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Chapter 1481: Twilight of the Empire

Mikhalevich felt a massive headache coming on.

These prominent families wielded immense political influence within their respective nations. For instance, the nephew of the Marquis of Busto was the second-in-command of the Parma General Staff. If he actually went through with hanging the man's nephew, the Parma government might very well declare open support for the Basel rebels out of spite.

"Damn it all..." He waved a dismissive hand. "Release them. No, have men escort them back to Italy."

He truly could not comprehend why these pampered noble sons would venture into the deep mountains of Switzerland just to throw their lives away.

What he didn't know was that the French Literary Promotion Association had long since adapted the conflict in northern Switzerland into plays and comics, which were now circulating throughout every nation in Europe.

In these narratives, the Basel militia was portrayed as a group of tragic figures yearning for liberty and a better life, while the Austrian Intervention Force was depicted as the tools of a Holy Roman tyrant sent to slaughter them.

Joseph's original intention had been to mobilize the people of northern Switzerland against Austria, but he hadn't expected the liberals in the German and Italian states to be the first to lose their composure.

Young aristocrats in particular were not only donating generously to Basel but were even traveling there personally to join the fight. It had almost become a fashionable trend.

In just the past three months, over four hundred international volunteers had joined the ranks of the Basel militia.

In states like Württemberg and Augsburg, which had received subtle hints from Joseph, such behavior was actively encouraged. Certain "enthusiastic organizations" even provided the volunteers with weapons.

As for France, while they officially remained neutral on the conflict, the Upper Germania Province continued to sell all manner of supplies to the Basel Provisional Council at extremely low prices through traditional trade routes.

Vienna.

Schönbrunn Palace.

Count Latour kept his head lowered as he continued reading the report in his hands: "...Based on this, the Military Commission believes it is necessary to deploy the Graz Legion, the Traungau Legion, and other units, totaling 27,000 soldiers, to Zurich."

"With these reinforcements, the conflict should be resolved before June..."

Franz II looked visibly displeased.

Intelligence had initially reported that the rebels in northern Switzerland numbered only about two thousand. He had dispatched an army ten times that size, yet after several months of fighting, the rebels had not been suppressed. On the contrary, their numbers seemed to be growing.

He looked at the high-ranking officials before him. "What are your opinions on this?"

Marshal Usum and the Minister of the Interior voiced their agreement. They were on good terms with Mikhalevich and had received kickbacks from him, so they naturally spoke in his favor.

Count Stadion frowned. He had always maintained that the Empire should not squander too much energy on a gods-forsaken place like Switzerland.

Just as he was about to speak his mind, Metternich beat him to it. "Your Majesty, Switzerland is not only the Empire's western shield, but this pacification campaign also concerns the very prestige of the Empire.

"I believe that as long as we can clear out the rebels quickly, an increased investment is well worth it."

The Swiss Confederation had been forged through his mediation and was one of his most significant political assets. If cantons like Basel and Schwyz failed to join the federation, it would be a personal humiliation for him.

Since the royal secretary, who was currently the Emperor's favorite for leading reforms, had already stated his position, Stadion and the other ministers chose to remain silent. Seeing this, Franz II had no choice but to nod. "Then send the reinforcements. By the way, how much did you say the military budget would be?"

Latour replied hastily, "2.2 million florins, Your Majesty."

In truth, this was one of the primary reasons high-ranking military officials like Usum supported the war in Switzerland. With such a massive military budget being allocated, they could siphon off a significant portion for themselves.

Franz II frowned and turned to Count Stadion. "Are there any issues with the finances?"

The Minister of Finance immediately put on a pained expression. "Your Majesty, as you know, in the second half of last year alone, subsidies for the smelting and mining industries amounted to 2.8 million florins. Recently, Vienna and Graz have been constructing a large number of free primary schools, which has already cost over a million florins, and at least 900,000 more will be needed later. Furthermore, the initial excavation funds for the Bobota Canal require 1.8 million florins.

"As for tax revenue, the deficit remains quite substantial..."

Franz II turned back to Metternich. "I recall you saying that once we abolished the guilds and those factories were built, they would contribute a steady stream of tax revenue."

Cold sweat broke out on Metternich's brow as he defended his position. "Your Majesty, there is a necessary process between a factory starting production and becoming profitable. France has already fully proven that industry is the 'Cornucopia' of finance."

The Cornucopia was a treasure from Greek mythology that produced an inexhaustible supply of food, wine, and riches. Metternich added, "Moreover, the Prussians are currently dumping cheap steel products across all of Germany, which has severely impacted our domestic smelting industry.

"We must support those factories first. Once they have crushed the competition from Prussian products, they will generate staggering profits."

Franz II placed great trust in him and stopped pressing the issue of reform for the moment. "So, how do we solve the problem of military funding?"

Count Stadion whispered, "Your Majesty, actually, the funding for the free primary schools and the canal is still short by about 1.2 million florins..."

Therefore, the short-term financial deficit alone had reached 3.4 million florins.

Dead silence fell over the meeting room.

Just as the Emperor's expression began to turn grim, Metternich finally spoke up out of desperation. "Your Majesty, we could issue more banknotes."

Franz II frowned again. "I remember you saying that to maintain the credit of paper currency, the bank must hold an equivalent amount of gold and silver coins in reserve."

"That is indeed the case, Your Majesty." Metternich appeared somewhat nervous. "But as long as the additional issuance isn't too large, it won't cause a major impact. Once the financial situation improves, we can replenish the gold reserves."

Stadion immediately seized this opportunity. "I believe we need to improve the tax situation as quickly as possible."

Since the abolition of the tax farmer system, Austria's financial revenue had consistently remained lower than in previous years.

Metternich cursed him silently and said, "Your Majesty, in fact, I have already persuaded Hungary, Bohemia, and Slovakia to increase the amount of taxes they bear."

"Excellent!" Franz II's face lit up with joy. "You truly are the pillar of the Empire. Why didn't you tell me this good news sooner?"

Metternich stammered slightly. "Your Majesty, there is still one small hurdle.

"As you know, Hungary passed the Charter of Rights and the Law of Succession ten years ago, which stipulates that only the Hungarian Great Diet has the authority to approve new taxes. You cannot bypass them to levy taxes..."

Franz II said irritably, "So, what needs to be done now?"

"The Hungarians have proposed that if you agree to let them reconvene their bicameral Diet, they can increase their tax contributions by fifteen percent."