Kossuth was no mediocrity. He was a man who rode the tide of history. He ordered the confiscation of the assets of the opposition and the surrender faction, and promulgated a new land law.
This time, he intended to eradicate serfdom once and for all, confiscate the great nobles' land, and ensure that every farmer truly had land of his own.
Serfs could repay their debts over twenty years, but the money would no longer be collected by the nobles. Instead, the state would collect it and pass it on to them.
Land would be tied to military service. Those who refused to serve would have no right to receive land, while soldiers would be rewarded with land for their military achievements, encouraging them to fight bravely.
He revised the Price Ceiling Edict to crack down on price-fixing cartels.
He suppressed local powers, strengthened centralization, and encouraged industrial production.
After all these measures, the so-called Hungarian Revolution finally showed signs of making some progress. Franz, however, was rather pleased.
Kossuth was always doing something useful. After all, Franz had to take these unpopular measures too, so it was only good to have someone else do the work for him.
Kossuth's various measures also drove large numbers of nobles to flee to Austria. In the past, they had been reluctant to leave because their land and property kept them tied down. This time, they fled to Austria without hesitation.
The nobles were all experienced. Each had already prepared a long list of excuses, along with an inventory of his family's possessions.
This time, however, the emperor did not choose to receive them in person, much less promise them face-to-face that he would help them reclaim what was theirs.
In fact, neither members of the royal family nor high-ranking imperial officials were