Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 13 The Death of a Famous General

"The glory of nobles cannot be desecrated!" Grand Duke Louis said fiercely

Franz knew that the matter was over, and in order to stir up conflicts between the nobles and the capitalists, he was willing to go all out.

A series of preparations have been made in the early stage, and now the sense of crisis of the conservatives, the big bosses, has finally been aroused, and it is time to retire.

Obviously, Grand Duke Louis did not let Franz's intention go, and asked directly: "Frantz, what kind of plan do you think we should propose to attack the bourgeoisie?"

Franz knew that he could not hide at this time, otherwise all previous efforts would be wasted.

"Uncle Louis, this is just a rough idea, and I don't have a detailed plan. We can formulate a Labor Protection Law.

Work hard on wages, working hours, and labor security. In this regard, we can send people to investigate and then make detailed plans.

The most important thing now is to divert attention, first come up with a draft and throw it out, don't let the reformers stare at us honestly, right? "

Grand Duke Louis was overjoyed. The whole country of Austria was clamoring for reform. Various reform plans became more radical than the last. He, the conservative boss, could hardly stand it anymore.

At this time, throwing out a labor protection law can just bring disaster to the east and drag the bourgeoisie into the water.

From now on, there will be no conservatives in the Austrian Empire. Everyone is a reformer, nothing more than a different plan for reform.

The bourgeoisie can use the emancipation of serfs, constitutional government, congress, and popular elections to attract supporters, and the aristocrats can also use labor protection, wages, and working hours to give them a blow.

Now it is still the aristocracy who controls the Austrian regime. The slogans shouted by the bourgeoisie are just slogans, but the counterattack of the aristocracy can immediately become the law.

The working class can't refuse the government to protect their interests, reduce working hours, and raise wages, right?

Once this combination of punches goes on, it is estimated that it will not be so easy for the capitalists to encourage workers to make trouble.

Grand Duke Louis is already considering the latter issue. There is no doubt that as long as the labor protection law is introduced, the labor cost of the bourgeoisie will increase significantly, and profits will naturally decrease.

In this era, the strength of the Austrian bourgeoisie was limited, and it was difficult for them to continue to expand after their profits decreased.

The power of the bourgeoisie has been successfully contained, and now domestic contradictions will ease, because capitalists' demand for labor power has declined.

As a leader who successfully suppressed the bourgeoisie, he, Archduke Louis, is a hero among the nobles. Perhaps it is not a problem to let Metternich step down and become prime minister himself.

……

Grand Duke Louis' YY, Franz doesn't know, anyway, it's fine for someone to charge forward, this person can be Grand Duke Louis, or Prime Minister Metternich, anyway, as long as he doesn't go up in person.

As the saying goes, cutting off people's wealth is like killing their parents.

Franz didn't think that the capitalists would sit still, and they would kill people in the face of their interests. As the leader of this plan, they would definitely be blacklisted by the capitalists.

Thinking of this, Franz decided that once the labor protection law was proposed, he would have less time to go out, especially if he couldn't be with Grand Duke Louis. If he was accidentally injured, there would be no place to cry.

He does not believe that a "Labor Protection Law" can curb the growth of the bourgeoisie.

There are policies and measures to counter!

The capitalists are all smart people, and workers in this era are relatively easy to fool around. It is estimated that even if there is legal protection, it will be difficult to implement it.

Among other things, a wage arrears from capitalists can make most workers dumbfounded, and if they want to file a lawsuit, the legal fees are not affordable for ordinary workers.

Of course, in a short period of time, there must be an effect, and the nobles still find trouble with them, and some lawyers bring their own dry food to go into battle.

The government departments will also explode with [-]% fighting power. Take advantage of this opportunity to eat and drink kana. As long as they are targeted and do not peel off a layer of oil, it is not in line with Austria's national conditions.

After completing two small goals, Franz bid farewell to Grand Duke Louis contentedly and returned to Schönbrunn Palace.

……

The next day, Franz was making a cup of tea, holding the latest edition of Vienna newspaper, and savoring it carefully.

In this era of lack of recreational activities, Franz had to cultivate good habits of reading books and newspapers for himself.

"Grand Duke, the butler of Grand Duke Karl just came. I heard that Grand Duke Karl had an accident last night. He is about to die. I want to see you for the last time!" Maid Jenny said softly.

Franz's expression changed drastically, he stood up and said, "Get the car ready, I'm going to Grand Duke Karl's residence!"

Only at this time did Franz realize that in history, Archduke Karl received the boxed lunch this year, and it is almost the same time now.

Birth, old age, sickness and death, Franz was helpless. Archduke Karl was born in 1771 and is now 75 years old.

In this era where the average life expectancy is less than 40 years old, this is considered a long life.

