Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 149

Chapter 149: Chapter 36: Dissolution of the Milk Bottle Army

Translator: 549690339

The currents of history rolled on, and after the end of the Prussia-Denmark War, the situation in Europe underwent earth-shaking changes, as reform seemingly became the mainstream of society overnight.

Except for Russians from the icy land who still did as they pleased, most countries on the European Continent were undergoing social reforms, Austria was reforming, France was reforming, and Prussia was still reforming

Reform was good; everyone was busy with internal reforms, so they had no energy to cause trouble. The situation in Europe calmed down, seemingly returning to the Metternich Era.

Franz knew all this was just an illusion; the contradictions had not disappeared but merely submerged temporarily. With Russia ready to break the international order at any time, and John Bull always eager for chaos, how could Europe truly settle into peace?

The Austrian Government accelerated the pace of internal rectification; today one official was disciplined with a warning, and tomorrow another would skulk back home in disgrace. Occasionally, an unlucky one would be hauled before the court by the anti-corruption bureau.

Ever since the decree to rectify the atmosphere of the officialdom had been issued, it had been hard for officials to survive. Starting from March, nearly every day saw dozens of officials lose their posts for various reasons, with a tenth of them being taken to court.

To Franz’s knowledge, this was the government still showing mercy; otherwise, that number could have easily increased tenfold. Perhaps thinking they were far from the Emperor’s reach, bureaucrats in remote areas tended to be bolder.

Take, for example, the mayor of Algeis in Dalmatia Province, who believed Latin was the best language in the world, and thus promoted it day in and day out for decades.

For such audacious officials, the Cabinet Government naturally showed no courtesy.

This one rotten apple led to a third of the officials in Dalmatia Province being sent home to farm potatoes, and three hundred unlucky ones ended up in prison with him.

In a fit of anger, Prime Minister Felix assigned them all to the army corps building railways, contributing to Austria’s modernization efforts.

Since this was a case of “kill the chicken to scare the monkey,” how could it not be severe?

Avoiding the death penalty was not a sign of weakness from the Austrian Government. A living example of suffering was more intimidating than sending someone immediately to meet God; it would instill fear for a much longer time.

Ordinary officials caught for corruption and bribery were mostly fined, and then whether they were sent home or to prison depended on the severity of the offense.

Any officials who went against the government’s orders, no matter how upright, had to go to prison and would be “specially taken care of.”

This time, no personal background would help, and in some typical cases, it wasn’t just one person going to jail, but entire families, with no exceptions for the nobility.

The reputation of Prime Minister Felix, known as the “Butcher Prime Minister,” made officials tremble in fear, and even those with great dissatisfaction in their hearts dared not act, for fear of bringing disaster upon themselves.

It wasn’t just the government stirring up big actions; the Austrian army was also rectifying military discipline. The Army Department had already dismissed 12 generals and 361 field officers, with countless lower-ranking petty officers also being purged.

Most of these people were sent home for neglect of duty or loafing on the job, and a few, due to corruption and bribery, were taken to military court.

It’s worth noting that the nobility in the military still cared about appearances, probably fearing being shot in the back on the battlefield. There were very few skimming military pay; most corruption involved underhanded dealings with military supplies or taking kickbacks in procurement.

Ironically, many leaders who were personally corrupt had good reputations within the army.

Regrettably, their talents were misplaced; if they had been in government departments, they might have fared well, but in the military, they were just out of luck. Once found, they were dealt with without exception.

The lower-ranked soldiers might not know, but the higher-ups in the military were aware that the government was preparing for a major war.

Any individuals or interest groups affecting the army’s combat effectiveness were bound to be struck down.

Just looking at the current training would tell, with marshals and generals often personally supervising the troops’ training at the grounds. Sometimes, if dissatisfied, they would even resort to using a whip on the soldiers.

While rectifying troop training, the military also established officer professional development courses specifically targeting officers; many idle nobility officers often found themselves on the receiving end of military sticks and whips.

By evening, in a military camp outside Prague, nobility officers, exhausted by training, returned to the communal barracks, listlessly trying to rest.

Gernie asked, “Kasamen, you’re always well-informed. Do you know when this special training will end?”

“Isn’t that obvious, Gernie?” If I had known in advance, I would have found a way to slip away by now. I certainly wouldn’t be here suffering with you.” Kasamen replied wearily.

“Can’t be, can it? Doesn’t your uncle work at the headquarters? Isn’t there any news at all?” Gernie asked with doubt.

“There is. He told me I must perform well, or else I’d be in big trouble. And sure enough, it’s just like that. Look at poor Sarks, beaten until his behind was a blooming mess. The military judiciary is quite ruthless, they spared him no dignity.” Kasamen answered with a bitter smile.

“That’s nothing. Alte from the class next door tried climbing over the wall to escape and got shot in the right leg by a guard on duty, nearly requiring amputation.

Even so, he was still brought before the military court on charges of desertion; his life is pretty much over.” said Gernie, still shaken by the event.

