Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Regency

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

Time hurried by, and by March 11, 1848, the rebel army within Vienna was essentially wiped out, leaving only minor ruffians to be handled by the police.

The sudden rebellion came swiftly and dissipated quickly, but the impact had only just begun, with many parts of Austria already showing signs of instability.

Franz had no energy to pay attention to other areas; the Rebellion Suppression Army still had nearly forty thousand prisoners in hand, and their disposal was a major issue.

Killing them was obviously out of the question; he wasn’t a homicidal maniac, and these people bore him no deep hatred.

But simply releasing them was also not an option. Even if they were coerced participants, they had joined the rebellion, and if not dealt with, what would stop others from following their example in the future?

Imposing fines?

If they had money, they wouldn’t have engaged in this life-threatening trade.

From the start of the suppression to the end, it took less than two days; these people were not diehards. The real hardliners had already fled, leaving behind the expendable ones.

At this moment, Albrecht came over, his eyes bloodshot, clearly having not slept well these past few days.

“Albrecht, how are the troops? Any casualties?” Franz asked with concern.

“Not too bad, we didn’t really fight much this time around. The casualties are just over three hundred,” Albrecht paused, then said.

“That’s good to hear. There’s nothing much else going on for now, Albrecht. You should rest.”

Upon hearing the news, Franz breathed a sigh of relief; the casualties of just over three hundred were within an acceptable range for him.

However, the casualties on the rebel side were significant; over three thousand were killed on the spot, and there were more than five thousand injured prisoners, all of them with minor injuries, as the seriously wounded had already turned into corpses.

A preliminary estimate indicated that in this rebellion of less than a week, Vienna had lost over ten thousand lives, most of which were disposed of by the so-called Revolutionary Party.

The nobility quarters had almost turned into a wasteland. The number of confirmed noble casualties had exceeded three figures, and the news was likely to shock the entire European Continent.

Having almost dealt with all the matters at hand, Franz knew it was time to head to the Hofburg Palace, as Austria’s power was waiting for him to take over.

Such a grand upheaval meant that not only was Prime Minister Metternich going to be ousted, but there was also no need to keep the Regency Council around.

At this time, all obstacles to Franz’s regency had been cleared.

Both nobility and capitalists had suffered a major blow, and the decline in imperial power caused by Ferdinand I’s inability to govern was about to return to the hands of the Habsburg Family.

“Franz, you’ve come back. You did well this time!”

The speaker was Franz’s father—Archduke Franz Karl. Franz was skeptical about his father’s ability to offer such a sophisticated compliment.

But soon he understood that it was most likely orchestrated by his mother, Madam Sophie, to set the tone for the situation.

“Father, are you all right? We rushed back overnight upon hearing the news of the rebellion in Vienna. God be praised, we arrived just in time!” Franz said with feigned excitement.

Watching the father and son’s performance, Archduke Louis hesitated, knowing it was too late to say anything.

In this incident, the Regency Council failed to play its role effectively and had already disappointed the Vienna Court.

These grand dukes, including the ones within their ranks, had expressed doubts about the capabilities of the Regency Council and were highly appreciative of Franz, who had timely returned with troops to suppress the rebellion.

Of course, Archduke Albrecht, who commanded the suppression, had been selectively ignored by them.

This was simply because Franz was one of their own and also the Crown Prince of the Empire. If the Habsburg Family did not wish for power to slip through their fingers, supporting the Crown Prince’s regency was the best choice at the moment.

Even now, there were those already plotting the abdication of Ferdinand I. The recent rebellion had struck fear into everyone about the declining imperial power, dreading another revolution.

Indeed, in their hearts, this uprising was a clear sign of the monarchy’s weakening hold. If the majesty of the monarch remained intact, such rebellions would not have occurred.

If Franz were willing, he could already be planning the abdication of Ferdinand I. But he cared about his reputation and couldn’t bring himself to force his uncle to abdicate.

Moreover, Austria was a powder keg at that moment, with the Vienna rebellion being just the first spark. There were further insurrections in the Italian Area, Hungary, Dalmatia…

Each rebellion dealt a blow to Ferdinand I, and sooner or later the conservative nobility would not be able to withstand it.

Historically, it was under these circumstances that Ferdinand I had abdicated. A succession of revolts had terrified Queen Anna, and the Habsburg Family worried that continuing on would threaten their rule in Austria, ultimately deciding on Ferdinand I’s abdication.

Correct that, they had “persuaded” Ferdinand I to abdicate. However, considering the actual situation, Franz thought that this “persuasion” was no different from making the decision for him.

After exchanging greetings with everyone, they got down to the main topic, the matter of post-rebellion management.

“After such a major incident, the Cabinet cannot shirk its blame. I propose the dismissal of the Cabinet!” Archduke Louis was the first to speak out.

“Agree!”

Without question, it passed unanimously, and Prime Minister Metternich was thus dismissed.

“With the Vienna rebellion, the Regency Council failed to fulfil its duties. I think the Regency Council should just be dissolved,” Archduke Franz Karl began.

He had long lost any desire to be involved. From the moment the Regency Council was established, he had not truly managed anything, and this was the perfect opportunity to dissolve it to enjoy a peaceful life as a carefree idler.

“Agree!”

Archduke Louis was inwardly cursing. What were they all meddling for? The only ones with the power to dissolve the Regency Council were the Emperor and the Regency Council itself.

Unfortunately, at this time, there were only two members of the Regency Council present, one of whom had proposed the dissolution. Regardless of whether the other Grand Dukes had the right or not, they could simply make up the numbers.

After hesitating, Archduke Louis finally, albeit unwillingly, indicated, “Agree!” It was useless for him to object at that moment. Unless all members of the Regency Council were united in their stance, there was no way to oppose the decision of the Vienna Court.

That was obviously not going to happen. Archduke Franz Karl had no interest in politics and, no matter his reasoning, he was going to support his son as regent.

“I propose that after the dissolution of the Regency Council, Crown Prince Franz Joseph shall act as regent!”

Seeing that the situation was irreversible, Archduke Louis naturally thought to cut his losses and promptly proposed that the Crown Prince take up the regency, thus stating his position.

“Agree!”