Holy Roman Empire

Felix said with confidence: "Considering that we will soon send troops to interfere with the Papal State, the government proposes to withdraw 13 troops within this year, and another 35 troops next year. Our final total strength will remain at around [-]."

This disarmament is mainly the regular army, and the troops temporarily recruited by the local area were repatriated one after another after the war ended.

Now many places are still doing job resettlement work, which is also Franz's first initiative. Before that, there was no such thing as job resettlement in Austria.

Now that the government owns a large number of industries, under the planned economic system, there are naturally enough jobs to accommodate these people.

It is worth noting that almost all the soldiers who received large land rewards chose to go home to farm.

In the eyes of people in this era, a factory is not a good place to go. If given a choice, most people would not be willing to become a worker.

The same is true of state-owned factories, but they are slightly more popular than private factories. Here, there is no need to worry about the boss's wage arrears.

After all, from the very beginning, these state-owned factories were all on a piece-rate system, and the more you worked, the more you got, so there was no room for fooling around at all.

At this time, Franz had no choice but to rejoice that he had a clear mind and did not annex the Kingdom of Sardinia blindly. Otherwise, the army would be cut down now, and the army might continue to expand.

10,000+ Austrian troops can destroy the Kingdom of Sardinia, but if you want to rule the Kingdom of Sardinia, 30 to [-] troops may not be enough.

This is the aftermath of the awakening of nationalism. It is difficult to rule the place without a major purge.The best way is to send all the locals away, and the place will be stable.

If it is in the 21st century, it is not a big deal to relocate 600 million people at one time, as long as you are willing to spend money to complete it.

But it is still the middle of the nineteenth century, and even if the Austrian government does nothing, it organizes ships to transport people out every day. It will not be able to complete this task within five or six years.

Everyone was sent away, and in the end there was only a piece of white land that needed resources but no resources, and industry but no industry. What would Franz do with it?

If you have the time, you might as well open up the colonies, even if you only invest one percent of the financial resources, you can harvest land N times the size of the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Prince Windisch Gretz objected: "Prime Minister, we are negotiating with the Russians, and it will not be long before we can reach an agreement.

At that time, we are bound to send troops to the Balkans. This time will not be too long. Now that the disarmament will be expanded, will there be enough time?

Once a quick battle cannot be resolved, a stalemate with the Ottoman Empire, and Britain and France intervene, it will be difficult to protect our interests. "

For Austria, expansion into the Balkans is indeed an opportunity now.

Not long ago, the Austrian government made concessions to the British on the issue of the Kingdom of Sardinia, and gained British support for Austria's expansion in the Balkans.

In order to provoke the conflict between Russia and Austria, the British were rare and generous. All of Austria's interests in the Balkans were recognized, and the two countries also reached a memorandum.

Palmerston never dreamed that the Austrian government would make a deal with the Russians. After all, once the Russians occupied the Black Sea Strait, Austria's interests in the Mediterranean would also be affected.

If the Russians grow bigger in the Mediterranean Sea, Austria will be trapped in the Adriatic Sea and lose its strategic initiative.

These issues have been worried by high-level Austrian government, but they were all persuaded by Franz in the end.

The reason is very simple. It is impossible for the Russians to defeat the British at sea, and the British Mediterranean fleet can block the Russians in the Black Sea.

Prime Minister Felix shook his head and said, "Who says we are going to start a war with the Russians now?

Austria has just experienced a civil strife, and the most important thing right now is to resume production. It is only a strategic need to carve up the Balkan Peninsula with the Russians.

Turning the content of the treaty into reality is a matter of the future, and the Austrian government has no intention of provoking war in a short time.

We have clearly told the Russians that Austria needs to recuperate and will not expand in Europe for at least ten years.

If they can't help it, they can do it in advance. Austria can support them in materials, but they will not participate in the war in person.

This is a prerequisite for us to sign the covenant, so you can rest assured that disarmament will not break out in the short term. "

This explanation made Prince Wendisch Gretz very hurt.As the leader of the Near East faction, he had already started preparing for war, but now he was suddenly told that the war would not be fought.

There is no way, the military must serve politics.

Because of the Franz butterfly effect, the power of the Austrian military has not inflated. Although it has a great say in domestic and foreign affairs, it has no decision-making power.

On this issue, Franz supports the government. The most important thing for Austria now is to cultivate and develop national power.It's better to expand slowly first, and it's not too late to do it when the strength comes up.

Chapter 5 Swiss Mercenaries

Regardless of whether the military is willing or not, Austria's disarmament resolution has just been finalized.The government's focus has shifted from military affairs to local construction.

On top of this, the more important national policy is compulsory education. In order to mobilize the enthusiasm of bureaucrats, Franz decided to adopt an assessment system.

That is: to link the effectiveness of compulsory education with the promotion of officials.

The core of this is the promotion of the Austrian language. After all, the purpose of this compulsory education is not simple. It is mainly to unify the language and culture and lay the foundation for national integration.

