Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 242: Chapter 129, Nobility
Austria’s colonial strategy had not just begun; for several years now, the Vienna Government had already been funding expeditions to explore the African Continent.

Setting aside the inland areas, at least there was a basic understanding of the coastal regions, so starting action now would not be completely blind.

Not only regarding the African Continent, but the Austrian Government had also gathered intelligence on many regions of the world, with some of it collected by their own people and some bought from middlemen.

In this era, exploration was also a business, with many civilian exploration teams selling the intelligence they gathered to the colonial government for a generous reward.

Selling it once was a sale, selling it twice was naturally also a sale. As long as the price was right, everything was negotiable. Adventuring at the risk of one’s life, naturally, one would want to be sufficiently compensated.

For safety, this time Franz prepared three infantry divisions, which would be enough just to take over the coastal areas without penetrating inland.

Guinea was not large in area and would soon be consumed by Austria, but the Congo Region was another matter entirely, as in this era, Congo included both the later-known Congo-Kinshasa and Congo-Brazzaville.

The area was extraordinarily vast, several times the size of Austria itself, and obviously could not be occupied by merely that few men.

Like all colonial countries, the focus was on the coastal areas first; the African interior was not yet ripe for development.

For now, sending over this group of refugees was the priority; with immigrants, it would be possible to establish port cities and then gradually develop these lands.

As for how to colonize and rule these areas, taking them first was the priority; Franz decided to grant the bureaucrats the utmost autonomy in how to govern for the greatest profit.

Towards evening, in a small tavern in Trieste, a group of drinkers was conversing energetically, occasionally someone whistled at a few flamboyantly dressed women by the bar, only to be met with disdainful glares.

Many of these people made their living at sea, and their behavior was unavoidably indulgent; everyone was accustomed to it.

The women appearing here were naturally not proper ladies; they were experienced veterans of pleasure quarters, with plenty of social savvy.

In any case, as long as the money was sufficient, taking them home for the night was possible. Mere sweet talk wouldn’t scare them; harlots are heartless and actors are unprincipled, Today’s patrons become tomorrow’s strangers.

Teasing remained verbal, which implied the men were out of money; otherwise, they would have long since acted.

After all, those who make their living at sea are accustomed to being straightforward, and the women in this line of work naturally wouldn’t mind: with money, you are the boss, even immediate justice was not unheard of.

Alcohol is the courage of heroes, when drunk, any words can come spilling out. Brawls over a few words were not uncommon.

The tavern’s experienced owner, upon such occurrences, would merely watch quietly and wait until the fight was over before demanding compensation.

It was usually demanded double, as the local boss had no problem suppressing a few sailors; of course, if a tougher character was encountered, then it was simply bad luck.

A drunken middle-aged man spoke off the cuff, “Valen, with so many troops gathering here, are we going to war?”

Just as dizzy, Valen retorted, “Nonsense, Tagore when have you ever seen our navy in battle, who could they beat? No, is it the navy and army together going to war?”

Their voices were already verging on the incomparable; normally, they wouldn’t dare be so unrestrained, for if they encountered a few drinking navy soldiers, they might well end up beaten.

Despite being neglected and lacking notable achievements, the Austrian Navy was still not something they could look down on.

Geographic location and national policy had rendered the Austrian Navy ineffectual, always only serving as the army’s backdrop, but that didn’t mean the navy personnel were without temper.

Soldiers always crave military honors, and the Austrian Navy had rested for so many years, mostly irrelevant to Austria’s wars; the navy personnel could only lament their ill fortune.

But after Franz assumed power, he conducted a significant overhaul of the naval and army forces, forcibly retired a bunch of time-serving officers, and then everyone knew that the Vienna Government’s national policy had changed.

Under normal circumstances, the Vienna Government wouldn’t act on the navy. Without war, to strengthen naval training and increase naval spending was highly unusual.

The higher-ups also leaked news about opening overseas colonies, making many believe their chance had come, yet this wait lasted over four years. Apart from increased training and more warships, there was no further development.

In such a situation, it was inevitable for the youth to grow impatient; a simple spark could ignite them, and fighting and brawling occurred from time to time.

Of course, it felt great to fight, but afterward came the tragedy. If the military police did not catch them, it was still fine; if caught, they would face a grim future for a long time.

At this time, several navy soldiers were also in the tavern, but they had no time to concern themselves with the ramblings of a few drunks.

A joint naval and army exercise, which required the deployment of most of the navy along with three infantry divisions—was that for an exercise?

This command left everyone guessing: who would they go to war against this time? Thinking it over, no one could figure out the opponent.

England and France, they were impossible to defeat; even if the navy were doubled in size, it wouldn’t be a match, and that could be immediately ruled out. The Vienna Government would not issue such a foolish order.

An attack on the Ottoman Empire? There was no need to think about it, as everyone knew the army had already completed its tasks, and Austria had obtained everything it desired. The Sultan Government had already relocated to Ankara, and further provocation would require considering England and France’s reactions.

A young man said in a low voice, “Those in the game are blind; spectators see it clearly. You don’t need to guess wildly; why not listen to what those drunks have to say?”

The debaters paused.

“Valen, you’re really clueless! You make your living at sea, don’t you know that there are indigenous people in this world?

Our navy may not be able to compete with England and France, and even facing Spain is tough, but bullying the natives presents no problem at all.

The troops gathered here now could wipe out several small countries overseas.” The man Tagore spoke disdainfully.

Valen retorted unwilling to concede defeat, “Nonsense, Tagore you idiot, don’t you know the Viennese lords always disdain overseas affairs? Or do you think you can change their minds?”

