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

Chapter 1980 Offering oneself to a tiger? No interest!

"Vote for the whole of the Netherlands?"

Amelia still couldn't understand.

"But that's the Dutch royal family's company, and it owes so much money. Do you expect it to be like you?"

That gorilla king's appearance, intelligence, and morality all resembled those of apes.

What William III didn't know was that his reputation was extremely bad, especially among noblewomen. It wasn't just that he had a terrible falling out with his wife; his bad temper and incompetence were also well-known.

If it weren't for the fact that most royal women don't have control over their marriages, almost no one would be willing to marry him.

Amelia had no idea that William III would distribute money to the people; in fact, apart from Franz, she had only seen those ambiguous records in books.

But if others don't benefit, then what's the point of investing in the Netherlands?

"The situation in the Netherlands is complicated, with local powerful families having too many privileges and the right to interpret 'tradition'."

This joining the Holy Roman Empire was already somewhat reluctant; if things weren't handled properly and something was excessively provoked, a rebellion would be inevitable.

Moreover, the Netherlands was different from other states; it had colonies and was located halfway around the world from the empire's homeland.

A smooth transition will require the cooperation of William III.

The situation in the Netherlands is actually quite special. The Netherlands is undoubtedly a unified country, but the monarch's power and control are very weak.

Since the era of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, the provinces have long been controlled by oligarchic merchants, and no one can dominate national politics; instead, they can only rely on factional power struggles.

In the Netherlands, wealthy merchants, nobles, government officials, and factory owners have long been closely intertwined, and many people overlook the fact that the Netherlands was the first capitalist country.

Capitalist logic is deeply ingrained in people's minds; money is the core that sustains the entire society.

Don't think that capitalism doesn't respect or value privileges. In fact, quite the opposite is true. Capitalists are extremely risk-averse. If they can make money effortlessly, they will never engage in venture capital.

If they truly took pride in paying taxes, they wouldn't go to such lengths to research tax avoidance.

However, when money comes into contact with guns, they will still choose their own lives.

They also need a way to back down gracefully, and they need William III to set an example.

Franz could certainly enforce it, but that would leave behind a lot of problems. These issues may not be immediately apparent, but they could very well become the breakthrough point at a crucial moment.

Even if we take a step back and assume the Holy Roman Empire was essentially a monarchy, the other side was, in essence, one of their own. Although Franz and William III were unwilling to admit it, they were, after all, on the other side.

However, the most crucial assets were the Dutch colonies, including the Dutch East India Company, some islands in the Caribbean, and Suriname in South America.

The Dutch on these lands were practically local tyrants, and getting them to relinquish power was a delicate matter. Although Franz had already sent people to participate in the management of Java, gaining control was not so simple.

Maintaining such distant and vast colonies was prohibitively expensive, so Franz had to be extremely cautious, and was even willing to relinquish some interests to maintain relations with the colonies when necessary.

This was cultivated land that the Dutch had developed over hundreds of years; it was unimaginable to think about wild lands like Australia.

Amelia was a very intelligent woman, but Franz's words were still too advanced, at least for people of that era, they were too abstract.

"If you want to win them over, wouldn't it be better to just give them the benefits directly?"

All Amelia could understand was this: she felt that since Franz could directly distribute money to commoners, why couldn't he distribute it directly to nobles and merchants?

"Of course I could do that, but how much money would that cost? Besides, could that money really satisfy their ambitions and desires? Would offering myself as a sacrifice move those insatiable bastards?"
Selfless dedication depends on who and what it's for. Otherwise, it's like raising a tiger to cause trouble.

Every tiger loves its food to be selflessly given away; even those tigers that are temporarily weak will become insatiable after being nourished by fresh flesh and blood.

Your dedication will only aid and abet evil, whether you are a prince or an emperor.

Aiding the wicked is aiding the wicked; packaging the indulgence of evildoers as compassion does not change the fact that evil is committed.

I did this as a final act of mercy to those tigers. If they can stop or go to other areas, I don't mind letting them go.

But if they continue to eat our flesh, then I have no choice but to abandon my illusions and take up arms.

Franz's words left Amelia confused, but she knew just how ruthless the man before her truly was.

