Chapter 231: Balkan Peninsula Development Plan
In a quaint castle in Prague, an elderly man in his fifties solemnly asked, “Holst, are you really ready?
Once you accept the government’s arrangement, you will have to live a hard life for a long time in the future. It will be too late for you to regret it then.”
Holst answered seriously, “Father, the Vicks Family has declined. In the last power struggle, our connections in the government suffered heavy losses.
To secure a position in the government, I have no choice but to take the civil service examination. The competition is fierce, and considering our family’s focus on military development, we have no advantage in this area. I’m not sure I can make it.
The situation on the European continent is gradually stabilizing, and there won’t be any wars in Austria for a long time. This eliminates the possibility of fighting on the battlefield for the foreseeable future.
Now there is an opportunity. With the military achievements I have gained on the battlefield, the most I can become is an honorary knight if I stay in the country.
With some money from the family, I can exchange for an estate from the government, but going to the Balkan Peninsula now could elevate me to a hereditary knight, directly owning an estate twice the size.
Under normal circumstances, I might not succeed even if I struggle for twenty years here in our country. In that case, why not take a risk and try?”
In an effort to tighten control over the Balkan Peninsula, the Austrian government initiated a mobilization in the country. As Prime Minister Felix anticipated, the temptation proved too great for many lower nobles to resist.
Compared to establishing overseas colonies, at least the Balkan Peninsula was still close. Even if the situation there was a bit bad, there was still hope for future development.
As one of the strongholds of conservatism, Austria maintained its ancient traditions: the eldest son would inherit the family, while the second son would venture out to carve his own path.
Major nobles had the means to provide sufficient titles for their direct descendants, but collateral relatives or minor nobles had to rely on their own efforts.
To limit the number of nobles in the country and ensure the quality of the aristocracy, the Austrian government was considering the introduction of a “Nobility Law”.
Once this law is enacted, the inheritance of noble titles will have to be evaluated by the Council of Nobles, making it difficult for prodigal scions to inherit titles.
Apart from the eldest son’s inheritance of titles, even non-military titles acquired by the descendants of great nobles would lose their hereditary status.
Due to its significant implications, the law was currently being discussed by the Council of Nobles. After all, this law was not favorable to the declining nobility; the difficulty of passing the assessment was too high for them.
Franz planned on implementing this law in the development of the colonies so that these declining nobles would go to the colonies to seek their fortune.
The domestic pie was only so big, and even with the addition of the Balkan Peninsula territories, there was still not enough for everyone.
The collapse of the British and French colonies was largely attributed to an uneven distribution of interests, where capitalists reap excessive profits while expecting others to sacrifice their lives — how could that be sustainable?
Throughout history, the feudal system has been an effective tool for expansion. The counties and prefectures directly ruled by the central dynasty often suffered losses, while the areas granted as fiefs were rarely divided further. Even when they became independent, they remained influenced by local culture.
Of course, this was only one aspect; the more important factor was the consolidation of class structures. Either expand the pie to provide upward mobility for all, or face the inevitability of revolution — the choice was clear.
After pondering for a moment, the elder said, “Well, I respect your decision, my child. At present, the family can’t offer you much help, but you can recruit a group of people from the estate. This will help relieve the population pressure.
These people have lived under the family’s care for generations, and loyalty is not an issue. With their support, I believe you can make significant progress.”
In this era, the influence of the nobility was significant, not only because of their social status but also because of their control over a group of vassals.
Despite the abolition of serfdom, this influence had not completely disappeared.
The Austrian government was currently encouraging these nobles to move to the Balkan Peninsula for development, and it was not just about the nobles moving there themselves. If they venture out alone, arriving in an unfamiliar place, they might have trouble establishing authority.
Also, the primary industry for many of them was land. You could not expect the nobles to work the land themselves, right?
Organizing migration through these people was much easier than if the Austrian government were to take charge.
The densely populated German territories had already reached the limits of their population capacity in the agricultural era. Relocating some of the population would help alleviate internal conflicts.
Anyway, in this era, industrialization doesn’t have a significant demand for labor. Austria was still the second most populous country in Europe, and if you include the population of the Balkans, it was approaching fifty million.
Currently, the most important aspect is the promotion of ethnic integration. With a unified language and script, the next generation would see a significant increase in mixed-race people. Under such circumstances, who could stir up trouble with nationalism?
It could be said that the present New Holy Roman Empire, as long as Franz remained prudent, had a promising future.
The development of the Balkan Peninsula also brought an unexpected benefit: a reduction in emigration to America.
After all, crossing the ocean in this day and age was risky. Compared to the unknowns of America, the nearby Balkan Peninsula was much safer. Connected by the Danube River, transportation was convenient, and one could return within ten days or half a month.
Especially for those with families, migration to the Balkan Peninsula allowed them to bring their families with them. If they were to go to America, it would be a farewell to their homeland.
Since the revolutions, Germany has experienced a wave of emigration, with an average of sixty to seventy thousand people leaving each year. In Austria alone, about twenty to thirty thousand people leave each year.
These immigrants contributed to rapid population growth in the United States. In 1850, the U.S. received 310,000 immigrants; by 1851, it had received 3.79 million. The U.S. population, which was 23,192,000 in 1850, increased to 31,443,000 in 1860. It was like having cheats in a game.
