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

Chapter 1886 Questions
Franz's contribution was actually part of the reason why the rebellion on the island of Ireland was so difficult to handle, but he did not intend to overtax the Irish.

It's not time for Austria and Britain to have a decisive battle yet. Franz plans to give them some more time to recover; it's not worth risking everything now.

Therefore, with the end of the Near East War, the intensity of the rebellion on the island of Ireland was much lower than before.

Even if someone noticed something was amiss, it was easily explained: with the Near East war over, the British would certainly have more resources available.

Rather than fighting head-on, it's better to preserve our strength and wait for a suitable opportunity. The Irish are also nearing their end; all we need to do is provide them with some food and a way out.

Once that anger is released, it's not so easy to recover.

Franz was telling the truth: the Irish would inevitably fail if they fought on, and the British would not compromise. Rather than losing all their men, they should wait for the next opportunity.

The so-called next opportunity was naturally the next war between Austria and Britain. Franz was very satisfied to be able to plant such a time bomb in the British homeland.

As for how to provide Ireland with supplies and a "way out," that was not a problem at all for the Austrian Empire.

Leaving aside Austria's own relief efforts, just consider the Irish people in Austria; they can openly send money back home and bring their relatives and friends back.

In fact, the British government welcomes Irish people abroad to send money home, because they can collect a handling fee and earn the difference in exchange rate.

Most importantly, the British also knew that this would weaken the Irish resistance. The prolonged war had greatly depleted the British people's energy, and they longed for a peaceful return to a stable life.

Actually, there was another term in Britain at the time called "self-expulsion," which meant that the Irish paid for their own expulsion, so that the British government could save money.

Ferdinand Lassalle also came to Austria, intending to observe the Austrian Imperial factories closely before launching a scathing critique.

Applying for the exam was merely to make it more legitimate, but the factories of the Austrian Empire left Lassalle with no grounds for complaint.

His fantasies almost came true here; the workers were no longer simply toiling away to survive.

They have their own lives now, and can even wear their best clothes on their days off, ride their bicycles, take their families to the department store, buy some street food, and finally watch a theatrical performance.

Lassalle's observations in Prague nearly overturned his worldview, as Prussia, just across the river, presented a completely different picture.

Exhausted workers toiled numbly in front of the roaring machinery. The factory had no natural light or ventilation, only a few dim oil lamps. They worked 12-16 hours a day, seven days a week.

They only get short unpaid leave if there is a mechanical failure. Workers rarely receive their agreed-upon wages; factory owners and supervisors deduct wages under various pretexts, and physical abuse is commonplace.

Even when wages are paid, some are replaced with goods, usually moldy potatoes, tattered cloth, spoiled butter, and rotten fish.

Moreover, those goods will not be discounted; on the contrary, they will be deducted from the workers' wages at their normal price.

Ferdinand LaSalle remembers first encountering workers when he had just graduated from university.

Born into a wealthy Jewish merchant family, he rarely came to ordinary churches like this. Lassalle and his classmates sat on benches waiting for the sermon.

He soon smelled a mixture of blood, sweat, and engine oil.

LaSalle looked at a dark-skinned, thin man with bloodshot eyes as if he had never slept.

What he found even more incomprehensible was that the man stood the whole time, even though there were seats available, and his legs were trembling uncontrollably.

This baffled Lassalle. Was he worried about getting the church benches dirty? But those were for people to sit on!
He thought it was a moral issue, but he still asked anyway.

"Sir, you seem very tired, but why won't you sit down?"

The man was somewhat surprised by the sudden question, but he still answered Lassalle's question by pointing to his legs.

"pain."

The man's legs were so swollen that he couldn't sit down and had to stand to listen to the pastor's sermon.

LaSalle learned from a doctor that the man's legs were a result of long-term labor and malnutrition.

To put it bluntly, it boils down to one word: "poor".

