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

Chapter 1902 Suez

Lakshmi Pai harbored considerable resentment towards Franz because he hadn't uttered a single word of concern for his children.

However, Franz didn't have much time. His main purpose in coming out was to check on the progress of Tafi in Austrian East Africa and whether the Omanis were making any unusual moves.

While we're at it, let's check on the progress of the Suez Canal construction and make arrangements for Queen Jhansi and her people.

The Suez Canal is basically completed, with less than five kilometers remaining to be finished, which can be considered the final stage of the project.

In fact, Franz could have dug through those last few kilometers at any time if he wanted to, but the Suez Canal was too important for the future of the Austrian Empire, and he didn't want any mistakes, nor could he afford any mistakes.

The success or failure of the Suez Canal will determine the fate of the world's financial and trade centers for the next century.

This super Suez Canal is a gamble on the fate of the Austrian Empire; it will eventually lead to the return of the world's economic center to the Mediterranean.

If this can be accomplished, then the rise of the United States may never happen again.

Although the opening of the Suez Canal was also beneficial to Britain, the benefits to Britain were far less than those to the countries along the Mediterranean coast.

This was particularly crucial for the Austrian Empire, which only had access to the Mediterranean Sea, as other Mediterranean powers like France and Spain had access to the sea from both sides.

However, the Austrian Empire only had access to the Mediterranean Sea. Even if it were to gain access to other sea routes in the future, these would not be core areas, and its competitiveness would still be much weaker.

The Austrian Empire had a strong military, but military strength alone was far from enough to secure a stable hegemony.

The essence of hegemony is the reconstruction of the world, not simply conquest, so promoting the shift of the world's economic center is an inevitable choice.

The Austrian Empire's influence over Europe and Africa was approaching that of Britain.

But compared to its influence in the East, the Austrian Empire was a joke in the eyes of Britain.

Despite all that Franz did and tried to strangle the British at every turn, the British, with India and the Far East market in their hands, were able to crush the Austrian Empire with sheer numbers.

Even if Franz could crush Britain with all his might without opening up the Eastern Sea route, he couldn't stop the rising United States.

The Austrian Empire's geographical location was inherently disadvantageous, and this was the only way to break the deadlock; otherwise, the impact of its natural disadvantages would only grow.

This was more detrimental than any war or political event, because humans are inherently averse to loss, and every loss diminishes the prestige of the Austrian Empire.

Therefore, the Suez Canal was the cornerstone of Austria's rise to power, and a year or two was nothing in comparison.

Another reason is that the progress of navigation technology was so rapid that it completely exceeded Franz's imagination.

Following the launch of the British 27700-ton Great Eastern, the Austrian Empire was not to be outdone, launching several other giant ships exceeding 20,000 tons in succession.

At this time, not only was the official Austrian Empire expanding, but the confidence of private capital was also expanding abnormally.

The massive 10,000-ton ships that were previously touted worldwide are now being mass-produced; they're even not content with just building 10,000-ton ships.

The Austrian Empire's shipping company originally planned to build a 30,000-ton giant ship to outdo the British, but Franz urgently called it off.

Franz directly ordered a ten-year ban on the construction of giant ships exceeding 1.5 tons, not because he liked to hinder technological progress.

Rather, it's because the technology and infrastructure of this era are not yet ready to accommodate such giant ships.

The Austrian Empire's warships, built with the full resources of the nation, have only just surpassed 10,000 tons.

At that time, neither shipbuilding technology nor materials science was mature. The British HMS Great Eastern had not considered these factors at all. They built it, but it was completely useless.

Because the British had not considered market issues, coupled with the high maintenance costs caused by immature technology, the Great Eastern lost money no matter what it did. The more diligently it worked, the more it lost, with each deal potentially costing tens of thousands of pounds.

Even if they are just moored on the shore, they still cause huge losses every year. Their large size also obstructs maritime traffic, making them an eyesore.

On the other hand, at this time, the infrastructure of most ports was unable to handle these giant ships.

Why were all the giant ships of the Austrian Empire docked in Trieste? Was it because the Venetians didn't want them to?
In fact, Venetian merchants were eager for the Austrian Empire to dock all its giant ships in Venice as a symbol of prestige.