Contrary to the popular perception of Franz as benevolent and great, the aristocracy viewed him as a demon sent from heaven, a ruthless killer.

In particular, General Hai Nao always considered himself a hero, and many people were curious as to why a butcher would have such an outrageous idea.

Until one time, when Heinau was drunk, he mentioned the words Franz had given him.

"Killing one person is a crime, killing ten people is a murder, killing a hundred people is evil, killing a thousand people is a hero, slaughtering ten thousand people is a hero, and slaughtering a million people is the hero among heroes."

"A legacy that will last for millennia lies in killing." (Volume 10, Chapter 73)
Combined with Hainau's frequent references to Franz as "the hero of heroes," and the disappearance of a certain nation, a chill ran down people's spines.

In fact, during Franz's reign of more than a decade, the rate of loss of nobles was faster than in the previous thousand years.

Many families that had stood for thousands of years have completely disappeared, and many names that had been passed down for dozens of generations have gradually been forgotten.

No war or catastrophe has caused such devastation; neither the Mongol conquests nor the Black Death could have done it.

But it was accomplished under the benevolent rule of Franz Joseph I, whose glorious empire was built upon the burning bones of countless nobles and powerful families.

Some people thought that the empire might not have enough fuel, so Franz turned his attention to the capitalists.

Of course, the nobles supported this, since it was a good thing that the knife didn't fall on their own bodies.

Amelia, however, didn't care about those things. After all, women value a man's strength more than good or evil.

The idea that "women don't love bad men" is a complete fallacy. Few women actually have masochistic tendencies; rather, it's the "bad" men who are assertive and domineering in their presence.

The black guy you think he is, I'm poor, ugly, have AIDS, uneducated, a gangster, and live under a bridge.

In reality, Black guys will introduce themselves by saying they like singing and dancing, rapping, and basketball.

He graduated from an Ivy League university, is a fraternity member, participated in the NCAA draft, and released an album. His father is frequently invited to dine with figures like Jordan, Buffett, and various governors and senators. He will love you for life.

Of course, there are even more classic examples, such as someone claiming to be the crown prince of an African country, the next king.

The admiration for strength is a common human trait, and women's genes also tend to respect the strong. This was especially true for women in the 19th century. Regardless of Franz's reputation, at least Amelia no longer had to worry about rent or having her luggage dumped on the street while she was with him.

"Your logic is very interesting and pleasant to listen to."

Franz was sure she didn't understand, but he was too embarrassed to make it seem like this talented woman lacked talent.

Franz didn't expose her, because Amelia always knew how to distract herself.

Apart from these powerful nations, other countries didn't have many objections. In fact, those smaller countries were completely different from those of later generations; they were much more pragmatic than one might imagine.

Without someone to take the lead, this group can't possibly cause any trouble. That's how small countries survive.

However, some people in Denmark tried to take advantage of the situation and ended up being severely punished by the iron fist.

Franz had already gone through the motions of politeness before resorting to force, but some people just couldn't distinguish the boundaries of politeness.

In fact, apart from the Netherlands, which had colonies, all other countries were within Franz's military reach. Franz didn't want to use them, but he wasn't unable to.

The practice of making an example of someone to warn others is primitive, but effective.

Taxation, finance, law, weights and measures, railways, transportation, language, and writing should all be gradually assimilated.

The reason we're starting with taxes is simply because now is the most opportune time.

Taxation and law are not entirely equivalent, since people generally believe that as long as you don't break the law, you don't need to know the law.

But taxes are different; they are relevant to everyone.

However, some things need to change, namely, increasing indirect taxes.

The biggest advantage of indirect taxes is their high degree of concealment, which reduces the public's sense of pain when paying taxes.

After all, when people are unaware that they are paying taxes, their aversion to taxes disappears.

Of course, personal income tax should still be promoted vigorously, after all, Franz alone pays more than 80%, or even 90%, of the total taxes paid by the nation.

In addition, the cost of collecting indirect taxes is much lower than that of direct taxes; otherwise, tax filing, accounting, and review would require a huge amount of manpower and energy.

At that time, the productivity was still insufficient to support so many "idle people".

