She changed Europe

Page 132

PS1: After some minor repairs, we're finally almost back to where we stopped updating before.

Chapter 491 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 110 Multi-Party Talks (Seeking Votes)

Earlier that same day, the Prussian army, trapped in Silesia, did not sit idly by. Led by Hindenburg, the Prussian troops launched another deadly attack on the Austrian army in southern Silesia.

This battle concentrated almost all of Prussia's artillery and magical armor in the region. The artillery fire lasted for two hours, from seven in the morning until nine in the morning, almost exhausting all of its shell reserves.

At 9:00 AM, the offensive officially began, with Prussian magic armor breaking through several weak points in the Austrian defenses. The concentrated light magic armor fully utilized its advantages, maneuvering throughout the battlefield while suppressing the Austrian defenders' firepower.

The infantry followed closely behind, these soldiers strangely focusing all their attention on their feet, and each of them was equipped with a shovel.

Gisela's anti-magic armor mines have clearly caught Hindenburg's attention, and the brilliant general has begun training his mine-clearing troops during this time.

At this point, the Austrian army, which was under pressure, could only continue its defensive posture while retreating to a turtling position. Meanwhile, under the cover of the magic armor, the Prussian army was able to carry out its mine-clearing work smoothly.

However, with the arrival of Austrian magic armored units at the front, the battle became stalemate again. Even Hindenburg, facing shortages of supplies and declining morale, was unable to mount another successful breakthrough in the south. As the Austrian encirclement tightened, Prussia's defeat was only a matter of time.

Who can save Prussia now? Perhaps only God.

The unpleasant ending of Frederick and Gisela's dinner did not prevent the peace conference from proceeding as scheduled the following day. At nine o'clock the next morning, in the Royal Gardens outside the Dresden Imperial Palace, representatives of the German states, as well as key government officials from major powers such as Britain, France, and Russia, and of course the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia, gathered to discuss the situation in the Greater German region, the post-war division of power, and the handling of defeated Prussia.

At the start of the meeting, the first to speak were the British representatives: the current Foreign Secretary and William Eulter Gladstone, who had just decided to join the Liberal Party and run for the next Prime Minister. As a political opponent of the current Conservative leader, Palmerston, he was naturally very dissatisfied with Palmerston's "appeasement policy" toward Austria. In their view, the passive nature of British diplomacy was entirely due to Palmerston's inaction and slow response to the problems in the German region, which caused Britain to miss the best opportunity to intervene.

Therefore, in his view, only by taking a tough stance in diplomacy and strongly supporting Prussia can the US achieve its goal of preserving Prussia as much as possible.

Therefore, Britain, as the leading power in Europe, adopted a tough stance from the outset. While allowing Austria to reclaim Silesia, they warned Austria that it must maintain the integrity of other Prussian territories and should not demand any additional conditions beyond war reparations that would burden the Prussian people. This led to a further escalation of the riots already underway in Berlin, jeopardizing the stability of Europe. Britain also strongly condemned France's disregard for international order in forcibly occupying the Rhineland and demanded that France return the territory to Prussia.

Of course, in order to persuade Russia to support Britain's ideas, he also promised to remain neutral in the nationalist movements that later arose in Bulgaria. The subtext was to condone Russia's limited expansion in the Balkans and sell out the interests of the Ottoman Empire to Russia.

Using territory that others are determined to acquire as leverage, and then promising other countries benefits as compensation, is a common tactic of the British, and all countries are well aware of it.

Next to speak was the Russian representative, Alexander Dopolov Jerich, who bluntly stated that Russia would soon launch a war against the Ottomans and told other countries that they could maintain friendship with Russia if they remained neutral on the battlefield. His implication was that Russia had no interest in German affairs, and if they remained neutral in the war, Russia would not target them.

