About Russia

Franz and his relatively distant bloodline were comparatively safe options. All things considered, the benefits of an alliance through marriage were limited—at least, not as great as they might seem—and the opposition would be considerable.

An alliance through marriage alone could hardly influence the policies of the great powers, much less their core interests.

Russia, by comparison, was the most emotional of the great powers. The Tsar's personal will could, to some extent, influence the direction of state policy.

And Nicholas I was the most emotional Tsar in history. Having just lost his beloved daughter, he doted on the only daughter left in his family, Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna.

But it was also the excessive doting of the Tsar and Tsarina that had kept Olga Nikolaevna unmarried at twenty-four—already considered an old maid in the nineteenth century.

In fact, the Grand Duchess should have married the Crown Prince of Württemberg in 1846. But Sophie was not satisfied, and Austria then held some discussions with Württemberg. The latter wisely called off the engagement.

Even if the Kingdom of Württemberg had insisted, Russia would have broken off the engagement as soon as Austria showed an interest in marrying Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna.

In truth, any sensible person in Russia or Austria understood how important their alliance was. Russia had taken a province from the Ottoman Empire without spending a single soldier, relying on nothing but a sheep. Austria had been able to strike France with impunity on the strength of that alliance.

As long as the Holy Alliance endured, the two countries were invincible on the European continent. Unless internal strife broke out, it would be difficult for any outside force to break them apart.

At this time, both the Austrian Empire's Italian policy and its German policy relied on having Russia