Holy Roman Empire

Soldiers always want military exploits. The Austrian Navy has been resting for many years. Anyway, most of the wars in Austria have nothing to do with them.

After Franz took office, the army and navy were reorganized, and a group of officers who were fooling around were forced to retire, everyone knew that the national policy of the Vienna government had changed.

Under normal circumstances, the Vienna government would not operate on the navy.In the absence of war, it is very abnormal to strengthen naval training and increase naval military expenditures.

There was also news from the top management that they were going to open up overseas colonies. Many people thought that the opportunity had come, but they didn't expect that the wait would last for more than four years.In addition to the strengthening of training and the increase of warships, there is no more to follow.

Under such circumstances, young people will inevitably feel a little impatient, sparks will ignite at the slightest, and fights and fights will happen from time to time.

Of course, the fight was refreshing, but it was a tragedy after the fight.It's a good thing not to be caught by the Military Law Department, but if you get caught, you won't have a good life for a long time in the future.

At this time, there happened to be a few naval soldiers in the tavern, but they didn't have the time to care about what a few drunks said.

The navy-army joint exercise requires the navy to dispatch more than half of it, and do you still bring three infantry divisions together for the exercise?

When this order comes out, everyone is guessing who will fight this time.After much deliberation, everyone still couldn't think of an opponent.

Britain and France, they can't win at all. Even if the size of the navy is doubled, they are not opponents. It can be ruled out directly. It is impossible for the Vienna government to issue such an idiot order.

Invasion of the Ottoman Empire?Don't think everyone knows that the army has done its job and Austria has got everything it wants.The Sudanese government has moved their capital to Ankara, and if they look for their bad luck, they must also consider the reactions of Britain and France.

A young man said in a low voice: "The authorities are confused but the bystanders are clear. You don't have to guess wildly. It's better to listen to the answers of those drunkards."

The few people who were arguing stopped.

"Varen, you are so stupid! After all, you are living on the sea, don't you know that there are such creatures as natives in this world?

Our navy is not as good as Britain and France, and it is enough for Spain, but it is not a problem at all to go out and bully the natives.

The troops assembled here can destroy several small countries overseas. " Tagore's man said with contempt

Not to be outdone, Warren retorted: "Fart, Tagore, you idiot, don't you know that the officials and gentlemen in Vienna have always dismissed overseas? Is it possible that you can change their attention?"

"Can't they suddenly figure it out? Our Austria, no, it's our new Holy Roman Empire, and it's also one of the most powerful countries in Europe. What's wrong with grabbing a few colonies?

These days, there are not many colonies, and they are too embarrassed to go out. Maybe the gentlemen in Vienna were stimulated and figured it out all at once. ” Tagore argued

Not long after, the two drunks quarreled and wanted to use force to solve the problem, but they were so dazed that they were not given a chance to fight. Two men appeared in the tavern and dragged them out.

……

A young man asked uncertainly: "What they said should be impossible?"

The leading young man said: "That's more reliable than our guess. I haven't heard of anyone we have conflicted with now. We can't just catch and beat people for no reason, right?"

A gray-clothed man who couldn't hold back said excitedly: "We are really going to open up a colony. Doesn't that mean that our chance to make a fortune has come!"

In the eyes of many people, colonies in this era mean wealth.For those who are eager to make a fortune, this is undoubtedly an opportunity.

The leading young man scolded: "Shut up, Sorin! What nonsense are you talking about? This is obviously an opportunity to make contributions. Don't keep your mouth shut all day long to get rich!"

Thorin quickly replied: "Yes, Captain!"

Obviously, this captain officer doesn't like this kind of people who open their mouths and shut up and talk about getting rich.As a nobleman, he was supposed to serve in the army, but unexpectedly, he was recommended to the Navy's junior officer academy.

When he heard the news, he almost collapsed.In this era, the Austrian Navy has no chance of doing meritorious service, and it is almost a place for the unlearned and incompetent to go in and dawdle.

Fortunately, he was lucky and caught up with the changes in Austria's national policy.Now his idea is to gain military merit as soon as possible and get the title of nobility.

After all, his family's title is not hereditary. He was a nouveau riche who only rose up in his father's generation. He can still be said to be a son of a nobleman, and the next generation will have no way to continue to call themselves a nobleman.

