Chapter 438 Countdown
"Well, why do I feel that your outfit doesn't look much different from usual? There's nothing special about it!" Archduke Ferdinand commented while looking at Ernst.
Because Constantine was in East Africa, the marriage was mainly handled by Archduke Ferdinand.
"There is no difference from usual, which is also one of the biggest highlights. Doesn't this just prove that my usual fashion sense is still up to standard?" Ernst said while standing in front of the mirror.
Ernst wears a suit every day and rarely wears other clothes, so he doesn't look much different from usual in a dress.
It’s not that Ernst likes suits, but the clothes of this era are really not as comfortable as those in his previous life. Suits are the most fitted. Of course, the wearing experience of military uniforms is also good, but Ernst does not lead troops, so there is no need to wear them like that. He only wore them for a while when he was commanding operations in South Africa.
Ernst looked pretty good in his groom's suit, which was enough, after all, appearance was not the factor to be considered in marriage. In terms of politics, economy, status and strength, Ernst was the best choice for the Habsburg family.
If it was Franz's daughter who was getting married, the Habsburg family would definitely choose her carefully, but naturally they didn't pay much attention to the daughter of Archduke Ferdinand.
Therefore, the impact of this marriage on the international community was actually quite normal, but it was well publicized in Austria, because in 1873, a series of bad things happened and bad news kept coming, and the Habsburg family and the Austrian government were very busy.
At present, Princess Karina's wedding is a rare happy event, and it is also a good way to end the tragic year of 1873.
Ernst was willing to spend money to organize this wedding. This was the first time Ernst had gotten married in two lifetimes, so it was a rare opportunity for him to be extravagant.
In order to prepare for the wedding, Vienna, which had just ended the World Expo, continued to maintain the number of police officers to ensure the security of the capital, and the streets remained clean and tidy.
The colorful lights of the Hechingen Electric Company are arranged on the streets of Vienna, ready to entertain the citizens of Vienna at night.
The armed forces of East Africa have also completed training in a military camp near Vienna. This was one of the biggest highlights of the wedding and fully demonstrated the national strength of the East African kingdom.
In Europe, although there are not as many countries as in the past (mainly the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Yugoslavia, and the disintegration of the Soviet Union), the actual number of countries is greater.
For example, there are many states in Germany. Although they have lost their sovereignty, the names of the countries are still retained. The same is true in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Three kingdoms, seven duchies, one principality, one region and one province, but Franz held many positions, so the Habsburg family was the bond that held the empire together.
Of course, the status these states have today in the Austro-Hungarian Empire is inseparable from the efforts of their ancestors, who once served the Habsburg family. For example, Hungary only opposed Austria but not the Habsburg family.
Of course, there is a difference between the Habsburg family today and the Habsburg family of the past. The more accurate name for the Habsburg family now should be the Habsburg-Lorraine family.
On October 20, 1740, the original Habsburg family died out, when the eldest princess of the Habsburg family, Maria Theresa, inherited the thrones of Archduke of Austria, Bohemia and Hungary. Her husband, Duke Franz of Lorraine, lost the election for Holy Roman Emperor, which means that the paternal line of the Habsburg family is now the Lorraine family.
The contribution of the Lorraine family to the Habsburg family may be that they improved the genes of the Habsburg family, so the members of the Austro-Hungarian royal family all looked pretty good.
There were more than ten German royal family members and princes who had clearly decided to attend Ernst's wedding. In addition, there were people from foreign countries, such as Sweden, Romania, Russia, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, etc. There were even more people from Austria, the venue of the wedding. However, except for Franz, no monarchs of major countries came in person, but many crown princes from various countries came, such as Prussia's Crown Prince Frederick and Tsarist Russian Crown Prince Alexander III.
The aristocratic wedding is an important social platform, but also a less important political exchange platform. The crown princes of the three countries who have secretly formed an alliance gather together to exchange their feelings. Rudolf is the youngest one.
To be honest, among the three crown princes, only Frederick's ability is definitely beyond doubt. As an important participant in imperial politics, he has assisted William I for many years and has deep roots among Prussian officials and the military.
Alexander III was much worse off. Originally, he was not eligible for the position of crown prince, but his eldest brother Nicholas accidentally fell off his horse in 1865 and died of a serious illness, so Alexander III became the first in line to the throne.
As for the youngest Rudolf, he was much more miserable. Only Ernst knew that Rudolf's position as crown prince was still a long way off.
Although he was young, Rudolf was not at all inferior to the other two crown princes of the empire. They had a heated discussion on the issues concerning the world situation.
"In today's world, the most powerful countries are Britain and France. The international order they established is still effective. Although our three countries are not weak, our geographical location is in a very embarrassing state." Alexander III talked freely.
"In the final analysis, it is a geopolitical issue. The European continent is too narrow, and we happen to be located in the heart of Europe. The room for maneuver here is far less than that of the entire world, but the ocean is already controlled by Britain and France. From this perspective, Americans have more advantages than us. It's just that Americans are now suppressed by Britain and dare not act rashly. But once someone unties the United States, the United States will become the enemy of the whole of Europe!" Rudolf started to put a label on the United States, and it was unknown who influenced him.
At this time, the experienced Frederick spoke up: "Haha, today is Ernst's wedding day, so let's not discuss these topics. Changes in the international order have both their own laws and their own accidents. These issues are still far away from us."
"Besides, it is best that the relationship between our three countries is not affected by foreign public opinion. Only by pointing our guns outward can we have a chance. Therefore, unity is very important. It is impossible for any of us to dominate Europe, because this is what Britain, France and other countries do not want to see any of our three countries lose balance of power."
Although he said so, in fact Frederick was the only one among the three who was deeply involved in international affairs. He was well aware that the current size of Germany, Austria and Russia was already the limit of what Britain and France could tolerate. If anyone wanted to go further, they would have to rely on fists to solve the problem.
Frederick concluded: "In the face of a bad external environment, competition among us is of no use, so we must put aside our disputes and work together for warmth."
Frederick also hoped that there would be less disputes between Austria-Hungary and Tsarist Russia. Although the Balkans were important, they should be more cautious about the situation where the two sides were fighting and the fishermen were profiting. Although Alexander III and Rudolf were only crown princes of the two countries now, when they became emperors in the future, Frederick hoped that they would remember what he said today.
(End of this chapter)
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