Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 472: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

In the French army’s headquarters in Mexico, Lieutenant General Schiedel was staring blankly at the map. Recently, the rebels seemed to be on stimulants, becoming active once again.

The more than 20,000 French troops stationed in Mexico had already suppressed over a dozen uprisings in the past month. However, it was all in vain. As soon as one region’s rebellion was quelled, another would emerge elsewhere.

It was like mowing weeds; you cut one patch down, and another would sprout up. Without uprooting them completely, they always come back. The Mexican rebels’ persistence in resurging made Lieutenant General Schiedel ponder the root causes.

Ultimately, he concluded that the main culprits were Maximilian I’s reforms and foreign intervention.

Deep down, he cursed his predecessor, who had signed the contract with Maximilian I, thoroughly.

Suppressing rebels by contracting it? Well, he admitted that the conditions offered by Maximilian I were indeed generous, but no matter how good the terms were, they couldn’t withstand the relentless emergence of rebels!

The predecessor, who signed the contract and earned considerable benefits for France, had now returned home to enjoy his reward, leaving all the troubles to his successor.

For the sake of France’s reputation, the contract still had to be fulfilled. The Greater French Empire had just been established, and abandoning Mexico at this moment would be too demoralizing and politically unacceptable.

It was easy to abandon Maximilian I, but once that step was taken, it would be difficult to find collaborators in the future.

In the original timeline, Napoleon III’s abandonment of Mexico disheartened many allies, contributing to France’s isolation during the Franco-Prussian War.

Now France’s situation was much better. Despite the strategic retreat, the Greater French Empire appears intimidating, and its deterrent power is much stronger than before.

The Americans are causing trouble but are trying to hide their involvement, never openly supporting the rebels.

Lieutenant General Schiedel felt powerless against the international forces’ interference. Given France’s strategic retreat, it was not the right time to provoke the Americans.

This account could only be kept for now, waiting for an opportunity to settle scores later.

Without much hesitation, Lieutenant General Schiedel decided to confront Maximilian I. Continuing like this, even if France could endure it, he, as the Governor of Mexico, could not.

The right or wrong of the reforms was no longer important. What mattered was that France now needed a stable Mexico.

In Lieutenant General Schiedel’s view, taking advantage of the chaos to continue expanding interests was not as good as securing what they already had. The most valuable industries in Mexico had basically fallen into their hands, and continuing to stir things up would be counterproductive.

In the palace, Maximilian I was still busy handling state affairs, his daily routine. Compared to most emperors, he could be considered a model of diligence.

The white hair on his head and the wrinkles on his forehead were proof. In just a few years of his reign, Maximilian I seemed to have aged twenty years.

Looking at Lieutenant General Schiedel’s ultimatum, Maximilian I was devastated. At that moment, he truly understood what politics was.

It had nothing to do with right or wrong, only interests mattered.

From a long-term development perspective, Maximilian I’s reforms in Mexico were clearly positive.

However, this had no value to those whose interests were harmed by the reforms. Even if they understood this, they would still rebel to protect their interests.

Now, the French were also standing on the opposite side of him, simply because France needed a stable Mexico, and Maximilian I’s reforms were the source of instability in this country.

To put it simply, if he stopped the social reforms and introduced a few laws to protect conservative interests, 80% of the rebels in Mexico would disappear immediately.

Maximilian I glared at Lieutenant General Schiedel and said sternly, “General, mind your place. You are overstepping your authority.”

Maximilian I had no fondness for the French either. To him, they were like a parasite attached to Mexico, sucking out its nutrients.

If it weren’t for the fact that he had no choice and still needed French support, the two sides would have fallen out long ago.

Mutual dislike was their way of getting along. The French didn’t take this emperor seriously either. Apart from the necessary etiquette on the surface, they never gave Maximilian I face in private.

Lieutenant General Schiedel retorted sharply, “Your Majesty, I am aware of that but your actions are truly hard to believe. Stop this nonsense, the Mexican people can no longer tolerate a disruptive emperor.”

With these two casual sentences, he completely negated all of Maximilian I’s reforms, directly defining them as “making a mess.”

