Holy Roman Empire

The leaders of the revolutionary party have all been killed "by stubborn resistance", including Kossuth, the head of state, who saw God in the war.

In order to win the hearts of the people, Julius also held a funeral for Count Istvan, and by the way, gave the coffin conclusion: Count Istfan was the leader of the Hungarian royalists, and was brutally killed by Kossuth because he refused to join forces with the revolutionaries. .

There is no way, he is the hero and I am the enemy.

Count Estefan is the leader of the Hungarian practical faction. Although he is a member of the Royalist Party, he is also a Hungarian.

It laid the foundation for the establishment of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, including the promotion of Hungarian language and writing, the development of Hungarian culture and so on.Historically, after Hungary was split, it was able to reunite again, which is inseparable from his efforts.

This kind of political philosophy that runs counter to the Austrian government is obviously not allowed to exist. Many Hungarian bigwigs, including Count Estefan, have met God together.

Chapter 1

Vienna

Prime Minister Felix said frowningly: "Your Highness, the Hungarian rebellion is over now. However, some nobles did not participate in the rebellion, but their land was divided during the war.

According to the "Land Redemption Act" we promulgated before, the Austrian government now has to pay a total of 23 billion guilders for land redemption. "

(1 shield = 11.69 grams of silver)

"Why are there so many?" Franz asked in surprise

You know, after this rebellion, nearly seven layers of nobles in Hungary were finished, including those who had already received their lunch boxes, and nobles who were involved in the rebellion and were deprived of their titles.

Felix explained: "Your Highness, none of the great nobles in Hungary participated in the rebellion, and nearly half of the ransom money was paid to them.

In addition, there are some enlightened nobles in the country who are willing to give up the land, and we also need to pay the ransom.

In addition, there are also some nobles who are loyal to us in Italy, and their land was also divided during the war.

Adding up these zeros and zeros, it is initially estimated that we will need 23 billion dong in land ransom. If there are people who continue to give up the land, then this number will increase. "

Franz rubbed his forehead. In order to encourage the nobles to give up the land, the ransom was evaluated according to the market price.If converted, this is equivalent to 5.5 million taels of silver.

This amount of money is obviously not something that the Austrian government can take out at once, although because of the ransacking of the house, the Austrian government now has a lot of assets in its hands.

However, these real properties are not equal to cash, and there is no way to realize them in the short term. The Austrian government is still poor.

According to the "Land Redemption Act", the land redemption money paid by farmers was collected by the government, and the government was responsible for direct compensation to the nobles who gave up their land.

This huge debt fell on the Austrian government.It is impossible for Franz to pay this huge debt at one time, and it is even more impossible to renege on the debt, which is related to the credibility of the government.

Franz asked with concern: "How much land ransom can we collect every year?"

Prime Minister Felix thought for a while and said, "About 1.8 million dong."

The 1.8 million dong is not just these lands, but also includes a large amount of land confiscated by the government, as well as the land of extinct nobles.

If it is just these lands, the ransom will be withdrawn according to the ratio of 30.00% of the output, and the maximum will be 5000 million rhine guilders.

After figuring it out, Franz found helplessly that farming is really not a good business. Even if the cost of money and time is not counted, it will take more than ten or twenty years to pay back.

The land ransom collected by the government may not be enough to cover the interest cost of the funds.

Franz thought for a while and said: "Let's pay in installments, explain clearly to the nobles, tell them our difficulties, and let them understand.

The enlightened nobles in the country who voluntarily gave up their land will pay half of their ransom first, and the rest will be paid in installments within 20 years.

Several big nobles in the Hungarian region told them that the government would not pursue the small actions in the rebellion, but as punishment for their land ransom, it would be extended to 40 years to pay in installments.

For the rest with dreadlocks, please warn them and extend their ransom payment time. If there is no problem at all, follow the voluntary land abandonment plan! "

Franz finally felt it once—it was the uncle who owed the money.

After a revolution, the interest groups in Austria have also been reshuffled. These nobles who were forced to buy their land are naturally losers.

The money is in the hands of the Austrian government, the land is in the hands of the farmers, and they have no choice at all.

Prior to this, the Austrian government feared them because every big noble family owned a large amount of land, serfs, and a large group of small and medium nobles attached to them, who could arm thousands or even tens of thousands of troops at any time. .

Now, this situation has changed. The serfs have been freed and are no longer under their control. The small and medium nobles attached to them have been hit hard.

A toothless tiger is left with only its prestige.They didn't kill them all because Franz was also a member of the vested interests and was unwilling to break the rules.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Prime Minister Felix replied

On the issue of cracking down on local power factions, the Austrian cabinet and Franz both stood on the same stance.

The so-called installment payment does not include half of the interest, and the payment is divided into 40 years, which is actually not enough for the interest.

Even if it is paid in installments, it is unknown when the money will be received. As long as the payment is completed within the promised time limit, it will not be considered a breach of contract.

The specific situation depends on whether these nobles are smart people.If you are willing to cooperate with the government's actions, then everything is easy to say, and the Austrian government will pay back the money as soon as possible.