Austrian titles are not easy to get, especially hereditary titles.After Franz succeeded to the throne, more than 100 nobles were conferred successively, most of them because of military exploits.

There are also a few scientists, a dozen engineers, and a few government officials. Except for the hereditary titles of military merit, the rest are lifelong nobles.

This is not Franz's random behavior, but an existing rule.The life-long noble emperor can be named at will, but the military nobles who are actually sealed must have meritorious service.

This rule was formulated by Franz two years ago, approved by the Austrian noble council, and widely recognized by the military.

Different treatment can reflect their status. The nobles in the German region are mostly military nobles, and they are also very concerned about maintaining their status.

As a transaction price, Franz took back the rights of the great nobles in the country to entrust the nobles from now on.The same is true for several states. Nobles entrusted by the king must be reported to the emperor for approval before they can obtain legal status.

The number of nobles was controlled by Franz. It didn't matter that the eldest son of the noble could inherit the title, but the second son had to fight again, otherwise the next generation would be the children of common people.

This is still a hereditary nobility, not to mention lifelong nobility. Continuing the practice of the European continent, if the next generation does not work hard, there will be no title inheritance.

But anyone who is ambitious will not be willing to be lonely, and when the opportunity comes, he will naturally take it.

Although Franz's noble law was not implemented, it was not kept secret, and the content had long been circulated.

After all, the colonies are different from the native land. If the central government directly rules, the cost will be a big problem.If the enfeoffment is given to meritorious ministers, the central government only controls a few core areas, and the rest is governed by vassals, and the administrative pressure is much smaller.

It is not implemented now, and the main reason is that the success of the colonization cannot be determined.If the colonization is successful and it is profitable to rule the place, there will naturally be nobles willing to go.

Anyway, if the colony can't make a profit, even if the land is given away, the nobles will dismiss it.

This new Holy Roman Empire is determined by the special national conditions. There are three kings in the country, and Franz doesn't mind adding a few more overseas.

At least the problem of corruption can be effectively curbed, and Franz is not planning to impose heavy taxes in the colonies. A symbolic charge is enough. The main purpose is to increase the market for Austria's industry and commerce. These people can't swallow their own money, can they?

The colonial system of the British Empire collapsed in later generations. In addition to the blows from the United States and the Soviet Union, the high cost of the bureaucratic system was also an important factor.

In order to reduce the cost of governance, they also created autonomous dominions.The measure has succeeded and failed.

The success lies in the reduction of administrative costs and the increase of the market for domestic industry and commerce; however, the rights released cannot be taken back, laying a hidden danger for the collapse of the colonial empire.

It is not surprising that the power of self-government is controlled by local capitalists, and capital has no borders.

To avoid this kind of thing from happening, Franz can't guarantee whether it can be done, but it can still be done by increasing the degree of recognition and delaying the collapse.

Relying on the government bureaucrats to come forward to organize immigration, you can tell by looking at the Germans, and the people are all running to the United States. Franz doesn't think the Austrian bureaucrats can do a good job.

It's better to let the nobles organize themselves, and share the results if they succeed, and it doesn't matter if they fail.If you seal a few more, there will always be success.

It's not that Franz looks down on African countries, and he supports a vassal at will, and he is one of the best powers in the African continent, the prerequisite is not to blacken.

The nails on the African continent will be planted in the future. Cultural traditions and economic interests are the natural bonds that unite the colony and the country.

The centripetal force of the people towards the mother country has not dissipated, and they want to be independent unless they do not want their own legal system.

As long as the ruling class is not crazy, it will not do such stupid things that destroy the foundation.

Attached to the Holy Roman Empire and becoming a highly autonomous state, their interests are not small at all, and the imperial government is still the source of strength to maintain their status.

On the contrary, the kings of these states will also become the pillars to consolidate the emperor's power.Even if the monarchy declines in the future, in order to keep this huge empire from splitting up, no one would dare to abolish the emperor's doctrine.

Chapter 1 Thirty Economic Development

Overseas colonization has never been an easy task, especially for a new colonial empire like Austria, there are too many things to learn.

