Chapter 6 War is approaching
January 14, 1864.
Recently, Ernst began to withdraw because Prince Constantine was coming to Berlin.
Prince Constantine came to Berlin from Hechingen for business. Constantine rarely left the countryside. Whenever he left, something big was about to happen.
Ernst was busy with the great cause of industrial expansion every day, traveling between factories and schools. The study tour he had promised at the beginning turned into a permanent residence in Berlin, so he still felt guilty and lacked confidence.
Of course, Ernst knew that these "little things" about him were not worthy of Constantine coming to Berlin in person. They must be important military affairs.
Prince Constantine's status in Prussia was the same as that of a prince. Although the princely state of Hechingen was merged into Prussia, his status was retained.
The Hechingen line basically has the traditional rank of field marshal. Constantine also held the false position of field marshal and served in the General Staff.
I came to Berlin this time to participate in discussions on major events and prepare for war.
Ernst's grandfather participated in the war against Napoleon. Of course, Hechingen participated in the war as one of the many German states at that time. Hechingen had previously been a member of the Confederation of the Rhine, a puppet regime supported by Napoleon.
Seeing the strength of the anti-French alliance in Europe, the old Marquis Frederick of Hechingen jumped in time and joined the victors' camp.
Later, after the war, Margrave Frederick turned his attention to education until his death.
Constantine later joined Prussia after a joint decision with Prince Karl, the speaker of Sigmaringen. After all, they were both members of the Hohenzollern family, so there was no objection to responding to Prussia's "call" to unify Germany.
If it succeeds, it will be considered a hero of the empire in the future. If it fails, the worst it can do is maintain its status as a vassal state.
They are both members of the Hohenzollern family. In Europe, a place where blood origin is valued, the natural interests make the two branches closer to the increasingly powerful Prussian main line.
The New Hohenzollern Province where Hechingen is located is located in the southwest of Germany. There are many princes here. To the east is an important German state like Bavaria. To the west is very close to France. It is surrounded by Baden and Württemberg. It has a very prominent strategic position. .
As the birthplace of the Hohenzollern family, it is itself an important military fortress, and it is still inserted in the South German region where Prussia has weak influence. Prussia attaches great importance to the Hohenzollern Province.
As far as Ernst is concerned, the future war between Prussia and Austria will have no impact on his family. Hechingen is surrounded by Württemberg on three sides and the Duchy of Baden on one side. The main battlefield is on the border between Prussia and the Austrian Empire. In Bohemia, even if Austria and Prussia did not follow the script for sneak attacks, Württemberg and Baden would be beaten first.
The subsequent Franco-Prussian War was, as expected, mainly in France, so the country basically suffered no losses in Germany's series of unification wars.
Before Ernst started his business, Heching was a traditional combination of military and landowners. Its main industries were agricultural rent collection, real estate income from various places, and Prince Constantine's salary in the army. Even if a war broke out, it would not threaten any important industries. .
Moreover, Ernst's own factories were all in Berlin. As long as there was no world war, Berlin would not have fallen.
As for the future, moving the industry to a safe zone before the outbreak of World War I will not be affected at all, and the great changes in the world will not affect the wealth of the Hohenzollern roots in Hexing.
As for big talk about saving Germany, Ernst said he couldn't afford it. Europe is so busy and there are so many capable people.
If you want to have fun in Europe, you need top-notch resources and IQ. Small places like Hechingen can't afford it. Small countries like Bavaria and Belgium that have a certain influence and size in Europe only get admission. Vouchers.
Only by relying on Prussia can Hechingen make big profits and accumulate capital in the future.
Ernst thought about historical events. It was probably that the Prussian-Danish War was approaching (the Second Schleswig War), and he wanted to speed up the construction of tobacco and lighter factories.
The military is a large consumer of tobacco, not to mention lighters, a sacred weapon of war. Thinking about the popular matches, Ernst feels that there is still a market for kerosene lighters.