If they continue to fight against the government recklessly, it is estimated that they may not see the money in their lifetime.

Not everyone is so optimistic, Metternich frowned on the sidelines, and said hesitantly after a while: "Your Highness, so many nobles suddenly lost their land and source of income, it is not easy to transform.

If we can't find a way out for them, I'm afraid it will become a social hidden danger in the future. "

This is a realistic problem. It is impossible to turn all nobles into capitalists, and they will lose money in business. If they really transform blindly, most of them will vomit blood.

Don't expect these people to become workers when they go bankrupt, and go to work in the factory in peace.

It is more likely that after bankruptcy, they will join the revolutionary army in an attempt to break the social order and redistribute social wealth.

Earl Leo, Minister of Education, thought for a while and said, "Our Ministry of Education can hire some nobles as language teachers. Most nobles are qualified, but this requires a higher salary!"

For the same position, the salaries of nobles and non-nobles are also different. Don't be surprised, this is a common situation in continental Europe.

"It's just a drop in the bucket. Small nobles without ambitions may accept the teaching position, but most nobles are unlikely to give up their airs and become a rural teacher!" Felix shook his head and said

Grand Duke Louis suggested: "How about we open up colonies and let them colonize overseas, so as not to stop at home?"

During the Metternich era, Austria did not open up colonies overseas, which does not mean that Austria did not have the strength to open up colonies.

As one of the top four major countries in the world, it is not difficult to obtain a colony overseas as long as the government lets go.

Seeing Britain and France attacking cities and lands overseas, and even small countries like the Netherlands and Portugal have a colony, how can the nobles in Austria not be envious?

Chapter 1: The Most Suitable Countries to Be Allies

Franz was also very interested in opening up colonies.However, his view is different from others, and it is not purely for plundering wealth from overseas.

The Habsburg dynasty has existed for too long, and the ancient empire meant conservatism and solidification. Even because of this rebellion, a new reshuffle was carried out, and the path of ascent was still narrow.

As a member of vested interests, Franz certainly cannot choose to overthrow and start over.Then the only way is to make the cake bigger, and the bigger the plate, the more chances will naturally arise.

It is too difficult to expand in Europe. Even if it succeeds, the sequelae will not be small. Overseas colonization is different. With the strength of Austria, there is no problem at all.

It is possible to obtain a colony several times the size of the native land at almost no cost.Then immigrants from the German region developed slowly. You must know that the main force of European immigrants is the German region, so there is no need to worry about manpower.

If the colonization plan is successful, Austria's internal problems are also solved.A group of second-generation nobles also have a place to use, so they don't have to stay and wait to die.

Don't think that the nobles are all rich people. In fact, this is pure nonsense.Just look at the church. Many of the missionaries and nuns in it are from aristocratic backgrounds. The reason is very cruel——poverty.

The down-and-out aristocrats can no longer afford the expenses of their second son's marriage, and they can't afford to pay the dowry for the daughter's marriage. For the sake of the dignity of the poor aristocrats, they have to do so.

These people are not easy to worry about. They have all received good education. Many people are not willing to accept their fate. They are the main force of the colonial movement in European countries.

The missionaries who wandered overseas in the 19th century basically had another identity-colonizers.

It was too early to discuss this issue, and Franz decided to delay it.

"We will discuss this issue later. British Foreign Secretary Palmerston has entered Austria and will soon arrive in Vienna.

The purpose of Palmerston's visit this time is mostly related to the war in the Kingdom of Sardinia. What do you think we should do with the Kingdom of Sardinia? "

When it comes to the Kingdom of Sardinia, everyone is furious. Great powers have dignity, and they must be severely punished for challenges.

Foreign Minister Metternich said: "Your Highness, I have just received news that a workers' uprising broke out in Paris on June 6. It is said that the French workers opposed the government's support for us and the Russians to suppress the Polish revolution.

If the situation is true, at this time, in order to maintain domestic stability, the French government may have to give up dividing up the Kingdom of Sardinia with us. "

Hearing this news, everyone was taken aback.Who would have thought that the main factor of the June Revolution in Paris was to support the Polish Revolution?

It was a joke to say it, but Franz knew that the news was indeed true. The people of Paris in this era already possessed the spirit of internationalism.

Of course their support for the Polish revolution does not mean that they will support the Italian revolution as well, the French are still peeking at the Italian region.

It's just that after this uprising, France will be in chaos for a while.Don't think about them sending troops until their leadership stabilizes.

"This is an opportunity. Russia and Prussia will contain each other because of the Pudan War, and it will not cause us obstacles. The French are overwhelmed. As long as we can withstand the pressure of the British, we can annex the Kingdom of Sardinia!" Grand Duke Louis excited say

Austria has not expanded abroad for a long time, and everyone is suffocated. Now the opportunity has come to the door. The Kingdom of Sardinia is looking for death this time, and it is a good time to catch up.

