Chapter 718: The Information Gap
In this era, communication was notoriously slow. Even by exhausting horses to death, it would take four to five days to deliver a message from Rome to Paris.
In fact, out of the two days it took Joseph to receive the news of the assassination attempt, the majority of the time was spent on the journey from Rome to Lyon. The signal relay from Lyon to Paris, however, took just 40 minutes!
This efficiency was achieved despite the fact that signal operators were still inexperienced and the report from Rome was unnecessarily lengthy.
According to Chappe's estimates, once the signal tower network was fully operational and all went smoothly, transmitting a 20-word message from the southernmost point of France to the northernmost point would take less than 30 minutes.
It was practically a telegraph system for the era!
Joseph looked at the report and nodded.
"This event will have significant implications for the political landscape of Europe. Émard, summon Archbishop Brienne and Minister Talleyrand immediately."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Shortly after, the two prominent French statesmen arrived in the Crown Prince's reception hall.
Joseph motioned for them to forgo formalities and handed them the report.
"What are your thoughts on this matter?"
The two quickly read through the report.
Archbishop Brienne was the first to speak:
"Although the Pope narrowly escaped harm, Archbishop Innozenzi was gravely injured while protecting him. The Pope must be furious and is likely to harshly punish the Holy Roman Emperor."
Talleyrand, however, shook his head.
"I believe the Pope does not want to escalate tensions with Austria."
"Oh?" Joseph turned to him. "Please elaborate."
"Certainly, Your Highness," Talleyrand replied with a slight bow.
"If the Pope intended to retaliate against the Holy Roman Emperor, he would have immediately and publicly declared Austria's culpability and announced punitive measures.
"Instead, he has refrained from taking a clear stance, opting instead to send an emissary to Vienna without specifying the envoy's mission.
"This suggests he wants to keep his options open and maintain flexibility during negotiations."
Joseph nodded thoughtfully, tapping the armrest of his chair.
"You make a compelling point. So, what does the Pope want?"
Brienne interjected:
"Stronger support from Austria for the Vatican and guarantees of protection for the Papal States."
Talleyrand added:
"Additionally, greater Vatican authority over the Austrian Church's affairs—or perhaps even a substantial financial payment—is not out of the question."
Joseph nodded again.
"If Austria chooses to cooperate with the Vatican, it may fall under greater ecclesiastical control, but it will gain significant short-term advantages, such as greater legitimacy in its war against Poland.
"We should consider taking action."
What Joseph didn't explicitly state was that his long-term plans involved dismantling the Papal States and transferring Vatican authority to Avignon, France.
If the Papal States forged closer ties with Austria, it would gain a more stable political and military environment, making dismantling it far more challenging.
Brienne suggested:
"We could assassinate the Pope's emissary on Austrian soil. This would deepen the Pope's anger toward Austria."
Talleyrand followed up:
"Or France could publicly condemn Austria for the assassination attempt on the Pope. This would force the Vatican to uphold its dignity by sanctioning Austria, leaving no room for private negotiations."
Joseph suddenly narrowed his eyes.
"I wonder, if Austria and the Pope were to reach a settlement, what would happen to Archbishop Muzarelli?"
After Muzarelli refuted the rumors of a Crusade in Vienna, the Vatican remained silent. Combined with his strained relationship with the Pope, it was clear that he had struck some kind of deal with Austria.
Talleyrand responded:
"He would likely be abandoned by Austria, and the Pope would then hold him accountable for acting unilaterally."
"So, if he learns in advance that the Holy Roman Emperor plans to negotiate with the Pope, what would he do?"
Talleyrand replied without hesitation:
"He would do everything in his power to sabotage the negotiations."
Joseph nodded and turned to Fouché.
"How long will it take for the Pope's emissary to reach Vienna from Rome?"
"Approximately 20 days, Your Highness," Fouché answered. "The ceremonial processions of the Vatican will slow him down."
"And how long would it take for us to send a message to Vienna?"
"Roughly 10 days," Fouché replied. "We could use the semaphore system to relay the message to Lorraine and then send a courier on horseback to Vienna."
Joseph smiled.
"So, if we intervene, Archbishop Muzarelli would have 10 days to prepare?"
"That is correct, Your Highness."
Vienna – Schönbrunn Palace
Franz II glared at Chiaramonti, his face dark with frustration.
"I've told you, that assassin has nothing to do with me. I deeply regret what happened to His Holiness.
"Furthermore, Archbishop Muzarelli is a close friend of mine, and I will not allow anyone to harm him."
The emperor had been deeply troubled by the assassination attempt.
To make matters worse, the assassin turned out to be an officer from Austria's Royal Carpathian Corps!
Franz II had anticipated the Vatican would confront him over this and had prepared accordingly, but he hadn't expected the Pope's emissary to focus his accusations squarely on Muzarelli.
Chiaramonti's voice grew sharp:
"It is clear that Muzarelli has corrupted you, leading you to strike against the Lord's representative on Earth. The Pope is fully within his rights to excommunicate you!"
Excommunication meant being expelled from the Catholic Church—a punishment that barred the individual from participating in any religious activities, entering churches, or being recognized as a believer. It also denied them entry to Heaven.
For devout Catholics, excommunication was a fate worse than death.
For Franz II, it was even more perilous. Without his Catholic credentials, he would lose the right to be Holy Roman Emperor, a position fundamentally tied to the Church.
Historically, even Napoleon had been excommunicated by Pope Pius VII after occupying Rome. But with an army of hundreds of thousands, Napoleon could afford to ignore it.
Franz II, however, was not in such a position.
His face turned grim as he coldly asked Chiaramonti:
"Is the Pope declaring war on me?"
Chiaramonti suddenly softened his tone, smiling.
"That depends entirely on your choices, Your Majesty.
"If you reject Muzarelli's influence, the benevolent Pope will forgive all your transgressions.
"Moreover, regarding the rumors of a Crusade in Poland, the Pope will not endorse them."
Hearing that the Crusade issue was negotiable, Franz II relaxed slightly.
"I am willing to end my cooperation with Archbishop Muzarelli. I hope the Pope will honor his commitments."
Chiaramonti shook his head and leaned in closer, lowering his voice:
"No, Your Majesty. What you must do is secretly arrest Muzarelli."
Franz II's brows furrowed deeply.
"He is a cardinal! Do you have any idea how much chaos his arrest would cause in Austria?"
"Rest assured, the Vatican will not oppose this action. As for any other matters, I trust you can handle them."
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