Holy Roman Empire

It is conceivable that in the following 1855, the Austrian economy will inevitably be challenged. Of course, market feedback will take time, and the crisis will not break out in the short term.

Even if the war is over, Austria has seized many markets, and these markets can also continue the life of domestic industry and commerce.

Vienna Palace

Franz said solemnly: "The war in the Near East is over, and the domestic economy must be adjusted. Private enterprises are decided by the capitalists themselves, and we don't need to worry about them, but state-owned enterprises must do a good job in industrial transformation.

Many materials that were consumed in large quantities during the war are no longer needed in the market, so these production lines must be adjusted, cut down, closed down.

Adjust the production direction to the place where the market needs, and industries that cannot be adjusted too much, or industries with too low profits, can be auctioned off.

The government only needs to control some industries that are related to the national economy and the people's livelihood, and it only needs to maintain a certain influence on ordinary industries. "

Give up if you can't make a profit. Franz doesn't hold the unshakable concept of state-owned enterprises. The mainstream economy in this era is all private capital.

The fact that the Austrian government owns such industries is also caused by special reasons. It is not that the government planned to develop so many industries from the beginning, and there is no pressure to sell some Franz now.

Prime Minister Felix replied: "Your Majesty, I'm afraid it's not a good time to deal with these industries now. Everyone knows that the war is over. Without foreign trade orders, these companies simply cannot sell at a high price.

Moreover, the placement of state-owned enterprise personnel is also very troublesome. It is better to take it slowly and wait for the market to complete its self-regulation before dealing with this problem. "

Franz shook his head and said: "No, after the market has been adjusted, new companies will have sprung up long ago, who are we selling these low-value companies to?

The same enterprise is not a concept at all in the hands of the government and in the hands of capitalists.According to past experience, many failed enterprises directly managed by the government turned over quickly after being sold to capitalists.

We can't simply consider the price issue, but also proceed from the overall situation to ensure the rapid development of the domestic economy.

What are you afraid of in terms of personnel arrangements? You can directly transfer posts. There is still a shortage of administrative officials in the Balkans, so some people can be sent there.

A company has come to the point of being auctioned in their hands, don't they still have the nerve to call themselves meritorious officials? "

Others didn't know that the economic crisis was coming, but Franz felt that the capital market was unusual. Before the crisis broke out, it was king to raise funds as much as possible.

Franz is not worried about the staff arrangement. No matter who is the boss, it is the same for ordinary employees at the bottom.

Austrian state-owned enterprises have not existed for a short time, and they have not had time to form interest groups, and they simply do not have the ability to negotiate conditions with the government.

The enterprise has been sold, and the leading cadres to be adjusted are considered lucky if they are not held accountable. If you want to enjoy the treatment of heroes, dream about it!

Austria's state-owned enterprises have a very high degree of autonomy. Under the environment of good economic development, business operations are in trouble or have entered a dead end, which proves their incompetence.

Franz naturally wouldn't give them a good look at the incompetent people. If he didn't drive these people home, it was because of his mercy.

Of course, the serious vacancies of low-level civil servants in the Austrian Balkan Peninsula are also an important factor.These people may have mediocre abilities, but they are safe to use, and there is no need to worry about their collusion with the Ottoman remnants who slipped through the net.

Volume III The New Vienna System

Chapter 1 The Tsar wants to abolish slavery

January 1855, 1 is a memorable day in European history. On this day, the "Quadruple Pact" came into effect, and the European continent entered the era of the New Vienna System.

All countries began to fulfill their respective responsibilities and obligations in accordance with the provisions of the treaty. British soldiers who "mistakenly entered" Serbia were also repatriated.

Originally, when the negotiations started, these British soldiers could leave, but after staying in Serbia for so long, they have not been idle.

Although the London government has paid for their living expenses, everyone has no pocket money in their pockets, and the bureaucrats of the London government will not send over the military salary.