If possible, Franz really hoped that Archduke Karl could live a long life. With this sea-fixing needle, his pressure would be greatly relieved.

Whether it is military reform or the upcoming civil war, Franz needs this ally to share the pressure for him.

Franz rushed to the Grand Duke Karl's mansion as quickly as possible. On the way, he had already figured out the situation. Last night, Grand Duke Karl had a drink and then accidentally fell.

All of a sudden, the lumbar spine was fractured. In this era of underdeveloped medicine, there was no way to add a steel plate for recovery treatment.

The doctor judged that his life was not long. As a politician, he still has to give his last words at the last moment of his life, and Grand Duke Karl is no exception.

As his most proud student, Franz (self-appointed) will naturally be on the spot. If he doesn't explain a few words in person, it is estimated that Archduke Karl will not feel at ease after his death.

At this time, many high-ranking military officers had already arrived at the residence of Grand Duke Karl, and Franz was not in the mood to socialize, so he went straight to the inner room.

"Grandpa Karl, Franz is here to see you!" Franz said sadly

"Well, Franz!"

"Remember that soldiers can only shed blood, not tears!"

"Albrecht, hand over my unfinished army reform plan to Franz."

"Remember Franz, if you want to make Austria really strong, you must complete the reform!"

……

Grand Duke Karl said intermittently that Franz could only rely on guesswork for some of the content, but generally speaking, he wanted Franz to inherit his career and carry out military reforms.

"Don't worry, Grandpa Karl, I, Franz Joseph, promise in the name of God that I will carry out the military reform to the end!"

Hearing Franz's assurance, he showed a relieved smile and closed his eyes.

Chapter 14 Missed the passenger car

On April 1847, 4, a generation of military strategist Archduke Karl died in Vienna. His death also marked the end of an era.

The funeral of Archduke Karl was very grand. Franz's uncle Ferdinand I came to attend the farewell ceremony in person, and all major European nobles sent representatives.

Franz was in a bad mood. Even if he was reincarnated as a human, he still couldn't calmly face life and death.

Even if he inherited the legacy of Grand Duke Karl's army, Franz lost interest. Human beings are not grass and trees, who can be ruthless, but as the emperor's reserve, he can't have too much emotion.

"My lord, please see Mr. Bournefield from the newspaper office!" the maid Jenny whispered.

Regarding the arrival of this unexpected guest, Franz was still a little puzzled. It seems that there is no major matter at the newspaper office that he needs to personally ask about?Then said: "Bring it in!"

"Dear Grand Duke, something serious has happened!" Bournefield said anxiously.

"Come on, the sky hasn't fallen yet!" Franz said calmly

Austria implements a censorship system for books and newspapers. The government has permanent personnel in newspaper offices to review the content. Franz doesn't think there will be any major problems.

Could it be that the people in the newspaper office dare to print and distribute banned newspapers privately?If that's the case, Franz doesn't mind clearing the door.

Against peers?

At most it is a commercial competition, he doesn't think anyone dares to break the rules!

“Recently, there have been calls in newspapers for a Labor Protection Act, and we’ve been involved,” Bornfield explained.

"Go on, I don't think there's anything wrong with this!" Franz said indifferently

Bornfield looked at Franz's face, and said with some trepidation: "We have become one of the leaders of this news. In order to let more people pay attention to the lives of the people at the bottom, we have made a series of reports."

"After talking all at once, why are you hesitating? Everything happened, don't you dare to say it!" Franz frowned and scolded

He hates this kind of half-spoken people the most, and they stop abruptly when they reach a critical point.

"The editor of our newspaper put forward a proposal based on the information collected, suggesting that capitalists provide a series of guarantees for the working class. I didn't expect it to be taken seriously by the government, and it may become a law!" Boenfield said in fear.

Franz knew why he was worried. Everyone was used to chanting slogans in the newspapers. It didn't matter if they were a little radical, but once it became a reality, it would be different.

The capitalists knew that the "Labor Protection Act" was drafted by the "We Want Bread, We Want Cheese" newspaper, and the editor-in-chief Bournefield was dead.

It's not just him, it is reckoned that the employees of the newspaper, big and small, will be unlucky.Maybe Franz, the big boss behind the scenes, will be affected.

When such a thing happened, Franz was also very helpless. Can he say that it was all done by the underworld and has nothing to do with him?

As the crown prince of Austria, can he still submit to the bourgeoisie?What should we do now?He had no choice but to bite the bullet.

"Give me the proposal you drafted, don't tell me you are not prepared!" Franz said dissatisfied

He didn't mean to blame Bournfield. The newspaper did nothing wrong in reporting this matter. Without knowing the inside story of the political struggle, they made these reports, which were in line with Franz's positioning of the newspaper.

