Holy Roman Empire

Because the support rate is too low, Kossuth's prestige in the government is not high, and many nobles don't take him seriously.

Seemingly childish, isn't this a kind of resistance from Kossuth?

No matter how many shortcomings Kossuth has and how naive his political views are, he is the founder of the Hungarian nation.

Seeing that the momentum was not right, another noble representative, Marquis Luo Qi, stood up and changed the subject.

"Okay, let's not talk about the past anymore. The most urgent thing is to think about how to deal with the current situation. If we want to fight, we must make a decision with everyone!"

"War and war", there is no doubt that the revolutionaries headed by Kossuth are the main war faction. Most of these people are idealists and young college students, while the weak nobles and capitalists are all the main peace faction.

Kossuth said with a livid face: "Does this still need to be considered? The Vienna government is breaking up Hungary. Even if we can reach an agreement with Austria, Hungary will only have less than 30.00% of its territory and less than 40.00% of its population." .

If this kind of Hungary stays in Austria, we won't even be able to keep our current status. Should we just watch the Austrians exploit us every day? "

Kossuth also knew that he was too naive at the beginning, because of the opposition of the nobles, the land issue was not resolved, and because of the opposition of the emerging capitalists, the ethnic issue was not resolved.

Yes, the bad ethnic policy of the Republic of Hungary was created because the emerging bourgeoisie feared competition.

Although neither the Croats, Romanians, nor Slovaks have the strength to compete with them yet.

But once they are given the same political rights, this kind of competition will soon arise. The Republic of Hungary is too small to accommodate so much competition, and they have to suppress their opponents in advance.

This has been confirmed in the Austrian Empire. Because of political advantages, almost all industries in the country are in the hands of the Germans. Hungarian capitalists also survived by relying on tariffs and local protectionism.

Now it's their turn to be the masters, so naturally they have to follow suit. After all, no capitalist can refuse this kind of temptation, and they even went too far.

Driven by interests, extreme nationalism has become the mainstream ideology in Hungary, which makes other ethnic minorities in the country very dissatisfied. After the Vienna government threw out an olive branch, everyone resolutely defected.

Kossuth's words awakened the emerging bourgeoisie. For their own interests and brains, they had to support the government in going to war with the Austrians. Only by winning could they get everything they wanted.

Although the possibility of winning is very low, they are already on board. The Vienna government may be lenient to the nobles, but there is no reason to show mercy to the capitalists.

It is the same in ancient and modern China and abroad. The concept of "no business, no fraud" has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. It is absolutely politically correct to kill profiteers.

Regrettably, as the earliest capitalists, they are black and can no longer be black. They are all real cases of unscrupulous capitalists in the history books. Killing them can not only gain a fortune, but also buy a wave of people's hearts.

"Mr. Kossuth, now that Hungary is surrounded by enemies, how should we fight this war?" the Marquis of Rocky asked with concern

There is no doubt that the Marquis of Rocky did this on purpose.As a great aristocrat in Hungary, the Marquis of Rocky is not afraid of the liquidation of the Vienna government.

As long as the Habsburg family still controls the power of Austria, it is impossible to kill the big nobles. This is the benefit of having many relatives.

Without the pressure of survival, the aristocrats have different considerations from the capitalists. Their main purpose is to stop losses.

After finishing speaking, the Marquis of Loki opened the map that had been prepared. On the map, Hungary was sandwiched between the three major countries of Russia, Ottoman and Austria, and the location was clearly marked.

There is no doubt that Hungary is surrounded by enemies.Russia and Austria are allies, and the tsarist government has publicly announced that it will help Austria and Prussia suppress the revolution, and it is not an enemy but an enemy.

They can't ask for help from the good neighbor next door, the Ottoman Empire, can they?If you want to fight side by side with the Ottomans, it is estimated that you don't need the Austrians to fight, they will fight first.

"Now the enemy is strong and we are weak, but the enemy is not without weaknesses. Now the Austrian government is still fighting against the Italian state. This is our opportunity." Kossuth said a plan that he thought was reasonable.

