Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 29: Chapter 29, Undercurrents in Vienna (Vote for me)

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

As winter turned to spring, the melting snow made the roads muddy and difficult to traverse. A troop was moving forward with difficulty—indeed, it was the Vienna City Defense Army on field training exercises.

The old soldiers couldn’t endure this hardship, so Albrecht, very understandingly, granted them permission to stay behind, and, unknowingly,

the command of the troops shifted.

“Halt, and set up camp!”

Albrecht’s order rang out. As the Vienna City Defense Army, it was impossible for them to venture too far. The field exercises were only about a hundred or so kilometers.

“Franz, we can’t go any further. Otherwise, if something unexpected happens in Vienna, we won’t be able to respond in time!”

Franz nodded in agreement. To allow a revolution to break out in Vienna was one thing, but to let it succeed was another!

The main force of the City Defense Army had been taken out, leaving behind more than five thousand soldiers in name but their actual combat strength was pitifully low.

If anyone wanted to rebel, they could hardly miss this opportunity—it was too rare to come by.

“Hmm, the news should have reached them by now. How is the condition of the troops?”

Albrecht shook his head and said, “Not good! Pulling them out for training at this time, I estimate they’re all cursing their mothers in their hearts.”

This was inevitable. Whoever encountered such a thing would react the same. Franz thought of a not so brilliant idea: “Then give them a day off. Let them go hunting to improve the food situation.”

It was a lousy idea. Had there been only nine hundred soldiers instead of nine thousand, it might have been possible to rely on game to improve their diet.

Now, no matter how plentiful the game in the mountains was, it wouldn’t be enough to share among so many men. Still, allowing everyone to relax their mood wasn’t a bad thing, so Albrecht didn’t object.

Time passed quickly, and the “Labor Protection Law” that the Vienna Government originally scheduled to implement on March 1, 1848 was postponed indefinitely, and worse, the government failed to provide a clear explanation.

The inaction of the Vienna Government left the working class greatly disappointed, which presented an opportunity for the bourgeoisie.

Spreading rumors was the least expensive endeavor. Under the manipulation of the revolutionaries, the working class believed that the capitalists had bought the government, and their interests were betrayed.

The situation in Vienna was very unfavorable for the government. By March 4, 1848, the news of the successful February Revolution in France had spread throughout Vienna.

Under the manipulation of the capitalists, Viennese citizens, workers, and students took to the streets in protest on March 5th.

Waving the banners against hunger, economic crisis, dictatorship, and corruption, the protesters submitted a petition to Ferdinand I, demanding the dismissal of Metternich Cabinet, the implementation of a constitution, and the abolition of serfdom…

Quite interestingly, they did not demand the “Labor Protection Law,” clearly indicating that by this time, the representative drafting the petition had sold out the working class.

None of these demands were acceptable to Prime Minister Metternich, so of course, the petition could not be approved.

As for the will of His Majesty the Emperor, it was naturally represented by the

Regency Council. Many of them indeed wanted to see Prime Minister Metternich go, but the other conditions were not acceptable to them.

For their own interest, everyone still stood together temporarily.

At this time, aside from the radicals, most people were not thinking about revolution.

That included the bourgeoisie, who merely wanted to bleed the nobility to survive this crisis, not yet ready for a revolution.

The carriage passed through the narrow streets, flanked by small earthen houses, and a pungent odor assaulted the senses.

The carriage stopped in front of a small house, and a handsomely dressed young man stepped down to find his foot sinking into something soft—it was animal entrails.

“Shit!”

He cursed in frustration, knocked on the gate, and the carriage left ahead of him.

It couldn’t be helped; Vienna’s secret police were not idle eaters, and what they did could cost them their heads.

At this time, the slums were the safest place, with their chaotic environment and interwoven alleys; it was where the police presence was weakest.

The gate opened, and a man barely clothed emerged, glanced around to ensure no one had followed, and then let the visitor inside.

“Jack, you’re finally here; everyone’s been waiting for you!”

The young man named Jack frowned slightly, the disdain in his eyes fleeting, as he smiled and said, “Sorry, Cole, the enemy’s noses are too keen. I had to be careful to shake them off!”

Cole, who was closing the door, missed Jack’s expression and continued, “No problem, we do have to be extra cautious at this time. Now that you’re here, we can begin!”

“Gentlemen, the time for revolution has matured, and the reactionary government will never agree to our demands.

The Metternich government has deceived us again, and there’s no longer any need to keep enduring.

The Paris Revolution has been victorious, and now it’s our turn. The present moment is the best opportunity.

The City Defense Army is undergoing field maneuvers; even if they were to return, it would take at least two days…”

A man in gray interjected with difficulty, “Mr. Jack, I’m afraid it might be premature to trigger an uprising. Though the City Defense Army is out training, there are still five thousand left to protect the city, and we cannot simply…”

Jack’s brow furrowed; he disliked being contradicted, especially by those he looked down on.

If it were not for the capitalists behind the scenes, who needed an uprising at this time to pressure the government, he would not have met with worker representatives at this juncture.

In his opinion, the revolution should be directed by people like him, with the commoners simply following orders.

However, it was now time for them to risk their lives, and they held no prestige among the working class; they had to rely on these worker movement leaders for direction.

Jack explained with some impatience, “Mr. Powell, there’s no need to worry. We have secretly procured a batch of weapons. With weapons in hand, are you still afraid of those old soldiers?

Moreover, the army isn’t our enemy. Apart from the Nobility Officers, most of them are from the working masses, just like you, we can fully…”

Clearly, although they were nominally revolutionaries, they were not truly of one mind—class distinctions between the proletariat and the bourgeoisie were inherently antagonistic.

It’s just that in this age, the proletarian revolutionary organizations had not yet been established and mainly existed in affiliation with the Bourgeois Revolutionary Party.

In the end, they were persuaded, or perhaps more accurately, forced by reality. A vast number of unemployed workers were waiting for their next meal..