Struggle in Russia

Unknowingly, 1852 passed. This year was not particularly eye-catching in history, but its impact was far-reaching. The most eye-catching thing is that Napoleon III was honored as "Napoleon III" by the Senate in December, France announced the restoration of the monarchy, and Louis Napoleon Bonaparte became the emperor of the Second French Empire.

To be honest, this is not surprising. Since Napoleon III launched a coup to extend the presidency, many people have foreseen that his ambitions will further expand.

It's just that bringing France back to the former "Empire Age" overnight still surprised many people, such as Nicholas I!

As the most hated and hostile king to France in Europe or the world, Nicholas I reacted to Napoleon III's proclaiming emperor with anger, fear and hysteria!

"That devil is back!" He angrily waved his fists in the royal study, "I said long ago that no one in that devil's family is trustworthy, and that family is all ambitious devils who only want to subvert European tradition! Look! Look! Don't believe my predictions, we're going to make the mistake of 1804 again!"

Nicholas I was walking around in the study room, his anxiety was evident, as a diehard loyalist to the monarchy and centralization of the monarchy, what he hated the most was conspirators, whether they were rebels fighting under the banner of revolution, or trying to usurp the throne because of ambition In his opinion, all the villains are intolerable and must be eliminated quickly.

He had written to Queen Victoria before, warning her to pay attention to the movements of France, saying that France would once again become the source of turmoil in Europe, and that it was necessary to take action against the Republic of France and help the Bourbon Dynasty regain its rule, and said that only in this way would Europe to restore stability.

It’s just that these words did not receive a positive response from Queen Victoria, because Britain believed that Russia was more dangerous than politically turbulent France, especially after he continued to pressure Turkey to seek Bulgaria, Britain regarded Russia as a serious threat, and the United Kingdom It is still possible for France to contain Russia, but the reverse is simply impossible.

"I will write to Queen Victoria immediately," Nicholas I announced with great anxiety, "After Louis Napoleon is restored, he will definitely repeat the path of his evil uncle, and foreign aggression and expansion will overthrow the traditional European order. A new anti-French alliance must be formed immediately to deal with this threat, and it is best to send troops to destroy him immediately!"

Speaking of which, Nicholas I suddenly shouted at Nesselrode: "Prime Minister, I ask you to immediately send a note to the British Minister to convey my meaning accurately... not only the United Kingdom, but also Austria, Prussia and all other supporters. Countries with a monarchy system must contact each other, this will be our country's top priority in the near future! No delay!"

Nesselrode was not very interested at first, and did not respond strongly to Nicholas I's request, but when he heard the top priority, he suddenly thought of something, and immediately answered yes, and then cautiously said: :

"His Majesty,

In view of the dire situation in France, we must actively coordinate with the UK to deal with this threat, and it is best to release goodwill, which will make it easier to obtain their approval..."

Nicholas I looked at Nesselrode who was hesitant to speak very strangely. He didn't know what Nesselrode meant, so he urged impatiently: "Speak directly if you have something to say, don't hesitate. !"

Nesselrode quickly explained: "Your Majesty, what I mean is that on the Bulgaria issue, our relationship with the UK is very rigid, and now France is a serious concern. The most urgent task is to put aside some disputes and avoid provoking the UK..."

Nicholas I frowned. He really didn't expect Nesselrode to turn a corner and bring up the matter of Bulgaria again. Because this matter has basically been settled, that is to teach the Turks a lesson and completely liberate Bulgaria. If the time is right, it is not impossible to completely solve the Turkish problem.

But now Nesselrode means to make certain concessions on this issue, expressing goodwill to ease relations with Britain, or in exchange for their agreement to form a new anti-French alliance, which makes him a little unhappy.

"These are two issues!" Nicholas I stared at Nesselrode and said, "It cannot be confused!"

However, Nesselrode knew that this was his last chance to stop the war, and immediately retorted without giving an inch: "Your Majesty, if we continue to maintain a strong position on the Bulgarian issue, the British side will definitely not accept it, and it will be difficult for them. If you accept the judgment that France is the enemy, you will only think that we are the threat. Naturally, you will not be interested in the new anti-French alliance!"

After a short pause, he continued to remind: "And, if we go to war with Turkey, how can we interfere with France? Without force as a guarantee, how can we force France to get back on track?"

Nicholas I was silent. Although he still did not accept that France or Bulgaria could only choose one or the other, what Nesselrode said was not unreasonable. For example, the use of force against Türkiye is indeed incapable of armed intervention in France. This is indeed a big problem.

Thinking about it, he turned to Chernyshov: "How long will it take us to solve the Bulgarian problem?"

Chernyshev was taken aback. He understood the conversation between Nicholas I and Nesselrode just now. It is obvious that Russia's ability is only so strong, and France and Bulgaria can only solve one. If you engage in France, you cannot engage in Bulgaria. As the Minister of War, he must think carefully about how to choose.

Nominally speaking, the scale of France must be larger and the honors may be more likely to be obtained. Everyone still remembers the grand occasion of entering Paris in 1814! Who wouldn't want to relive it like those predecessors did?

But Chernyshov is very clear that there are too many uncertainties in High France. Let alone whether a new anti-French alliance can be established, even if it is established, the big guys decide to send troops to intervene. This is an extremely long process of bargaining.

Even if everything goes well, more than half a year is definitely needed, not to mention the current international popularity of Russia, it is hard to say whether this new anti-French alliance can be established.

After all, although Napoleon III restored the monarchy, he did not make enemies on all sides like his uncle, okay? Under such circumstances, the establishment of a new anti-French alliance may be a matter of the year of the monkey.

So the anti-French alliance is like a moon in the mirror, while Bulgaria has everything ready and only owes the east wind. Is it difficult to decide how to choose?

Certain in his heart, Chernyshev immediately bowed and replied: "Your Majesty, we are sure to solve the Bulgarian issue within half a year..."