Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 279 Secret Agreement
The forest not far from Prague is rich in flora and fauna, making it an ideal hunting ground.

Naserdin, dressed in hunting attire, strolled through the dense forest with Franz, who was similarly dressed and carrying a hunting rifle. Although the hunting dogs and guards helped them catch the prey, neither of them paid attention to the game; instead, they engaged in a heated debate.

"Franz, Austria is in a dangerous situation. It is surrounded by Prussia to the north, Italy to the south, France to the west, and Russia to the east. Austria is now surrounded on all sides."

Naserdin's analysis startled Franz, who quickly asked, "Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Franz, I am the Shah of Iran, not the Emperor of Austria. This is a problem for you to solve."

"Then imagine yourself as the Emperor of Austria and make a choice in your own way."

I didn't expect Franz to say something like that; perhaps he wanted to use it as a reference.

"If it were me, I would relinquish control of the German Confederation and focus my efforts on Italy and the Ottoman Empire. This is mainly determined by the situation in Austria."

Naserdin's opening statement was unexpectedly a bombshell, but upon closer examination, it made sense. The Holy Roman Empire, which had already controlled the German territories, had dissolved. Although Austria held the title of Chairman of the Permanent Assembly of the German Confederation, its Vice Chairman, Prussia, was rapidly catching up, especially with their envoy Bismarck, who directly undermined Austria's dominance in the Confederation's parliament.

Rather than vying for power within the confederation, Austria should turn south and contest Italy and the Balkans. Currently, Austria still holds the Venetian region of Italy, controls Bosnia in the Balkans, and the Ottomans are gradually withdrawing. Exerting influence in these areas before Russia's entry would maximize Austria's interests.

Franz was somewhat surprised by Naserdin's choice, knowing that most of the nobles in the country supported the Greater Germany plan, which was to integrate the entire German Confederation into one country.

However, with the Austrian emperor's rejection of the Greater Germany Plan, the continuous expansion of Prussia's power, and the most important trend of nationalism, the Greater Germany Plan was gradually abandoned by the Germans.

However, this plan was indeed unworkable because Prussia and Austria both controlled large territories of non-German peoples, such as Hungary, Dalmatia, and Prussian Poland, and they did not want to sacrifice their own territories in exchange for national unification.

To address this, some proposed the Greater Austria plan, which would encompass the territories of all Austria, Prussia, and other German states, creating a single, massive Central European nation. This plan was far too difficult. Firstly, it would not garner support from German nationalists, who argued that it would merely strengthen the Habsburg dynasty. Furthermore, the large number of non-Germans within the Austrian Empire, coupled with the difficulty of assimilation, contradicted the original vision of unifying the German people.

“That is indeed a solution, but its feasibility is too low. My family has ruled this place for hundreds of years, and it would be quite embarrassing to give it up now.”

It turned out that he couldn't let go of his pride. Naserdin then said, "I'm just planning in the direction that's best for Austria, which is the best approach at present."

Naserdin, having said this, suddenly remembered something else. "The Italian region has been quite lively lately. I think Sardinia is planning to unify Italy. Your Venice is in danger."

Naserdin's words worried Franz, although he didn't believe Sardinia alone could defeat Austria. But if the other side sent reinforcements, Austria would be no match for either Prussia or France.

Compared to its neighboring powers, the Kingdom of Sardinia was still relatively weak and unable to achieve unification on its own. Therefore, Sardinia chose to rely on external forces to gradually unify Italy. Sardinia's strategy was to conquer the north first, then the south. Unifying northern Italy first meant that Austria was the primary enemy. In the previous year's war, the Franco-Sardinian alliance decisively defeated the Austrian army, forcing them to retreat to the Venice region. Italy seized the opportunity to reclaim the central and northern regions, including Lombardy, Modena, and Parma.
The initial focus of Italian unification was primarily on the north. The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in the south was vast, serving as both a stronghold of feudal rule and exhibiting significant cultural differences from the north. Therefore, it was not initially included in the unification process.

Naserdin offered Franz another suggestion: let his brother Maximilian become king of the Two Sicilies. The current King Francesco seemed to be losing control of the situation, and if Sardin were to unify the Two Sicilies, the situation would drastically worsen.

Therefore, it would be better to send the Habsburg monarch to take a look; perhaps he can withstand the Sardinian attack.

Franz noted down this strategy, and then said, "By the way, I have a favor to ask, I wonder if you could help me with that?"

"What could possibly stump you, the Emperor of Austria?" Naserdin asked, puzzled.

Franz then said, "I've heard there's a mercenary legion in the East. I wonder if we could hire them to be stationed in Venice? The price is negotiable."

Indeed, Franz had his eye on Iran's mercenary army in the Far East. This mercenary force was even more formidable than the regular Austrian army in terms of combat strength, and might be able to deal with the Sardinian army, thus allowing Austria to redeploy its Venetian troops to the north.

"This must be what your government was thinking..."

"No, no, no, I will pay for the hiring myself."

Given the other party's apparent sincerity, Nasserdin couldn't say anything. After all, he was his close friend.

After the agreement was reached, the hunting trip came to an end. The two returned to Prague and rested for a while before resuming their conversation.

The personal friendship between the two monarchs was undoubtedly a plus for both countries, and they signed the Prague Treaty in Prague in opposition to the Ottoman Empire, a common enemy.

According to the secret agreement, Austria and Iran were divided within the Ottoman sphere of influence. The Bosphorus Strait served as the boundary, with the west belonging to Austria and the east to Iran. Constantinople was designated a neutral territory.

The two countries will jointly advance the construction of the Eastern Railway, and the other must provide support should either country face a threat from Russia.

Austria has thoroughly offended Russia. Therefore, it should cooperate with Iran to ensure the Russian navy can never leave the Black Sea. Constantinople is crucial to both religions; therefore, it should remain neutral, like Switzerland or Sweden, and not attack either side. This is essential for maintaining peace in the Mediterranean.

(End of this chapter)