Bruno’s words had stuck with Franz Joseph more than he intended them to. He had mentioned his “altruism” in passing, all the while neglecting to confirm his real ambitions. Which was to bring Russia and Austro-Hungary closer together.
Establishing a joint trade network between the three empires was the start of Bruno’s masterful plan to manipulate international diplomacy in the favor of the German Reich. After all, if Germany did not have to worry about fighting a war on both its eastern and western borders, and instead simply had to maintain their line of defense against the French, then wiping out the Serbian and Italian Armies would be a matter of ease.
Not only that, but with Russia being forced to increase their efforts of industrialization as a consequence of the Civil War, they fought due to Bruno’s interference in the timeline. They would be a far more powerful ally than the likes of Italy to have backed their alliance.
The problems came with how he would go about souring the relationship between Serbia and Russia. The latter of which had long since sought to control the Balkans within their sphere of influence. Something that Austro-Hungary also desired.
There were few diplomatic solutions to this problem. As it was not exactly like the Serbians could entertain both empires. However, if sabotaging the relations between the Kingdom of Serbia and the Russian Empire was possible, then it would go a long way towards deterring the Russians from investing in the region, or God forbid backing Serbia when the time for the war came.
After all, the Russian backing of Serbia had been a large reason for the Great War turning into a global conflict when it could have easily just been an extension of the Balkan Wars that preceded it by a single year.
Still, there was no doubt about the way things were headed. France would still support Serbia, and England would back the French. Turning this into a major conflict regardless of who Russia sided with.
In fact, at the current rate of geo politics, Russia was likely to still stay out of the war altogether as a result of Bruno’s actions. And though that was more than acceptable, it would still be preferable that Russia gave its aid to Germany. If not in this war, then the next one that was destined to follow it.
Either way, that was a matter for the years to come. Establishing some form of incentive for the two relatively hostile powers to come together was a good start, and that was exactly what Bruno had done by convincing Franz Joseph to end his sanctions and tariffs against Serbia, and instead open up a network of meat trade from Serbia that would go through Austro-Hungary and Germany until finally reaching the Russian Empire.
After all, when everyone was profiting in some way or another, everybody was happy, right? Or such was the theory behind Bruno’s methods. And sure enough, after no more than 48 hours, Franz Joseph I, having gone over the books and realized the losses he was sustaining in this foolishly advised Trade War, decided to do as Bruno advised.
Of course, the Pride of a Nation was a powerful thing, and because of this, he could not easily do so without some concessions. Hence, the Austrian Kaiser requested a negotiation with the King of Serbia in person. And in Neutral Ground. Without even realizing it, Bruno found himself having an excellent opportunity to begin sabotaging the relationship between Russia and Serbia from behind the scenes.
And he quickly found himself sitting in on the meeting between the two monarchs within the city of Geneva. After all, what better neutral ground was there than Switzerland, who had been neutral in European conflicts for centuries?
While Bruno tagged along, rather unwantedly at that, to attend this meeting, his wife and children stayed in the Hofburg, becoming more acquainted with the Habsburg family, and establishing precious ties to the monarchs of Austria and Hungary.
In fact, Bruno had sort of forced his way into the meeting under the guise of being the mediator of this negotiation. Because of this, the King of Serbia was staring at Bruno with an intense gaze, all while the three of them sat at a table in some Swiss State Building, discussing this dispute over tea.
“And what, pray tell, is he doing here?”
Bruno had a smug smirk on his face as he waited for the Austrian Kaiser to answer the question. Knowing that the man would back his presence. Even if he had managed to force his way into the room by abusing his status as a “Guest.”
“Believe it or not, he is the reason I have suddenly decided to enter negotiations with you. It would be improper for me to invite him to my home as a guest, heed his advice, and then exclude him from these talks, don’t you think? He may be a bit… Abrasive, but the man is wise beyond his years, and an unbiased perspective might actually do the both of us some good?”
