With Christmas drawing near, the Vienna Government did not rush to make trouble for the Polish Government. Even the news of Poland's diplomatic note was suppressed; the Foreign Ministry merely relayed Franz's threat.
None of the European powers had a tradition of stirring up trouble at Christmas. Vienna remained as lively as ever that Christmas, and Franz held his customary court banquet.
Good times were always fleeting. Just after Christmas had passed, Franz received bad news—Otto I of Greece was dead.
Compared with being driven from the throne in 1862 in the original timeline, Otto I had been fortunate in this world. As Austria rose powerfully, he, being pro-Austrian, naturally would not be ousted for choosing the wrong side in foreign affairs.
The headache was that Otto I, who came from the House of Wittelsbach, had no sons. His several younger brothers were unwilling to convert to Eastern Orthodoxy, leaving the position of Greek crown prince vacant all along.
Now came the question: who was to inherit the Greek throne? Franz had already sent a telegram to the House of Wittelsbach—the current Lombardy royal family—hoping that they could send a prince to shoulder this grave responsibility.
The result was exceedingly awkward. Not a single person was willing to take on this mess. Thinking about it, that made sense. Greece's current situation was terrible. It was drowning in foreign debt, while turmoil churned within.
This was an aftereffect of the Near East War. As one of the belligerents, Greece had stood on the victors' side, yet midway through the war it had actually shrunk back under the military pressure of Britain and France.
As a result, not only did it lose its spoils of war, it was also given a thorough beating by Britain and France, emerging from the war burdened