During this period, the main industries in Italy were concentrated in the northern region. Due to factors such as politics and geography, they were divided into the “Turin-Genoa” industrial area and the “Milan-Venice” industrial area. Undoubtedly, the industrial revolution has just begun in Italy. It is still dominated by traditional crafts, but many mechanical tools have been added. There is both cooperation and competition between the capitalists in Venice and the capitalists in the Kingdom of Sardinia. The relationship between the two sides is not so easy to sort out because many capitalists have industries in both places. After the conditions proposed by Marshal Radetzky spread in Venice, the capitalists reacted one after another. It is difficult to say whom they supported in their hearts. It doesn’t matter. In any case, it is a conspiracy. Even the capitalists who are most hostile to Austria need the Kingdom of Sardinia to send troops to Venice as soon as possible. Every day that the war continues will bring them immeasurable losses, including the local capitalists in the Kingdom of Sardinia. The national mobilization also hinders their ability to make money. Turin became even more lively. The capitalists of Venice joined the offensive of public opinion, which seemed to be the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Faced with the massive demonstrations, Charles Albert had no choice but to order the army to launch an early offensive. For this reason, he also sent out the last 40,000 troops that could be mobilized domestically. The army of the Kingdom of Sardinia alone reached 190,000. Adding the strength of their allies, their total strength was theoretically close to 250,000. The reason why it is said to be theoretical is that except for the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia, the armies of several other states are still idle. Especially the troops from Naples, who were the farthest away, stopped in the Papal States because a large number of soldiers were suffering from heat stroke. Only God knows why they had heat stroke in the spring. In short, the 40,000 troops that Naples has promised will not be able to make it to this war. However, for the sake of the early unification of Italy, they would still send hundreds of warriors to the battlefield. However absurd this reason may be, at least one thing is certain: the troops of the Kingdom of Naples will not come. Franz did not feel that this was due to the efforts of the Foreign Ministry. One only had to look at the origins of King Ferdinand II of Naples to know why. This man was the King of the Two Sicilies, the son of Francis I of the Two Sicilies, and Archduchess Maria Clementina, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II. (The Kingdom of Sicily and the Kingdom of Naples united to form the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, with Naples being in a dominant position.) Simply put, this man was a subordinate propped up by the House of Habsburg in the Italian region. Although Austria’s international prestige had declined, it was still not enough to make them switch sides. Just look at the map and you will know that Naples is separated by the Papal States. Even if they can drive Austria out of Italy, they will not gain any substantial benefits. Every Italian state has the ambition to unify the Italian region. At this time it is not a good choice to support the enemy. Even if Austria occupies Venice and Lombardy, it is more in their interest than the Kingdom of Sardinia occupying these areas. The story has changed because Austria’s military strength in Venice is now greater. The Kingdom of Sardinia has already begun unleashing its power. This is a war for the destiny of the nation. In May, after more than a month of training, mobilized Austrian reservists achieved initial combat effectiveness. Franz was quietly sending more troops to the Hungarian front. War was about to break out. Vienna Franz sighed that Nicholas I was indeed a good comrade. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced that 300,000 Russian troops were fully equipped and ready to assist Austria and Prussia at any time in suppressing the revolution. The strong support of the Russian government had a very strong effect on Europe. The revolutionaries in both Austria and Prussia were dealt a severe blow. The newly independent Hungarian regime has become precarious. Kossuth, the head of the Hungarian Republic, is already losing sleep at night for fear that the Russians will stab them in the back. Metternich said triumphantly: “Your Highness, the French have changed their minds. They have stopped all aid to the Kingdom of Sardinia. Now we are discussing the division of the territory of the Kingdom of Sardinia.” Franz was overjoyed and thought to himself: Sure enough, Metternich is better suited to diplomacy. Being a prime minister is a complete mismatch for his expertise! Having fooled the French, there would be no more surprises on the upcoming Italian battlefield. Without French support, the Sardinian army is weak. In just over a month, the Kingdom of Sardinia’s army grew from 20,000 to 30,000 to nearly 200,000. Anyone with a little military knowledge knows that such an army is unreliable. Of course, if the soldiers of the Kingdom of Sardinia are fearless or obedient to the orders of their superiors like German soldiers, then there is no problem. Indeed, the Kingdom of Sardinia has probably been swayed by the radical public sentiment at home, believing that these soldiers will be just as formidable once they reach the battlefield as they were when they were chanting slogans. Franz made a decisive decision and said, “Hmm, let’s quickly sign a treaty with the French government. They change governments almost as fast as women change clothes. Let’s not complicate things any further!” “Your Highness, if we rush into a treaty, it will be to our disadvantage. The French have a greater appetite than we imagined,” Metternich warned. “It doesn’t matter. Whether the treaty we signed with the French can be upheld or not depends on whether the French can withstand the pressure from the British. Based on the current situation, the French government is constantly trying to please the British. As long as the British government takes a tougher stance, the French are likely to make compromises. If they want to back down on their own, it’s their own fault. We can even condemn them for being untrustworthy,” Franz said indifferently. Not only did this provisional government kowtow to the British, but the next several French governments that followed also cozied up to the British. Asking them to confront the British directly would be unrealistic for at least five years. “Your Highness, if the French retreat, we will probably find ourselves isolated. In the current situation, it is not appropriate for us to annex the Kingdom of Sardinia,” Archduke Louis warned. “Unfortunately, it’s a missed opportunity. It’s not as easy as getting the Kingdom of Sardinia to come to us willingly. What a waste of a great opportunity,” Prime Minister Felix sighed. The domination of Italy is a dream not only for the French but also for the Austrians. But it remains only a dream. The European powers will not let them have their way. “There is nothing we can do about it. Who can blame us for not being strong enough? If we really try to swallow the Kingdom of Sardinia whole, we might just choke to death!” Franz said helplessly.
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