Empire Rising: Spain

Chapter 117: Chapter 105: On Marriage

The climate in Vienna in early April is still quite pleasant. Carlo, having traveled to this world, has now reached his third country, Austria.

Although the three countries are not far from each other, there are significant differences in their climates.

Both Spain and Italy have Mediterranean climates, but Italy is humid while Spain is dry.

As for Vienna, it belongs to a mountainous climate and is somewhat colder compared to Madrid in Southern Europe and Italy.

If we must consider development potential and geographical location, Spain actually has a more advantageous position.

The entire Iberian Peninsula consists of only two countries, Portugal and Spain. Portugal’s strength poses no threat to Spain. The lands to the north bordering France are blocked by the Pyrenees Mountains, with only two small gaps to the east and west.

This means that by merely guarding the eastern and western gaps of the Pyrenees Mountains, the entire Iberian Peninsula becomes a strategic point that is easy to defend and hard to attack, while also being able to control the Gibraltar Strait, the Mediterranean’s exit to the Atlantic Ocean.

If it weren’t for the poor land conditions combined with Spain’s historical neglect in developing its homeland since the Sun Never Sets Empire, with the royal family and the upper levels of government indulging in pleasure, Austria might now be the one seeking support.

Italy and Austria both have significant geographical flaws. Although the Apennine Peninsula in which Italy is located has mountain barriers in the north, the south is a vast plain.

More critically, the Apennine Peninsula is relatively narrow overall, lacking strategic depth. In the event of an encounter with a strong naval power like the United Kingdom, most of Italy’s lands would face the threat of bombardment.

Moreover, since all the coastlines are located in the Mediterranean, the navy finds it hard to exit to the Atlantic or the Indian Ocean through the two Mediterranean exits, greatly limiting overall development.

The Austria-Hungary is no better off. Although it has greater strategic depth, it borders three major powers: Germany, Russia, and Italy, and it’s adjacent to the Balkan Peninsula, a renowned powder keg.

Although Austria-Hungary is indeed strong, being surrounded in such a battleground leaves even formidable powers helpless.

For this reason, after the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War, Austria-Hungary’s strategic policy underwent a significant shift.

The former Prime Minister of Austria-Hungary was Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust, a notorious Prussian hater who did everything he could to prevent the unification of Northern and Southern Germany.

Although Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust worked hard to establish the Austria-Hungary and to strengthen the international influence of the Habsburg Dynasty,

his anti-Prussian policy could have led to severe conflicts between the unified German Empire and Austria-Hungary, eventually resulting in his removal from the Prime Minister position and his replacement by the current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Julo Andrássy.

Austria-Hungary’s shift in attitude from opposing Prussia to befriending Germany is inextricably linked with the escalating situation on the Balkan Peninsula.

Though the majority of the Balkan Peninsula is currently controlled by the Ottoman Empire, the reasons for the empire being dubbed the “Sick Man of West Asia” are not unfounded.

This empire, which has existed for hundreds of years, is internally rotten, and although still vast, its internal problems are increasingly severe.

Austria-Hungary and Russia have engaged in fierce competition over the Balkan Peninsula, a conflict that forced Austria-Hungary to become amicable with the German Empire to avoid being squeezed by both Germany and Russia.

Moreover, in order to appease the Hungarians, Julo Andrássy’s advancement became inevitable. Before becoming the Prime Minister of Austria-Hungary, he served as the Prime Minister of Hungary and firmly supported the dual monarchy policy of Austria-Hungary, which is also why he ultimately ascended to power.

Upon assuming the dual roles of Foreign Minister and Prime Minister of Austria-Hungary,

Julo Andrássy comprehensively revised the policies left by the former Prime Minister Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust and summarized the new foreign policy of Austria-Hungary into two main guidelines: Align with Germany and resist Tsarist Russia.

In fact, before Carlo arrived in Vienna, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary and his Empress, Elisabeth had already discussed Carlo’s marriage to Grand Duchess Sophie.

Political marriages rarely involve mutual affection; they are more about the potential cooperation and the recognition of each other’s status.

As the King of Spain and a member of the Savoy Family, Carlo naturally earns Franz Joseph I’s respect.

Moreover, since arriving in Spain, Carlo has not been involved in any scandals. Other than his lack of control over the government, making him appear more like a figurehead king, he seems to have no significant faults either.

This aspect is actually acceptable. After all, Carlo is not yet 20 years old, and his reign as king is just beginning.