It was only after that that Lassalle truly began to understand this class.
But at this moment, tears welled up in his eyes, and his dream seemed to have been realized in this part.

However, Lassalle stepped forward and hugged the worker, saying:

“What is given can be taken away at any time. You should strive for something more worthwhile.”

For example, ballots

At this time, the situation in the Austrian Empire was challenging a theory that Lassalle had just put forward:
The "iron law of wages" means that under capitalism, workers' wages will naturally be suppressed to a level that is barely enough to survive.

Workers' wages fluctuate around the minimum level necessary for survival. A temporary rise in wages can lead to population growth and an increase in the labor supply, which will then cause wages to fall back down.

Lassalle believes this is an inescapable economic law.

Lassalle's National Socialism influenced many subsequent doctrines, though later theories are not entirely the same as his.

However, the situation in the Austrian Empire at this time was clearly inconsistent with Lassalle's theory, but he quickly reconciled with himself.

After all, Austria is a semi-feudal agricultural country. Although its industrial production capacity may have surpassed that of Britain, most people are still engaged in agricultural production. This is clearly inconsistent with the modern model proposed by Britain and France, so it is not surprising that the theory is not very applicable.

Overall, Lassalle was very moved because finally a country was willing to take the initiative to intervene in his economic life and help his people.

However, it was clear that in Lassalle's view, the Austrian Empire was not doing enough. According to his plan, the state should provide credit to help workers establish production cooperatives that they own and manage.

Then workers should receive "the full fruits of their labor," not just wages to survive. In Lassalle's view in the 19th century, without the means of production, all reforms were merely scratching the surface.

Lassalle believed that the first step in the liberation of the working class should be to obtain universal suffrage, control state power through the vote, and then use state power to transform the economy and society in order to achieve his ultimate goal.

That's why Lassalle uttered the meaningful phrase "fight for votes," though it sounded utterly absurd and horrifying to the workers of the Austrian Empire.

The worker felt he was doing very well, at least much better than before, and he had seen what life was like for the truly impoverished.

Lassalle's so-called efforts left the worker bewildered, even feeling that this outsider had disrupted his peaceful life.

It was called encouragement, but it felt more like harassment. On the other hand, while an ordinary worker was unlikely to understand how parliament worked, the Austrian Empire had a well-developed media landscape. As a worker who lived a relatively comfortable life, he couldn't possibly be unaware of politics. He was very clear about what politics meant in this era, in the Austrian Empire—danger.

Those are words far more terrifying than gangsters or bullies; they are like natural disasters or floods, and anyone who tries to defy them will be reduced to dust.

He couldn't help but feel an almost instinctive fear because the Austrian Empire had waged too many wars and killings around this word in recent years, both in 1848 and before.

"Sir, are you kidding me? I'm doing just fine, I don't need to do that!"

No, you need to.

"I do not need!"

No, you need to.

"Are you crazy? Can't you see what's happening in this city? I don't want to participate in a rebellion and end up hanging up there."

The man pointed to the square not far away, where the public trial was still ongoing. It was even more lively than the theater. If he hadn't brought his child and wife, he would have liked to go watch the trial as well.

However, after a month of exposure, only small fry remained, their crimes not horrifying enough. He still preferred the first week, when he knew every single villain—that was truly satisfying.
Lassalle's elitist nature couldn't help but react when he heard the other party equate his great practices with rebellion; he was actually a relatively moderate reformist.

Lassalle wanted parliamentary struggle, not armed struggle, and he was inevitably annoyed by the other side's misinterpretation.

"We are not rebelling, but for the progress of the nation and humanity."

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about, but similar things were said to us that night. None of my friends, brothers, colleagues, or neighbors who believed those things came back.”

They either died that night or were imprisoned. Everyone regretted it, but they had to pay the price.

I don't want to be like them.

On that night filled with blood and fire, the factory owner woke everyone up in the middle of the night and took out money, guns, and ammunition.