Since the emancipation of the serfs in Russia in 1861, the strength of the Russian Empire has increased by leaps and bounds over the past decade. In particular, after a large number of freed serfs flooded into cities and factories, the process of industrialization was accelerating at an unprecedented speed, and the size of the Russian army also increased terrifyingly due to the expansion of personnel.

Therefore, Russia has the confidence and strength to deal with the upcoming war.

The French attitude was extremely ambiguous. On the one hand, they criticized the Austrian Empire's expansionist momentum as worrying; on the other hand, they stated that demanding more compensation after a war with heavy casualties was only natural. However, they still hoped that the Austrian Empire would pay attention to the situation on the European continent and prevent the escalation of regional conflicts. The French made no mention of Austria's occupation of the German Rhineland.

While clearly expressing support for the Austrian Empire, France did not completely sever ties with Britain. After all, the French understood that their national strength was still in the recovery phase, and the existence of Napoleon III's power was a very troublesome time bomb for the newly formed French Third Republic. They did not want the British to use this card to annoy them, even though they were actually doing so.

When it came to Austria, Gisela did not intend to speak today, but instead sat in the back watching the performance of the foreign minister appointed by her father.

A sprightly old man stood up, straightened his collar, and spoke with great elegance, saying, "First of all, the Empire agrees with the French representative's statement. Regarding the German question, we will certainly not do anything that would harm the situation in Europe."

"Secondly..." The old man turned his gaze to the British representative sitting to the side.

"We also agree with the British suggestion to only reclaim the Silesia region that Prussia owes us, and we are willing to relinquish all other territorial claims." In Gisela's plan, this was one of Austria's biggest objectives in the war. The political significance of recovering Silesia far outweighed its practical value, as this land had always been a scar on the Habsburg dynasty.

More than a hundred years ago, Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia seized Silesia from Empress Theresa, a humiliation that accompanied the beginning and end of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty. However, this time she was able to successfully reclaim the land.

Reclaiming territory is a powerful political propaganda tool, uniting the peoples within the empire and fostering a strong sense of identity. The lower classes who previously benefited from Gisela's reforms will transfer their gratitude and respect to Gisela himself, which will then influence the imperial government. With this popular support, further reforms can proceed smoothly.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 492 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 111 The Iron-Blooded Chancellor and the Austrian Princess

"In compensation, we can waive Prussia's war reparations, but we demand that Prussia rejoin the German Confederation as a state and agree to accept the Frankfurt Agreement (which was previously the new German Customs Union established by Austria)." Accepting the Frankfurt Agreement effectively meant that Prussia would relinquish its economic hegemony in the German region, thus weakening the control of the northern German princes. While it may not have changed the status quo of German territory, it had in fact rewritten the economic landscape of the region.

"Prussia will absolutely not join your customs union. Prussian tariffs should be determined by Prussia itself," the British representative expressed clear opposition.

The French, however, remained silent on this point. They were waiting to see how the Austrian Empire would choose on the Rhineland question, as this would determine France's final stance.

"Regarding the Rhineland issue, firstly, we strongly condemn France's treacherous behavior. However, with the war now settled, assisting Prussia in maintaining domestic order is the most pressing issue for the Empire. As for Prussia's own territorial issues, let the Prussian people decide for themselves." The Austrian ambassador adjusted his monocle and slowly sat back down in his seat.

This was the Austrian Empire's stance on the Rhineland issue: they neither recognized nor denied French interests in the region, effectively handing over ownership of the land to France. For the Austrian Empire, this weakened Prussia while simultaneously winning over France, while for France, it meant gaining the Rhineland without any investment and allowing Thiers to gain prestige domestically—a highly profitable deal regardless of the circumstances.

"We believe that Germany needs to rebuild a new economic order. The standardization and unification of the German market will be more conducive to investment from all countries. Prussia was a member of the German Confederation in the past, and it should be a member of it now as well." The Frenchman's final opinion was simple and clear.