Moreover, it can genuinely increase fiscal revenue and make tax revenue more stable.

At this time, the Holy Roman Empire inherited the economic principles of the Austrian Empire. Although it could form its own system, it still needed external support to thrive.

Therefore, tariffs remain a major issue, and the trade war with Britain and France will continue.

Britain and France are not Austria’s main target markets, and their resources are not very complementary. Implementing reciprocal tariffs can also reduce external competition.

Franz wasn't worried about the goods going unsold, as the smuggling ring would find a way. As long as there was enough profit, someone would be willing to take the risk, which didn't conflict with the Empire's crackdown on smuggling.

Of course, Franz would occasionally take some official actions, as this was a good way to win people over.

In fact, within France, apart from the die-hard Napoleonic supporters who had a relatively good impression of Franz, there were many others who wanted to become compradors.

The situation in Britain was similar. The British government might dislike Franz, but the British aristocracy, businessmen, and even many members of parliament did not dislike him.

In fact, there was a very unusual practice: the British were quite fond of lending money to the Austrian Empire. After the establishment of the Holy Roman Empire, Britain received far more blessings than condemnations and curses.

At this time, Britain and France were transitioning to early financial capitalism, or rentier capitalism, because the profits from industry and land were growing slowly and were risky.

The ongoing economic crisis means that any investment activity could potentially result in losses.

On the other hand, the economy of the Austrian Empire was booming. Although there was no way to get money back from the Austrian Empire, goods could be obtained.

These goods can also be converted into capital, and in some ways even more profitable.

Because the trade war between the two sides objectively maintained the scarcity of goods in the Austrian Empire, it was possible to make a lot of money as long as the marketing was done properly.

As for the lower classes, they are completely confused by the completely opposite propaganda from both sides, while the elite class has its own views, but they are also fighting between the two extremes.

Of course, the overall trend is that the number of people who yearn for the Holy Roman Empire is increasing.

The situation in Russia was exactly the opposite. The Holy Roman Empire and Russia were highly complementary, which is why Nicholas I conceived the idea of ​​an Eastern Roman Empire.

Russian resources were converted at a very high rate in the Austrian Empire, and Franz seemed to be a fair businessman, so both sides could profit.

The transfer of some Austrian technology and tools to Russia also increased the efficiency of Russian agricultural production, but this made some serfs seem even more superfluous.

After careful consideration, the Russians decided to unite and resist the technology and agricultural tools coming from the Austrian Empire, so as to make the most of their existing serfs.

In this respect, Nicholas I was quite progressive. He had no aversion to those technologies and agricultural tools, and even bought whatever was expensive or new.

The productivity of the Russian imperial estates naturally increased rapidly, and the surplus serfs were not a problem for Nicholas I.

After all, Russia may lack other things, but it has plenty of land. Most importantly, the extra labor force can bolster his beloved army.

Once Nicholas I discovered this benefit, it became much more difficult for Russian nobles to purchase technology and agricultural tools from the Austrian Empire.

Furthermore, Nicholas I himself became Russia's largest contractor, leaving Russian nobles with no choice but to reluctantly purchase farm tools at prices he had inflated several times over.

Learning a skill is even more difficult.

In all honesty, Franz offered Russia sufficiently favorable tariffs, but Nicholas I insisted on collecting double the taxes.

However, there are some advantages. Nicholas I preferred to monopolize the market, so he would eliminate other competitors for Franz.

Franz understood that this situation could not continue indefinitely, so he consistently granted Russia most-favored-nation status.

However, this "harmony" only existed at the national level. At the grassroots level, Russia and Austria (then known as the Holy Roman Empire) had remained lukewarm for many years.

On one hand, there was the polarization caused by Franz's support and Nicholas I's suppression.

On the other hand, there is the practical problem, which is the same old story: the business environment in Russia is very poor. Many Austrian businessmen who went to Russia to do business ended up losing everything, and even those with connections were not guaranteed to escape unscathed.

At the same time, Russians were not well-received in the Holy Roman Empire, and their goods lacked competitiveness. Nicholas I's monopoly on the export of most resources made it difficult for them to make money.