Regency

Time hurried by. By March 11, 1848, the rebels in Vienna had mostly been cleared out. The few stragglers could be left to the police.

The sudden rebellion had come and gone in a flash, but its effects were only just beginning. Many parts of Austria were already growing unstable.

Franz had no time to worry about other regions. The army that had suppressed the revolt still held nearly forty thousand prisoners. What to do with them was a major problem.

Killing them was obviously out of the question. He wasn't some bloodthirsty maniac, and he had no deep-seated grudge against them.

But he couldn't simply release them, either. Even if they had only been accomplices and were spared punishment, they had still joined the rebellion. If they weren't dealt with, what would happen when others followed their example in the future?

Fine them?

If they had money, they wouldn't have risked their necks in this business.

From the start of the suppression to its end, the whole thing had taken less than two days. These people weren't diehards; the true diehards had fled long ago. Those left behind were just pawns abandoned by the others.

Just then, Albrecht came over. His eyes were bloodshot; clearly, he hadn't slept well for the past few days.

"Albrecht, how many casualties did the troops suffer?" Franz asked with concern.

"Not bad. We barely even fought this time. We lost just over three hundred men!" Albrecht said after a moment's thought.

"That's good. There's nothing else to do now, so go get some rest, Albrecht!"

At the news, Franz breathed a sigh of relief. A little over three hundred casualties was within what he could accept.

The rebel casualties, however, were much heavier. More than three thousand had been shot dead on the spot, and over five thousand of the prisoners were wounded. They had all suffered minor injuries; the seriously wounded were already corpses.

Initial estimates put the death toll from the rebellion, which had lasted less than a week, at over ten thousand in Vienna. The vast majority had been "revolutionized" by the so-called revolutionaries.

The aristocratic district had nearly been razed to the ground. The confirmed deaths among the nobility already numbered in the hundreds. Once word got out, the news would surely shock the entire European Continent.

Most of the immediate matters had been dealt with. Franz knew it was time to go to Hofburg Palace and take charge of Austria's affairs.

After such a major disaster, not only would Prime Minister Metternich have to go, but there was no reason to keep the Regency Council, either.

Every obstacle blocking Franz from becoming regent had now been swept away.

The nobles and capitalists had both suffered heavy blows. The decline of imperial power, caused by Ferdinand I's inability to govern, was about to be reversed, and power would return to the Habsburg Family.

"Franz, you're back at last. You did well this time!"

The speaker was Franz's father, Archduke Franz-Karl. Franz seriously doubted his father could have come up with such a polished line on his own.

But he soon understood. His mother, Lady Sophie, had most likely put him up to it, so they could set the tone for what had happened.

"Father, are you all right? When we suddenly heard that Vienna was in revolt, we rode back through the night. Thank God, we made it in time!" Franz said, feigning excitement.

Watching the father and son put on their little show, Archduke Louis wanted to say something, but it was too late for that now.

During this crisis, the Regency Council had failed to fulfill its proper role, which had already displeased the Vienna Court.

The archdukes, too, had questioned the Council's ability. By contrast, every one of them had praised Franz for bringing troops back in time to suppress the revolt.

Of course, they had conveniently overlooked Archduke Albrecht, who had commanded the campaign to suppress the rebellion.

It was simply because Franz was one of their own—and the heir to the throne. If the Habsburg Family didn't want power to fall into other hands, supporting the heir as regent was the best choice.

Some had even begun plotting to make Ferdinand I abdicate. This rebellion had made everyone fear the decline of imperial power; they were terrified of another revolution.

That was right: in their minds, this rebellion was proof that imperial authority had waned. If the monarch had still commanded respect, so many rebellions would never have happened.

If Franz wanted, he could start plotting to make Ferdinand I abdicate right now. But he had his pride; he couldn't bring himself to force his uncle from the throne.

Besides, Austria was a powder keg. The Vienna uprising had merely lit the first spark. There were still the rebellions in Italy, Hungary, Dalmatia...

Each new rebellion would deal another blow to Ferdinand I. Sooner or later, the conservative nobles would be unable to bear it.

Historically, Ferdinand I had abdicated against this very backdrop. The successive rebellions had terrified Empress Anna, and the Habsburg Family had worried that continuing down this path would undermine its rule in Austria. In the end, they had decided to make Ferdinand I abdicate.

No—it was to persuade Ferdinand I to abdicate. But given the circumstances, Franz felt there was no difference between persuading him and making the decision for him.

After greeting everyone, they got down to business: how to deal with the aftermath.

"After such a major disaster, the cabinet cannot shirk responsibility. I propose that it be dismissed!" Archduke Louis said, speaking first.

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"

The vote passed unanimously, and Prime Minister Metternich was dismissed just like that.

"The Regency Council failed to fulfill its duties during the Vienna uprising. I think we might as well dissolve it," Archduke Franz-Karl said.

He hadn't wanted the job for a long time. Since the Regency Council had been established, he had never actually managed anything. This was the perfect opportunity to dissolve it and settle down to a happy life as a pampered parasite.

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"

Archduke Louis was ready to curse them all. What on earth were they butting in for? Only the emperor or the Regency Council itself had the authority to dissolve it.

Unfortunately, only two members of the Regency Council were present, and one of them had proposed dissolving it. Whether the other archdukes had the authority or not, they could still make up the numbers.

After a moment's hesitation, Archduke Louis reluctantly said, "Agreed!"

There was no helping it. His opposition would have no effect now. Unless every member of the Regency Council stood united, they had no way to resist the Vienna Court.

That was clearly impossible. Archduke Franz-Karl had no interest in politics, and whatever his reasons, he would support his son becoming regent.

"I propose that once the Regency Council is dissolved, the heir to the throne, Franz Joseph, become regent!"

Seeing that there was no way to prevent it, Archduke Louis naturally thought of cutting his losses. He promptly proposed that the heir become regent, making his position clear.

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"