Austria only disarmed them and did not restrict their personal freedom.Apart from lodging and dining in a fixed place, they can roam freely within a few kilometers, and taverns are their favorite.

The Austrian government is only responsible for providing three meals a day, and for extra consumption, pay for it yourself!The days of sitting and eating mountains and nothing soon made the British soldiers extremely poor, and the life without money was difficult, and it would definitely be unbearable after a long time.

Violation of discipline?The Serbia region is now under military control, and if you catch it, there is a risk of losing your head.

At this time, the local area was undergoing reconstruction, and there was a lack of young and strong labor force. In order to make their lives more comfortable, many soldiers took part-time jobs to earn pocket money.

Serbia has suffered heavy losses of young and strong, and the ratio of men to women is seriously out of balance. After a long time of mixing, many British soldiers have also formed families there.

With a family, there is naturally a concern with the local area.In this era of inconvenient transportation, this farewell is a farewell to most people. If it is not for the British government's repeated urging, it is estimated that it will be delayed for a longer time.

The Austrian government accommodated a total of 2183 British soldiers. When they finally left, the team had grown to 3128, and the increase was naturally family members.

Regardless of how the British cabinet felt after receiving the news, Franz was completely confused after receiving the news.

But considering the special situation in Serbia, he also understood.Girls of the right age always want to get married, and there are not enough young people in the local area, so they can only look outside.

The British brand is still very useful in this era, at least for the local Serbians, this identity is still tempting.

International marriage is legal in Austria. As long as both parties are willing and then go to the church to complete the registration, they are protected by law.

Not only British soldiers, but also many Austrian troops stationed in Serbia had the same situation. For this reason, there were disputes in the General Staff. Finally, under the background of national integration, the government gave the green light.

It's impossible to stop him, but Franz still has this bit of tolerance, why would I beat a mandarin duck if you love me?It's just an increase in the living expenses of the families of British soldiers, which the London government paid for.

Politically, this has also become a testimony of Anglo-Austrian friendship, at least according to the British media.John Bull also wants face, and no one has investigated the real reason.

This was just a small episode, nothing more than leaving people with jokes after dinner, and it passed quickly.

On the day when the treaty came into effect, Austria also completed the contract exchange with the Ottoman Empire.The Ottoman Empire admitted defeat and ceded Serbia, Wallachia, Moldavia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina to Austria, and the territorial sovereignty of the above-mentioned areas officially changed.

There is nothing to hesitate about the cession of the territory, which is separated by France and Russia. Even if this kind of area is given to the Ottoman Empire, they can do nothing.

In contrast, there was a dispute between the French and the Ottoman Empire over the territory transaction. The French representative directly issued a loan receipt for payment, and the Ottomans were naturally dissatisfied.

How can you go back on the agreed cash transaction now?But the French don't think so. Isn't it also a cash payment to subtract [-] million francs from the debt?

Anyway, no matter how the Ottomans protest, the Paris government has made up their minds, and what is impossible to give in cash is to reduce their debt holdings.

There is no way, the French government is not rich now.Now that the Near East War has been fought, the military expenditure of the French government is also astronomical, and Napoleon III is also struggling with financial problems.

What's more, after losing the Balkan Peninsula, the Ottoman Empire's solvency has also dropped significantly. If the debt is not reduced, whether these loans can be recovered is a problem.

The capitalists were unwilling to take this risk, so they encouraged the French government to take over the debt. Napoleon III naturally agreed to win people's hearts.

Disputes belong to disputes and do not affect the performance of the treaty.International loans are usually overlord contracts, and soon the French found the interpretation clause in the loan contract, which proved the legality of their doing so, and made the Ottomans obediently shut up.

All the treaties were implemented normally, the new Vienna system was established, and the cloud of war hanging over the European continent dissipated.

……

St petersburg

All the streets and alleys are celebrating this great victory, but this does not include the top officials of the tsarist government. My family knows their own affairs, and they are very aware of how much water this victory has.

