German Red Prince

Page 134

253. Leipzig Conference

The Luxembourg regional issue was resolved relatively well after two hours of negotiations, with the region being changed into a special administrative region, ending ten years of military control. This was a good thing for both the Kingdom of the Rhine and Belgium.

Although concessions were made in the Kingdom of the Rhine region of Luxembourg, the benefits gained were tangible. Firstly, the withdrawal of troops from the region after the end of military rule saved the kingdom a considerable amount of military expenditure. Secondly, allowing the Belgians to exercise autonomy made the region somewhat more peaceful.

After the special economic zone is established, trade cooperation between the two countries will certainly increase, and since Germany holds an absolute advantage in the entire EU-China trade agreement, the Kingdom of the Rhine will definitely reap more benefits from trade.

Upon hearing the news, Belgium was probably overjoyed, which diverted Thorne's attention, and the troops he sent there were unlikely to attract much attention.

Of course, the establishment of the Luxembourg Special Region does not mean that the Kingdom of the Rhine will relinquish control. Is what we give you truly what we give you? The Kingdom will ease its control over the Luxembourg region, end military rule, and adopt entirely new methods to control the Luxembourg Special Region.

Moreover, Thorne's goal is not only to exert new control over the Luxembourg Special Economic Zone, but also to use this zone to influence the whole of Belgium.

Belgians do not need to go through complicated procedures to enter the Luxembourg Special Economic Zone; they can freely enter and exit the zone. After arriving in the zone, Belgians will be somewhat affected, and Thorne's previously proposed theory of color revolutions could then have some effect.

Everything Thorne is doing now is for the smooth completion of the future socialist revolution. There are also red forces in Belgium, but they are too weak in terms of strength and are illegal forces in the country. Since you can't stay in Belgium, you can come to the special zone to develop.

The special zone allows Belgians to enter freely, but it's absolutely impossible to get the police or anything like that to come. The Kingdom of the Rhine can "raise poison" in the special zone and then release them back when the time is right. If Belgium wants to devote itself wholeheartedly to the liberation of Germany, then it must be in chaos so that Prussia cannot launch a sneak attack from the rear.

Thorne intends to launch a comprehensive and multi-pronged attack on Belgium. In addition to cultivating opposition forces within the special economic zone, he will also take some actions within Belgium itself.

The soldiers that the Kingdom of the Rhine sends to the border between Belgium and the Commune must be carefully selected, especially the first batch of troops. They need to build good relations with the locals. Thorne has also heard about some problems that have arisen in the Walloon region.

The presence of Franco-French troops in the Walloon army has severely hampered the region's fighting capacity. Language barriers and inter-ethnic conflicts have created an extremely complex situation for the Walloon army. Therefore, Thorne must address these issues and carefully select his first batch of troops.

This first batch of troops was meant to intimidate Walloons. If it wasn't handled properly, and the Walloons and Flemishes were to unite again, then everything would be over.

Without comparison, there is no harm. Thorne did this to make the Walloons feel the gap, unite more people with him, make more friends and fewer enemies, so as to maximize the chances of victory.

After completing this task, Thorne couldn't just stop there. He had dealt with things abroad, but there were still things to do at home.

The Leipzig Conference of the German Empire was held as scheduled...

The Leipzig Conference of the German Empire was held regularly at intervals. The purpose of this conference was very clear: to resolve various disputes between the three kingdoms within the empire and to handle frictions and conflicts between them.

After all, the current composition of the empire is quite unique, consisting of three kingdoms, each with its own rights. Over time, this will inevitably lead to some conflicts, as the interests of the three kingdoms cannot be completely aligned. If these conflicts accumulate over a long period, an internal explosion is bound to occur.

The Leipzig Conference provided an excellent venue and opportunity to negotiate issues. Of course, during the Leipzig Conference, the kings of the three kingdoms would not appear in person. The kings of Prussia, Bavaria, and the Rhine would get together harmoniously during this period to "exchange feelings" and demonstrate how "unbreakable" the relationship between the kingdoms of the German Empire was.

In stark contrast to this scene was the atmosphere inside the Leipzig Parliament, where representatives from the three kingdoms showed no mercy whatsoever. This was about securing benefits for their respective kingdoms, so why would they bother with empty gestures?

The soundproofing in the parliament hall is excellent, and there are guards on duty; otherwise, some delegates might get angry and start fighting.

