Of course, another reason Cologne had been so eager to "cooperate" was that nearly all the coal mines, salt mines, alum mines, and even the timber industry within its borders had relied on French investment and technology for their rapid development.
Cologne's parliamentarians and capitalists dealt with French Company representatives every day, while its finances were even more inseparable from French factory owners.
For this reason, Cologne's political and business circles greatly hoped to free themselves as much as possible from Austrian influence, so they could conduct trade and cooperation with France more effectively. Aside from collecting Imperial Tax and using the nobility to keep Cologne in check, the emperor in Vienna offered the country no help whatsoever.
And directly pushing for the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire was undoubtedly the fastest and most effective means.
In truth, the smaller a country like Cologne was, the fewer scruples it had when undertaking great matters. Especially since Talleyrand had hinted that, should anything truly go wrong, France would provide Cologne with protection.
At present, in North Germany, promises from France were more reliable than anything else. After all, the surrounding states had personally witnessed the scene of tens of thousands of French Army troops sweeping aside the combined English, Prussian, and Hanoverian forces here.
Moreover, more than a thousand French soldiers were stationed in Essens, barely a hundred kilometers away.
Thus, Cologne did not hesitate to follow Bavaria's lead and fire the second shot in "dismantling the Holy Roman Empire."
The grand hall of Eggenberg Palace fell silent for a full two minutes. The eyes of the pro-war ministers were all fixed on Count Tiegen, but he kept his head lowered throughout.
Yes, if only Bavaria wished to challenge the order, Austria might still have been able to call upon