If it weren't for the sudden plague that hit the confidence of the French, it is estimated that the Russian army was still fighting fiercely in Constantinople at this time.

In the Winter Palace, Nicholas I roared: "How come the great Russian Empire can't even get a little post-war pension?"

Gray animals are not worth much, but after all, they won the battle, so they should be compensated for the number of dead animals, right?Those who survived should also be given some rewards, they can't get promoted, and some bounties will always be given out!

If these tasks are not done well, who will work for the Tsar next time?

The Minister of Finance, Aristanley Rhodes, replied with a wry smile: "Your Majesty, the casualties of this war are too great, and Constantinople needs to be rebuilt. The government's finances have long been unable to make ends meet. Now it is necessary to spend hundreds of millions of rubles at once. , is really too difficult.”

Constantinople must be rebuilt. This is a dual political and religious need. Even if it is to sell iron, the tsarist government can only bite the bullet.

Post-war pensions and bounties must also be issued, both of which are equally important.This is undoubtedly a test for Russia's finances.

The Russians have to thank the plague for bringing the war to an early end. If it drags on for another year or so, they won't be able to raise money even if they sell everything.

Nicholas I snapped: "If you don't have money, just find a solution. You don't need to be reminded of financial difficulties. The task of the Ministry of Finance is to find a solution to this financial crisis.

In any case, post-war pensions had to be paid, and the cost of rebuilding Constantinople had to be raised. "

"Your Majesty, the best way now is to solicit donations from the people for the reconstruction of Constantinople. If it doesn't work, you can only increase taxes.

The government is short of money, and we can try to avoid giving cash directly for post-war rewards, such as giving the soldiers themselves and their families the status of free citizens.

You can also learn from the Austrians and grant land to ordinary soldiers according to their merits to reduce financial expenses. ’ replied Aristan Lerod

The serfs of the Russian Empire got rid of the status restrictions, that is, they served as soldiers for His Majesty the Tsar, and they could become freemen after making military exploits.

This road is very narrow. Serfs are the private property of the nobles, and the tsar cannot take them away at will. While granting the status of freemen, they must also compensate the owners of the serfs.

Now Aristotle Rhodes meant that he was undoubtedly attacking the land in the newly occupied area.In any case, the Bulgarian region was more fertile than most of the Russian Empire.

These lands are also wealth, which can be traded with nobles.Serfs did not own private property, so granting land to soldiers might as well be saying granting land to the masters of soldiers.

Now that everyone has benefited, it is not a problem to grant these serf soldiers the status of free citizens, and it is easy for the government to collect the Constantinople reconstruction tax.

This is based on the victory of the Near East War. Otherwise, if you want to give so many soldiers the status of free citizens, it is estimated that the nobles will not be so easy to compromise.

Emancipating the serfs was not so easy. As the chancellor of the exchequer, Aristotle Rhodes, he did not dare to speak directly about liberating the serfs. Instead, he used a roundabout method to free some serfs by taking the opportunity of post-war rewards.

Nicholas I was not a fool, and soon understood what Aristan Lirod meant.The number of Russian soldiers who participated in this Near East War totaled almost 200 million.

Most of them were serfs. If these people and their families were turned into free citizens, it would undoubtedly open the way for the abolition of slavery.

Nicholas I was well aware of the dangers of serfdom, and he would have started doing it a long time ago if there hadn't been too much resistance.

After the outbreak of the Near East War made them see the strength of capitalist countries, the upper echelons of Russia realized that serfdom must be abolished before they could catch up.

Taking advantage of the chance of winning a big reward to do so is very maneuverable.Even if this temptation failed and the government did not directly announce the abolition of serfdom, there was still room for relaxation between the nobles.

After thinking about all this clearly, Nicholas I nodded and agreed to Aristan Lerod's plan.

……

Chapter 2 The first step in seizing power - the reform of the gold standard

After entering 1855, the Austrian government held more economic meetings. In addition to dealing with non-performing assets, the most important thing was currency reform.

