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

Chapter 1645 Get rid of that Irishman
However, on the whole, most Irish people are quite normal, willing to work, and don't have many strange ailments. They have indeed made contributions to the construction of the Austrian Empire.

Otherwise, the rescue operation could not have continued until now. The problem was mainly concentrated in the harsh environment of the colonies, while the Irish immigrants in the relatively developed Austrian Empire were still very law-abiding.

However, with the end of the pioneering period and the application of machinery, the demand for pure cheap labor within the Austrian Empire was declining; in other words, the cost of using, managing, and naturalizing the Irish was too high.

Using the Irish was less desirable than using other ethnic groups within the Austrian Empire, and there were many hidden dangers associated with using the Irish.

Especially in terms of military security, due to the poor relationship between the Austrian Empire and Britain, coupled with the frequent propaganda wars between the two sides, many Austrians harbored hostility towards the British, and naturally found it difficult to trust the Irish who came from "Britain".

Furthermore, while the British didn't care where the Irish went or even whether they lived or died, they also didn't want the Austrian Empire to accomplish anything.

The British government consistently obstructed the Austrian Empire's rescue efforts, which further reduced the amount of aid the Austrian Empire could provide.

As aid supplies decreased, the situation on the island of Ireland was deteriorating further. Thanks to the armistice agreement signed with the Holy Alliance, the British government was finally able to free up its resources to deal with the guerrillas on the island.

The Irish guerrillas were resolute and brave, but unfortunately they faced the British Empire, which was at its zenith at the time. Moreover, although they were on the island of Ireland, the Irish lacked the foundation for guerrilla warfare.

The Irish people were so poor, and the famine meant that the Irish guerrillas relied entirely on robbing British farmers or stealing the last remaining food rations from local residents for supplies.

Such a approach is naturally unsustainable, unable to unite enough forces, and even pushes people to the side of the British government.

The result was that the guerrillas, fighting alone, were wiped out one after another, and the fewer the guerrillas there were, the less pressure the British faced.

After several years of war, the British had largely wiped out the guerrillas in Ireland, with only a small number managing to survive by hiding in the swamps and mountains.

The devastation of the war led to reduced food and livestock production on the island of Ireland, but the British government and merchants would not reduce imports, nor would they provide any subsidies to the Irish.

More and more Irish people, driven to desperation, were forced to consider leaving their homeland, and their first destination was not the Austrian Empire, which had been extending a helping hand, but the so-called New World.

This is partly due to centuries of continuous propaganda by Britain and the United States, which has led the Irish to believe that it is a beautiful, wealthy, and egalitarian continent.

In British and American propaganda, North America was portrayed as the "New World" and the "Promised Land," brimming with opportunities and chances.

On the other hand, it was also due to their own considerations. Although France and Austria are both Catholic countries, the language barrier made integration difficult.

Also due to language barriers, countries in South America such as Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, although they are all Catholic countries and have even promised free land and relief, are generally not considered by the Irish.

However, the reason why the Irish did not go to South America was not just a language issue. South America was viewed very poorly by Europeans at the time, second only to Africa.

Poverty, backwardness, and instability are stereotypes. The Irish viewed South America at that time much like modern people view the birthplace of telecom fraud, and they simply did not believe the promises made by others.

Another issue is transportation. The shipping routes in the North Atlantic are relatively well-established, with trade winds and ocean currents allowing ships to travel between the two continents in a very short time. In contrast, to reach South America, one must navigate through the doldrums near the equator and then search for the trade winds of the Southern Hemisphere.

The most direct comparison is in time. A typical round trip between the UK and North America takes between two and four weeks, while a journey through the doldrums to South America usually takes eight to twelve weeks.

Moreover, tickets from the UK to South America, France, and Austria are much more expensive than those to the US. The maturity of the shipping routes is too different, and it is impossible for penniless Irish people to choose such expensive routes when they leave voluntarily.

So the Irish eventually flocked to the United States in large numbers, and their arrival made life even more difficult for the Cubans, leading to mutual hostility between the two sides.

The influx of large numbers of Irish people into the United States inevitably caused a host of social problems: numerous slums, overcrowded urban low-end labor markets, theft, robbery, alcoholism, fighting, gang problems—all of which pointed to these immigrants.

Although the United States is known as the infrastructure powerhouse of the 19th century, the cities on the East Coast of the United States were built by the British, so they were unable to cope with such emergencies.

The Irish people's drinking habits were considered utterly heinous by the predominantly Puritan American class, who felt that all Irish people were blasphemous.

"No Irish Need Apply" signs are everywhere on the streets, and coupled with the fact that Irish people are Catholic, Americans think that Irish men are all decadent lazybones or gangsters, and that Irish women are all cheap prostitutes.

Few people considered them human; the most common narrative in newspapers was that the Irish were savage, belligerent, dirty, uncouth, unintelligent, lazy, and stupid "white apes."

Historically, some Americans with religious mindsets have been spreading the message that the Irish were the Pope's lackeys and that their purpose in coming to America was to overthrow the country.

However, at this point, the blame was placed on Austria, or more precisely, on Franz. The general content of the rumor was that the Austrian Empire had transported the Irish to an island and trained them in deception, poisoning, and all the skills of killing in dark, secret rooms.

They were then indoctrinated with the idea that the emperor of the Austrian Empire held supreme power, and were depicted as going to heaven after sacrifice.

The mentors would administer "Holy Demon Blood," which was actually a kind of anesthetic, to the chosen person on a ritualistic night.

When they "woke up," they were already in what was called paradise.

There were countless fine wines and delicacies there, as well as countless beautiful women (prostitutes hired at great expense) for his enjoyment.

After enjoying a wonderful time, they will wake up and find themselves still in a cold, enclosed room. The huge contrast will overwhelm them with loss and frustration.

At this point, the mentors will tell them that as long as they obey orders, they will be able to return to heaven after death.
Although it was outrageous, such remarks were very popular in the United States at that time.

However, what truly worried those politicians was not the street brawls and demonstrations, nor any Catholic Church conspiracy, but the rise of the "Ignorant Party".

The "Nothing Knows Party" originated from a secret society called the "Stars and Stripes," whose motto was "America First" and who opposed immigration.

Does this sound familiar? History doesn't simply repeat itself, but it does cycle. They appeared after World War I as well.