Chapter 25: The Troubles of Franz Joseph II

Schönbrunn Palace, the Banquet Hall.

Today was the day of the imperial family dinner. Franz II sat in the seat of honor, feeling as though he were basking in a spring breeze due to the events of the past year.

The entire country was prospering, and even the number of people bribing him had increased.

However, his brow furrowed when he saw his eldest son, Ferdinand, forced to leave the hall after suffering a sudden epileptic seizure and foaming at the mouth.

An emperor like that seemed incapable of ruling well; it appeared that imperial power was entering a period of decline.

Glancing at his second son, who was currently making a drunken spectacle, his frown deepened.

Archduke Franz Karl did not make a scene by shouting; on the contrary, he was face-down on a plate, weeping alone.

His loss of composure infuriated Countess Sophie, but she could not vent her anger in front of Franz II, so she could only gently shake her husband's body.

Archduke Franz Karl seemed to find the sensation quite pleasant; instead of getting up, he let out an embarrassing sound.

"Take him out. Archduke Franz Karl is drunk," Franz II waved his hand with great impatience, signaling the attendants to hurry.

Franz Karl's attendants acted immediately, lifting the Archduke out along with the waiters.

Countess Sophie rose, intending to apologize for her husband's impropriety.

But Franz II merely waved her away, telling her to leave as well.

"Grandfather, I am full." Franz also found an opportunity to make his escape.

The etiquette of a French banquet was complicated at this time: there were many courses, they were served slowly, and one had to listen to the explanations of the head chef. The splashing saliva of the fat chef truly turned Franz's stomach.

Furthermore, French cuisine did not suit Franz's palate; only rice was familiar to him.

In a French banquet, rice was treated as a vegetable.

He had no idea how well-done the steak was; Franz simply couldn't chew it. In the end, he could only cut it into small pieces to swallow, nearly choking in the process. He grabbed a nearby glass and took a large gulp, only to find it was red wine.

Franz was already starting to feel a sense of dizziness.

Franz II wanted to keep his grandson there; he was the only person in the family who could bring him comfort.

However, being a man of great pride, he had no choice but to tolerate his grandson's rudeness.

With the family all gone, Franz II sat in the seat of honor, feeling a sense of loss.

The imperial steward, Samborne, leaned close to Franz II's ear and whispered.

"Prince Metternich has delivered the final payment of one thousand gold bars to the palace. I have counted them and the amount is correct, but Prince Metternich says the Bavarians want us to build a railway from Prague to Bayreuth."

Bayreuth was the economic center of Bavaria at this time, but building a railway through the hilly terrain between the Fichtel Mountains and the Franconian Jura would be difficult, and the costs would naturally increase significantly.

Nowadays, when people mention Bavaria, they think of BMW, football, beer, pork knuckle, a developed economy, and beautiful scenery.

However, at this time, Bavaria was notorious in the German regions as a wasteland. Despite being an agricultural nation, it was frantically importing grain and could not even achieve self-sufficiency.

At the same time, it was a desert of knowledge and industry, with pitifully few factories and universities.

The common people lived in hardship, while the upper classes were unrestrained in their debauchery, having produced two "artist kings" in succession.

The current King, Ludwig I, was notoriously philandering; the thirty-six beauties in the gallery of Nymphenburg Palace bore witness to this history, and his scandals with his mistress, Lola Montez, eventually cost him his throne.

The Bavarian government hoped Austria would build another railway to Bayreuth—firstly to promote trade and increase tax revenue, and secondly to allow Bavarians to work in Austria to increase Bavarian wealth.

For Bavarians, Austria was the first choice for finding work abroad.

After all, Austria was large enough and offered enough opportunities.

Moreover, everyone in Bavaria spoke German, and being able to speak German in Austria was a massive advantage.

This was especially true for young men aspiring to be officials; they could earn several times the salary for the same position, and their German identity and language were advantages that other ethnic groups in Austria did not possess.

There was also the religious factor. While there were many opportunities in Northern Germany, their religious beliefs differed from those of the Southern German states.

The shadow of the Thirty Years' War always loomed over Germany; they did not want to wake up one day to find themselves being burned to ashes on a pyre.

In fact, it wasn't just Bavaria; since the news of Austria joining the German Customs Union broke, the entire Southern German region had grown much closer to Austria.

However, the Bavarian proposal to build another railway to their territory made Franz II quite angry.

No one saw much potential in trade between Austria and Bavaria; building a railway to Bavaria was entirely intended to facilitate business with the Northern German states.

In the eyes of Franz II, building another railway to Bavaria was a complete waste.

From Prague to Bayreuth, there were rivers and mountains, and the total length was nearly 250 kilometers. At this time, the cost of railway construction was 60,000 to 70,000 florins per kilometer.

This meant the railway would cost over ten million florins, but then Franz II thought to himself

"It's not my money being spent anyway. If they want to build it so badly, let those Jews build it."

He then told Samborne

"Tell Metternich to let Solomon Rothschild build it. Doesn't he love building railways? Let him build to his heart's content."

Samborne tactfully turned and left. Franz II checked his schedule; tomorrow he had to receive those Italian relatives.

The craze for railway construction soon spread to Austria's "back garden," Central Italy.

Aside from the Papal States, the four duchies of Tuscany, Parma, Lucca, and Modena all hoped to strengthen trade relations with Austria.

The Italian states, which had risen through commercial trade, were inevitably facing decline during this period of waning Mediterranean trade.

The states of Central Italy had long since lost their former glory; the people lived in hardship, handicrafts were backward, and the lack of domestic resources meant they could not compete with the industry of surrounding powers.

The states of Central Italy all faced serious fiscal deficits and constant popular uprisings.

If not for Austria frequently sending troops to help suppress them, these small states would have collapsed long ago.

These small states hoped to build railways to strengthen trade with Austria, but the domestic merchants were unwilling to pay the cost.

After all, wealth brings distant relatives, but poverty leaves one alone even in a crowded market.

Truly powerful investors were unwilling to waste money on these small states that were already relics of the past.

The states themselves were unwilling to pay, as they only wanted to collect more taxes.

As for so-called "credit," they had long since spent it on luxury goods.

Now, they could only place their hopes in the Emperor of Austria. After all, Franz II had personally uttered the words, "My Italian states," and the Congress of Vienna had confirmed Italy as being within the Austrian sphere of influence.

However, at this moment, Franz II was suffering from a massive headache due to a lack of funds, as the decline of Central Italy had become an undeniable reality.

Whether to continue investing or to maintain the status quo—that was the question.

(End of Chapter)