Franz had long entertained the idea of going after Bismarck. Unfortunately, there were far too many people in Europe with the same name. Before one of them rose to prominence, who could tell which was which?
Without even being able to confirm his identity, there was naturally nothing they could do.
By the time Bismarck's identity was confirmed, he had just transferred from Prussia's representative in Frankfurt to envoy to the New Holy Roman Empire.
Killing an envoy on their own turf would have far too severe an impact. The political risk was too great, and Franz was not one to take such risks.
Now that Bismarck had been reassigned as envoy to Russia, the situation was different. As long as they were careful enough, killing him would simply be killing him. Even if trouble arose, it would be the Tsarist Government's headache.
If possible, Franz would not have minded eliminating all three of Prussia's great men at once. Unfortunately, the other two were in the military, and even tracking their movements was difficult. They could hardly barge into a barracks and kill them, could they?
Franz did not believe his own assassination squad was that formidable. Sending them to the Kingdom of Prussia to assassinate its officers—if they were caught, it would be a disaster.
The greatest threat was still Bismarck. No matter how capable a general was in battle, in the age of firearms he could not escape the constraints of national strength. In that regard, Franz had nothing to fear.
By comparison, politicians and diplomats were the ones who dictated a nation's fate. With Metternich still around, and Bismarck not yet holding a high position, Franz was not worried about him stirring up trouble.
But this "Chancellor of Europe" was already old; his departure was only a