Chapter Thirty-Two: Time Flows On

The health of Francis II suddenly took a turn for the worse. As he lay on his deathbed, he summoned his three brothers and Prince Metternich to his side.

Archduke Louis announced the final will and testament of Francis II. The Emperor’s personal assets were divided into three parts: one share for his eldest son, and the remainder distributed between his second son and his eldest grandson.

Franz Joseph received lands and estates valued at 2.6 million florins, the entirety of the Esterhazy family’s palaces and estates in Austria, and a well-equipped dragoon regiment.

Francis II bequeathed 100,000 florins to Archduke John, offering a final piece of advice: "My brother, you are no longer a member of the royal household. Do not squander your money as you have in the past; after all, this is the last sum your brother can provide for you."

Archduke John was a celebrity within the imperial family—not because he had studied music with Beethoven, nor because he had conducted business with the Rothschilds, and certainly not because he had fought against Napoleon (a conflict in which his personal choices had thwarted Archduke Charles’s strategy, ultimately allowing Napoleon to escape). Rather, he was famous for choosing love over power, renouncing his right of succession and his royal status to marry the daughter of a commoner. He was also notorious for long-standing unpaid bank loans, having borrowed so recklessly that he had been blacklisted by many financial institutions. Despite this, he was the "king of popularity" in Austria; he always commanded widespread public attention, and his reputation among the common people remained surprisingly favorable.

Francis II handed a single coin to Archduke Charles—a coin he had won from him in a wager during their childhood. Archduke Charles had harbored a grudge over this for decades. It was not that the immensely wealthy Archduke lacked the coin, but rather that he could not bear the thought of having lost to Francis II. Francis II had refused to return it because it was the only trophy he had ever won from his brother. Archduke Charles was exceptionally capable, and this coin remained the Emperor’s sole victory over him. Because of this, the two brothers had been at odds for decades. Today, as Francis II returned the coin, Archduke Charles accepted it, signifying that the brothers had finally buried the hatchet and let go of the past.

For his youngest brother, Archduke Louis, there was no gift. Francis II simply said, "You are a good man, my brother. Thank you for your tireless dedication over these years. You must live well; I entrust my descendants to you."

Archduke Louis was reduced to tears. He lacked the military acumen of Archduke Charles and the social charisma of Archduke John; he had spent his entire life doing only one thing: watching over his brother. To him, there was no higher praise than being called a good man.

Finally, Francis II opened a box containing four identical copies of a will. "This is my final request, gentlemen. You are my brothers, my friends, and the guardians of the House of Habsburg. I hope you will keep a secret for me."

"My eldest son, Ferdinand, is not suited to rule this country. Yet, the family has its statutes, and as the head of the house, I cannot break this sacred tradition. But times are changing, and some rules must change with them."

"Therefore, I ask you to do one thing: once Franz reaches his eighteenth birthday and completes his coming-of-age ceremony, make this will public. He is a good boy and will surely become a fine emperor."

"You must assist him and respect him, just as you have done for me. The future of this family and this nation is in your hands..."

On March 2, 1835, Francis II—the last Holy Roman Emperor, the founder of the Austrian Empire, and the head of the House of Habsburg—passed away.

The torrent of time does not pause for the death of any individual. Franz Joseph accepted this reality with composure, though he felt a profound sorrow for the grandfather he had lived alongside for five years. Upon hearing the news, Thalia fainted from grief. As a soul born of the modern era, she found it difficult to grasp the deep emotional bond the common people of the old world felt for their emperor.

With the Emperor’s passing, all of Austria was steeped in mourning. Even the most bustling streets of Vienna fell silent. People spontaneously took to the streets with candles to pray for the old Emperor. At the time, light sources were not cheap, and many could ill-afford to light lamps at night; these candles and kerosene lamps were likely their only sources of illumination. Standing at the highest point of the palace, looking down upon Vienna, one could see the candlelight merging into a single expanse—a silent, moving sea of light that was as spectacular as it was sorrowful. The death of the old Emperor marked the end of an era, and the greatest challenge now facing Austria was the instability that follows a great leader's passing.

Ferdinand I was crowned Emperor of the Austrian Empire in Vienna, and the royal advisors, led by Karl von Schrut, immediately grew arrogant and overbearing. The first thing they did was order a halt to all railway construction within the Austrian Empire. They produced a plethora of "evidence" to prove that railways threatened human survival. Their reasoning was absurd, claiming that:

The black smoke emitted by trains would spread pneumonia across all of Austria.

Human respiratory systems could not withstand speeds exceeding fifteen kilometers per hour; exceeding this would cause the lungs to collapse, the circulatory system to fail, and even cause blood to burst from the body.

The land along the railway tracks would become barren, and cows that saw passing trains would stop producing milk, while hens would cease laying eggs.

Of course, the various Austrian factions that had invested massive capital into the railways did not agree with these views. Consequently, Karl von Schrut’s opinions were grandly ignored, and he held no real power to enforce them. However, in an effort to establish his personal authority, he demanded that the Austrian government immediately recall all loans granted to the states of Central Italy to pay off the Austrian Empire's debts. This was another disastrous move, and fortunately, the Austrian officials refused to execute the orders of this royal advisor.

Furious, Karl von Schrut ordered the dismissal of all advisors hired by the late Emperor, which naturally included Friedrich List. List was incensed by Schrut’s arrogant attitude, and having earned enough money, he had been looking for a way to leave Austria and escape Metternich’s shadow. Upon receiving his dismissal notice from Ferdinand I, he packed his belongings overnight and fled with his family.

No sooner had Friedrich List left Vienna than he received invitations from Prussia, Saxony, and Bavaria. Without hesitation, he chose Prussia, for having worked at the heart of the Austrian Empire, he knew full well that within the German Confederation, only Prussia had the strength to contend with Austria.