Holy Roman Empire

Frederick was exceptionally excited about his first visit to various European countries. However, this good mood didn’t last long and within a few days, he grew bored.

Every day was nothing but banquets, followed by more banquets. He imagined discussing major issues concerning the fate of the country with monarchs of various countries.

Unfortunately, that was not happening. The accompanying officials from the Foreign Ministry had already handled everything. As the crown prince, Frederick was only required to show up and make an appearance.

No matter how much Franz wanted to train his son, he wouldn’t dare to use national affairs as practice. If something went wrong, the consequences would be far from trivial.

Politics allows no room for carelessness. A single misstep could cost not just the nation but also the heir himself.

Thus, Frederick’s primary tasks during this European tour were limited to formalizing his engagement with the Baden royal family and visiting relatives to foster familial ties.

Almost all European crown princes would take a tour of the continent after coming of age. It was ceremoniously called “traveling the world to broaden one’s horizons,” but in reality, it was about making an impression and gaining insight into other nations’ development.

Franz was one of the few exceptions. The revolution had forced him to ascend the throne early, depriving him of the chance to engage in such peer exchanges.

What appeared to be a simple tour carried significant political undertones. Initially, these exchange activities aimed to foster goodwill among future monarchs and reduce conflicts between nations.

But as time passed, it became evident that this idea was overly idealistic. A monarch’s personal feelings were insignificant compared to national interests.

Of course, it wasn’t entirely without merit. In the absence of conflicting interests, the friendship between monarchs could sometimes translate into friendly relations between their nations, to some extent reducing the likelihood of conflicts.

The most critical aspect of this practice was adding a layer of security. If one had many friends, they could rely on others to speak on their behalf in times of trouble.

For example: If defeated in war or during a coup, international pressure could be leveraged to retain the throne, or at the very least, there would be a safe haven abroad during exile.

Before the decline of monarchy, such measures were effective. If the right opportunity had presented itself, Franz would have been inclined to initiate a “Monarchy Preservation Movement” across Europe.

Frederick, however, wasn’t so lucky. His schedule was packed every day, leaving him with no time for leisure or sightseeing.

This was the downside of having a large extended family. Upon arriving in any given place, he had to meet relatives, and his hosts would invariably throw welcome banquets in his honor.

Courtesy is mutual, and among Europe’s upper echelons, flattery was unavoidable. If Frederick wanted to cultivate a good reputation, he had to visit the homes of these prominent figures and meet the local elite, ensuring they would support his image-building efforts.

Because of familial ties, Frederick often had to give face even to individuals of slightly lower standing, further increasing his workload.

Avoiding these engagements was not an option. Franz had explicitly tasked him with this responsibility. Connections, after all, are better cultivated and left unused than desperately needed but nonexistent.

A classic example of this principle could be seen in the First World War in the original timeline. Monarchs of the defeated Central Powers were able to go into exile, while Tsar Nicholas II of the Allied Powers found himself without refuge.

This wasn’t because Nicholas II didn’t want to flee. Indeed, the Provisional Government had planned to send him to Britain for political asylum, but King George V refused to accept him.

Not only did the British refuse, but other European nations were also unwilling to host Nicholas II. While Kaiser Wilhelm II expressed some interest in taking him in, it seemed more out of schadenfreude than genuine intent.

Franz did not believe the Habsburgs would ever face such dire circumstances. With the resources at his disposal, as long as future monarchs didn’t act recklessly, the dynasty could easily sustain itself for hundreds of years.

The primary purpose of having Frederick foster good relationships with everyone was to build a good reputation for his son, which required public support.

Looking at the invitations in his hand, Frederick asked in frustration, “Kohl, how many more banquets are we invited to?”

Kohl replied earnestly, “Your Highness, I cannot provide an exact number. A rough estimate would be at least another hundred banquets before the trip ends.

This is after rejecting most of the invitations, otherwise, the number would be even higher. For those with closer relationships, there might even be multiple banquets.”

In an era with little entertainment, nobles were particularly enthusiastic about hosting banquets, often holding 2-3 a month. Wealthier families could even host 2-3 a week.

If there was no reason to host a banquet, one would simply invent a reason. For example: The family’s pet dog gave birth, so a banquet must be held to celebrate; the orchard’s trees bloomed, so a banquet must be held to celebrate…

The reasons were endless, limited only by imagination. Hosting banquets was one of the biggest expenses for nobles of the time.

Frederick rubbed his temples. He was on the verge of developing a phobia of banquets. At this moment, he finally understood why Franz disliked hosting banquets.

“Can we decline a few more? For instance, what if I host a banquet and invite them all over to settle it in one go?”

Kohl firmly refused, saying, “That’s not possible, Your Highness. This time, you are representing the House of Habsburg. According to noble etiquette, only after the host has held a welcoming banquet can you host a thank-you banquet.

At most, you can decline invitations from those below the rank of duke. However, doing so would be highly discourteous, especially since your visit will cover every German state, and many of their rulers don’t hold the rank of duke.”

Frederick looked utterly defeated. In the German region, if there’s one thing in abundance, it’s small states.

For political reasons, he couldn’t avoid them. Even in cases where a tiny state was no larger than a single village, he still had to visit.

This was a gesture of respect from the Habsburgs to the governments of these states and also an opportunity to promote the idea of a Greater Germany.

After hesitating for a moment, Frederick ultimately resigned himself to the reality of the situation.

“Fine, let’s stick to the original plan. If it affects the bigger picture, I won’t be able to bear the consequences.”

Frederick wasn’t lacking in political insight. He was well aware of the intentions behind Franz’s arrangement. Simply completing this tour would earn him numerous accolades.

If he managed to mess up something so straightforward, Franz might seriously reconsider the question of succession.

There was no room for improvisation. The next Emperor of Austria needed to be someone who could continue Franz’s policies, a steady guardian of the status quo. The greatest fears were greed and reckless ambition.

In these respects, Frederick performed quite well, meeting all the necessary criteria. Overall, he was cautious and followed the rules, completing Franz’s assigned tasks without overstepping.

While he lacked extraordinary talent, his keen political instincts ensured that Austria would neither experience greater glory nor fall into decline under his rule.

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