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

Chapter 1806 The Canaan Purge Plan
To be honest, the distance between Schönbrunn Palace and Hofburg Palace is not far, but when Franz entered Hofburg Palace, he found that everything was in complete chaos.

Without Franz needing to be reminded, Mia and the other secretaries began their report.

Franz was exhausted after the two-hour report. He never expected that so much could happen in the country in just two days.

However, the most significant issue is the graphic violence that these reporters have been spreading; these images are undeniably impactful.

Even black and white images can terrify minors and keep them awake at night. Not to mention minors, many adults who haven't seen much bloodshed, especially wealthy women who still wear corsets, would be so frightened they'd faint.

To be honest, the secretaries didn't look too good either. Putting aside the issue of empathy, the mere sight of them was enough to make one feel physically uncomfortable.

However, Franz's face remained expressionless, after all, he came from that information-exploding future.

However, from Franz's position, he could increasingly sense the meticulous calculations behind it all. Morality, faith, fairness, justice, freedom, democracy, and the like were utterly worthless in the eyes of politicians.

At this time, the Canaan region belonged to the Austrian Empire, and the Ottoman Empire had lost its role in blocking Russia. Now, they could only hope that they would not be annexed by Russia too soon.

As a result, European countries took action to prepare for a joint intervention, but more than a dozen countries could not even muster 5000 people.

In contrast, within the Austrian Empire, the church was able to organize more than 10,000 armed monks.

Of course, this was all the assets of the Austrian Imperial Church. After all, the Church's armed forces were also responsible to Franz, so he was naturally very clear about it.

The Austrian military was preparing to form an expeditionary force of 100,000 men, but according to the Austrian Empire's military estimates, 20,000 men would actually be enough to conquer the Canaanite region.

The previous plan was the same: the vanguard should be enough to capture the major towns in the Canaan region, while the follow-up troops could strengthen the defenses and maintain order.

Now, the Austrian military, government, and civilians have basically reached a consensus that killing all the local Ottomans is the right choice.

After assessment, the military determined that 100,000 troops should be sufficient to complete the mission.

In fact, they are still recruiting volunteers because they know very well that an army alone is not enough for long-term stability.

Austrians are usually not very interested in going to colonies, but this time they were very enthusiastic, even though the environment they were going to might be terrible.

Franz now faces an army eager for revenge at any cost, a populace gripped by religious fanaticism, and an Austrian government that continues to fuel the unrest without regard for its own interests.

It's the same old story: conquering Canaan and even defeating the Ottoman Empire were not particularly difficult tasks.

But what are the costs? Huge war costs and extremely negative international repercussions.

Britain and France would certainly seize the opportunity to spread rumors and stir up trouble, while Russia would certainly study how to turn it into a full-scale war so as to annex the Ottoman Empire in one fell swoop.

What did the large influx of people eat and drink when they arrived in Canaan? What kind of work did they do to support themselves?

They can act impulsively, but Franz has to consider these things.

According to Franz's previous plan, they intended to spend 20-30 years completing the basic design and construction, and transforming the local environment.

After centuries of Ottoman rule, the entire Canaan region was no longer suitable for human habitation. The reason why only 300,000 people remained was largely because the local environment could only support such a small population.

According to estimates by experts from the Austrian Empire, even excluding factors such as bandits, the maximum population that Canaan could support would not exceed 70.

As for why it was possible to support more than two million people in ancient times, it would have required a comprehensive restoration of the local environment and infrastructure.

Franz understood that the problem of Jerusalem was the most pressing issue at the moment; he hadn't expected that he had gotten himself into such a big mess.

Imperial meeting.

"Your Majesty, we will surely win this war."

Count Latour appeared confident, after all, the so-called enemy forces were utterly ineffective. They captured the two important port cities of Haifa and Jaffa with fewer than 200 casualties.

This was under a series of unfavorable conditions, including being completely unprepared, engaging in urban warfare, and needing to rescue hostages.

If the two sides had actually clashed on the main battlefield, the losses would probably have been reduced to less than 50.

