Chapter 9: Build: People

Countless previous cases have taught Franz that you don't need to really stand on the same side as most people, at least you have to make them think that you are standing with them.
Franz is doing just that. Reform is the mainstream in Austria. He naturally wants to send a signal to the outside world, and he supports reform.
At this time, the strength of the Austrian conservatives should not be underestimated. The Vienna court is the conservative base camp, and Franz cannot betray his own class.
At this time, age is the best weapon. In the eyes of reformers, he supports reform. This is enough. No one is extravagant to a 16-year-old boy to lead the reform in Austria.
Franz did not comment on the specific reforms. In the eyes of conservatives, this is a steady performance. Everyone knows that Austria must reform, but how to reform it is an argument.
As the empire's crown prince, Franz's support for reform is not wrong. If he stupidly throws out his reform plan, it is estimated that he will be handed over.
In contrast, Franz's focus on the living conditions of the people at the bottom is nothing. A kind king is good for everyone.
Before the mystery is revealed, neither the capitalist nor the aristocrat would mind Franz's reputation in the folks, and no one knows that this is Xiangzhuang Wujian.
Bowenfield was persuaded by Franz, or was persuaded by reality, and there was nothing wrong with doing things for the young archduke.
It would be better if he could influence Grand Duke Franz and let him accept his ideas.
Franz's plan was naturally clear, but he didn't take it seriously. Now he just needs to use Bowenfield's influence to start the newspaper in the shortest time.
The issue of Austria's political reform still needn't worry about them. Franz already has a preliminary plan in mind. Before implementing this plan, the power of the bourgeoisie and aristocracy must be weakened.
The matter of raising the capitalist status will never occur in his reforms.
"Capitals know no borders," Franz has heard of.
Capitalists are always fed. As long as the interests are appropriate, the class can betray in minutes. Franz dare not let them become the backbone of the country.
Austria's special national conditions determine that this reform must take into account the interests of the vast majority of the people in order to truly integrate this country, which will require the nobility and the bourgeoisie to make sacrifices.
That is, in this special period, the conflict between the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie has intensified, and Franz has a chance to succeed.
The more he knew about the country, the more certain Franz was that the empire was undercurrent.
In 1846, the German region suffered from food shortages and Austria was affected.
Theoretically, the Austrian Empire was originally Europe's main grain exporter, and the Hungarian Great Plains were present. The impact of the reduction in grain production was not significant.
However, the reality is quite the opposite. For their own benefit, the capitalists have over-hyped the food shortage and raised the price of grain on the market, while at the same time lowering the price of grain purchases in Hungary because the local grain harvest has been abundant.
By the beginning of 1847, the price of food on the market in Vienna had risen by 54%, and ordinary citizens of Vienna had felt the pressure of survival.
Behind the control of grain prices by capitalists, there are still a large number of bankruptcies since the peasants, and even some nobles have suffered heavy losses, and Hungary has begun to undercurrent.
Recently, Franz found that the migrant population in Vienna is increasing. Do not think he also knows that most of these people are bankrupt farmers and have to enter the city in order to survive.
Some of them may still be serfs in the hands of the aristocracy, but by now, Austria ’s population had already exceeded 30 million, and the aristocracy did not lack serfs, so the control was relaxed.
Although serfs are also wealth, they also have to eat. For the nobles, as long as they are about the same number, they can guarantee the completion of production tasks. Too many serfs are also a burden.
The success of the liberation of serfs in European countries is not as simple as that. It is more about the emergence of machinery, so that nobles do not need so many people to cultivate land, such as: harvesters with stored power.
In the middle and late 19th century, the demand of the nobility for labor force declined, and resistance to the abolition of serfdom was not so strong. Most enlightened nobles hoped to release serfs in exchange for a state compensation.
Prime Minister Metternich promoted the abolitionist movement in Austria. The reason why he was resisted by the nobility was that the bid was too low. Franz supported the Prime Minister on this issue.
Austria's finances are not affluent, and it is unable to pay high compensations, and it is inevitable to reduce the price of compensation.
However, this problem is not impossible to solve, such as giving preferential treatment to abolitionist slaves in taxation, or sacrificing the interests of capitalists, and the government's intervention in the market to set a food protection price to protect everyone's interests.
As long as the interests are appropriate, no contradiction cannot be resolved. It's just that these ideas, Franz will not come out now, he is also preparing to exchange interests with Prime Minister Metternich.
On January 11, 1847, Franz's drummed newspaper "We Want Bread, We Want Cheese" was formally published.
He personally co-edited an article "Caring for the People at the Bottom, and Creating a Better Austria" as a pioneering work.
There is no doubt that this is a complete chicken soup article. The article emphasizes the role of the people at the bottom of the country with a lot of space, and clearly states that only when the basic needs of the people at the bottom are met can the Austrian Empire be better.
The effect is undoubtedly the first time that chicken soup has appeared, and many people have been confused.
Nobles and capitalists think that Franz is an emperor with a lot of love, and he cares about the lives of the pariahs, but they are not exclusive.
A benevolent emperor is always better than a tyrant, so you don't need to carry your head to work.
The influence of the people at the bottom level is great. An emperor who cares about their living conditions is completely standard for Renjun!
The only pity is that the crown prince is too young and has no political say. It would be great if he became emperor.
...
"Pity!"
Franz sighed secretly, if there were a group of people under the hand to guide the public opinion nationwide, the impact would be even greater.
It's not that Franz didn't send someone to guide the public opinion. The problem is that he didn't have much manpower and his influence was limited to Vienna. Other places only slowly spread.
If you like the Holy Roman Empire, please collect it: (EbookFREE.me) The Holy Roman Empire has the fastest literature update.