IBTCPOTME Novel - Chapter 149
**Chapter 149**
**South and North (3)**
January 1847.
Three ironclad warships entered the port of Kiel, Prussia.
“This is…”
“Yes, it now belongs to the Kingdom of Prussia, Your Majesty.”
It was a reward for the dedication shown by the Kingdom of Prussia to the alliance.
“After all, we disbanded them without fighting, so I’m not sure if we should accept this.”
Frederick IV said this, but he had no intention of refusing. The cost of conscripting and training an army was considerable, even though they didn’t fight.
The Mexican Empire was well aware of this fact.
“Without the dedication and efforts of the Kingdom of Prussia, we wouldn’t have been able to successfully conclude this war. We would be greatly honored if Your Majesty accepted this gift.”
“Hmm… If the Mexican Empire, our blood alliance, says so, it would be impolite to refuse further. We will accept the gift.”
It was only three ironclad warships, but their value could not be judged by the construction cost.
The Mexican Empire had built the first ironclad, and Britain had followed suit a year later, but even after several years, only a handful of countries, such as France, Russia, and the United States, had succeeded in building ironclads of any significance.
‘I heard the Netherlands managed to build just one last year.’
The United States, having squeezed its budget for years to build six ironclads during this war, lost them all to the Mexican Empire. So, apart from the Mexican Empire, only the British Empire, the French Republic, and the Russian Empire could be considered stronger in naval power than Prussia.
A few days after Frederick IV smiled with satisfaction, the Austrian Empire also learned that the Kingdom of Prussia had received ironclads from the Mexican Empire.
“Unpleasant.”
Clemens von Metternich, Prince, the Austrian Empire’s Chancellor and Foreign Minister, quickly found the source of his feelings.
The balance and peace of Europe that he had established through the Congress of Vienna was crumbling.
The Vienna System, also called the Metternich System after its architect, nominally advocated for a “restoration to the pre-Napoleonic era,” that is, a restoration of the Old Regime. But it was all about maintaining a balance through mutual checks and balances among European nations.
Its intention was successful, and there had been no wars between major European powers for the past 30 years. Metternich, who designed the Vienna System, knew best that this precious peace could not last forever, but he never imagined that a power outside Europe would intervene in Europe and disrupt the balance.
“The Mexican Empire. No, Herónimo Iturbide.”
Metternich uttered the name of the culprit responsible for this situation. France’s turmoil and Prussia’s advance were both somewhat inevitable. Louis Philippe of France was causing discontent among the citizens, and Prussia was successfully industrializing. But the speed was beyond Metternich’s expectations.
‘The Crown Prince is the one who moves the Mexican Empire.’
It was information that had already been cross-checked through various channels. Metternich, an experienced politician, understood the Crown Prince of the Mexican Empire’s motivations.
“Is it possible for a human to act so selflessly, only for the development of their nation?”
Metternich, now approaching the twilight of his life, had never seen anyone like this.
Even Napoleon, the greatest of them all, made countless mistakes due to his personal desires and emotions. But this Mexican Crown Prince was acting solely for the development of his nation, to the point of being inhuman.
If that was all, it would have been a matter of simply thinking “remarkable” and moving on, since it was a matter across the Atlantic. But things changed when the Mexican Empire grew and began to influence Europe.
France, which should have been checked by Prussia, lost the war against Mexico, its government was overthrown, and it became a republic. That’s when the cracks in the Vienna System began to appear.
‘France should not have fallen.’
Prussia, the Austrian Empire, and the German Confederation should have joined forces to check France’s growth. That way, Prussia wouldn’t harbor vain ambitions. But France lost to Mexico, and Prussia formed a marriage alliance with Mexico.
Now that a powerful competitor was temporarily subdued, what would Prussia, which was growing rapidly, aim for?
Metternich was afraid of that.
“There’s no choice but to join forces with the nation that wants the Vienna System to be maintained more than anyone else.”
The British Empire, which was expanding its colonies around the world while the Vienna System maintained the balance in Europe, was the key to solving this situation.
Since they were benefiting from the Vienna System, they had to be made to work to protect it. After all, wasn’t this whole situation a result of Britain pursuing its own interests and not checking Mexico’s growth?
‘But Britain also suffered a major blow to its pride this time.’
If they intervened in the war, it would be like threatening to attack the British mainland with the army Prussia had gathered. The public opinion would be different from before.
The fact that conflict with Mexico would bring more harm than good to Britain had not changed at all, but people are not that rational.
Especially those British bastards, who cherish their pride.
Public opinion within the Austrian Empire could be adjusted sufficiently. Many people already had a grudge against the Mexican Empire, just because of the alliance with Prussia.
The position of the Chairman of the German Confederation (Deutscher Bund) represented the dominant position of the Austrian Empire. Metternich had no intention of giving up that position in his lifetime.
