Chapter 1250 The Temptation of the Carlos Faction
Franz naturally knew what these officials were thinking. A sedan chair is carried by everyone. Only when everyone benefits will people be willing to contribute.
The money invested in the colonies only benefited the emperor's confidants, some merchants, and civilians.
In fact, the famine of the Austrian Empire was survived by colonial food. At this time, cheap tobacco, sugar, tea, coffee, and tropical fruits in the country were also the result of operating colonies.
However, these things are not important to officials. They cannot feel the so-called benefits. After all, they don't need to worry about these things.
In fact, Franz did not fall behind in the construction of the Austrian Empire, including compulsory education reform, the Austrian Empire Railway Plan, the Galician Urban Belt Plan, industrialization, urbanization construction, the Great Development of the East, and post-war reconstruction.
The proportion of domestic and foreign fiscal expenditures is 9:1, and even a lot of the money for these constructions comes from the gold and silver mines in the colonies.
But these officials are not satisfied. Not only are they greedy, they also want to tame Franz.
It's a pity that Franz only wants to tame others, but he doesn't want to be tamed by others at all.
"Can we plunder if we need it? The British want our colonies, so is it right for them to go to war against us?"
The emperor's sudden attack made these officials a little confused, especially the officials who said that Austria needed a colony like Cuba, which could make huge profits without a lot of investment, and they were very surprised.
In fact, judging from the performance of this minister, he was probably used as a gun, and someone induced him to say these words.
This kind of thing is not uncommon in the officialdom, and that smart man may not even be present today. But Franz's words will definitely spread, and then it depends on how that or those smart people decide.
Count Tural, who rarely speaks at the imperial meeting, spoke up.
"Your Majesty, in fact, there are many families on the island of Cuba that have maintained contact with our country. They used to be loyal to the Habsburg family, and now they are still willing to be loyal to the Habsburg family."
Franz rubbed his forehead, and he felt a little helpless about the upright Minister of War. These words obviously shouldn't be said at this time.
And these should be confidential information, at least not in such a semi-public occasion. The most important thing is how credible this nonsense is?
More than a hundred years have passed, and several generations have passed. The reason why some people are willing to bring it up is because they are not living well in Spain, and the Spanish government cannot give them enough sense of security and support.
"Well, very good. Let them continue to be loyal. But without a legitimate reason, the Austrian Empire will not use force against the legal property of a civilized country."
In fact, everyone present is smart. They know that Franz will not take advantage of Cuba.
However, many people are relieved. After all, this monarch has been too warlike before. It can almost be said that he will fight a war, no matter who the other party is or how many people the other party has.
No one likes to live under the rule of a tyrant, even a traitor.
"But the Spaniards humiliated you, which is equivalent to humiliating the Austrian Empire. Should we take countermeasures?
Carlos VI sent someone to say that he is willing to use all of Spain's overseas colonies as a betrothal gift to marry Princess Maria Anna for his eldest son."
As soon as Prince Schwarzenberg finished speaking, the entire Hall of Mirrors was in chaos.
You should know that although Spain has been declining for a long time, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse.
Spain's colonies now include:
The Canary Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean (mentioned above) and are an important transit hub.
Ceuta and Melilla are important port cities in North Africa, and their strategic position is comparable to Gibraltar.
Guam is an important strategic fulcrum in the Pacific Ocean.
The Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, etc.
The common characteristics of these colonies are important strategic positions, relatively high development levels, relatively successful assimilation, and low maintenance costs.
Although officials of the Austrian Empire had limited understanding of the importance of colonies, they also knew what it meant to get these places.
Some people couldn't help but take a breath of cold air for the determination of the Carlos faction. It seems that both sides have reached the point of desperate struggle, otherwise the Carlos faction would not have made such a heavy bet.
However, Franz was a hundred disdainful in his heart. After all, they were just drawing big cakes. If you want Spain to fulfill its promise, you have to make the Carlos faction right.
It is not so easy to make the Carlos party the rightful ruler. Britain, France, Russia, and even Prussia will not want the Habsburg family to relive the old dream.
Even if the Carlos party is really made the rightful ruler, whether the Spanish government will fulfill its promise at that time is another matter.
Moreover, Franz does not want to marry his sister to Spain. Things are always so bad there. If something unfortunate happens, the whole family will be shrouded in a shadow.
Franz does not mind using his brothers to marry in exchange for political benefits, but he does not want to sacrifice his sister's lifelong happiness because of his plan.
After all, marriage does not mean exactly the same thing to men and women. Even if some people do not care, they still have to care about the secular perspective.
Even if they take a step back, Franz does not want to be involved in any war now, let alone the muddy pond in Spain.
Some people think that it is just a muddy pond, and they can just flatten it with one foot. Franz wants to say that Napoleon thought so back then.
However, there is a deep abyss under the muddy pond, and even a giant who falls into it will find it difficult to extricate himself.
The Austrian Empire does not border Spain, and once the navy is deployed, it will be a full-scale war. In this war, Austria may not only face the Spanish orthodox, but also the intervention of the great powers.
And it is difficult for Franz to take the initiative in this war in his own hands. After all, no matter which side is in an advantageous position, they will enter the city, and once they divide their troops to station in the city, they will fall into a passive position.
Want to carry out a comprehensive cleanup? How many troops are needed? What's more, Austria still has hidden dangers, and there are still a small number of bandits in the mountains of Transylvania.
The Albanian region is also undercurrents. Some people want to overthrow the rule of the Austrian Empire and return to the Ottoman Empire, and some people intend to collude with the British to set up their own.
Not to mention the Russian Poland region, which is now in a mess. If Franz doesn't pay attention, it is hard to guarantee that Galicia will not become the next Russian Poland.
The Czechs in Prague have become a minority, and the contradictions between a large number of foreign Germans and locals are also deepening.
In 1848, Franz cut the Gordian knot, but the knife fell on the Czechs, and the Germans didn't feel anything.
The Czechs who were stabbed were dissatisfied, and the Germans who were not stabbed were also dissatisfied. As the German Confederation continued to develop, this dissatisfaction would continue to escalate.
Unless Franz could prove that the Czechs were not Slavs, but Germans.