Therefore, each kingdom needs not only eloquent speakers but also capable fighters to negotiate. If your fists aren't strong, no matter how much reasoning you give, no one will listen.

After discussions, the representatives of the three kingdoms would submit their proposals to the Imperial Federal Council. The atmosphere inside the Imperial Federal Council was much more harmonious and civilized. They were reviewing the proposals again. Only after the proposals passed the review of the Imperial Federal Council could they be considered to have truly taken effect.

Thorne certainly wouldn't forget Bavaria's major culprit at this meeting. This guy had interfered and ruined so many of his businesses. Thorne was a man who always sought revenge, so since you started the trouble, he would be the first to deal with you.

The meeting room was very noisy. Germany is indeed full of martial spirit. In the British Parliament, when there are disputes between the two parties, they just point fingers and curse each other. But in Germany, they directly take action.

Milt had just taken down a Prussian senator who had come to cause trouble when he saw guards nearby carrying away two unconscious senators. It seemed that in the end, whoever had the most men would have the advantage.

"Bavarian! Explain your actions! Why are you restricting trade with the Kingdom? Give a reasonable explanation for increasing border taxes and restricting investment! Why are you giving preferential treatment to Austria-Hungary? What are you trying to do? Do you want to break away from Germany?!"

A member of parliament from the Kingdom of the Rhine questioned the Bavarian representative.

Of the three kingdoms, Bavaria has set a bad precedent. If they all follow suit and retaliate against the other kingdoms for such actions, the internal divisions will worsen, and could very well lead to the disintegration of the country – a truly terrifying prospect.

Of course, there is a solution. Thorne has given the Rhine representative a proposal that will surely bring Bavaria to its knees.

254. Anti-Secession Law of the German Empire

Smiling on the outside, cursing on the inside.

This phrase best describes the three kings of the current empire. Unlike the real fighting in the council, the three kings are in the hall, exchanging pleasantries and laughter.

William II spoke with the two kings with a smile, but his complexion was not particularly good, and his smile was somewhat stiff.

When he was reviewing the report on Africa last time, Wilhelm II suddenly felt dizzy and fainted in his office.

Fortunately, the unconscious Wilhelm II was discovered in time and taken to the doctors. The court physicians were also very frightened after examining him.

If it had been any later, a new king might have been enthroned in Prussia.

"It seems the old era is coming to an end. We are all old-fashioned. It's time for the younger generation to take over."

William II sighed. Of the three kings, William II was the oldest, and he too was aware of his own physical condition.

The doctor has strictly forbidden him from working overtime every day. Wilhelm II doesn't need to handle everything in the Empire and the Kingdom. Aren't there still the Chancellor and the Crown Prince below him?

The older he gets, the more he cherishes power. Wilhelm II is still reluctant to relinquish it. Didn't he groom Ehrlich during this period? No one can easily take away his power.

As he spoke, Wilhelm II looked at King Otto. Of the three kings, Otto was the youngest, only forty years old. Rupprecht was fifty-nine, while Wilhelm II was sixty-nine.

Crown Prince William is already forty-six years old, while King Otto ascended the throne at the age of thirty. This forty-six-year-old is still a crown prince, which only shows how long-lived the kings of Prussia really are.

"Otto, how is Andreas's health?"

Wilhelm II chatted with Otto and inquired about Otto's family situation.

"Very good, Your Majesty William. Andreas's health has recovered well during this time. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."

"That's good."

Wilhelm II nodded, sighed, and sat down in his chair, laughing.

"Otto, I really envy you now, having two wonderful sons."

William said this with a hint of helplessness in his voice. It was common knowledge in all three kingdoms that Crown Prince Andreas of the Kingdom of the Rhine was in poor health, and no one knew whether his condition would allow him to live long enough to ascend the throne.

According to the doctor's estimate, Prince Andreas probably won't live past thirty. If he becomes king, with all sorts of complicated matters weighing on him, he probably won't live past twenty-five.

So at the very beginning, the Rhine Kingdom was in the most critical situation among the three kingdoms. Although King Otto was in his prime, his health had always been poor, and Andreas was unlikely to have any offspring.

If Otto were to die, even if Andreas became the new king, he wouldn't be able to rule for long. The successive deaths of two kings in a short period would certainly have a huge impact on the political situation of the Kingdom of the Rhine.

The Kingdom of the Rhine also lacked a "good grandson" like Wilhelm II. Andreas had no children, so the next successor could only be Thorne.