‘If war is inevitable…’
Metternich rose from his aged body.
***
“I intend to pass the throne to the Crown Prince.”
The Emperor, who had summoned the Chancellor, government officials, and heads of parliamentary factions to his office since the beginning of the year, made a sudden announcement.
“Your Majesty!”
“You are still in good health, Your Majesty. Why are you abdicating?”
Those gathered immediately objected. No one was unaware that there was nothing wrong with expressing regret about abdication, whether it was sincere or not.
Moreover, as one of the officials said, the Emperor was still in good health. He was in his mid-sixties, but his body was neither overweight nor underweight, and he was not sick.
Only the head of the Emperor’s faction, who had been informed of the plan beforehand, remained calm.
“Good health? Don’t you remember when I collapsed before? It’s time for me to rest.”
It was known to be simply exhaustion, but no one could object to the Emperor’s sincere-sounding words.
“I’m not saying I’m abdicating right now. The Crown Prince’s abilities are outstanding, as you all know, but he will need time to prepare.”
Although it was a constitutional monarchy, the Emperor was involved in numerous tasks of the Empire. There was much to hand over, and each department had to prepare for the new ruler.
And most importantly, they had to prepare for the coronation. Even the royal wedding was a major event that took months to prepare. The coronation would require even more thorough preparation.
“Then, Your Majesty, may I ask when you plan to hold the coronation?”
“January 1, 1848. That’s almost a year from now, so there will be plenty of time to prepare.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
News of the decision to abdicate soon spread throughout the Empire and the world. It was publicly announced because the subjects of the Empire needed to prepare themselves.
“Your Majesty is stepping down…”
“Hmm? Are you crying?”
Unlike his friend, who had prepared himself for this, given the Emperor’s age, he seemed quite shocked.
‘Even so, a man crying…?’
He understood his friend’s admiration for the royal family. As a Mexican, it was impossible not to admire the royal family, considering their great achievements. The royal family was undoubtedly the main force behind the history of independence and founding, development and progress, victory and expansion. But even the Emperor was not immortal. As a human being, it was natural for him to age and pass on his position.
“Your Majesty should rest a little now.”
“Yes. It’s actually something to celebrate. You can rest now, Your Majesty, because you have a reliable successor, the Crown Prince.”
Many in Europe believed that even between father and son, power could not be shared, and most kings clung to power until their deaths. It was very rare for abdication to proceed so peacefully.
The ordinary subjects, who made up the majority of the population, were shocked but thought positively, but the upper class was different.
“What will happen when the Crown Prince ascends the throne…”
They thought that the Crown Prince, who had already brought about significant changes in society during his time as Crown Prince, would bring about even more changes when he became Emperor.
“···I don’t know exactly what he’ll do, but I don’t think it’ll be good for us.”
The landowners and the Catholic Church thought so, but there was nothing they could do, and a huge change was approaching.
***
“Encouraging results.”
“Yes, we knew that the total population would increase, but even the adult male population has increased compared to before the war.”
Diego said.
“Population growth is good, but it’s also important that they integrate well into society. Are the freed people adapting well?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. They have high loyalty to the Mexican Empire, high work motivation, and a strong desire to learn Spanish.”
Diego reported to me, looking at the report.
“Very good news.”
It was about the freed blacks from the occupied territories during the war with the United States. Their number reached 300,000, and 99% of them agreed to move to the Mexican Empire.
They chose “urban immigration,” as suggested by the immigration officials, and they were living in a life that was practically paradise compared to their time as slaves.
We were happy to have secured manpower, and the blacks were happy to have their lives drastically improved.
‘A little disappointing.’
I wondered if I should have occupied the south a little more and freed more blacks. But to win the war quickly, we had to move strategically, focusing on strategic strongholds.
“If you include the Irish immigrants, this year’s population growth rate will be explosive, to say the least.”
“It’s a timely manpower boost.”
Now that the construction of Chihuahua was complete, we had to start building new key cities, and we had to lay railroads in the newly acquired northern territories and Panama.
“The economy will boom again.”
We had prepared extensively for war, and conscription was implemented only to the minimum extent necessary to achieve strategic goals, but ultimately, there was no way to avoid the war’s negative impact on the economy.
In 1846, wages and prices rose sharply, resulting in the bankruptcy of many companies that had been established during the pre-war investment boom. They were companies that had only grown in size with investment funds, without any substance.
“Conscription has been lifted, and immigration is bringing in a huge influx of people, so we’ll have to wait and see.”
I said that and gathered the documents spread out on my desk, putting them in a file and closing it. They were all documents related to the economy and businesses.
Normally, I would have spent most of my working hours on that, but the situation had changed. I had more to do.
“Father.”
“You’ve come.”
I had to prepare to become Emperor.