The French stance had completely shifted. At this moment, Gisela looked at the old man sitting in front of her with great admiration, savoring his brilliant performance. He was said to be a favorite student of Metternich, the most famous prime minister of the Austrian Empire. Today, Gisela had learned a good lesson in this regard.

Because she understood that diplomacy is not always a stormy battlefield; sometimes, a gentle breeze can still achieve one's goals.

This is what is called the art of diplomacy...

The Prussian representative remained largely silent throughout the negotiations. Bismarck was not present, and Frederick had also chosen to be absent. While the fighting continued on the front lines, the major powers gradually reached some new consensus, though the meetings continued nonetheless.

Outside the meeting hall, in a corridor, Bismarck leaned against the wall, silently drinking a bottle of beer, somewhat dejected. Although she wasn't even qualified to enter the meeting hall, that didn't stop her from waiting there for Prussia's final fate.

Within these high walls, the political leaders of those great powers are dividing up their motherland, and at this moment she is powerless to do anything about it. The country for which she has fought for most of her life has ended up like this. It would be impossible for her to be heartless and not feel sad at all.

At this moment, Bismarck sat down on the ground in frustration, clutching her golden hair with her gloved hands in distress. She had probably never looked so dejected in her life.

She had anticipated this moment when she decided to return Prussia to Frederick, but she still found it hard to let go, because choosing Chloris was actually a denial of her past self.

"Damn it!" Bismarck complained again, tears streaming down her face.

"Lord Bismarck, what are you doing here?" A soft female voice called out to him. The voice was so distinctive that Bismarck recognized it immediately.

"Giselle Louise Marie." Bismarck wiped her eyes.

Somewhat surprised, he raised his head and looked in the direction from which the sound came.

"It really is you! Long time no see!" Gisela quickly walked up to the blonde beauty before her. Bismarck was the person Gisela admired and liked most. Whether in the game or in real life, whether with a beard or a beautiful girl, Bismarck was always a captivating name.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Bismarck stood up straight like a military commander, appearing extremely dignified.

"You seem very sad?" The observant Gisela noticed the tear stains around Bismarck's blue eyes and said this.

“That’s an illusion,” Bismarck replied, his tone still impeccable.

“There seem to be tear tracks in the corners of your eyes.” Gisela looked at the blonde beauty who was slightly taller than her. She didn’t know why, but the stronger a woman was, the more pitiful she seemed when she looked forlorn. Bismarck was clearly like that.

“This is Your Highness’s misperception,” Bismarck emphasized again, then, without hesitation, pressed down on Gisela’s shoulder, pinning her against the wall. She didn’t want this girl to see her vulnerable side, because she had to live up to the world’s expectations; she would always be the iron-willed Bismarck…

“You’re crying.” Gisela did not resist Bismarck’s somewhat rough actions, but continued in the same tone as before. She let Bismarck hold her shoulders, pin her against the wall, and subtly wed her legs with his thigh.

“I’ll say it again, this is your imagination.” Bismarck bit her lip and frowned slightly.

“The last time you treated me like this was when I was only 12 years old.” I think I was only this tall back then. Gisela smiled and raised her hand, placing it on her shoulder, her tone filled with reminiscence and emotion.

“I’m very sorry that my drunkenness caused Your Highness trouble that time,” Bismarck said after taking a deep breath.

"And what about this time?" Gisela asked calmly.

At this point, Bismarck realized he had lost control of his emotions, so he quickly let go of her hand and stepped aside.

"I'm so sorry," Bismarck continued her apology.

“Bismarck, although I am only 19 years old now, I see some things very clearly. I understand that a person cannot always do the right thing. Also, what is the right thing? This is something that depends on others to define. And isn’t it too pathetic to always live for others? No one can criticize you for whether your choice is right or wrong. You know Frederick’s incompetence and failure better than anyone else, and your initial choice was also something you had already decided long ago. So why are you sad about the path you abandoned now?”

