Metternich was angry, but the reality was that he really didn't have a good idea. If the Swiss really ignored the bombing of the St. Gallen Pass and the Ticeno Trail, the Austrian Empire would not have been able to enter even if it had thousands of troops.

In fact, the Swiss Confederation was able to push back the Holy Roman Empire, and even defeated Austria to the point that it lost its ancestral land, in addition to the fall of the great powers, it was difficult to deploy troops in the Swiss mountains, and it was also a big problem that the supply could not keep up.

Note: The birthplace of the Habsburg family is Eagle Castle in the canton of Aargau, Switzerland.

Although he could not be forced, Prince Metternich was a man known as the "Prime Minister of Europe", and he had his own way of solving the problem.

That's right! That's what a meeting is! Don't underestimate the power of the international conference, it's a knife that kills without seeing blood.

Compared with throwing tens or hundreds of thousands of troops into the battlefield, this approach is cheap, efficient and elegant.

As a super old fritter who has been in the diplomatic arena for more than half a century, Prince Metternich knows very well what can and cannot be touched.

He was going to spend a month preparing for a diplomatic conference, which might be postponed for another two months.

After all, it was still winter and St. Petersburg was not navigable, and it might take a month for the news to be delivered, and it would probably be April 1847 when the Russians had chosen a representative and sent it again.

This was probably the largest diplomatic conference in the world since Napoleon's end.

In addition to France and the Kingdom of Sardinia, which bordered Switzerland, there were such important regional powers as Russia, Sweden, Spain, Prussia, and all the vassal states of the entire German Confederation.

Who made the Swiss Confederation bordering Baden and Württemberg and Bavaria across the lake?

The fact that so many countries were invited but not Britain was not only to facilitate the exclusion of British influence, but also to avenge the fact that Britain had set aside Austria, the presidency, to convene the London Conference alone.

(The London Conference in the book didn't happen, but it's impossible not to remember what the British did.) ）

At this time, the British could only take three paths, either to sabotage and make the Vienna Conference not possible, as Austria (Franz) had done.

Either join if you can't beat it, come uninvited, and then take the opportunity to repair relations, or take the opportunity to make things happen so that Austria can't achieve its goals.

Finally, there is a way out, and that is not to recognize all the outcomes of the conference. Palmerston used it at the Second Vienna Conference, but it didn't work.

It is unlikely that this will work at this point, because Austria, France, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and South Germany completely envelop Switzerland.

In fact, there was also Liechtenstein, with a population of less than three thousand, and an army of less than a hundred men, with Archduke Alois II of Liechtenstein himself as commander-in-chief.

Once an agreement is reached, it will be difficult for Britain to shake the slightest bit, just as Austria, France, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg divided Belgium before.

London, United Kingdom.

John Russell was about to scold his mother as soon as he got the news.

"Ease! Mitigate! Ease the relationship! Why don't you understand? ”

He really didn't know who gave Joseph Lowy the courage to get involved in the affairs of the European continent in this situation.

The most terrifying thing was Palmerston, who had just returned from the Tory mutiny, and gave a big gift as soon as he met.

To scare the Austrians and the French with a credential that he did not sign with the queen, where did he come from so boldly.

"Prime Minister, please sign this credential."

Palmerston did not answer John Russell's words, but the letter that was about to be sent to Europe pushed the latter.

"I really regret letting you, a traitor, continue to be the foreign minister, and I have to wipe your ass."

John Russell, though very unhappy, was ready to do his duty as a party leader.

"Your Excellency, you are not right. You are addressing the worries of the British Empire, not my personal problem. ”

Palmerston had done a lot of ridiculous things, such as getting the Queen's maids at the Queen's Castle, so his words sounded like quibbles to others.

"Mr. Palmerston, please don't bite the bullet, it's your fault for provoking the Swiss Civil War, you know that we in England can't really go to their platform."

But this would allow the Austrians themselves to destroy the Vienna system, and the contradictions between France and Austria would deepen even further, regardless of which side prevailed. In the end, it will be our British Empire that will benefit. ”

John Russell's personal talents were far inferior to Palmerston and Robert Peele, the former became British Prime Minister twice in history, was ousted twice, he lacked economic, domestic and diplomatic skills, and even his brother felt that he was an incompetent prime minister, so Lord Russell at this time could not understand what Palmerston was doing.

"What do you mean?"

"Prime Minister, I mean that the greatness of our United Kingdom lies in its policy of glorious independence.

We have more important things to do than what is happening on the continent, such as solving the problem of overproduction in our factories, the unreasonable demands of the Americans, the Irish on the banks of the Shannon"

Palmerston clearly had his own agendas, but John Russell hated such self-effacing cleverness. The latter did not pay attention to the so-called problems, but took aim at Palmerston himself.

"If you know we have so many problems to face, why would you take the initiative to provoke those guys on the continent?"

In the face of the Prime Minister's doubts, Palmerston appeared very calm.

"If we don't find something for them to do, can we do our thing with peace of mind? The navies of Austria and France are no longer what they used to be, and although the previous intervention in the Viceroyalty of La Plata has failed, the navies of the countries of continental Europe are no longer something we can ignore.

And some problems may need the help of the Army to solve, such as Canada's borders and trade issues in the East.

Switzerland is located at the junction of three countries, and its geographical location is quite important, and neither of the three countries will give up easily. ”

"But if either France or Austria were to get Switzerland, wouldn't that affect the balance of power on the continent?"

"No, Prime Minister, the terrain of Switzerland is mainly mountainous, and the terrain is narrow and difficult to pass, not to mention the army, nor can it be sustained with supplies.

And the sparse population and weak economy have little impact on the two large countries. But the already fragile balance on the continent is enough to make waves later.

The main thing is that after the disappearance of the Swiss barrier, Austria will have a direct border with France, and by that time the two sides will not be able to fight if they want to. ”

As Palmerston said this, everyone in the room smiled evilly, and John Russell knew what to do next.

"When they are defeated, we can reap the benefits of the fisherman."

"Yes, that's it."

"Good! I'll go to the queen and sign it. ”

——

This is Lord John Russell, who is bent on asking for credit—