" in the textbooks of the Celestial Empire. His goal was to establish a "Grand Austro-Hungarian Federation" in which all peoples, with the exception of the royal family, foreign affairs, and defence, enjoyed full autonomy. On the issue of Serbia, Ferdinand also tended to turn hostility with his opponents. Integrate it into Austria-Hungary. Turning the existing dual monarchy into an "Austro-Hungarian" type of triadic monarchy.

But. Ferdinand's political stance also sowed the seeds of danger for his personal safety. Considering the old Emperor Franz's advanced age, it was only a matter of time before the Grand Duke succeeded to the throne; Once the Grand Duke ascended the throne, his progressive ideas would likely make the populace of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which had been annexed by Austria-Hungary, and the millions of Slavs in the territory, willingly accept the enlightened autocracy of Austria-Hungary and abandon the idea of independence. This is unacceptable to Serbia, which has always regarded Bosnia and Herzegovina as its "natural territory", and Russia, which claims to be the "protector of the Slavs"! For the warmongers in Vienna, if Austria-Hungary was at peace with Serbia and Russia behind it, they also lost the opportunity for further foreign expansion. In this way, Archduke Ferdinand became the target of assassination with bitter hatred on both sides.

And after the assassination of the Grand Duke and his wife. Out of inexplicable personal anger at the Grand Duke, who was a pacifist, and contempt for the Grand Duchess, a "lowly woman" of commoner origin, the Vienna court rejected the proposal to hold a state funeral for the two and to allow the Great Powers to intervene in the event of a possible war. As a result, in the absence of the presence of emperors, kings, prime ministers and diplomats of a major country, Archduke Ferdinand and his wife were hastily buried. Europe as a whole and the world lost an opportunity to defuse or limit the war to a local scale.

For this figure who has left a strong mark in the history of the world, Qingying has always wanted to see his true face since he crossed into this world, but he has always been on the side. To this day, when he stood in the lavishly decorated hall of Schönbrunn Palace, he finally met the Austro-Hungarian prince who became famous in the world because of his death.

He was in his early 40s and slightly chubby. A square Chinese character with a shallow smile on his face, and his gestures all reveal the luxurious charm of being a descendant of the Habsburg dynasty that has lasted for more than 600 years. Facing the outstretched arms of the middle-aged man in front of him. Qingying secretly complained in his heart, but he could only choose to follow the local customs, and with the aristocratic etiquette that he had cultivated for many years, he had a close bear hug with Ferdinand.

"Many years ago, I heard the names of His Highnesses mentioned by the ladies at the musical balls of the Viennese court; When I saw it today, His Royal Highness was indeed as handsome and elegant as they said, and his demeanor was unusual. Ferdinand's two brown mustaches were slightly upturned, his face was smiling, and a calm and kind warm temperament naturally poured out, making people feel like a spring breeze, "Even His Majesty Franz, a saint and a great emperor, on the occasion of his wedding 55 years ago, did not have such a world-class appearance as His Royal Highness." ”

Qingying smiled and said, "Your Royal Highness, you are the true Optimus Pillar of the Habsburg Dynasty. In the powder keg of the Balkans in Central and Southern Europe, which may explode at any time, His Royal Highness has defused countless bloody conflicts that may break out with sincerity, open-mindedness, wisdom and communication, and brought the people of the Austro-Hungarian Federation to peace and prosperity. Throughout Europe, there is no one who can compare with the merits and kindness of His Royal Highness the Grand Duke. ”

"I've been all over Vienna in the past few days, and it's the envy of the whole of Europe for its musical and artistic vibe. The fact that Germany was an iron ally with the great Habsburgs was the best decision that the Hohenzollerns had made for centuries. Allow me, Your Highness, to express my deepest admiration for the splendor and splendor of Vienna, and to wish from the bottom of my heart that the friendship between our two countries will flow forever like the blue waters of the Danube. Qingying smiled, and all kinds of praise and sycophants were also patted towards Ferdinand one after another without money. Just kidding, in his previous life, he was a lord who lived in the Celestial Empire for nearly 20 years, can these Europeans compare to him in terms of lip service?