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 493 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 112 Bismarck's Choice (Seeking Votes)

Gisela admired Bismarck as a fearless fighter who dared to confront difficulties and a strongman who could survive even in dire straits. He used his wisdom to solve a problem that had plagued Germany for a thousand years, and under her leadership, the country moved from division to unity. In just a few decades, Germany grew into a new power that surpassed established powers such as Britain and France.

Why did Gisela admire Germany in the past? Because she saw in that country's path to rise a reflection of her own homeland—from division to strength, from backwardness to prosperity. Of course, Germany in that world was not without its flaws. Because it chose the path of achieving power through force, its glorious rise through force was ultimately buried by force as well.

Only when a tree falls can its height be measured. Whether it succeeded or failed, it ultimately becomes part of human history, providing food for thought and learning for future generations. This land gave birth to some of the greatest scientists, such as Einstein and Planck, as well as the most romantic poets and philosophers, including Nietzsche, Hegel, Goethe, Kant, and even Karl. And then there's Beethoven, deaf yet seizing control of his destiny, and the child prodigy Mozart. Reason and romance are the inexhaustible beauty celebrated on this land.

This same land also witnessed some of the darkest and most evil events in human history. The terrible nation created by an Austrian corporal showed people just how utterly and unbelievably wrong a country and a people could be. Tracing its origins, this time bomb was already planted at the very beginning of German unification. Wasn't Bismarck's iron-fisted path also a key to opening Pandora's box?

“Your Highness…” Bismarck gazed intently into Gisela’s eyes with his blue gaze, seemingly trying to read her true thoughts from them. Gisela, in turn, was observing Bismarck. As Gisela’s once most feared rival, although they had never truly clashed, they were the people who understood each other’s thoughts best.

“What I’m trying to say is very clear.” Gisela raised her hands, clenched them into fists, and lifted them into the air.

"Which do you admire more, the true Germany or the Prussian Germany?" Gisela appeared incredibly composed at this moment. Her attitude towards Bismarck was no longer as cautious as it had been in the past, because she had a much stronger nation supporting her, and this nation would eventually fall into her hands and become part of her power.

"Pfft, Your Highness, you look just like a salesperson promoting their own goods." Bismarck covered his mouth and laughed. This was the first time Gisela had seen Bismarck laugh so heartily. To be honest, Gisela thoroughly enjoyed chatting and laughing with Bismarck. If you were to ask Gisela which meetings she was most satisfied with, she would count the one with Bismarck, one with Mr. Karl, and one with the Queen Victoria?

“However, there aren’t many people who would accept and buy this item, Your Highness,” Bismarck teased.

“The beautiful and noble Miss Bismarck before me is one of them,” Gisela said, leaning slightly forward with his right leg forward, speaking in a masculine manner to the back of Bismarck’s standard luggage.

"Not only are you cunning, but you also speak so sweetly. What did Her Highness Elizabeth teach you? Can't you be a little more reserved now that you're married?" Bismarck flicked Gisela's forehead with her right hand. Gisela then covered her reddened forehead and took a few steps back.

“I will remain in Prussia. Chloris clearly needs my help more than you do.” Gisela’s plan to win over Bismarck has apparently failed again, but Bismarck’s goodwill towards Gisela has increased considerably.

"The gates of the Austrian Empire and Vienna are always open to you." Gisela watched Bismarck depart with satisfaction, her fox tail swaying behind her as if it were about to float away.

Just then, the sound of walls cracking came from behind Gisela. Gisela turned around abruptly and looked behind her. With her silver hair suddenly appearing and her purple eyes shining, she seemed to instantly enter an attack stance.

Jeanne and Rita, who were unable to attend the meeting due to insufficient authority, were leaning against a pillar that Jeanne had just crushed. Gisela was now menacingly heading in their direction.

"Are you an idiot! Making such a big commotion!" Rita punched Jeanne on the head in annoyance.

