Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Franz left the Archduke’s house with a satisfied smile on his face. Their conversation seemed to have been amicable, and Franz was now a student of Karl’s.
Archduke Karl’s priority was the continual, significant reform of the Austrian military, and the most significant barrier he faced was his need for a strong supporter in the central government. This problem was solved by the presence of Franz.
As the successor to the throne, Franz recognized the strengths of Karl’s military philosophy, and he saw fit to support his efforts towards military reform. From there, one thing led to another.
The Austrian Emperor, Ferdinand I, was not a very intelligent man, and he could not manage government affairs at all. This meant that as soon as Crown Prince Franz reached adulthood, he could begin to participate in politics.
It would not be long before many people, including Archduke Karl, became so unhappy with Prime Minister Metternich that they wanted to kick him out. Franz stepped in at the perfect time: there was no alternative for Karl but to support Franz’s regency. As long as he was not too stupid, Franz could take power ahead of schedule, with the military on his side.
During the meeting with Archduke Karl, Franz inserted some of his personal opinions into the conversation, including his thoughts on the Prussian staff system, military training in the new era, and tactical commands.
Many of Franz’s fresh proposals were of great interest to Archduke Karl, but it wasn’t clear how many he would actually add to his own new military concept.
At the end of the meeting, Franz suggested that Archduke Karl should draw up a plan for the reform of the Austrian military.
The conversation would not have gone so well had it not been for the military uniform Franz had worn, whether he was willing to admit it or not.
After this, would Archduke Karl prostrate himself before Franz’s power, giving his total support to Franz, thanks to Franz’s proposal?
What a daydream!
The reason they got along well was simply that they thought alike, and that Franz was the heir to the empire, raised as a soldier from childhood.
While Archduke Karl carefully mentored Franz in the field of military knowledge, Franz catered to him, giving the Duke the impression that Franz was just another of his admirers.
If it meant his philosophy would be better implemented, Archduke Karl did not mind taking on a new apprentice, the Crown Prince. Ultimately, the two men’s connection was based entirely on their political interests.
Though in his early years, Archduke Karl had been a failure in politics, by this point, he had become an experienced, clever fox, and he had figured out most of Franz’s interest even before his arrival.
To Archduke Karl, it seemed that Franz wanted nothing more than to have influence over the army, and in exchange, Franz would support Karl’s military reform in the future.
As for Franz’s military theories, Archduke Karl saw them mainly as childish braggadocio, and only God knew who filled his head with all those ideas. He would use what he could and forget what he couldn’t. Regardless, such minor details would not affect the political cooperation between the two.
Since the European Succession Act had been passed, political collaboration between a military man like Archduke Karl and an heir like Franz was not only above-board and legitimate, but even unremarkable..
Historically, Franz had been on good terms with Prime Minister Metternich as both a mentor and a friend, and no one had a problem with their relationship.
Franz had been second in line to the throne, but he became the Crown Prince because his father, Franz Karl, was soft in the head, and no one dared propose another emperor like that. They had learned their lesson from Uncle Ferdinand I.
The Austrian Empire was a nation of honor, and his father had repeatedly and publicly renounced any claim to the throne. . Although no one knew whether it was really what he wanted, these statements couldn’t be taken back.
Franz was now a high-ranking member of the military, though this publicly, this was just a necessity for his learning. How could Franz, as the heir to Austria, not familiarize himself with its military?
In days following their initial meeting, Franz went to Archduke Karl’s house frequently to study the military.
Nineteenth-century Austria was still a world of nobility, and among the aristocrats Franz met many important officers, such as Josip Jelachic, Wendisch Gretz, and Radski.
(Note: These were the three Saving Fathers of the Austrian Empire: Radski suppressed the Italian Revolution, Wendisch Gretz quashed the Prague Uprising, and Josip Jelacic stopped the Hungarian Revolution.)
Franz could not yet bring these people under his command, but at least he’d made their acquaintance, and maybe one day, they would play a role in his plan.
Meanwhile, everyone was happy. Who would refuse to make friends with the next emperor?
Franz’s plan was to approach the highest authority of the army, because only with their support could he efficiently crush the coming rebellion.
“Franz, there will be a military meeting tomorrow. I wonder if you would be interested in making an appearance?” asked Albrecht Friedrich Rudolf.
(Note: Albrecht Friedrich Rudolf was he eldest son of Archduke Karl and the last military celebrity of the Austrian Empire, who was awarded the title of Field Marshal of Austria, Germany, and Russia.)
“Albrecht, forget it. That meeting will bore me to death! I’m not interested in hearing the arguments of a bunch of old men,” said Franz indifferently.
At first, he had been very interested in such meetings, only to be disappointed after the first few he had attended. The meeting was made up of a large group of nobles who were officers in the Austrian army. Most of them just muddled along to make up the numbers, though there was some talent among a few of them.
If he followed their example, Franz would be a general in less than ten years, without even having to go through the routine of being in the army.
Apart from the Marshal, who had gold, the soldiers of the Austrian Empire were on the ground everywhere. In these chaotic days, the so-called military conference was anything but average. Aside from the most valued marshals, the generals of the Austrian Empire had their boots on the ground, and so the military meetings became much less formal. In such meetings, actual issues would never be brought up for discussion; indeed, had it not been for convention, the meetings would have even been canceled already.
“Well, since you’re not interested, I will leave you be!” Albrecht said, in the same indifferent tone Franz had used.
Franz smiled at Albrecht. He didn’t dare to undervalue Albrecht, who he knew would be a key figure in the March Revolution, and who had directly facilitated Ferdinand I’s abdication.
Who would believe that no insider was dealing with him? It was essential that he, the man directly responsible for the events of the March Revolution, was excommunicated from Vienna, though he would return to the center of power before long.
Franz didn’t mind these kinds of insider dealings, since he was the ultimate beneficiary. Anyway, he could be the emperor only after his uncle’s abdication. Besides, the Austrian Empire seemed robust enough, and it would not have deteriorated so rapidly if not for the problems of the government.
At that time, the Austrian Empire, Britain, France, Russia, and Spain were still known as the five major European powers, with Prussia not far behind.