From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

The two people who stood at the pinnacle of the kingdom's power looked at each other, facing each other in the Palace of Versailles like a dragon and a tiger.

The invisible auras of the two collided violently, and the waves of coercion they aroused surged and spread in all directions like huge waves carried by strong winds, making the ministers present feel frightened and shudder.

The king and the duke just stared at each other quietly. Although their expressions had returned to calm at this moment, everyone present could see that there was murderous intention hidden under their calm and calm expressions.

In this small side hall, every second seemed to be stretched to a century because of the confrontation between Louis XV and the Duke of Choiseul.

Finally, after an unknown amount of time passed, Duke Choiseul took the lead to break the deadlock.

He took a deep breath, looked away from His Majesty the King's eyes, then slowly lowered his proud head and said in a low posture:

"I was too excited. Your Majesty, please accept my most sincere apology."

Everyone, including Louis XV, also knew that Duke Choiseul was just superficial obedience and concession.

The Duke may simply have felt it inappropriate to confront His Majesty the King on his first day back in Versailles, even though he had faced off like this several times with Louis XV before, and almost every time the Duke of Choiseul had the upper hand. .

Lawrence looked at the two people without saying a word. This was also the first time he witnessed the confrontation between Duke Choiseul and Louis XV. It seems that the historical record that "Duke Choiseul can threaten and intimidate the king" is not What nonsense.

"I accept your apology, but you have to remember." Louis XV's voice was low and as cold as ice. I don't know if it was because of physical reasons or because he wanted to give Duke Choiseul a warning:

"I will not let a single drop of blood be shed by any French soldier in Italy during the Naples Civil War."

Having said that, Louis XV did not forget to glance at the ministers in the room with the corner of his eye. Obviously, His Majesty the King's words were also meant for all the ministers.

Louis XV has already told his courtiers in the most straightforward language, especially those warring factions who support Choiseul: France will never and must not get involved in the quagmire of war again.

The Duke of Choiseul did not have any special reaction to this warning. His Majesty the King's attitude of avoiding war and being neutral had long been expected by him.

But the Duke still probed knowingly:

"Since our last defeat, our army has been expanding and preparing for war for nearly ten years. Your Majesty, why would you give up this opportunity to avenge your previous disgrace?"

"What do you mean?" Louis XV snorted coldly, pointing his hand directly at the seat where the Naples ambassador was sitting, and his tone was extremely unkind:

"This group of ungrateful Italians captured the knights I protected, and now they want me to bear the trauma of the last war, the financial deficit at home, and the risk of bringing France into the abyss of war to suppress the rebels for them. ?!”

Duke Choiseul nodded calmly and did not offer any further advice.

However, the Duke of Choiseul knew it in his heart, as did Lawrence and Count Vergenin, including a group of ministers who also knew it:

The Malta incident, the fiscal deficit, and the trauma of the last war are actually just excuses given by His Majesty the King.

The real reason that made His Majesty the King oppose the war with the firmest determination was not financial and diplomatic constraints, but a crucial political reason:

A new continental war would elevate the status of the Duke of Choiseul to unprecedented heights.

Everyone knows that in the French military system, Duke Choiseul's subordinates and cronies are the most powerful factions in the entire army, and the Duke himself also has a high status in the hearts of soldiers and officers.

Those key officers who came out of the Paris Military Academy alone occupied a very important place in the army.

Therefore, once a war breaks out in France, unless Louis XV is willing to take the risk of demoralizing the army, greatly reducing combat power, and disorganizing the organization and withdrawing Choiseul, the person who coordinates the entire war and military affairs will inevitably be the Duke. Anyone else has the ability and prestige to take Choiseul's place.

And if the already powerful Duke of Choiseul still held the power of the war in his own hands, Louis XV would never even think of eradicating him.

After all, the power of any wartime leader almost always strengthens as the war progresses.

For example, William Pitt Jr., the British Prime Minister during the Napoleonic Wars and the son of William Pitt, uncharacteristically served as Prime Minister for ten years in the turbulent British political arena at the time because he led the anti-French war.

Had he not died of a sudden illness at an early age, he would have held power for much longer.

Including President Roosevelt during World War II, he was elected for four consecutive terms because of the war, which was unprecedented and unprecedented.

This is the same for the Duke of Choiseul. He is eager to bring the war to France, and even to the whole of Europe, so as to use the burning flames of war to forge his eternal scepter.

As long as France, the giant of Western Europe, goes to war, the Duke of Choiseul, standing on the shoulders of the giant, will be unshakable.