However, Prince Thorne detests politics and has repeatedly refused to become the heir, even running away from the throne multiple times. If he were to become the new king of the Kingdom of Rhine, could the kingdom truly withstand the dual pressures from both domestic and international sources?

Prussia has been very happy to see this situation and has been making further plans, trying to arrange a marriage between the Hohenzollern and Stemmetz families. If an heir is born, they could take over the Kingdom of the Rhine.

Prussia was very supportive of Thorne's decision to go to the Polish battlefield to "die," and they hoped that if anything went wrong, they could just send the prince away, which would make Prussia really celebrate.

Sending away the prince who is most likely to become the heir will inevitably force the Kingdom of the Rhine to make compromises. If Prussia integrates the Kingdom of the Rhine, then Bavaria will be the next target.

Having successfully unified two kingdoms, Wilhelm II might indeed become a monarch for all ages.

Unfortunately, it's unclear what happened, but Thorne seemed to have been "enlightened" after his trip to the Polish battlefield. He returned as a completely different person and became much more lenient in his attitude towards his successor.

After all his maneuvering, Prussia's plans were thwarted, leaving Wilhelm II with nothing but sighs.

"Your Majesty flatters me. The two of them are still a bit inferior to Crown Prince Wilhelm. Besides, isn't everything we've done for a complete Germany? I can rest assured that they can continue to contribute to the development of Germany in the future."

A complete Germany, you're right, King Rupprecht?

Otto and Wilhelm II turned their gaze to Rupprecht, who was standing to the side. Did they think he could get away with it by remaining silent? Explain yourself: what's the meaning behind your recent tax increases on the two kingdoms and your flirting with Austria-Hungary?

Inside the parliament, the three parties pointed fingers and cursed at each other for a while, but when the representative of the Kingdom of Rhine took out a document, the situation suddenly changed.

At this moment, the representatives of Prussia and the Kingdom of the Rhine suddenly formed a united front and began to launch a fierce attack on the Bavarian representative.

It was extremely rare for the Prussian and Rhineland representatives to form a united front. At every Leipzig Conference, the Prussian side advocated "unity," while the other two representatives advocated "division."

At the Leipzig Conference, Prussia consistently advocated for strengthening the power of the imperial government, while the other two kingdoms advocated for granting them more autonomy. However, both kingdoms were also vying for greater autonomy and were criticizing each other.

This time, quite unusually, two sides stood together: Prussia and the Kingdom of the Rhine.

The Bavarian representative just proposed strengthening the kingdom's autonomy, particularly in foreign policy.

Currently, diplomatic power is in the hands of the imperial government. Other kingdoms also have some diplomatic power, but this power is mainly in trade and economic matters, as well as other insignificant matters.

The Bavarian representative demanded greater autonomy for the kingdom's foreign policy, including not only in economic and trade matters but also in political and military affairs.

"You are trying to divide the German homeland!"

Milt yelled at the Bavarian representative, "Who doesn't know that Bavaria and Austria-Hungary have been having a falling out lately? Do you think everyone is blind?"

"The German Empire is a unified and complete empire that no one can divide! Anyone who attempts to break away from the empire, or harbors any other intentions, is a traitor to the motherland! A traitor to the German people!"

The representatives of the Kingdom of the Rhine raised their proposals and shouted, then sang together the second national anthem of the German Empire—"The Song of Germany".

"Germany, Germany, above all, above all things in the world, brothers, always stand together for protection and defense... Germany, Germany, above all, above all things in the world... Unity, sovereignty, and freedom, for the German Fatherland... For the honor of fulfilling this mission, for the eternal prosperity of the German Fatherland!"

The song's spiritual boost energized the delegates present, pushing the atmosphere of the entire council to a climax.

The guards inside the council couldn't stop them even if they wanted to. With so many people fighting, they didn't know how to break it up, and they might even get hurt if they weren't careful.

The melee lasted for an unknown amount of time; in any case, there were a bunch of people lying on the ground, and those who were standing all had bruises and swelling on their faces.

The representatives of the Kingdom of the Rhine cheered. The Bavarians were mostly lying down, which meant their proposal could be submitted to the Imperial Federal Council for a second review.

"Your Majesty, the council has released its results."

The door was opened, interrupting the harmonious exchange between the three kings. Rupprecht had just been trying to explain, and this incident saved him from an awkward situation.

“Let’s go, Your Majesty William, let’s go take a look,” Rupprecht said with a smile to Wilhelm II.