That's right, in theory this is indeed an opportunity, and it is the easiest way to defeat them one by one in military terms.

However, Duke Leopold shook his head, sighed and said: "Mr. Kossuth, this is not feasible in military affairs. The enemy is not a fool. They cannot leave us so much time to defeat them one by one. .”

Kossuth said with a smile: "Your Excellency, as long as we have enough troops, we can hold back the enemies from other directions.

Austria is strong, but at the same time very fragile, as long as we win once, it will cause a chain reaction, and the climax of revolution will break out again! "

Everyone understood that Kossuth made such a big circle just to ask for money!

Chapter 74 War Tax

To have enough troops, is there any other option besides military expansion?To expand the army, it is natural to have money.

The finances of the Republic of Hungary have been hovering on the verge of bankruptcy since its establishment.

The nascent government didn't know how to manage money at all, and the taxes collected with great difficulty were spent in a daze before they were warmed up in their hands.

On this issue, Kossuth is directly responsible. It can be said that the new Hungarian republic government has surpassed Austria in terms of corruption.

This question can be referred to the government of the Republic of China after the Xinghai Revolution. When the old order collapsed and the new order had not had time to be established, after there was no restraint, officials in high positions became more unscrupulous.

"Mr. Kossuth, the government has already collected war tax twice this year!" Marquis of Rocky reminded

Hungary's taxation has always been independent of Austria. When the decadent aristocrats controlled the government, there were often messy taxes, and people's lives were very miserable.

They thought that after independence, everyone would be able to live a good life, but the reality is just the opposite. After the "Austrian exploitation" is gone, their life is even more miserable.

The new republican government has given greater rights to local governments. In their view, it seems that as long as the government is elected, it is a saint of integrity.

Facts are always different from ideals. Now Hungary has learned from Americans. Not only the central government has the right to collect taxes, but local governments can also collect taxes.

To put it simply, the number of tax-collecting agencies has increased without any restrictions. Officials have taken the opportunity to collect money, and even some community governments have formulated a lot of messy taxes.

Of course, nobles don't need to pay these messy taxes, and neither do capitalists. It's ordinary people who really pay for it.

However, the war tax is an exception. The nobles and capitalists must also pay it together.

How long has the Hungarian Republic been established?Even if you include the preparation time in the early stage, it's less than three months, right?

In such a short period of time, the war tax was collected twice, and now the third war tax has to be collected. Before the enemy comes, it will be "expensive".

Unlike capitalists, capitalists can find ways to evade taxes, and the main property of nobles is land, which cannot be hidden on the surface, and it is not easy to evade taxes.

"Yes, Your Excellency the Marquis!"

"However, the situation cannot be controlled by anyone. According to the information we have collected, Austria has as many as 40 troops that can fight us, while the National Guard is less than 30.

What's more, they are all well-trained regular troops, and our army is just workers who have just put down their hammers, or farmers who have just thrown away their hoes, relying only on their blood.

The gap between the two sides is really too big, if we don't have the same number of troops, we have no chance of winning this war at all! ’ Kossuth argued

Well, the situation in the Hungarian National Guard is actually worse than he said, because ordinary soldiers simply don't have blood in their hearts.

Even the number of people is not as many as 30. The National Self-Defense Forces are just a grass-roots team, and the jurisdiction over the subordinates is not strict.

But it doesn't matter, there are policies and countermeasures. In this regard, capitalists are the most experienced. After hearing about it, officers from the bourgeoisie quickly thought of Li Daitao's stiff strategy.

Except for recruiting some people to support the appearance, the rest will be exhausted. If the higher-ups check, they will temporarily recruit people to fill up.Anyway, up and down are all benefited, and no one dares to pierce this layer of window paper.

Of all the Hungarian armies, the only combat-capable ones are actually student troops, who are the real revolutionaries, fighting for national independence.The rest, including Kossuth, are no longer pure revolutionaries.

