"The Kingdom of Britain is really willing to help the Kingdom of Sardinia resist the French Empire!"
Cavour's voice was not loud, but he pointedly pointed out the embarrassing situation that the Kingdom of Sardinia is currently facing.
No matter how Cavour used diplomacy to isolate the Austrian Empire, as long as the French Empire was still willing to support the Austrian Empire, then all the plans made by Cavour would be in vain.
The British Kingdom's guarantee to the Kingdom of Sardinia can indeed restrain major powers under certain circumstances, but this restraint is more of just a verbal warning.
Once the Austrian Empire's army chooses to ignore the British Kingdom's verbal warning and insists on using the army to solve the problem, then the British Kingdom will probably not actually send troops to help the Kingdom of Sardinia resist the Austrian Empire.
The British royal family and government are indeed willing to provide help to the Kingdom of Sardinia, but this help definitely does not include sending out troops to help the Kingdom of Sardinia.
In other words, if the Kingdom of Sardinia really wanted to obtain security, Napoleon III was still the threshold they could not bypass.
"But if we really hand over Sardinia to Napoleon III, how will we face the angry British Kingdom?
Didn't you say that the British Kingdom is willing to help us?
The purpose is to make us a pawn to check and balance the French Empire!" Victor Umberto asked Cavour worriedly.
"Your Highness!" Old God Cavour responded to Victor Umberto on the ground, "The Kingdom of Britain is a very realistic country, and I believe they will never choose to alienate us because we handed over Sardinia to the French Empire!
On the contrary, I think that when we hand over Sardinia to the French Empire, that is when the friendship between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Kingdom of Britain will be truly established!
The French Empire, which owns Sardinia, can truly control the Western Mediterranean. If the British Kingdom does not want to completely lose control of the Mediterranean, it will definitely choose to win over our country!
At that time, we just need to wait quietly for the opportunity of reunification!"
Victor Umberto was stunned for two seconds, and then he suddenly seemed to have thought of something and said to Cavour in confusion, "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, you just said that we still need to wait quietly for the opportunity of reunification!
What does it mean?"
"My dear Your Highness!" Cavour shrugged his shoulders and said with a hint of sadness in his tone, "You don't think that we can really unify the Italian Peninsula completely this time!"
Later, Cavour told Victor Umberto that according to the route he designed for Sardinia, it would be lucky for the Kingdom of Sardinia to successfully annex the Kingdom of Naples!
"Lombardy-Venice is the traditional tax land of the Austrian Empire, and we must obtain it through war!
The four countries of Central Italy and the Papal States are satellite countries of the Austrian Empire and the French Empire respectively. If you want to annex them, you cannot avoid France and Austria.
The Kingdom of Naples is the only country that has no direct relationship with France and Austria!
This country is still ruled by Bourbon kings, and their relationship with France is not as close as France and Spain!
As long as Mazzini can successfully hold back the Austrian army in Lombardy and Venice, Giuseppe Garibaldi can quickly defeat the Naples army!
Sardinia can rely on the referendum to completely annex Naples!"
Victor Umberto could not accept Cavour's answer for a while.
In Victor Umberto's mind, the promised lands of the Kingdom of Sardinia were Lombardy and Venice, and to a lesser extent Central Italy.
Traditional agricultural countries like Southern Italy have no value in annexing them!
"Your Excellency Prime Minister, you have been planning so hard for so long, and you even did not hesitate to cede Sardinia to the French Empire. Is it just to get a piece of bad land?" Victor Umberto asked Cavour in disbelief.
"Your Highness, in your opinion, what is good and what is bad!"
Cavour was not angry because Victor Umberto insisted on his plan, but instead asked Victor Umberto earnestly.
Victor Umberto told Cavour his thoughts.
After hearing Victor Umberto's thoughts, Cavour smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness, you all understand that the richest lands on the Italian Peninsula are Lombardy and Venice, how could the Austrian Empire not understand!
That’s why I say that if the Kingdom of Sardinia wants to take back its land from the Austrian Empire, it must rely on war!
Do you think the current Kingdom of Sardinia can defeat the Austrian Empire?"
Victor Umberto shook his head in denial.
"The Kingdom of Sardinia wants to take Venice and Lombardy from the Austrian Empire! Not only must it have an army that can see through it, but it also needs to attack the Austrian Empire at the right time!
