Holy Roman Empire

Referring to the German Empire in history, the Kingdom of Bavaria retains independent political rights and can recruit its own army.

Pulling several other states, the Federal Assembly, the highest authority in the German Empire, still has the right to veto clauses that are unfavorable to them. The central government has nothing to do with them as a state within a state.

Metternich frowned and said, "There will always be excuses. The question is, will our plan succeed? If the game fails, the good situation of the Austrian Empire will be gone."

He doesn't like to take risks, and he doesn't agree with the Russian secret treaty.But his arms can't hold his thighs, and in the current Austrian government, he is no longer the one who speaks with one word.

Felix thought for a while and said: "Mr. Metternich, the risk of Austria's unification of South Germany is not military.

If we send troops under the banner of unifying Germany, it is very likely that the armies of these states will defect, and most of them support the unification of Germany.

The enemy has no fighting spirit, and the possibility of our military failure is almost zero.

The real risk comes from diplomacy, where you have the most say.

The Russia-Australia secret treaty has been signed, and the Russians will be on our side if there are no accidents.

The British are beyond their reach, and the danger comes from two directions, France in the west and Prussia in the north, as long as we can get one of them, we will win.

If the Austrian government can make concessions in other areas, do you think it is possible to persuade the French to support us?

They don't need their support, just let the French government acquiesce.

Even if the French government is vacillating and delaying their decision-making, we can unite with the Russians to subdue Prussia! "

Metternich was lost in thought, which was easier said than done.There are many factors that affect the outcome of diplomacy, which must be considered carefully, especially when it involves the fate of the country.

After thinking for a while, Metternich frowned and said: "Bleeding heavily in the Italian region, promise to cede all the territory west of the Rhine in exchange for the possibility of the French supporting us. There are three possibilities, and the possibility of neutrality is six.

As for delaying the decision-making time of the French government, if it is the current French government, even if they do nothing, they will have to argue for several months. "

In his opinion, Felix has gone mad. Is it good to be neighbors with the French?

In the future, a large amount of Austria's defense budget will be spent on defense against the French, which is why the Russians allowed Austria to annex South Germany.

Moreover, the so-called strategic estimates are not reliable at all. Who knows when the French government will change again?

Chancellor of the Exchequer Carl said dissatisfiedly: "Prime Minister, can this issue be discussed later? Don't forget our current task. I oppose any expansionary action until the country is straightened out."

Originally, the Austrian government's finances were very ample. In 1848, a large number of aristocratic properties were confiscated, and a huge sum of money was extorted during the Ossa War.

Since the Russia-Omitory Treaty, seeing the Russians' war preparations, the Austrian government has judged that the pattern of the European continent is about to be broken. In order to deal with emergencies, the money has become a war reserve.

The Treasury then has to budget carefully and live within its means.

Not long ago, a line dispute broke out in the palace, but no result was reached. His Majesty the Emperor proposed to purge the official ranks, ending the dispute.

Originally, the current topic was to clean up the officialdom, but now because of the news of the change in Bavaria's foreign policy, it has been diverted from the topic.

There is no doubt that Prime Minister Felix wants the cabinet to support his westward expansion strategy. Unfortunately, everyone has their own opinions, and not everyone is interested in expansion.

Felix laughed and said: "I'm sorry, it's my fault! Recently, my mind is full of issues about the South German region, and I can't help but digress.

Let's continue today's topic, about the specific plan to clean up the atmosphere in the officialdom. "

Chapter 35 Merit

Cleaning up the officialdom, this topic is a bit heavy for Metternich.While no one accuses him of anything, it's the mess he left behind.

"European Prime Minister" is not called for nothing. For the prosperity and stability of European countries, Metternich is worried.I have to fight against domestic political opponents, and I really don't have the energy to pay attention to corruption.

As a result, after decades of accumulation, small problems have become big problems, and the entire Austrian officialdom is as black as crows.

Now the Austrian government is embarrassed to even shout the slogan of anti-corruption and honesty, because the bottoms of the people sitting there may not all be clean.

