Chapter 2428: Gap

"Did the Italians notify the Imperial Foreign Office and the Kingdom of Bavaria at the same time?" Ruprecht frowned and said.

"The Imperial Foreign Office has been notified, but the Kingdom of Bavaria has not yet arrived," Prince Albert said. Bavaria has embassies in some countries, (yes, this is also a German characteristic...) If Italians want to visit Ruprecht, they can naturally contact the Bavarian embassy directly, and then inform the empire The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also just a show. But now, the Italians notified the Imperial Foreign Office but did not directly notify the Bavarian embassy, ​​which is problematic.

"Did you guys do something recently?" Ruprecht thought of some possibility.

"Yes, the empire's suppression of Italy has already begun. At the beginning, it was in terms of commerce and trade. First of all, it was grain. It turned out that a considerable part of Italy's grain came from Russia, but now, the cheapest way for them to import is through us and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. And We have restrictions on the grain exported from Italy."

"Coal and oil are next. The Americans are busy preparing for the war and controlling the export of raw materials. At the same time, they don't want to embarrass us because of trade issues. Therefore, we started to pinch Italy's neck in terms of food and energy. Things are going very smoothly." Al Prince Burt said.

"That's all?" Ruprecht expressed disbelief. "If that's the case, they should go talk to the German government."

"You forgot that Ukraine, Russia's largest grain producer, was in your hands, and you also owned the largest stake in the Baku oil field. The Italians have always been at odds with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so they will not directly discuss related matters with Vienna , and the relationship between you and Italy is not very good. So, they may want to mediate through the empire first, so that the atmosphere of the meeting between the two parties can be better." Prince Albert thought for a while and said.

"This reason is a bit far-fetched. Well, let's be more direct. Some things can be easily found if I want to find out." Crown Prince Ruprecht subconsciously felt that Prince Albert on the opposite side seemed to be hiding something.

"That's right. Maybe the Italians know from some sources that you have some prejudice against Italy. They may want to eliminate this prejudice." The prince said after wiping the cold sweat off his head.

"Understood, some people must have rumored that I promoted the German Empire's punishment plan for Italy, right?" Ruprecht said meaningfully. But to be honest, this pot does have something to do with the crown prince, after all, he did agree, but it would obviously not be good if it all depends on the crown prince!

"Well, I don't think His Majesty the Kaiser was involved in this matter?" asked the Crown Prince.

"Absolutely not." Prince Albert said immediately.

"That's good. If we take some actions, I hope His Majesty the Kaiser will understand." Ruprecht said. This is definitely spread by people with ulterior motives. Although the matter itself is not big, it may be a temptation. For this kind of temptation, the crown prince naturally wants to teach some people behind the scenes some lessons, but at most it is handed over to the people below. The crown prince is not in the mood to deal with these things.

But that's okay, the Italians are willing to come to negotiate, which means that they are ready to be soft, and the crown prince really hopes to take this opportunity to deal with this little brother who is not peaceful in the alliance! Of course, all of this has to wait until I return to Bavaria, and the matter of the High Seas Fleet has to be ranked before this matter!

"The Italian ambassador once expressed his willingness to cooperate with Germany and Austria in military affairs." Prince Albert continued.

"Military cooperation? Hehe,

I really want to know now, how helpful is Italy's military power to the current Germany and Austria? "The crown prince sneered. Italy is still a big country with a population of 40 million. With such a size, it is impossible for Italy to be satisfied with some benefits like Sweden or Finland. Italy is ambitious. Let's not talk about this plane. Libya, which has not yet been incorporated into Italy, obviously Italy still has ambitions for Ethiopia! If nothing else, then once Germany and Austria agree to re-incorporate Italy into the Allied Power System, then Italy will ask Germany and Austria to deal with the Ethiopian issue support him!

But in the eyes of the crown prince, letting Italy annex Ethiopia (called Abyssinia at the time) is not good for Italy or the Allies! There is a reason why Ethiopia was spared from the frenzy of colonial carve-up in the last century, you can say that the country is backward and weak. But the Italians who want to eat this place are salty enough! Think of the historical Italian investment in the Ethiopian war and subsequent expenditures to maintain the colony! It's just throwing money away, no output! And if Germany and Austria condone Italy's aggression, the international influence will not be good.

"There must be a reason why Italy is so anxious to restore the relationship between the two countries. They asked us." Ruprecht paused and continued: "However, when Italy re-expressed its willingness to cooperate, they are still willing to cooperate. It makes me feel very bad that we have to pay first without doing anything for Deo."

"So, Your Excellency, tell the Italians that we were not negotiating on an equal footing before. If you want to get the forgiveness of the empire, then please show enough sincerity to the Italians. The basis of the alliance is obligation. If we play our due role in the European system, then we will never accept Italy!" said the crown prince.

"Are you going to use this opportunity to knock down Italy's tariff barriers and trade protection?" Prince Albert said.

"It's like this. Italy's industry is very weak, and its economic strength is not too strong. As for the army? Let alone, although their warship design is very good, I feel that the biggest help Italy can give us now is the market. .” The crown prince thought for a while and said.

"I'm afraid it's a bit difficult. Even against the defeated France, we didn't use such a direct method to force the opponent to open the market." The prince frowned and said.

"That's because France has strong strength. Although it is the defeated party, it is worthy of the empire. If France can stand on our side in the future, then it really doesn't matter what Italy's attitude is. How can Italy enjoy The same treatment as France?" the Crown Prince asked rhetorically.

"Okay, as you wish, Your Royal Highness," Prince Albert said.

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