Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

Amadeo III’s eyes suddenly flashed with excitement, and he even subconsciously licked his lips.

The Pope State had practically not existed before the rise of the Carolingian Dynasty. The Holy See relied on the lands seized by Pepin the Short and Charlemagne of the Carolingian Dynasty from the Italian States to establish the Pope State.

Thus, Italians have always been eager to reclaim the lands occupied by the Pope State.

This is also why the Vatican has little control over the Italian States surrounding it, yet is able to influence distant countries such as Spain and Austria.

It’s no wonder Amadeo III is so excited—after all, the Pope State is larger than two Sardinias combined.

If Sardinia could carve out a piece of this land, it would grow immensely.

What’s more, Sardinia and the Pope State currently do not share borders.

Which means that, to reach the Pope State, Sardinia must first occupy territories of Parma or Venice.

And the words of the French Foreign Minister indicate that France would turn a blind eye to such actions!

Sardinia’s military power is negligible when compared to France or Austria, but across the entire Italian Peninsula, only the Two Sicilies can match its strength.

Even Venice is far from being Sardinia’s opponent, let alone smaller states like Parma.

Amadeo III is quite an ambitious king. In fact, his family has been ambitious since the time of their ancestor, the Duke of Savoy. Historically, it was King Carlo Alberto of Sardinia who, over half a century later, capitalized on various political opportunities to finally unify the Italian Peninsula.

Now, with an opportunity to extend a hand toward the heart of Italy, how could Amadeo III not be tempted?

In comparison, the land of Savoy is practically inconsequential.

Originally, Savoy was separated by the Alps, making governance inconvenient. Moreover, being adjacent to France, its French-speaking population has been increasing, which will inevitably complicate future management.

It’s better to cede it to France in exchange for benefits in other areas.

Besides, French forces are currently stationed in Savoy; even if he wanted it back, he couldn’t reclaim it.

Amadeo III tilted his head to look at Talleyrand: “Well, what’s your opinion on this matter?”

The latter sat upright and nodded, saying, “Indeed, His Majesty has authorized me to sign an agreement with you, which will include the ownership of Cham and the acknowledgment of certain Sardinian military actions.”

Amadeo III nodded but hesitated, saying, “Or perhaps we could wait until General Demobin has occupied Mantua before discussing further?”

Talleyrand smiled faintly: “Forgive my bluntness, but you can’t wait until you’re already starving before planting wheat.

“Now is your only chance to display friendship. Otherwise, once General Demobin defeats the Austrians, you can imagine how he might maneuver his troops.”

Amadeo III remained silent for a few seconds, then finally took a deep breath, looked at Talleyrand, and said:

“Perhaps we can start negotiating the details…”

Early the next morning, Talleyrand and the Count of Provence quietly left Turin Palace.

The latter carried the newly signed French-Sardinian “Turin Agreement.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Sardinia acknowledged France’s sovereignty over Savoy and Monaco to the east, including the Cadipona Pass.

Additionally, Sardinia agreed to cease all hostile actions against France, stop supporting the Austrian Army, and provide the necessary supplies for France’s Demobin Army Corps.

In return, France compensated Sardinia by ceding the Cham Province in northwest Lombardy and supporting Sardinia’s territorial claims against the Pope State.

The Count of Provence appeared much more relieved than when he arrived, whispering to Talleyrand, “I didn’t expect things to be resolved so quickly.”

Talleyrand responded calmly, “This is the inevitable result of political diplomacy, dear Count.”

However, while he said so, he was still quite surprised himself.

Savoy was the ancestral home of the Sardinian Royal Family, and back when the Crown Prince stated that Amadeo III would undoubtedly surrender it, Talleyrand was skeptical.

Who would have thought the King of Sardinia would actually agree to it so readily, without even demanding other terms?

He silently admired the Crown Prince: his grasp of international political dynamics far exceeded his own. How could he predict Sardinia’s diplomatic direction so accurately?

Of course, Joseph didn’t rely purely on analysis. He simply knew that during the era of Napoleon III, Sardinia ceded Savoy and territories east of Nice to France in exchange for French support of their military campaigns in Lombardy and Venice.

Sardinia harbors significant ambitions of unifying Italy, and under conditions similar to those in history, they would likely accept.

But according to Joseph’s plan, he did not intend for Sardinia to unify Italy as it did historically.

If Italy were unified, its national power would rank fourth or fifth on the European Continent, significantly impacting the continental balance.

From France’s geopolitical perspective, having a fragmented array of weaker smaller states on its doorstep would be more advantageous.

Smaller states lack the political, economic, industrial, and market capabilities to challenge France.

If France could defeat Austria, the Italian Peninsula would become France’s back garden.

To achieve this, it was necessary to preserve at least two nations among Parma, Modena, Genoa, and Venice.

Among these, the King of Parma was a Bourbon by name, had little ambition, and was Joseph’s preferred candidate.

Modena also leaned pro-France, and if it proved capable, it might receive some support as well.

Tuscany, controlled by the Habsburg family, and the Pope State would serve as “cakes” to be carved up and shared among others.

As for the Two Sicilies in the south, currently the strongest state in Italy, as long as they didn’t misstep, it would be difficult for others to swallow them.

This way, at least four countries would exist on the Italian Peninsula, along with the Vatican, ensuring adequate fragmentation.

Talleyrand helped the Count of Provence close the carriage door and bowed slightly, saying, “I wish you a pleasant journey.”

The Count glanced at Talleyrand’s carriage and asked curiously, “Why aren’t you returning with me?”

“I was originally supposed to head back to Paris,” Talleyrand replied. “But the Crown Prince entrusted me with new diplomatic tasks yesterday.

“I expect the battle in Alexandria will soon be over, so I might as well wait here for a while.”

From there, he would travel to Parma and other nations to begin mapping out the future political landscape of the Italian Peninsula.

…

Italy.

North bank of the Po River.

Pavia.

Wearing a brand-new cavalry uniform, Napoleon grinned as he led Major General Carnot, dispatched by the General Staff, through rows of impeccably standing soldiers, who greeted them with military music and escorted them into the tent.

Major General Carnot removed his hat and handed it to his attendant before taking out a document and waving it at Napoleon: “Colonel Bonaparte, I have some orders from the General Staff to convey to you.”

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