Chapter 740 Alternatives
The so-called commendation meeting afterwards was naturally to praise those who performed outstandingly in countering the rebellion, and their reward was noble status.
In fact, the Austrian Empire was a very strange country. This country had been working hard to increase the number of nobles, and even regularly granted noble status to Jews who converted to Catholicism.
At this time, you only need to pay 1,000 florins to the House of Nobility in Vienna to become a noble. However, this noble status does not bring any benefits. You only need to pay 3,000 florins to become a titled noble.
The so-called title aristocrats have the right to add an additional affix to their postcards or epitaphs, such as Oak Sword or something.
Noble titles are usually impossible to buy with money, but as long as you can afford it, someone will help you find a way.
In fact, many orthodox dynasties, including the United Kingdom, have been trying their best to expand the ranks of the nobility since the 16th century. However, Spain is the only one with such a weird thing as the Austrian Empire.
There is nothing we can do about this. Who can let us go out of the same school?
The reason why Franz used his noble status to commend him was self-evident. The old nobles were finished, but their ecological niche needed someone to fill it.
Therefore, these new nobles have become the best substitutes. They are relatively more loyal and easier to control because they have a shallow foundation and no backing.
Another advantage of this prize is that it does not cost money. Franz took a directory of nobles from the House of Lords, just like picking something out of a bag.
Moreover, increasing the number of nobles is beneficial to the country and the family. After all, those nobles are associated with the dynasty. Whether they are willing to admit it or not, they must have an emperor.
For Franz, he is one step closer to his goal.
Serfdom is an institution that will be eliminated, but the nobility and privileged classes will not disappear. According to this basic logic, Franz's actions are easy to understand.
However, he did not want to fragment the land too much like the French, because that would only make short-term profits and gain a reputation as a good person.
In fact, this is the agricultural and land problem that has plagued France for hundreds of years. It is difficult to improve the utilization efficiency of land that is too fragmented.
Guizot also noticed this. During his administration, he even openly supported land annexation, saying that "there are fewer farms in France than before, but this does not mean that French agricultural production has decreased, because large farms are more productive."
However, French farmers did not understand this. They felt that Guizot was a sinister man who supported the annexation of their land, and even the natural and man-made disasters in recent years were blamed on him.
Moreover, the way some farmers annex land is also disgraceful, and some even resort to all possible means. Otherwise, it would be difficult to acquire the land that farmers regard as their lifeblood.
During this period, the French government and officials even seemed to be aiding the evildoers. Although Guizot had been driven to New Louisiana (Texas), this policy was retained.
However, these notoriety still hangs on him. After all, Marshal Soult does not want to wade into this muddy water at all, and others are not willing to bear this responsibility.
So everyone tacitly placed the blame on Guizot.
Back in Galicia, Franz would not break up the confiscated Polish restorationist lands into small plots and sell them to peasants.
(But not all of the previously liberated Galician serfs, because not all nobles participated in the rebellion, and it was impossible for Franz to cleanse all those nobles indiscriminately on unfounded charges.)
However, these farmers who used to live as serfs had nothing to do except farm.
The main reason is that these people do not want to leave their land, and the factories and mines are now filled with Jews, and the docks are dominated by Italians. After all, the main commercial ports of the Austrian Empire at this time are in northern Italy.
Trieste is traditionally considered a military port, but due to the increasingly prominent problem of insufficient throughput in the Port of Venice, Trieste's commercial status is also rising.
Franz's plan was to combine the manorial economy with the commune system that had appeared in history, in which farmers divided the land rental scope into families and village communities.
At the same time, the manor owner takes the lead in purchasing agricultural machinery, fertilizers, and improved seeds, and the amount is divided according to the land area.
In fact, it is controlled by the government and aristocrats, which can reduce the blindness of farmers to a certain extent and effectively avoid the situation of getting what you sow. After all, the government and aristocrats have wider sources of information and better understanding of the market.
Moreover, the larger the farm, the lower the relative cost, which helps increase production, improve efficiency, increase income, and make people feel happy.
As for the trivial matters and intrigues that occurred in the specific manor, it should be left to the local nobles and the church to resolve the conflicts.
In short, Franz's request to the manor managers is "Don't be confused about big things, and don't worry about small things."
In fact, this is another restriction on the power of managers, otherwise there will be many local emperors who abuse their power.
Don't underestimate some small things. Although some things may seem insignificant to outsiders, they cannot be relieved from the perspective of the person involved. If the depression in the chest accumulates for a long time, problems will inevitably arise.
This is what the so-called ordinary people are like. It is better to let the local government digest it by letting officials restrict it with administrative orders.
Of course, if the matter reaches a point where the law or force must be used to resolve it, then the managers of the manor should step forward. After all, only certain groups of people can use these two weapons.
In fact, the lands of the Polish nobles were very small in Franz's eyes, and did not meet Franz's setting of large farms and large estates.
Only by combining the lands of a large number of nobles could Franz's demands for future agriculture be met.
However, those nobles who were dead or had clear evidence of having an affair with the Polish Restoration Army were easier to deal with, but more nobles did not participate in the rebellion, and Franz could not use force, so the second phase of the plan was born .
The reason why Franz started such a big battle as soon as he came into contact, and held both a criticism meeting and a commendation meeting, his purpose was to show it to others.
The first is to express one's determination and warn the Polish Zionists to restrain themselves, otherwise it is best to consider clearly what the consequences will be.
Secondly, these serve as a model. People in these villages can be rewarded and gain the status of free people, and other serfs in Galicia will also have this opportunity.
Although it is a bit of a loss, swimming against the current will lead to retreat. The Polish restorers cannot always be so stupid. Instead of waiting for the opponent to learn and then use this trick to counter the Austrian Empire, it is better for Franz to strike first now.
And compared to the freedom of having nothing, Franz at least gave the serfs hope and visible benefits.
Finally, among the nobles who did not participate in the rebellion, some of their lands were also included in Franz's plan, so he hoped to obtain those lands at a lower price.