The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1643 A Clean Government and Harmonious People
Cuba's rapid development at this time was largely due to a combination of factors, including Franz's design, strong support from the Austrian Empire, and Cuba's favorable natural conditions, but also to a stable political environment and harmonious society.

The so-called clean government and harmonious society were largely due to the presence of Governor Akadov von Leibsteinsky, an upright, iron-fisted governor with a powerful background.

The mere fact that Arcadov von Leibsteinsky was Franz's childhood friend was enough to command respect in official circles, not to mention that he was the eldest grandson of Count Korolav and the heir to the Leibsteinsky family.

(Count Korolaf, who served for a long time as the Minister of the Interior of the Austrian Empire and was on par with Prince Metternich)

For ordinary officials, the possibility of bribing such a person is almost non-existent, and forcing him to compromise is even more of a pipe dream.

Secondly, De la Concha, the governor-general's advisor who was familiar with Cuba, also deserves credit. After all, he had served as the governor-general of Cuba for so many years and was very familiar with the local geography and culture. Moreover, he was a seasoned veteran who had been immersed in the officialdom for many years.

With the two working together, almost no one dared to outwardly comply but inwardly defy them, and even if they did, it would be difficult for them to escape detection.

Attributing the credit for a clean and harmonious government to the highest local official may seem like a form of personality cult, but in reality, if the top is corrupt, the bottom will be crooked too. If the top leadership is incompetent, dysfunctional, or even negative, then those below will face numerous difficulties in getting things done, even if they want to.

Akadov von Leibsteinski's ambitions lay elsewhere, and at that time, no one in Cuba could offer him anything that would entice him.

However, both Franz and Akadov knew very well that he would not stay in Cuba forever; it was just a stepping stone in his life.

Of course, if Akadov were a short-sighted person, Franz would not hesitate to kill him. The more powerful such a person is, the more dangerous he is. Franz would not leave a time bomb in such a critical place.

However, Franz found it difficult to find another governor like him after that. In fact, as governors of the empire's overseas territories, their power was no different from that of the king. Those who could remain uncorrupted were either too small or too poor.

The fact that Patagonia changed governors three times in less than five years is the best proof of how difficult it is to resist temptation. Even a group of exiled Jews in a desolate place like Patagonia were able to keep two governors firmly in their hands, which shows how tempting power is.

The chaos in colonies was largely due to the corruption of public authority by local tyrants. Was the large plantation owners in Cuba truly such corrupt individuals from the start?

Not necessarily. They were once a group of pioneering and enterprising people; otherwise, they wouldn't have traveled thousands of miles to the Americas to build this empire.

However, by leveraging their economic power and colluding with corrupt officials, they gradually gained absolute control over the local economy and land, and then extended their reach to administration, the judiciary, public security, and even the military.

Ultimately, they transformed the region into their family's private property, and the local government of the colony was nothing more than a tool in their hands, but the people hated the empire.

That's why these families can rest easy, since they are the rulers of Cuba no matter which country occupies it.

This is why Don Peoli and his associates became so arrogant; in their view, acting with these governors every day was not as good as being the governor themselves.

Within the Austrian Empire, Franz could have easily entrusted such matters to the Austrian imperial oversight agencies, given his valuable time. However, this was not feasible in the colonies. The journey by ship was too long, and due to the limitations of transportation and communication, the so-called oversight agencies would likely become merely a formality, eventually becoming ineffective.

By the time the problem truly surfaced, it was already a massive disaster. Franz either had to go on a killing spree or pretend he didn't see it.

After all, investigating thoroughly also carries risks. If these people were to take the risk and defect to other countries, the Austrian Empire would suffer a huge loss.

Even if no one took in these rebels, it would be a waste of resources and manpower to send troops to reclaim the colonies, and it would even be a losing proposition. Therefore, most countries turned a blind eye to the corruption in their colonies. For example, the British simply handed over their colonies to companies to manage.

Regularly rotating officials was the practice of most countries in the modern era, but the problem was that adopting a rotation system at this time would greatly increase administrative costs, and frequent rotation of officials would also weaken the empire's control over its colonies, thus emboldening local tyrants, which was particularly fatal in this era.

All Franz could do was try to find a reliable governor, while secretly establishing some oversight agencies in the colonies and encouraging investigative journalists to frequently visit the colonies.

In this era, this problem is almost unsolvable.

However, that only applies to general political entities in modern times. The Austrian Empire, after all, still retained a large number of feudal remnants. This is where the Austrian Empire's secret police came in handy, since professional matters should be left to professionals.

Whether it's infamous or barbaric and backward, Franz didn't care. He only believed in black cats and white cats; a cat that catches mice is a good cat. It's just that cats and mice change as things develop.

In short, the Austrian Empire's secret police were quite effective in dealing with certain individuals during such special times.

Then there is public oversight, which is very difficult to achieve, almost impossible in this era. Limited by transportation, communication, systems, and traditions, the cost of forcibly implementing it would be incalculable.

However, Franz still had a plan. The reason he brought so many people from the Austrian Empire was for this purpose, and the veterans were there to ensure that everything could be carried out smoothly.

When the Austrian Empire's oversight agencies patrolled the area, they would be provided with a royal mailbox. Local censorship agencies would have no right to inquire about these letters, and even the officials in charge of the patrol would not have the right to open them. Everything had to be sent to the Austrian Empire for inspection by the Supreme Oversight Council.

No matter how much power officials in the colonies have, they may not dare to take action against the local oversight agencies. After all, the nature of their actions is different. At most, their misdeeds in the local area can be considered crimes, but taking action against imperial inspectors is rebellion.

If an inspector were to have an accident, the imperial government would investigate thoroughly, even if it were just to save face. And if it really came to that, the so-called evidence would actually become less important.

The American political scene next door has never really given up on Cuba, especially after the success of the Austrian Empire. The North saw this as proof that success could be achieved without slavery, while the American South never forgot about Cuba's fertile land.

Of course, the main reason was to antagonize the American North, and also to cater to the psychology of the American people. At this time, many Americans were dissatisfied with the arrogance of old Europe; they had had enough of being called "savages" and "country bumpkins."