Metternich shook his head and said, "I'm afraid it's not that simple. If the French act together with us, most countries will recognize the established facts.

If we monopolize the Kingdom of Sardinia, even if the Russians do not object, we will not get their support. Prussia is busy with the war with Denmark, and most of them can't care about us.

We can indeed withstand the pressure of the British alone, but what about after the annexation of the Kingdom of Sardinia?

When the French resolve their internal conflicts and the Russian-Prussian conflict comes to an end, what should we do when the joint intervention of Britain and France, or even the joint intervention of Britain, France, Prussia and Russia, demands that we withdraw from the Kingdom of Sardinia? "

Obviously, Metternich's diplomatic judgment is still very accurate, and he easily sorted out the relationship between the great powers.

Non-interference now does not mean non-interference in the future. Austria's annexation of the Kingdom of Sardinia will not be recognized by the powers.

After everyone frees up their hands, they can settle accounts after the fall.Historically, Austria took advantage of the Crimean War to send troops to occupy the Danube River Basin, and didn't they spit it out in the end?

Prime Minister Felix nodded and said: "Mr. Metternich is right, it is not difficult to conquer the Kingdom of Sardinia, the key is the attitude of each country.

If we make diplomatic efforts, it is not difficult to neutralize Prussia and Russia, but to gain their support, it will have to cost a lot, and the gains may even outweigh the losses.

Everyone knows the attitude of the French. It is absolutely impossible for them to tolerate our monopoly of the Kingdom of Sardinia. When they stabilize the country, they will join forces with the British to intervene.

This time can be as long as two or three years, or as short as a few months. Are we sure that we can eat and digest the Kingdom of Sardinia in such a short period of time?

If it can't be done, there will be powerful enemies outside and guerrillas looting inside, and the newly occupied territory will be impossible to defend. "

After a pause, Chancellor of the Exchequer Karl proposed: "If the Kingdom of Sardinia cannot be annexed, how about extorting a sum of war reparations, or ceding part of the territory?"

Metternich said confidently: "It depends on the attitude of the British. Whether it is asking for war reparations or ceding territory, the Kingdom of Sardinia must pay the due price.

If we cannot make up for our war losses, then this war will not end. I believe the British will give us an explanation. "

This confidence comes from strength, and there is also a set of codes of conduct among the great powers, and usually no one will overturn the table.

The advantage of the British is that they are isolated overseas and have a navy that spans the world, which makes their position in Europe very detached.

This is also their weakness. As an island country, it focuses on the development of sea power, so it naturally gives up land power. To implement a European balance strategy, it needs to cooperate with European powers.

Among the many European powers, the most suitable ally for the British is undoubtedly Austria.To be precise, Austria in this era has the basis to form an alliance with any European power.

It has a certain strength and can cooperate with its allies to act, but it is also subject to internal problems, so it does not have the strength to compete for world hegemony.

For the three countries that are interested in world hegemony, Britain, France and Russia, as long as Austria does not unify the German region, it is the most ideal ally.

Chapter 1 The Fall of Turin

It is not easy to be an ally. The major powers in Europe are full of conflicts, but there is only one Austria can ally with. Once they stand in line, the rest is the enemy.

Perhaps Metternich saw through the essence of the matter very early on. After the anti-French war, he took the initiative to shrink Austria's sphere of influence and tried to balance the strength of European countries, putting Austria in a detached position.

From the perspective of this era, these diplomatic measures are considered successful. The only failure is that Austria's internal reforms have failed, and its own strength has not kept up.

Without sufficient strength, it is naturally impossible to continue the Vienna system, and Austria has to make a new choice.

"Let's wait and see the bargaining chips offered by the British. If they continue to support the unification of Italy, then the Kingdom of Sardinia cannot stay.

At worst, we will suffer a little bit, and help the French manage their territory first.Wait for their domestic situation to stabilize, then sell them to them! said Franz harshly.

On the Italian issue, the French can undoubtedly be bought. They have long been eyeing the Italian region, but Austria's strategic focus is not here at all, and there is no core interest conflict between the two sides.

……

In the Kingdom of Sardinia, Charlie Albert has become an ant on a hot pot, and the development of the war is far from what he expected.

In the era of hot weapons, it is no longer possible to win a war simply by relying on a large number of people.

Even with the unprecedented outbreak of the Sardinian army, the morale of the local fighters +200%, still cannot change the nature of the mob.

Coupled with the shortage of weapons and ammunition, the equipment in the hands of many soldiers is still in the cold weapon era, and no amount of patriotic enthusiasm can stop bullets from flying.

"Your Majesty, let's go! The enemy is about to approach the city, and Turin can't hold it!"

Prime Minister Azelio's loyalty broke out. After the defense line fell, he immediately notified Charlie Albert to run away.

There is no way, the Kingdom of Sardinia is not big, and Turin is only more than 100 kilometers away from Milan. Once the frontline troops collapse, they can only prepare for the defense of Turin.

Charlie Albert said desperately: "No, I'm not going anywhere, I want to live and die with Turin!"