The third more

The gun on the table glowed with a cold metallic sheen in the moonlight, and the atmosphere in the study instantly became tense. No one knew what Bismarck wanted to do, but when he handed over the gun to Frederick III, he was giving up the initiative.

Bismarck sat here with the determination to die, he was not afraid that he would be sentenced to death as a king, but he could not watch the Second German Empire, which he had single-handedly built, be ruined.

Frederick III held the handle of the gun, but he did not put his hand on the trigger.

After a night of travel, Bismarck was already a little tired, he pulled out a chair and sat down with a swagger, completely in the strict hierarchy of Junker militarism.

Bismarck was immersed in his own memories, and he never let up his vigilance against France over the years.

"Germany must ensure that it has absolute superiority in Europe, and one of the most important things is to suppress France. Although in my initial vision, I also considered France an ally. But everything changed after the man who called himself Napoleon came to power. Think for yourself why a fire for no reason burned down the Palais Bourbon, and it burned all the parliamentarians just right. Why did Napoleon III die suddenly? And his son died in the Transvaal without explanation. Isn't there any ulterior motive behind this? ”

Frederick III frowned, these are the internal affairs of France, and he does not need to pay attention to them.

Bismarck, however, seemed to show great interest, and continued, "Then there is the question of the Transvaal, as if they knew from the beginning that there were gold mines there, so they turned against Britain at all costs, and brought Germany in as a community of interests." Everything they did was for themselves, not for the one who opposed British intervention on the continent on the basis of justice. ”

Analyzing the selfishness of the French, Bismarck suddenly raised his voice and said word by word, "France is now a mad gambler, he is gambling on his national fortunes." After the end of the Franco-Prussian War, Napoleon ostensibly had no intention of reviving any continental war. He even maintains friendly and cooperative relations with various European countries, but if you think about it, everything he did was paving the way for today's situation. He made Germany disgusted with England and drew closer to France, and he made Russia disgusted with England, and maintained friendly and cooperative relations with France. The strategic arrangements made by Napoleon over the past decade had been completed, and the French had been able to forge a loose alliance hostile to the British. Now they still lack a link, and that link is interests. ”

"Use the interests of the British as a bond of unity between the two sides."

"When we see them whispering to Berlin, will Germany consider France to be its loyal ally?"

The candle flame flickered, and Bismarck's face grew paler, as if he had discovered a surprising and unfathomable secret.

So where do we boldly predict where the situation will go? First, the continental nations of Europe might unite against British hegemony and break out into one or more wars aimed at expelling their power from the Atlantic, as they had done when the Spanish Armada had been defeated hundreds of years earlier. After the other party weakened, they continued to rob the British colonies. This is the most dangerous move in the Tuileries Palace, and if you don't handle it well, the final outcome is to play back to the original shape. I admire his courage for that. ”

Bismarck feared his opponents, but he never despised his enemies.

"This war must have been a very costly war, and if the German losses were too great, even if the British were willing to give up their colonies to us, they would eventually be snatched by the French. Because the last obstacle to his rise is gone, and with a declining Berlin, the Tuileries will easily wipe us out and turn Berlin into a province of the French Empire. ”

Frederick said impatiently, "But all this you say is just your speculation, and there is no real evidence at all. Do you really think Germany is a fool? Will the French take advantage of it for nothing? Even, as you say, the Second German Reich had a million land forces, why should they, the French, resist us? ”

Bismarck, however, said meaningfully, "Ten years ago, France began to implement a new family plan and greatly increased social welfare. Do you know what that means? Ten or twenty years later, this group of baby boomers were the ones who had plenty of troops to fuel the expansion of the French war machine. Even if he can't catch up with Germany, but he can close a certain gap, Napoleon is a hero, he is not a fool. He knows how to get the most out of France. And in the service of future wars. ”

"He's simply an all-knowing and all-powerful genius, if we don't stop him. Sooner or later, Europe will fall into another war, and I have gambled all my fate on this conversation tonight, and whether Frederick III does not believe what I say, I will pay the price for my rudeness and unreasonableness tonight. ”

After speaking, Bismarck pointed to the gun in Frederick III's hand and motioned for the other party to make a decision.

"The nest is full of bullets, and whatever I say tonight's crime is irreparable. If His Majesty the Emperor thinks that I have offended your authority, then pull the trigger and end my life. ”

Frederick III looked at the gun in his hand and pondered for a moment, but finally shook his head.

By the end, Bismarck had closed his eyes, and he was waiting for the judgment of fate to come. Fine beads of sweat began to ooze from his forehead, and he did not expect to make such a dangerous political bet at his age.

Surprisingly, he didn't hear the firing pin with the trigger pulled.

"No, Bismarck, you guessed one thing wrong, I won't kill you."

Frederick III put down the gun in his hand, he withdrew all the bullets, and then put the gun on the table. Everything was as if nothing had happened, the high Kaiser looked at the pale Bismarck, and said in a calm tone, "I will not punish you in any way, I will let you live well, and live to see how I become the overlord of the European continent." Alive how the German-American Union swept all of Europe! Finally I will show you how Germany trampled France under its feet! I'm going to let you know that everything you say is wrong! ”