The African continent in this era is not a good place. The most terrible enemy is not the local aborigines, but the harsh natural environment.

The infestation of poisonous insects and beasts and the raging diseases are the core factors restricting countries from colonizing the African continent. Otherwise, the African continent, which is close at hand, would have been carved up by everyone.

Frankly speaking, if it wasn't for the breakthrough in quinine production technology and the initial solution to the major problem of malaria, Franz would not have dared to set foot on the African continent.

For the sake of safety, all Austrian soldiers are receiving hygiene education, and personal hygiene and camp hygiene must be strictly followed.

Even in order to avoid contracting local diseases, Franz even issued masks. The soldiers were warned not to have casual contact with the aborigines, and it was even forbidden to have sexual relations with the locals, and marriage did not exist.

There is no reason why Franz didn't pay attention to it. There is no shortage of people with strong tastes in any era, let alone in the military camp. Fortunately, there should be more young women among this group of immigrants, which can solve this problem.

After more than three months of preparation, on April 1854, 4, the first Austrian colonial advance team set off from the Trieste port.

With two second-tier battleships as the core, five cruisers, and more than a dozen large and small auxiliary ships, they took the first step of colonization with an infantry regiment, the goal - Guinea.

The opponents this time are indigenous tribes, and the navy is only equivalent to a training session. They may also fight enemies at the level of canoes, and the main force is the army.

Originally, Franz was planning to form the Marine Corps, but the result was collective opposition from the army and navy. The army was unwilling to weaken their right to speak in colonial activities, but the navy simply couldn't afford it.

This is not a joke, Austria's navy is indeed insufficient.If you want to increase funds, you must first prove the value of your own existence.

Politics is often such a reality, how much value there is, how much money will be allocated.

If overseas colonies can bring a lot of profits to the empire, then the navy can also change from a stepmother to a son.

Franz has no objection. This is the most sensible approach. It is a waste of resources to rashly expand the navy without sufficient benefits.

Instead of this, it is better to invest precious funds in domestic economic construction.Although the domestic economic upsurge has not dissipated, railway stocks are about to skyrocket with the opening of several main lines.

If Franz hadn't insisted on prohibiting the repeated construction of railways, the Austrian railways would have learned from Britain and the United States and started to repeat the construction.

Of course, it is precisely because a railway line is only authorized to one company that it has been favored by capital.What makes the most money in this era is of course monopoly.

With this kind of good news, the government has forced a few unpopular routes under the high-quality routes, and everyone can accept it.

In order to attract foreign investment, the charging standards, including railway transportation, are all freely determined by the market. Franz is not worried at all whether the price will rise to the sky.

In a market economy environment, it must be determined by the market. The price level in society is determined by the relationship between supply and demand. The level of railway freight must be determined by the maximization of profits.

Capitalists naturally know the trade-offs. Now that the railway has just come out to compete with traditional transportation means, if there is no price advantage, how can they grab customers?

If it can save cost and time compared with traditional transportation, it is progress.Because the freight is too high, it may affect the circulation of goods, so we have to wait until the railway construction is completed!

Now all the railway companies in Austria are in a state of pure investment. Although the several main lines that have been opened to traffic are busy and profitable, they are also a drop in the bucket.

These profits have been invested by the railway company in the construction of new railway lines. Franz is very clear that several railway companies in Austria have never received a dividend since their establishment.

No one has ever won a profit, but can you let them cut the price?If it is done, it is estimated that the railway, which is still popular, will immediately become uninterested.

At this time, of course the Vienna government will not come out to hold them back.The ten-year tax exemption promise has been fulfilled. The government does not charge any fees, which is to encourage everyone to continue to build railways.

"Time is life, time is money."

This slogan has become the motto of all Austrian railway company executives.The sooner it goes into production and opens to traffic, the sooner it will reap benefits.

So far, all the routes opened to traffic in Austria have not disappointed everyone. Under the background of free pricing, there are no loss-making routes, which greatly stimulated the nerves of some people.

I don't know how many British and French capitalists want to control the Austrian railway network and conduct monopoly operations.Then he jumped into the wonderful illusion made by Franz and smashed himself.

Profit really makes people lose their minds, and everyone is building railway lines like crazy.Many people seem to think that now is the time to staking land, and if they own one more railway line, they will have a stable income in the future.