Hearing Qingying's words, Ferdinand's face showed a hint of surprise, followed by a rich smile. He stretched out his right arm diagonally and gestured to Qingying with impeccable grace to sit down; The palace attendant respectfully stepped forward and placed two cups of fragrant and mellow coffee in front of the two. Ferdinand took a sip of the mellow in the glass, and blurted out with a polite expression: "The Habsburgs have always regarded Hohenzollern as their closest friend, as it has been, and will always be." May the friendship between Germany and Austria be like the peaks of the Alps, majestic and lofty, never changing. ”

Seeing that the routine diplomatic rhetoric was almost complete, Qingying decided to get straight to the point, saying: "Your Royal Highness, Germany and Austria have become a whole, advancing and retreating together; The stronger your country grows, the better it will be for Germany. At present, your country has a powerful army that looks at Eastern Europe, which is sufficient to protect its legitimate interests in the Balkans and in Eastern Europe; Therefore, your country also needs a naval fleet of considerable strength to make your voice heard in the Mediterranean. ”

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"For any great power, the navy is by no means a dispensable luxury. Because it can not only effectively solve the problem of overcapacity of domestic heavy industry, but also can be used as a backing for the peaceful use of the sea. In the past, this unimaginably lucrative maritime trade had been monopolized by the British, and it was time for everyone living in the sun to enjoy this gift of God. Your Royal Highness, I wonder what attitude you think is in the development of your navy? Qingying looked at Ferdinand in front of her calmly, confidently waiting for his reply.

Historically, Ferdinand was one of the few aristocratic leaders in Austria-Hungary who was enthusiastic about the navy, and his interest was no less than that of Kaiser Wilhelm; Austria-Hungary built the first dreadnought, the United Force, and he was personally in charge of the construction of the ship. Under his vigorous promotion, the joint force was completed in less than 30 months, and its construction efficiency is not inferior to that of the world's top industrial powers.

The casual smile on Ferdinand's face faded and was replaced by a serious and solemn look. He nodded slightly, a hint of yearning appeared in his eyes, and said leisurely: "The Austrian Navy has a glorious tradition. Admiral Tegerhoff had defeated the Italian fleet in the Battle of Lissa with a weak victory; The magnificent naval battle of 30 years ago still lingers in the minds of every officer and sailor of the Imperial Navy, and it has never gone away. Although the people at home do not have much enthusiasm for the sea, and the Hungarian parliament thinks that this 'money-burning machine far away from them' has nothing to do with them, and the development of the navy is hindered by many obstacles, but since I succeeded to the throne of the crown prince, I have always actively supported the development of the navy and tried my best to obtain more funds for the navy. Because I firmly believe that although the empire is on land today, the future of the empire will eventually be in the sea. ”

Qingying's eyes flashed, and a little surprise and admiration quietly emerged in her eyes. Archduke Ferdinand's wisdom and courage have reached a point where Qingying, a traveler, has to be admired.

Later generations, when analyzing the German Navy in depth, will always mention its inherent shortcomings in development. The Junker aristocracy, the core foundation of the empire, were terrestrial creatures who had fought in the wars against France, Austria, and Russia since Prussian times, and were completely unaware of the seas and finances. In addition, Germany's overseas colonies were much more barren and cramped than those of Britain and France, and their size was three times the size of the mainland colonies, which also limited the navy to only a small gap in objective needs. Finally, the German Navy's geographical position was very awkward: the English Channel blocked the German fleet's path to the west, and the British Navy only had to make a long-range blockade at Scapavlo to trap the German Navy in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The triple disadvantage of social culture, trade needs and geography formed a heavy mountain that could not be moved on the head of the development of the German navy.

For Austria-Hungary, the constraints on its development of the navy were much greater than those of Germany. (To be continued......)