As for His Majesty the King, as long as France is dragged into the war, no matter whether it wins or loses in the end, Louis XV will not accept it at all:

If France were defeated, Louis XV could indeed take the opportunity to get rid of Choiseul, but if France, which had already been severely weakened in the Seven Years' War, accepted another humiliating defeat, the consequences would probably be worse than Choiseul's. Autocratic power is even more difficult to accept.

What's more, Louis XV didn't want to accept the shame of a defeat in his last days. The disastrous defeat in the Seven Years' War had already caused the reputation of the king and even the entire royal family to plummet. If the Mediterranean War failed again this time, Louis XV also knew it. He will definitely be nailed to the pillar of shame in history.

And even if France won the war, it would never be good news for the king.

The powerful Duke of Choiseul will be honored and will become a hero among the people and soldiers. By then, His Majesty the King will probably have to pay a heavy price even to shake Choiseul's status.

In other words, Louis XV had only one choice - to use all means to prevent France from getting involved in the war in the Mediterranean.

Correspondingly, the Duke of Choiseul also has only one goal - to drag France into the war at any cost, and strive to provoke a continental war, so as to consolidate power and regain the power lost in the Seven Years' War. everything.

This sudden civil war has become the last fuse between the king and the duke, and South Italy will inevitably become the final stage for the power struggle between the two powers.

The side that is the first to leave the stage of competition will also leave the stage of history forever.

As for Laurence Bonaparte, who stood silently in the audience, he was no longer satisfied to continue to be a witness with a cold eye.

On May 28, 1771, four days had passed since the French court learned of the civil war in the Kingdom of Naples.

Paris, where people were singing and dancing, did not react much to this news. The citizens only thought it was a small, ordinary and unremarkable war. After all, the most indispensable thing in this era is war.

Compared to the civil war in a distant foreign country, the head-on conflict between the Duke of Choiseul and His Majesty the King a few days ago attracted more people's attention.

It is said that His Majesty the King rejected the Naples ambassador's request for assistance directly in person, and then broke up with the Duke of Choiseul on bad terms, and did not even attend the dinner held in the Hall of Mirrors that evening.

In the following days, Louis XV refused all ambassadors on the grounds of physical discomfort, especially the ambassadors of Naples and Spain. Both ambassadors strongly urged France to abide by the covenant and join the suppression as quickly as possible. war.

As the regent, the Duke of Orleans was in frequent contact with envoys from various countries, but he never made a clear commitment to any ambassador. His conversations with each ambassador seemed vague, making people unpredictable. diplomatic stance.

I don't know whether the Duke of Orleans did not dare to act rashly without the King's permission, or whether His Majesty the King deliberately asked him to delay this way.

On the other side, Duke Choiseul's actions seemed much more proactive.

Although His Majesty the King made it clear that he would not intervene in the war, the Duke still relied on the authority of the Minister of War and the forces in the army to make deployments. Many of the mobilization orders had been issued even before the Duke rushed back to Versailles.

Troops from several military districts in the south have begun to mobilize and prepare for war, ready to assemble towards the Alpine border at any time.

The quartermasters have also received instructions to purchase logistical supplies almost regardless of the cost. Several arsenals in Lyon are also operating at full capacity, transporting boxes of arms to major military regions day and night.

The Mediterranean Fleet stationed in Toulon also all left the port in the name of patrol exercises, cruising in the Western Mediterranean area in a combat readiness posture, and even took the initiative to have several frictions with British ships in the past few days.

Louis XV saw the Duke of Choiseul's actions, but the king did not respond rashly, and seemed to think that another conflict between the two should be avoided in the short term.

Moreover, Duke Choiseul's actions also pleased the chattering ambassadors of Naples and Spain. In order to appease the Spanish and maintain the alliance with them, Louis XV temporarily tolerated Choiseul's wanton behavior.

Of course, all the subjects inside and outside the palace knew that His Majesty the King's patience was not simply concession.

When His Majesty really can't bear it anymore, a bloody storm may be inevitable.

On the morning of the 28th, in Paris, at the official residence of the Foreign Minister near the Quai d'Orsay.

In the past few days, it is not an exaggeration to say that Count Vergenin has been the busiest minister in France.

As the newly appointed Foreign Minister, he is undoubtedly the core figure in handling the Naples Civil War. Thousands of eyes inside and outside the palace and the kingdom are staring at him, analyzing his every word, deed, and move. .

Especially when he understood that this civil war was also related to the final political game between His Majesty the King and the Duke of Choiseul, Count Vergenin did not dare to be careless at all. He had not returned home for several nights in a row, and went to work every day. He had to talk to his subordinates and ambassadors from various countries until late at night.

Even when Lawrence arrived at the Foreign Secretary's residence to meet with him, the Foreign Secretary was still dozing on the table with a tired look on his face.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Sir, I've been really tired recently."

