Chapter 25: The Troubles of Francis II

Schönbrunn Palace, the banquet hall.

Today was the day of the royal family dinner. Francis II sat at the head of the table, feeling as refreshed as if he were bathed in a spring breeze, a sentiment that had defined his mood over the past year.

The entire nation was flourishing, and even the number of people lining up to bribe him had increased.

However, seeing his eldest son, Ferdinand, forced to leave the table after a sudden epileptic seizure left him foaming at the mouth, the Emperor could not help but frown. Such a monarch seemed ill-equipped to rule effectively; it appeared the imperial power was destined for a period of decline.

He glanced at his second son, who was currently making a drunken spectacle of himself, and his brow furrowed even deeper. Archduke Franz Karl did not shout or brawl when intoxicated; instead, he was slumped over his plate, weeping. His boorish behavior deeply annoyed Archduchess Sophie, but she dared not cause a scene in front of Francis II, merely gently shaking her husband. Archduke Franz Karl seemed to find this comfortable; far from waking up, he let out an embarrassing sound.

"Take him away; Archduke Franz Karl is drunk," Francis II said with visible impatience, waving his hand to signal the attendants.

The Archduke’s servants acted immediately, joining the waiters to carry him out. Archduchess Sophie stood up, intending to apologize for her husband’s rudeness, but Francis II merely waved his hand, signaling for her to leave as well.

"Grandfather, I am full," young Franz said, seizing the opportunity to slip away.

The rules of French fine dining were cumbersome; the courses were numerous and served at a glacial pace, and one had to listen to the explanations of the head chef. The sight of the fat chef spraying saliva as he spoke was enough to ruin Franz's appetite. Moreover, French cuisine did not suit his palate; only the rice was familiar to him, though in this style of dining, it was treated merely as a vegetable.

The steak was cooked to an indeterminate level of doneness, and Franz found it impossible to chew. He had to cut it into tiny pieces to swallow, nearly choking in the process. He grabbed a glass nearby and took a desperate gulp, only to discover it was red wine. By now, young Franz was already feeling dizzy.

Francis II wanted to keep his grandson, who was the only person in the family who brought him any comfort, but he was too concerned with appearances to forbid the boy from leaving.

***

With the family gone, Francis II sat at the head of the table, feeling a sense of listlessness. Sanborn, the royal butler, leaned in close to the Emperor's ear.

"Prince Metternich has delivered the final payment of one thousand gold bars to the palace. I have counted them, and the amount is correct. However, the Prince mentioned that the Bavarians are requesting that we build a railway from Prague to Bayreuth."

Bayreuth was the economic center of Bavaria at the time, but it was situated on hilly terrain between the Fichtel Mountains and the Franconian Jura. The difficulty of constructing a railway there was significant, and the costs would naturally be much higher.

Nowadays, when people think of Bavaria, they think of BMW, football, beer, pork knuckles, developed economy, and beautiful scenery. Yet, at that time, Bavaria was notorious in the German region for being a dire place. Despite being an agricultural nation, it was importing grain at a frantic pace and could not even achieve self-sufficiency. It was a wasteland for knowledge and industry, with precious few factories or universities. The common people lived in misery, while the upper classes were profligate and decadent, producing two successive "artist kings." The current monarch, Ludwig I, was notoriously licentious—the Gallery of Beauties at Nymphenburg Palace bore witness to this history, and his scandalous affair with his mistress, Lola Montez, would eventually cost him his throne.

The Bavarian government hoped that Austria would build this railway to Bayreuth, primarily to promote trade and increase tax revenue, and secondly to allow Bavarians to find work in Austria, thereby boosting Bavarian wealth. For the Bavarians, Austria was the preferred destination for seeking employment abroad. After all, Austria was large enough to provide ample opportunity. Furthermore, while everyone in Bavaria spoke German, being a German speaker was a massive advantage in Austria. This was especially true for young men aspiring to officialdom; they could earn several times the salary for the same position, and their German identity and language were advantages that other ethnic groups in Austria lacked.

Religious factors played a role as well. Northern Germany offered many opportunities, but the religious faith there differed from that of the southern German states. The shadow of the Thirty Years' War still loomed over Germany; they had no desire to wake up one day to find themselves being burned at the stake. In fact, not just Bavaria, but the entire southern German region had grown much closer to Austria ever since the news of Austria joining the German Customs Union.

However, the Bavarian proposal to build yet another railway line to their territory infuriated Francis II. No one was optimistic about trade between Austria and Bavaria; building such a line would be done purely for the sake of doing business with the northern German states. In the eyes of Francis II, another railway to Bavaria was a complete waste. From Prague to Bayreuth, the route crossed rivers and mountains, spanning nearly 250 kilometers. At the time, construction costs were around 60,000 to 70,000 florins per kilometer.

This meant the railway would cost over ten million florins. But then, Francis II had a thought.

"Since I’m not the one paying for it, if they want it built, let the Jews pay for it."

He turned to Sanborn and said, "Tell Metternich to let Salomon Rothschild build it. Doesn't he love building railways? Let him build to his heart's content."

Sanborn bowed and left. Francis II checked his schedule; tomorrow he was to receive his Italian relatives.

The railway construction craze had soon spread to Austria's backyard in Central Italy. Beyond the Papal States, the four duchies of Tuscany, Parma, Lucca, and Modena all hoped to strengthen trade ties with Austria. Having built their prosperity on commerce, these Italian states were inevitably declining during this period of waning Mediterranean trade.

The Central Italian states had long since lost their former glory. The people lived in poverty, their handicraft industries were backward, and they lacked the domestic resources to compete with the industry of neighboring powers. These states were all facing severe fiscal deficits and constant popular uprisings. If not for Austria frequently sending troops to help suppress them, these small principalities would have collapsed long ago.

These small states hoped to build railways to strengthen trade with Austria, but their domestic merchants were unwilling to foot the bill. After all, the wealthy have distant relatives in the mountains, while the poor are ignored even in the bustling markets. Truly capable investors were unwilling to waste money on these "faded flowers" of small states. The rulers themselves were unwilling to pay, as their only goal was to collect more taxes. As for their credit, it had long since been spent on luxury goods.

Now, their only hope lay with the Austrian Emperor. After all, Francis II had once personally declared, "My Italian states," and the Congress of Vienna had designated Italy as an Austrian sphere of influence. Yet, at this moment, Francis II was plagued by a headache over a lack of funds. The decline of Central Italy was an established fact. To continue investing or to maintain the status quo—that was the question.