On April 6, 1869, the weather in Stockholm was exceptionally clear. Amid the cheers and laughter of the people, the Nordic Federation was established.
After the collapse of the Kalmar Union, the three Nordic nations had achieved unification once again. The only regret was the absence of Finland and the loss of the Baltic Region; it no longer possessed the splendor of its heyday.
The emergence of the Nordic Federation meant that Sweden, Denmark, and Norway—three countries on Europe's periphery—could now make their voices heard in the world.
Franz did not attend the ceremony in person. Traveling long distances in this era was truly inconvenient. Unless one was fond of joining the excitement, people generally had little enthusiasm for going abroad.
Nordic unification had little impact on Austria, but it was giving the Russians a headache. Alexander II's expression must have been quite a sight right now. With the Nordic Federation's emergence, the defensive pressure along Russia's northern frontier had increased considerably.
With Prussia serving as an example, who could guarantee that the Nordic Federation would not follow suit? If it made another move and pried Finland away, then the Russian Empire would have no choice but to move its capital.
Saint Petersburg was indeed an excellent place, but its defense burden was a bit too heavy. It did not matter when the Russian Empire was strong, but once it fell into decline, it would become dangerous.
By comparison, Moscow was far better. Located at the center of Russia's Eastern European lands, it was strategically almost absolutely secure. By the time the enemy reached there, winter would finish them off.
The area around Moscow was a granary, so there was no need to worry about food. Rivers also made it easy to transport supplies, and transportation was fairly convenient. Build