Franz did not like playing schemes and intrigues, but unfortunately, his strength did not permit otherwise.
Take the present situation. What had clearly been an open stratagem aimed at Britain, France, and Russia had somehow turned into a conspiracy.
Conspiracies and open stratagems were often separated by only a hair's breadth. Neither was inherently superior; the one best suited to the situation was the best.
What would happen if someone told Nicholas I about Franz's plan?
The answer was: nothing would happen. Nicholas I would merely laugh it off.
Between nations, mutual exploitation was the norm. It was perfectly normal for each side to calculate against the other. Intimate, seamless cooperation? Don't be foolish. Such a thing simply did not exist.
Mature politicians looked only at what their allies had done and what results it would produce, weighing the gains and losses before deciding the relationship between their countries. They did not waste time considering what their allies were thinking.
So, if you wanted to screw over your teammates, you had to be good at it. If you lacked the skill and got screwed over by your teammates instead, don't cry—there would be plenty more days of getting screwed ahead.
For example, Franz was currently setting the Russians up. But as long as Austria fulfilled its obligations as an ally, it would remain Russia's most steadfast ally, and Russo-Austrian relations would not be affected.
Even if Franz told Nicholas I right now that Austria intended to send troops to help, the Russians would not be the slightest bit delighted. They would be more likely to be alarmed.
The amount of effort one contributed determined the share of spoils one received. That was the foundation of the Russo-Austrian Alliance. Once the distribution of benefits became unbalanced, the alliance no longer had