Make France Great Again

The continuous drizzle in the Fuldar area within the Hesse-Kassel Duchy had persisted for several days, causing the originally flat dirt roads to become pitted under the erosion of muddy water. A slight misstep could lead to man and horse overturning, and the air exuded an unusually damp and musty odor, making the people living in this city highly uncomfortable.

If it were just simply raining, the people of the Fulda region could endure it. After all, they and their ancestors have lived here for generations and are accustomed to Fulda's unpredictable weather. However, there is something worse happening in this area than the rain: war.

What makes it even more unbearable is that the leader of the war is not the Hesse-Kassel Duchy but the Kingdom of Prussia, supporting the Hesse-Kassel Duchy Parliament, and Austria, supporting the Hesse-Kassel Duchy's (former) Elector.

Two German brothers, not cut from the same cloth as the Hesse-Kassel Duchy, have now, without any regard for the Duchy's respect, settled on its land for over a year without any burden of guilt.

This is simply a slap in the face to the Hesse-Kassel Duchy. However, the Duchy's parliament and the Duke have never once condemned this blatant "invasion" of foreign territories; instead, they insult each other in hopes of pleasing the backers behind them to gain full support from their older brothers.

As for the life and death of the subjects/people (the Elector calls them subjects, the parliament calls them people), how could it be compared to their crown/great ideals?

Of course, things can always get worse. The conflict between the Kingdom of Prussia and Austria has only intensifies as time passes, especially after October, with military actions in the Fulda region reaching the point of armed conflict.

Every two or three days, the sound of cannon fire could be heard in the forests outside of Fulda, some from the Kingdom of Prussia's camps, others from Austrian Empire's quarters. What's more, the cannon firing often occurs at midnight, causing the residents near the Fulda region to have no restful sleep for weeks.

Long-term sleep deprivation deeply torments the people of the Fulda region. At the strong request of Fulda's residents, city councilors and the mayor seized an appropriate opportunity to visit both the Prussian and Austrian camps to meet with William I, the highest military commander of the Kingdom of Prussia, and Grand Duke Albert, the highest commander of Austria, (historically the highest military commanders of the Kingdom of Prussia and Austria in the Fulda region were not these two, and the headquarters of William I and Grand Duke Albert were not in Fulda).

William I, unacquainted with "suffering" at the hands of the Prussian King, resembled a model Junker noble who had undergone rigorous militarization training. He leisurely inspected Fulda, meeting with the mayor and councilors with an arrogant demeanor, accompanied by the Cuirassiers and Prussian Line Infantry.

The flying dust, orderly formations, gleaming bayonets, and the incessant gunfire from afar undoubtedly struck fear into the hearts of the councilors. The mayor, "forced" by the residents of Fulda, had no choice but to face the so-called "Shotgun Prince," William I, with head held high.

"Respected Prince!" Fulda's mayor, dressed in traditional bourgeois-style attire, bowed ceremoniously to William I on horseback with great decorum.

William I did not immediately respond to the mayor. He overlooked the mayor from the vantage point of his high horse, and then in a commanding tone, asked, "What is your purpose in intruding into the military camp without permission?"

William I's booming voice, paired with his quintessential Prussian military expression, caused the mayor and councilors to shiver involuntarily. With a stiff smile, the mayor stammered, "Your Highness, we represent the people of the Fulda city area and hope you can restrain your troops a bit...."

"Impossible!" Before the mayor could even present his request, William I ruthlessly denied their plea and ordered the soldiers to expel them from the camp.

In the eyes of the ever-dismissive "Shotgun Prince" William I, they were merely pawns for his brother to oppose Germany. A piece on the chessboard dreaming of commanding the Prussian army? Truly laughable!

The mayor of Fulda left the Prussian camp in humiliation, while William I beamed with satisfaction, his face glowing with warmth as if he had accomplished a great feat.

Just then, a military horse with a soldier on it approached Prince William. Despite appearing around fifty years old, the soldier's face was round and full of vigor. His thick coffee-colored hair and spirited mustache lent him a slightly handsome presence. Glancing at the departing mayor, he cautiously reminded, "Your Highness, I believe you should not truly treat them like this, as they are still on our side after all!"

Prince William, indifferent, spurred his horse to the soldier's side, laughed heartily, and patted the soldier on the shoulder, saying, "Roon, when did you become so hesitant?"