"Has it been calculated from the assets purchased by the church?" Franz asked with concern

Chancellor of the Exchequer Carl replied: "Your Majesty, the statistics are still being processed, and many assets are intricate and difficult to value.

Preliminary statistics have about 470 million hectares of land, including cultivated land, forest land, grassland, etc.; own 386 large and small mines, including gold, silver, copper, iron, coal and other minerals; own real estate shops, houses..."

Franz nodded. These assets are indeed difficult to value. The cash, antiques, calligraphy and paintings have long been divided up by the clergy.

Even if there are works of art left behind, they are placed in the church, and it is impossible for the Austrian government to pick them up.

Many of these real properties have become the private property of some clergy, but under the pressure of the Austrian government, they were forced to hand them over.

This is not up to them to choose, the real estate cannot be hidden at all, and if they don't hand it over, they will go to the Papal State to serve as death squads.

"The value of these assets is calculated slowly. Let's estimate the annual income first. How much is it?" Franz asked.

"About 8000 million dong, this income is very stable, and basically it will not change much." Karl replied

This number did not arouse everyone's surprise. Religion has been a wealthy unit since ancient times, especially in the monotheistic system in Europe. The church is often much richer than the government.

They have many privileges, such as tax exemption for church properties and free control over believers' donations.

This was after the religious revolution. If in the Middle Ages, the church still controlled most of the European continent, kings and emperors would have to be attached to them.

"What about tithes?" Franz continued.

By the middle of the 19th century, the Austrian tithe was not exclusive to the church, and both the monarch and the great nobles would share a share of the benefits.

After changing to the education surcharge, the money will go directly into the pockets of the Ministry of Finance, and naturally there will be no sharing.

Tithes originated in the Old Testament era and have continued, mainly for agricultural products, including grains, wheat, fruits, vegetables, and livestock.

The tax rate is fixed at 10%. As far as Franz knows, even in the 21st century, some places still collect this tax.

The French were the first to abolish it in the era of the Great Revolution in the 18th century. European countries also abolished it in the 19th century. The British received it in 1936.

"Your Majesty, the Austrian tithe is about 8000 million to [-] million guilders, but considering the actual situation, we may not be able to directly change it to an education surcharge." Karl thought for a while and said

"Why?" Franz asked.

"Your Majesty, compulsory education benefits all Austrian citizens. It would be unfair if we charge education surcharges only for farmers and nobles who own land." Carl reminded

Franz instantly understood that the name of the tax cannot be changed randomly, and social influence must also be considered.

If it is changed to an education surcharge, then it must be collected for all industries, otherwise, don't expect the nobles to pay taxes honestly, and it will easily arouse social conflicts.

If Austria imposes an education surcharge on all industries, then their other taxes must be cut, otherwise it will exceed their economic capacity.

On the surface, the meat is all in the pot, so it doesn't matter if you change it, but it is difficult to implement it in practice.

First of all, those who cannot accept this tax are the bottom working class. Their income is limited, and they have finally been loosened. Another education surtax will be added, and they will be beaten again.

This kind of thing must not be done. Franz didn't want to die and lose the popular support he had accumulated so hard.

"What advice does the Ministry of Finance have to avoid this problem?" Franz asked with concern

Carl thought for a while and said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Finance recommends that the tithe should still be collected by the clergy, there is no need to change the name, and the Ministry of Finance will send someone to supervise.

We can have His Majesty the Pope decree that all Austrian tithes be handed over to the government to finance education. "

Well, the Austrian government is preparing to turn the Holy See into their subordinate institution, and let the church do all the hatred.

Franz thought for a while and said, "Well, let's put aside the issue of the education surcharge and let the church continue to collect tithes."

He really couldn't find a reason to refuse. For the sake of compulsory education in Austria, let the church continue to bear the blame.

Anyway, God, the old man has great powers, and he can resist a little complaint. He has been charging for thousands of years, and he doesn't care about charging for decades.

When the Austrian government becomes rich, find a reason to abolish it.

It is not only the Catholic Church that has been targeted by the Austrian government, but other churches have not escaped.

It's just that these churches are not mainstream, their influence is not enough, and their financial resources are naturally limited. They can't collect much wealth, and they don't deserve Franz's personal attention.

……

On November 1848, 11, at the invitation of Pope Pius IX, the Austrian government sent 2 troops to help mediate the internal rights disputes of the Papal State.

This was naturally opposed by the bourgeois reactionary regime, and the anti-Austrian movement in Italy was on the rise again. Countless nationalists gathered in Rome, trying to deter the Austrian army with their actions.

The end result is that Pope Pius IX ordered - kill, and then the heroic Austrian army sent them to meet God.

On November 1848, 11, the Austrian army launched an attack on the reactionary regime, killing more than 7 people on the spot and capturing more than [-] people, which severely injured the Italian nationalists physically.

