Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 39: Chapter 39, The First Fire

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

“‘Three requests and three refusals’ have no place in Europe; an uproar ensues even after just one refusal, without the need for three.”

Since he had already seized the regency, Franz naturally wouldn’t seek out trouble for himself. He decisively took over the authority, not giving Archduke Louis a chance to regret his decision.

Immediately thereafter, Franz shifted the topic.

“Gentlemen, the uprising in Vienna has been suppressed, but I’m afraid that other parts of Austria may soon descend into chaos. To avoid the collapse of the Empire, we must take more proactive action!”

Everyone’s expressions changed, and the pleasant mood they had felt after surviving danger vanished. How terrifying was the thought of the Empire collapsing?

As grand nobles of Austria, their interests were tightly bound with the country. If the Empire collapsed, everything they owned would vanish into thin air.

“Franz, are things really that bad?” Grand Duke John asked with concern.

“Yes, since the Paris February Revolution took place, the whole of Europe seems to have gone mad. Many regions, including Austria, are brewing revolutions.

The Empire’s bureaucrats are already corrupt. Just like this recent Vienna uprising, what could have been easily dealt with by the police ended in a human tragedy, with thousands of Austrians losing their lives, including hundreds of nobles!

If we can’t implement more proactive measures at this time, the fate of the Orleans Dynasty today could be ours tomorrow—perhaps even worse!” Franz exclaimed as he sought to frighten them.

Could such words scare them? Obviously, it was impossible. Don’t assume these grand dukes’ capabilities are subpar and that they’re easy to cheat—that’s nonsense.

Franz brought up these points deliberately, exploiting everyone’s recent experience of the Vienna revolution. At this time, their mindset hadn’t yet recovered, and their view of issues would inevitably hold a pessimistic attitude.

At such a time, Franz exaggerated facts, utilizing the asymmetry of information to create an illusion among them: that the Austrian populace was dissatisfied with the current political system and the distribution of benefits. If no reforms were enacted, they would rebel—and indeed, they had already started to rebel.

“Franz, could you tell us about the situation outside?” Archduke Louis asked.

Clearly, he too was taken aback by the news brought by Franz. They were not afraid of an insurrection by the people of Vienna alone, but if people in other places also revolted, that would be truly terrifying.

After some thought, Franz spoke with caution, “Hmm. After the Paris February Revolution, revolutionary parties across Europe were encouraged. Dark currents ran through all the major cities, and this is common knowledge.

After the Vienna revolution erupted on March 7, the revolutionary fervor soared within Austria. Although we successfully suppressed the uprising, the masterminds behind it escaped.

What’s worrisome is that not only the Revolutionary Party, but also capitalists, the Nobility, and municipal officials took part in the Vienna revolution.

If we look at social classes, it includes workers, peasants, city residents, the middle class, the bourgeoisie, and the Nobility—the coverage is too broad.

If it hadn’t happened so abruptly and if the internal disputes among the Rebels hadn’t been so severe, this Vienna revolution could have been successful as well!”

Upon hearing this news, everyone was stunned; even the Nobility had participated in the revolution, meaning the current Vienna Government was losing its foundation.

Grand Duke John hastily asked, “Franz, are you sure that nobles took part in this uprising? Is it just individuals, or…?”

Franz responded with a wry smile, “Currently, eighty-three nobles have been confirmed to have participated in the uprising; the number of those not yet discovered could be even higher.

Their reason for participating in this rebellion was very simple; they were dissatisfied with the government’s inaction during the economic crisis, or rather, their inability to make money from hoarding scarce commodities!”

“These scoundrels, do they not know what they’re doing? If the Empire were to fall, would they still be able to lead the good life!” barked Archduke Louis in anger.

The others shared his indignant animosity; if the Austrian Empire were no more, could these Nobility still retain their current status?

Franz explained, “I’m afraid this problem is related to our system, which makes them too confident. After all, even if they were to fail, we couldn’t possibly execute them all.

If they succeed, then in the new government they can still become members of the interest groups. As for the honor of the Nobility, if they still cared about that, they wouldn’t have joined in the first place!”

The crowd fell silent. At this moment, everyone realized that with Franz’s decisive move, it was likely that the noble class would suffer losses. Concerned about their own interests, no one was willing to yield.

The only one whose expression remained unchanged was Archduke Franz Karl, who seemed indifferent from start to finish, as if these matters had nothing to do with him. Then, he spoke up.

“Franz, what do you plan to do?”

Everyone’s expressions shifted slightly, but they said nothing. Until they were certain of Franz’s intentions, there was no need for them to stand out and oppose him.

“Those who participated in this rebellion must be severely punished without mercy. The ringleaders should be sent to the gallows, while others will be sentenced according to the severity of their crimes.

Abolish all noble titles of the Rebel Aristocrats, confiscate all their property, and let the Noble Assembly decide on the specific arrangements for disposition!” Franz declared decisively, unafraid of opposition. This time, the rebellion in Vienna had resulted in the deaths of a figure in the triple digits among the Nobility, and without harsh punishment for the insurgents, the relatives and friends of the deceased would not be appeased.

For the Nobility, the most severe punishment was not execution, but rather the stripping of titles and confiscation of lands, signifying the utter loss of family honor.

A few Grand Dukes exchanged glances, but it was Grand Duke Louis who spoke first, “Franz, this implicates too many, is there a way to retain the titles?”

Franz shook his head and said, “If we’re too lenient this time, there might be even more people participating in a rebellion next time.

What about those who died tragically? According to our preliminary statistics, it appears that more than a dozen noble families will be extinct! ”

All faces paled at this. “Extinction” was undoubtedly the most terrifying outcome, and if noble families were made extinct because of it, the situation would have undergone a fundamental change.

Dating back to the days of the Holy Roman Empire, when the Emperor wanted to confiscate the lands of the Nobility, he would meet collective resistance, but things were different now in the Austrian era.

The domestic great Nobility were not so powerful; there was no situation where several princely states united and even the Emperor was powerless. Therefore, Franz had the boldness to act this way.

It could even involve a part of them; if any member of a noble family participated in the rebellion, they would all suffer misfortune, as there was no way to make a clear case in such matters.

Of course, if one were smart enough, there was still a way to avoid disaster, provided they could prove their worth before the accounts were settled. Franz was capable of showing mercy..

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