He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 139

(139) The Emperor Is Necessary for Napoleon

Then why didn’t Napoleon depose the Emperor?

-〈General Bonaparte Conquers Vienna and Dismantles the Empire!〉

Metternich looked at the newspaper in his hand and smiled bitterly.

“Where did you get this, Count Weinsberg? It’s quite unique to see something written in such clear French.”

“Schönbrunn.”

“Already? They’ve already installed a printing press there? That was fast.”

Schönbrunn, the summer palace of the Habsburg family, was located outside the walls of Vienna and, being slightly removed from the Battle of Pressbaum, remained untouched.

That’s why it caught the eye of the French army.

Napoleon, who had previously resided in the Palazzo Serbelloni in Milan, had now set his sights on Schönbrunn.

The Emperor was currently staying at the Hofburg, the winter palace, so Schönbrunn easily fell to the French corps.

The Staatsrat [Imperial Council], originally located in Schönbrunn, had to be hastily moved to the winter palace.

That’s why Metternich had to come to the winter palace when summoned by the State Council.

The new State Chancellor, Weinsberg, nodded with a stern face.

“Indeed. It mirrors Thugut’s resignation.”

Thugut, the former State Chancellor and Foreign Minister, had been ousted.

It was, in fact, a natural consequence.

The former State Chancellor Thugut was an outspoken opponent of the revolution, loudly calling for war, intervening in the partition of Poland even while fighting a war with France, and was notorious for his arrogant attitude.

Moreover, Thugut was the son of commoners; his father was a soldier, and his mother was the daughter of a miller.

Therefore, now that the Holy Roman Empire had been dissolved, he had no choice but to take all the blame.

Conversely, it was also the reason why Ferdinand von Trauttmansdorff Weinsberg, who had always advocated for peace, became the State Chancellor.

Weinsberg, from the Trauttmansdorff family, a prestigious noble family dating back to the 14th century, spoke with a stern face.

“Thugut was 독선적 [self-righteous], corrupt, and belligerent.”

“Diplomats and ambassadors alike complained. He never informed them of anything and handled all the documents himself. There were also allegations that he received bribes from the French royal family.”

“Perhaps that’s why he hated the revolution. But his judgment wasn’t entirely wrong.”

Weinsberg sat at the State Chancellor’s desk and spoke in a low voice.

“The revolution is dangerous, the empire must stand against it, and to do so, we must reach out to our old enemies, England and Prussia.”

Thugut originally made his name as a diplomat, traveling throughout Europe.

He first gained a foothold as an interpreter in Constantinople, where he invested the bribes he received in France.

When he went to France as a diplomat, he received bribes from the Bourbon royal family.

He used these bribes again to rise through the ranks of the imperial bureaucracy.

He may have seemed like just a corrupt official, but his diplomatic skills were outstanding.

He diplomatically ended the War of the Bavarian Succession, successfully carried out the Second Partition of Poland, and built the anti-French alliance against the French Revolution.

Weinsberg, an advocate for peace, had resigned in opposition to this.

However, when Thugut was ousted, Weinsberg, the advocate for peace, was appointed as the State Chancellor.

Naturally, it was a position that was not entirely glorious, as it involved dealing with the aftermath of defeat.

With a heavy expression, feeling the weight of the position, Weinsberg said,

“The proof is right before our eyes. Vienna has been occupied by France.”

“To be precise, it was occupied by Bonaparte.”

“Fine. France didn’t have the capacity to do that. If Italy hadn’t fallen, this wouldn’t have happened. But there’s a problem.”

Weinsberg looked intently at Metternich and asked,

“Why didn’t Bonaparte depose His Majesty the Emperor? Isn’t the great revolt that the French call [La Révolution] about overthrowing the king?”

It was not something that the State Chancellor, the equivalent of the empire’s prime minister, should dare to say.

In fact, since the empire had been dissolved, he was technically the prime minister of the Archduchy of Austria, but still.

Above all, Metternich before him was only 22 years old, a mere young man.

Even though his father was the former Governor-General of Flanders.

Metternich pointed that out.

“I am still a fledgling, Your Excellency.”