"So you mean it's my fault?" Jeanne turned around as well, looking at Rita with a murderous expression.

"These past few days, you've been asking me to accompany you in following Your Highness."

"It's not tailing, it's protection! Don't you think so?"

“Hmm.” Rita instinctively turned her head to the side and spoke to the person next to her. After a moment, Rita seemed to realize the problem, so she turned her head back and looked at Aponia, who had appeared next to them at some point, with a surprised expression. She almost fell to the ground.

"Mmm!" With lightning speed, Aponia quickly covered Rita's mouth and dragged her behind the pillar. Rita's expression at that moment was equally priceless.

“I know you’ve been there for a while now, I’m sorry to have troubled you,” Gisela said, heading in the direction of Jeanne and the others.

"We've been discovered. Should we leave?" Jeanne asked the two of them.

"Cough cough!" Rita couldn't express her opinion because her mouth was blocked by Aponia.

"what did she say?"

"She told us to wait a little longer..."

"Really?" Rita was actually shaking her head the whole time, clearly trying to deny Aponia's interpretation. Unlike Aponia and Jeanne, who had fallen into a coma during the previous battle, Rita had witnessed the power of His Highness's "Inch-Pound Heaven-Splitting" technique. She didn't want to risk being crushed by His Highness's masterful technique.

"Don't blame me then." Gisela took a deep breath, clenched her fist, and concentrated all her strength into it.

At that moment, Rita bit Aponia's hand, and even through the black patterned lace gloves, the pain still made Aponia let go.

"That's not what I meant! Look behind you!" Rita warned.

Because she was exposed, four dark shadows emerged from their hiding place on the other side and launched an attack on Gisela. The blades gleaming in the sunlight were exceptionally dazzling and sharp, but Gisela judged almost instantly that the four were nothing more than magic users.

With a whistling sound, Gisela extended her fist, and with a powerful kick of her right leg, she slammed her left leg into the mage in front of her, sending the cloaked figure flying like a cannonball.

PS1: It's so hot!

Chapter 494 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Episode 113 and the Situation (Vote Requested)

Gisela then drew her sword, an everyday sword, not the Sword of St. Stephen, whose sword was currently stored in the military camp with her magical armor; this was merely a replica of that sword.

"Clang!" The sound of metal clashing rang out. Gisela used her superior strength to easily deflect her opponent's thrust, and kicked him, sending the second cloaked figure flying.

Seeing the situation was turning against them, the cloaked figures maintained their distance from Gisela again. After throwing a smoke bomb, they prepared to leave with their companions, but Jeanne and her group, of course, wouldn't give them any chance. With the arrival of the three, the two cloaked figures and their heavily wounded companions were easily subdued by Gisela and her group.

At this moment, the palace guards arrived in time, and the four cloaked figures were quickly handed over to the Saxon military, where they would be jointly interrogated by Saxony and Austria.

Gisela praised the three for their timely appearance, but she didn't realize why they had arrived so quickly. If she knew they were watching her, the fox's feelings would probably be mixed. They could have looked at her openly, even blatantly.

After all, this vixen knows she's naturally beautiful, so it's normal for her to be popular. Yes! That's perfectly normal; she definitely enjoys the process. After all, what man wouldn't want to have women on both sides, even in a chaotic situation? Isn't that enjoyable?

Just then, Gisela seemed to hear a rather refined and amiable voice coming from inside the wall. She realized that Frederick, that coward, had arrived. Bullying the Prussian crown prince and utterly shattering his meager pride was a rare kind of pleasure. With that in mind, Gisela entrusted the cleanup to the three men and happily went back to the meeting.

"Thank you all for your hard work. I have something to attend to, so I'll head back to the venue now!" With that, Gisela skipped away, leaving the scene. The three of them watched her leave with knowing glances, each harboring their own secret thoughts.

