Recaps

Franz used Bavaria’s isolation and the German states’ divisions to establish an Austrian-led Holy Roman Empire, while Britain, France, and Russia tried to contain it through the Paris Conference. The conference ended with Austria annexing several German regions and the remaining states forming the German Federal Empire, while Prussia’s future remained unresolved.

• Felix toured the German states to promote restoring the Holy Roman Empire, but most governments withheld support, and Maximilian II instead chose to pursue a Bavarian-led Three-State Cabinet plan.
• As Britain and France opened a Crimean front against Russia, Franz funded a campaign against Bavaria and declared war, while Maximilian II’s calls for foreign aid went unanswered.
• Austria invaded Bavaria, whose border forces and Munich declared neutrality, and Maximilian II’s attempt to negotiate an exchange of Bavaria for Serbia stalled.
• Felix persuaded Baden and Württemberg to join Austria’s unification project, and the Declaration of German Unification was signed before Britain, France, Russia, and Prussia demanded that Austria stop.
• Metternich negotiated with Napoleon III, and France secretly recognized the New Holy Roman Empire in return for Austrian support for French territorial claims.
• At the Paris Conference, Britain and France proposed dividing German lands and creating a buffer state, while Prussia refused to give up the Rhineland and considered its options.
• The Paris Conference ended with Austria annexing Bavaria, Saxony, Württemberg, Frankfurt, Hesse-Darmstadt, and other regions, while the remaining German states formed the German Federal Empire.
• Prussia’s territorial negotiations stalled amid public protests, and Franz published “Dark Days” calling for resilience and eventual German unification.

Franz consolidated the New Holy Roman Empire, pursued colonial expansion, and navigated the Near East War as Russia besieged Constantinople and epidemics spread. The Vienna conference ended with the Four Powers Convention and the Ottoman sale of Balkan territories to France, while Austria and Russia kept their occupied lands.

• Franz returned to Vienna, proposed restoring Lombardy under Maximilian II, and was crowned Emperor of the New Holy Roman Empire in a modest ceremony.
• Franz approved plans to develop the Balkans and advised Russia on bombarding Constantinople, while Menshikov’s army suffered shortages, desertions, and worsening casualties.
• Britain, France, and Austria forced Greece’s cabinet to resign and established an International Supervisory Group, while Austria approved an ironclad and prepared colonial campaigns in Guinea and the Congo.
• Franz ordered refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina sent toward the coast and then to Ottoman territory or Africa, and Austria began transporting settlers to its African outposts.
• Russian artillery devastated Constantinople as cholera and plague spread among the armies, while Franz chose to preserve Austria’s alliance with Russia and Britain accepted Austrian mediation.
• At the Vienna Peace Conference, the four powers negotiated Balkan spheres and agreed to international administration and free passage through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus.
• The United Kingdom, France, Russia, and Austria signed the Four Powers Convention, and the Ottoman Empire sold Macedonia, Thrace, Albania, Gallipoli, and other regions to France while Austria and Russia retained their occupied territories.

Franz pushed monetary reform, expanded Austria’s African footholds, and used colonial settlement and infrastructure investment to strengthen the Empire. The stretch ended with the birth of his son, while Austria held a leading position in the Gulf of Guinea and faced new international tensions.

• Cavour urged Vittorio Emanuele II to reconcile Sardinia with Austria, while Franz pressed ahead with selling state-owned enterprises and redeploying their staff.
• Austria and the Ottoman Empire ratified the transfer of Serbia, Wallachia, Moldavia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, while Nicholas I accepted land and freedom for soldiers instead of cash rewards.
• The New Holy Roman Empire narrowly approved the gold standard, and Franz’s wedding drew European rulers as British financial speculation disrupted gold markets.
• Franz launched the Rhenish Guilder, while Austrian colonists occupied Al Arish and Jonas negotiated the Sinai Peninsula’s sale to Austria.
• Baron Fikeni discovered a major gold deposit in Guinea, and Franz encouraged migration and inland expansion as Guinea Gold Bay rapidly grew.
• Austria established colonial administration and health rules, while the Vienna Government launched the Lock-In Plan to direct capital into infrastructure projects.
• Britain declared war on Persia, and seven powers divided coastal zones in the Gulf of Guinea, leaving Austria with the strongest position there.
• Franz welcomed German colonial groups, declined further expansion in Morocco, and witnessed the birth of a healthy son at Schönbrunn Palace.

Franz expanded Austria’s Mediterranean holdings, managed the economic crisis, and joined France in the Suez Canal project while arranging Bismarck’s assassination. After an attempt on Napoleon III’s life, Austria supported French ambitions against Sardinia, and the powers agreed to an investigation backed by a predominantly French force.

• Franz named Austria’s first ironclad Friedrich after the newborn heir and tightened royal finances ahead of the economic crisis.
• Franz responded to widespread unemployment by accelerating public construction, African expansion, and subsidized colonial immigration.
• Johannes secured Libya, Crete, Cyprus, and hundreds of other islands from the Ottoman Empire and negotiated separate territorial agreements with Britain and France.
• Franz arranged Bismarck’s assassination in Russia, and Russian investigators blamed Polish independence activists after Bismarck died.
• France and Austria signed the Suez Canal Cooperation Agreement, and Franz secretly bought canal shares.
• Napoleon III survived an assassination attempt by four Italians and demanded that Sardinia take responsibility, while Franz agreed to support French annexation under a defensible pretext.
• Franz ordered captured plotters against his own life kept alive as evidence and investigated Mexican efforts to recruit a Catholic prince.
• Maltic presented evidence linking Sardinian funding to a plot against Franz, and the powers pledged troops for a joint investigation that left France with the dominant force.