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

Chapter 1788 Selling

However, this was indeed a very large spoils of war, which might have been somewhat of a burden or even a source of disdain for the Austrian Empire's army.

But selling it to the Kingdom of Greece would be just right.

Why must it be a sale?
Giving is a favor, while selling is a matter of duty.

Franz's cousin had long since done his duty, repeatedly helping Greece stabilize the situation, resolve crises, and expand its territory by providing money, weapons, personnel, and policies.

Even the Wiltersbach family only gave him a guard of 3000 men, which was not even comparable to what Franz had given.

However, Franz was, after all, the emperor of the Austrian Empire, and he could not help his allies indefinitely.

Just as the Austrian Empire could provide resources to help its allies and Christians resist the evil invasion of the Ottomans, it could not empty its coffers and plunge its own people into poverty.

Therefore, selling was an inevitable choice. It was necessary to make the Greeks understand their position and that any gift came with a price, requiring them to repay it with loyalty, political support, and economic returns.

This was done primarily to prevent giving the other party the illusion that "everything is as it should be." In fact, for a long time, the Greeks had the illusion that they were Europe.

The Greeks had high expectations of Britain, France, and Russia, which is why they reacted so strongly to the Don Pasifico incident and the Russian invasion of the Balkans.

This also led to the Greek kingdoms adopting aggressive strategies in almost every diplomatic crisis throughout history and being eager to engage in military adventures.

Selling these strategic materials can also recoup some funds and avoid waste.

However, selling those strategic materials to the Kingdom of Greece was more of a political show or a diplomatic maneuver than a commercial transaction.

This approach allows allies to clearly state their position and the costs involved, while also reassuring the public and soldiers.

This will allow soldiers and civilians to see a shrewd ruler, not a pushover who sacrifices his own country's interests for the benefit of other nations.

Material rewards can boost soldiers' morale, and the opportunity to share in the spoils of war can create a sense of fairness for them.

Regardless of how much they receive, this is more motivating than any slogan or boast.

The public sale of war spoils has always been the most direct way to demonstrate military achievements to the public.

Furthermore, the Austrian Empire's propaganda machine was very powerful, and Franz certainly wouldn't let it sit idle.

Vienna Daily

"The Empire has once again achieved a glorious victory, and we will sell those spoils to our allies."

His Majesty the Great Emperor has decided to allocate a portion of this to subsidize our people; tomorrow, there will be victory bread and victory coal available for sale.

Each person is limited to four loaves of bread and fifty kilograms of coal, while supplies last.

Royal Department Store will also launch a special offer day event.

Meanwhile, the arts and culture scene in the Austrian Empire also benefited. The royal family and government would inevitably produce a series of cultural and entertainment works to celebrate the victory, which meant it was time for artists to perform again.

This was especially true for musicians in Vienna, who saw their chance to make a name for themselves.

Because the general public and various sectors of society could benefit to some extent, anti-war rhetoric had very little appeal in the Austrian Empire. The lower classes were particularly vulnerable to empathy from anti-war activists, because now it wasn't just a matter of simple revenge, but also about tangible benefits.

For nobles, merchants, scholars, and officials, even if those few pieces of bread were free, they might not take them, and they would be even less inclined to take dozens of kilograms of coal.

But for the millions of ordinary people in the Austrian Empire, these were real benefits, as they would no longer have to suffer from hunger and cold.

In reality, those who are truly anti-war leaders usually don't speak out themselves; they typically use the church as a platform.

However, the enemy they were fighting was the Ottomans, and even the most greedy clergy dared not defend the enemy.

Otherwise, without the Austrian imperial government taking any action, those Catholics and their colleagues would have sent him to the Vatican for trial.

In fact, the British spent a lot of money on public relations in the Austrian Empire, hoping to create chaos within the empire.

Anti-war groups, who advocate love, kindness, and faith in God, are the British people's favorite pawns.

However, this tactic simply doesn't work in a country like Austria. People there simply don't buy into it, and they can't empathize with the Ottomans or those who helped the Ottoman Empire.

At this point, many clever people had already thought of a problem: if the Greeks had no money, how would they buy it?
This brings us to Franz's subsequent actions, which were to legitimately develop Greece.

Greece still has considerable resources, and some business deals require specific terms, not to mention the potential for dumping later.

Of course, if Otto I and the Kingdom of Greece were truly capable of developing their countries well, Franz would not mind engaging in equal trade with them.

However, the reality is that even with repeated assistance from the Austrian Empire over the years, the Kingdom of Greece remains a mess.

Since they lacked the capability, Franz had no choice but to handle it himself. After all, this was the most efficient and appropriate method at the moment.
As for why Franz didn't do that from the start? Austria is not Russia after all; it still requires a certain approach and timing.

The Austrian army will first help the Kingdom of Greece occupy eastern Macedonia, and then seize the opportunity to move north to help the Russian army, or wait for the main Russian army to arrive so that they can attack Constantinople together.

Both the British and the Ottomans were driven by the spirit of sacrificing their own lives for their allies; they had no interest in staying to outwit and outmaneuver the Austrian army.

As for the local powerful clans, most of them chose to surrender under coercion and enticement, since not surrendering meant certain death, unless they were willing to give up their generations of accumulated wealth and cross the Merich River.

The Austrian army's occupation of eastern Macedonia did not result in as many losses as when it previously eliminated the Greek warlords, and the Greek army had also changed its tactics and was no longer looting indiscriminately.

On the other hand, ever since Nicholas I received news of Austria's entry into the war, he has been unable to eat or sleep properly.

Nicholas I was quite confident in Franz, believing that Franz would keep his word, and that what the Austrian Empire wanted was insignificant compared to Constantinople.

What truly annoyed Nicholas I was Otto I and the Greeks, who at this time occupied too much land.

Although Nicholas I did not believe the Greeks had the strength to occupy Constantinople, he felt they shouldn't even have the right to think about it.

Nicholas I could not accept the so-called Greater Greece dream at all, and he wanted to shatter it completely, but due to the alliance, he could only issue warnings at most.

However, from Otto I to ordinary people, no one in the Greek kingdom took Nicholas I's warnings seriously; they continued to promote their grand Greek dream.

Nicholas I hesitated to take action against Greece primarily because the Ottoman Empire was still intact, and secondly because his alliance with the Austrian Empire forced him to think twice before acting.

Now that the Austrian Empire will attack the Ottoman Empire from the direction of Greece, this greatly increases the chances of victory for the Greek army.