Chapter 107: On Marriage
The climate in Vienna approaching April was still quite comfortable. Carlo had transmigrated to this world, and Austria was the third country he had visited.
Although the three countries were not far apart in distance, there were clear differences in their climates.
Spain and Italy both belonged to the Mediterranean climate, but Italy’s climate was humid, while Spain’s was dry.
As for Vienna, it belonged to a mountainous climate, which was colder compared to Madrid in southern Europe and Italy.
But if one had to consider development potential and geographical location, Spain’s geographical position was actually more superior.
The entire Iberian Peninsula had only two countries, Portugal and Spain, and Portugal’s strength posed no threat to Spain. The land bordering France in the north was blocked by the Pyrenees Mountains, with only two small gaps on the east and west sides that could be passed through.
This also meant that Spain only needed to guard the two gaps on the east and west of the Pyrenees Mountains to turn the entire Iberian Peninsula into a strategically easy-to-defend and hard-to-attack key point, while also controlling the Strait of Gibraltar, the estuary from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.
If it weren’t for the poor land environment, plus the fact that since the Spanish Empire, Spain had not paid much attention to the development of its homeland, and the royal family and government high-level indulged in pleasure, probably Austria would be the one begging to hold onto a big leg now.
Italy and Austria both had significant defects in their geographical locations. Although the Apennine Peninsula where Italy was located also had mountains blocking in the north, the south was virtually flat as a plain.
More fatally, the Apennine Peninsula was overall narrow and long, with little strategic depth. If it encountered a country with a strong navy like the United Kingdom, most of Italy’s territory might face the threat of bombardment.
Moreover, because all coastlines were located in the Mediterranean Sea, the navy would have difficulty accessing the Atlantic Ocean or Indian Ocean through the two estuaries of the Mediterranean Sea, resulting in severe restrictions on overall development.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire was no better. Although the Austro-Hungarian Empire had greater strategic depth, it bordered three great powers: Germany, Russia, and Italy, and was also adjacent to the Balkan Peninsula, that famous powder keg.
Although the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s strength was indeed powerful, being in such a position of being surrounded on all sides, even with overwhelming strength, it was powerless to turn the tide.
Precisely because of this, after the Austro-Prussian War and Franco-Prussian War ended, the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s strategic policy had undergone a tremendous shift.
The original Austro-Hungarian Empire prime minister was Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust, a famous figure who hated Prussia and did everything to prevent the unification of north and south Germany.
Although Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust had vigorously promoted the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and strengthened the Habsburg Dynasty’s influence internationally.
But because his policy of hating Prussia might lead to powerful conflict between the unified German Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, he was ultimately dismissed from the prime minister position, replaced by the current Austro-Hungarian Empire Minister of Foreign Affairs Gyula Andrássy.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire’s shift in attitude from hating Prussia to befriending Germany was also inseparable from the increasingly intense situation on the Balkan Peninsula.
Although most areas of the current Balkan Peninsula were controlled by the Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman Empire being called the sick man of Western Asia was not without reason.
This empire, established for hundreds of years, was already rotten internally. Although it still possessed extremely vast territory, the internal problems were becoming more and more serious.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia engaged in fierce competition on the Balkan Peninsula, and this conflict also forced the Austro-Hungarian Empire to choose to befriend the German Empire to avoid being sandwiched by Germany and Russia.
In addition, to appease the Hungarians, Gyula Andrássy’s rise became inevitable. Before becoming the Austro-Hungarian Empire prime minister, he had served as the Hungarian prime minister and firmly supported the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s dual monarchy policy, which was also the reason he could ultimately succeed in rising to power.
And after becoming the Austro-Hungarian Empire Minister of Foreign Affairs and concurrently prime minister,
Gyula Andrássy also comprehensively changed the policies left by the previous prime minister Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust, summarizing the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s new diplomatic policy into two major guidelines: aligning with Germany and confronting the Russian Empire.
In fact, even before Carlo arrived in Vienna, Austro-Hungarian Empire Emperor Franz Joseph I and his empress Sisi had already discussed Carlo and Archduchess Sophie’s marriage.
Political marriage alliances did not involve much mutual affection; more often, it was the mutual optimism about cooperation and the regard of each other’s status.
Carlo, as King of Spain and a member of the House of Savoy, naturally commanded Franz Joseph I’s respect.
Moreover, Carlo had no scandals since arriving in Spain, and apart from not currently controlling government power and seeming more like a figurehead king, there did not seem to be any major defects.
