Chapter 62: Building a Nation
Kossuth could deploy individuals to obstruct the overt representatives of Austria, but when it came to those who secretly sided with Austria, they were rendered powerless.
The Hungarian revolution was not achieved through bloodshed, which meant that a significant number of people in the country still held pro-Viennese inclinations. Kossuth had contemplated conducting purges, but it proved impractical. (The casualties of a few individuals were disregarded.)
Internal dynamics within the Kingdom of Hungary were intricate and interdependent, making the nascent Hungarian regime fragile and susceptible to external pressures.
Upon receiving news of the expulsion of Austrian representatives from Hungary, Vienna understood that the countdown to war had commenced. The Austrian government could not simply permit Hungary's independence without a fight.
Prime Minister, how are the preparations for the supplies going?"
Entering the era of modern warfare, battles were fought with logistics. Now that Austria had to juggle the Italian front as well, Franz's greatest concern was the logistical support.
"Your Highness, the campaign to suppress the Hungarian rebellion has yet to begin. Currently, our priority lies in meeting the demands of the Italian front. If we mobilize more than two hundred thousand troops, we won't be able to guarantee the logistical supply," Felix pondered before speaking.
It wasn't that Austria couldn't produce this batch of strategic supplies. As one of the major powers, the Vienna government had no shortage of such resources. The crucial issue was the inability to ensure timely delivery of the supplies to the forces in need.
The first major challenge was transportation. Supporting armies of hundreds of thousands and addressing post-war refugee relief required the transportation of vast quantities of supplies.
Since its establishment, the new cabinet had been working towards this goal. After suppressing the Vienna rebellion, Austria transitioned into a wartime economy, with all government departments devoted to the war effort.
"We can't wait any longer. The Hungarians have rejected our goodwill, and now all eyes are on us. Military action can be postponed, but the political offensive cannot be delayed. Do you have any suggestions?" Franz spoke sternly.
Being seasoned politicians, everyone understood the concept of a chain reaction. If the Vienna government turned a blind eye to Hungary's declaration of independence, wouldn't other ambitious individuals rush to follow suit?
No, wait. It seemed that at this point, the ambitions of others in different regions had already crumbled. If it weren't for Franz's deliberate indulgence, the Hungarians wouldn't have achieved independence so smoothly.
In history, Hungarian independence was established under the circumstances of the complete collapse of Austrian-ruled Italy, the occupation of Vienna by revolutionary factions, and the outbreak of internal strife in Austria, leaving them too preoccupied to deal with Hungary.
At that time, everyone believed that Austria was in dire straits, so they made up their minds and joined the revolution.
Even in their rebellion, they didn't forget to report to the emperor, explaining the reasons behind their uprising and leaving themselves an escape route.
Currently, the conflict in the Italian theater continues, the rebellions in Austrian territories have been suppressed, and the Vienna government still holds significant power.
Capitalists and nobles are not desperados; they all have families and businesses. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't willingly jump into a situation that could lead to their demise. However, the Hungarian revolution still succeeded.
On the surface, it may seem that the rise of Hungarian nationalism was successful due to the efforts of Kossuth and others.
In reality, intelligent people know that this is highly unusual. The reaction of the Vienna government was too slow. If they had deployed their troops earlier to suppress the rebellion, the Hungarian Republic would never have had the opportunity to establish itself.
Austria had a standing army of 350,000 soldiers, and the Vienna government mobilized an additional 200,000 reserves and expanded the city defense forces by 30,000. Only 100,000 soldiers were deployed to the Italian front.
Austria had deployed 40,000 troops in Galicia, 50,000 in Bohemia, and 20,000 in Slovenia.
Within the borders of the Kingdom of Hungary, there were still 120,000 Austrian troops scattered across Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Transylvania, and other regions.
Even though a portion of the army had been influenced by Hungarian nationalism,
the vast majority of people remained loyal to the emperor. If the rebellion had been suppressed immediately, the situation would be completely different now.
"Your Highness, I believe it is crucial to declare the Hungarian government illegal without delay and convert Croatia, Transylvania, and Slovakia into direct imperial provinces," said the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Metternich, with a determined tone.
Even a plasterer can be a killer. Splitting up the Kingdom of Hungary was something he had always wanted to do but never dared. Now, the opportunity has presented itself.
The audacity of the Hungarian people to rebel left no room for debate. It was necessary to dismantle the kingdom! Missing this rare opportunity would make it extremely difficult to come by again.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a multi-ethnic state, and the Kingdom of Hungary was no exception. The desire for Hungarian independence did not imply that the Croats, Romanians, or Slovaks wanted to follow suit.
“Mr. Metternich's words were indeed correct. However, as we proceed with the dismantling of the Kingdom of Hungary, we can now announce the 'Equal Nationality Act,' which we are currently drafting, to the public ahead of schedule.”
“The Hungarians have been promoting nationalism, haven't they? We can utilize that by categorizing the serfs and commoners in the Hungarian region as part of the Austrian ethnicity, effectively uprooting their aspirations," proposed Karl, the Minister of Finance.
Franz's eyes brightened as he contemplated the Minister of Finance's suggestion. It was undoubtedly an artificial creation of a new ethnicity, a means to separate the Hungarian nobility from the commoners.
A glimpse into history books reveals that the concept of ethnicity is a human-made division based on cultural, linguistic, historical, geographical, and economic factors.
If we were to discuss bloodline, it would be a fallacy. In the course of human history, almost all ethnic groups have been mixed due to the changes and transitions over time. The distinction becomes indistinct and tangled.
Certainly, the nobility would never admit that their bloodline is the same as that of the commoners, just like the current "Austrian ethnicity" refuses to acknowledge the serfs as their own.
Due to the lack of cultural awareness during this era, most serfs in Southern Europe did not possess a distinct ethnicity, or rather, no one had informed them of their belonging to a particular ethnicity.
To Franz, this presented an opportunity, a chance to unify Austria as a whole.
"Mr. Karl, I fail to see the positive significance of such an endeavor. Austria already consists of numerous ethnicities, and adding one more will only complicate our rule further!" Archduke Louis frowned and voiced his concerns.
He had discerned the underlying implications of Karl's words—creating an Austrian ethnicity would be artificial. The true objective was to merge all of Austria's ethnicities together.
However, that was not what Archduke Louis desired. If all of Austria's ethnic groups were amalgamated, it would inevitably extend to the Germanic people as well. This would result in a division between Austria and Germany, a calamity for staunch advocates of Greater Germanism.
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