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

Chapter 1985 Discarding the Donkey After It Has Served Its Purpose

However, regardless of the circumstances, the Hohenzollern family and the Prussian Junker nobles could not possibly bear the blame for the country's downfall, so smearing them was necessary.

They must be the victims, and the instigators must be a few merchants and bankers. Thus, the story of horseshoes was once again brought to the historical stage.

Of course, they also intended to kill to silence witnesses, since many businessmen, factory owners, and lawyers also possessed some crucial evidence.

For example, who bribed whom, who betrayed whom, who profited, and who committed treason.
No one wants to hand over their secrets, especially to a group of people destined for destruction, because they don't want to be buried with them.

However, robbery is addictive, and the initial munitions contractors, bankers, grain merchants, hawks, and those attempting to transfer assets were quickly wiped out.

However, the nobles clearly had a very good appetite and were not satisfied with this.

Thus began a larger-scale purge, targeting sectors that were thought to be safe, such as railways, shipping, mining, and telegraph.

Railways and shipping did not come to a standstill, and the operation of mines and telegraphs was not greatly affected.

In fact, William I and the Prussian nobles had long been eyeing these key positions, which is why they were able to make such efficient, even seamless, replacements at this time.

However, their desires were not so easily satisfied; even those merchants who should have been kept as dogs were served on the dinner table.

While some people enjoyed the spoils immensely, others suffered heavy losses. After all, taking in a dog requires investment, and how could one tolerate paying a deposit only to have the person disappear?

This group also wanted to make up for their losses, so they discovered the industrial Junkers and the financial Junkers, and driven by profit, they raised their swords again.

The public doesn't care about that; they've already been brainwashed by the previous narratives of acquittal and hatred, and now they're only thinking about revenge.

Not to mention targeting capitalists, who would definitely benefit from it, and they wouldn't let such a good opportunity pass them by, both morally and financially.

The people's anger needed an outlet, and the nobles took advantage of this opportunity, but they overestimated their own morality and control.

Initially, they only guided the ethnic group to besiege a portion of the people, and then had the military police and regular police arrive a little late.

The initial planners tried to maintain a balance, but as excuses were abused and attacks increased, they lost control.

The abuse of power, arbitrary charges, asset robbery, and economic disruption reached a point where even officials of the Austrian Empire could no longer tolerate it.

"The Prussians have gone mad; they are not looking for enemies, they are creating them."

Fanny Koss, who was sent to Prussia, wrote this.

This surprised and angered Franz. How could something this small take so long to resolve?

What is Bismarck doing!
Actually, Bismarck can't really be blamed for this; Franz's indulgence was the root of the problem.

Although Franz never personally gave any orders, it was actually seen as a signal by many.

A signal of state tacit approval is enough for them.

Franz underestimated his influence; his authority was enough to crush the rationality of many. Bismarck was not naive; it's just that the Prussians hadn't forgotten the misdeeds he had committed.

More than 300,000 fine Prussian men were either dead or crippled.

Those who survived suffered even worse than the dead, missing limbs, suffering extensive burns, and some who appeared unharmed but whose souls were shattered, remembering only the trembling sensation.

Although the death toll among commoners was relatively high, the blow to the Junker aristocracy was far more severe.

Unlike Austrian officers, Prussian officers were mostly second sons or collateral relatives. Many Prussian officers were current heads of households, heirs to their families, or the most outstanding and promising members of their families.

Prussia's tradition was completely different from Austria's. They genuinely craved glory and wanted to achieve great things on the battlefield. It was their history passed down from generation to generation, but it also cost an entire generation their lives.

How can such a deep-seated hatred be easily forgotten?

Franz needed Wilhelm I and Bismarck to stabilize public sentiment, but the Prussian nobles did not!
Although those young men died on the battlefield at the hands of Austria, Franz told them that the Prussian capitalists were the real culprits.

But the Junker nobles knew very well that without Bismarck's instigation (overruling opposition and secretly plotting), Prussia would never have gone to war with Austria.