Unlike at the beginning of the succession, Austria's gold and silver reserves were insufficient, and the government's economic work focused on stabilizing the value of the currency.

During the Near East War, a large amount of gold and silver flowed into Austria through trade with Russia, the embarrassing situation of insufficient gold and silver reserves has been improved, and the necessary conditions for the reform of the gold standard have been met.

The scope of the currency reform is too wide, and Franz cannot make a decision with a slap on the head. The cabinet government has conducted many demonstrations, but still failed to reach an agreement.

Most countries now adopt the gold and silver reset system, or directly use gold and silver as currency, and there are still very few gold standard countries.

In the government building, those who support the reform of the gold standard system are debating with those who advocate the gold and silver reset system. This is the last debate in Austria.

Which side's point of view can win, then what kind of standard system will be realized in Austria in the next period of time.

Which one is better or worse doesn't actually depend on the system itself.The most suitable is the best, and the best choice is to adopt different standard systems in different time periods.

In order to avoid becoming a martyr too far ahead, Franz gave the final decision to the elites of this era. The judgment of these professionals is always much stronger than that of a layman like him.

Franz instructed: "This meeting is only to discuss the currency standard system, and it is forbidden to involve any irrelevant topics, and personal attacks are prohibited.

Please think clearly before expressing your opinions. Your opinions will determine the future fate of the new Holy Roman Empire, and all factors must be considered comprehensively.

Prime Minister, you preside over the meeting. "

As for the quarrel, let your younger brothers do it!

If it is to persuade the cabinet ministers, Franz does not mind occasionally going out in person.In such a public occasion, it would be too shameless for the emperor to end the debate in person.

Xiang Zhuang's sword dance was aimed at Peigong, so the currency reform this time would not be so simple, otherwise Franz would not have proposed the gold standard reform so early.

The deeper intention of currency reform is to unify the currency of the new Holy Roman Empire and gather the coinage rights of various states.

The time has come to seize power. Franz, who has always been cautious, will naturally pay attention to his appearance, and he must give enough respect first.

It is obviously not advisable to directly and bluntly turn the Austrian currency into the imperial legal tender.Franz wanted a united empire, not one of conflict.

Now, taking advantage of the opportunity of standard system reform, issuing new currencies to replace the original currencies of various countries is to take care of everyone's feelings.

Anyway, no matter what the final result is, the minting rights will be taken away by the central government.

Prime Minister Felix replied: "Yes, Your Majesty!"

After a pause, he said again: "The New Holy Roman Empire Currency Standard Conference, the last enlarged meeting is now starting, and all representatives will speak in order."

There were quite a few people attending the meeting, but not many qualified to speak. Except for the cabinet ministers, only the representatives of the states were qualified to speak.

Württemberg, Saxony, Frankfurt, Hesse, Lombardy, Bavaria have one each, and Austria has four representatives.

This is based on the principle that one representative is produced for every 1000 million population (rounding up if insufficient), and each state has no less than one representative, and representatives are appointed by the governments of each state.

This is a system designed by Franz himself. The main purpose is to avoid people talking too much and delaying the meeting time.

The final result of the meeting was decided by the joint vote of representatives of each state and five cabinet ministers.Well, this is a political show, a total of 15 people can vote, of which 11 were appointed by Franz himself.

Frankfurt representative Hans said: "Everyone, the gold standard system is not bad, the problem is that our domestic gold production cannot keep up with the growth rate of commodities.

According to the current growth rate of domestic industry and commerce, we need to increase at least ten or twenty tons of gold reserves every year to be able to issue enough currency to ensure the normal operation of the economy.

At present, the annual gold production of the new Holy Roman Empire can only meet a quarter, how to make up for the remaining gap?

Do you rely on foreign trade to buy gold from the international market?

The Near East War is over, and this opportunity for war wealth is gone forever. It is almost impossible to obtain such a large surplus in international trade.