"Here it is, Grand Duke, please take a look!" Boenfield said anxiously

Now his only reliance is Franz. As the crown prince of the empire, even if he stands up to fight the bourgeoisie, the possibility of losing with the support of the aristocrats is extremely small.

Once the big shots are on the stage, these little peas will be ignored. When the matter is over, the winner will not be liquidated.

Picking up the article, Franz glanced at it briefly, and the more he read it, the more he felt familiar. Isn't this a copy of the "[-]" working system?

Ten hours of work per day, two hours of meals and half-way breaks, one day of paid vacation per week, the government sets a minimum wage standard, capitalists are not allowed to deduct wages casually, and employees are not allowed to dismiss employees without reason. Factories should take the initiative to bear the responsibility for work-related injuries.

Franz didn't think there was anything wrong with this proposal. If European capitalists of later generations saw such standards, they would wake up laughing when they fell asleep.

Franz said very responsibly: "Mr. Bournefield, you did nothing wrong in this matter, so you don't have to worry about the rest, I will find a way to deal with it, the newspaper office is next to the police station, I will give them Greetings!"

After listening to Franz's words, Bournfield's hanging heart was finally relieved. Since the boss is willing to stand out, it's easy to say.

Capitalists are not fools. If it is not necessary, no one is willing to be the leader. Perhaps Franz will fear the entire bourgeoisie, but it is not a problem to deal with one or two capitalists.

"Grand Duke, shall we continue to report?" Boenfield asked hesitantly

"Of course we will continue to report, but we must be careful not to over-stimulate the capitalists, so as not to cause unnecessary trouble!" Franz thought for a while and said

It is the most undesirable thing to change your position. Since you have offended the bourgeoisie, you can simply go all the way, and at least you can still gain the support of ordinary people.

If it is really the two ends of the snake and mouse, that is the most stupid way. If you want to please both ends, you can only end up pleasing both ends.

The newspapers in Vienna are not the only ones who support the enactment of the "Labor Protection Law". The conservatives have already exerted their strength, and public opinion in Austria is generally sympathetic to the working class.

"Yes, Grand Duke!" Bornfield replied

After Boenfield was dismissed, Franz was thinking about the aftermath. Generally speaking, if he wanted to suppress a topic, he would create a more explosive topic.

What kind of topics can attract the attention of the bourgeoisie?There is no doubt that it is still the hottest labor protection law at the moment.

For example: further compress the ten-hour work system, and include the workers' meal and rest time?

Or increase the punishment for work-related injuries a little bit, or even set a minimum wage standard that hurts capitalists.

In short, as long as the "Labor Protection Law" enacted by the government goes further than the contents of this proposal, everyone's attention will be diverted.

The possibility of capitalists venting their anger to the newspaper office will also be minimized.

Thinking of this, Franz showed a satisfied smile, there are already people who can resist thunder.Now that Grand Duke Louis has proposed the labor protection law on behalf of the aristocracy, Prime Minister Metternich can't just sit idle if he doesn't want to be replaced?

Chapter 15 Forced palace

In order to watch the excitement and not think that the matter was too big, Franz visited another big man of the Conservative Party—Earl Croft, and expressed his concern about the current situation.

Everyone is well-informed. What role Franz played in this political conflict is no secret at the top of the government.

But everyone has integrity, and Franz's background is destined to be his own. At least when facing the bourgeois revolution, everyone is on the same boat, and naturally no one will leak the news.

Of course, it's useless even if someone leaks the news, the conflict between the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie can no longer be eased, what should be done or what should be done!

Let the nobles give up suppressing the bourgeoisie?Or let the bourgeoisie give up seizing power?

At this time, no one can make concessions, nor dare to make concessions.Taking a step back now is not a vast sea and sky, but an abyss.

I have to say that being young also has advantages, otherwise Franz would have walked directly to the front desk now.

Of course, it was more because the Regency Committee didn't want to give up the rights in their hands so early, so they had to take the blame.

It is also okay to let Franz take the lead to spread hatred and attack the bourgeoisie. The consequence is that he, the crown prince, will regent early, and the regent members will become history.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Metternich's life is not easy. Representing the interests of the aristocratic class, he considers himself a reformist, and he doesn't seem to be very coordinated.

Originally, the two factions in Austria were fighting to the death, but Franz got involved again, and now the conservatives are also playing with reforms.

In the past, everyone always talked about serfdom, criticizing the conservatives for hindering Austria's progress, depriving serfs of their personal freedom, and cruelly oppressing them.

Now the aristocracy started to fight back, comparing the lives of workers and serfs, and everyone suddenly discovered that there were worse things.