Although some people may make a few boastful remarks to show off their courage, most people remain rational.

Many people within the military, government, and aristocratic circles opposed war, especially those who opposed going to war with Austria on the grounds of protecting free trade and free merchants.

However, there were too many young people eager to make a name for themselves, and Prussia's military traditions and war myths did not allow them to back down at this crucial moment.

Furthermore, religious differences, nationalistic views, and dynastic rivalries fueled Prussian hostility toward Austria.

Moreover, William I, as the ruler, also supported the war, which resulted in an unprecedented and devastating defeat.

Now Bismarck once again stepped forward to tell them they were wrong. These Junker nobles immediately imprisoned Bismarck, for a simple reason—that he was colluding with merchants.

This is not unfounded. In fact, Bismarck did have close ties with successful businessmen and bankers such as Krupp, Siemens, Oppenheimer, and David Henzelmann, and even provided them with financial and policy support.

Bismarck had a lot of dealings with these people in order to wage a price war, because without their support, it would have been difficult to start such a price war.

Only by getting these dragon heads into the water first could others be forced to follow suit, but at this point, all of this became evidence that landed him in jail.

Bismarck, dressed in prison clothes, gripped the bars.

"You bunch of idiots! You're courting death!"

This proud and arrogant madman was now sitting dejectedly on a straw mat. Bismarck suddenly felt that the failure was not just his own problem.

The Prussian Junkers were too self-important; if they had been able to control everything, they might have lost more gracefully.
At that moment, another voice rang out from inside the cell.

"Hey, look! Isn't this the Prime Minister? What are you doing here? We've been able to stay here for quite a while thanks to you."

Bismarck glanced at him dismissively; he knew perfectly well that someone didn't want him to have an easy time.

"What a bunch of idiots."

"you wanna die!"

Bismarck sat on the groaning prisoners, lost in deep thought.

"Are these idiots delusional? Do they really think that the one in Vienna wouldn't dare to touch them?"

Inside a salon in Berlin, several wealthy and influential figures felt a deep unease.

"Should we stop now?"

"Yes, we've already made quite a bit of money, and many people are starting to get envious." "Why? You think you can just run away after you've made your money? What about our losses? Our family business has been divided up by those peasants!"

"There's no cake left for us to share, and besides, you've already broken even."

"Stop now? Can you even stop? The wolves have already tasted blood; is it realistic to expect them to eat grass again?"

“Those Austrians are settling scores with the Dutch. We should get out of there as soon as possible and let the common people cause trouble.”

Then we can bring something else out, and both sides will have a way out.

"That's right, the Austrians also want us to clear the obstacles for them, and everyone has long understood this without saying a word."

As long as we cooperate, let those peasants bear the blame. After all, we haven't resorted to violence.

"hehe."

Although these guys felt uneasy, none of them were willing to give up the benefits they had already gained.

They were the foundation of Prussia in the past, and now they have gained new capital; it is no exaggeration to say that they are Prussia itself.

If Franz wants a stable takeover of Prussia, he must accept their minor flaws; otherwise...
"What a bunch of scum."

Franz's idealized view of the Prussian Junker aristocracy was shattered; he suddenly realized that all so-called nobles were pretty much the same.

Whether they are rural nobles, urban nobles, military nobles, or industrial and commercial nobles, they are essentially all the same, with no distinction of superiority or inferiority.

They are arrogant and overbearing.

Franz did intend to use the Prussian nobility to weaken Prussia's capital and facilitate Austria's takeover, but he did not intend for them to endlessly create wrongful convictions.

Initially, everything went according to Franz's plan, but soon the scale began to expand, and Franz sent Bismarck and a group of officials over in the hope that they could accept it in an orderly manner.

However, these nobles were truly adept at wielding power, especially when it came to imprisoning Bismarck. Franz genuinely felt they hadn't been punished enough.

They've pretty much destroyed Prussia's original economic system; now it's time for Franz to teach them a lesson.

During this time, the Prussian bureaucrats successfully proved that they were indeed beyond redemption, and the officials sent by Franz were not idle either. They kept pointing out the mistakes of the Prussian bureaucrats and recording these crimes.

