Chapter 23: The True Young Officer

Through a series of personnel changes, Franz had actually gained control of the Royal Guard. Archduke Louis either genuinely didn't understand or was pretending to be confused; in any case, he showed no reaction.

Franz felt it was more likely that he was feigning confusion. The Royal Guard was not large, with only one regiment's strength, but it was charged with protecting the Royal family.

The actual control of this force had always been in the hands of the Vienna Court. Archduke Louis, the nominal commander, didn't dare to make any significant moves here.

In reforming the Royal Guard, Franz had in fact obtained the tacit approval of the Vienna Court. Before he took action, he had also received an order from his Uncle Ferdinand I.

The Habsburg Family had already been preparing for his regency. If nothing unexpected happened, he would become a member of the Regency Council in three years, and after several years of experience, the Regency Council would dissolve, ushering in the era of the Crown Prince Regency.

Ferdinand I was unwilling to relinquish power, but sadly, he suffered from epilepsy, averaging over twenty fits a day, utterly incapable of handling state affairs. Supporting Franz's regency was one of his measures.

Alright, Franz admitted he had cheated. This great-uncle of his often was out of his mind, frequently involved in some almost farcical events, but he took the Habsburg Family's legacy very seriously, occasionally exhibiting paranoid delusions.

This presented Franz with opportunities. Ferdinand I often made startling statements, which, when he deemed them useful, became written documents.

In other words, Franz now had many imperial decrees at his disposal; whether they had legal effect depended on the context.

If he were to present them now, the Regency Council would most likely veto them, but when necessary, he could bypass the council entirely and issue these orders directly, making them established facts.

Although the Austrian Government was effectively held by the Regency Council, no one had officially declared Ferdinand I incapable of ruling, and the Emperor's orders were still valid.

The news of the January Revolution spread quickly across the European Continent. When the news reached Vienna, people were merely astonished for a moment before acting as if nothing had happened.

However, once the news reached Paris, things changed.

After the Conservative Party leader Guizot became Prime Minister between 1840 and 1848, he allowed capitalists to enter government departments and abused his power to approve commercial contracts indiscriminately, in an effort to please financial groups.

Corruption in the government had become the norm, with scandals emerging one after another, leading the public to gradually lose faith in the government.

By now, the only supporters left of the July Monarchy were bankers, stockbrokers, railway magnates, mine owners, major forest owners, and landlords.

Since the economic crisis hit France in 1847, peasant uprisings had been breaking out nationwide, and Austria's "Labor Protection Law" reignited the workers' strike movement.

Against this backdrop, when the news of the January Revolution arrived, it naturally influenced the inherently revolutionary Parisians. The foundation for a revolution was in place, now all it needed was a spark.

Yet the decadent July Monarchy ignored all this. The government suppressed the banquets led by the bourgeoisie, delaying the event which was initially scheduled for January 19, 1848, to February 22.

Looking at the reports in his hands, Franz breathed a sigh of relief. History hadn't changed due to his "butterfly effect," and the advantage of his foreknowledge could still be exploited.

However, his movements with the military leaders became even more frequent, including the governors in charge of regions. Franz also kept up correspondence with them.

Unwittingly, Franz also revealed his concern about the domestic situation, casually mentioning the January revolution in Sicily and boldly predicted that it would trigger a chain reaction across the European Continent.

Whether he could catch their attention, Franz could only resign himself to fate, having done his utmost. He surely couldn't outright say that a revolution was about to break out in Austria, could he?

If he did, he would either be deemed a visionary or be considered a madman.

Taking into account the current state of the Habsburg Family, Franz felt that the latter was more likely.

Now Franz fully exerted his nature as a military enthusiast, inspecting the training of the troops around Vienna. The more he saw, the more disappointed he became.

"Albrecht, do you have any strategies to rapidly increase the combat effectiveness of our soldiers, specifically the City Defense Army?" Franz asked seriously.

"Franz, it's quite simple. Just kick out those Nobility Officers who are just twiddling their thumbs here and promote capable people to officer positions. That will immediately improve the combat effectiveness of the City Defense Army!" Albrecht Friedrich Rudolf pondered and said.

Franz helplessly said, "Albrecht, that joke isn't funny at all. If I could kick them out, I wouldn't be here wasting my breath with you!

What I mean is, is it possible to gather them for some training so they can be of some use at a critical moment?"

Indeed, Franz had high hopes for the City Defense Army. Normally, these Nobility might seem like a cancer diminishing the army's fighting strength, but it was different in extraordinary times.

Not to mention anything else, their loyalty, at least, was reassuring. If a revolution were to burst out in Vienna, using them to suppress rebellion would be more reliable than civilian officers.

The only pity was that their capabilities didn't seem to be trustworthy. Even to suppress a mob of rabble, Franz had his doubts.

"How about this, I'll let you have my position as the City Defense Commander. I'm powerless with them anyway," Albrecht said nonchalantly.

Franz pondered and said, "If it's going to be me, then so be it. They're all useless anyways; even if we can't get them trained, the situation couldn't get any worse. Still, you should keep the command of the City Defense Army. I'll be needing your support for what comes next."

"Franz, what do you plan to do? There are quite a few Nobility Officers in the City Defense Army who are just lounging around. It's a wide net you'd be casting; you can't just act recklessly!" Albrecht said with some concern.

"Albrecht, do I look like someone who acts recklessly?" Franz countered.

Albrecht shook his head. Franz had left quite a positive impression on everyone.

Franz continued, "I also ought to serve in the army. I'll apply for it later. For the next three months, I'll stay in the City Defense Army.

You can throw those officers who are wasting their days at me, and we can undergo military training together. Of course, we will exclude those over 28 and those who are just holding nominal positions in the army."

He finally remembered that at age 13, he was already a colonel in the Austrian Army. If he didn't weed out these people, the Nobility, eager to join in the excitement, might create a "Children's Group" for him. After all, the Austrian Army had its legends of mythical "young officers" who hadn't yet weaned off milk.