Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Chapter 37, Everyone Flees When Catastrophe Strikes

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

Before either side could come to a conclusion, the news that the City Defense Army had returned to Vienna and had begun suppressing the rebellion reached the Hofburg Palace.

The negotiations directly fell into a deadlock, the balance of power had shifted, and the initiative in the talks had changed hands; the Vienna Court was no longer in a hurry to reach an agreement.

The conditions proposed by the bourgeoisie were seen as humiliating by these Grand Dukes; they might have grudgingly accepted them out of concern for their own safety if they had no other choice.

Now that the main force of the City Defense Army had returned and the troops from around Vienna were also en route, even a battalion remained inside the Imperial Palace to defend it.

With the danger now passed, everyone’s mindset had changed, and Archduke Louis was unwilling to compromise with the capitalists.

Even if political reforms were to be undertaken, they had to be initiated by the nobility themselves, not forced upon them—this was a crucial point.

The speed of the suppression was faster than Franz had imagined. A rabble was just a rabble; faced with the Rebellion Suppression Army, their first reaction was not how to defeat the enemy but to flee.

Unable to help it, the rebels organized a few resistances initially but were soon frightened off by the City Defense Army. Albrecht deliberately let some of the defeated soldiers escape, allowing the fear of defeat to spread.

In tandem with military offensives, Franz also launched a political attack, announcing in his capacity as Crown Prince: “The principal culprits will be held accountable, while those coerced will not be questioned.”

In that era, the Habsburg Family was still very popular in Austria, and with Franz’s assurance, many of the rebel soldiers who had been dragged into the conflict readily surrendered.

Having suffered at the hands of the rebel army, the Citizens of Vienna now voluntarily assisted the Rebellion Suppression Army, and without the support of the populace, the rebel army had become rootless driftwood.

Although the Rebellion Suppression Army was making smooth progress, Franz could not feel happy. Observing the buildings with shattered walls and ruins, he knew that Vienna’s economy had been set back by at least five years because of this conflict.

But at that moment, Franz had no time for sorrow; he had to reassure the people. After being victimized by the rebels, the morale of the citizens of Vienna was fragile.

As the Crown Prince, Franz naturally had to bring spring-like warmth to them, rescuing them from their suffering.

“Your Highness, the way to the Palace has been cleared!” a Guard reported excitedly.

Franz smiled slightly; this was good news, indicating that the situation was under control. The rebel army had not been able to take the Emperor; thus, their failure was assured.

“Send a message to His Majesty, I will head there once I have dealt with the matters here!”

Politics is dark, and to reap the greatest fruits of victory, Franz had to quell the rebellion and stabilize the situation within the city before returning, wielding the prestige of victory.

Otherwise, going there now could result in the Regency Council vying for control. Faced with power, he had no interest in gambling on the character of these politicians.

Clearly, Franz was still unaware that Prime Minister Metternich had already fled, and Earl Korofute was not in the Palace; only Archduke Louis and his father remained in the Regency Council.

Even if Archduke Louis wanted to snatch the initiative at this time, he could not; unless Emperor Ferdinand I personally took charge, the greatest political capital gained from this rebellion belonged to Franz.

A young man urged anxiously, “Father, let us leave quickly; it will be too late if we delay!”

The middle-aged man looked somber as he glanced at his estate and, with no other choice, boarded the carriage.

Indeed, this man was one of the masterminds behind the rebellion, the great capitalist Owen, who now lacked his usual spirited demeanor, seeming to have aged a decade.

When the City Defense Army had just begun to suppress the rebellion, they had not taken it seriously; in just a few short days, the number of rebels had swelled to over fifty thousand.

But after the first clash, everyone realized they were doomed. Once the regular army started in earnest, how could this rabble stand a chance?

It was different from the initial stages of the rebellion when the soldiers were still wary and hesitant to be ruthless.

Now, the situation had completely changed; cannon were brought out, bombarding densely populated areas. Such a confrontation was something they had never seen before; they were defeated before they could even grasp what was happening.

“It is unknown when we’ll be able to return. Decades of hard-earned family fortune is gone in an instant!” Owen sighed deeply.

“Why speak so much at a time like this? If worse comes to worst, we can just start over somewhere else!” the young man said nonchalantly.

If it weren’t for the worry between his brows, one might truly think he was indifferent.

Though capital knows no borders, in reality, at that time, it was not easy to start anew somewhere else.

Without the long-cultivated network of connections, relocating to unfamiliar terrain might result in being devoured entirely by others.

They had carried out such actions before, and it could be said that all original capital accumulation is bloody.

In theory, a capitalist like Owen should have no reason to meddle in a revolution. Unfortunately, during the previous uproar over high prices, they invested too much capital, hoping to make a substantial profit, only to end up risking their entire fortunes.

If they did not incite a revolution, the majority of their industries would end up in the hands of the banks, causing their influence to wane drastically.

Profit entices, and spurred on by his peers, Owen decided to take a gamble; if he failed, he would simply flee.

Now, the time had come to flee. If they continued to stay in Austria, even if the government didn’t trouble them, their peers, who had suffered heavy losses, would seek their lives.

The rebellion had intensified internal conflicts within a short time frame. Besides Franz’s arrangements, infighting among the capitalists was also a reason.

Business rivals were natural enemies. Even in such situations, the capitalists still sought to undercut their competitors, in order to monopolize the market alone.

Using others for their own ends is always the best choice. They took the opportunity presented by the revolution to plunder the wealth of their adversaries, and perhaps take their lives as well, then pin the blame on the government forces.

If the revolution had succeeded, their schemes would have been successful too. Unfortunately, they failed in the end. Seeing that things were irredeemable, the astute ones fled before the suppression was complete.

In Austria, with enough money, almost anything could be settled, except for rebellion.

At that moment, even money could not be effectively used. Anyone involved could not hope for leniency from the Vienna Government.

Owen and his son were far from the only ones fleeing; everyone involved, whether capitalists, nobility, or opportunistic politicians, was escaping from Vienna, the center of the maelstrom.