Holy Roman Empire
Chapter 373: Killing Two Birds With One Stone

At the same time, as rebellions in Milan and Venice were being brought under control, the Austrian Empire was also enforcing public order very strictly. Firstly, a huge number of members of independence organizations were apprehended in Hungary before several heretical organizations were obliterated.

Just in one month, more than 150,000 people had been arrested and it was enough for Franz to quickly call a halt to it. It would have affected the country’s economic progress adversely if it had continued to escalate.

Nevertheless, individuals and social groups that were suspected of involvement in the rebellion or with inclinations towards independence still couldn’t go scot-free.

Their background was already tarnished, and the government could always find charges if it wanted to. As prime targets, this group would not even qualify for exile to the colonies but would join the road-building army instead.

The railway project spanning over 90,000 kilometers was not just a mere plan. Technological progress has made what appeared ludicrous a few years back now possible.

With the rapid economic development, many railway lines that initially lacked economic value turned profitable. After sustaining losses for over a decade, the Austrian railway company finally managed to turn the tide.

By this time, the Austrian government had become the largest shareholder. Naturally, contracts previously signed with the government still needed to be fulfilled, and the essence of the bundled business model had never changed.

In 1865, the railway mileage in the new Holy Roman Empire totaled 58,000 kilometers and was built at the expense of many batches and groups of free laborers working to exhaustion.

Under normal circumstances, there weren’t as many criminals to fill the ranks; the number of people joining the road-building army each year was far less than the consumption.

After the 1848 revolutions, the number of labor reform troops once surpassed the threshold of 450,000, but then gradually declined annually, now totaling less than 100,000. Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ N0ᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

After all, not all criminals would be sent there; basically, as long as it didn’t involve rebellion and the sentence was less than five years, most were banished to the colonies.

The road-building army was composed mainly of serious offenders whose threat to society was too great for exile to the colonies hence unified management was better.

Franz would never send political prisoners or nationalists to the colonies. Who knew if they would cause trouble there?

If these miscellaneous ideologies spread to the colonies, wouldn’t that increase the cost of governance? Franz would never willingly invite trouble.

However, apart from the 1848 revolutions, these dangerous elements dwindled. Those entering the road-building army were no longer insurgents but rather ordinary serious offenders, resulting in a sudden decrease in their numbers.

Only eight thousand individuals were added each year, which simply couldn’t keep up with consumption. This wasn’t because the construction companies were exploiting them and disregarding casualties; in fact, everyone valued this free labor force.

The main factor was the limited medical technology of the era. One could hardly expect the Austrian government to provide doctors for criminals. Those who fell ill either recovered on their own or met their maker prematurely.

Austria’s average life expectancy had just surpassed the age of 40. Most individuals entering prison were adults, and after experiencing over a decade of prison life, how many could survive?

To address the shortage of cheap labor and reduce the cost of railway construction, the Ministry of Railways proposed to the government last year to import indentured laborers from Africa, but Franz vetoed this idea.

In order not to shoot himself in the foot, Franz never did such a thing, which would have many consequences.

In a sense, this rebellion not only resolved internal hidden dangers and contributed to the long-term stability of Austria but also tackled the issue of insufficient cheap labor in railway construction.

Compared to this, the wealth confiscated was barely worth mentioning. Austria was no longer the impoverished nation it once was, and such a small amount of wealth mattered little now.

Investigations continued, and apart from Lombardy-Venetia where the rebellion erupted, making resolution simpler there, individuals implicated in other regions required solid evidence for conviction.

As an enforcer of the rules, Franz adhered to them as well. Under the circumstances, he would naturally act according to the rules.

However, members of the Hungarian Independence Organization and Italian revolutionaries were individuals who were bonafide insurgents and did not require in-depth investigation.

They would either be executed or thrown into the road-building army for lifelong reform. Undoubtedly, since railway construction now lacked manpower, they would fortuitously avoid execution.

The main instigators of the rebellion have fled, leaving behind accomplices who can be considered as ones who were coerced. In the spirit of cooperation, there is no need to resort to extreme measures.

If needed in the future, everyone can always try to rebel again. Politics is inherently about employing all means necessary to enforce the law, which is much more sophisticated than outright framing and entrapment.

Prime Minister Felix stated, “Your Majesty, in the Milan rebellion, a total of 461 insurgents were killed and 2,986 insurgents were apprehended; in the Venice rebellion, 296 insurgents were killed, and 3,128 insurgents were captured, which can be described as a splendid achievement.

Unfortunately, all the ringleaders escaped, and we only managed to arrest a few minor figures, failing to completely eliminate the Hungarian independence organization.

Most of the captured insurgents are Italian mercenaries, with approximately 2,518 of them committing the crime of crossing the border, and another 864 being local mercenaries.

The remaining over two thousand insurgents mostly provided funding and intelligence support to the revolutionary party. The influx of so many mercenaries into the region was also facilitated by these individuals.”

Undoubtedly, this was a foregone conclusion, pinning all blame on the rebels while the Austrian government’s behind-the-scenes actions would forever remain buried in history.

In the wake of this operation, not a soul in the Austrian-controlled Italian territories dared to challenge the Austrian government. The handful that managed to slip through the net were hailed in the press as heroes for reporting on the rebels.

Even if just to save their own lives, they had to uphold Austrian rule. If the Austrian-controlled Italian territories gained independence, how could these traitors possibly live well?

Traitors were always more loathsome than enemies — a truth that spans from East to West. Every Italian revolutionary organization stood in opposition to them.

This is the cost of betrayal; one must always bear responsibility for their wrongdoing. Since mistakes were made earlier, now it’s time to pay the price.

A single report letter could not prove their loyalty. Only by becoming traitors within the revolutionary parties, tying themselves to the Austrian government’s war chariot, could the matter be settled.

Franz said calmly, “Have the judiciary convict them as soon as possible and then send them to the road-building army. The Ministry of Railways has complained more than once about manpower shortages. Let’s not keep them waiting.

What about other regions? I recall that this operation resulted in the arrest of over a hundred thousand individuals. Yet, it’s only a fraction. How were the other hundreds of thousands apprehended?”

Prime Minister Felix explained, “Your Majesty, the arrest of over a hundred thousand suspects don’t all pertain to the rebellion.

Currently, evidence is still being gathered and reviewed. A significant portion of these individuals were not arrested for rebellion; they were apprehended by the police due to other issues uncovered during the investigations.

Apart from the heavily affected Italian region, in Hungary, we also arrested over two hundred core members of the independence organization and over five hundred individuals suspected of rebellion.

As the Hungarian rebellion was suppressed before it could fully unfold, it would take some time for convictions to be determined.

In other domestic regions, a total of 183 individuals suspected of rebellion were arrested. Due to insufficient evidence, their charges have yet to be officially determined.”

This explanation relieved Franz — if so many truly wanted rebellion, his reign would be unstable.

The facts proved that rebels were few. This was the result of entrapment; otherwise, the number could have been lower still.

Upon careful examination, after deducting the hired mercenaries, the actual number of dangerous individuals inclined towards rebellion was probably only 2,000-3,000. This was vastly different from the total number of arrests.

These individuals might not necessarily be plotting rebellion; most were likely coerced into it. It’s just that their political ideologies were misled, causing them to stand against the Austrian government.

Franz pondered for a moment before saying, “Then, according to the original plan, continue investigating these suspects. Everything must be done according to the law.”

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