Chapter Twelve: Could Such a Blessing Really Exist?

Frankfurt, Headquarters of the German Customs Union (Tentative).

In this era, there was an unwritten rule: during negotiations, there had to be a ball.

Frankfurt, situated at the heart of the German lands and buoyed by thriving trade, boasted the finest service industry in all of Germany.

Historically, the Frankfurt Cathedral was the sacred site where Holy Roman Emperors were crowned.

On a makeshift stage at the center of the venue, a dancer of unparalleled beauty captivated every gaze.

Her exquisite movements paired with a peerless visage enchanted the audience.

Yet, Frederick Anselm, the Prussian delegate, was in no mood to appreciate such entertainment. He ordered his attendants to pay the troupe a sum to cease their performance.

Though the entertainment had ended, the delegates continued their revelry, seemingly having abandoned all thoughts of the meeting.

The Bavarian and Württemberg representatives even began discussing music, and, caught up in the moment, engaged in a spirited four-finger piano duel.

Only when the Prussian delegate halted the festivities did the meeting resume its course.

If the Union could dismiss Austria merely by withholding a response, Frederick would gladly join in the merriment.

But the letter from Austria was less a request and more a final ultimatum.

Austria announced that in a month’s time, it would open its borders to members of the German Customs Union and send its own trade caravans.

If the Union failed to reach consensus and explicitly rejected Austria’s entry, Austrian goods would enter Germany through Saxony and Bavaria.

Expecting Saxony and Bavaria to block Austria was futile. Bavaria sought no trouble, while Saxony relished the prospect of Austria and Prussia vying for supremacy.

The Brunswick representative was the first to speak. “I oppose! Austria’s size is too great. We seek free trade, but Austria’s admission may jeopardize our liberty.”

As Prussia’s vanguard in unifying Germany, Brunswick naturally bore responsibility. With many states lying between Brunswick and Austria—and, most importantly, Prussia standing between them—he could speak so boldly.

“Is Prussia not just as large? Why don’t we just expel Prussia from the Union as well?” joked the Saxony representative.

Saxony had long viewed Prussia as the primary obstacle to Northern Germany’s leadership. Having lost much territory to Prussia, Saxony seized every chance to vex its rival.

“But Prussia is already a member.”

“Then it can leave,” replied the Saxony delegate—Ankert, Saxony’s Minister of the Interior.

Normally, such matters would not fall to Ankert, but by a twist of fate, Saxony’s finance and foreign ministers were ill, even the king’s advisors were unwell.

King Anton, known for his kindness and leniency, would never force sick ministers to work overtime, so this troublesome task naturally fell to Ankert, under the guise of “the capable doing more.”

Though King Anton proclaimed himself master of Northern Germany’s mightiest state, Saxony was no longer what it once was.

After the Napoleonic Wars, Saxony had been forced to cede two-fifths of its lands to Prussia. By now, three-fifths of Saxony’s territory and half its population were under Prussian control.

While Saxony’s industry and commerce thrived, since joining the German Customs Union, it clearly felt its advantages eroding under Prussia’s subtle suppression, growing ever more dependent on its rival.

For the officials of a declining nation under a self-important king, every diplomatic affair was a torture.

Though the king declared a constitutional monarchy in 1831, the power to appoint and promote officials remained firmly in his hands.

The so-called constitutional monarchy was merely for show to the common folk.

Prussia’s Foreign Minister Frederick Anselm was full of resentment. Given the power disparity between Prussia and Austria, and Austria’s chairmanship of the German Confederation, Prussia could not take a hard stance.

Thus, Anselm was instructed to block Austria’s entry into the Customs Union without provoking them.

This internal negotiation was Prussia’s attempt to silence Austria through a vote.

He needed to garner as much support as possible. Through prolonged trade, Prussia had already secured the backing of most smaller states.

But the major powers in the German Confederation—Austria, Bavaria, Saxony, Württemberg, Hanover, and Hesse—did not side with Prussia.

They either supported or were allied with Austria or harbored their own ambitions.

King William III was only willing to allocate fifty thousand thalers for expenses, embracing a frugal spirit.

Just now, two thousand thalers had been spent to dismiss the dance troupe.

Frederick Anselm decided to reason with the delegates first before considering bribes.

What caught him off guard was how tenacious Ankert of Saxony was.

More alarmingly, Ankert’s words stirred a resonance within the Union.

Prussia itself was to blame. It indeed enjoyed an early industrial advantage over other members, and the coal and steel of the Rhineland region granted it resource superiority.

Many rules within the Union were crafted with Prussian participation, naturally favoring Prussia to some extent.

Trade inevitably bred friction; merchants grew envious, and nations even more so.

Thus, the delegates began recalling hardships and sweet gains; some even accused Prussia of monopolizing the German Customs Union, exploiting the others mercilessly.

Meanwhile, several major powers praised Brunswick’s representative as a visionary, a true man of freedom and fairness.

Their intentions were clear—they sought to expel Austria and Prussia without incurring their wrath.

Passing the blame eastward, a small city-state like Brunswick could neither withstand the fury of either power.

The Brunswick delegate immediately grew flustered, casting a glance at Frederick Anselm.

Anselm nodded and cleared his throat.

“Honorable delegates, rest assured. On behalf of the Kingdom of Prussia, I guarantee that Prussia harbors no ambition to dominate Germany, nor will it ever. We welcome any German brethren to join, but we do not welcome the Hungarians from the Habsburg domains.”

“The Habsburg lands are too vast and fragmented; even Austria and Hungary impose tariffs on each other. We cannot accept Austria’s unilateral trade protections,” another delegate added.

Members of the German Customs Union generally disliked Hungary’s inclusion. Most German states were still agricultural, and Hungarian grain flooding their markets would threaten their incomes.

Frederick Anselm’s words immediately struck a chord. Yet Metternich was no fool; he had long bribed the Thuringian representative to speak for Austria when needed.

“Then let Austria and Hungary draw a clear line and maintain their tariffs. If Austria agrees, we can still share the market. Austria’s market and resources can breathe new life into the Union.”

“But what if Austria refuses? Or secretly violates the agreement? Who can punish Austria?”

The factions supporting Austria and Prussia now argued fiercely.

Unbeknownst to them, within the Austrian Empire, the Hungarian nobility vehemently opposed joining the German Customs Union, gathering in Vienna to petition His Majesty the Emperor to allow Hungary to remain independent of the Union.

Upon hearing this, Franz could hardly believe such good fortune existed.