Tragically, Venice couldn't even accommodate 10,000-ton ships before 1851. Why did the Venetians insist on building a new port? Did they have so much money they didn't know what to do with it?
The Venetian merchants felt a sense of crisis, realizing that their proud ports were simply unable to accommodate the giant ships or handle the Austrian Empire's ever-growing maritime trade.

Why were the British so shocked at the first World's Fair? Because they had never seen a giant ship like the Carl Augustus before, and the arrival of the Carl Augustus even caused the water level of the inland rivers to rise.

London, as the world's largest and busiest port at the time, could barely stop. What about the other ports in the world?
Apart from the super ports of various countries, there is simply no way to stop a 10,000-ton giant ship.

If Franz had allowed private capital to flow in recklessly, it would have likely led to countless tragedies like the Great Eastern.

Of course, it is also possible that they will promote the upgrading of ports around the world.

However, this possibility is extremely slim, since who would upgrade their own port for ships from other countries?
After conducting extensive research, Franz concluded that the limit was 1.5 tons; any larger and there would be nowhere to park.

Even so, Franz had to consider whether the Super Suez Canal was too small.
It is 122 meters wide and 14 meters long, with a theoretical maximum capacity of 8 tons and a safe weight of 6 tons.

Franz's original plan was a four-lane dual carriageway, but if he happens to encounter these large vehicles, he will probably only be able to travel in two lanes.

At this rate of progress, it will probably be outdated in less than twenty or thirty years.

The narrow waterways simply could not support the Austrian Empire's massive trade, so Franz was prepared to start the second phase of the Suez Canal project as soon as possible. This canal was crucial to the fate of the Austrian Empire and even the entire Mediterranean.

Franz was quite satisfied with Taffy's work in East Africa, as the former had been consistently implementing the latter's ideas.

As it turns out, as long as you follow Franz's plan honestly, the results will definitely be good.

Taffy was indeed skilled at development and adept at uniting people, and the colony's development speed was very fast; the previous reports were not exaggerated.

"Edward, you did a great job. Much better than I expected."

Franz was speaking from the heart. Although the Austrian Empire was thriving, he was very disappointed by many people and things.

Franz believed he had promoted many talented people, but most of them were just using his name to do whatever they wanted.

Otherwise, they spend all their time figuring out how to flatter their superiors and bully their subordinates, how to line their own pockets, and how to form cliques; in short, very few of them do anything of substance.

Forget about doing anything practical, Franz would be grateful if they did absolutely nothing.

They were truly a bunch of good-for-nothings. No wonder the Austrian aristocracy collapsed; these people used all their intelligence and energy on outsmarting Franz.

It can be described as "one corrupt official after another".

Franz felt nauseous at the thought, and Taffy was clearly not very restrained on the African continent, deliberately using a larger plate than usual.

“Your Majesty, thank you for your praise. I was just doing my duty and acting in accordance with the laws of the Empire.”

Taffy was relatively close to Franz, so he didn't hold back in his words. He wasn't being modest; Taffy was simply acting impartially. "It's already quite good that you've handled things impartially. It's clear your subordinates both admire and fear you."

That's right. No matter what it is, no matter what kind of backing they have, you don't need to worry about it. Just let them come to me.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will continue to work hard."

This time, Taffy was genuinely pleased with himself; he really enjoyed being praised.

But the next second Franz had someone bring over a box, which was full of letters when it was opened.

"what is this?"

Taffy was a little curious. Although he didn't care about any reward, these envelopes were too strange.

"These are all whistleblower reports targeting you."

Franz spoke casually, but Taffy was horrified.

"How is that possible?!"

"Governor Taffy is incompetent in his governance, and his illegal seizure of merchant ships has led to a decline in trade efficiency."

(Your investigation into smuggling and corruption has affected other people's interests, so they're targeting you.)
This exacerbated conflicts and triggered unrest in the colonies.

(You stepped in dog poop, you didn't give those guys any face, and they want revenge.)
A lack of flexibility harms the interests of the empire.

(They weren't enjoying any special privileges, so they were unhappy.)

"Taffy said cautiously."

