Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 262: Chapter 11, Archive of Scientists
In 1855, British engineer Bessemer invented the Bessemer steelmaking process, which used machinery to replace manual stirring and greatly improved production efficiency.

In that era, everyone had a low awareness of secrecy, and the news soon spread. Of course, keeping it a secret was not possible, as the patent application would lead to a leak of the technology.

The Bessemer process was not exactly high-end technology; the reason others did not adopt it was mainly due to ideological concepts, not because the mechanical production technology for stirring was so challenging.

After the news reached Vienna, it immediately caused a sensation, meaning that steel production efficiency would greatly increase, and the embarrassing shortage of steel on the market would be alleviated.

Franz, who read about this technology in the newspaper, remembered that the steelmaking technique of this age was still very primitive.

Austria’s largest steel corporation employed over a hundred thousand people but produced just over five hundred thousand tons of steel a year.

Even this modest output accounted for half of the New Holy Roman Empire’s total steel capacity and was proclaimed the number one steel group on the European Continent.

Austria’s steel production was second only to the British, ranking second in the world, having already surpassed the French in overall capacity.

This figure was enough to satisfy the Vienna Government. Currently, Austria’s steel production capacity was growing at a rate of more than twenty percent a year, which was akin to cheating.

The main reason for this explosive growth in capacity was market demand, which currently far exceeded supply, not only in Austria but across the entire European Continent.

The main international steel exporters were the British, with Belgium also being a steel exporter. The rest of the countries were considered industrial powerhouses if they did not need to import steel.

After five years of hard effort, steel production capacity finally broke through one million tons, and this was based on the premise of annexing the South German Region; otherwise, this figure would not have been reached.

While the Vienna Government was euphoric, Franz felt not a hint of surprise. Without comparison, there was no harm, and at the moment, British steel production capacity was nearly three million three hundred thousand tons, almost equal to the total on the European Continent.

By that time, it was necessary to cheat. The local resources of England and France determined their upper limit for steel production capacity.

Even if steel technology continued to advance, it could not solve these problems. In the short term, it would not be apparent, but in the later stages, resource scarcity would limit their growth.

Of course, they had colonies to compensate for the lack of resources, but the increase in cost also caused a decline in profits, which would make the capitalists lose interest in further investments.

Concerned, Franz asked, “Mr. Algist, is it feasible to adopt the open-hearth steelmaking process based on our existing technology?”

With so many things on his plate, Franz had forgotten to push for innovation in steel technology; this was another opportunity to cheat.

Of course, he was not even an amateur in this field; Franz only remembered the phrase “open-hearth steelmaking” and had no idea about the specifics—who would if they weren’t a professional?

Mr. Algist looked at Franz with a bewildered face. What on earth was open-hearth steelmaking supposed to be? Was it about laying the furnace flat?

Franz couldn’t answer this question either! He could only awkwardly explain, “It’s about improving the efficiency and quality of steel smelting by modifying the steel furnace.”

Mr. Algist nodded thoughtfully but was still confused and replied uncertainly, “Your Majesty, we would need to conduct numerous experiments to know for sure. Should I start experimenting first?”

“Good!” Franz responded without hesitation.

Clearly, it wasn’t just a matter of ideology; there were also technical issues. At least Franz was sure it was definitely not about simply laying the steelmaking furnace flat.

After dealing with Mr. Algist, Franz decided that for such matters in the future, it was better not to blindly push forward; when it came to industrial technology, it was best to headhunt directly.

It was just the Siemens family, after all. Given his influence in the German Region, was he really worried he couldn’t headhunt effectively?

Franz could proudly say that after so many years of operation, except for the Junker Nobles of Prussia who couldn’t be swayed, others were essentially a matter of price.

The Junker Nobles were indeed unreachable; they held military power over the state, and Franz could never offer them the desired treatment.

However, many regular Junker aristocrats who came to serve him weren’t few in number; after all, many nobles understood the reasoning behind not keeping all one’s eggs in one basket.

