Having said all he could, Franz somehow managed to convince his mother to let him arrange his own schedule.
Courses Franz believed to be useless such as religion, language, and art were trimmed down. Even time spent studying politics would have been diminished if not for the persistent objections of Archduchess Sophie.
The main reason Franz believed these subjects to be useless was that they had remained unchanged from a hundred years ago: nobility was supreme, chivalry was holy…
There wasn’t much left that interested Franz save for the exaggerated might of supremacy. Work on kingcraft was shortened, and underhanded trickery was totally removed.
His studies concerning said included lines such as: “An emperor who showed his wrath could bring even warlords to their knees…”
Was this meant to develop an emperor's character, or to sway the subjects?
If an emperor were nurtured based on such an idea, then in the current complicated internal political situation of Austria, he would surely be sent to the guillotine before long.
If nothing got in the way, Franz would inherit the throne of this ancient empire within two years. It was 1846 already, which meant time was running out for him.
‘Should I take part in politics early?’
This was obviously risky. Anything that would change the big picture of history would also bring uncertainty to the future, so Franz was not going to take risks before the succession.
He could try, of course, if he insisted, but he couldn’t expect to have much of a voice in important matters as a wimpy 16-year-old kid. Though an heir to the throne he may have been, Franz couldn’t change his age, which remained a weakness in politics.
However, this didn’t stop him from stirring things up. More often than not, a man behind the curtain had the edge over a soldier on the front lines. For example, Franz was about to visit an Austrian military legend: Archduke Charles.
As Austria’s most revered general, he had defeated various generals under Napoleon, and had been promoted to the post of Marshal at the age of 23. In addition, he was the only general in the Coalition whom Napoleon feared as he had even thwarted the French Emperor personally in a few battles. Not to mention, he was the son of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor and the younger brother of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor.
If it hadn’t been for the incompetence of the Vienna government by failing to make use of the good hand they’d drawn, the Napoleonic Wars would have been ended before the Russians stepped in, and Austria wouldn’t have had to lose the Netherlands. A man who highlighted the emperor’s incompetence undoubtedly led to no good, especially when that man was Archduke Charles, his own younger brother.
Fortunately, the Austrian Emperor Francis I, Franz’s grandfather, was not ruthless, allowing this stalwart Marshal to remain active. However, ability in military science didn’t equate to effectiveness in politics; after they used the Archduke to reform the Austrian army, his political opponents played a little trick to make him quit and return home.
Since then, Archduke Charles had concentrated on studying military theories and composing military books. He believed that military science consisted of two parts: strategy and tactics.
Strategy was the science of the supreme commander, whose task it was to draw up a war plan and determine military operations. Tactics, subordinate to strategy, were the art of commanders at all levels.
Both strategy and tactics were composed of specific rules or principles, and the essentials were to correctly figure out the armed forces needed to achieve the intended purpose and to make sure the two components, strategy and tactics, worked in harmony. Rather than ignorantly rushing in, it was critical to maneuver at just the right time for the best effect. Therefore, the most effective way to win a battle was to rally the troops and correctly judge the timing.
Another point was to form an overwhelming advantage in a vital location. The strength of the forces referred not only to the number of troops but also to the morale of the army, the commanders’ ability, and the terrain conditions, among other things.
Archduke Charles also divided combat into attack and defense: the attacker’s role was considered to be more favorable, while the defense was only strong if it was planned in such a way that it could become an attack.
He introduced the concept of “military reserves,” which were needed for battlefield emergencies, whether attacking or defending.
Archduke Charles believed the commander, whose skills were not innate but rather gained through knowledge and experience, was a decisive factor in the life and death of the country and millions of people.
A qualified commander-in-chief needed a deep understanding of the essence of war, careful study of the laws of military action and their practical applications, and the ability to apply both his own experience and that of others as he skillfully handled various military principles.
It would be a shame if Franz, as a reincarnator, did not use such a talented militarist.
Still, even though military reform appeared to be the right way to go, Franz was well aware that conservative forces in the military were stronger than most people might imagine. Any reform was highly liable to insult the targeted parties, and inevitably, they would bite back. Currently, Franz was too weak to face such a reality.
If Franz proposed the reform, it was entirely possible that everyone would laugh at it, or maybe even say something behind his back about how such an idiotic kid should go jump in the lake.
On the other hand, if it was Archduke Charles who proposed the reform, everyone would sit down and think about it, regardless of whether they agreed with it or not.
“Your Imperial Highness, please, wait a moment; His Highness Archduke will receive you soon!”
The housekeeper spoke with polite unease in his tone, thinking it was a bad idea to keep Franz, the Imperial Crown Prince, waiting like this.
In truth, the housekeeper’s worry was baseless, because Archduke Charles was like a grandfather to Franz, and he had seniority.
Beyond that, with his influence in the Imperial Army, Franz had no choice but to show respect, especially since he had come to visit with the excuse of studying the military.
“I’ve no problem waiting here. Also, bring me a pot of tea; I prefer it to coffee of late!” Franz replied with a smile on his face.
Fran wasn’t faking it—he really wasn’t angry. Anyway, there was no need at all to bother about a person who would drop dead within the year.
An hour passed in the blink of an eye. Franz was still drinking tea and reading the newspaper, without a trace of impatience.
“Little Franzi, long time no see. Oh, how you’ve grown!”
A cheery voice sounded. Franz knew it was Archduke Charles, for few others dared speak to him so casually.
“Lord Marshal, when you call my name, can you please not call me ‘Little Franzi’? I am 16 years old already!” Franz said while smiling bitterly.
“Is that right? My little Franzi has grown up? Then, how can I help today?” asked the Archduke, concerned.
So “Little Franzi” it was. There was nothing much Franz could do since Archduke Charles was a brother of his grandfather.
“Lord Marshal, I come for advice today about your military work, having been deep in thought after reading your books.”
“Well, let’s talk then, and I’ll be sure to put all your confusion to rest!” Archduke Charles roared with laughter.
“It is your theory on the commandership, about which I found little has been done by the Imperial Army. A lot of problems have not been solved!”
Thank you for this chapter nya!