“Didn’t you inherit your father’s position? Plenipotentiary Ambassador and Governor-General of Flanders?”

“It was a position appointed when we were defeated by France and driven out. All I actually did was burn the documents of the Governor-General’s office and flee.”

So, Metternich was not just a young man with a well-known father.

At the young age of 20, he was dispatched to England as a special envoy and held talks with Pitt, Fox, and Burke.

He was also tasked with negotiating with allied nations around the start of the Revolutionary Wars.

The most important task was, of course, the position of Governor-General of Flanders.

In short, he was a promising diplomat who had caught the eye of the great nobles early on and was on a fast track to success.

In particular, his brilliance was recognized by both Thugut and Weinsberg.

That’s why Weinsberg specifically called Metternich, not other mid-level officials.

To find out what Napoleon was thinking.

“Still, tell me. What do you think?”

Metternich stared at Weinsberg and smiled.

“Bonaparte will never let His Majesty step down.”

“Isn’t the dissolution of the empire a preliminary step? Already, the prince-electors and dukes of various regions, even the King of Prussia, are protesting, saying that the imperial system cannot be dissolved at the whim of the Habsburg family.”

“It’s already been 200 years since the princes followed His Majesty the Emperor’s orders. If they don’t like it, they can try fighting France on their own, right?”

Metternich shrugged, lightly dismissing the princes of the Holy Roman Empire.

“Well, even the princes are like this. They don’t follow the Emperor’s orders. But Bonaparte is a general of the republic.”

“I know that. A country without a king, it’s unbelievable. How do they maintain order?”

“That’s why it’s disordered. There is no system to control an individual who has achieved outstanding merit.”

Suddenly, Metternich’s eyes gleamed with a strange light.

“But what will Bonaparte, who has become this outstanding individual, try to gain? Can the republic give him whatever he seeks? It’s very difficult.”

Weinsberg’s eyes widened.

If it were the French revolutionary government, it might be beneficial to depose the Emperor.

But if you think from Napoleon’s perspective, the situation is completely reversed.

He conquered the entire empire, virtually ended the war, and overthrew the Emperor.

What can the republic give as a reward for this achievement?

Even though it’s a great achievement that the empire would have bestowed the Grand Duchy of Tuscany for.

So, Bonaparte needs someone to receive the reward from.

Like the defeated emperor of an enemy nation.

“Good heavens.”

The moment Weinsberg sighed, Metternich smiled again and added,

“So, we have to treat Bonaparte well for the time being, even if we don’t like it. If he wants anything, whether it’s beautiful women or bribes, we have to give it all to him. That’s how our empire can rise again.”

Still, Austria has not given up.

At least, not the group of great nobles who move the State Council.

***

The Emperor had not given up either.

“Your Majesty, what will become of us now? Will we all be driven out? Like those relatives of France?”

In the inner chambers of the Hofburg, the Empress, Maria Theresa of Naples, shed tears.

Originally a princess of the Bourbon Kingdom of Naples, she was a cousin of the Emperor.

However, they had a good relationship and would later have 12 children.

Of course, they were still young, with only a princess and a prince.

Emperor Franz stroked Empress Theresa and said,

“That won’t happen.”

The Empress trembled and replied,

“I’m scared. There’s already talk that my father might be driven out.”

“That, I might not be able to stop.”

“Yes? Can’t Your Majesty protect him anymore?”

Emperor Franz hugged the Empress tightly and sighed.

“The victor is that outrageous Frenchman who occupies Schönbrunn. If he wants it, we’ll have to give him Naples or whatever.”

He didn’t recognize it as clearly as Metternich.

However, Emperor Franz was quick to judge the situation, though timid.

He accurately realized that it was dangerous to displease Napoleon.

The Neapolitan royal family, which ruled southern Italy, was literally a relative of the Habsburgs.

Even the current Queen, Maria Carolina, was not only the Empress’s mother but also Emperor Franz’s aunt.

Nevertheless, the Emperor decided to give up Naples.

The same was true of Flanders, which France had already occupied.

If he could protect the family’s homeland, Austria, and its surrounding territories, he could give up anything.