Count Vergenin, who woke up with a start, quickly wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth and apologized for his gaffe.

Lawrence also knew the other party's hard work, so he sat opposite Count Vergenin without any concern and got straight to the point:

"More than half a month has passed since the civil war broke out. All countries should have expressed their views on the Naples Civil War, right?"

Count Vergenin also quickly entered the state, and nodded solemnly.

Through frequent meetings and exchanges with ambassadors from various countries in the past few days and intelligence sent back from foreign countries, Count Vergenin also completed an analysis report on the diplomatic situation of the Naples Civil War last night.

Of course, the Foreign Secretary has not forgotten who helped him reach such a high position, nor has he forgotten who the real master of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now. Therefore, before presenting this top-secret report to His Majesty the King, Count Vergenin took the lead. Met with Lawrence and gave the report to the other party for first review.

He handed Lawrence a few pages of summary and explained in detail:

"Among the major countries at present, Spain is undoubtedly the most responsive. They have begun to mobilize their troops and fleets, and are ready to go to Italy to suppress the rebellion at any time; their ambassador is almost living here, and they are asking France to intervene as soon as possible every day. war."

"I'm afraid His Majesty the King is also having a headache because of this." Lawrence looked at the summary and nodded slightly:

"Your Majesty neither wants to abide by the covenant and join the war, nor does he want to lose Spain as a natural ally. If the Franco-Spanish alliance is really severed, it will inevitably become the biggest diplomatic failure in the past thirty years."

Count Vergenin also agreed:

"Indeed, if we really fall into that situation, our enemies will probably laugh from ear to ear. What the British want to see most is an isolated France in Western Europe."

"Austria's actions are indeed like this." Lawrence looked at the report on Austria in the summary. Although he was not surprised, he still frowned slightly and said:

"They actually recognized the independence of the Principality of Sicily so quickly, and also tried to provide military assistance to Sicily in the name of the Principality of Milan and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany."

After Austria won the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714, they also gained heavily in northern Italy.

The Duchy of Milan and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, two states formerly controlled by Spain, were also ceded to Austria and remain under Austrian control to this day.

Thanks to its control of these two principalities, Austria also has huge influence in northern Italy.

This time, the Austrians must have taken advantage of the Naples Civil War to bring Southern Italy into their sphere of influence and return all of Italy to the territory of the Holy Roman Empire.

Of course, Maria Theresa does not seem to want to show too much ambition. At the current stage, she is only providing a small amount of assistance in the name of the Principality of Milan and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. Austria has only granted independent recognition to the Principality of Sicily in name. , the Duke of Sicily was not even officially recognized as a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire.

But if the war situation further expands, it is really unknown whether Austria will personally join the war.

For the Austrian Habsburgs, regaining the Kingdom of Naples at the minimum cost is undoubtedly what they want to see most.

After reading the part about the attitude towards Austria, Lawrence could not help but think of the unfathomable Austrian ambassador:

"Prince Neo. This man also took advantage of me."

In fact, when he learned about the civil war in Naples a few days ago, Lawrence had already instantly understood why Prince Neo was so willing to join the conspiracy against Duke Choiseul.

For Austria, they naturally do not want to see France interfere in the war. In that case, the alliance between France and Austria can be successfully preserved, and Austria will have one less powerful enemy in the war for Italian hegemony.

In order to achieve this goal, the most direct way is undoubtedly to get rid of the core of the main war faction-Duke Choiseul.

That's why Prince Neo was so neat and tidy. He agreed to cooperate with Lawrence just through Crown Princess Mary's introduction. The two had never even met before the royal meeting that day.

The reason for cooperation previously claimed by Prince Neo - in order to allow Crown Princess Mary to better control the French court, although not a lie, now seems to be just an insignificant secondary reason.

"It seems that we should pay more attention to that Prince."

However, Lawrence just chuckled and shook his head, not having any emotions about Prince Neo's concealment.

After all, in that royal meeting, Lawrence, Prince Neo, and Louis XV were taking advantage of each other.

Prince Nio used Lawrence and Louis XV to attack the war-minded Foreign Minister Cesare Gabriel, thereby reducing the possibility of French intervention in the Italian war.

Louis XV also used Lawrence and Prince Neo to deal with the Choiseul faction, eradicating the Duke of Choiseul's power from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in one fell swoop.

Lawrence used the two of them to support Count Vergenin to the high position of Foreign Minister and transferred the actual control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to his own hands.

The three of them are just getting what they need, and everyone is happy. No one owes anyone anything.

"In addition to Austria, Britain is also definitely on the side of the rebels." Count Vergenin then added:

"However, they don't seem to want to be directly involved in the war. They have been providing indirect assistance. Baron Bertula even contacted me and wanted to sign a non-aggression agreement between Britain and France."

