The second more

"The Witwatersrand is the name of a low mountain range in Gauteng and the North West Province of South Africa, and the collective name for the Rand District of Johannesburg in the vicinity of the range."

Frederick III handed the telegram to Bismarck, but he did not answer it, but allowed the paper to slip from his hand and fall to the ground.

"Focus."

Bismarck, suppressing the anger in his heart and trying to show his most restrained side, said to Frederick III, "I wonder what is the point of His Majesty?" Could it be that the renunciation of peace talks with the British is for the sake of this region? What is there in there that deserves to do this? ”

The telegram fell at his feet, and Bismarck didn't even bend down to pick up the thin paper. Instead, he looked at the bearded William in front of him without retreating.

Frederick III said calmly, "The point is that there is a gold mine here, and it is worth the risk. ”

Bismarck was already so disgruntled that he paced back and forth in front of the king, trying to find an excuse to make him die.

He lived most of his life, what kind of wind and rain he had not experienced, and the rich experience of life told him that everything was not as simple as Frederick III imagined.

"Your Majesty, there are more gold mines in the world, but we have never been more active. Why do you think the Transvaal's gold mines are worth the risk of tearing up our faces with Westminster Abbey, and if that's why we're turning against each other, then we've failed to suppress France? It would have been a foolish choice to unite France, and our geographical location was destined to be either mortal enemies or feuds. The humiliation of the Holy Roman Empire, as well as the catastrophe that Richelieu brought to Berlin, we have not forgotten. ”

Frederick III, who had grown up in England and received an orthodox education, did not feel much about the glory and revenge, only that he had to raise a standing army, and that an arms race might drain the Parliament. When Frederick III took office, the first thing he prepared was not expansion, but how to preserve the current gains.

The arms race was troubling him, and the military had repeatedly come to his door in an attempt to persuade the king to increase funding.

So he was the one who had the best hope for Franco-German peace, and there was Ron behind him to guide him, but now Ron's body was not enough to attend the post.

But Napoleon's willingness to reconcile with Germany was a major breakthrough. What's more, they discovered that the gold belt in the Rand area has a total length of 480 kilometers and a conservative estimate of 20,700 square kilometers, which is unique among gold mines in the world. The French even agreed that as long as Germany was on the side of France politically, we would get three percent of the ore gains. What is the most important thing in the 19th century, this is the capital of a country, how can we continue to expand the army without enough capital? ”

The conditions given by the French were indeed superior, so superior that Bismarck couldn't help but chuckle in his heart.

He was also surprised in his heart, and immediately understood why the French would rather offend London than make a move in the Transvaal.

This is by far the most plausible explanation, and if all is true, Paris could really become the financial center of the world.

Bismarck was so blocked by Frederick III that he scratched his head and turned to another aspect, trying to convince the king, "But has your majesty ever thought that this is just a trap, in fact, there may not be any gold mines." ”

"I have already considered your problem, so I specially sent a team to explore gold mines in the name of scientific investigation, if it is really as Napoleon said, the discovery of gold mines in the Rand region is enough to change the world financial order. Then I think it is still necessary for the Germans to tear their faces for this cup of soup. At that time, Germany was willing to exert both military and political pressure to force the British to retreat from the Transvaal, and even 10% of the gold mine revenue would be enough to bring about a shocking change in finances. ”

Frederick III gushed out, and he was the only voice left in the office. A young and ambitious king wants to do amazing things during his tenure, not to be a mediocre monarch.

William took the way of conquest, and Frederick III took the other way.

"What the British have given us is a verbal promise, but what we can actually gain is nothing more than to use Germany as a pawn to contain France, and let us fight to the death for that ridiculous benefit. But the French gave us real money. ”

Bismarck was silent, his eyes looking at the ceiling of the palace with complicated eyes.

In the face of reality, Frederick III thought more practically than him, money can't buy friendship? That's because you don't have enough common interests.

"But we don't know yet if it's a lie, what if Napoleon had deceived Berlin with false intelligence, only to turn back and find that the actual benefits had not been as high as he had imagined? Maybe this gold mine does exist, but the gold in it is not as rich as we think? ”

Bismarck stepped forward and pressed the German king in front of him.

"What is His Majesty going to do then?"

Frederick III said word for word, "If Paris had deceived us, Germany would have marched south without the help of the British." ”

The politically conservative German Chancellor would never allow his king to risk the interests of a country, and an alliance with the British was an immediate interest, and it was in line with the anti-French spirit of the Junker aristocracy's militaristic tradition.

But now Frederick III has been blinded by immediate interests.

"But Your Majesty ......"

"No need to be persuaded any more, I said I don't want to lose a gold mine that could change German finances or lose a chancellor. The expedition from Paris was the best, and they would know if the French had lied about the Transvaal. ”

Faced with such a resolute Frederick III, Bismarck knew he had no chance of convincing His Majesty. Although Frederick III was more energetic and ambitious than William I, who was assassinated, he was also more stubborn.

He stubbornly believed that Germany should be a country where the parliament was higher than the power of the chancellor, or even the imperial power, rather than leaving Bismarck alone.

This deep-rooted thinking is the biggest factor in the frequent conflicts between the two.

From his reign as king to the present, he and Bismarck have been at odds, and Frederick III sincerely hoped to find a pawn that matched Bismarck's diplomatic talents, but was also more reassuring.

At least it doesn't sway your own will.

"If Prime Minister Bismarck has anything else to say to the Reichstag, I don't want to hear it for now. I'm tired and need a break. ”

Bismarck knew that no matter how much he emphasized the conspiracy of the French, Frederick III would not have listened to it, not to mention the preferential conditions that the French had given no one to refuse.

But Bismarck didn't believe that the other party had such good intentions, and maybe promised that only the next loss would be even worse. That's why he ignored Frederick III's excuses, and continued to stubbornly say, "Even if Frederick III wants to agree, at least we have to share the benefits of this gold mine with them, and we must not let France be far ahead."

"That's enough, stand down."

Frederick III frowned impatiently, and he said indifferently, "I said, I don't want to hear it now, and I will find a way to solve these problems." Stop pushing me. ”

"Chancellor Bismarck, you have disappointed me."

Before leaving, Frederick III stopped him behind him and said slowly, "My aim is not to make an enemy of France, but to gain enough space for international development." If you can't accept my political ideas, it's better to resign as prime minister as soon as possible and let someone else take your place. ”

Bismarck, who had been in power since the time of Wilhelm, had not suffered such humiliation. The strict hierarchy and humility allowed him to restrain himself.

Bismarck took a few deep breaths before calming his heaving heart. Knowing that it was useless to argue with reason, he whispered, "Okay, I know." ”

For the position of prime minister, he is already downplayed. There have been ups and downs since the time of William, so it doesn't matter how well the position is performed.

"If King Wilhelm thinks that I am not fit for the post, he can let someone else who is capable of handling German foreign affairs take the position of German Foreign Minister, and that's it. But until you replace, I am still the Chancellor of Germany, and as long as I remain in power for a day, I will not spare the French. I am not in favor of blind intervention in the Transvaal. ”

This was the first time he had shown a tough attitude in front of the king, and he had tried to be as tactful as possible when speaking to William I.

Obviously, Frederick III didn't like this at all, and he simply replied directly to the "Enemy of the State", "If it weren't for Ron's inability to take the position of chancellor due to health problems now, I would have liked to find a good replacement." ”

"Because the French will not let you go, you are simply the biggest obstacle to the friendship between France and Germany, there is no one."