Chapter 1309: Thieves in the Mountains
Vienna, Hofburg Palace.
Russia also wanted to take the opportunity to make trouble, and Franz could understand it very well. After all, the Austrian Empire was now in the front, and not making trouble would not conform to Nicholas I's logic.
What Franz didn't expect was that the Tsar chose to lead the army in person. It seemed that Nicholas I really wanted to replicate the achievements of Peter the Great.
But the timing was not good for Russia. After all, this opportunity was created by Franz, so how could he not know?
However, according to Franz's previous assumptions, Russia should not launch an attack until February or March of the following year.
By that time, the ice and snow would melt, and the rebellion in Russia should be almost settled.
More importantly, Britain and France on the Spanish battlefield should also be at the end of their strength. At that time, Russia's attack on the Ottoman Empire would become the last straw that broke the camel's back for Britain and France.
However, Nicholas I was obviously a little too hasty at this time, including the matter of marrying his daughter.
Franz was speechless that such a big event as the marriage between Russia and Austria was decided so hastily.
Although it was a wartime, the emperor's wedding still needed to be carefully planned, after all, it was related to the two countries and the face of the two big families.
Franz's wedding was not a simple political marriage. For the Austrian Empire, its symbolic significance was far greater than the actual benefits.
In this special era, the Austrian Empire needed a cultural symbol that all Austrians could identify with.
It was a bit sad that the only link that could connect everyone in this empire that had existed for hundreds of years was the royal family itself.
So Franz's wedding had to be a big deal, not to mention fighting abroad, even if there was a flood or natural disaster.
But the top leaders of the Austrian Empire did not realize this. They just thought it was a waste of money and labor. It would be better to recruit more soldiers and make more shells with the money for the wedding.
"Your Majesty, you don't have to rush to get married. The Russians have delayed us for so long, and we can also delay the Russians for a while.
The empire's property is tight now, so we should wait until we have more money before holding the wedding.
Vienna is a great city, and Princess Olga will not be bored."
Prince Schwarzenberg said earnestly. He felt that although Franz was young, he was a wise monarch and should follow his advice to postpone the wedding or keep it simple.
After all, the Austrian Empire's internal and external wars cost a lot, and Franz's war strategy at this time was to use money and materials.
Not to mention the huge amount of materials transported to Spain, the compensation paid to the local area during the rebellion in Transylvania alone was an astronomical figure, plus the army's supplies and injuries, as well as the resettlement of veterans.
The anti-bandit operation in Transylvania was burning money. If the anti-rebellion army had not been too brutal, I believe the people of Transylvania would have wanted to raise bandits themselves.
In fact, the bandits and mountain bandits in Transylvania are only a few remnants of the Magyars, and most of them are native Transylvanians.
In fact, most of these people do not really want to rebel. In the eyes of local Transylvanians, supporting bandits and mountain bandits at home is more like a survival strategy.
After all, as inferiors, their rights are not guaranteed. In order to prevent being squeezed to death by the nobles, they have to retain the minimum ability to resist.
In extreme cases, these mountain bandits and mountain bandits are the capital for them to play games with nobles and officials. However, local separatist forces are intolerable to Franz, and there is no place for mountain bandits and mountain bandits in his plan.
The internal construction of the Austrian Empire is also very expensive. Infrastructure costs money. The United States, the infrastructure maniac in the 19th century, was lucky to catch up with the First World War and jumped from a debtor country to a creditor country.
Franz has accumulated a lot of gold over the years, and even worried about how to put it into the market without causing inflation, but compared with the huge gap in future infrastructure, this money is really not enough.
Franz's reforms in the fields of economy, education, technology, politics, and military are all money-eating beasts.
That's why Prince Schwarzenberg would consider cutting the budget for the wedding celebration, after all, in his opinion, it was a pitiful low priority.
"The wedding must be held as scheduled, and all scale and expenses must not be reduced."
However, Franz's answer surprised Prince Schwarzenberg, who did not expect the former to be so stubborn.
"Your Majesty, I must remind you. According to the Ministry of Finance's estimates, even if the war budget is no longer increased, our treasury funds will be exhausted within three years, and there will be a fiscal deficit."
Franz nodded.
"Three years? Enough!"
Franz was very confident, after all, France would definitely not last three years.
Prince Schwarzenberg was a little speechless, but he could only follow Franz's wishes, after all, the latter was a very strict monarch, and would never tolerate anyone who was hypocritical.
As for the war itself, the Austrian Empire's top leaders were still very confident, after all, the French were just defeated.
Besides, the Austrian Empire had not yet used its full strength, and the War Department even had a so-called Plan B.
France, once an invincible opponent, was now just a paper tiger. Without the British loan, they could not even survive for a month.
Even with the British behind the scenes, the French could hardly cross the Pyrenees. The French Navy was even more of a joke, and had to requisition large merchant ships to fill the facade.
This is one of the reasons why the French ambassador repeatedly emphasized that France was forced to participate in the war. If the Austrian Imperial Navy really launched an attack on the French coast, it would be a tragedy comparable to a dimensionality reduction strike.
France does not have a navy, but if the Great Western Fleet wants to enter the Mediterranean, it must first pass through the Strait of Gibraltar. At this time, the Austrian Empire occupied Ceuta and it was impossible to let the French fleet in.
It's not that they didn't support Franz's wedding, Mrs. Sophie felt that otherwise there would be no war, and the wedding was the top priority.
Mrs. Sophie did not know the significance of this war. She just felt that the Austrian Empire had not lost, but it had not won either.
Due to information asymmetry, Mrs. Sophie was unable to see the full picture of the war, which is why she had this outrageous idea.
Franz will naturally not listen to such outrageous advice, but Franz will ask Mrs. Sophie to help prepare the wedding. After all, the latter will never despise this wedding and is willing to make it a success.
Putting the right people in the right positions is what Franz needs to do.
Franz's wedding will be held in two months. In addition to a grand wedding, the Austrian Empire will also organize corresponding celebrations.
The empire will also designate the wedding day as a holiday. On the one hand, it is convenient for more people to participate in the event, and on the other hand, it is to strengthen people's impression. After all, who doesn't love the annual mandatory rest day?