Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: The Reform Bill (Vote Request)

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

There is no such thing as free distribution of land; if that were to happen, could the nobility possibly feel content? Hardly.

Moreover, Franz had heard the tale of strife born from envy over a mere shovelful of rice. The current reforms were already progressive enough, and too much would be overdoing it.

With the advance of industrialization, Austria also needed to transform peasants into workers. If everyone were given land, who would be willing to work in the cities?

Europe is not Asia; the per capita land area is not small, and the income from the land is enough to fill their bellies. The living standards of workers in this era still cannot compare to those of peasants.

After hearing Franz’s reform plan, everyone let out a sigh of relief, clearly indicating that the reform plan took the interests of the nobility into account.

After the reform, while everyone’s interests might suffer some loss, they were nonetheless acceptable. As for the nobility who joined the rebellion, they were out of luck and not considered.

“Your Highness, there are no major issues with this reform plan overall, but could we remove the restriction on land lease income? We can leave these issues to the market to decide!” Archduke Louis suggested.

Franz shook his head and said, “No, without restrictions, I fear it would be no different from before the reforms. We cannot ensure that all nobility have integrity.

If a few greedy fools wreak havoc, our reforms will quickly fail. The current serf uprisings are the best negative example.”

Franz did not wish to experience the nobility’s greed. If it were a few centuries ago, perhaps there could have been some hope; now, there was no need to consider it.

Taking into account Austria’s unique national conditions, he had already compromised. He had balanced the interests of everyone as much as possible and hadn’t even proposed abolishing noble privileges yet.

For the sake of social stability, Franz had no choice but to opt for boiling frogs in warm water, starting by resolving the greatest domestic conflict first.

Prime Minister Felix pondered and said, “I think the majority of the nobility can accept this reform. For the rest, we can work on changing their mindset.

If someone persistently refuses, we won’t force them. In case a rebellion occurs, they will have to be responsible for their own personal and property safety. The Empire will not protect greedy fools!”

There was nothing surprising about it; one’s position shapes one’s opinions. Now that he was Austria’s Prime Minister, Felix had to consider issues from the government’s perspective.

Having ensured that his own interests would not be harmed, he likewise had no fondness for those who hindered the progress of the Empire, unlike Archduke Louis, who had not yet shifted his stance.

Former Prime Minister Metternich, left with only a bitter smile, thought that if he had persisted in reforming back then, perhaps the situation now would be different.

In terms of serfdom reform, the Cabinet achieved consensus. This meant that many people were in for bad luck, as the policies implemented by the Vienna Government during the Metternich Era had completely changed by this time.

Neither Felix nor Franz could tolerate a bunch of incompetent bureaucrats. Soon, the Vienna Government would undergo a major purge.

Franz had already thought of the charges—investigate corruption and bribery. Anyway, there were few clean officials in Austria; this reason could land over ninety percent of Austrian officials in prison.

Of course, the scope of the crackdown would definitely not be that wide; only those who were greedy, incompetent, and blinded by their ineptitude would be ruined. Others, as long as they could efficiently accomplish the tasks assigned by the government, would be temporarily safe.

Whether there would be a tallying of accounts after the fall harvest depended on Austria’s finances. If the finances were indeed difficult, Franz would have to slaughter the pigs.

In the interest of the nation, the Cabinet now also had to think of ways to suppress the nobility in the Italy and Hungarian Regions.

Regional power is too strong, detrimental to the authority of the Central Government, these are things everyone will silently agree on and carry out without Franz having to say a word.

Conditions in Austria have become extremely dire, with uprisings in the Lombardy and Venice Area presently being suppressed.

There have been riots in the Galicia Region, the Czech region seeks autonomy, and the Hungarians have established a responsible Cabinet. Even if they have not explicitly declared a revolt, in reality, there isn’t much difference.

Besides, other areas are not so peaceful. Croatians are currently confused; originally a part of the Kingdom of Hungary, they have now been excluded from the rights by the emerging Hungarian nationality.

There is a polarization among the people, with some wanting to stay with

Hungary, while others wish to join Austria to become an autonomous province. Fortunately, they are still loyal supporters of the Habsburg Family, which is an encouraging sign.

The people of the Dalmatia Region can no longer survive. The area was already poor, and with the nobility and capitalists imposing harsh exploitations, riots due to hunger have escalated.

Revolutionary Parties have now formed in the Slovenia Region, and there is varying degrees of unrest in Transylvania and Slovakia; almost no place in Austria is untouched by turmoil.

It is precisely these exceptional circumstances historically that compelled the Austrian Government to undertake reforms.

But back then, Vienna fell and could not be recaptured for a long time, the prestige of the Habsburg Family dropped to an all-time low, and they had no choice but to rely on the strength of the Nobility to quell the rebellion.

This led to a reform that was excessively biased towards the Nobility, and the government also made concessions to local powers, laying the groundwork for the Empire’s eventual collapse.

Now things are different, the rebellion in Vienna was quickly extinguished, and the power of the Nobility was also struck a blow; the authority of the Central Government was not severely damaged.

The military force in the hands of the Austrian Government is much stronger than in the same period historically, having not needed to withdraw troops from the provinces to suppress the Vienna rebellion; this is the confidence Franz has in dealing with the crisis.

On March 19, 1848, the Vienna Government introduced the “Abolition of Serfdom Act, ” granting all peasants automatic status as free citizens along with corresponding rights and duties.

The contentious issue of serfdom was finally resolved. From now on, Austria would prohibit all forms of forced labor, save for convicted criminals.

On March 20, the Vienna Government issued the “Land Redemption Act,” encouraging the Nobility to sell their lands to the government, without coercion.

The government would lease these lands to peasants, who were also allowed to buy the land they rented on installment plans of up to forty years. Upon completing the payments, they would gain full ownership of the land.

If misfortune struck midway, peasants could apply for a no-questions-asked refund, and abandoning the land during this period was prohibited.

The Vienna Government is still dominated by the Nobility; it is not possible for them to revolutionize themselves.

Franz is a pragmatist; he knows when to compromise. He has no radical intention of confiscating the Nobility’s land, as that is unachievable.

Just looking at how many Nobility Officers there are in the army and how many Nobility employees there are in the government, he knows what to do.

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