Lawrence glanced at the summary:

"It's not surprising that there is a non-aggression agreement. His Majesty the King will definitely want to see the agreement reached, but the Duke of Choiseul is the other way around."

Although the British are fanning the flames everywhere in order to expand their power in the Mediterranean, at the moment, Great Britain may be more afraid of a total war than France.

The anti-British sentiment in overseas colonies, especially the Thirteen Colonies, has overwhelmed the British. In addition, they still have to digest the fruits of the Seven Years' War - millions of square kilometers of French colonies in North America. The British definitely don't want to A big war is going on at a time like this.

This is why the British frequently engage in proxy wars in the Mediterranean. Of course, they do not want to spend too many resources far away from home, let alone get stuck in a quagmire.

At the same time, this was also a major reason for Baron Bertula to fight against Choiseul. The British did not want the French army to be in the hands of a warmonger bent on war. They wanted pro-British factions like Duke Richelieu to come to power.

After all, Duke Richelieu's biggest political idea is to get France to give up its competition with Britain in overseas colonial trade, and instead focus on the European continent, unite with Britain to resist Germany, and take advantage of the battle between Prussia and Austria for German hegemony. At that time, he marched eastward and expanded France's borders to the Rhine and even east.

"In short," Count Vergenin concluded:

"Among the four countries that have a decisive influence on the Italian issue, Britain, France, and Theodore, except for Spain, which is the sovereign state of Naples and has mobilized for war, the other three countries currently do not seem to have any intention to directly participate in the war."

In such a complicated diplomatic situation in the European continent, the participation of any major country in the war will undoubtedly affect the whole country. Therefore, the current attitudes of the major powers are also very cautious. After all, no one is ready to face another continental war. war.

"What's the reaction from neighboring countries?" Lawrence then asked.

Being able to control the scale of the war is also a good thing for Lawrence. In this case, countries with weaker military forces can also have a place in the war, and Corsica's national defense security can be more guaranteed.

"Except for some small states in northern Italy that are controlled by Austria, the most important thing to pay attention to is the Kingdom of Sardinia."

Count Vergenin looked at Lawrence very seriously. He also knew that the developments in the Kingdom of Sardinia would greatly affect the neighboring island of Corsica.

What's more, the Kingdom of Sardinia had already revealed its coveting of Corsica before. It launched an attempted invasion from Sardinia, but was repelled by Lawrence leading his troops in Bonifavia:

"The Kingdom of Sardinia not only recognized the independence of the Principality of Sicily, but also directly entered into an alliance with it, and officially issued a declaration of war against the Kingdom of Naples. They were also the first disruptor to officially join the war."

"The Kingdom of Sardinia. No wonder they were so close to the British before."

Lawrence narrowed his eyes slightly and remembered the intelligence about the Kingdom of Sardinia accepting British garrison and conducting joint exercises with Britain some time ago.

It seems that in the Naples Civil War, in addition to supporting the Duke of Sicily, the British also chose the Kingdom of Sardinia as their indirect agent.

The Kingdom of Sardinia occupies most of the fertile Po River Plain. Although its national strength is not that of the surrounding major powers, with the assistance of the United Kingdom, it will undoubtedly be able to put great pressure on the Kingdom of Naples from the north.

Of course, what Count Vergenin was most worried about was not the Kingdom of Naples:

"Your Excellency Bonaparte, it seems that Corsica is currently under great threat. The Kingdom of Sardinia has British assistance, and I am afraid that it will not only focus on the Kingdom of Naples."

Although Corsica is protected by France, the island of Malta, which is also protected, has been attacked. In this turbulent situation, it is undoubtedly foolish to rely entirely on the protection of others for the safety of the entire country.

Lawrence also knew this truth, but did not show any worry. He just nodded slightly to show his agreement:

"The Kingdom of Sardinia intends to invade Corsica for a long time, but they are coveting Corsica, and my eyes are also fixed on Sardinia."

Lawrence was now fully confident that he would win the second confrontation with the Kingdom of Sardinia and incorporate the mineral-rich Sardinia into the territory of Corsica.

However, even if Lawrence knew that it was best for him to return to Corsica as quickly as possible to take charge of the overall situation, with the coronation of Louis XV imminent, if he wanted to return to his homeland early, I am afraid he still needed some suitable opportunities.

"What an opportunity"

Lawrence looked out the window at the seemingly peaceful and prosperous city of Paris, and thought calmly:

"If nothing else happens, I don't need to take the initiative to create any opportunities this time. This turbulent situation will naturally produce opportunities that can be exploited by Richelieu. No matter what the final resort is for him and Baron Bertula, it is almost the same. It’s time to take action.”