"Mr. Kossuth, I think it is necessary for the government to disclose financial expenditures. It has only been a short time since the establishment of the republican government, and you have already spent a year's expenditure of the Hungarian government under normal circumstances!

If the cost of the republic government has always been so high, then maybe you don't need to wait for the Austrians to do it, and you will play the new government to death first! "Duke Leopold warned solemnly

This is an embarrassing question. Kossuth's face is gloomy and terrifying. Everyone knows that the new government will spend a lot of money. In the past, he used war as an excuse.

But the war has not yet started, and the expenses are so high now, what should they do if there is a real war?

International loans?Don't dream, no consortium dares to lend them money, which means that there is no repayment, and Austria is also a member of the big powers, and will not recognize the treaties signed by these chaotic parties.

Other than that, there is only tax increase.This is not a good way, because it cannot solve internal problems, so no amount of money can fill this bottomless pit.

"Yes, the government can disclose fiscal expenditures for everyone to monitor. But now that the finances are difficult, we need a sum of money to tide over the crisis.

This time, the government will not take the money for nothing. We will issue bonds and let everyone subscribe. The annual interest is 2 cents, and we will issue 11.69 million dong tentatively. (containing [-] grams of silver)

If the bonds don't sell, then we'll just have to collect another war tax. "

Kossuth still chose to compromise, and now he still needs the support of these people. Without the cooperation of the nobles, wanting to collect taxes is completely nonsense, so appropriate concessions are also feasible.

Seeing that the representatives of the nobles present were very tough, even the war tax was temporarily changed into a war bond by him. He would rather bear high interest than Kossuth, and he was unwilling to stimulate everyone's sensitive nerves.

Since its establishment, the Republic of Hungary has represented the interests of the emerging bourgeoisie. It has issued a series of decrees conducive to the economic development of the bourgeoisie immediately after independence, including the abolition of a series of exorbitant taxes that hindered economic development.

These reform measures have allowed the government to gain the support of capitalists, and at the same time have greatly increased the financial pressure on the government. After all, the bourgeois economy cannot be developed overnight.

The Kossuth government had no experience in governing. Some people suggested that the government issue Hungary's own currency. After tasting the sweetness of issuing currency, the republican government started printing money without money in an attempt to get rid of the financial crisis.

The reality taught Kossuth a hard lesson. He didn't have enough reserves in his hands, and he only relied on the government's reputation to issue currency, which naturally turned into gorgeous waste paper.

After the failure of issuing currency, the financial crisis of the Republic of Hungary broke out, and it has since embarked on a road of no return to tax increases.

Chapter 75 War should serve politics

Kossuth is not engaged in economics, and the top leaders of the republican government also lack economically savvy leaders. They have never thought about what 2 million dong means to Hungary!

They don't know, but it doesn't mean that everyone sitting here doesn't know either. Howell, the representative of the bank group, asked:

"Mr. Kossuth, do you know what 2 million dong means?"

This question directly confused Kossuth. He also thought that these big nobles and big capitalists would bargain, but he didn't expect them to ask this question.

Calculated in terms of currency value, 1 dong is about 11.69 grams of silver, and 2 million dong is 4676 million taels of silver. Silver has not depreciated in this era, and it is equivalent to more than 2000 million pounds. (Gold and silver 1:10 or so)

In 1847, Austria's fiscal revenue was only 1.55 million guilders (except Hungary), and the British fiscal revenue was only more than 5000 million pounds.

In Hungary before the revolution, it was not bad to have a fiscal revenue of [-] million dong. After the establishment of the republican government, it spent [-] million dong.

The money is basically obtained from the sale of a large number of state-owned assets, plus the taxes levied by the government. (the emperor's property and the public property of the whole people)

No one has raised this issue before, because everyone has vested interests, and no one will refuse the money that comes to their door when they buy properties at a low price.

It doesn't matter if you don't know, the first element of a politician is a thick skin, if you want to have a face, don't be a politician, especially a politician in a republican country.

