After all, Joseph II could not last long. Less than three days after appointing Leopold as regent of Austria, the diligent Emperor died on his royal couch.
Faced with the death of Joseph II, Leopold originally wanted to block the news, but under Kaunitz's persuasion, Leopold gave up this idea. On the second day of the emperor's death, Leopold
He summoned all high-ranking officials, nobles and diplomats from various countries in Vienna to announce the emperor's death.
The moment the news spread, the entire Vienna burst into mourning. Although this emperor's civil and military skills could not be called first-rate, his years of efforts in reviving the empire were noticed by everyone.
Joseph II has been burdened with too many burdens since he came to the throne. This burden even made him breathless, and now he can finally be relieved. Before his death, the emperor held Leopold's hands tightly, although the emperor
He couldn't speak, but the look in his eyes contained too many meanings.
In the palace, after Leopold announced the death of the emperor to everyone, Kaunitz officially announced the emperor's posthumous photo. The Archduke of Austria, the King of Hungary and the rulers of the Habsburg family's territories would be formally announced by Leo.
Bode succeeded, and as for the position of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, Leopold needed to communicate with the electors of the empire in person, and then be crowned in Frankfurt.
On March 8, 1790, the first-hand news of the death of Joseph II reached William. After receiving the news, William immediately summoned many senior ministers of the Prussian government and military. The death of Joseph II did not let the
William was happy because he knew that although the emperor's abilities were not very admirable, his character and morality were worthy of admiration.
At the Prussian government meeting, after learning of the death of Joseph II, the staff headed by Ferdinand immediately asked William to order the national army to enter a state of first-level combat readiness. However, the proposal was opposed by government officials headed by Lockes.
protest.
Rocks believes that now that Austria has lost a popular king, this is a moment of great sorrow for the whole country. If Prussia is prepared to take this opportunity to entangle with Austria, it will not only make the Austrians share the same hatred but even make all the European powers look down upon.
, this is really not a good idea.
"Your Excellency Prime Minister, now Joseph II is dead. The successor to the throne is Leopold. This boy was captured alive by us during the Austro-Prussian War. We all know what he is capable of, so our staff believes that,
This is the best time for us in Prussia to gain benefits. I think Leopold should be able to agree to some of our requests in order to successfully inherit the throne!"
"Prince Ferdinand. I have to remind you that asking for benefits from Austria at this moment has both rewards and risks. Maybe Leopold will compromise with us for the sake of temporary stability, but more likely
Leopold, who had just ascended to the throne, would not compromise with us in order to consolidate his position and reputation, thereby creating a tough image in the country. As a result, our position will be very embarrassing!"
Opposing Ferdinand was Viscount Lucas, the Minister of Justice in the Prussian cabinet. This viscount was one of Locks's most important allies in the Prussian cabinet. After hearing Lucas's point of view, William nodded. No matter from what point of view,
Which aspect, now that Joseph II has just died, if Prussia blackmails Austria at this time, it will undoubtedly be suspected of bullying, which will inevitably affect Prussia's international reputation. Moreover, Prussia
The blackmail of Prussia may not be satisfied yet. You must know that Joseph II is dead now. All the eyes of the world are focused on Leopold. At this time, if Prussia makes some demands to him, even if he originally intended to satisfy them, he will not be able to satisfy them.
For the sake of his own rule, he will definitely reject Prussia's request. Now is the time for Leopold to establish his own image, and he will never show his weak side to the outside world at this time.
"Okay, everyone, please calm down. Prince Henry, what do you think?"
Just when Ferdinand hinted that several cannons on the staff were preparing to launch a counterattack against the cabinet, William's words were undoubtedly an edict to stop the war, and then everyone's attention shifted to Henry.
Henry's identity is quite special. He is the head of the military department of the Kingdom of Prussia and is also William's grandfather. He is also an older generation politician as famous as Lockes. His opinions will play a decisive role.
"Your Majesty, I think what we should do now is to immediately send a special envoy to Vienna and explain to Leopold our Prussian determination to fulfill the agreement we signed with Joseph II!"
