Military Preparations

"Your Highness, given the current domestic situation, I propose that we immediately double the Vienna City Defense Force and raise an army of two hundred thousand to suppress the rebellion!" Prime Minister Felix said murderously.

On the matter of suppressing the rebellion, everyone was of one mind. Not a single noble liked the revolutionaries.

"His Excellency the Prime Minister's proposal is excellent. The City Defense Force is already being replenished. As for the useless men who did nothing during the Vienna uprising, I say we order them to retire!

"Raising an army to suppress the rebellion cannot wait. Lieutenant General Albrecht performed well in putting down the Vienna uprising, so I say we put him in charge!"

Franz slipped in some of his own agenda without hesitation. Not only did he use the opportunity to clear out the parasites in the City Defense Force and replace them with his own people, he also got his hands on the army that was about to be raised.

"Your Highness, raising an army to suppress the rebellion is a matter of great importance. Lieutenant General Albrecht may not be able to handle it alone. Why not have Field Marshal Radetzky and Prince Windisch-Grätz return to take charge?" Felix urged.

(Note: Field Marshal Radetzky and Prince Windisch-Grätz were two of the three great figures who saved Austria. The former suppressed the Italian uprising, while the latter put down the Prague and Vienna uprisings.)

Both men were major figures in the Austrian army. If they came back, Albrecht would be pushed aside. Prince Windisch-Grätz was also Felix's brother-in-law, making his return even less acceptable.

But that didn't stump Franz. He immediately replied, "Those two are indeed the best choices, but an uprising has already broken out in Lombardy. If we pull Field Marshal Radetzky away now, who will be responsible for suppressing it?

"I say we appoint Field Marshal Radetzky governor-general of Lombardy and Venice, with full authority to oversee the suppression of the rebellion in Italy.

"Then we should mobilize fifty thousand troops from Austria to reinforce Italy and try to put down this uprising as quickly as possible.

"Besides, Bohemia (Czechia) is also unstable. If we pull Prince Windisch-Grätz away, who will be responsible for suppressing any uprising that might break out?"

They needed the two men to lead the suppression efforts at the front. It was a powerful argument, and now that Franz had raised it, nobody dared lightly replace them. If things went wrong at the front, they would have to take responsibility.

Austria was still the Austria of the Habsburg Family. No matter how forceful Prime Minister Felix was, he could only yield in the face of Franz's insistence.

Political struggles were extremely complicated. Today's concession meant that in the years to come, the Austrian government would revolve around Franz, with the cabinet relegated to a supporting role.

Seeing that no one objected, Franz continued, "Considering Hungary's particular circumstances, we must also take action.

"I propose appointing Josip Jelačić as governor of Croatia, while also making him commander of the City Defense Force;

(Josip Jelačić was one of the three great figures who saved Austria. His main achievements were stabilizing Croatia and helping suppress the Vienna and Hungarian uprisings.)

"Appoint Julius Jacob von Haynau governor of the Slovakia region and commander of its City Defense Force, and prepare to suppress the Hungarian uprising."

(Note: Julius Jacob von Haynau was an Austrian field marshal, famous for his brutal suppression of the Italian and Hungarian uprisings. He was known as the Butcher of Arad, the Hyena of Brescia, and the Tiger of the Habsburgs.)

Franz's plan was very simple: he intended to bring forward the men who had helped Austria suppress uprisings in real history. As for that bunch of bunglers who had failed, there was no need to send them off to hand the enemy their heads.

"Your Highness, the uprising in Hungary has not yet begun. If we do this now, I fear it will have a very harmful impact," Felix said after thinking it over.

He hadn't expected the Vienna Government to still be negotiating with the Hungarians while the heir to the throne was already preparing to suppress an uprising. This was completely undermining the negotiations.

However, if the Hungarians really did rebel, these preparations would be extremely useful. Croatia and Slovakia were both part of the Kingdom of Hungary in this era, but their people leaned toward Austria.

Taking control of these two places in advance would be extremely useful in suppressing a Hungarian uprising. Historically, when the Hungarian uprising was put down, Croatia alone sent an army of forty thousand.

Franz shook his head. "His Excellency the Prime Minister, do you think it's good to let the Hungarians keep making trouble like this?

"Over the past many years, the Vienna Government has made concessions to them again and again. If we keep yielding, we might as well let them become independent!"

He wasn't saying this without reason. Hungary was nominally part of the Austrian Empire, yet its tax revenues had nothing to do with the central government in Vienna. There were even customs duties between Austria and Hungary.

And yet the Hungarians kept insisting that Austria oppressed and exploited them. To Franz, it was complete nonsense.

The Vienna Government did gain some benefits from Hungary, but Austria protected Hungary's security. Wasn't it only right to charge for that protection?

If Hungary left Austria, it would either be swallowed up by the Russians or by the Ottomans. The end result could only be worse than things were now.

On the surface, Austria had a more advanced industry, while Hungary focused mainly on agriculture and had become a market for Austrian goods.

But the truth was that this was an era of the strong devouring the weak. The weak couldn't demand too much of the strong. Even to ordinary Hungarians, the Habsburg Family was still the protector of their interests.

Under the current system, the only people whose interests were truly harmed were Hungary's capitalists and nobles. They were the only ones who kept stirring up trouble.

After the great revolution, someone had once said, "In the Kingdom of Hungary, with a population of more than ten million, only five hundred thousand are Hungarian."

In truth, those who exploited and oppressed the Hungarians were those five hundred thousand capitalists and nobles. Now Franz planned to wipe out that bunch of parasites and divide their land among the Hungarian people.

So this time, it wasn't about suppressing a revolution. It was about bringing a revolution to the Kingdom of Hungary—a revolution that would truly liberate its more than ten million ordinary people.

There would be bread, and there would be milk. In that sense, Franz believed he was engaged in a sacred cause.

"Your Highness, you can't put it that way. Hungary is our granary, a sacred and indispensable part of the Empire. We absolutely cannot let it become independent!" Felix said solemnly.

Franz smiled. "His Excellency the Prime Minister, there's no need to be so tense. I'm only stating the facts. The Hungarians are free to seek reform, but it must be on the condition that they integrate into Austria.

"They want to reap the benefits without paying a price. Where in the world are things ever that easy? Rather than quarreling with them every day, we might as well settle the matter once and for all!"