Franz left the Archduke’s house with a satisfied smile on his face. Their conversation seemed to have been amicable, and Franz could now be considered a student of his.
Archduke Charles’s priority was the continual, significant reform of the Austrian military, and the most significant barrier he faced was his need for a strong supporter in the central government. This problem was solved by the presence of Franz.
As the Imperial Crown Prince, Franz recognized the strengths of the Archduke's military philosophy, and he saw fit to support his efforts towards military reform. From there, one thing led to another.
The Austrian Emperor, Ferdinand I, was not a very intelligent man, and he could not manage government affairs at all. This meant that as soon as Franz reached adulthood, he would have a significant influence in politics.
It would not be long before many powerful nobles, including Archduke Charles, would became so unhappy with Chancellor Metternich that they would wish to oust him. In fact, Franz had stepped in at the perfect time: there was no alternative for Archduke Charles but to support Franz’s regency. As long as he was not too stupid, Franz could take power ahead of schedule with the military on his side.
During the meeting with Archduke Charles, Franz inserted some of his personal opinions into the conversation, including his thoughts on the Prussian staff system, military training in the new era, and tactical commands.
Many of Franz’s fresh proposals were of great interest to Archduke Charles, but it wasn’t clear how many he would actually add to his own new military concept.
At the end of the meeting, Franz suggested that the Archduke draw up a plan for the reform of the Austrian military.
The conversation would not have gone so well had it not been for the military uniform Franz had worn, whether he was willing to admit it or not.
Would Archduke Charles prostrate himself before Franz’s power, giving his total support to Franz’s proposal?
No way José!
The reason they got along well was simply because they thought alike, and since Franz was the heir to the empire, raised as a soldier from childhood.
While Archduke Charles carefully mentored Franz in the field of military knowledge, Franz catered to him, giving the Archduke the impression that Franz was just another of his admirers.
If it meant his philosophy would be better implemented, Archduke Charles did not mind taking on the Imperial Crown Prince as an apprentice. Ultimately, the two men’s connection was based entirely on their political interests.
Though in his early years, Archduke Charles had been a novice in politics, by this point, he had grown into an experienced, clever fox, and he had figured out Franz’s purpose soon after his arrival.
To Archduke Charles, it seemed that Franz wanted nothing more than to have influence over the army, and in exchange, Franz would support his military reform in the future.
As for Franz’s military theories, Archduke Charles saw them mainly as childish braggadocio. Only God knew who filled the kid’s head with all those ideas. He would use what he could and forget what he couldn’t. Regardless, such minor details would not affect the political cooperation between the two.
Since the European Succession Act had been passed, political collaboration between a military man like Archduke Charles and an heir like Franz was not only above-board and legitimate, but even unremarkable.
Historically, Franz Joseph had been on good terms with the Austrian Chancellor, Prince Metternich, as both a mentor and a friend, and no one had a problem with their relationship.
Franz had been second in line to the throne, but he became the Imperial Crown Prince because his father, Archduke Franz Karl, was soft in the head, and no one dared propose another emperor like that. They had learned their lesson from his uncle, Ferdinand I.
The Austrian Empire was a nation of honor, and his father had repeatedly and publicly renounced any claim to the throne. Although no one knew whether it was really what he wanted, these statements couldn’t be taken back.
Franz was now a high-ranking member of the military, though this was just a necessity for his learning. How could Franz, as the heir to the throne of Austria, not familiarize himself with its military?
In days following their initial meeting, Franz went to Archduke Charles’s house frequently to study the military.
19th-century Austria was still dominated by the nobility. At Archduke Charles’s house, Franz met many important officers, such as Josip Jelačić, Prince Windisch-Graetz, and Marshal Radetzky .
Franz could not yet bring these people under his command, but at least he’d made their acquaintance, and maybe one day, they would play a role in his plan.
Meanwhile, everyone was happy. Who would refuse to make friends with the future emperor?
Franz’s plan was to approach the highest authority of the army, because only with their support could he efficiently crush the coming rebellion.
“Franz, there will be a military meeting tomorrow. I wonder if you would be interested in making an appearance?” asked Archduke Albrecht.
“Forget it, Albrecht. Such a meeting will bore me to death! I’m not interested in hearing the arguments of a bunch of old men,” replied Franz while rolling his eyes.
At first, he had been very interested in such meetings, only to be disappointed after the first few he had attended. The meeting was made up of a large group of nobles who were officers in the Austrian army. Most of them just muddled along to make up the numbers, though there was some talent among a few of them.
If he followed in their example, Franz would be a general in less than ten years, without ever having to go through the routine of being in the army.
Apart from the Marshal, who had gold, the soldiers of the Austrian Empire were on the ground everywhere. In these chaotic days, the so-called military conference was anything but average. Aside from the most valued marshals, the generals of the Austrian Empire had their boots on the ground, and so the military meetings became much less formal. In such meetings, actual issues would never be brought up for discussion; indeed, had it not been for convention, the meetings would have even been canceled already.
“Well, since you’re not interested, I will leave you be!” answered Archduke Albrecht, curtly.
Franz smiled at Archduke Albrecht. He didn’t dare to undervalue the man, whom he knew would be a key figure in suppressing the March Revolution, and who would directly facilitate Ferdinand I’s abdication.
Who would believe that no insider was dealing with him? It was essential that he, the man directly responsible for the events of the March Revolution, was excommunicated from Vienna, though he would return to the center of power before long.
Franz didn’t mind such insider dealings since he would be the ultimate beneficiary. After all, he could be the emperor only after his uncle’s abdication. Besides, the Austrian Empire was quite robust. It would not have deteriorated so rapidly if not for the internal problems in the government.
During the mid-19th century, Austria, Britain, France, Russia were the four European Great powers, with the declining Spain and the upstart Prussia not far behind.
Thank you for this chapter nya!