"But I did exactly what you said."

Franz laughed.

"That's right! Don't pay attention to what those bastards say. Listen to me, if you think it's right, then it's right. If you think it's wrong, then it's wrong."

As for policies towards Black people, you don't need to feel guilty. After all, those guys aren't in any danger, so they can naturally stand on moral high ground and criticize you without any burden.

But you are responsible for the entire colony, and I gave the order.

Just do it.

Taffy then raised his head and perked up, saying...

"Yes!"

Taffy then hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"How is my family?"

Franz understood what Taffy meant; the latter's family was a powerful local family in Moravia, equivalent to the Prince of Windischgren in Bohemia, and perhaps even more deeply rooted.

"Don't worry. I don't really enjoy killing innocent people. You know I'm a kind person just like you."

Your family hasn't done anything utterly heinous.

In fact, the Taffi family is considered one of the more conscientious families among the great nobles.

Moreover, his family has always followed in Franz's footsteps, so they have made a fortune over the years and no longer care about traditional ways of accumulating wealth.

The annual income of just the largest inland steamship company and the largest civilian shipyard in the entire Austrian Empire was equivalent to that of several small countries.

His family also owns a stake in the Moravian Steelworks, the second largest steelworks in the entire Austrian Empire. The annual dividends from this plant are enough to feed his family for generations.

In addition, the Tafie family are also major landowners in Moravia, owning millions of acres of land, as well as shares in the Austrian Imperial Overseas Development Company and the Suez Canal.

Normally, I might indulge in a little extravagance, but I have little interest in that little bit of dirty money.

Furthermore, Moravian and Bohemian traditions differ. The latter has always been primarily confrontational, while Moravian people are 90% compliant and irreconcilably opposed to Bohemia. Moravians dislike Bohemia more than Vienna.

Although Moravia did not reap many benefits from the German Confederation, it benefited from political stability and early planning for railways and industry.

Railways brought about more extensive trade routes, while industry brought real jobs and profits.

Moravian industry was not well-known in later generations, but initially Moravia was one of the most suitable places for industrialization in the Austrian Empire, apart from Bohemia, and its resources were very concentrated, which was very advantageous for early development.

However, its scale and resource quality are far inferior to those of its neighbor Bohemia, making it the kind of region that becomes weaker as the game progresses.

Moravia's social atmosphere was relatively better than Bohemia's because its top-level structure was a product of compromise between Jewish merchants and local nobles, so local power was not as strong.

Or rather, apart from Hungary, no other region in the entire Austrian Empire was more powerful than Bohemia.

They dared to act so boldly because they were truly capable; it was just a pity they ran into Franz.

Furthermore, the Moravian nobles and merchants had already learned from past mistakes and witnessed His Majesty the Emperor's determination and strength. They were not fools or blind; they certainly wouldn't risk their lives.

In fact, while Franz was wreaking havoc in Vienna, Brno was also in turmoil, with the nobles busy cutting ties with the black market.

Reasoning with Franz? Armed confrontation? Absolutely not. They wouldn't even entertain such a thought; self-preservation is their only way to survive.

Before the Bohemian Wars, it was just a matter of nobles and merchants cutting their losses to survive. But after the Bohemian Wars, it was a nationwide panic. People cut ties, abandoned what they could, and fled.

Franz did not intend to cause a complete upheaval, but even with some restraint and remedial measures, Moravia's entire police and prison system was still a mess, with the vast majority of the offenders deserving of their fate.

Overall, however, the Moravian crackdown caused far less uproar than the previous two, and did not result in many scandals.

But Franz showed no mercy; those who deserved to die still died, and those who deserved to be exiled still were exiled.

Of course, there will be plenty of rewards, even if it's just for show. As long as they can keep up the act, Franz won't be stingy with money.

After hearing Franz's words, Taffy's expression turned somewhat strange. He didn't know whether Franz had indiscriminately killed innocent people, but Franz's reputation was indeed not good, and even Taffy had heard rumors about him in Africa.

"That's good. That's good."

When Taffy saw Franz's gaze sweep over, he immediately spoke, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Your Majesty, you shouldn't have come in person. It's far too risky!"