Chapter 237: Visiting Austria

Aside from simple reminiscing, Gao Da and Garibaldi also chatted about his two sons, Menotti and Ricciotti.

One has to admit that Garibaldi's resume is quite extensive, and his two sons have followed him through thick and thin, honing quite impressive abilities.

Gao Da plans to have Garibaldi's eldest son, Menotti, serve as the Minister of Royal Affairs in the Spanish cabinet; this counts as a confidant Gao Da has placed openly in the cabinet, and in the event that Gao Da does not attend cabinet meetings, the Minister of Royal Affairs will directly represent him.

This is enough to fully demonstrate the importance Gao Da places on Menotti. Although the Minister of Royal Affairs does not have much real power, in terms of status and influence, he is not inferior to any cabinet minister.

Garibaldi's second son, Ricciotti, currently holds the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Spanish Royal Guard, while concurrently serving as the commander of the Guard Division.

Although the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Guard is merely a nominal position established by Gao Da to control the Spanish Military Committee, no one dares to be certain whether the Royal Guard will expand in the future.

As the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Guard, Ricciotti is absolutely a confidant among confidants to Gao Da. Before the native officers trusted by Gao Da are trained to the division commander level, Ricciotti will continue to serve as the commander of the Guard Division.

But what is certain is that once the native Spanish officers possess sufficient qualifications in the future, the candidate for the commander of the Guard Division will definitely be replaced.

Although Gao Da trusts Ricciotti enough, it is not a good thing for an officer to stay in a certain position for too long.

The Royal Guard is the private army of Gao Da and the royal family, and only the royal family and Gao Da can control this force. Of course, Gao Da will not kick Ricciotti, who helped him in the early stages, while he is down.

Even if Ricciotti were to step down from the positions of commander of the Guard Division and Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Guard, his new position would certainly be of a higher level, such as Chief of the General Staff of the Spanish Ministry of Defense, Minister of Defense, or other such posts.

Garibaldi is still quite concerned about his two sons, and upon learning that both sons are performing quite well, Garibaldi is also very gratified.

As early as his period of seclusion, Garibaldi knew that he would never be able to gain the heavy trust of the Italian royal family. Aside from Garibaldi's early resume of supporting the republic, the fact that Garibaldi enjoyed quite high prestige in Italy was also a major reason.

No ruler likes a character whose merits overshadow their master; this has been the case from ancient times to the present.

And in Spain, Garibaldi is just an ordinary foreigner, so his two sons naturally would not receive any bonus to their fame.

Coupled with the fact that Garibaldi has a rather favorable impression of Gao Da, this is the reason why he was willing to let his two sons travel far to Spain instead of remaining to serve within Italy.

Looking at it now, his choice was very correct; both sons have been given important roles in Spain, and they can also allow the Garibaldi family to gain a new life in Spain.

On Caprera Island, Gao Da and Garibaldi had a very pleasant conversation, after which they took a warship back to Rome.

Because King Umberto's coronation ceremony is being held in half a year, Gao Da does not intend to continue lingering in Italy and wasting time.

Before setting out, Gao Da had a complete plan, deciding to visit several European countries.

In addition to Italy, the first destination, the countries Gao Da is visiting include the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Germany, and France.

In fact, according to the current cooperative relationship between Spain and Russia, it would also be possible to add Russia to the list of visits.

But considering that his father-in-law, Franz Joseph I, does not have a good relationship with the Russians, Gao Da ultimately removed the Russians from the list.

In any case, the Russians are fighting a war recently, and Tsar Alexander II is even leading the campaign in person, so there is indeed no need to visit Russia.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire is an ally of Spain, so visiting the Austro-Hungarian Empire is very necessary. As for why Germany and France were added, it is mainly to make France feel a sense of crisis through visiting Germany, thereby obtaining more benefits from France.

Regarding the current situation in Europe, Gao Da sees it quite clearly. Theoretically, Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire are allies, and they are also allies with Italy; based on the principle that a friend's friend is also a friend, Spain and Germany should also conclude an alliance.

But in reality, at this time, the alliance between Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Italy is more of a diplomatic policy, and closeness with Russia is Germany's active choice.

Now is not World War I; France and Russia are not united, and Germany is more focused on wooing Russia.

More importantly, although Germany's industry has developed rapidly during this period, Germany, like Spain at this time, is a great power with little money.

Even if Spain and Germany signed an alliance, the support Germany could provide to Spain is truly limited, far less attractive than the francs leaking through the fingers of the wealthy French.

Spain is a straw for France to escape Germany's isolation policy; while the straw is still there, the French are certainly thinking of desperately grabbing onto it.

But if the straw breaks, there is no telling how crazy the French might get. After all, France was once the hegemon of Europe, and its comprehensive strength crushes Spain.

Gao Da does not want to let Spain face the French military frontally; it is better to obtain more benefits from France with a posture leaning toward neutrality.

Of course, if the French give enough, signing an alliance with the French is not impossible. In any case, the Germans cannot attack, and even if France and Spain signed an alliance, the one facing Germany frontally would still be France.

Gao Da does not have many demands for this visit to France; it would be best if he could get another loan of five hundred million to one billion francs from France.