Indeed, the soldier reminding William I was none other than Albrecht von Roon, who would later lay the groundwork for the founding of the German Empire, and who was also known as the "Blacksmith" who forged the sword of German militarism.

Recently recommended as a Major General by William I, Roon accompanied him as his adjutant to the Hesse-Kassel Duchy to confront Austria. Roon also served as a bridge for operations between Fulda's Prussian command stationed in the Kassel Region and Berlin. Orders from Berlin had to pass through Roon's hands before reaching William I.

"Your Highness, this is not indecisiveness!" Roon hurriedly defended to William I, "Perhaps the situation ahead is far more severe than we imagined!"

Roon's words wiped the smile off William I's face, replaced by a serious expression as he inquired of Roon, "Has something happened in Berlin again?"

William I never doubted the combat capability of his Prussian troops; he arrogantly believed a single Prussian soldier could potentially defeat two Austrian soldiers.

In 1848–1849, the military power of the Austrian Empire had been thoroughly exposed.

Not only him, but many in the Prussian military also believed that Prussia's victory over Austria was a matter of course.

However, military victory did not equate to victory in diplomacy. William I also understood that the Austrian Empire was most adept at using diplomatic means to achieve its goals.

His brother, on the other hand, was a person of weak will.

[When William I, serving as the King of Prussia, was cornered to the point of isolation by the Prussian parliament in the three-tier parliament, he would recall the challenges his brother faced. This also laid the groundwork for William I to fully delegate power to Bismarck, allowing Bismarck to fight against the three-tier parliament. The Bismarck family and the Hohenzollern family were known to be arch-enemies, not to mention that Bismarck also offended William I's wife. If there were any way out, William I would not have chosen Bismarck.]

Once his brother compromised, even if the Prussian army had incredible abilities, they could only follow the King's orders to compromise.

Just as Prince William predicted, Ron reported to Prince William with a solemn expression: "According to reports from Berlin, the Prussian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radovitz, is likely to be impeached and replaced by Count Brandenburg!"

Upon hearing of Radovitz's dismissal, Prince William's face changed dramatically, and he instinctively clenched his reins.

Although he disliked the liberal Radovitz, he had to admit that Radovitz was a hardliner against the Austrian Empire within the entire Prussian court.

Such a hawk, even as a liberal leader, would earn the goodwill of the Junker nobility, for the Junkers, nothing was more appealing than warfare.

Now that Radovitz had been dismissed by his brother, does this mean that his timid and cowardly uncle's accession signifies his brother's abandonment of plans against the Austrian Empire and turning towards reconciliation?

"What does Count Franke say?" Prince William inquired of Ron again.

Count Friedrich von Franke was precisely Prince William's ally in politics and military affairs, and also the current commander of the garrison command of Berlin and Brandenburg. It could be said that if Count Franke were willing, Prussia could have a new King within a day.

However, the Kingdom of Prussia was not like the neighboring Russian Empire, which hoped for a Tsar to have a stroke every few days.

Unless Frederick William IV unexpectedly had a stroke of madness and expressed bizarre thoughts about the Junkers, Count Franke would support Prince William in becoming the Regent King.

With a worried expression, Ron said to Prince William: "Count Franke also says the situation is not optimistic; he believes..."

Ron cast a glance at Prince William, unwilling to speak in front of everyone.

Longtime understanding allowed Prince William to instantly grasp Ron's implication. After dismissing the surrounding people, he asked again, "What did the Count say?"

Hesitantly, Ron replied: "Count Franke believes that His Majesty has already lost the fighting spirit that a monarch should possess, and that the poison of liberalism will destroy Prussia! The concessions to Austria will bring Prussia back to an embarrassing position!"

"That is indeed typical of the Count's style!" William I commented with considerable calmness.

"If necessary, he hopes that you, Prince William, can assume the position of Regent King!" Ron continued, his tone revealing a hint of excitement, anticipating that William I could become the Regent King.

William I's expression changed dramatically; he clearly understood Count Franke's message, that the actions of the Austrian Empire had designated the path for the Kingdom of Prussia.

In response to Count Franke's implication, Prince William resolutely stated: "Please tell Count Franke that I absolutely will not replace my brother!"