This infuriated Maximilian I. He was still a high-ranking aristocrat and had never been treated like this in his life.

Since becoming Emperor of Mexico, things had changed, and his special status had vanished.

Not only did the French disrespect him, but the envoys from various European countries often gave him a hard time too. In this era, weak countries had no dignity.

Although he had become an emperor, the status he now possessed seemed even lower than when he was an archduke in Austria.

At least back then, no one dared to boss him around, and he could act as he pleased without having to endure this kind of treatment.

After years of tempering, Maximilian I had grown. If this had happened a few years ago, he would likely have flown into a rage and drawn his gun for an aristocratic duel, but now he could suppress his anger and continue the conversation.

“This is Mexico’s internal affair and has nothing to do with your country. Also, Lieutenant General Schiedel, don’t forget you are a soldier; politics is not your concern.”

This faint threat was all Maximilian I could muster. Military interference in politics could cause an uproar in France.

There was no helping it, the French public loved such a scandal. Even Napoleon III, who had risen to power through the military, prohibited soldiers from interfering in politics.

Lieutenant General Schiedel said calmly, “This is Mexico. Besides, this is just my personal suggestion and does not constitute interference in French politics.

Your Majesty, it’s up to you whether to listen or not. However, you must bear all the consequences. I am just informing you.

From now on, every time our troops are deployed, your country must pay a mobilization fee in advance. Otherwise, we will refuse to undertake any suppression tasks.”

After saying this, Lieutenant General Schiedel left without looking back. Clearly, the conversation had ended on a sour note.

Lieutenant General Schiedel tried to use the suppression of the rebellion as leverage to force Maximilian I to compromise and stop the social reforms to ease relations with the conservatives.

The sound of objects being thrown could be heard; Maximilian I was deeply agitated. At that moment, the dignity of an emperor was completely gone. Compromise would not come without a price.

Once he made concessions, the emperor would become a figurehead. The already fragile reform faction would dissipate due to the failure of the reforms, leaving the emperor completely isolated.

Maximilian I was now truly caught between a rock and a hard place, where any choice he made would lead to a bad outcome.

Patience and seeking an opportunity to make a comeback were concepts absent from the dictionary of this idealistic young emperor.

…

Vienna. This time, Franz did not reply to Maximilian I. Putting himself in Maximilian I’s position, he also did not know what to do.

Was the current situation all because of the reforms? Probably not entirely. The French colonial plundering also exacerbated the social contradictions in Mexico.

Even though the French government lost money in Mexico, French capitalists profited. These profits were not simple as many were stained with blood.

If, from the beginning, Maximilian I had allied with the conservatives and carried out limited social reforms to ease social tensions, there might have been a chance.

But now it was too late. The reformists had not yet grown strong, while the rebels had. Using the French to suppress the rebels was only a temporary solution.

Limited by finances, Maximilian I did not establish a loyal army of his own. At this critical moment, he couldn’t even flip the table.

Stepping back might not lead to a broader horizon but more likely to a bottomless abyss. After the failure of the reforms, Maximilian I would inevitably be completely sidelined, never to regain power.

Under the rule of conservatives, Mexico would again be plundered by the French, and such an empire obviously wouldn’t last long.

When the empire collapses, the figurehead emperor won’t fare well either. If it weren’t for his high birth, which could provoke the Habsburgs to seek responsibility, someone might already have sent Maximilian I to meet his maker.

Historically, there were quite a few monarchs who died due to reforms. The backlash from vested interest groups has always been bloody.

There is no correct answer to this question; whatever choice is made will lead to the same result. For Franz, the best option is for Maximilian to save himself at the expense of others—directly pass the throne to the crown prince and abdicate back to Europe.

After all, it wasn’t his own son and there wasn’t much emotional attachment. If he ended up being sacrificed, so be it.

For the conservatives, having a young emperor as a puppet was easier to control than an adult emperor. Everyone could get what they wanted.

Franz didn’t need to offer this solution; Maximilian I could think of it himself. At this point, only Maximilian I could make the right decision.