In this era, immigrants tended to be young and strong making them high-quality labor resources. Since the elderly and those with health problems couldn’t endure the hardships of the sea voyage.
Every time he thought about it, Franz could only sigh at the lack of competitiveness of South American countries. Despite having favorable conditions, they inexplicably failed to compete with the United States for immigrants.
Not to mention coordinated efforts, as long as a few countries prioritized attracting immigrants, diverting the U.S. population, America would not have been able to develop as rapidly.
In such a situation, Franz felt helpless. The European countries had not yet recognized the threat posed by the United States and had not taken any measures to limit the growth of its power.
Of course, Franz was not completely inactive. He occasionally published articles in newspapers criticizing the nouveau riche in the United States. This type of entertainment was well-received by the European people and was a popular pastime.
Nevertheless, reducing the number of immigrants to the United States by a few thousand or even tens of thousands might not be a small number in the long run. It could be seen as weakening the strength of a competitor.
It was worth noting that, relying on these immigrants, Germans eventually became the largest ethnic group in the United States, contributing significantly to America’s rise.
Vienna
Franz carefully read the “Balkan Peninsula Development Plan” presented by the cabinet.
The strength of a nation was not only determined by its territorial size, population, and abundant resources — these were only some of the necessary conditions. Most importantly, it was the degree of development of its territories.
The Russian Empire was vast, larger than two Europes combined. In terms of land area, resources, and population alone, its power should be comparable to that of the mighty Qin Dynasty, which swept across the lands and conquered everything.
The reality, however, was quite different. Despite these advantages, the Russian Empire, let alone the conquest of Europe, could be troubled by any two great powers joining forces.
The biggest problem was the low level of development in their homeland. If the Russian Empire had already completed industrialization, there was no doubt that conquering the European continent would not be a mere dream.
The New Holy Roman Empire might not be as ambitious as the Russians, but by relying on a comprehensive management system, it could still become one of the top powers.
In Franz’s opinion, if the acquired territories could not be effectively cultivated, the lands that could not be transformed into national power would become a heavy burden.
Further expansion on the European continent became challenging and the focus should shift to carefully nurturing and developing existing territories.
Before this, the Austrian government had already formulated numerous development plans. Except for the several states with a high degree of autonomy, the remaining regions have been included in the government’s planning outlines, and many areas have already begun to organize and implement these plans.
The current development plan for the Balkan Peninsula was only a preliminary idea, and there was still a long way to go before it was actually implemented.
Franz thought for a while and said, “Prime Minister, according to this development plan, the two Danube principalities will be the second granary of the Empire in the future.
However, we must consider one problem. If Russian-Austrian relations deteriorate, the products of these regions will have to be exported along the Danube to the German territories or transported by land to the sea.
Also, the complementary industries in these areas seem to be more tailored to the Russians. I doubt that Russians have such strong purchasing power.
At present they still have serfdom. Even if they implement social reforms in the future, I believe that the purchasing power of their ordinary citizens will reach at most half of that of the Austrian people.
For industries targeting the Russian market, it’s best to take two approaches: either sell high-end products to the aristocracy or take a low-end route and sell to the common people. The prices of these goods must be sufficiently affordable.”
Due to their geographical location, the economies of the two Danubian principalities would inevitably be influenced by both Austria and Russia, with Austria serving as the internal market and Russia as the external market.
Economic development must also revolve around these two markets, and only later would other European countries be considered.
Prime Minister Felix stated, “Your Majesty, no one can say for sure what the future of Russian-Austrian relations will be. However, even if relations deteriorate, the likelihood that they will blockade us is very small.
Even if the Russian government wanted to, domestic interest groups in Russia would not approve, and given the Russian government’s execution capabilities, it would be practically impossible to enforce.
We can see this in the present situation. Because of the war, the Russians have cut off trade with the British and the French, but in reality, only Ukraine and the central regions of Russia have really cut off trade.
The main reason for the interruption of trade was not the embargo of the Russian government, but the fact that the war blocked the Black Sea transportation channel. Our goods took over the market in these regions.
British and French goods entering Russia from the Baltic Sea have never stopped. The main reason why they did not enter the central and southern regions is the high cost of transportation, which makes them uncompetitive.
As for the issue of industries, these are only preliminary ideas. The final decision rests with the capitalists, whose sensitivity to the market is undoubtedly superior to ours.
The government will only formulate policies and not invest directly in these light industries. We believe that the capitalists will do a better job.”
Franz nodded. He never harbored any expectations about the execution capabilities of the Russian government, and the possibility of a blockade was indeed low.
Historically, the Russians did not blockade the Danube after Russo-Austrian relations broke down. It was obvious that the Russian government would not rashly take actions that could lead to war.
Regarding the industrial issues, Franz didn’t need to worry about it either. Since the cabinet government was not planning to invest directly, they should let the capitalists handle it themselves. They would bear the consequences of profit and loss, and as the emperor, he didn’t need to concern himself with such matters.
From a development perspective, Russia and Austria were likely to become economic competitors in the future. Russia’s main industry was food export, which was also Austria’s main industry.
It was just that Austria exported processed agricultural products, while Russia directly exported raw agricultural products. But there was still competition between them.
Economic competition and its effects on bilateral relations were almost certain if this situation was not resolved.
From this perspective, Franz had to be thankful that the Russian government was an autocracy and that such conflicts were unlikely to erupt in the short term.
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