Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 148

Chapter 148: Chapter 35, Only Talent Matters

Translator: 549690339

Rectifying the atmosphere in the officialdom was a heavy topic for Metternich. Although no one had accused him of anything, it was indeed a mess he had left behind.

“The European Prime Minister” wasn’t a title given lightly. Metternich had tirelessly worked for the prosperity and stability of European nations. He had battles to fight with domestic political enemies and simply lacked the energy to pay attention to the issue of corruption.

As a result, small problems accumulated over decades and turned into big ones, and the entire government of Austria became as corrupt as anywhere else.

The situation had gotten to the point where the Austrian Government was too embarrassed to even chant slogans about fighting corruption because not everyone present could claim to have a clean record.

Franz was very considerate of everyone’s face, and he didn’t know nor wanted to know about the problems from before, preferring to gloss over them.

But the current issues had to be dealt with. It was necessary to weed out the incompetent, and to improve the government’s enforcement capabilities, which were his basic demands.

Having witnessed Franz’s methods, they dared not underestimate this young Emperor.

One only had to think back to the rebellion of 1848, recalling how many interest groups the Austrian Government had purged and how many powerful factions had been dismantled, to understand the Emperor’s ruthlessness.

Normally, having killed so many and offended so many interest groups, it would be unthinkable not to label him as an incompetent ruler. But reality was quite the contrary: the opposition had died, and those who survived were considered loyal patriots. The hatred was taken up by the rebels, and the remaining blame was shouldered by the frontline generals and the Cabinet.

Even if there were criticisms about the government’s extreme methods, they were directed at the Cabinet, while the Emperor was always seen as great.

Just after the rebellion had been quelled, the nobility who had lost lands exerted the greatest pressure on the government, and Felix was prepared to resign and take responsibility.

In the end, he indeed took on the blame and earned the nickname “Butcher Prime Minister.”

He was viciously slandered by the nobility, but resignation became unnecessary, as the Emperor took responsibility and bore the pressure. He deflected attention by using redemption payments as a bait.

No one wanted to leave office under a cloud of infamy, so to shed the label of “Butcher Prime Minister,” Felix had to work hard to achieve results that would silence the critics. His push for expansion into the Germany Region was partially motivated by this.

Metternich was coaxed out of retirement in the same way. Domestic reputation tarnished, he had to find a way to redeem himself, and the best was to achieve something indisputably commendable.

If Metternich had resigned before 1848, he would have left covered in glory, as a symbol of an era. It’s a pity that he encountered the great revolution and became a target of it, and his ignominious flight has been a stain on his life.

For the sake of his own reputation and his family’s standing, he was striving for the unification of South Germany, even though he was deeply opposed to waging war for it.

The one completing the grand endeavor of national unification would be hailed as a hero. Even if only half completed, he would be a Teuton national hero, enough to overshadow all their past faults.

“Prime Minister, since we’re going to implement a merit-based system, let’s do it thoroughly. From now on, an official’s promotion will be tied to their achievements.

Birth and ancestry will no longer be indicators for promotion. We will look at achievements alone. Those who are capable can rise, and those who aren’t can roll out,” Metternich said fiercely.

If Franz knew that the Cabinet was going to advocate for merit-based advancement, he would surely be shocked—was the Austrian Government to become this progressive?

While a merit-based system had its own shortcomings, it was far more reliable compared to a system that favored titles and lineage.

Superiority is relative. There might be no such thing as the most advanced system—if a new system adapts better to the present than the old one, it is a successful reform.

“That’s fine, but we must also add one thing: Political ideology must meet the most basic requirements,” Felix thought for a moment and said.

Owed so much criticism, they no longer cared. After all, as long as they held their positions, no one would dare to insult them to their face.

Once the results of the reform came to fruition, those who were promoted would naturally be faithful defenders of this system. In the history books of Austria, these reformers would undoubtedly leave a significant mark.

Success deflects blame, and those criticizing them would be seen as the antagonists, acknowledging their efforts for reform.

Competence was key, and personal integrity could have its flaws. But political ideology was non-negotiable—no matter how talented, if one wasn’t loyal to His Majesty Franz, there was no value in their promotion. This was the fundamental principle of recruitment for the Austrian Government.

A task requiring two hundred thousand shields to complete, if done by an official with impeccable personal integrity for one hundred thousand shields, thus saving the state one hundred thousand shields, would be considered: a pillar of the state, deserving of special promotion;

The same task, if another person of good conduct needed two hundred thousand shields to handle it, would be considered: a competent official, capable of performing the tasks set by the leadership methodically, fit for promotion to special positions;

The same task again, if handled for one hundred thousand shields by a capable but corrupt official, who pocketed fifty thousand shields himself but still saved fifty thousand shields for the state, then the Cabinet’s evaluation would be: an able official, worth utilizing but must be used with caution;

However, if this corrupt official used one hundred thousand shields for the task and embezzled another one hundred thousand without saving any costs for the state, the Cabinet’s assessment would be: a competent official, who could be kept like a pig;

If the same task required three hundred thousand shields to complete, no matter how incorruptible the official might be, the evaluation from the Cabinet would be: an inept official, to be left to bear the blame or go home to farm potatoes;

If the same task cost three hundred thousand shields, and the official claimed an extra fifty thousand for personal gain, there would be no need for evaluation—a direct trip to prison for reeducation would suffice.

