Franz could not help sighing at the sheer chaos of European politics. In his two years as Emperor, Austria had somehow signed secret agreements with every major power in Europe.
Future scholars of international history would probably stare at this pile of secret treaties, marvel at how incredibly capable the Austrian Foreign Ministry had been, and then be left with a heap of unresolved political mysteries.
First came the Franco-Austrian Secret Pact. They had agreed to happily carve up the Kingdom of Sardinia together, only for the plan to be aborted by the outbreak of France's June Revolution.
Then came the Anglo-Austrian Balkan Memorandum and the Anglo-Austrian Italian Understanding. The latter had already been fulfilled; whether the former could be honored depended on the British people's sense of integrity.
There was no need to mention the Russo-Austrian Secret Treaty. It was merely the continuation and expansion of the alliance between the two countries. They had been allied for decades, and each was the other's most important ally.
Not long ago, they had also signed a secret treaty with the Kingdom of Prussia. The two countries jointly opposed outside forces interfering in German affairs. Once the time was ripe, this treaty would be made public. At its core, it was meant to deter the British, so naturally it would not remain secret forever.
Was that all? The facts proved that the Austrian Government truly loved making trouble. Austria's secret negotiations with Spain had concluded, and the two countries had reached a consensus on opening up overseas colonies—the Austro-Spanish Colonial Treaty was born.
Under the treaty, the two countries mutually recognized each other's sovereignty over their overseas colonies and were to provide whatever assistance they could during colonial activities—for example, allowing the other side to obtain logistical supplies in their colonies...
Austria