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

Chapter 1960 A Beautiful Burden

The triumphant resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire signified the emergence of a super-empire spanning the entirety of Central Europe.

It has a population of nearly 9000 million and a land area of ​​175 million square kilometers, both ranking second in Europe.

Besides coal and grain, its production capacity ranks first in the world in steel, glass, and paper.

The total length of railways reached as high as 40,000 kilometers. At this time, the United States had experienced the Civil War and lost a lot of land. It did not have the historical 50,000 kilometers of railways. Instead, it had less than 20,000 kilometers of railways, and its ranking was not even higher than that of Britain.

The number of Germans in the empire finally exceeded half, accounting for 60% of the total population.

However, this refers to Germans in a broad sense, but even when broken down, they still make up more than half of the total population.

The second largest ethnic group is Italians, whose numbers are approaching 20 million, accounting for more than 20% of the population.

The rest are all ethnic minorities, with registered Hungarians accounting for less than 1%, even fewer than Roma.

Once the armies of the various states are integrated, the empire's army will exceed one million.

The region has numerous navigable rivers and enormous hydropower potential.

The region is extremely rich in resources; it has almost everything except natural rubber.

Similar to the problems of the Austrian Empire itself, it had everything, but the absolute quantity of resources was insufficient.

After the German Confederation was absorbed, the total amount of coal and iron increased, but the relative shortage became even greater, making Alsace-Lorraine even more important.

Then the national literacy rate surged from less than 20% in 1836 to more than 60% in 1859.

At the same time, the number of universities has surged to the top in the world, after all, the German region already had a large number of universities.

This country's natural border defenses are also extraordinary, with endless seas, continuous mountains, and wide rivers. Coupled with the empire's massive army, it is almost a nightmare for any invader.

However, the problems are equally obvious: the country is surrounded by powerful enemies, requiring multi-pronged defense and even having to consider multi-front warfare.

The imperial government enjoys immense credibility, and the people are fervent and loyal.

But now that we've covered the benefits, it's time to talk about some practical issues.

Before celebrating the reconstruction of the Holy Roman Empire, Franz's first task was to send a telegram throughout the country to restore order.

At this time, the Austrian Empire had only nominally achieved the unification of the German regions; in reality, most areas remained in a state of chaos and disorder.

However, it was not truly unified. For example, the Duchy of Arthas-Lorraine did not join directly at this time, but continued to exist independently as an alliance.

Although representatives from the Duchy of Alsace-Lorraine also came and expressed their willingness to join, Franz ultimately prioritized the opinion of his traditional ruler, Louis-Philippe Albert de Orléans (Count of Paris).

This relieved the Count of Paris somewhat, but the person who was even happier was Napoleon III.

The reason Napoleon III was willing to withdraw his troops was not only due to his lack of strength, but also because he had reached a secret agreement with the Austrian Empire.

The agreement stipulated that the Austrian Empire would not forcibly annex Alsace-Lorraine, and both sides knew that this secret agreement was not very binding on the Austrian Empire.

In any case, the Austrian Empire ultimately did not annex Alsace-Lorraine, which allowed Napoleon III to give an explanation to his ministers and generals.

"Do you see? Our sacrifice was not in vain! We have preserved the freedom of Alsace-Lorraine!"
We have preserved the hope for France!

These words, though pale and powerless in the face of defeat, gave Napoleon III and the Second French Empire a chance to catch their breath.

After all, without this hidden achievement, the Second French Empire might have already perished.

Louis Napoleon knew that even the most reputable Napoleon family name couldn't withstand such mistreatment, so he decided to strike first.
Of course, all of this was with Franz's tacit approval, or rather, he was in cahoots with Louis Napoleon. After all, if Franz hadn't released those French troops, Louis Napoleon wouldn't have had the opportunity to strike first.

The main reason Franz was willing to help Louis-Napoleon was that the reborn Holy Roman Empire also needed time.

Don't be fooled by Franz's current success; if he can't complete the integration, then it's all just a joke.

More population and more territory will not enhance national strength, but will create more trouble and make governance itself a burden.