Franz took great care of everyone's face. He didn't know about the too early issue, and he didn't want to know about it, so he just let it go.

But the problems that are happening now must be dealt with, kicking out the incompetent and improving the government's ability to execute are the minimum requirements he put forward.

After seeing Franz's methods, they dare not underestimate the young emperor.

Just think about how many interest groups and powerful factions the Austrian government took to cleanse during the 1848 rebellion, and you will know how ruthless this emperor is.

According to the normal situation, killing so many people and offending so many interest groups, if you don't label him as a fool, then you will be sorry for their methods.

The reality is just the opposite. Those who opposed the emperor died, and those who survived were loyal and patriotic.The hatred was all pulled away by the rebellious party, and the rest of the scapegoat was also borne by the front-line generals and the cabinet.

Even if someone accuses the government of being too aggressive, they are all criticizing the cabinet. The emperor is always great.

The nobles who had just quelled the rebellion and lost their land exerted the greatest pressure on the government, and Felix was ready to take the blame and resign to take responsibility.

In the end, he did memorize the scapegoat, and the butcher prime minister was his harvest.

He was scolded bloody by the nobles. Of course, he didn't need to resign. The emperor was very responsible and withstood the pressure.Using ransom money as bait diverted everyone's attention.

No one wants to step down with a bad name on their backs, in order to clear the name of the butcher prime minister.Felix had to work hard, trying to show his achievements to silence them.There are also factors in this aspect of his promotion of expansion to the German region.

Metternich was also fooled out of the mountain like this, and his reputation in the country was ruined, so he could only find a way to clear it up. The best way is to come up with an unspeakable achievement.

If Metternich resigned before 1848, then he would have returned with honor. As a sign of the times, it is a pity that he caught up with the Great Revolution and became the target of the revolution. His desperate escape became his life. stain.

For his own reputation, for the family's reputation, even if he is very disgusted with launching a war to unify South Germany, he is still working hard for it.

Those who have completed the great cause of national unification will become heroes, even if they are only half completed, they are also German national heroes, enough to cover up all their previous mistakes.

"Prime Minister, since we want to implement the merit test system, we should do it thoroughly and link the promotion of officials in the future with their achievements.

Status and lineage will no longer be the indicators of official promotion. We only look at political performance, those who are capable will go up, and those who are not can get out. "Metternich said harshly.

If Franz knew that the cabinet was going to focus on political achievements, he would be surprised. How progressive is the Austrian government?

Although the theory of political achievement alone still has many shortcomings, it is much more reliable than the official promotion system based on title and lineage.

Superiority is all based on comparison. There is no most advanced system. As long as the new system is more suitable for the actual situation than the old system, it is a successful reform.

"Yes, but one more thing must be added, political ideas must meet the most basic requirements." Felix thought for a while and said

They don't care if they have too much debt, and they don't care if they are scolded too much.Anyway, as long as they are in power for one day, they don't dare to scold them face to face.

When the results of the reform come out, these promoted people will naturally be loyal defenders of this system. In the history of Austria, these reformers will definitely leave a strong mark.

Successful people are not to be blamed. Those who scold them will instead stand in the position of villains and think about their efforts for reform.

Appoint people on their merits, and flaws in personal conduct are acceptable.The only thing that cannot be flawed is political thinking. No matter how strong your ability is, if you are not loyal to His Majesty Franz, there is no value for promotion. This is the most basic employment principle of the Austrian government.

One thing that needs to be done with 20 dong, an official with perfect personal integrity, can be done with only [-] dong, saving the country [-] dong. This is: the pillar of the country must be focused promoted;

For the same thing, another person with good moral conduct needs 20 dong to do it well, so he is a cadre, who can do the tasks assigned by the leader step by step, and can be promoted to a special position;

The same thing was done by a capable corrupt official with [-] dong. He swallowed [-] dong himself and saved [-] dong in the end. Then the cabinet will evaluate him as: capable official, can reuse but must Use with caution;

For the same thing, if the corrupt official managed it with [-] dong, and embezzled [-] dong privately, which did not save the country's cost, then the cabinet's evaluation of him would also be: an official can be raised as a pig;

If you need to spend 30 dong to do the same thing, no matter how clean it is, the evaluation given by the cabinet is: stupid officials, stay and take the blame, or go home to grow potatoes;

If you need to spend 30 dong to do the same thing, and you have reported an extra [-] dong in your budget and pocketed it for yourself, then there is no need for evaluation, just send it to the prison for reformation.