“But don’t worry, Empress. We will be safe.”

“The empire has been dissolved, right? Am I no longer the Empress?”

“No, that’s not true.”

Emperor Franz II’s eyes gleamed.

“The empire, which had already become a shell, has been dissolved. When this time passes, the empire will be revived. This time, in the name of Austria.”

It was the path that the Habsburg family would choose in the original history.

Giving up the Holy Roman Empire, which was only in name, and creating a new empire centered on Austria.

However, to do so, there was a task that had to be resolved first.

A peace treaty had to be concluded with France.

No matter what it took.

-Wahhh!

At that moment, the princess and the prince next to them burst into tears.

The Emperor watched the nanny rush to soothe them and picked up the one who was crying a little more.

Looking at the 4-year-old princess sobbing, the Emperor forced a smile.

“Yes, I will protect you.”

The princess, Marie Louise, was clinging tightly to the Emperor.

As if she thought that if she let go, she might be dragged somewhere.

***

Of course, all of this was actually an overreach of authority.

“I didn’t expect it to succeed so easily. The dissolution of the empire!”

Lan burst into cheers in the hall of Schönbrunn.

It was a place where the Holy Roman Emperor and the great nobles once enjoyed banquets.

Now, the palace was filled with generals in military uniforms.

They were members of the Napoleon Club.

Everyone was filled with a sense of victory and cheering.

Even Augereau, who usually only showed a stern attitude, was excited and grabbed Napoleon, jumping up and down.

“I couldn’t have imagined it. To say such things in that place! It’s as if the revolution has been completed!”

“Oh, I’ve never seen Augereau so happy before?”

“Of course! You’ve done something even bigger than cutting off the king’s head, General!”

At that moment, Masséna, who had been smiling, glanced back at Eugene.

“Surely this isn’t the end, is it? Italy will definitely be ours, right? Freischütz [a term of endearment or nickname]?”

Eugene, who had been looking around the hall of Schönbrunn Palace, stopped.

Once, the owner of this place was Emperor Franz.

But now, Napoleon would dominate this place for the time being.

But in fact, Napoleon had no authority to decide all of this.

Eugene smiled lightly and asked back.

“Commander, you know that you originally had no authority to decide such important matters, right?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Strictly speaking, it was the Directory [French Revolutionary government] that decided to reorganize Italy. It was possible because Saliceti, the Directory’s representative, came all the way to Milan. But right now, Director Saliceti is still staying near Venice.”

At that moment, Eugene’s eyes flashed as he looked at the surprised Masséna.

“But we dissolved the empire. Do you think we can’t do the rest? General Masséna?”

Masséna’s eyes widened.

Augereau, Lan, and Junot held their breath.

What Eugene said was clear now.

Whether it was the dissolution of the empire, the reorganization of Italy, or the conclusion of a peace treaty, none of it was Napoleon’s authority.

Nevertheless, Napoleon had already made decisions that exceeded that authority.

Using force and the results of victory.

Would the interests of Italy be any different?

At that moment, Napoleon nodded.

“There’s no need to misinterpret my son’s words.”

Just as the generals and adjutants of the temporary headquarters were about to pay attention to Napoleon, Napoleon said calmly.

“Even if we dissolved the empire, Franz II, the monarch of the Habsburgs, the Archduke of Austria, and the King of Hungary, still exists. We must now negotiate with him. And that’s also because we are soldiers of the republic.”

This was the real reason why Napoleon did not kill the Emperor.

Killing the Emperor might have been simple.

It might have been more advantageous than the declaration of the dissolution of the empire.

But Napoleon was a soldier of the republic and could not do things that the Directory would not allow.

On the other hand, the monarch could.

What this meant was that Franz II could give Napoleon what the republic could not.

Suddenly, Napoleon twisted his lips.

“So, reorganizing Italy according to our wishes is certainly possible, isn’t it?”

The gazes of the generals and adjutants crossed in a complex manner.

Napoleon had defeated the empire.

As a result, the general of the republic had gained power beyond the authority given to him.

Even if it was a temporary phenomenon, it might be dangerous for the revolution.