From current developments, the German Region clearly had more potential in the New Holy Roman Empire and was the most legitimate presence.

Most importantly, the policies implemented by Franz were the most likely to protect everyone’s interests. Even the Sub-States that had joined the German Federation Empire were still flirting with the Vienna Government.

Despite the fact that the Paris Conference forcibly partitioned the Germany Region, this did not mean that the people of the area were truly willing to accept it.

On the contrary, the intervention of the powers only served to spread the idea of unification even wider. Especially among rebellious teenagers, who became staunch supporters of Pan-Germanism.

In terms of attracting talent, the Vienna Government already had an advantage. Due to the resources at hand, Franz could offer higher prices than the other two competitors.

Franz ordered, “Tyren, have someone check into the Siemens family.”

After several years of reorganization, the Intelligence organization had become much more combative. The periphery intelligence network, composed of Nobility connections, mainly collected basic information.

Within it were specially trained intelligence personnel who, using this network, arranged new identities to infiltrate the governments of various nations.

These agents were for long-term deep cover operations, not to be activated unless absolutely necessary. In the short term, bribery was still the main tactic, as it was the most effective method.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Tyren responded.

After a pause, Franz continued, “Let’s establish a database of scientists. Gather information on all the well-known and credible scientists in the world, especially those from the Germany Region.

Pay attention to promising young individuals with the potential to become scientists too. Anyone we need can be approached and recruited, and Count Hohenberg can assist in their accommodation.”

There was no other way; with so many scientists in the world and many who were not famous in later ages but had made outstanding contributions at the time, they too were worth recruiting.

Couldn’t sway outsiders? Use German nationalism and patriotism as a ruse to woo the scientists from the Germany Region—why not?

Franz had already thought of the slogan: “Strive for German unification,” and with generous offers, he refused to believe he couldn’t win people over.

If someone was truly resistant, Franz didn’t mind engaging in moral coercion. Starting with friends and family to exert influence, conducting patriotic education on the stubborn.

Once these people were swayed, it made no difference whether they served government research institutions, worked for private companies, or managed their own industries.

In the mid-to-late 19th century, talent in the Germany Region was emerging on a large scale, surpassing all other nations in both quality and quantity.

The Second German Empire was able to become a powerhouse because of this surge of talent, placing it at the forefront of the second industrial revolution.

The foundation of the New Holy Roman Empire now was much stronger than that of the German Empire. Whether in resources or market size, there was a significant gap.

In 1855, the population of the New Holy Roman Empire reached 51.286 million people, with a total territory of around 1.026 million square kilometers, and the industrial output was on par with France.

With such a basis, no country on the European Continent could compare, except for the colossal neighbor, Mao Xiong.

Mao Xiong was an anomaly, with a territory more than twenty times that of the New Holy Roman Empire and a population exceeding 73 million, and the Crimea War had even boosted that number; otherwise, it would be 74 million.

Even if they couldn’t compete with Mao Xiong, Franz was only concerned with comparing himself to the United Kingdom and France. Particularly France, which had a population of more than 35 million a decade ago and barely reached 36 million now.

This snail-paced growth was still in decline, only reaching the 40 million mark by World War I, dropping from the second-largest European population to the fifth.

Facing such a competitor, Franz could confidently say: Don’t worry, we’ll just bide our time!

Each passing year, the balance of power shifted. In less than twenty years, the population of the New Holy Roman Empire would be twice that of France, and the gap in power would be completely pulled apart.

Unfortunately, they faced an indifferent opponent who could be surpassed by sheer inertia. There was no need to target them specifically; the French would fall behind on their own.

Napoleon III did have decent economic development skills, but he could not change the low birth rate among the French population unless he abolished the current inheritance and marriage laws…

In a nutshell, it wasn’t that the French populace didn’t want to have children; they simply couldn’t afford to raise more. The cities were littered with abandoned infants, and the working class lacked either the means or the time to care for children.

And the farmers, who should have been the main drivers of population growth, voluntarily reduced their birth rates due to limited land, in order to maintain their quality of life.