In contrast, Leopold I was much more sensible; after being repeatedly beaten, the Duchy of Belgium had come to realize a problem.

In today's world filled with powerful nations, it is no longer possible for Belgium, in its position, to remain aloof.

Neither Britain, France, nor the German Confederation could fully guarantee its independence and security.

Rather than being caught in the middle, it's better to choose a side and stand firm in your position.

Leopold I did not consider himself an incompetent man, but Belgium was now unable to utilize his talents, or rather, Belgium's development was no longer in his own hands as the King of Belgium.

The Duchy of Belgium was now fully integrated into the German Confederation, and its fate was tied to the German Confederation, or rather, the Holy Roman Empire at that time.

Only if the empire becomes stronger and larger can Belgium get a bigger share of the spoils.

Of course, Belgium can continue to play both sides as it has in the past, but when a crisis comes, it may find itself caught in the middle.

For example, both the economic crisis in France and the price war in the German Confederation had an impact on Belgium, and even earlier, Belgium was used as a dumping ground by the British.

Most Belgian officials shared similar views with Leopold I, believing that Belgium's stage was too small to fully utilize their talents, and that Belgium's future depended on the stability and strength of the Holy Roman Empire system.

Some might compare the Duchy of Belgium to the Duchy of Alsace-Lorraine, but in reality, the Duchy of Belgium, having been weakened countless times, is not worthy of comparison with the Duchy of Alsace-Lorraine.

In particular, the industry and commerce of the Duchy of Belgium developed entirely in a nested manner; without the Holy Roman Empire as a platform, it was nothing. On the other hand, the Duchy of Belgium lacked the channels and connections of the Orleans dynasty, while a group of Orleans factions held real power in France, and they were naturally willing to cooperate with the Duchy of Alsace-Lorraine.

However, the Principality of Belgium not only needs to spend huge sums of money to pave the way for establishing relations, but may also have to pay some price in exchange for their loyalty.

Given the strength of the Austrian Empire at that time, would the Duchy of Belgium really dare to pledge allegiance to France?

In fact, Leopold I at this time was definitely an outstanding pragmatist among the monarchs of Europe.

Although he disagreed with some of Franz's ideas, he did not believe that he would be overlooked.

Moreover, they are still nominally the owners of their own country, but they have simply handed over the right to rule to the Habsburg family.

The royal families of the various kingdoms still enjoy immense privileges, possessing royal titles and privileges, and are allowed to maintain their own guards. As long as they can afford to support them, the empire will not interfere even if they build an army of millions.

Royal territories enjoy the same minimum tax privileges as imperial territories, and the imperial government will provide annuities for each royal family, with the base amount not less than twice the original annuity of each royal family.

Members of royal families are given priority in joining the military or government, and members of royal families from various countries and the Habsburg family share the right to question.

The so-called right to question was Franz's invention. It allowed him to question the actions of the government and officials, who, unless granted permission by the emperor, had to explain their own behavior.

However, all administrative, judicial, military, and diplomatic powers were transferred to the empire, and Franz did not want to follow the old path of Germany.

Historically, the German Empire was actually a mess made up of a mountain of code. Each state retained certain rights in the military, resulting in inconsistent training standards, inconsistent equipment models, and difficulty in coordinating between armies.

These problems may not sound so serious, but in reality, these details are extremely fatal on the battlefield. In particular, the South Germans simply did not want to fight Prussia to the bitter end.

Outside the battlefield, the various states scrambled for resources, with everyone prioritizing the protection of their own homeland's army. In terms of mobilization, at the beginning of the war, the states frantically crammed men into their armies, but after discovering the difficulty and cruelty of the war, they began frantically hiding their people and supplies.

Wilhelm II wanted to visit the Bavarian army, but was turned away by the Bavarian ambassador and was even banned from flying the black, red and gold tricolor flag within the state.

To gain the support of other states, Wilhelm II had to resort to bribery. This sounds absurd, but it is a fact that actually happened.

The same infighting in parliament caused the entire country to be extremely inefficient.

