Chapter 220: Transaction
The Near East War suddenly came to a halt, instantly jolting many within the Austrian Government awake. There was nothing surprising about it. The great powers were not fools; they would not allow a unified German Empire to emerge and compete with them for the spoils.
This was within Franz's expectations. Unlike the empire that had existed in history, Austria now appeared far more powerful.
While intimidating the nations of Europe, it naturally also incurred everyone's wariness. At a time like this, diplomatic means became especially important. Blindly charging ahead was not the way of the wise.
Berlin
Metternich proposed dividing the German region to the Prussian Government. There was no doubt that the Prussians were no fools, and it would be difficult for the two sides to reach an agreement.
It would be easy for Austria to annex South Germany, but for Prussia to annex North Germany would be extremely troublesome. This was a matter of soft power.
The ****ist Prussians were powerful only militarily. Culturally, most German states could look down on them.
This was also why the Kingdom of Prussia so easily drew criticism. They had no voice in cultural circles and had not won everyone's cultural recognition.
Of course, they could follow history's example and force everyone to agree through military might. But the government of Frederick William IV had lost its nerve and did not dare take that step.
The joint intervention of the various powers had halted German unification, and Austria had encountered unprecedented diplomatic difficulties. If Prussia jumped out at this time, Austria's pressure would lessen—but Prussia itself would be in for a miserable time.
North Germany differed from South Germany. Most of the South German states were Austria's little brothers and had long been influenced by Austria. That was