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On April 21, 1874, Napoleon III passed away at the Palace of Versailles. This news swiftly overshadowed the Eastern Crisis, and everyone's attention turned to Paris.
At the Vienna Palace, Franz sighed deeply. A rival had left the stage.
After regaining his composure, Franz quickly recovered.
"With the passing of Napoleon III, the transfer of power in France will inevitably lead to turmoil. For the short term, we need not worry about threats from the west; we must hasten our next move.
Our people in Berlin and London can start their operations. This change in the European situation affects the international landscape for decades to come; we must not let the situation spiral out of control."
It must be said, strategic planning is troublesome. A misstep anywhere could set off a chain reaction.
Even the death of Napoleon III fell within the scope of our calculations. If he had held on for a few more years, all of Franz's European strategies would need to be completely redrawn.
