Colonial development had only claimed a small portion of the Vienna Government's attention. Its focus still remained on domestic affairs.
Logically, Austria's economic growth should have slowed after the Near East War ended. Yet capitalist free markets were often irrational.
The entire New Holy Roman Empire's economy was like an out-of-control carriage, hurtling madly forward. At this point, the brakes could no longer hold it; they could only watch the carriage race farther and farther down the road of no return.
Government intervention in the market economy? Franz had no desire to bear the blame for triggering an economic crisis, nor could he afford to bear it.
The overall overcapacity of the capitalist world meant that, no matter what measures were taken, an economic crisis would inevitably erupt.
Such measures could only delay the outbreak of the crisis, and the longer it was delayed, the more destructive it would become when it finally came.
This was not a problem for the New Holy Roman Empire alone. It involved every capitalist nation. Only if everyone intervened in the market together would it be possible to weather the crisis smoothly.
At the economic conference in Vienna Palace, Franz handed everyone a document and said gravely, "This is the latest economic report. Read it carefully.
"The situation of blind investment within our country is extremely serious. Many industries have developed overcapacity, and vast quantities of goods are piling up in storage.
"In the short term, we cannot possibly find a new market capable of absorbing this excess capacity.
"The newly developed Balkan Peninsula and African colonies have consumed some of that capacity.
"But the rate at which new markets are being developed is nowhere near enough to keep up with the madness of our domestic capital market.
"The same is true abroad. Every