Vienna's Undercurrents (Seeking Votes)

Winter turned to spring, and the melting snow turned the roads into a muddy mess. A unit was struggling forward; indeed, this was the Vienna City Defense Force conducting field training.

The pampered soldiers could not handle such hardship, so Albrecht very understandingly approved their request to remain behind. Without anyone noticing, the command of this unit had shifted.

"Halt! Set up camp!"

Albrecht's order rang out. As the Vienna City Defense Force, they could not travel very far; the field training was only a hundred kilometers or so.

"Franz, we cannot go any further. Otherwise, if an accident occurs in Vienna, we will not be able to respond in time!"

Franz nodded. Allowing a revolution to break out in Vienna was one thing, but that did not mean he would allow the revolution to succeed!

The main force of the City Defense Force had been brought out. On paper, there were over five thousand men left behind, but their actual combat effectiveness was pitifully low.

If anyone wanted to revolt, they would not let this opportunity pass, as such chances were rare.

"Hmm, the news should have reached back by now. How is the unit holding up?"

Albrecht shook his head and said, "Not well! We dragged them out for training at a time like this; I imagine they are all cursing us under their breath."

This was inevitable. Anyone in their position would feel the same. Franz thought of a solution that wasn't really a solution: "Then give them a day off to go hunting and improve their rations."

This was a terrible idea. If this unit were nine hundred men instead of nine thousand, they might actually be able to improve their diet with game.

As it stood, even if the mountains were teeming with prey, there wouldn't be enough to go around for so many people. However, letting everyone relax a bit was not a bad thing, and Albrecht did not object.

Time flew by. The Labor Protection Act, originally scheduled by the Vienna government to be implemented on March 1, 1848, was indefinitely shelved. Worse still, the government failed to provide a clear explanation.

The inaction of the Vienna government left the working class deeply disappointed, which gave the bourgeoisie an opportunity.

The cost of spreading rumors is the lowest of all. Under the manipulation of the revolutionaries, the working class came to believe that the capitalists had bribed the government and that their interests had been sold out.

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

Under the manipulation of the capitalists, the citizens, workers, and students of Vienna took to the streets on March 5 to demonstrate.

Raising banners against hunger, economic crisis, autocracy, and corruption, the representatives of the march submitted a petition to Ferdinand I, demanding the dismissal of the Metternich cabinet, the implementation of a constitutional government, and the abolition of serfdom...

It was quite interesting that the Labor Protection Act was not mentioned at all. Clearly, the representatives responsible for drafting the petition had already sold out the working class.

There was not a single demand in this petition that Prime Minister Metternich could accept, so it was naturally impossible for it to pass.

As for the will of His Majesty the Emperor, it was, of course, represented by the Regency Council. Many of them did indeed want Prime Minister Metternich gone, but the other conditions were not something they could accept.

For the sake of their own interests, everyone stood together for the time being.

At this moment, apart from the radicals, most people were not yet thinking about revolution.

Even the bourgeoisie only wanted to carve a piece out of the nobility to survive this crisis; they were not yet prepared for a full-scale revolution.

The carriage passed through narrow streets lined with small, earthen huts, and a pungent odor wafted over.

The carriage stopped in front of a small house. A young man dressed in fine clothes stepped out, and as he stepped down, he felt something soft under his foot. He looked down to see it was animal entrails.

"Hure!"

He cursed in deep frustration and knocked on the courtyard gate. The carriage had already departed.

There was no help for it; the secret police in Vienna were not just sitting around, and this was a line of work where heads could roll.

At this time, the slums were the safest place. With their chaotic environment and crisscrossing alleys, this was where police presence was weakest.

The gate opened, and a man in rags stepped out. He looked around to ensure no one was following before letting the man inside.

"Jack, you're finally here! Everyone has been waiting for you!"

The young man named Jack frowned, a flash of disgust crossing his eyes, but he smiled and said, "Apologies, Cole. The enemy's nose is too sharp. I had to be careful to shake them off!"

Cole was busy closing the gate and did not notice Jack's expression. He continued, "It doesn't matter. One must be careful at a time like this. Now that you're here, let's begin!"

"Gentlemen, the time for revolution is ripe. The reactionary government will never agree to our demands.

The Metternich government has deceived us again; there is no need to endure any longer.

The revolution in Paris has already succeeded; now it is our turn. This is the best opportunity.

The City Defense Force is out on field training; even if they wanted to return, it would take them at least two days..."

A man in gray clothes said with difficulty, "Mr. Jack, I fear the time is not yet ripe to launch an uprising. Although the City Defense Force is out on field training, there are still five thousand men left behind. We surely cannot..."

Jack frowned. He did not like being contradicted, especially by someone he looked down upon.

If it weren't for the fact that the capitalists behind the scenes needed them to launch an uprising at this moment to pressure the government, he would not have come to meet these worker representatives.

In his view, the revolution should be directed by respectable men like them, and these lowly people should simply obey orders.

However, now was the time when he needed them to risk their lives. They had no prestige among the working class and had to rely on these leaders of the labor movement to command them.

Jack explained with some impatience, "Mr. Powell, do not worry. We have secretly purchased a batch of weapons. As long as you have the gear in your hands, are you still afraid of those pampered soldiers?

Besides, the army is not our enemy. Except for the aristocratic officers, most of them are the same toiling masses as you. We can completely..."

Clearly, while they were all nominally revolutionaries, they were not of the same ilk. The proletariat and the bourgeoisie were inherently opposed.

It was just that in this era, proletarian revolutionary organizations had not yet been established, and they mainly existed as appendages to the bourgeois revolutionary party.

In the end, they were persuaded—or perhaps, forced by reality. A large number of unemployed people were waiting for their next meal.