Chapter 116: Disrupting Prussia's Deployment
Berlin
Palmerston's arrival brought Frederick William IV no good news. This time, the British were standing against them as well.
"Your Majesty, the current situation is extremely unfavorable to us. Every European country stands against us. Austria, the only great power supporting us, is merely yielding to public opinion; they will not provide us with any substantive assistance," Prime Minister Joseph von Radowitz said with a frown.
No country in Europe had the courage to face Russia alone on land before the end of the Crimean War, and Prussia was no exception.
Having such a neighbor was the Kingdom of Prussia's greatest misfortune. Since they could not defeat them, they might as well be friends. Prussia-Russia relations had always been one of the most important pillars of Prussian diplomacy.
"Is the bourgeois government still unwilling to yield?" Frederick William IV asked with concern.
After thinking for a moment, Radowitz replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. Public morale is high right now. After Austria spoke out in our support, the German states have all been waving flags and beating drums for us. They are trying to use public opinion to force us into war with Russia.
"The bourgeois government believes that we cannot dampen the people's spirits now. They want to wait until Austria resolves its internal conflicts, then join hands with us to resist the pressure from Russia."
That was right. Russia, the gendarme of Europe, was indeed terrifying—far beyond Prussia's equal. But once Prussia and Austria joined forces, the situation would reverse. Russia was not capable of fighting two enemies at once.
But the question was, why would Austria stand against the Russians just to help Prussia expand its territory? Where were Austria's interests in that?
After some thought, Frederick William IV said, "Notify our people