Chapter 553
On April 21, 1874, Napoleon III died of illness at the Palace of Versailles. The news swiftly stole the spotlight from the Near East War, and all eyes turned to Paris.
At Vienna Palace, Franz let out a deep sigh. Just like that, one of his rivals was gone.
After steadying his emotions, Franz quickly regained his composure.
"Napoleon III is gone. The transfer of power in France will inevitably bring a storm, so we need not worry about threats from the west for the time being. We must press ahead with the next phase of the plan.
Our people in Berlin and London can begin acting. This shift in Europe's situation concerns the international order of the coming decades. We absolutely cannot allow matters to spiral out of control."
Strategic planning truly was troublesome. A misstep anywhere could trigger a chain reaction.
Even Napoleon III's death had been within the calculations. Had he held on for a few more years, Franz's entire European strategy would have had to be torn down and rebuilt.
Foreign Minister Wessenberg said, "Your Majesty, France's situation is even more chaotic than we anticipated. Napoleon III has only just died, and the French Government has already fallen into a power struggle.
The soon-to-be-crowned Napoleon IV lacks prestige and cannot keep the old guard in the government in check. The major factions are currently fighting fiercely.
If the internal struggle does not end, the French will likely have no energy to interfere in international affairs in the short term. Our plan to lure in the enemy may not work."
The French Government's infighting had been deliberately engineered by Napoleon III. Only when his ministers fought among themselves could the Emperor's power be guaranteed.
Napoleon III had died too early. He had left too little