Chapter Nine: Friedrich List

"The thirty-eight customs barriers of Germany paralyze domestic transport. They are no different from binding a person’s hands and feet, preventing the flow of blood. Only by abolishing internal tariffs and establishing a unified tax system for the entire federation can national trade and industry be restored, which would also benefit the working class."
— Friedrich List

Friedrich List, father of the German Zollverein and challenger to Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations, lived a life that could only be described as legendary. (I use his full name here to distinguish him from the musician Liszt.)

On August 6, 1789, Friedrich List was baptized in Reutlingen. (It was customary for infants to be baptized on the day of their birth.)

Born into a family of craftsmen, his father was a well-known tanner. During his student years, he had to work part-time as a tanning apprentice to assist his father. However, he soon displayed astonishing talent, passed the financial examinations of the Württemberg royal family, and became a government clerk. After several years in government, his exceptional capabilities led to his appointment as a university professor.

No one could have imagined that this was merely the beginning of his extraordinary life. Later, Friedrich List left the university to become the president of the Württemberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Soon after, he became a member of the Württemberg parliament—all by the time he had just turned thirty.

He then left Württemberg for the New World (the United States), where he established a farm, founded a newspaper, launched a railway company, and ultimately used his profits to purchase a mine. In his spare time, he authored Outlines of American Political Economy. Later, he was even appointed by the seventh U.S. President, Andrew Jackson, as the American Consul to the German Confederation.

In 1832, he returned to Württemberg and began drafting a railway network covering all of Germany. However, his national railway plan failed due to feudal fragmentation and the narrow, mercenary nature of the bourgeoisie. In the end, he was left with only a "castrated" railway line, 115 kilometers long, running from Leipzig to Dresden.

To build the railway, Friedrich had partnered with others to form a joint-stock company. However, the shares that should have belonged to him were swindled away by two "friends" who had assured him that "Leipziger people are different from Yankees" and that "Germans do not cheat Germans." These two swindlers convinced Friedrich List that the remaining steps were merely procedural, leading him to neglect signing the contract. By the time Friedrich realized he had been deceived, the pair had already cashed out and vanished without a trace. Ultimately, this investment brought him no profit; instead, it cost him ten thousand thalers.

Down on his luck, Friedrich List was forced to move into a cheap boarding house. Dragging his exhausted body back to his room, he discovered to his surprise that the door was ajar.

He rushed into the room to find an elderly gentleman leisurely drinking tea. The attendant standing beside him was handsome and burly, eyes fixed straight ahead, clearly the servant of a person of power.

The old gentleman set down his teacup and spoke first. "Mr. List, please, take a seat."

Friedrich List removed his hat, bowed deeply, and said, "Sir, this is my room."

"It is mine now." The old gentleman smiled, produced a document, and signaled for the attendant to show it to Friedrich List. Friedrich took one look—it was a property deed.

"Then may I take my things?" Friedrich List gestured toward the cabinet.

"Mr. List, please do not be impatient. I have come to bring you gifts."

"Are you Santa Claus?" Friedrich List asked.

"If you wish me to be, then yes. Let us get to the point. My name is Berger Turner; I am the steward for Lord Metternich. I have come today for two reasons. The first is to bring you gifts and return what you have lost; I have also brought two friends with me."

Berger clapped his hands. Two burly men entered, carrying two heavy sacks, which they dropped to the floor with a dull thud. The sacks were opened to reveal the very two swindlers who had made Friedrich List's blood boil.

Friedrich List stepped forward and kicked them twice. The swindlers, bound and gagged with rags, could only emit muffled grunts.

"Are they the Austrian secret police?" Friedrich List asked.

"No, they are merely concerned citizens who happened to be passing by," Berger replied calmly, then added, "Mr. List, are you satisfied with this gift?"

"Satisfied. State your second reason," List, a man of intellect, knew that no one offers favors without an agenda.

"My master wishes to meet you. He believes you are highly talented and should serve His Imperial Majesty."

"And if I say I will not go?" List asked tentatively, pointing toward the two large men. "Will they stuff me into a sack?"

"Certainly not, Mr. List. My master is a civilized man, though I am not. Whether I label you a 'Yankee-lover' or a dangerous subversive, this face of mine is sufficient to ensure your compliance." Berger stood up and straightened his lapels.

"You have convinced me, Mr. Berger."

...

Vienna, the Hall of Mirrors.

Francis II sat high upon his throne. The ministers and dignitaries below were each harboring their own agendas, yet they appeared to be performing their duties in an orderly fashion.

Francis II said triumphantly, "Child, look. For an emperor, the most important quality is presence. You must first possess an air of royal authority, and then you can make them bow to you."

Clearly, the old emperor was getting carried away. Yet, Franz pretended to be in awe, using a child's tone to ask, "Grandfather, why do the French oppose our Austrian participation in the German Customs Union?"

"The French are all villains. They fear our prosperity. As the president of the German Confederation, we are duty-bound to protect the interests of the German states, so we must join the German Customs Union." Francis II, in his attempt to educate his grandson, accidentally painted himself into a corner.

Seeing the old emperor digging his own grave, Franz gave him another push.

"Grandfather, grandfather, does that mean everyone who shares the same views as the French is a bad person?"

"..." Francis II fell silent.

Metternich nearly coughed up blood; this child was truly the savior of Austria. He had never expected that within the entire royal family, the clearest mind would belong to a small boy.

The dignitaries in the Hall of Mirrors, however, did not look pleased, especially Prince Windisch-Grätz. He felt the old emperor’s gaze upon him, a look that could kill. He quickly found an excuse and fled the hall as if escaping. Seeing their two leaders—one exiled to Hungary and the other fleeing to relieve himself—the remaining nobles lost their nerve, and the crowd began to scatter like leaves in the wind.

Watching the frantic exodus from the hall, Francis II fell into deep thought. How had he failed to realize until now that the people he trusted were a pack of sycophants?

Count Kolowrat thought this was excellent; it seemed his workload would be significantly reduced. Count Latour continued his duties, determined to remain vigilant, as he believed those men would not give up so easily. This was also tied to Latour's personal character; as a soldier, a single mistake meant the loss of his life.

Now, Metternich, Kolowrat, and Bruck were all thinking the same thing: should they bring Archduke Franz to the next cabinet meeting?