If he could also get some support in terms of industry, plus the cooperation reached with the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy, Spain will definitely develop rapidly in the next ten years.

Thinking of these things, Gao Da is even more looking forward to the journey of the visit.

Although this trip to Italy was quite rushed, Gao Da brought several diplomatic ministers and many important government officials, and the purpose of their arrival is precisely to help Gao Da conclude agreements with other European countries.

On January 15, 1878, after staying in Rome for a few days, Gao Da took a group of diplomatic officials and traveled by train from Italy to Austria.

Before setting out, the Spanish government had already sent telegrams to these countries that needed to be visited, and these countries also formally sent visit invitations to Gao Da.

It is precisely because of this that the journey from Italy to Austria was quite smooth. Except for changing trains midway, no other trouble was encountered.

The train moved forward all the way and finally arrived in Vienna, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

At the Vienna train station, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had already organized a grand welcoming ceremony.

In addition to the officials of the Spanish government, the visitors included Gao Da, who is the King of Spain, which is enough for the Austro-Hungarian Empire to attach importance to.

What's more, Gao Da is also the son-in-law of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so he counts as half one of their own.

Responsible for welcoming Gao Da at the train station, in addition to the main officials of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was Crown Prince Rudolf, who had previously attended the funeral of Victor Emmanuel II.

Crown Prince Rudolf has reached adulthood and in recent years has begun to frequently attend various diplomatic activities on behalf of Franz Joseph I.

After all, Franz Joseph is the Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; it is impossible for the Emperor to participate in every diplomatic activity in person.

Although Crown Prince Rudolf is a bit young, being not even 20 years old at most, considering that Gao Da is only 7 years older than Rudolf, it is very appropriate for a young person to receive a young person.

As Crown Prince Rudolf's brother-in-law, Gao Da's relationship with Rudolf is still quite good. When Gao Da first met Rudolf, the other party was just a teenager in his teens.

More importantly, Queen Sophie and Archduchess Gisela grew up together with Crown Prince Rudolf, and the three have a deep friendship, which also makes Rudolf feel closer to Gao Da, this brother-in-law.

Seeing Gao Da walk out of the train carriage, Crown Prince Rudolf stepped forward first and said to Gao Da with a smile: "Welcome to Vienna, Your Majesty Gao Da."

"Alright, Rudolf. Let's not be too formal between the two of us; you can just call me brother-in-law." Gao Da smiled and shook hands with Rudolf; he still wants to maintain a good relationship with his brother-in-law.

The old Emperor Franz Joseph I was still very capable, but it is a pity that his only son, Rudolf, died young, causing the Austro-Hungarian Empire to lose its heir early.

Ultimately, Franz Joseph I could only let his nephew serve as the Crown Prince, that is, the famous Crown Prince Ferdinand.

What is even more regrettable is that Rudolf's death was not due to an unknown disease, but a suicide pact with his mistress.

It is worth mentioning that before Rudolf's mistress, Maria Alexandrine von Vetsera, became the mistress of Crown Prince Rudolf, Maria's mother, Elena, had once suggested to Crown Prince Rudolf that they should have an extramarital affair, but was politely refused by Crown Prince Rudolf.

Unexpectedly, in the end, Elena's daughter, Maria, was still taken a fancy to by Crown Prince Rudolf, but Crown Prince Rudolf also lost the opportunity to have both mother and daughter.

One has to admit that younger girls were more attractive to Crown Prince Rudolf. Before the two became lovers, Crown Prince Rudolf was already 30 years old, while his lover, Baroness Maria, was only 17.

Of course, there is still a long time before Crown Prince Rudolf's suicide pact, and the story may not necessarily develop into that kind of ending.

Hearing what Gao Da said, Rudolf naturally stopped being polite, nodded, and said with a smile: "Welcome to Vienna, brother-in-law. Father is already waiting for you at the Schönbrunn Palace and has personally prepared a welcoming banquet for you in the evening."

Gao Da nodded with a smile and said with a smile: "Let's go, let's visit His Majesty Franz Joseph first; political work can be discussed another day."

Although diplomatic visits inevitably involve negotiations on cooperation between the two countries, these are clearly not what Gao Da needs to do. At most, Gao Da will only confirm some major aspects of cooperation with Franz Joseph I; as for the negotiations on small details, the officials of the two countries will have to conduct in-depth discussions based on the interests of the two countries.

Although there were many people who came to the train station to welcome Gao Da, the real welcoming ceremony was held at the Schönbrunn Palace.

After all, he is the ruler of a great power, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire attaches great importance to this. Moreover, the Austro-Hungarian Empire currently also needs Spain's diplomatic support, which is one of the reasons why they attach excessive importance to Gao Da.

Gao Da has of course been to the Schönbrunn Palace, but every time he arrives, he is full of praise for the vastness and luxury of the Schönbrunn Palace.

Of course, Spain's Royal Palace of Madrid is not inferior at all. But after all, he has lived in the Royal Palace of Madrid for several years, and compared to the Schönbrunn Palace, which he visits less often, the Royal Palace of Madrid is already familiar to Gao Da.

