Greece to roman road

Chapter 19 Political Marriage

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Speaking of political marriage, the couple in front of us is a ready-made example.

Constantine's mother, Grand Duchess Olga, came from the Romanov royal family in Tsarist Russia.

George I himself came from the Danish royal family and was the Greek king chosen by the British.

The Greek royal family of Schleswig-Holstein-Zonderburg-Glücksburg, established by George I and Archduchess Olga, naturally received support from Russia and Britain.

The political benefits obtained from this kind of political marriage are by no means empty maintenance of the bloodline and glory of the royal family or nobles, but are supported by real interests.

For example, as a sign of goodwill, Britain escorted the new King George I to Greece to take office in 1862, and at the same time returned the Ionian Islands in the Adriatic Sea near Greece.

Constantine understood that what Queen Olga meant was that she hoped that when he went to Germany to study, he would pay attention to the candidates for his daughter-in-law who could be of great benefit to his future career.

For Greece, which is currently weak in national power, the political and economic benefits brought by the crown prince marrying a queen from a powerful family cannot be underestimated.

For example, the famous Habsburg family, nicknamed the "lower body castle", used marriage to rule large areas of Europe.

The Habsburgs famously said, "Let them fight, we just have to get married."

Other countries have empires first and then emperors.

The Habsburg family had an emperor first and then an empire.

The rise of the Habsburg family set an example for European aristocrats, showing them how huge benefits could be brought through aristocratic marriage.

The reason why Queen Olga specifically raised the issue of Constantine's marriage is because Germany is a country with very special national conditions.

In 1871, after defeating the French in the Franco-Prussian War, Prussia unified Germany and used the unforgettable shame of the French to add infinite glory to the German crown and become the most powerful country in Europe.

However, Germany was not completely unified. There were still several small kingdoms in the country, such as Bavaria, Saxony, etc.

Although these small kingdoms that have been inherited since the Holy Roman Empire are not strong, hundreds of years of intermarriage have made the royal families of these small kingdoms deeply rooted and have a huge network of relationships.

Therefore, when Constantine went to Germany to study, he was bound to have frequent contact with German nobles. For Queen Olga, it was a rare opportunity to find a good wife.

Constantine had no objection to political marriage. After understanding the aristocratic concept of marriage, his illusions about freedom of love disappeared.

If Constantine staged a drama of opposing feudal ethics and loving freedom, the political consequences would be very serious.

So serious that it could trigger a world war.

For example, because the Crown Prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire married a commoner woman, not only did the Austro-Hungarian Emperor dislike him, but even the nobles of the Austro-Hungarian Empire did not approve of him.

The aristocratic circles and social venues of the Austro-Hungarian Empire were very repulsive to Archduchess Ferdinand, who was born as a commoner. She was often ignored in public, so that Vienna left a bad impression on the Archduchess.

In order for the Grand Duchess to relieve her depressed mood, Ferdinand and his wife went to Sarajevo to relax, but they were assassinated.

Although this was a coincidental event, the strong rejection of the aristocratic elite caused by the crown prince marrying a commoner woman made Constantine dare not touch this forbidden area.

"I understand, mother." Even though he was not very happy, Constantine could only bite the bullet and agree first.

At this moment, Butler Capet walked in.

"Your Excellency, Colonel Brut of the Royal Guards, has arrived at the manor and is waiting for your reception."

After that, he turned around and took Constantine with him to meet the colonel.

Constantine promised to assist Stanley's professional military personnel, who received orders from Constantine and were about to sail across the ocean to the African Congo.

Because the Royal Guards handle the Crown Prince's personal affairs, all expenses for this military operation must be borne by the royal family.

In the reception room.

"Your Excellency the Duke", seeing Constantine walk in, Brute, who was sitting on the sofa, stood up in a hurry and stood upright.

"Brut, you have been notified of the mission. 500 members of the Royal Guards are going to Africa to maintain the trade order in Africa and crack down on slave traders. Do you have any questions?" Constantine still had questions about his confidants. Pay more attention to it.

"Your Excellency, how long will this operation last?" Brut asked.

"About a year or so, no more than two years at the longest."

"Does the Royal Guards have to obey Mr. Stanley's command? What if Mr. Banning disagrees with Mr. Stanley?"

"Obey to Stanley's command, but the final opinion rests with Banning."

"Brut, are you from a civilian background?" Constantine looked at Brut and said suddenly.

"Yes." Brut was a little confused when he heard Constantine suddenly ask him about his personal affairs.

"Does the whole family live in Athens? The cost in Athens is very high," Constantine said.

Athens is the capital of Greece and a seaport city with a dense population, developed commerce, and rising prices.

As the leader of the Royal Guards, with the rank of captain, Brut's salary is not low, with a monthly salary of 30 drams.

If Brut lived alone, this kind of income would be enough for him to live a very comfortable life.

But Brut's family has a large population, including two younger brothers and one sister. His father is at home all the time due to poor health and cannot work, so he relies on his mother to help support the family. In order to make a difference, the family gritted their teeth and supported Brut in school.

Brut lived up to his family's expectations and graduated with honors from the Athens Military Academy. Because he was smart and hard-working, he was favored by Constantine and personally promoted him to the head of the Guards.

Most of Brut's salary is needed to support his family, so money is always tight.

"Brut, this African operation is of great significance to me, Greece, and you. It can only succeed and cannot fail."

Constantine regarded the resources of the Congo as the cornerstone of the rise of Greece and of great significance to the great ideals of the Greeks.

Constantine has invested a lot of energy in the Congo over the years. He hopes that the officers he values ​​​​can help him and the Greeks and make significant contributions.

"If we succeed this time, Brut, we will all be prosperous. You will become a big man and will never worry about the difficulties of your family's life." Constantine held Brut's shoulders with both hands, expressing his emotions. Excited, face flushed.

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