In fact, these Prussians were quite proud; they always felt they were different from others, which is why they harbored this wishful thinking.

Franz initially refrained from purging them because he feared it would cause social unrest, but not because he felt they had any power.

They may be incredibly valuable and powerful in their own eyes, but in Franz's eyes they are nothing special, and their so-called power is laughable.

When the Austrian army entered Prussia, it advanced unimpeded without any resistance.

Bismarck was released and once again took charge of the situation.

This time, Bismarck showed no mercy. A large number of officials were brought down, and the local nobles fared even worse. Their newly acquired assets were seized before they could even enjoy them, and many were subsequently imprisoned.

In fact, the problems with these guys go far beyond that; they still disregard Franz's Labor Protection Act.

These guys were absolutely right to be arrested. After obtaining the right to operate the factory, they not only failed to follow the regulations, but instead became even more outrageous.

To say that these nobles also became capitalists is truly an insult to capitalists; it would be more accurate to call them slave owners.

So when these guys were punished by the empire and sent to prison, no one objected, and the imagined rebellion of "the rabbit mourns the fox's death" was out of the question.

All that remained was another round of cheers, just as they had when they arrested the original factory owners.

This time, however, it was them sitting in the prison van.
It's somewhat unbelievable, but Franz never imagined that the most resentful party in the entire Holy Roman Empire would be Prussia, which had suffered the most heavy losses in the war.

Franz originally intended to legally purchase it from the Prussian nobles, which would have been beneficial for both parties.

They did the work, Franz paid them, helped them clear their names, and shifted the blame onto the capitalists.

However, these guys are really inhuman; they not only demand exorbitant prices but also disregard the law.

Some even wanted to seize land and challenge the imperial central government. Franz was forced into this situation; he didn't really want to weaken the power and influence of the nobility.

Therefore, some things had to be done by someone else, but fortunately Bismarck understood the current situation very well.

The wealth of these nobles filled the fiscal gap at the time, and at the same time, it was a major reshuffling of social wealth, which could narrow the relative wealth gap in the entire region.

The downfall of these nobles and officials will create a large number of jobs, which will not only make it easier for Franz to place his own people, but also help the empire cultivate new talent.

Of course, Franz showed leniency towards Prussians; with very few exceptions, few were executed.

Most nobles were simply forced to hand over their ill-gotten gains and then serve ten years in the colonies.

A small group of people have been sanctioned for their insatiable greed, manipulation of politics, blatant violations of the law, and even defiance of the central government.

This group, however, followed the old custom of confiscating their property and exiling them to the colonies.

In fact, exile colonies were not as terrible as they used to be. Apart from a few small colonies deep inland in central West Africa, the mortality rate was already at a very low level, and living conditions were not as harsh as they used to be.

At least people will know that they are still in a civilized world and will not have that feeling of being abandoned by the world.

Through years of tireless efforts, the Austrian Empire's colonies have become much less vulnerable to attacks from native inhabitants or wild animals.

Franz was not an environmentalist, and the strength of animal protection organizations in the 19th century was far less than that of later generations.

Therefore, in the colonies of the Austrian Empire, large wild animals and black people almost disappeared; whether carnivorous or herbivorous, they were all driven away and exterminated.

With the addition of landscaping improvements, the environment changed rapidly.

The benefits of doing this are obvious: direct threats are greatly reduced, and the spread of disease is also reduced.

As for whether there will be ecological backlash later, Franz only wants to say that that is not something that early colonists should consider. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater is definitely not advisable.

Franz's actions proved highly effective, and the Holy Roman Empire's colonies were becoming increasingly vibrant and lively.

Of course, this is also inseparable from the huge investment, which also brought opportunities to the entire colony.

Many people found a second chance at rebirth in the colonies, and colonial literature was on the rise.

Therefore, the exile colonies didn't seem so terrible to the exiles, especially since the nobles considered themselves superior and theoretically had a greater chance of rising to prominence.