This point was actually acceptable. Carlo was not yet 20 years old after all, and his career as king had just begun.
Meanwhile, Primó, who controlled the Spanish Government, was already elderly, and he could not hold onto sole power for much longer.
As long as Carlo was smart, even if he could not control most of the Spanish Government’s power in the future, he could avoid being sidelined by future prime ministers, and securing a certain right to speak and government influence would not be a problem.
Considering that autocratic monarchs were more likely to be opposed by the public, Franz Joseph I preferred to see Carlo with only a certain right to speak rather than implementing autocratic monarchy.
After all, after the public overthrew autocratic monarchy, they were very likely to execute the royal family. Even if not executed, they would lose all their noble titles.
Compared to taking such a great risk, it was better to become a king with little power; at least the safety of the entire royal family would not be a concern.
Regarding the investigation finding that Carlo might have a lover, it was naturally ignored by Franz Joseph I.
Having a lover was too normal for nobles today, let alone Carlo being a king of a country. If Carlo had not had a single lover in such a long time, perhaps Franz Joseph I should consider if there was a problem with Carlo’s ability.
“Overall, not bad; he doesn’t seem to have any major defects.” Franz Joseph I’s attitude was quite satisfied after reading Carlo’s general information.
“When should we arrange for them to meet? I hope Sophie and Carlo can like each other; it’s much better than a political marriage without affection.” Empress Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie, also known as Sisi, had a somewhat reluctant expression, after all, Archduchess Sophie was her and Franz Joseph I’s eldest daughter.
Experiencing marrying off a daughter for the first time made Sisi, who had accompanied Archduchess Sophie for 16 years, somewhat unaccustomed for the moment.
“Let’s do it at the banquet in two days.” At this time, the 40-year-old Franz Joseph I was still relatively young, had not experienced the sorrow of losing two crown princes, and appeared quite confident and majestic.
Franz Joseph I and the Austro-Hungarian Empire he established were actually quite unlucky.
In history, Franz Joseph I had four children, with only one son, who was the current Austro-Hungarian Empire crown prince Archduke Rudolf.
Archduke Rudolf was only 12 years old at this time, and everything was still normal. But after he married and his marital relationship broke down in the future, the nightmare of the Habsburg Family was about to begin.
Archduke Rudolf met Baroness Mary and became her lover, even harboring thoughts of divorcing the crown princess.
When such a request was known to Franz Joseph, Franz Joseph I demanded that they break up.
But unexpectedly, Archduke Rudolf and his mistress Baroness Mary’s affection seemed unbreakable, and they ultimately died together in a suicide pact in the Mayerling hunting lodge.
Abandoning his right to inherit the throne and his life for love, one had to admit that Archduke Rudolf was also a noble who loved beauty more than power, and he was even more extreme, giving up his own life.
After the only son passed away, the right to inherit the Austro-Hungarian Empire throne naturally fell to Franz Joseph I’s younger brother, Archduke Karl Ludwig.
However, Archduke Karl Ludwig did not live long either. After drinking water from the Jordan River, he died on May 19, 1896, from complications caused by infection, and the right to inherit the throne passed to Archduke Karl Ludwig’s eldest son, Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Speaking of Franz Ferdinand, apart from the famous Sarajevo incident, this one was also a lord who placed love above all else.
Because he and his wife Sophie Hotek were a marriage between nobility and commoners, Archduke Ferdinand’s descendants had no right to inherit the throne.
After the assassination in the Sarajevo incident, the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s heir to the throne returned to the eldest son of Archduke Karl Ludwig’s second son, that is, the son of Archduke Ferdinand’s younger brother.
It must be said that the Habsburg Family had quite a lot of marriages between nobility and commoners during this period.
Archduke Ferdinand’s other younger brother, Archduke Ferdinand Karl, was also a marriage between nobility and commoners. The constant changes in heirs and frequent accidents also brought more grief to the already elderly Franz Joseph I, who ultimately passed away before World War I even ended.
In 1871, when everything had not yet happened, Franz Joseph I’s mood was still quite wonderful.
Carlo basically met his requirements for a son-in-law, and their statuses matched each other perfectly; it was simply a perfect marriage.
Whether Carlo and Sophie could take a liking to each other did not matter for the marriage itself anymore. Because this was originally a political marriage alliance, the affection between the two was not that important; as long as there were no troubles later, it would be fine.
No matter how many lovers Carlo had, as long as he always respected Queen Sophie’s status, it would be acceptable to Franz Joseph I and Sisi.
Third update of 3000 words, seeking support!