"Of course, 2 million dong is indeed a big number, but for everyone sitting here, it is not impossible!" Kossuth replied calmly

Indeed, for everyone sitting here, not to mention 2 million dong, even if it is increased by three or five times, they can still afford it.

Being able to pay and having to take it out are two completely different concepts. No one is willing to take out their own money. No matter how high the interest rate is, it can’t stand whether to borrow or not to pay back?

According to the speed at which the new government spends money, no amount of money can fill this bottomless pit, which is why many revolutionary governments in the world have failed.

An idealized government wants to do too many things, but as a result, things don't make a name for themselves, and the country is emptied first.

"Mr. Kossuth, when you were in school, you probably failed in economics. Please check how many currencies are in circulation in the Hungarian market, and then answer this question!" Howell sneered

How much wealth there is does not mean how much currency there is. In fact, the currency in circulation in the market is also limited. If there is too much currency in circulation, it will depreciate, and if there is less currency in circulation, there will be money panic.

From an economic point of view, if the currency of 2 million rupiah is suddenly withdrawn from Hungary, a money panic will break out in Hungary, followed by a run crisis-bank bankruptcy-financial crisis-the Great Depression.

This era is no different from the later generations. Everyone uses credit currency, and they can just transfer money directly in the bank. Buying bonds requires cash.

（资料：1848年奥地利国民总储蓄为4800万盾，联合王国为2820万英镑，1英镑≈9.6盾）

There is no doubt that Kossuth is ashamed this time, or his team is all noobs, making such an obvious mistake.

Of course, there are still many people who have made similar mistakes. This is a common feature of talkative parties. When considering problems, they are often very one-sided.

……

Before Kossuth could solve the financial problems, the war had already begun.

On May 1848, 5, the Austrian army in the Croatian province took the lead in attacking the Hungarian Republic.

On May 5, the Austrian army on both sides of Bohemia and Transylvania also launched an attack on the Hungarian Republic.

On May 5, the anti-insurgency army led by Albrecht arrived at the front line, and the Austro-Hungarian War began in full swing.

The refueling tactics do not exist. This time Kossuth’s prophecy was fulfilled. The four-way army launched an attack at the same time. If the logistics and transportation troops are added, the total force really exceeded 40.

Of course, only half of the troops actually invested in the offensive, even so, the Republic of Hungary couldn't hold back.

Vienna

On the Hungarian battlefield, the news of victory is spread on a flat basis. With absolute strength, it is no longer possible to reverse the unfavorable situation by shouting slogans.

In order to ensure victory, Franz also transferred back the commander-in-chief of the Bohemian army, Prince Wendisch Gretz, as the Minister of War, and replaced him with Julius as the commander-in-chief.

Prince Wendisch Gretz picked up the baton, and pointed at a map on the wall in high spirits:

"Your Highness, the Croatian Legion led by Governor Josip Jelacic has now reached Lake Balaton and captured Balaton Kelestur;

The Austrian Army, led by General Albrecht, is attacking Kappburg;

The Bohemian Army led by General Julius has just defeated the Hungarian People's Army, and is now less than [-] kilometers away from Budapest;

The Transylvanian Corps led by General Wenjiglie was still in Debrecen at this time because of traffic.

Generally speaking, so far, this counter-insurgency war has progressed very smoothly.The Bohemian Legion has [-] troops. If it goes well, it will be able to launch the siege of Budapest the day after tomorrow at most. "

He has reason to be proud that the war was fought under his leadership.Of course, because of the communication of this era, the Ministry of the Army is actually only formulating a strategy.

Specifically how to fight, the real general is still outside, and the military order is not accepted.

How about the military capabilities of Prince Windischgritz? Franz did not rush to draw conclusions. Although he lost in the suppression of the Hungarian rebellion in history, the battle plan he made now is still feasible.

"The battle plan to attack Budapest is suspended, just let General Julius suppress the enemy, and wait for the Austrian army to join them before launching an attack!"

Don't look at the bullying of the Hungarian chaotic party. Historically, the Austrian army overturned at the last moment, and finally asked the Russians to help with the aftermath.