This is not an exaggeration; according to Austrian military statistics, losses on the main battlefield are usually only one-fifth of those in urban warfare.

"Your Majesty, the current high morale among the people makes it the perfect time to send troops. If we choose to retreat or stand idly by, we will damage the nation's prestige."

Prime Minister Prince Schwarzenberg echoed this sentiment.

"That's right, Your Majesty. News spreads very quickly, and I believe it won't be long before it reaches all of Europe."

Our Austrian Empire's intelligence network is absolutely the best in the world. No matter what the British say this time, they're doomed to lose!

The people have high expectations for the empire and for you; they want to see a completely different, great monarch.

Lord Haberscu's statement represented the views of the younger generation in the Austrian Empire, and he himself thought so too.

"I know I shouldn't comment too much on this kind of thing. But after the Near East war ends, the government's financial surplus should be enough to sustain a limited war."

Moreover, the war had just ended, and the army, especially those soldiers about to be discharged, needed resettlement.

Baron Brooke undoubtedly wanted to help, but among these people, his words had the most flaws.

"Are you going to settle the soldiers in the Canaan region? Do you really think it's a good place? There is a lot of land there, but not much is suitable for human habitation."

Should we let soldiers who have served the country their entire lives retire, or send them to the desert to eat sand?

Baron Latour was getting restless.

"Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness, but the minimum age for military service in our country is now 21, and the retirement age has been lowered from 35 when you first ascended the throne to 30."

Normally, one is forced to retire after three years of service. How can you call those few years a lifetime?

Do you know how miserable these people are, spending their days idly after being discharged from the military? You shouldn't deprive them of their right to work.

Franz found it strange that he had already provided those retired soldiers with the means to make a living, and the response had been very positive over the years.

"That's strange. Are you saying that the reports sent from various places are all fake? Whether in China or overseas, veterans are the hardest working people. They are not only good at pioneering, but also actively pay taxes."

"Am I not treating veterans well enough?"

Count Latour said solemnly.

"No! Your Majesty, the treatment you give to soldiers is the highest in history. Those so-called veterans are indeed very hardworking, law-abiding, and can even be conscripted as soldiers at any time. But I want to say that most of these people are not real veterans. You have given veterans too much treatment, so a market for buying and selling identities has emerged."

There are plenty of people willing to pay a lot of money to buy veteran status; a veteran's certificate can sell for 2000-3000 florins on the black market.

This amount of money is enough for those young people to squander for a while, so many choose to sell their veteran status.

The reason those so-called veterans were so obedient was largely because they were afraid of being exposed.

Franz rubbed his forehead; he hadn't expected it to involve other things.

"What are the real veterans doing? Are they homeless?"

"No, Your Majesty. They are not short of places. Some will become mercenaries, some will re-enlist, and some will join local gangs."

The professionalization of gangs and assassin organizations today owes much to these veterans.

Some veterans may be seeking temporary pleasure, but many more don't know what else they can do.
Asking them to reclaim wasteland and cultivate land is fine for those who already yearn for land, but for those born into humble circumstances, it is a humiliation and torment.

Moreover, their current service life is too short; if they were allowed to mature more, things might turn around.

Or you could send them to Jerusalem, and I guarantee they would become the empire's sharpest blade!

Count Latour has not forgotten his original intention.

Franz had to admit that his intelligence system still had some problems. Actually, it wasn't a problem with the intelligence system itself, but rather that Franz hadn't had time to examine some of the intelligence in detail. He knew that the overall trend was good, and the reactions from all sides were very positive.

But Franz forgot about the problem of post-traumatic stress disorder, where many soldiers retain their old habits even after leaving the military.

This makes it difficult for a significant number of people to integrate into normal life, and they often resort to alcohol to numb themselves or directly to violence.

War brings far more than just victory and glory; it also leaves a large number of soldiers who find it difficult to find peace.

In fact, the Austrian Empire had the best treatment of veterans at that time; in other countries, a large number of veterans became beggars and vagrants.

At this time, post-traumatic stress disorder is often mistaken for homesickness, allergic heart disease, or epilepsy, but the most widespread understanding is cowardice and excessive violence.