-

Returning to Berlin, Chloris, through her investigation, basically confirmed that the so-called General Lindenwan was an old acquaintance who had been released in Italy. She then gathered the remaining Prussian troops from East Prussia and the Rhineland region after their battles with the Austrian army, forming an army of tens of thousands. After successively quelling the uprisings in all Prussian cities except Berlin, she besieged Berlin again.

During this time, Cloris also visited Prince Karl, who was recuperating in Potsdam, and obtained the support of the Prussian military from him. King Wilhelm, who was also recuperating in Königsberg, entrusted her with the task of retaking Berlin, rather than his utterly incompetent eldest son, Frederick. After all, following such a major defeat, even though Frederick was Wilhelm's favorite eldest son, it did not change his fate of being removed from the Prussian decision-making body.

After all, with the war escalating to this point, someone has to step up and take responsibility for the defeat. Chloris, who has remained silent but is powerful, is well-suited to step up and take charge of the situation in place of her brother.

From February to March, the Prussian government forces continued to grow in number—during the peace conference, Gisela deliberately released some Prussian prisoners of war ahead of schedule to increase the number of Prussian troops attacking Berlin.

With superior numbers, the Prussian army under Cloris's command successfully encircled and divided the resistance forces on the outskirts of Berlin, driving the National Guard of the Berlin Reichstag back into the city. On March 3, the southern gate of Berlin fell to the Prussian army, which began its advance into the city. They quickly took control of several bustling residential areas in southern Berlin, where the Prussian government troops were welcomed by the local Berliners. It is said that the smooth control of the south was thanks to an engineer living in one of these residential areas who, by chance, discovered the weak defenses and secretly left the city to inform the Prussian army.

The Berlin parliament, which had always touted itself as a champion of popular resistance, completely changed its tune within a month. Aside from initially condoning the wealth gained from the mass demolition efforts, all concrete policies became empty promises. Internal strife raged within the parliamentary upper echelons, while the National Guard acted erratically and recklessly against ordinary citizens, quickly losing the support of the Berlin public.

Although Miss Lindenwan had formulated a clear defense plan for Berlin, each Volkssturm had its own stronghold and "sphere of influence." They refused to obey orders and instead fought spontaneously in every block for their own interests, and were eventually defeated one by one by the well-trained Prussian army.

The fighters who had previously united against the Prussian government had been reduced to a complete mob.

The barricades erected on street corners during the French Revolution were not actually suitable for Berlin, because unlike Paris, which has a long history of transition between old and new, Berlin's actual development history is not very long. Even at this time, Paris under Napoleon III's reign, with Baron Haussmann organizing the redevelopment of the old city, saw significant improvements in both the urban environment and public health. It can be said that Napoleon III successfully rebuilt Paris.

Of course, Berlin also has narrow streets, but the Prussian army has learned urban warfare techniques to deal with these barricades that once plagued the French government. This involves simply breaching the walls of buildings to flank the National Guard barricades. Ironically, these wide squares and streets, originally designed to prevent barricades from hindering troop movements, are precisely where the Prussian advance has been slowed.

Because the Berlin Parliament seized the Berlin Armory, they gained a sufficient number of artillery pieces. Most of these artillery pieces were deployed in wide areas of the city. The magical armor that assisted the Prussian army in its offensive often had to advance with difficulty while facing direct fire from these artillery pieces, and their destruction was inevitable. However, the Prussian army could not arbitrarily use artillery to bombard its own capital, Berlin.

During the attack, Cloris issued strict orders to the Prussian government forces: all prisoners of war who had ever held a gun, or those suspected of having fought for the Berlin Parliament, could be executed immediately. This was Cloris's retaliation for the Parliament's burning of Charlottenburg Palace and the demolition of the Brandenburg Gate.

This was also intended to fundamentally demoralize the supporters of the Berlin Parliament and make them truly understand the price that would be paid for challenging the Prussian monarchy.

So-called freedom is never about arbitrarily acting without regard for the public interest.