The "Goodwill" of the British (Part 1)

January 1, 1846.

Vienna, Hofburg Palace.

Prince Metternich appeared exceptionally excited after seeing off the British special envoy, as if he had been transported back several decades.

Metternich had been somewhat worried upon learning that the British Foreign Secretary had just been replaced by Palmerston, but the latter had sent an envoy to extend "goodwill" to the Austrian Empire immediately upon taking office, which moved the former deeply.

However, in Franz's eyes, this so-called "goodwill" was far too hollow. The wedge the British had driven into Albania had not been removed, and the Mediterranean Fleet had even undergone an expansion.

As for other gestures, such as the withdrawal of troops from southern Brazil, that was merely the result of the British being forced to consider a comprehensive contraction due to the rebellion on the Indian Subcontinent, which had left their forces spread too thin.

Then there was Britain's formal recognition of the Austrian Empire's occupation of West Bosnia and Montenegro. That was right! It was merely a recognition of the occupation, and even more egregiously, it did not include Belgrade.

In fact, from 1839 to the present, through Franz's artificial screening, the West Bosnians had long since ceased to consider themselves subjects of the Ottoman Empire.

In reality, the brainwashed West Bosnians felt that they had never been Ottomans, but rather Austrian subjects trapped within the Ottoman Empire.

Moreover, by 1845, both West Bosnia and Belgrade had been connected to the Great Illyrian Line. Now, even if a portion of the population were incited to rebel, the Austrian army could arrive within a day to suppress them.

Therefore, the British recognition was completely inconsequential, yet they had plastered this matter all over the newspapers, presenting it to Metternich as a welcoming gift.

Furthermore, if they did not withdraw from southern