Extorting Italy (Please Vote)

"Those damned Germans! They actually refused to recognize the Empire's legitimate interests in Italy! It's utterly outrageous. The Germans are burning the bridge after crossing it—a betrayal of their allies!" The moment he left the palace and returned to the car, Crown Prince Karl erupted in an angry roar. His face had twisted with fury, making him look utterly terrifying.

"Crown Prince, what kind of demands did you make of His Majesty the German Emperor?" Baron von Berchtold, the Austro-Hungarian Foreign Minister, asked.

"I demanded that Italy pay the Austro-Hungarian Empire fifty billion Krone in reparations, cede Venice and the territory east of it to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and transfer all of Italy's colonies to the Austro-Hungarian Empire," Crown Prince Karl said.

Baron von Berchtold was utterly dumbfounded. Crown Prince Karl had not discussed any of these demands with him at all! Without a doubt, this had been a decision he made on his own. In Baron von Berchtold's view, these demands were simply far too excessive.

"Your Highness, aren't such demands a little too harsh? No wonder the Germans refused," Baron von Berchtold said.

"Harsh? I don't think so. These demands were modeled after the terms the Germans imposed on France," Crown Prince Karl said.

"Uh..." Baron von Berchtold was instantly rendered speechless.

Germany had extorted enormous benefits from France, and that certainly made people green with envy. But that did not mean the Austro-Hungarian Empire could copy the gourd and draw the ladle, squeezing just as many benefits from Italy! Italy was not France; it was nowhere near as wealthy. What was more, Germany had swallowed France's benefits all by itself, whereas Italy's concessions would be divided between Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. There was a fundamental difference between the two! Not to mention anything else, everyone knew