Only in this way can we have a chance to drive Austria out of the Italian Peninsula!" Cavour continued to explain to Victor Umberto, "The existing land of the Kingdom of Sardinia cannot withstand an army of more than 50,000 people, so we must
Expand!
The population under the rule of the Kingdom of Naples can provide the Kingdom of Sardinia with an army of nearly 30,000 people!
As long as Sardinia can annex Naples, then the Kingdom of Sardinia will be able to have an army of 80,000 people!
Our hope of defeating the Austrian Empire is even greater!"
"But the Austrian Empire has nearly 400,000 troops!" Victor Umberto said worriedly.
"That's why I said we have to wait for the opportunity. I bet there will be a war between the Kingdom of Prussia and the Austrian Empire!
We just need to take advantage of the war between Prussia and Austria to send troops to Lombardy and Venice!
If the Austrian Empire does not want to fall into the dilemma of a decisive battle on two fronts, then they will definitely agree to hand over Lombardy and Venice to us!" Cavour then explained to Victor Umberto, "Without the assistance of the Austrian Empire, Central Italy will
Satellite countries will also not last long!"
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! After listening to Cavour's explanation, Victor Umberto was once again shocked by Cavour's diplomatic wisdom.
No wonder Cavour is still respected by all forces after leaving the post of prime minister.
So far, no one in the Kingdom of Sardinia has been able to see further than Cavour.
At this moment, Victor Umberto suddenly had a wonderful feeling. The Cavour in front of him was simply a great man who God had mercy on the people of the Italian Peninsula and sent down specially for them.
"Your Excellency Prime Minister, you are really too strong!" Victor Umberto praised Cavour sincerely, "I believe that under your leadership, the Kingdom of Sardinia will be able to successfully unify Italy!"
"I hope so!" Cavour showed a reserved smile on his face.
Of course, Victor Umberto did not know that his respected "Prime Minister" might face the call of God at any time, and he would not be able to witness the birth of the Kingdom of Italy at all.
However, Cavour, the person involved, was also unaware of his physical condition. Although he sometimes felt dizzy suddenly, he quickly overcame it with his strong will.
When the situation became too overwhelming, Cavour slightly reduced the intensity of his work. After the symptoms of dizziness and headache disappeared, Cavour resumed working day and night.
[ps: Considering that Cavour is obese and has an irregular lifestyle, this can easily lead to high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction and other symptoms.
There was no effective intervention for these symptoms in the 1860s. As long as Cavour still maintained the habit of staying up late and becoming obese, he would face the possibility of death at any time.]
…
In the next period of time, Cavour and Victor Umberto still stayed in the hotel, waiting for the British Cabinet to invite them to meet with them.
According to Cavour's understanding of the British cabinet, it will not be too long before they are received by Prime Minister Palmerston.
During Cavour's stay in London, he was introduced by Mazzini to meet Kossuth (the founder of the Hungarian Republic) who was living in exile in London.
Through his clever diplomatic skills, Cavour convinced Kossuth that a unified Italian Kingdom would help Hungary liberate itself from the rule of the Austrian Empire.
In order to free Hungary from the clutches of the Austrian Empire as soon as possible, Kossuth promised Cavour that he would incite anti-Austrian members in Hungary to destroy the railway at the right time, thereby delaying the Austrian Empire's army and achieving the purpose of supporting Italy.
Although Cavour did not believe that Kossuth, who had left Hungary for ten years, could still command the Hungarian forces, adhering to the principle of uniting all, Cavour still expressed his gratitude to Kossuth for his help.
"I believe that Hungary will be able to become independent from the Austrian Empire!
We Italians are willing to work together with Hungary!
Long live Italy, long live Hungary!" Cavour shook hands with Kossuth and said impassionedly.
Kossuth also excitedly shouted the slogan "Long live Hungary, long live Italy".
The two people who "met so late" parted reluctantly. Cavour returned to the hotel and waited quietly.
Things went as Cavour expected. After nearly a week or so, the royal butler John Brown appeared in front of Cavour and Victor Umberto again and conveyed the royal family's invitation.
The only person invited this time is Cavour, and Victor Umberto will no longer accompany him.
Cavour arrived at Windsor Castle in a carriage with John Brown, and under the introduction of Prince Albert, Cavour met Lord Palmerston, then Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Britain.