Henry's words made the cabinet happy, and Ferdinand was naturally not angry with his old partner, but Henry ignored them and continued:
"The agreement signed by His Majesty and Joseph II in Frankfurt last year greatly guaranteed the relationship between our country and Austria. At this moment, I think that not only can we not take action against the Austrians, but on the contrary, we must also release our goodwill.
This will allow the Austrians to change their views on us, which will help us improve our relations............."
"Who wants to improve relations with those damn Austrians?"
Just before Henry finished speaking, a sentence suddenly shocked the whole audience. On the noble seat beside him, a young nobleman was looking at the people around him with wide eyes. He didn't understand why everyone would do this.
Such a big reaction to my own words.
Well, this young nobleman made two mistakes, and these two mistakes are the reason why everyone watched him like a giant panda. First, the nobleman actually interrupted when Prince Henry was speaking, what is Henry's identity?
Everyone knows that the words and deeds of this nobleman are undoubtedly a slap in the face. And secondly, I am afraid that the whole of Prussia knows that the fiancée of their King William is an Austrian, and she is also a direct descendant of the Habsburg family. This
The sentence is undoubtedly somewhat ironic.
Even Henry, who has been tested for a long time, did not expect that someone would dare to interrupt when he was talking, and what he said was so retarded. Henry was stunned for a moment, but only for a moment.
"Of course, if you have different opinions, you can elaborate after I finish, but before that, please listen to me! And Leopold has not ascended to the position of emperor of the Holy Roman Empire now, but he wants to
To ascend the throne of the emperor, we will definitely need the support of our Prussia. This will lay the foundation for friendly relations between our country and Austria. We have reason to believe that Leopold will adopt the same friendly attitude as us after he comes to power.
!”
After saying that, Henry glanced at William, and William smiled back.
"That's very good. If this is the case, then I appoint the Foreign Minister Elstner of the Cabinet as the special envoy to express my condolences to Vienna. At the same time, I appoint the Minister of Education Fein as the special envoy to go to Bavaria and tell the Duke of Bavaria that I need his
Stand with me!"
....................................
In Cologne, Maximilian received the news from Vienna that Joseph II had passed away, just a few days after he left Vienna. This news made Maximilian go crazy. If Joseph II had died early,
If Kaunitz hadn't been so ruthless in a few days, he would never have fallen into such a passive position now.
"Wow........."
He swept away everything on Maximilian's desk, and everything fell to the ground at once.
"Damn Kaunitz! Damn Leopold! You are all liars! You stole my things!!!"
Looking at the ferocious-looking Maximilian, several other people in the room shuddered. These people were Maximilian's confidants and also powerful figures in Cologne, including Bishop Francis of Cologne Cathedral.
"Your Majesty the Archbishop, I actually think now is our best opportunity!"
"oh?"
Hearing what Francid said, Maximilian had a look of confusion on his face.
"Your Highness, think about it, His Majesty Joseph II has just passed away. As a close relative of His Majesty the Emperor, you are going back to Vienna for the funeral. Once you return to Vienna, our opportunity will come!"
Francid's words made Maximilian's eyes roll, and he then thought about it.
"Hey, Frankie, you are still the one with the most evil ideas. Don't worry, if I can have that day, you will definitely be my prime minister!"
"Thank you for your attention, Your Highness!"
Maximilian's words made Francid's heart blossom. A flower-like smile bloomed on his face, but this smile looked so disgusting to other people in the room.
.
As Maximilian's confidants, these people in the room were naturally aware of their master's desire for the Austrian throne. Over time, this desire had turned into an almost pathological obsession.
No matter from any aspect, the legitimacy of Leopold's inheritance of the throne is stronger than that of Maximilian. You must know that in addition to being the eldest brother of Joseph II, Leopold is also the crown prince of the empire.
On the one hand, Maximilian's status was not even slightly inferior to Leopold's, but in Maximilian's view, these differences did not seem to exist.
What's more, now that Leopold holds the posthumous photo of Joseph II, Leopold is the best successor to the throne, both legally and reasonably.