Vienna Schoenbrunn Palace

Prince Windischgrätz handed Franz a document and said, “Your Majesty, this is our Army Department’s perfected reform plan, please take a look.”

The Austrian military reform plan was actually formulated by the late Archduke Carl, in which Franz had also participated, filled with his own mixed agenda. Now, the Army Department was merely perfecting it on that basis.

In the battles of 1848, the Austrian army showed many deficiencies, prompting the insightful within the army to propose military system reforms. It was at this time that Franz put forward the reform plan taught to him by Archduke Carl on his deathbed.

Although implementing this plan would continue to increase the influence of Archduke Carl within the army, Franz still chose to carry out reforms under his banner.

In Franz’s view, the high status of a deceased God of War was no hindrance at all. Coming from Archduke Carl, the first man recognized by the Austrian military, the proposal would always be more influential than if it were put forward by Franz, the Emperor himself.

The leaders of the reformist faction usually don’t end well; they suffer as much slander as they receive praise. If not careful, they could even fall victim to retaliation from interest groups. But for the deceased, it doesn’t matter—they can’t be reached for revenge.

Many of the current leaders in the Austrian army were influenced by Archduke Carl; for example, Marshal Radetzky, who holds the highest prestige, once served as chief of staff to Archduke Carl, and Prince Windischgrätz even claims to be his descendant.

Now is the best time for military reforms; if it were delayed for another decade or so, when the older generation has stepped down, it would be more difficult to propose then.

Thinking of this, Franz felt a headache coming on. There was a worrisome gap in the Austrian army’s talent pipeline, despite its generals being no less capable than those of any other country.

However, these generals, who gained fame during the wars against France, were slowly aging, and among the younger generation, there were not many who had yet made a name for themselves.

Casually flipping through, Franz asked with interest, “Dismissing overage officers from the army, do you plan to have the veterans retire?”

Thinking about the retirement of old soldiers was one thing, but actually doing it was another matter entirely.

These were men who had distinguished themselves on behalf of Austria, who believed they could continue to struggle for the country; sending them home on the grounds of age alone just didn’t make sense.

Besides, in Franz’s view, there was something to be said for the craftiness that came with age. If war were to break out, the quality of the younger officers really couldn’t compare with the older generation.

Talented individuals emerge in times of chaos, and the older generation grew up during an era when Napoleon was beating the European Continent. Austria was the main force resisting Napoleon, enduring dozens of major and minor battles which naturally honed the army.

They had their share of victories; after all, the Austrian army had defeated Napoleon head-on. Many military leaders were unconvinced by their victories over the French, believing that if it wasn’t for the government holding them back, they might have won.

The spirit of the Austrian military was forged in that era. It was only the epic defeat suffered with the ruler personally leading the troops in combat during the France-Austria war that knocked that arrogance out of them.

A military without spirit saw its combat effectiveness steadily decline, and by the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it was only capable of bullying Italy.

Prince Windischgrätz explained, “Not at all, Your Majesty. These veterans are the treasures of the Austrian army, who are now training the next generation of officers. The Army Department couldn’t possibly allow them to retire!

Our plan is to clear out those officers in the current army—under the age of 16—who are unable to serve in the forces.”

Franz nodded, understanding that this was about disbanding the so-called “Milk Bottle Officer Corps.” The number of such young officers in the Austrian army wasn’t small at all, and this trend was started by the royal family itself.

Franz himself was a beneficiary of this policy, but that didn’t affect his disdain for it—seats determine brains.

When he was the beneficiary, naturally, he supported it wholeheartedly; but now that his position had changed, and the policy could no longer bring him benefits, Franz’s stance also changed.

If upon reaching service age, nobles with their superior military training became officers, nothing could be said against it, as the military is a place that believes in the strength of the strong.

But this Milk Bottle Officer Corps was unbearable. No Austrian soldier would think that their military training was inferior to that of a child still nursing.

After some consideration, Franz said, “Change ‘overage’ to ‘underage’, cancel the commissions of all young officers who have not reached the age of service and have not served in the military, and make no exceptions for the royal family.”

He didn’t believe the Army Department confused ‘underage’ for ‘overage’; obviously, this was a way to sweep out the Milk Bottle Officer Corps while leaving a back door open.

The purpose was very simple: the royal family’s faces must be saved, you can’t simply kick them all out. Franz’s three brothers were among them.

But Franz saw this as superfluous. The Milk Bottle Officer Corps had no substantial role, and to damage the principle of fairness in the military for a so-called face was truly a loss not worth the gain.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” replied Prince Windischgrätz.

With the royal family taking the lead, what could the nobility say? In the end, the younger generation would only lose a title, with no substantial loss.

The original purpose of this juvenile officer scheme was to motivate the next generation to study hard and always remember that they were officers.

By now, this educational method had both succeeded and failed.

The noble offspring were indeed imbued with a sense of superiority, striving to best others in their studies. If their effort led them to surpass their peers, the resulting stimulation would continue to propel their progress.

Conversely, if, despite their hard work, they couldn’t keep up with their peers, their pride would be gradually worn away, leading to decadence.