Quite frankly, this was the first time Franz Joseph had seen Bruno smile outside of the times he was with his family. Either way, if Bruno was smiling here and now while his family was still in Vienna, it could only be described as bone chilling, considering the man was otherwise stoic at all times.
The King of Serbia, having never officially met Bruno, was not exactly aware of the man’s stone-faced nature, and because of this, he did not understand how unusual it was for him to be smiling, especially during a diplomatic negotiation.
Nevertheless, he did not exactly feel comfortable with Bruno acting as the mediator. Sure, he had a vested interest in this dispute, especially from the side of Serbia. But at the same time, he had friendly ties to the Habsburg family, as well as the House of Romanov.
Now that he thought about it, wasn’t this man a bit too politically connected to the Great Powers of Europe outside of France and England? And at such a young age, no less? The King of Serbia was about was about to say something regarding this abnormality when Bruno made a suggestion, one that on the surface could be considered a viable solution to this whole mess.
“Let’s cut to the chase. Alright, you want to expand your business internationally without having to rely politically and economically on Austro-Hungary like you have been forced to endure for decades. And you want to maintain your authority over the Balkans. Hence why this ill-advised trade war began in the first place.
How about we come to some sort of mutual agreement here? Austro-Hungary will drop its sanctions and tariffs against the Kingdom of Serbia, allowing them to engage in free trade across Austro-Hungary, the German Reich, and the Russian Empire.
In exchange, Serbia will promise not to oppose the Austro-Hungarian Annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina when the time finally comes to officially do so.”
This was a bold statement by Bruno. Sure, on the surface this was a win-win. But could only be spoken in this room by a man who was either ignorant of the situation in Serbia, or malicious in intent.
Obviously, such a “compromise” immediately dragged the eyes of the King of Serbia towards Bruno with suspicious gazes. While to the historically ignorant, this was a valid compromise. After all, Austria had made its intentions to Annex Bosnia and Herzegovina clear since the previous century. And had previously secured support by Germany and Russia to do so.
But like everything political in the Balkans this was a far more complicated issue than it appeared to be on the surface. For starters, the current King of Serbia had only gained his power in 1903 when a military coup initiated by the “Black Hand” a group of conspirators infiltrated the Serbian palace and murdered the previous king who had left no heir to succeed him.
As a result, the national assembly elected the House of Karađorđević and its ruler as the new Kings of Serbia. Who themselves were the rivals of the previous dynasty. Frankly speaking, the House of Karađorđević, and the Serbian Government as a whole currently had heavy ties to the Black Hand.
If the name sounded familiar, then it was because they would also be responsible for the assassination of Franz Ferdinand years later, an event which would eventually spark the Great War.
It was because of these ties to the Black Hand that Serbia refused the Austro-Hungarian request for an international investigation into the assassination of their presumed heir, and in doing so prompted the July Crisis, which led to the start of the First World War.
Needless to say, Bruno despised the Serbian King, who played a leading role in the overall collapse of what one might consider the legitimate form of western civilization, as well as the rise of both liberalism and Marxism that followed the disaster that was the end of the Great War.
Had this man, his family, and the conspirators he backed simply not existed, or at the very least never been allowed to gain power in Serbia, the odds of such a disastrous decline of Europe, and the West as a whole likely would have never occurred.
Because of this, Bruno put Bosnia and Herzegovina on the line during these negotiations in a deliberate attempt to provoke a hostile reaction from the Serbian King, and the Black Hand. Hopefully baiting them into attacking himself and thus ruining Serbia’s relationship with the Tsar and the Russian Empire.
After all, Bruno was currently on much friendlier terms with the House of Romanov than he was the House of Habsburg, with Nicholas having high hopes of roping him over to the Russian side altogether.
Any attempt to assassinate a Russian Prince, and a Hero of the Russian Civil War would likely permanently sour relations between Serbia and Russia, even if the Serbian government wasn’t directly responsible. Much as the French had done when they made an attempt on Bruno’s life in the preceding years. And this was exactly Bruno’s goal here today.
