Chapter 1170: Earth-shattering (Part 1)
In Vienna, grand banquets were held one after another, and everyone seemed to be immersed in luxury.
Until a bad news came.
"The Hungarians killed Archduke Stefan's family!" (Archduke Stefan introduced it in 105 and 106 Stab in the Flesh.)
"What?! Are Hungarians crazy for killing the royal family?"
The killing of the royal family at this time was definitely considered an earth-shattering event, especially the killing of the royal family who showed no resistance during the war.
Strictly speaking, Archduke Stefan should be considered Franz's uncle. Killing the direct royal family was no longer just a challenge to the authority of the Austrian Empire, but a slap in the face of Austria.
Compared with the reaction of Austrian officials, the reactions of representatives of other countries present were stronger.
Because the killing of the royal family can easily remind them of the French Revolution, a period of history that left an indelible shadow on monarchies.
"The Hungarians are crazy!"
"It must be reported to His Majesty the King immediately!"
"The executioners are back!"
The venue immediately exploded, and everyone lost interest in celebrating. Even those who were hostile to Austria became cautious.
Even Viscount Stratford, a staunch anti-Austrian, did not dare to gloat at this moment, but he felt a little happy in his heart.
In 1848, the Austrian Empire defeated France, forced peace with Britain, swept away Germany and Italy, led the Vienna Peace Conference, and formed the Europa Monetary Union, which accumulated too much prestige.
But at this time, members of the royal family were being slaughtered like dogs in the streets, which would have greatly weakened Austria's prestige and influence, and would have given great encouragement to other rebels within the Austrian Empire.
"Spread this sad news quickly."
Viscount Stratford could hardly suppress the smile on his lips, but he still endured it. After all, if the Austrians really beat them, it would be a real disaster.
Also very happy was Old Ali. He knew very well the impact of the killing of an important family figure on his rule, just as the death of many of his relatives in the Second Turkish-Egyptian War directly led to a power vacuum.
Although Muhammad Ali did not understand the political structure of Austria, judging from his official position as Archduke Stefan and Vice-King of Hungary, he should have considerable influence.
Some people hiding in the corner felt extremely heartened to know that they were not alone.
The news that the Hungarians had executed Archduke Stefan and his family spread quickly, and Tocqueville, who had just left, also received the news.
Unlike his cheering colleagues, Tocqueville, as a thinker and a political observer, could fully understand the Hungarians' anger, but he did not recommend it.
Tocqueville acknowledged that, in some cases, violent revolution was the only way for oppressed peoples to strive for freedom and independence.
There are many examples in history of people taking extreme measures for independence and freedom. However, this kind of violence can also bring serious reprisals and escalate the scale of conflicts.
When Tocqueville observed the French Revolution, he had seen how violent revolution evolved into a reign of terror and the establishment of a despotic regime.
He did not want the tragedy of the French Revolution to repeat itself, which ultimately caused the Hungarian revolutionaries to lose their original direction.
Tocqueville's pen became heavier and heavier
After receiving the news, Prince Uvarov immediately returned to Vienna and asked others to deliver the news to St. Petersburg as quickly as possible.
Vienna, in a high-end private room on the second floor of a coffee shop.
Bismarck and Prussian Foreign Minister Franz Eichmann sat across from each other.
"The Austrians finally got their comeuppance. The Vienna Convention they and the Russians jointly created was aimed at us.
They actually want to abolish the Constitution! What should we in Prussia do? Why did His Majesty the King agree? If His Majesty had insisted on not accepting the Constitution, he would not be in so much trouble now. "
Franz Eichmann was very dissatisfied with the Russian counterattack and was also dissatisfied with Wilhelm IV's wavering attitude.
After Russia's operation, France did not collapse, but Prussia was in chaos.
Prussia was the least thorough in the previous liquidation of the Constitutionalists by the German Confederation, and the character of William IV himself had a large part of the credit.
"The enemy of the Russians is not us."
Bismarck just replied lightly, this was his judgment.
"But the Russians are Austria's allies, and they are joining forces to fight against Britain and France throughout the peace conference."
"That was in the Near East."
Franz Eichmann was not stupid. He understood immediately when someone prompted him, but he was still surprised by the sophisticated vision and firm will of the young man in front of him. It was hard to imagine that a few years ago this man was an old farmer in Latin America. .
(Bismarck was 33 years old at this time, but he was considered young in the political circles of the time.)
"This time the Hungarians executed Archduke Stefan and his family. The Habsburg royal family has lost their face even if they cannot protect their blood relatives."
"It's too much of a coincidence."
Bismarck ignored Franz Eichmann's sterile comments and looked at the limited information at hand.
"Why at this time?"
Bismarck murmured to himself that he did not believe that such a coincidence would happen. News of the death of Archduke Stefan and his family reached Vienna just after the Vienna Peace Conference.
Who will be the beneficiaries? Bismarck suddenly had a very terrible idea
The news that the Hungarians executed Archduke Stefan and his family was spreading across the European continent at an unimaginable speed.
At the same time, true and false news were also flying around under the instigation of some people, and there were even rumors that Emperor Franz of the Austrian Empire fainted due to excessive grief.
However, the most room for development is the death of Archduke Stefan and his family, and the means used by the Hungarians to execute them.
Countless people actively or passively used their imagination to make up for the details of the description. Some people said that the Hungarian government dragged Archduke Stefan and his family to the street to execute them directly in order to deter opponents.
Some people said that in order to avoid riots and possible jailbreaks, the Hungarians chose a secret place to execute Archduke Stefan and his family.
Some people said that in order to humiliate Austria, the Hungarians directly tortured Archduke Stefan on the walls of Budapest.
The means of execution were also varied, and some said it was hanging.
(In the German region, traditional nobles believed that hanging was a humiliation, and only thieves, liars, and rapists would be subjected to this punishment.
Real nobles should be executed with knives, swords, or guns. Even during World War II, many captured German soldiers demanded to be shot, the most famous of whom should be Hermann Wilhelm Goering.
Some people claim to be historical records saying that Goering was afraid of pain and thought that he could escape punishment if he was not shot. This is completely nonsense.
A little more: before modern times, fraud of excessive amounts and burglary could be sentenced to death.)