Anyway, there is no talk of a railway bubble now, and with monopoly operations, no one thinks that it will lose money.

Against this background, Franz, who monopolizes the supply of raw materials for sand and gravel, is naturally making a fortune. It is estimated that by the end of this year, the total mileage of Austria's railways will exceed [-] kilometers.

At the beginning of Franz's accession to the throne, the total number of railways in Austria was less than 1400 kilometers, and on average, more than [-] kilometers were completed every year.

In this era, only Americans on the other side of the ocean can compare.Like Austria, the United States has also experienced a railway investment boom, but because Austria has diverted some funds, it is not as crazy as in history.

The railway mileage of the entire New Holy Roman Empire exceeded 1 kilometers. Yes, the railway mileage of those small states in Germany exceeded [-] kilometers.

It cannot be said to be crazy. The most active railway construction in this era in history is the German region. In 1850, the total railway mileage in the German region reached 5856 kilometers, more than twice that of Austria in the same period.

If Franz hadn't promoted the construction of the Austrian railway, the fastest railway construction in Europe is now in the German region, and only the French can match them.

Of course, this is only France in the era of Napoleon III. In 1854, the total mileage of railways in the German region was more than 3000 kilometers longer than that of France.

Since 1854, French railways have grown rapidly. During the Franco-Prussian War, the total mileage of the railways between France and Germany was only a few hundred kilometers apart.

Among the major European powers, the slowest railway construction was the Russians. Because of the Near East War, their railway construction projects almost stopped, and it was only 1860 kilometers in 1626.

It can be called a disgrace to the great powers, Belgium and Spain have more than them, and Britain, France and Germany in the same period have broken through [-], which is not at the same level at all.

The land area has become larger, and the original railway network plan has naturally become larger.None of this needs to be promoted by the government, and the private railway companies have already taken actions to staking the land spontaneously.

The Austrian railway line bidding is very interesting, that is, the faster the construction starts and the earlier the completion time, the easier it is to win the bid.

Anyway, the railway lines are authorized free of charge. The railway company must start and complete the construction within the promised time limit, and impose a fine if the time limit is exceeded.

The test is everyone's capital chain. Franz did not play any tricks. As long as the railway company's operation is good and the project can be completed on schedule, there will be no problem.

Once the capital chain is broken, it will be miserable. If the construction has not started, it will be fine. At worst, pay a fine and return the unconstructed railway line.

If construction has already started, or even most of the project has been completed, but there is no financial support for the second half of the construction, it will be a big loss.

All the investment was in vain, and the government took over the unfinished project and continued the construction.Whether the railway company went bankrupt and reorganized, or died directly, was out of Franz's consideration.

Anyway, it was all a conspiracy, and it was put upright in front of everyone. It wasn't the government deliberately deceiving people, and the bidding notice clearly stated.

All these risks, under the temptation of monopoly, everyone rushed to them regardless of their own safety.British and French capital came in, as did Austrian local capital, and speculators were scrambling to get a share of the pie.

Because the government provided free labor, the cost of Austrian railway construction in this era was artificially reduced. On the surface, it seems that the financial statements of various railway companies are very good-looking.

It can be said that Franz also broke his heart for the construction of the Austrian railway.It won't work if you don't speed up, because the new economic crisis has not been a few years away.

If it is not possible to use foreign capital to promote domestic railway construction during the economic upsurge, the economic crisis will break out and the railway bubble will be detonated, and the final unfinished project can only be taken over by the Austrian government.

How serious is Austria's bubble economy?No one gave Franz an answer to this question, but one thing can be seen, that is, the speed of economic growth.

If a commodity worth [-] dong is fired to [-] dong, then the wealth will increase by [-] dong invisibly, and the market can accept it. The nine hundred shields were evaporated.

This is the reason why so much wealth can be evaporated overnight in the economic crisis. In essence, the bubble has been punctured and the market has returned to rationality.It's just that because of the relationship between supply and demand, commodities often fall below their own value in the end.

Now Austria's economy is growing very fast. In fact, even if all industries in Austria stop, the economy will grow by at least one point every year just because of the bubble in the stock market.