Chapter 2638 Baden’s Choice 2
The Crown Prince's answer can be said to be very general, and can even be described as implicit, but for the old and sophisticated Grand Duke of Baden, he has already read most of the information from it. First of all, the Crown Prince explained very well that he followed Bavaria. , what will the Grand Duchy of Baden gain! The Grand Duchy of Baden will benefit greatly from the huge and vast market of the three southern kingdoms and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. And it can be guaranteed politically, because the crown prince said that he will help weak states, and compared to Bavaria, Baden is naturally weak. Moreover, the Crown Prince adopts an all-inclusive approach and will not cause trouble to the Grand Duke on some issues.
Of course, this so-called bribery is only part of the process! In fact, it is the most worthless part compared to the content that follows! Because sometimes the big stick in your hand is more convincing than the benefits! The old Roosevelt's saying, "Keep a big stick in your hand but speak softly" illustrates this problem!
Ruprecht could not interfere in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Prussia. But this does not mean that the Crown Prince cannot be counterattacked in other aspects, such as the future German central government. In fact, due to the special characteristics of German society, as long as the Kaiser and Bavaria are willing to establish a political party, a large party can be established in a short time. In fact, there is no problem. Because the Kaiser still had the support of some Junker nobles, and the southern Germany where Bavaria was located was even more monolithic. Although the Social Democratic Party suffered heavy losses due to its previous mistakes, years of accumulation still gave them a certain number of supporters among the people. Especially after the compromise between the center and the left of the Social Democratic Party represented by Hasse, their strength has recovered. .
So, now the question arises, what should the Imperial Parliament and the Prime Minister do? It stands to reason that only parties that obtain more than 50% of the seats in the Imperial Parliament can have the right to independently form a government. But it is a pity that it is impossible for the three major political forces to form a government solely on their own strength! Previously, the Crown Prince expressed his willingness to support the Kaiser in controlling the imperial government, but now the situation has changed. Whoever Bavaria supports can control the power of the Imperial Parliament and form a cabinet!
Well, will it happen now that the crown prince and the Social Democratic Party cooperate to form a government and jointly suppress Bavaria? In fact, this possibility is the lowest. The reason is very simple, because the crown prince’s ultimate goal is to restore the Hohenzollern family’s rule over the entire North Germany! And then control the core rights of the entire German Empire. If the Kingdom of Bavaria loses in this PK, then taking a step back, Bavaria is still the kingdom, and the Wittelsbach family is still the royal family. The Hohenzollern family will not kill them all, just like the crown prince showed mercy to Prussia. This is not a question of whether you are willing or not, but the environment forces everyone to stop at the right time.
But if the crown prince's plan succeeds, then a counterattack by the Social Democratic Party is inevitable, which is unacceptable to the top leaders of the entire party. By that time, they may not even be able to die a good death, and throwing them into prison for any reason is the best result! The whole of Germany knows that the Crown Prince is even more extreme than the Kaiser in some things, and he even has no regard for face!
Therefore, from this point of view, if there is room for coordination between Bavaria and the Social Democratic Party, then the Crown Prince and the Social Democratic Party are almost naturally hostile! And when it comes to the rights of the empire's center,
This contradiction will become more irreconcilable.
"So how to solve the problem of the Prime Minister of the coalition? If your country cooperates with the Social Democratic Party, then the Prime Minister can only be from your country or the Social Democratic Party." Prince Baden said carefully.
"No, Bavaria and my party will not produce a prime minister at least in the next government. The new imperial prime minister can have limited abilities, but he must be recognized by the vast majority of people. I still believe that my original promise is still valid ." The Crown Prince said meaningfully.
The Crown Prince only stated his attitude towards the Crown Prince, not the Grand Duke of Baden, and even left enough hints that the Crown Prince's behavior was only directed at the Crown Prince, not the Grand Duke of Baden, or even the Grand Duke of Baden. , if the Grand Duke of Baden is willing to stand on his side, or is inclined to be neutral, then the promise given by the Crown Prince before: Let the Prince of Baden serve as the future Prime Minister of the Empire will still work!
"Can the prince still ascend to the throne of prime minister?" The Grand Duke expressed surprise at the Crown Prince's attitude. After all, if the Crown Prince and the Social Democratic Party won, how could the Crown Prince choose someone who was originally inclined to the Kaiser as Prime Minister? Would the Social Democrats agree? And even if there is no problem with the Crown Prince, what would the Kaiser think? After all, if the Prince of Baden comes to power with the help of the Crown Prince and the Social Democratic Party, an irreparable scar will be left between the Grand Duchy of Baden and the Kaiser!
It is indeed good news for the Grand Duke that the Prince of Baden becomes Prime Minister, but the Prime Minister is only temporary. If the Grand Duke of Baden breaks with the Hohenzollern family, then the only option is Bavaria. If it is not a last resort, , the Grand Duke himself did not want to take this step, because this is not only a blood relationship, but more importantly, the continuity of a country's policies!
"I have explained to you the Royal Government's attitude towards the North German region in the next five years. I know that although you came to Bavaria and said so many things to me, it is probably very difficult for you to make this determination, and we I don’t want to make things get out of hand, so I hope you can use your special status to persuade His Majesty the Emperor and the Crown Prince that such an extreme and obviously targeted political party is very wrong.”
"In addition, I personally think that the credit of myself and the Kingdom of Bavaria is sufficient. We will not treat any ally badly. As long as he is for the German Empire, for our common interests and the well-being of the people, then we always welcome new ones. allies,” the Crown Prince said.
In the end, Ruprecht left the choice in the hands of the Archduke of Baden. The Grand Duke of Baden came to test the Crown Prince's reaction, and the Crown Prince extended an olive branch to the Grand Duke of Baden in a timely manner. Ruprecht needs to keep the power in his hands, but at the same time, the scum in the aristocratic class must also be eliminated. The channels for social advancement must be diversity, not solidification, and the empire needs unity instead of internal fighting.
"Okay, I will consider your suggestion carefully." Before leaving, the Grand Duke of Baden said.
Two updates today~~~! Please subscribe and reward~~~!