William I did not hesitate for long before agreeing to the plan. Prussia's family fortune was limited; it had no bargaining chips worth putting on the table. Since they were writing nothing but blank checks now, why not make the numbers a little bigger?
The international situation changed by the day. A few years ago, Britain and France had been doing everything in their power to support Prussia against Russia; in the blink of an eye, Britain and France were now seeking to ease relations with the Russians.
It was not that William I did not want to stop this from happening. Before the interests at stake, it was simply beyond his power to stop it.
The declining Russian Empire was no longer a rival to Britain and France, so naturally they could play together happily.
In the next Prusso-Russian War, even if Britain and France still stood by their side, the support they provided could never be as great as it had been last time. If they wanted to win, they could only rely on themselves.
The Russians were a lesson from the past. During the Prusso-Russian War, Austria no longer supported them unconditionally. The Tsarist Government, unable to adjust its mindset, paid a painful price for it.
Russo-Austrian relations had steadily cooled. In reality, this was because the Tsarist Government was dissatisfied with the Vienna Government's reserved support during the Prusso-Russian War.
The Tsarist Government was angry, but the Vienna Government was equally displeased. In the Vienna Government's view, it had already done more than enough. It had fully fulfilled its obligations as an ally and had even contributed beyond what the treaty stipulated, only to be blamed by the Russians.
Both sides viewed matters from their own positions. The knot that could not be untied became a