The first few types of officials all have their value in the bureaucracy. If an upright official lacks the capacity, he can be reassigned to work in special positions.

Corrupt officials, as long as they are capable, have value – they can be used to get things done, or be fattened up like pigs. Once they’ve grown fat, they can be slaughtered to buy the people’s favor and incidentally increase fiscal revenue.

It is only the last kind, the incompetent and corrupt officials, that are truly beyond redemption.

The employment standards of the Austrian Cabinet Government were clearly influenced by Franz. Meritocracy was the principle; as long as one had the ability, they could be employed. Even before their value was exhausted, there was no need to worry about being abandoned.

If one could make great achievements, congratulations, you were safe and didn’t have to worry about a reckoning in the autumn. Franz never killed contributors; that was one of the methods to attract people to risk their lives for him.

Of course, rebels and traitors were exceptions.

In Franz’s view, the contribution of a He Shen was worth more than a hundred Ji Xiaolans. A minister who could take care of business for the Emperor and bear all the infamy for him, and who could be made a scapegoat when money was short, was simply the paragon of ministers!

Unfortunately, there were no such ministers in the Austrian Government. Although there were many who would take the fall for the Emperor, their embezzlement skills clearly fell short. Not to mention embezzling two hundred million liang of silver, even those capable of embezzling two million shields were rare.

(1 Shield ≈ 11.69 grams of silver)

As the amounts involved were really too small, the great Emperor felt it beneath him to turn against them over such petty sums, so he could only take note of it for later.

It can’t be said that the family fortunes of these corrupt officials all came from embezzlement. Those capable could turn money into more money, embezzling one million and then earning ten million; these were the kind of corrupt officials Franz liked most.

Once they were wealthy, the time would come for a reckoning. Even if they’d only embezzled ten thousand shields, Franz didn’t mind confiscating their entire fortunes.

Therefore, diving into government service in Austria was very risky; if one didn’t get rich, so be it, but if one did get rich, one had to consider whether they were clean enough to escape scrutiny.

Regrettably, up to this point, the great Emperor had never executed a minister for the crime of corruption.

There was no helping it; everyone was crafty, leaving no excuse for the Emperor to act. Many officials targeted by the anti-corruption bureau meekly came forward to confess their crimes.

Then they would hand over the ill-gotten gains and go back to their official posts—that was politics in Austria.

Officials were of noble descent, stubbornly refusing to admit guilt. When faced with irrefutable evidence, they could still be handed over to the Noble Court for trial. The Emperor could do nothing with those who readily admitted their guilt.

Out of self-interest, Franz would not break this set of rules. While protecting the interests of the nobility, he also protected the interests of the Emperor.

Simply put, within this system, the nobility had to stand with the Emperor, ensuring the imperial power remained unchallenged. Once imperial power declined, their invisible privileges would disappear like a puff of smoke.

The Austrian Empire remained a state dominated by the nobility. In Franz’s view, this situation was unlikely to change for at least fifty years.

Only after the commoners received mandatory education, and through long periods of accumulation possessed a sufficient number of talents, could they begin to challenge this system.

In present-day Austria, Franz could confidently say that the number of talented individuals within the nobility surpassed the total of all other classes. Even in a fair competition, commoners had almost no chance of success.

According to Franz’s reform plans, the Austrian nobility would continue to absorb new blood in the future. Outstanding commoners, through their contributions to the state, could transform themselves into members of the nobility.

It’s a matter of whose interests determine thoughts. As the Emperor, he couldn’t possibly watch the nobility decline, for it would upset the balance of power within the country.

Beyond the nobility, Franz didn’t think Austria had any other forces capable of suppressing the growing power of the bourgeoisie and ensuring the Emperor’s supreme status.

The experiment within the City Defense Army was a successful example. After the baptism of the battlefield, those few hundred noble sons had become qualified officers.

Clearly, the Austrian nobility had not yet degenerated completely. If it were the historical period of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, that would have been truly beyond salvation.

The nobles lost their arrogance in the war; after losing their life’s aspirations, they all turned into grain weevils.

The current Austrian nobility at least had a goal to strive for. The idea of Greater Germany served as a powerful weapon. Most were working hard for the great goal of unifying Germany.

Influenced by this, the days were over for nobles who previously idled away their time in military camps. No matter the unit, they all had to undergo rigorous military training.

If you plan to go about squandering time, you might want to acquaint yourself with Austrian military law before making any decisions.

As long as you can afford the loss of status, you can apply for early retirement. It’s best to consult your parents before making such a decision; otherwise, you may end up beaten half to death upon returning home, only to be sent back to the military camp.

There are already many such examples, and nobles are all about face. Especially nobles from the Germany Region; if you don’t serve, forget about holding your head high among relatives and friends.

It could even impact the reputation of the family, and a good name is hard to earn. While some were reluctant to let their sons suffer hardships, they were even more unwilling to let their family’s honor wane.

Under the personal supervision of Prince Windischgrätz, any officer or soldier daring to shirk training would first be captured, given fifty military lashes, and then sent home.

No one’s dignity mattered; the Austrian Government was preparing for war, so how could a few spoiled brats be allowed to affect the military’s combat capability?