“Yes, let’s go see which bills will be passed this time,” King Otto said.

Seeing Rupprecht looking embarrassed, Otto suppressed a laugh. Thorne's desire for revenge was truly strong; the proposal he gave him before leaving would probably give Bavaria a hard time.

The atmosphere inside the Imperial Federal Council is much better, and the people inside are much more "gentlemanly".

The three kings sat on the high platform, listening to the votes of the Federal Parliament below. In fact, they were all trivial matters, and the three kingdoms had only made some concessions, which was only a temporary solution.

"Next, a proposal from the Kingdom of the Rhine!"

The Speaker of the Federal Parliament raised the proposal and shouted it out.

"The Kingdom of the Rhine proposed a motion concerning the implementation of the Anti-Secession Law of the German Empire."

This proposal immediately aroused the interest of everyone, especially Wilhelm II. What did this mean?

The Anti-Secession Law of the German Empire? These two kingdoms are thinking about gaining more autonomy every day. Is the sun rising in the west?

Upon hearing the proposal, Rupprecht's expression was not good. Of the three kingdoms, Bavaria was the one most eager to "run away." The Kingdom of the Rhine favored one homeland and three kingdoms, while Bavaria preferred a one-country-one-system approach.

It's obvious that this proposal is aimed at them; Bavaria just proposed increasing border taxes, and the retribution has come swiftly.

"The Anti-Secession Law of the German Empire: In order to ensure the integrity and unity of the German homeland, the Kingdom of the Rhine submitted this proposal."

"There is only one German homeland in the world. The three kingdoms all belong to the German Empire. The sovereignty and territory of the German Empire are indivisible. All three kingdoms are part of the German Empire. The Empire will absolutely not allow any force to separate any kingdom under any pretext!"

"The three kingdoms can exercise a certain degree of autonomy and have corresponding autonomy, but they must never do anything that would harm the interests of the German Empire or damage the unity within the German Empire."

"If any force, under any name or by any means, causes any kingdom to secede from the German Empire, or if any event occurs that would lead to the seceding of any kingdom from the German Empire, or undermines internal unity."

"The Empire and the other two kingdoms will take necessary measures, including non-peaceful means, to defend the Empire's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

After the speaker finished his announcement, everyone present was shocked. Who would have thought that this was a proposal put forward by the Kingdom of the Rhine? Shouldn't a proposal of this magnitude have been put forward by Prussia?

Has Bavaria not responded to this proposal?

There were reactions, but those people are now lying in the medical room.

Thorne naturally agreed to the unification of the German Empire. This was also a form of insurance, in case any other kingdoms escaped during his own revolution, creating a historical problem.

Now that we have this insurance, even if any kingdom escapes, we have a legitimate reason to reclaim it.

Moreover, this proposal was put forward by the Kingdom of the Rhine, and there is a strong desire for reunification within Germany. Therefore, the proposal put forward by the Kingdom of the Rhine is likely to receive popular support.

"Let's begin voting!"

One hundred members of the Federal Assembly began voting. If the bill passed, it would officially become a clause in the Imperial Constitution.

"Seventy-one to twenty-nine, the motion passes!"

With the final decision made by the Speaker of the Bundestag, the Anti-Secession Law of the German Empire was officially passed.

255. Reports and Issues

"Your Highness Thorne, our peacekeeping force to Cyrenaica has arrived safely. As per your instructions, we have first established a defense zone in the Ajdabiya region. The next batch of relevant experts has also boarded the ship and is expected to arrive soon."

"In the Far East, our trade with the Nationalist government is proceeding normally. The third batch of professionals sent by the Kingdom of the Rhine to assist the Nationalist government has also arrived. We have also dispatched more specialized personnel to assist the key industries you have highlighted. Lieutenant General Strachwitz has also sent a telegram. The reorganization of the Nationalist government's army is also continuing."

"In South America, trade with Patagonia continues and is expanding, and we are able to earn a considerable income from trade."

An officer stood to the side, reporting the latest situation to Thorne. It felt like something was missing if he didn't smoke a cigarette, but court rules didn't allow him to.

In terms of foreign policy, the Kingdom of the Rhine has made some breakthroughs to cope with the impact of the possible economic crisis. At the same time, in politics, Thorne has also made some arrangements in Europe, striving to avoid any unexpected situations when the revolution begins.

"Take care of the farmers in the Kingdom of Rhine. Although agricultural products bought from outside are cheap, our farmers still need to eat."