Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 302

Chapter 302: Chapter 51, Personnel Adjustments

The Paris Conference, due to Austria’s meddling, caused the Kingdom of Sardinia to lose its bargaining chips and concluded at a speed akin to lightning, an extremely rare occurrence in the annals of diplomatic history.

The French, who had soared into prominence, once again became the center of public attention. The Kingdom of Sardinia had not yet swallowed this defeat when the debate over the French threat again garnered serious consideration.

This minor issue, naturally, did not catch the Paris Government’s attention. The French threat theory had not just emerged overnight, but persisted for decades, and everyone had grown numb to it.

Let them talk, after all, it won’t cause a loss of flesh. At this moment, the French were celebrating this diplomatic victory.

Franz could only attribute it to the French obsession with Italy, similar to the Habsburg dynasty’s fixation on Switzerland—always wanting to annex these regions.

In his view, the tangible benefits these areas could provide, apart from sentimental value, were very limited.

Of course, the French behaving this way was in Austria’s interest; with them taking the lead, Britain and Russia’s wariness towards Austria dropped a notch.

Human thought is complex, and often judgments are based on subjective consciousness. In terms of comprehensive national power, Austria was not weaker than the French, but in everyone’s subconscious, the threat from the French was deemed greater.

This was not something that could be changed overnight. In history, Bismarck used this subconscious perception to isolate the French.

Had it not been for Wilhelm II’s catastrophic failure, which alerted the London Government to the greater threat from Germany, the Allied Powers could not have been established.

The French, now brimming with pride, probably never dreamed of the price the French government had paid historically to dispel the French threat theory.

In order to win over the Russians, the French government had to pour vast sums of money into Russia in the form of loans, which slowed their own economic development.

To court the British, they deliberately showed weakness, abandoning the naval arms race at the dawn of the twentieth century. Naturally, a lack of government financial resources was also a factor.

Many think that the British are skilful in diplomacy, but in fact, the French are no slouch either. Even from an absolute disadvantage, they still managed to win over Britain and Russia to form the Allied Powers.

Only the French suffer too much from internal strife, with the Cabinet being reshuffled too frequently, and many strategies could not be implemented due to power struggles.

After having outmaneuvered Napoleon III, Franz felt delightfully clear-headed. No, that wasn’t quite right—it shouldn’t be considered outmaneuvering, it should be called a win-win situation, as everyone sought what they needed.

The influential France, still in its zenith, felt no survival threat. The French, still dreaming of global hegemony, naturally did not care about the envy and hatred of others.

In the face of tangible benefits, what does a little more hatred matter? In the days when Napoleon challenged the entire European Continent, the French were not frightened; now with just a little spotlight, they certainly wouldn’t be cowed.

…

Vienna Palace

During the Cabinet meeting, Franz announced the new appointments.

“After the departure of Metternich Prince and Marshal Radetzky, the role of Foreign Minister will be taken over by the ambassador to Russia, Wessenberg, and the Chief of General Staff will be assumed by Marshal Edmond for the time being,” he declared.

Initially, Franz had a higher opinion of Field Marshal Julius Jacob von Haynau for the Chief of General Staff, but unfortunately, this “Habsburg tiger” was already breathing his last, so he had to settle for the next best alternative.

Perhaps to many, Julius was nothing more than a mercenary or a butcher, but Franz saw it quite the opposite.

All that he did was to uphold the rule of the Habsburg dynasty; to conclusively eliminate underlying threats, he did not hesitate to take on a bad reputation for the bloody suppression of rebellions, truly embodying a model of loyal subjecthood.

With Franz’s strong intervention, Marshal Julius instead became a positive figure. He did not become as notorious as he was in history.

Indeed, it was proven that one’s state of mind truly affects one’s lifespan. Under the butterfly effect caused by Franz, the fates of many were rewritten.

Archduke Louis asked with concern, “Your Majesty, my resignation?”

The previous two retirements had been approved, but when it came to him, the process suddenly stalled. Archduke Louis really didn’t want to keep lingering, not out of a desire for power, but simply because his body could no longer bear it.

In Europe, there is no tradition of dying in office. Generally, when someone’s health fails, they choose to retire.

Franz explained, “Just wait for two months, I’m planning to have Prince Windischgrätz take over as Minister of Internal Affairs, he will need some time to familiarize himself with the affairs.

After Prince Windischgrätz’s position change, General Albrecht, the Balkan Governor, will succeed as Army Minister; Major General Morcos will take over as Balkan Governor.”

This was a rule established by Franz after his accession, that if an official was appointed across departments, they must first get acquainted with the business to avoid making a mockery.

Important personnel appointments were personally taken care of by him, the Emperor. For lesser position transfers, Franz wouldn’t get involved.

Human energy is limited, and Franz did not consider himself a superman. It was enough to take good care of the central government and local officials, numbering around one hundred and eighty people; the rest would naturally be managed by them.

The appointment of the Minister of Internal Affairs was a last-minute decision by Franz, and it was completely unexpected by everyone else.

Previously, the Cabinet had also discussed it, but suitable candidates were very scarce, and choosing Prince Windischgrätz was a reluctant decision.

It wasn’t that Austrian talent was withering, but talent within the great Austrian nobility was. This situation was inevitable; considering where the population base was, how could every generation consistently produce talent?

Due to medical technology, many families were facing the danger of extinction. Without the infusion of new blood, the nobility as a class was doomed to lose their grip on power in the long term.

These times of transition between old and new powers are often the bloodiest. If one cannot grasp the right measure, it can easily lead to domestic unrest.

“As an Emperor, when employing people, you cannot only look at their status, but at the same time, you cannot afford to completely ignore it either.” This was the most impactful statement to Franz during his education to be Emperor.

Now he had a deep understanding of it. To govern a country well, one certainly needed to promote talent, and clearly, status could not be the only consideration.

Yet, when balancing power, status had to be considered. Otherwise, if one faction became too dominant, the Emperor would become dispensable.

In comparison, so-called social classes were not actually that important. Status could change—Franz suppressed the capitalist class but not the capitalists themselves.

The suppression of this class was mainly because the capitalist class was too aggressive in nature.

Once they became powerful, driven by interests, they would transform the state into a monetary polity that better suited their own benefits.

Emperors and nobility are feudal cancers, so they must be purged. If lucky, the Emperor might become a rubber stamp; if not, the guillotine awaits.

Since they were destined to be adversaries, suppression was the only option.

However, the capitalist class itself is a body of contradictions, with internal conflicts being more intense than external ones. Their competition far outweighs their cooperation.

As long as they are not allowed to unite into a combined interest group, the threat remains within manageable limits.

Doing business and making money peacefully is fine with Franz. Wanting to get involved in politics is also acceptable, as long as they enter the system according to the rules, he wouldn’t oppose.

If someone uses their wealth to corrupt government officials and attempts to manipulate national politics from the shadows, then suppression is necessary.