Crown Prince Karl and the members of the Austrian-Hungarian delegation watched, helpless and enraged, as Waht and Paolo Boselli smiled and signed their names on the treaty.
Everyone understood the significance of the moment. The peace negotiations between Germany and Italy had been concluded, and once the treaty was signed, it would mark the end of their discussions. Austria-Hungary had been sidelined once again, and once more, they had been betrayed by the Germans.
Crown Prince Karl was furious. Not only had the Germans sidelined them during the peace talks with France, but now they were doing the same with Italy. This made Karl realize that fulfilling his demands would be a far more difficult task than he had originally anticipated. The betrayal by their supposed allies struck deep, as if a dagger had been plunged into their backs.
"Waht!" Crown Prince Karl's voice seethed with anger. "Why? Why has the German Empire once again violated our agreement? The treaty was crystal clear—no nation was to negotiate peace with the enemy alone. Last time, you used the excuse that the Empire was not involved in the war with France. But what of this time? The Empire sent hundreds of thousands of troops to fight alongside Italy!"
"Your Highness," Waht responded coldly, his tone unflinching. "The Empire has already made it clear that we could not allow the negotiations between Austria-Hungary and Italy to drag on indefinitely. We needed to conclude peace talks quickly so we could focus on other matters. Therefore, when the conditions proposed by Austria-Hungary proved to be too harsh and there were significant disagreements with Italy, the Empire saw no reason to waste time."
The calmness in Waht's demeanor only served to further ignite Karl's fury. The Germans were utterly shameless, violating agreements while shifting the blame onto Austria-Hungary. The audacity of it all was beyond comprehension.
"You..." Crown Prince Karl's voice grew more venomous, his rage swelling to new heights. The Germans' shamelessness knew no bounds, accusing Austria-Hungary of prolonging the negotiations, all while they themselves had broken the treaty. This was the height of dishonor!
"Waht," Baron Berchtold, the Austrian foreign minister, interjected, his face dark with anger, "Does your country not fear jeopardizing the friendship between Austria-Hungary and the German Empire? We were allies in this war, yet your actions have shown us that we are no more than an afterthought."
"Your Excellency," Waht replied with feigned sincerity, "The German Empire's agreement with Italy does not affect Austria-Hungary's peace negotiations with them. Therefore, it has not harmed Austria-Hungary's interests. The German Empire has always valued its alliance with Austria-Hungary, and we hope that our union will continue."
"Hmph!" Crown Prince Karl scoffed, dismissing Waht's words with a cold sneer. He was no fool and would never fall for such deceitful rhetoric.
"Waht, I must protest to your Emperor. I protest your country's flagrant disregard for our treaty!" Karl's voice was seething with indignation.
"Apologies, Your Highness," Waht responded, his eyes unwavering, "But the Emperor has already left Berlin and is currently inspecting the front lines in France."
Karl was taken aback for a moment, the sheer audacity of the German diplomat leaving him speechless. How could they be so brazen, with no concern for the damage to their reputation?
"You..." The Crown Prince felt as though his head might explode. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the Germans would stoop so low. But there was nothing they could do. It was unthinkable to sever ties with the Germans and go to war with them over such a matter.
Seeing the Germans' resolute attitude, with their unyielding position, Karl and his delegation knew, despite their anger, that there was no point in provoking the Germans further. Instead, they would have to turn their attention to the Italians. After all, if they wanted to extract any concessions, it was clear that Italy was their only hope.
"Fine," Karl muttered, his fury barely contained. "Then we shall continue the negotiations. Boselli, have you considered Austria-Hungary's terms? If you refuse to meet our demands, be prepared to face the full wrath of the Austrian Empire!"
Paolo Boselli, now emboldened by Germany's backing, stood firm. "I am sorry, Your Highness, but we still believe that the terms presented by Austria-Hungary are too harsh. If Austria-Hungary does not change its conditions, we cannot agree."
Boselli, having already secured Germany's support with the peace treaty, was no longer intimidated by Austria-Hungary. Despite Karl's threatening demeanor, he remained unmoved.
"Do you not fear war?" Baron Berchtold interjected, his voice low with menace. "Boselli, consider carefully. If our armies march, the consequences will be severe."
"Your Excellency," Boselli replied with unwavering resolve, "If Italy were to accept your conditions, it would be as though we were signing our own death sentence. We would rather fight to the last man."
The determination in Boselli's words was unwavering, and both Crown Prince Karl and Baron Berchtold could feel their frustration growing. They knew that their threats of military action were little more than an attempt to intimidate Italy. The truth was, their army was not in a strong enough position to take on Italy in a full-scale war, especially now that they had been abandoned by their supposed ally, Germany. To confront Italy without absolute certainty of victory would risk humiliation for Austria-Hungary.
Originally, Austria-Hungary had hoped to join forces with Germany to launch a joint attack on Italy. With the might of the German army, defeating Italy would have been all but certain. But now, with Germany's treachery exposed, those plans lay in ruins.
Crown Prince Karl glared at Waht, his eyes burning with fury. He knew the Germans were pulling the strings from behind the scenes. Without their intervention, the Italians would never have had the audacity to reject Austria-Hungary's demands so brazenly.