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So I've seen a lot of threads where Austria comes to France's rescue in the Franco - Prussian War (or vice versa). Now in the OTL, the compromise with Hungary pretty much left Austria neutered and hanging around Germany as Prussia's junior partner. But what if France and Austria decided they had a common enemy?

Could the French republic quietly funnel money into upgrading the Austrian army enough to break Hungary and then work together to cut Prussia down to size? Would they? And would Russia and Britain let it slide as long as neither Austria nor France gained too much from Prussia's defeat? (I'm thinking a free Hanover, a French Rhine, and Austrian Silesia ).

For that matter, if everything goes smoothly with the conspiracy, can they get it past Prussia? And Hungary? Would it look suspicious if the Hapsburgs were personally funding the army (using French money to fill their coffers )? Or can Austria lie its way back to the top?
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