Vienna Palace
"Your Majesty, " Tyren reported, "the negotiations between England and France regarding the Suez Canal have failed. The Paris Government has decided to set aside the British and dig the grand canal on their own."
This was an expected development. The Suez Canal was not only of great significance to Austria but also held special importance for the French. With such a significant initial investment, it was naturally impossible for them to give up simply because of British opposition.
The current disparity in power between England and France was not as pronounced as it would be at the end of the century; at this moment, the French were still fixated on the position of world hegemon.
And indeed, they possessed a matching strength for their ambitions.
