Jérôme Bonaparte's words made Achille Fuld's eyes flash with excitement.
After such a long period of hard work, he finally gained the recognition of Jérôme and Bonaparte, which shows that his "loyalty" has been duly rewarded.
However, Baron Achille Fuld's so-called loyalty should be more accurately said to be political speculation, just like the banker Lafitte who helped Louis Philippe get the throne.
The highest rate of return in France is not speculation in the stock exchange market, but political speculation.
Once the speculation is successful, the bankers who made the heavy bet will double their profits in a short period of time.
Of course, there are also a large number of new bankers who made the wrong bet on the wrong person and went bankrupt, and Lafitte is also named here.
In Jérôme Bonaparte's view, what Achille Fuld had done before was enough for him to enter Bonaparte's circle, not to mention that it also required the assistance of a person with financial knowledge.
He took charge of the Treasury after replacing all members of Barrow's cabinet.
No one is more suited to managing finances than a banker.
However, there is still a long way to go for Achille Fuld to be trusted by Jérôme Bonaparte.
Pesini, who received the unhesitating instructions from Jérôme Bonaparte, immediately reported: "Your Excellency, Mr. President, the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Tocqueville, came to see you this morning!"
"Hmm! Tocqueville?" Jérôme Bonaparte suddenly remembered that Odilon Barrot had changed the foreign minister to Tocqueville. "Did he say something?"
"No!" Pesini shook his head and replied to Jérôme Bonaparte, and then added: "However, the look on Tocqueville's face should indicate that something big has happened!"
"A big event?" Jérôme Bonaparte repeated in a low voice, sorting through all the memories of 1849 in his mind.
The Prussian-Austrian dispute? No, it’s only August!
Hungarian revolution? That’s not right. It’s already August, and Kossuth and the others should have been finished long ago.
Putin? Ossa? Or the Papal States?
After thinking for a moment, Jérôme Bonaparte could only sort out all the major events that Tocqueville might have to say, and after taking into account Tocqueville's behavior, he ruled out the Prudential War again.
All that remains is the question of Ossa and the Papal States.
"Pessini, help me invite Mr. Tocqueville to the Elysée Palace!" Jerome Bonaparte ordered Pesigny.
"Yes!" Pesini responded.
"Mr. Baron, forgive me for not being able to stay here any longer! Our minister has something important to discuss with me!" Jérôme Bonaparte said to the Baron of Fur with a hint of apology.
"Your Excellency, please do as you please! I am always waiting for your visit again!" Baron Achille Fuld bowed and said with a smile.
After bidding farewell to Baron Achille Fuld, Jérôme Bonaparte got into his carriage, escorted by a group of dragoons.
Pesini took the carriage prepared for him by Baron Fuld and went to Tocqueville's residence.
Jérôme Bonaparte hurriedly returned to his study at the Elysée Palace, staring at the scenery outside the window, waiting for the arrival of Foreign Minister Tocqueville.
Half an hour later, there was a knock on the door.
Jérôme Bonaparte, who was standing in front of the window with his hands behind his hands, quickly turned around and sat at the desk. He held the newspaper on the desk in his hand and pretended to read it and responded: "Please come in!"
The door opened, and Pesini and Tocqueville entered the study.
"Your Excellency, Minister Tocqueville is here!" Pesini said to Jerome Bonaparte, then bowed to Jerome Bonaparte and left the study alone, closing the door of the study.
Only Jérôme Bonaparte and Tocqueville were left in the room.
Jérôme Bonaparte put down the newspaper and stretched out his hand to motion for Tocqueville to sit down.
"Thank you!" Tocqueville politely thanked Jerome Bonaparte and sat down opposite Jerome Bonaparte.
With his hands clasped on the desk and his body leaning slightly forward, Jerome Bonaparte said to Tocqueville in a calm tone: "Mr. Minister, it has been almost a year since we last met!"
"Mr. President, to be precise, it was less than two months ago. Two months ago, when you went to the National Assembly, we met. However, the two of us did not say a word!" Tocqueville
"Correction" of Jérôme Bonaparte's mistakes in a rigorous manner.
"Okay! Mr. Tocqueville, what I just meant is that the two of us have not spoken a word for nearly a year!" Jérôme Bonaparte still said to Tocqueville in a casual tone: "Tocqueville
Mr. Kver, I wonder why you came to see me today?"
"Mr. President!" Tocqueville said to Jérôme Bonaparte with a serious expression: "I implore you to provide some help to Piedmont!"
It is indeed an issue between Austria and Sardinia!
Jérôme Bonaparte pretended to be surprised and reprimanded Tocqueville: "Minister Tocqueville, I don't know the reason why you said this, but I still have to tell you that you are appointed by the French Republic.