The previous types of officials all have value. If the honest officials are not capable enough, they can be transferred to work in special positions.

Corrupt officials are valuable as long as they are capable. They can be used to handle affairs or raised as pigs.When they are fattened up, they will be killed and used to buy people's hearts, and by the way, increase a sum of financial revenue.

Only the last type, incompetent and corrupt officials, is really hopeless.

The employment standards of the Austrian cabinet government were obviously influenced by Franz.Only talent is used, as long as you have the ability, you can use it.Don't worry about being abandoned even before the value is drained.

If you can make great contributions, then congratulations, you are safe, and you don't have to worry about settling accounts after the fall.Franz has never killed heroes, this is one of the means to attract people to work hard.

Of course, rebellion and treason are exceptions.

In Franz's view, one Heshen contributed more than a hundred Ji Xiaolan.A minister who can help the emperor get things done properly, bears all the infamy for the emperor, and can take him under the knife when he is short of money, such a minister is simply a model of a minister!

Unfortunately, there is no such minister in the Austrian government.Although there were quite a few people who took the blame for the emperor, the embezzlement techniques were obviously not up to the mark. Not to mention embezzling 200 million taels of silver, even embezzling [-] million dong was rare.

(1 shield ≈ 11.69 grams of silver)

Since the amount was too small, His Majesty the Great Emperor couldn't bear to turn his face and deny anyone, so he could only write it down in a small notebook first.

It cannot be said that the family property of corrupt officials comes from corruption. A capable person can make money with money, embezzle 100 million and then earn 1000 million. This kind of corrupt official Franz likes it the most.

When they are rich, they can settle accounts after the fall.Even if it was just [-] guilders of embezzlement, Franz didn't mind confiscating all their billions of dollars.

Therefore, it is very risky for Austrian government officials to go to sea. If you don’t make a fortune, forget it. If you make a fortune, you must carefully consider whether your butt is not clean.

It is a pity that so far, His Majesty the Great Emperor has not killed a minister on charges of corruption.

There is no way that everyone is human, and there is no excuse for His Majesty the Emperor.Many officials who were targeted by the Anti-Corruption Agency came to plead guilty very cowardly.

Then, hand over the stolen money and go back to be an official. This is Austrian politics.

The officials are all of noble origin, and if they deny it to the death, they can be handed over to the noble court for trial after the evidence is conclusive.When encountering those who directly admit to counseling, the emperor will not give them up.

Starting from his own interests, Franz will not break this set of game rules.While protecting the interests of the nobility, it also protected the interests of the emperor.

To put it simply, under this system, nobles must stand on the side of the emperor to ensure that the imperial power will not fall.Once the imperial power declines, their invisible privileges also disappear.

The Austrian Empire was still a country dominated by aristocrats. In Franz's view, this situation would be difficult to change for at least 50 years.

Only after the civilian class has received compulsory education, after a long period of accumulation, and has enough talents, can it impact this system.

Like Austria now, Franz can say with certainty that the number of talents in the aristocratic class exceeds the sum of all classes. Even if they compete under fair conditions, the children of ordinary people have almost no chance of winning.

According to Franz's reform plan, the Austrian aristocracy will still absorb blood in the future, and the outstanding talents of the common people can become a member of the aristocracy through their contributions to the country.

It's the ass that decides the head. As the emperor, he can't watch the aristocratic class decline, otherwise the power in the country will be out of balance.

Apart from the aristocratic class, Franz did not think that there were other forces in Austria that could suppress the growing bourgeoisie and ensure the supremacy of the emperor.