In fact, Gao Da also has the idea of building other palaces in the suburbs of Madrid. Although the Royal Palace of Madrid is one of the three major palaces in Europe, because it is located in the center of Madrid, there is a slight inconvenience in coming and going.

Building a new palace in the suburbs of Madrid can also be gifted to his children in the future. A king will never complain about having too many palaces in his hands; after all, for European nobles, the number of palaces, castles, and manors is also proof of their heritage and family assets.

These dukes and archdukes of Spain have countless castles and manors in their hands. Any duke has as many as several or even more than ten castles and manors, and most of the castles are ancient castles with long historical heritage.

The only proper palace Gao Da currently owns is the Royal Palace of Madrid.

He does have several castles and manors, but they were all recovered from rebellious nobles, and there are not many large-scale ones.

On the square of the Schönbrunn Palace, Franz Joseph I had long prepared a grand welcoming ceremony for Gao Da. Gao Da, who was already accustomed to big scenes, was naturally calm and participated in the entire welcoming ceremony with a smile on his face.

Subsequently, the accompanying officials were received by officials of the Austro-Hungarian government, while Gao Da walked directly across the square of the Schönbrunn Palace to the office of Franz Joseph I to pay a visit.

Seeing Franz Joseph I again, he was still that kind, smiling figure. Franz Joseph I is only 48 years old this year; from the perspective of a politician, he is still in the golden age of his political career.

In fact, this is indeed the case. Politicians who are too young will always be considered inexperienced, and youth also represents rashness and recklessness.

As the saying goes, "a person without hair on their lips is not reliable in their work." The age of politicians serving as prime ministers in European countries is around 40 to 50, and some older ones even reach 60 to 70.

"Gao Da, long time no see." Franz Joseph I first exchanged pleasantries with Gao Da, then directly changed the subject and asked about his granddaughter whom he had not yet met: "Why didn't you bring Sophia?"

"This trip was too rushed, and because Sophia is too young, I let Sophia stay in Madrid with the two little ones," Gao Da explained.

Gao Da understands Franz Joseph I's desire to see his grandson and granddaughter, but this trip was too rushed, and because of the need to visit various European countries, Gao Da did not bring them.

Moreover, Franz Joseph I is indeed still young, and there will be plenty of opportunities for the three grandparents and grandchildren to meet in the future.

Hearing Gao Da's explanation, Franz Joseph I nodded with regret but said nothing.

His two daughters, Sophie and Gisela, are already married, and his only son, Rudolf, is not yet married, so the palace is naturally sparsely populated.

Fortunately, Franz Joseph I himself is not too old, otherwise his main task every day might become urging Crown Prince Rudolf to get married.

"The matter of King Victor Emmanuel is indeed very regrettable; God will lead him to heaven.

Gao Da, do not be overly sad; the affairs of Spain still need you to go back and handle. People are always like this, unable to avoid birth, aging, sickness, and death; we can only wish them an early journey to heaven and cherish the relatives we can still see," Franz Joseph I counseled Gao Da.

Gao Da nodded. The death of his father, Victor Emmanuel II, did make him feel a bit sad, but excessive grief was absolutely impossible.

But Gao Da could not refute this kind of thing; he could not just say that he was not too sad, right?

"Since you have come to Vienna, I will just tell you about our plans in the Balkan Peninsula," Franz Joseph I said with a smile: "Although the Russians achieved victory in the war, they also made the British firm in their attitude, deciding that they would rather fight a war than stop the Russians' expansion in the Balkan Peninsula.

This is a good thing for us; perhaps we can prevent Russia from over-expanding in the Balkan Peninsula through diplomatic means, and it just so happens that the British are blocking us in front."

With the support of the British and Spain, the Austro-Hungarian Empire can at least ensure its annexation of the Bosnia and Herzegovina region, which is also the reason why Franz Joseph I is smiling.

As long as the Bosnia and Herzegovina region is taken, the Austro-Hungarian Empire will be in an invincible position. If it can be ensured that Russia gains little in this war, that would be a double blessing.

Hearing what Franz Joseph I said, Gao Da nodded with a smile in response.

The situation in the Balkan Peninsula has little to do with Spain, and even if there is a fight, it would be the British and the Austro-Hungarian Empire joining forces to fight Russia.

For Gao Da, he even wishes for the Balkan Peninsula to fall into chaos. If three great powers were to have a big fight in the Balkan Peninsula, how many arms trade orders could Spain sign?

The contest between great powers is not a low-firepower war like the Russo-Turkish War, but a shocking scene of millions of soldiers and thousands of cannons bombarding each other.

Even if Spain can only choose to cooperate with either the Austro-Hungarian Empire or Russia, the money earned from the arms trade would definitely not be comparable to the money earned in the Russo-Turkish War.

If a war at the level of great powers really breaks out in the Balkan Peninsula, it could also attract the attention of the British. This is very beneficial for Spain's expansion in African colonies, at least ensuring that the British will not interfere.

The British "troublemaker" personality is what makes Gao Da quite annoyed. If the British really set their sights on Spain, I am afraid that a country like Portugal could become a pawn, constantly blocking Spain's path forward.

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(End of chapter)