The foreign minister is not the foreign minister appointed by the Kingdom of Sardinia. The interests you represent are the interests of France, not the interests of the Kingdom of Sardinia.”
"Mr. President, I am persuading you just for the benefit of France... No, it should be said that I am persuading France to help the Kingdom of Sardinia!" Tocqueville argued with reason: "The Kingdom of Sardinia is a conflict between the French Republic and the Austrian Empire.
A barrier, once something unexpected happens to the Kingdom of Sardinia, our country will face the risk of being bordered by the Austrian Empire. If the war between France and Austria starts, the southern part of France may be plunged into a sea of fire! More than 300,000 Austrian troops and
Their Italian vassal coalition will enter the southern region."
Although the combat effectiveness of the Austrian Imperial Army in 48 and 49 was very worrying, it was undeniable that it was still a "powerful" first-class power.
What's more, Radetzky also had one of the few outstanding achievements in the 1848 war against the Sardinian dynasty.
A sheep in wolf's clothing blended into the wolf pack of a first-class power and maintained the appearance of a mere chart for nearly 18 years.
[ps: The Austrian Empire’s superficial appearance of great power not only confused the major powers, but also confused a large number of professional and professional military scientists. In 1866, during the war between Prussia and Austria, Engels wrote about the Prussian war.
Prediction, the predicted result was that Austria would win and Prussia would lose. Old Moltke was a general who didn’t know how to use troops. The final result was beyond everyone’s expectations.]
From a certain perspective, the skin that Radetzky and Schwarzenberg carefully put on the Austrian Empire was still useful.
At least in 1849, he was able to frighten his own Foreign Minister Tocqueville.
Jérôme Bonaparte, who understood the essence of the Austrian Empire being strong on the outside and hard on the inside, was certainly not afraid of Tocqueville's so-called Austrian attack on southern France from Italy. He also clearly remembered his cousin's painstaking efforts in history to support the Sardinian Dynasty.
As a result, the reward given to him by the Sardinian Dynasty was a naked betrayal.
"Not only that!" Tocqueville said pessimistically: "Once the Austrian Empire takes the lead in going to war with France, the Kingdom of Prussia and the Russian Empire will definitely follow. A few days ago, Lamorisier wrote to me and told me that the Tsar is very
It is possible that they may interfere in the German revolution, and after suppressing the German revolution, I am afraid it will be our turn next!"
[Lamorisier: Minister of Military Affairs during the Cavaignac cabinet. After one month, he was replaced by Odilon Barrot as ambassador to the Russian Empire. 】
Tocqueville's pessimism did not affect Jerome Bonaparte, but made Jerome Bonaparte feel that he was very ridiculous.
"Then, Mr. Minister, we are going to throw our soldiers into the battlefield for an unrelated country like the Sardinian Dynasty?" Jérôme Bonaparte said sarcastically: "Mr. Minister, you asked us, a republic, to rescue a kingdom.
?”
"Mr. President, I just want to help France maintain balance!" Tocqueville said to Jerome Bonaparte wishfully.
This writer, who is full of romanticism, knows nothing about diplomacy.
"Then, Mr. Minister, what should we do? Put our Italian front troops directly into the war to defend the Sardinian Dynasty?" Jerome Bonaparte continued to ask.
"No! I think we should give the Sardinian Kingdom some support so that it can maintain a certain initiative in negotiations with Austria!" Tocqueville continued: "When necessary, I suggest forming an alliance with the Sardinian Kingdom.
alliance!"
"Alliance? God! Mr. Minister, do you think the whole of Europe is not chaotic enough? Or do you want to replicate the achievements of my uncle?" Jérôme Bonaparte said to Tocqueville in an exaggerated tone: "If
Let the citizens of Paris know that we are willing to fight with three countries in order to win over one kingdom, and they will probably overthrow us immediately!"
"Mr. President, that's not what I meant... I meant..." Tocqueville tried to defend Jérôme Bonaparte.
"Okay!" Jérôme Bonaparte spread his hands and asked Tocqueville: "Since you don't want to see France attacked by three countries, then at least we need a helper! For example, across the English Channel
Britain, who are good at being Europe's troublemakers, don't they have any unique insights?"
In fact, as early as when Tocqueville reported his attitude towards the Sardinian dynasty to Jerome Bonaparte, he had already had a carrier pigeon conversation with the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Palmerston.
Palmerston's attitude towards the Sardinian dynasty was much later and colder than he expected.
"Minister Palmerston told me that they will provide all support to the Sardinian Dynasty except for the guarantee of force."