Prim, who controls the Spanish Government, is already old, and his grip on power won’t last much longer.

As long as Carlo is a bit clever, even if he can’t control the majority of the Spanish Government’s power in the future, he can avoid being sidelined by future Prime Ministers. It’s still possible for him to maintain a certain level of influence and say in the government.

Considering that an autocratic monarch is more likely to be opposed by the people, Emperor Franz Joseph I would prefer to see Carlo hold a certain level of influence rather than implement autocratic monarchy.

After all, once the people overthrow autocratic monarchy, it’s very likely they’ll execute the royal family. Even if not executed, they’d still lose all their noble titles.

Rather than risking such a fate, it’s better to become a King with limited power, ensuring the safety of the entire royal family.

The issue of Carlo possibly having a mistress, uncovered in investigations, was naturally overlooked by Emperor Franz Joseph I.

Having a mistress is too normal for the current nobility, let alone Carlo being a King of a country. If Carlo hadn’t had any mistress for such a long time, perhaps Emperor Franz Joseph I should question his capabilities.

“Overall, not bad; it doesn’t seem to have any major flaws.” After reviewing Carlo’s general information, Emperor Franz Joseph I seemed relatively satisfied.

“When should we arrange for them to meet? I hope Sophie and Carlo can like each other; it’s undoubtedly better than a loveless political marriage.” Queen Elizabeth Amalie Eugenie, also known as Princess Sisi, expressed a slight reluctance, considering Grand Duchess Sophie is the eldest daughter of her and Emperor Franz Joseph I.

Experiencing the matter of marrying off a daughter for the first time, Princess Sisi, who has accompanied Grand Duchess Sophie for 16 years, found it a bit hard to adjust.

“Wait for the dinner two days later.” At this time, the 40-year-old Emperor Franz Joseph I was still relatively young, having not yet experienced the grief of losing two Crown Princes. He appeared very confident and quite authoritative.

Emperor Franz Joseph I and the Austria-Hungary Empire he established were actually quite unfortunate.

Historically, Franz Joseph I had four children, only one of whom was a son, the current Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary.

At this time, Crown Prince Rudolf was only 12 years old, and everything was still normal. But after he got married and the future broke down, the nightmare for the Habsburg family was about to begin.

Crown Prince Rudolf met with Baroness Mary and became lovers, even considering divorcing the Crown Prince Consort.

When Emperor Franz Joseph discovered such a request, he suggested that the two break up.

However, unexpectedly, Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress, Baroness Mary, seemingly had an unbreakable bond, ultimately choosing to commit suicide together in the hunting lodge in Mayerling.

For love, he gave up his right to the throne and his life; one must admit that Crown Prince Rudolf was also a noble who loved beauties more than the realm, and he was even more ridiculously giving up his life.

After the only son passed away, the succession to the throne of Austria-Hungary naturally fell to Emperor Franz Joseph’s brother, Archduke Karl Ludwig.

But Archduke Karl Ludwig’s fate was also short-lived. After consuming water from the Jordan River, he passed away on May 19, 1896, due to complications from an infection, leading the throne’s succession to Karl Ludwig’s eldest son, Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Speaking of Franz Ferdinand, apart from the infamous Sarajevo incident, he was also someone who prioritized love above all.

Because he and his wife Sophie Chotek came from a morganatic marriage, Archduke Ferdinand’s descendants did not have the right to inherit the throne.

After the assassination in the Sarajevo incident, the successor to the throne of Austria-Hungary returned to the second son of Ferdinand’s father Karl Ludwig, namely Ferdinand’s brother’s son’s hands.

It’s worth mentioning that, during this period, morganatic marriages among the Habsburg family were really quite prevalent.

Ferdinand’s other brother, Archduke Ferdinand of Karl, also had a morganatic marriage. The constant changes in successors to the throne and frequent accidents added to the grief of the already aged Emperor Franz Joseph I, who eventually passed away before the end of World War I.

In 1871, when all this hadn’t yet happened, Emperor Franz Joseph I’s mood was still quite delightful.

Carlo basically met his requirements for a son-in-law; the identities and social standings of both were well-matched, making it an almost perfect marriage.

Regardless of whether Carlo and Sophie could find each other appealing, there was no concern for the marriage itself. Because this was inherently a political union, the feelings between the two were not that important, as long as there were no issues arising afterward.

No matter how many mistresses Carlo had, as long as he always respected Queen Sophie’s status, Emperor Franz Joseph I and Princess Sisi would find it acceptable.