"Listen up! The Austrians have stormed into the city! They're going to kill us all, and if we pick up guns, each of us will get thirty florins!"

Everyone who defeats Austria will be rewarded!
For Bohemia! For freedom!

The reason for the call to "for Bohemia" was mainly due to the serious regionalism at the time; Moravia and Bohemia were not on the same page at all.

While most people remained unmoved, some chose to pick up guns. They may have genuinely believed those words, or perhaps they were after those thirty florins, thinking they would be the lucky one.

There were countless such mobilizations that night, but very few people participated. Whether they were foreign visitors or locals, they all knew what picking up a gun meant.

Those who experienced the Civil War in 1848 constantly recounted the horrors of the time: millions of casualties, entire cities burned to ashes, and so many corpses that even emptying coffin shops couldn't contain them all.

The shelling that night was so terrifying that many people went mad, and some who were physically weak were even scared to death at home.

The happiest people in all of Prague are the glass merchants.
Most importantly, the emperor won again. He seemed to be an invincible war god, achieving crushing victories every time. He watched as cart after cart of purplish-brown things were pushed out of the city, which were said to be the remains of the rebels.

Soon, rumors spread that an evil dragon was lurking in Prague, which was why the nobles and officials had turned into bad people and why they were so fond of money.

It was the emperor himself who rode his warhorse and pierced the evil dragon with a long spear; the dragon's dying struggle caused the exaggerated destruction in front of the train station.

The continuous artillery fire actually originated from spears, a magical weapon capable of both close combat and long-range shooting.
Besides those horrific remains, there is another piece of evidence: many traitors were in a daze during their public trials.

Some were laughing hysterically, while others were defecating and urinating. These were usually fearless and ruthless people, so why were they acting like that?

It was probably influenced by the evil dragon.
Faith is indeed a good thing.

It is said that the holy statues shed tears of blood, suggesting that evil dragons or demons truly exist.
(In fact, the so-called blood and tears of the icon is one of the counterattack tactics of some local forces. They want to prove that Franz is acting against the tide by creating a miracle.)
Then, due to various bizarre legends and the church's propaganda, people quickly came up with another story in their minds.

However, Lassalle couldn't hold back any longer. He really hated being misunderstood. He had never said he wanted to rebel or take armed action.

Especially at this juncture, the word "rebellion" was far too sensitive in the Austrian Empire, and he already felt that someone was watching him.

"Who said we were going to rebel? Can human progress and civilization only be achieved through force? His Majesty the Emperor has made a good start, but it's not enough."

What we need is a great system and a great reform.

The emperor's favor was both a gift and a shackle.

Only when we ourselves grasp power can we achieve true liberation; otherwise, we will only continue to be exploited.

The man found it even more absurd.

"How could we possibly wield power? We know nothing. If we, these uneducated bumpkins, were to seize power, wouldn't that plunge the world into chaos?"

Lasalle, however, became interested.

"You can speak with your vote! Cast your vote for someone who can speak for you!"

However, the man answered the next second.

How do I know they'll speak up for me?

"The vote is in your hands. If he doesn't speak for you, then don't vote for him."

"But how do I know he'll speak up for me? Don't you see the kind of life the British lead? Have the politicians they elect really made their lives better?"
The French elected Napoleon, but Napoleon led them to their deaths in Russia.

Look at all those scammers at the train station, aren't they all spouting incredibly convincing lies?
Why don't you ask those guys in the colonial bureau if Africa is any good? They'll definitely tell you how rich it is there, with gold and diamonds everywhere, an endless supply of meat, and everything that grows in the ground.

Why did they give them money, land, and exemption from military service?

If it's really that good, why don't they go themselves?
Do they think they have too much money and land?

The Empire's anti-scam guide states: There's no such thing as a free lunch!

Because the Austrian Empire frequently engaged in large-scale debates with other countries, residents of major cities inevitably gained some political knowledge, and were particularly interested in foreign scandals.