“Can’t they just have a sudden change of heart? We, Austria, no, the New Holy Roman Empire, are one of the strongest powers in Europe. What’s wrong with grabbing a few colonies?”

“In this day and age, without a few colonies, you’d be embarrassed to step outside. Maybe the old boys in Vienna got a kick out of it and had an epiphany all at once,” Tagore argued.

Before long, the two drunks were at each other’s throats, wanting to resolve their dispute with force. Unfortunately for them, in their dazed state, they weren’t given a chance to fight. Two men in the tavern ousted them.

A young man unsurely asked, “Could what they’re saying actually be possible?”

The young man leading the group replied, “That’s more reasonable than anything we’ve guessed. Haven’t you heard of conflicts occurring with anyone? They can’t just beat people up for no reason, right?”

An impatient man in gray said excitedly, “If we’re really going to establish colonies, doesn’t that mean our chance to make a fortune has arrived?”

For many, the era symbolized colonies as wealth. To those yearning to make a fortune, this was no doubt an opportunity.

The young leader scolded, “Shut up, Solin! Stop talking nonsense. This is an opportunity to achieve glory and success, not just to make money!”

Solin hastily responded, “Yes, Captain!”

Clearly, the Captain, of noble birth, looked down on those who spoke only of making money. He was supposed to have served in the army, but to his surprise, fate sent him instead to the naval officer academy.

When he heard the news, he nearly collapsed. In that era, the Austrian Navy offered hardly any chance for distinction, and was nearly a refuge for the unlearned to idle away their days.

Luckily, his luck turned when the Austrian state policy changed. Now, all he wanted was to quickly achieve military exploits and receive a noble title.

After all, his family’s title was not hereditary. It had only risen with his father’s generation, a nouveau riche. He could still call himself a nobleman, but the next generation couldn’t continue this pretension.

It was tough to secure a title in Austria, especially a hereditary one. After Franz ascended the throne, he ennobled over a hundred nobles, most of them for military achievements.

There were also a few scientists, a handful of engineers, and a minority of government officials. Aside from military nobility, the rest held life peerages.

It wasn’t Franz’s caprice, but established custom. The Emperor could freely bestow life peerages, but hereditary titles for military nobility required proven merits.

This rule was established by Franz two years earlier, approved by the Austrian Aristocratic Council, and even received widespread acceptance from the military.

Differential treatment was necessary to reflect their status. Many nobles in the Germany Region were of military nobility, and they were very concerned about maintaining their standing.

In exchange for their support, Franz retracted the right of the domestic grand nobility to confer titles. Sub-states were the same; their kings had to report to the Emperor for approval to legally confirm any title they granted.

Franz controlled the number of nobles. The eldest sons of nobles had no problem inheriting titles, while younger sons had to struggle anew, else they’d be commoners in the next generation.

This was more so for life peers who, following the tradition of the European Continent, would have no title to pass on to their progeny if they didn’t work hard.

Ambitious individuals were not content with anonymity. When opportunity knocked, they were ready to seize it.

Franz’s aristocratic law, though not yet implemented, was no secret; its content had long been disclosed.

After all, colonies were not like the homeland. Direct Central Government rule would be costly. If governance was granted to meritorious subjects, the Central Government could control just a few core areas, significantly reducing administrative stresses.

The main reason for non-implementation was the uncertainty of successful colonization. If it yielded profits, naturally, nobles would be willing to go.

Conversely, if colonial lands proved unprofitable, even if offered for free, nobles would deride the gesture.

This unique national situation of the New Holy Roman Empire was defined by having already three sub-state kings domestically. Franz didn’t mind the addition of a few more overseas.

At least corruption could be effectively curtailed. Franz didn’t plan to levy heavy taxes in the colonies; a nominal amount would suffice, mainly to expand markets for Austria’s industrial and commercial sectors. They couldn’t very well swallow their own capital, could they?

The collapse of the colonial system of the Great Britain Empire was not only due to pressures from the U.S. and Soviet, but also because bureaucratic costs were too high.

To reduce governing costs, they introduced self-governing dominions. This measure both succeeded and failed.

It successfully lowered administrative expenses and expanded markets for domestic industry and commerce; but once rights were granted, retrieving them proved impossible, laying the groundwork for the collapse of the colonial empire.

Self-governing administrations were controlled by local capitalists, and since capital has no borders, such outcomes were hardly surprising.

To prevent similar incidents, Franz couldn’t guarantee success, but he could delay the collapse and increase affinity.

Leaving immigration organization to the government bureaucrats – looking at the German people heading for the United States – Franz doubted Austrian bureaucrats could do much better.

It was better to let the nobles organize it themselves. If they succeeded, they would share the spoils; failure was inconsequential. By ennobling several houses, success was inevitable.

Franz didn’t look down on African countries. Supporting any vassal could lead it to become one of the strongest powers on the African Continent, provided they did not deviate.

The future stakes in Africa were embedded, with cultural traditions and economic interests forming natural bonds, linking the colonies and the homeland.

As long as the public’s loyalty to the mother country didn’t wane, independence would come only if they were ready to abandon their legal heritage.

So long as the ruling elites remained sane, they wouldn’t dare to engage in such folly that would destroy their own foundations.

Dependent on the Holy Roman Empire and becoming a highly autonomous sub-state, their interests would not diminish. The Imperial Government would still be the source of power to uphold their status.

In turn, these sub-state kings would become pillars for consolidating the Emperor’s power. Even as monarchical power declined in the future, to prevent the empire from fragmenting, none would dare dispute the Emperor’s supremacy.