It is necessary to ensure mass production of these two things before the war begins, and then use the natural platform of war to accelerate recognition by the civilian market.
These soldiers come from all over the country and are natural propagandists when they return to their hometowns.
While Ernst was still making plans, Constantine had already returned from the palace.
The place where Ernst lived in Berlin was actually the family's ancestral property. After the rise of the Hohenzollern family in Brandenburg, the Hechingen family acquired a manor in Berlin as a liaison office. It is now a hundred years old.
Constantine would stay here every time he came to Berlin. Constantine's carriage was parked in the yard, and Butler Keno urged the coachman to pull the carriage away.
"Ernst!" Constantine greeted Ernst's name cordially.
"Father, why are you here in Berlin? Has something big happened?" Although Ernst knew in his heart that his father was probably coming to Berlin to deal with the war against Denmark, he still pretended to be confused.
"Well, I came to Berlin to contact the royal family on some matters. Of course, I also stopped by to see my son's career." Constantine said happily.
Ernst felt a little ashamed. He had been busy with business in Berlin and had not gone back to see his old father. Although he usually communicated by letters, he had been away for almost a year, but he had only gone back once last Christmas.
"Father, I will stay with you more in the future. I am a little carried away because I am too concerned about business." Ernst said to Constantine.
"Okay, why do I need someone to accompany me when I'm an old man? Something big is going to happen when I come to Berlin this time, so you don't have to think too much." Constantine stroked Ernst's head and continued. To: "You really gave me some surprises. I didn't expect that our family has a talent for doing business. I was ready to invest in nothing, hahaha..." Constantine joked.
"Father, is the kingdom preparing for war?" Ernst changed the subject.
"Well, yes, but where did you hear the news?" Constantine asked seriously.
This kind of thing was kept secret before the war started, so it was not allowed to be careless. Ernst was still a child, and the royal family would not take the initiative to tell him, so Constantine asked cautiously.
"Father, you also know that the Kingdom's army is an important customer of mine. Recently they have begun ordering new supplies in large quantities, and some factories around Berlin have also started working overtime to produce. This is obviously to prepare for the army."
Seeing Constantine frowning, Ernst began to increase his persuasion.
"Of course, some business owners have business dealings with us, so we can get some gossip. Moreover, the new prime minister of the kingdom is obviously not an ordinary character. When he first became prime minister, he threatened to use iron and blood to solve major contemporary problems. .Now, it is obvious that force is going to be used to solve the kingdom’s troubles.”
Ernst stated his "guess" in a few words.
Constantine looked at his son with relief and said: "That's right. It seems that the Hohenzollern family has another outstanding person, hahaha..."
Just laugh.
"The Kingdom is contacting Austria and preparing to use force to force the Danish government to give up the two German states of Holstein and Schleswig. Currently, the German Confederation has sent troops to Holstein, and Prussia also plans to promote the Principality of Schleswig. Independence," Constantine continued.
"At present, other countries on the mainland are waiting and watching. The only countries that can really intervene are Britain, France and Austria. The Russians are still licking the wounds of the Crimean War, and the French do not dare to act rashly to avoid the recurrence of the anti-French alliance. , triggering a continental war, the British navy will have the strength to intervene at that time, but the British prefer to pull the Russians into the water. As for Austria, this time we will join the Austrian Empire to participate in safeguarding the interests of the German region."
Constantine talked freely, but in fact this was a gamble. William I and Bismarck took advantage of the intrigue among the great powers to achieve a delicate international balance. At the same time, the Danish draft of a new constitution aroused the anger of the Germans and laid the foundation for this war. Found an excuse.
If things like national sentiment are properly used, Bismarck's emphasis on iron and blood can be realized to determine major contemporary international issues.
Bismarck could unite the many states and free cities in the German region by safeguarding the interests of the German region, and unify the forces of the German region with great righteousness.
At least in the North German region, Bismarck could realize the penetration of Prussian influence and prepare for the future unification of the German region.