"Okay. I will reconsider the issue of service years. I will also try my best not to request mandatory early discharge again."

However, Count Latour, sending them to the front lines will most likely only cause a lot of war.

We cannot indiscriminately kill those people, after all, not everyone participated in the massacre.

We are not the Crusaders of yesteryear; we will not ambush pilgrims. I do not wish to break the rules of two worlds.

Understand? "

Franz looked around and continued.

"And those so-called great powers have already made their choice; they will send an army to maintain their so-called order."

That's all they could do.

"But Your Majesty is different."

"That's right, I'm different from them. I've seen your tactics, and I can't offer any other evaluation besides the fact that they're wasteful of manpower and resources."

First, we don't need to occupy the entire area; we only need to control the water sources. Those who participated in the massacre should be completely eliminated, and those who oppose it should be driven away or expelled.

Secondly, we will allow all Muslims to leave, taking their possessions with them. For those who do not wish to leave, they can help with road construction in exchange for supplies, money, and the right to continue living in the Canaanite region.

Third, we must abolish all local customary laws and establish entirely new laws for them.

Fourth, we will not reject pilgrims, but we will not allow them to violate our laws, nor will we admit them.

Fifth, we need to form a Canaan Construction Corps, and all of them will be required to serve for life.

"

Franz's decision to change the complete purge to a complete expulsion was already more than generous; in reality, the Austrian Empire was not afraid of the local manpower shortage.

After all, the Austrian Empire had faced this situation many times before, and the environment of Canaan was indeed not very suitable for too many people to live in.

The members of the Imperial Council were quite satisfied with the outcome. They were worried that Franz would object, so they decided to maintain the status quo or stop pursuing the matter and prohibit revenge.

His Majesty's strategy was indeed more reliable than the plan devised by the War Ministry and the Imperial Council. This made them admire His Majesty's great talent and strategy, but also feel somewhat ashamed, as it seemed that so many civil and military officials in the entire Austrian Empire had been winning without lifting a finger.

In fact, Franz wasn't really stronger than these people; he simply made minor adjustments based on his experience from later generations.

After all, the officials of the Austrian Empire could only proceed by trial and error, while Franz could solve problems based on some reference cases from later generations and his own understanding.

In fact, according to the plan set forth at the previous imperial conference, the Austrian Empire would not be afraid to confront the entire Arab world head-on, and its 100,000 troops would be enough to make the entire Muslim world unable to raise its head.

Moreover, they were well aware that the entire Muslim world was a disorganized mess, and if any holy war were to break out, those guys would start fighting amongst themselves along the way, so the Austrian Empire wouldn't need to worry about it at all.

A complete extermination would not have been difficult for the Austrian Empire at this time; in fact, it would have been cheaper, less strenuous, and easier to execute than a complete expulsion.

However, their approach has far-reaching consequences and can only address the symptoms, not the root cause.

Franz's demand for Canaan wasn't really for the sake of a holy city; he was establishing an outpost. If this first shot wasn't fired well, countless troubles would follow.

Moreover, Jerusalem is indeed a sensitive area, and it absolutely cannot be dealt with so carelessly.

Franz's only concern at this point was that the soldiers who had stormed into Jerusalem had, like the Crusaders of yesteryear, carried out a massive purge of the city.

Fortunately, the people sent this time weren't so belligerent. Ludwig von Lens hadn't had much dealings with the Ottomans, but that didn't mean he liked them; it just meant his dislike wasn't as strong.

If it had been someone like Gablenz, Hainau, or Albrecht instead, Jerusalem would probably be awash in blood by now.

Of course, as time went on, some Ottomans saw that the Austrian army that had entered the city did not take any further action, so they began to try to test the Austrian army's bottom line.

Knowing when to touch someone's bottom line was a survival skill accumulated by the Ottomans over hundreds of years, but at this moment it became the breakthrough point for the Austrian army.

The orders from above were to hold their ground and create quarantine zones, not to let them wait to die.

(End of this chapter)