Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Chapter 33, The March Revolution

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Go out?

That was impossible, Metternich was no fool. At this time, the enemy was just waiting for him to step out.

Don’t even dream of explaining, it was more likely that as soon as he showed his face, someone would rush up and beat him to death, creating a fait accompli.

Such things have happened more than once in history, mostly glossed over with euphemistic writing, or perhaps blackened even further, turning into being killed on the spot by an angry mob.

If explanations were useful, political struggles wouldn’t be so complicated. “Prime Minister, order the expulsion of the demonstrators,”

Holder, the Chief of the Vienna Police Department, was under the greatest pressure, given the magnitude of the event. Many in the government believed that Metternich’s time was up, and were already preparing their exit strategies.

Unfortunately, while others could leave, he, as the Chief of Police, could not escape. If Metternich fell from power, he would have to roll with him, and might even be held accountable.

Metternich paced a few steps and finally made up his mind, “Order the City

Defense Army to disperse the crowd!”

Before his command could be relayed, the situation outside had already spun out of control. Revolutionaries mixed within the crowd seized their chance and fired a shot at the intercepting soldiers, who, out of reflex, pulled their triggers as well.

“The army is killing people!”

After a loud outcry, the crowd quickly descended into chaos and began to flee.

There was no need to disperse the crowd anymore; they scattered on their own.

However, the aftermath was severe; most people knew that the army had opened fire and killed people.

And the Revolutionaries who stirred up the conflict had their truth naturally concealed.

Angry citizens, now being cheated into starting a revolution, capitalists had somehow managed to gather a number of weapons, which were also delivered at this time.

Selecting some hot-blooded youths, the armed revolutionary force was established, and that very night the Rebel Army launched an attack on a police substation. The Vienna City Government, which had already swung towards the Revolutionary Party, provided convenience for the Rebel army at this time.

When the gunshots of revolution sounded, the situation in Vienna quickly spiraled out of control; the mud was never going to stick to the wall.

The remaining City Defense Army lived up to their name as useless, retreating after a brief exchange of gunfire, the cowardly Nobility Officers failing to suppress the uprising at the first opportunity.

The police in Vienna, also due to the City Government’s defection, had become blindly obedient, temporarily assuming a neutral stance.

In some ways, this uprising was also a palace coup; some of the Nobility trapped by the economic crisis abandoned their class loyalties, siding with the Revolutionary Party.

They attempted to restructure the government through revolutionary means, incidentally “revolutionizing” the bankers and getting rid of their debt crisis.

History had changed; the Rebel army immediately seized the banks, burned the loan agreements, and Austria’s financial groups suffered a terrible blow.

Faced with the turbulent situation, Prime Minister Metternich panicked, the Nobility panicked, the Regency Council panicked, and the Vienna Court panicked.

The February Revolution in France had just ended, and as they were still mocking the French, little did they expect that the crisis would so swiftly spread to Vienna.

For the French, this was the second major revolution. The previous one had already dealt a severe blow to the nobility, with serfdom abolished and noble privileges no longer existing.

In Austria, it was just beginning; the nobility still had a multitude of privileges and a heap of interests, and clearly, the revolution was aimed at them.

Following French precedent, they could be sent to the gallows, or perhaps killed by marauding soldiers. Prime Minister Metternich was no longer his usual composed self, as he was now out of options.

As a qualified scapegoat, Metternich was the most hated man in the eyes of the public, and once he fell into the hands of the rebels, it was merely a matter of how he would die.

A man in a tailcoat said anxiously, “Duke, the carriage is ready; we must leave quickly or it will be too late!”

Metternich was internally struggling; he knew that at this moment, he had become a target, and staying in Vienna was extremely dangerous.

But as a noble, he had his pride and was unwilling to flee like a deserter. He had sent his family away that very morning, choosing to stay behind alone to face the current situation.

“Holder, I…”

Before Metternich could finish, Holder quickly reacted, fully embodying his responsibilities as a good housekeeper, and commanded, “Quickly, take the Duke away!”

These guards were Prime Minister Metternich’s retainers, whose loyalty was unquestionable. At this point, no one bothered with formalities.

Ignoring Prime Minister Metternich’s struggles, they forcefully placed him in an old carriage and hurriedly left Vienna. Meanwhile, someone else was taking his most commonly used carriage towards the Palace.

In times of trouble, the loyalty of the nobles’ retainers shone through. It was not only Prime Minister Metternich; many other nobles also chose to flee

Vienna at this time.

The only safe place in Vienna now was the Imperial Palace; the vast majority of soldiers in the Rebel Army still held the Emperor in awe, refusing to assault the Palace, leaving the revolutionaries helpless.

Even within the Revolutionary Party, many were not prepared to overthrow the Habsburg Family; most were actually Reformists who joined the Revolutionary Party only after despairing of reforms.

At this time, a horde of disorganized revolutionary armed forces had rapidly sprung up, unable to establish a unified leadership, fighting their own independent battles.

Most of the Rebel Army didn’t even have guns; their assortment of weapons was varied, as if time had regressed to the Middle Ages.

Many ordinary people had no interest in the revolution; revolutionary ideas actually had no market in Austria, and after venting their anger, many dispersed.

To strengthen their ranks and suppress the rapidly growing armed worker class, the Revolutionary Party desperately recruited members, causing the newly formed Rebel Army to become a mix of good and bad elements.

For example, under the guise of freeing political prisoners, all inmates from Vienna Prison were released, and many heinous criminals suddenly became part of the revolutionaries.

Gang members and thugs took advantage as well, seizing the opportunity to loot, with murders, arsons, robberies, and rapes— an array of crimes continually unfolding in Vienna.

The first to suffer the impact were not the nobility but the ordinary citizens of Vienna, small businessmen, and the middle class.

The darkness of night concealed endless sins, and Vienna, this cosmopolitan city, sank into a sea of sin that night..