In later generations, when people mention Germany, they always think of great craftsmen and "oil paper packaging." But what is little known is that German factories at that time were rife with counterfeits, and they were the largest counterfeiting center in all of Europe.

Once a regulation or industry standard is established, the governments of each state are not thinking about how to strictly enforce it, but rather how to minimize losses for their own state's factories and gain a competitive advantage.

Every state is afraid of being taken advantage of, so state governments are desperately lowering their standards, even turning a blind eye to obvious defects.

For a time, the market was full of counterfeit and substandard goods. In the end, it was thanks to Hayek's great efforts that a number of century-old brands were created.

The same problem exists in the judicial system, with each state showing extreme favoritism towards its own people. Judges and juries all exhibit similar tendencies, and even the laws of different states are not entirely the same.

Police in each state act as protectors for local criminal gangs, routinely targeting foreign businessmen and exploiting outsiders. The state's rampant withholding of funds has perpetuated Germany's financial problems.

The railway, and especially the postal system, is chaotic and inefficient.

People in later generations may not feel much about the postal service or think it's important. But in the 19th century, the postal service was a nation's lifeline. The reason later generations don't realize it is because it did such a good job of some basic tasks that people took it for granted.

As the saying goes, a skilled warrior achieves little without making a great feat.

In the 19th century, in many places where telegraphs could not reach, Franz's only means of obtaining information from overseas was through letters. The Hofburg Palace received thousands of emails every day, containing a wealth of information and intelligence.

Without these letters, Franz's rule would have been impossible to begin, let alone the development of any colonies. At most, he could have entrusted a few trustworthy or capable individuals to establish a company overseas.

These are all lessons from the history of the Second German Empire. These rights are clearly more advantageous and must be held by the state.

Historically, Wilhelm I had to compromise in order to achieve unification, which is why he created these awful codes. However, Franz was different; he didn't need to compromise in the true sense.

Faced with Franz, the only choices for those monarchs were acceptance or passive acceptance. The Austrian Empire possessed the power to eliminate any enemy or obstacle that stood in its way, and even the capability to overturn the table altogether.

In fact, the monarchs of the various states had no doubt that if Franz wanted to, he could easily use nationalists to launch a complete revolution or purge.

Franz's actions were more of a gift than a concession.

Moreover, Franz has been very generous, and the quality of life for royal families in various countries has greatly improved. As long as they don't cause trouble, they can enjoy true wealth and luxury for their entire lives.

Despite the seemingly extravagant lifestyles of 19th-century European royalty, they were actually quite impoverished. The advent of the Industrial Revolution drastically reduced royal assets, and coupled with a decline in talent, many royal families had to borrow money to maintain their luxurious and respectable lives.

Especially those marginalized members of the royal family, such as Ambrosius and Maria Amelia, were particularly vulnerable. The former had to borrow decent clothes from his father in Vienna, while the latter and her mother were nearly evicted from Belgium for failing to pay their rent on time.

That's why these two people worked so hard, even if it meant going to the other side of the world to face the unknown, even if it meant doing things they themselves would despise.

Money can't solve all problems, but it can solve most of the troubles of the vast majority of people. Franz was never stingy with money, whether it was towards the people, the nobles, or the royal family.

Not all royal families are so fond of clinging to power; they are willing to relinquish it as long as the benefits are right.

In such a time of crisis, the royal families actually hoped that the Austrian Empire could take over these responsibilities, since some things had exceeded their capabilities.

At least in dealing with nationalists, most states did not have it as easy as the Austrian Empire.

Some royal families are happy to be free from trouble, while those who want to make a name for themselves can participate in politics or join the army.

Franz didn't stop him; on the contrary, he welcomed it.

However, the Austrian Empire always adhered to one principle: the balance of power and responsibility. With the acquisition of power came immense responsibility, rendering the original exemptions less effective.

Of course, this also means that even if they want to be wealthy and idle, they cannot do anything wrong. Otherwise, once they cross the line, Franz can still treat them as if they have failed to set a good example for nobles and royalty.