The base camp of Italian nationalism is in the Kingdom of Sardinia. Unfortunately, the Kingdom of Sardinia was destroyed by Austria once, and the backbone of nationalist thought was severely injured physically.

The government of Charles Albert, who has just returned to the Kingdom of Sardinia, has been frightened and dare not make waves anymore.

In order to keep their rights, they hugged the thighs of the British while suppressing domestic radicalism, for fear of stimulating Austria and causing disaster.

Disappointed Italian nationalists came to Rome, where they premeditated the final counterattack in an attempt to keep their last base.

The ending is naturally tragic. Pope Pius IX returned to Rome, and the first thing he did was to suppress these nationalists.

Pius IX is also willing to unify the Italian region, but the prerequisite must be the unification of the Papal States he leads.If this cannot be achieved, then keeping the Papal State is the first priority.

Among the Italian states, the Kingdom of Sardinia has the strongest strength and the best development. Many nationalists support the Kingdom of Sardinia.

In the eyes of Pius IX, this is a naked betrayal, as hateful as the revolutionaries.Now that he has the support of Austria, he will naturally go on a killing spree.

Killing may not be able to solve the problem, but killing is indeed the best way to physically destroy the enemy.After the bloody suppression, the situation in Rome stabilized.

After the recovery of Rome, the Papal State army naturally fell to Pius IX, and the Austrian army would not need to take action in the subsequent battles.

While in Vienna, Franz gave Pius IX a bad idea, suggesting that he disband part of the army and use the saved expenses to hire Swiss to protect the safety of the Papal State.

There is a precedent for this. Swiss mercenaries have fought all over the European continent, and the battle has been widely recognized by everyone.They also often undertake some tasks of defending the country or attacking a certain country.

Since the 16th century, the Pope's guard has become Swiss, and the Swiss have gained respect with practical actions.

In 1789, 138 Swiss mercenaries swore to the death to defend Louis XVI in the Palace of Versailles, and none of them chose to escape.

Pius IX, who had experienced a coup d'état, naturally followed suit.If Franz recommends German mercenaries to him, he probably has to worry about whether there is any conspiracy in it.

But with the Swiss mercenaries, he didn't worry at all.Everyone knows the grievances between the Habsburg family and the Swiss. Although everyone has eased the relationship now, most Swiss still will not buy into the Habsburg family.

Under Franz's butterfly effect, from now on the guards in Rome are no longer Italians, but Swiss mercenaries who are brave and skilled in combat.

With this group of thugs who took money to work for their lives, the authority of Pope Pius IX was greatly strengthened.

Other armies may sympathize with the revolution, or even support the revolutionary party, but these Swiss mercenaries from outside households have no interest in the revolution.

Of course, this is the future.His Majesty's Swiss Legion has not yet been formed, and the force in his hands is still the Papal State army.

For this army, Pius IX did not trust it, and all of them were sent out to suppress the rebels. Now it is the Austrian army that is protecting him.

Vatican

A cardinal said happily: "Your Majesty, we have contacted three Swiss mercenary regiments who are willing to accept our employment, with a total number of more than [-] people."

Pius IX nodded in satisfaction. The Swiss mercenaries are a bit expensive, but you get what you pay for. These people are loyal and reliable, and they are much better than the Papal State troops outside.

Think about it, if Louis XVI had not 138 Swiss mercenaries but 1380, would he have been guillotined?

I am afraid that he has already covered him to break out of the siege, and went to call the royalist army to suppress the rebellion.

Another example is the just overthrown King Louis-Philippe. If he had a Swiss mercenary regiment in his hands, he would have suppressed the revolution long ago. Why would he need to flee in a hurry?

Thinking about his own experience, Pope Pius IX found that if there were [-] Swiss mercenaries, he would have killed the heads of the revolutionaries long ago. Why would he need to go into exile overseas?

The more you think about it, the more crooked you will naturally be.

Pius IX had forgotten that as a king, he needed foreigners to protect his own safety, which is enough to show how failed he was.

This means extreme distrust of the subjects. After losing this trust, the relationship between the monarch and his subjects will no longer be close.

But this question doesn't matter to the Pope. Anyway, his throne cannot be hereditary. As long as he lives comfortably, why do he care so much about the next one?

Pius IX thought for a while and said: "Sign a contract with them as soon as possible, and let them come to Rome immediately to work.

And continue to contact the Swiss Mercenary Corps. There are more than 2000 people in a regiment, which is far from enough to defend the Papal State. "

"Your Majesty, are the Austrians going to withdraw their troops?" the cardinal asked with concern

"That's right, Lieutenant General Edmund has repeatedly urged us to form a loyal army as soon as possible, and they want to go back and spend Christmas with their families." Pius IX said with a smile

Asking the Austrian army to suppress the rebellion, what worries him most is that it is easy to ask God to send God away, and if the Austrian army refuses to leave, it will be in big trouble.