The experiment in the city defense army was a successful example. After being baptized on the battlefield, those hundreds of noble children have become qualified officers.

Obviously, the Austrian aristocracy has not been completely corrupted. If it comes to the Austro-Hungarian Empire in history, it will be really hopeless.

The arrogance of the nobles was lost in the war, and after losing their ideals in life, they all became rice borers.

The current Austrian aristocrats still have at least one goal. The idea of ​​Greater Germany is a powerful weapon. Most people are working hard for the great goal of unifying Germany.

Affected by this, the good times of the nobles who had been dawdling in the military camp were over.Regardless of which army they are in, they must receive strict military training.

If you want to run out, you must first understand Austrian military law before making a decision.

Of course, as long as you can afford to lose this person, you can also apply for early retirement.It is best to consult your parents before making this decision, otherwise you will be beaten half to death when you go back, and then sent to the military camp.

There are already many such examples, and nobles want to save face.Especially the nobles in the German region, if you don't join the army, don't think about raising your head in the circle of relatives and friends.

It will even affect the family's reputation, a good reputation is not easy to come by.Although some people are reluctant to bear their son's hardship, they are even more reluctant to bear the glory of their family.

Under the personal supervision of Prince Wendisch Gretz, any officers and soldiers who dared to evade training would be captured and beaten with fifty army sticks before being sent home.

No one can lose face. The Austrian government is preparing for war. How could it be possible for a few dudes to affect the combat effectiveness of the army?

Chapter 36 Disbanding the Bottle Army

The torrent of history is rolling forward. After the Pudan War, the situation in Europe has also undergone earth-shaking changes. Reform seems to have become the mainstream of society overnight.

Except for the Russians in the country of ice and snow who are still doing their own way, most countries on the European continent are carrying out social reforms. Austria is reforming, France is reforming, and Prussia is still reforming...

The reform is good. Everyone is busy with internal reforms and has no energy to do things. The situation in Europe has calmed down, as if it has returned to the Metternich era.

Franz knew that this was all an illusion, the contradiction hadn't disappeared, it had only temporarily lurked.With a bear who is ready to break the international order at any time, and a John Bull who is afraid of chaos, how can it be possible to truly bring peace to Europe?

The Austrian government accelerated the pace of internal rectification. One official was warned and punished today, and the other official went home in disgrace the next day. Occasionally, an unlucky person was brought to court by the Anti-Corruption Agency.

After the decree to purge the officialdom was issued, the officials have been in dire straits.Since March, dozens of officials have lost their posts for various reasons almost every day, and one tenth of them have been brought to court.

As far as Franz knew, the government had shown mercy, otherwise the number would have easily increased tenfold.Perhaps it is because the sky is high and the emperor is far away. The more remote the area, the bolder the bureaucrats will be.

For example: In the province of Dalmatia, there is a mayor named Alges. He believes that Latin is the best language in the world, and then promotes Latin for decades.

For such a bold official, the cabinet government is naturally not polite.

Just this one scam, directly sent one-third of the officials in the Dalmatian province to go home to grow potatoes, and three hundred of them went to prison with him.

In a rage, Prime Minister Felix sent them all to the railway construction army to contribute to Austria's modernization.

Since it is killing chickens to scare monkeys, how can it be possible not to be ruthless?

Not being sentenced to death is not because the Austrian government is lenient.It is a negative teaching material of living and suffering, which can shock people's hearts for a longer period of time than sending them directly to see God.

Ordinary officials take bribes, most of them are fined and confiscated if they are caught, and then decide whether to go home or go to prison depending on the severity of the case.

All officials who work against the government's orders, no matter they are clean or not, must go to prison, and they are still the kind of "mainly cared for".

Any identity background is useless this time. Some of the typical characters are not going to prison alone but the whole family goes together, and the nobles are no exception.

Felix's reputation as the "Prime Butcher" came into play, and the bureaucrats were frightened. Even if they were very dissatisfied, they did not dare to take any action, for fear of getting burned.