The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1199 Railway (Part )

"ten times?!"

Prince Schwarzenberg's tone was excited, and one could feel that he was very excited. In fact, he had been prepared for Franz's amazing plan, but he was still shocked by the grandeur of his plan.

However, if there were economists or railway experts present, they would definitely ask: Does the Austrian Empire really need so many railways?
You must know that it was the British's blind and disorderly expansion that resulted in an economic crisis and the entire country paid a heavy price.

If the Austrian Empire continued to expand without restraint, it would most likely follow in the footsteps of the British.

"To be exact, it has increased tenfold, which means 85000 kilometers."

Franz added that he was confident in the number.

Before World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire had 43280 kilometers of railways. It has to be said that the Austrian engineers at that time were really capable and visionary, because even today, more than a hundred years later, these railway plans are still used by various countries.

But the Austrian Empire at this time was different. It did not lose Northern Italy, but gained Belgrade, Western Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania and other regions.

In addition, the two poor brothers, Southern Italy and Greece, also need Austria's care, and Franz believes that the Austrian Empire is more than that, so 85000 kilometers is a reasonable number.

Naturally, infrastructure such as railways should be completed as soon as possible, and the earlier it is completed, the greater its significance will be for economic and industrial development.

At this time, Austria was still an agricultural country, at least agriculture was the main industry in the territory of the Crown of St. Stephen.

In 1848, taking advantage of the British economic crisis, Austria barely surpassed Britain in fiscal revenue by relying on predatory development of its colonies, but this does not mean that the economic strength and status of both sides have become equal.

If Austria wants to surpass Britain, it is not enough to rely on its colonies in Africa alone, because the output of all its colonies in Africa cannot be compared with that of India.

If you want to hold on to your colonies, a strong industry is a must. If your own industrial strength is not strong, then you may not even need external enemies, as the colonies themselves will rebel.

In addition, the biggest role of railways is national security. If we want to completely solve the Hungarian problem, it is not enough to just eliminate the thieves in the mountains.

Instead of stationing large troops everywhere, it would be better to build more railways and fully connect them to the Austrian Empire.

The same is true for the Transylvania region. Instead of going to great lengths to prevent people from other countries from entering, it would be better to strengthen control over itself.

The Moldavians and Wallachians were not fools, they could tell which was better. And if they saw that things were not going well, they would probably join Austria and become Transylvanians.

"But, Your Majesty. If we want to complete this great plan within ten years, we need to build 7650 kilometers of railway every year.

But only the Americans and the British have built more than 2000 kilometers of railway in a year before. Can the planned time be extended? "

To be honest, Prince Schwarzenberg really thought that this plan was feasible. After all, in his mind, as long as enough manpower and material resources were invested, nothing was impossible.

Just like the floods in the Danube, no one had been able to control them for more than a thousand years, but Franz solved them easily before he ascended the throne.

If the Hungarians had not blown up the Busen Dam, people would have forgotten the fact that the Danube often floods.

Moreover, the hundreds of thousands of Hungarian prisoners of war not only provided them with food and drink every day, but also had to be paid. Although the payment was only expected notes and credit points, Prince Schwarzenberg would feel uncomfortable if he did not let them do something.

But in fact, building a railway requires not only people, but also various materials. The rails alone exceeded Austria’s industrial production capacity at that time.

Coordination was also required between other lands and regional governments. In the case of the Austrian Empire, additional tunnels and bridges were basically needed except for Hungary and Galicia.

Franz certainly didn't think that the Austrian Empire could complete such a huge project in ten years. In fact, it took Austria nearly seventy years to complete a much smaller goal than Franz planned.

"Of course, Your Excellency. Let's make the entire plan a long-term goal of thirty years."

"Thirty Years" Prince Schwarzenberg was a little disappointed. After all, given his physical condition, he was really not sure if he could live that long.

"I know what you're worried about. You have a bad heart and you're not good at controlling your emotions."

Prince Schwarzenberg smiled awkwardly. A large part of his strength came from his hot temper, and the frequent heartaches made him even more irritable.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty. This is an old illness. The doctor said I would not live past thirty, but now I am fifty."

"There is a cure now."

Franz said seriously.

Prince Schwarzenberg was stunned, then spoke.

"Your Majesty, I have tried many methods. I quit smoking, drinking, and even salt, but these methods only made my hair thinner and thinner."

Franz said somewhat helplessly.

"I'm not talking about those, I'm talking about professional treatment."

It was obvious that Prince Schwarzenberg had misunderstood the situation, and he began to talk incessantly about his own treatment experience.

“Your Majesty, I have also tried hot springs and bloodletting, but it only made me more and more sleepy.

Oh, yes. I have also tried the church's treatment methods. The priests now are like a group of medieval witch doctors. They put insects, grass roots, bat wings, wall skin and other things into a big pot and stir them. "

Franz held his forehead with his hand. It would be great if these charlatans could come up with a quick-acting heart-saving pill, but it would be a bit difficult for them since they have only been starting out for a dozen years.

"Actually, I meant nitroglycerin."

"Nitroglycerin? Isn't that explosive?"

Prince Schwarzenberg's face turned ugly. He was very knowledgeable about military affairs, and he had personally seen the nitroglycerin bomb test site, where several thick-skinned wild boars were blown to pieces. He still felt scared when he thought about it now.

Franz really couldn't refute what Schwarzenberg said, because nitroglycerin is indeed a dangerous explosive that is more powerful than TNT, but it is also a life-saving medicine.

"It can relieve the symptoms of angina and increase your chances of survival. It is also explosive, but it may be the explosive that blew your blood vessels. Believe in science."

After Franz's unprofessional explanation, Prince Schwarzenberg seemed to understand something and stopped worrying about it.

"Don't worry, I will let the most professional doctors in our Austrian Empire serve you."

After a round of greetings, both sides returned to the topic.

"Since this is a major plan that will last for thirty years, there must be a sequence."

"Your Majesty is wise."

Prince Schwarzenberg breathed a sigh of relief at being able to avoid the topic that required him to eat dynamite.

"The first ten-year plan is to complete the Austrian Imperial Railway, which is about 27000 kilometers long."

The so-called Circum-Austrian Imperial Railway was not a secret, but a consensus of the military. The previously built Greater Illyrian Railway was part of it, but due to obstruction from the Hungarian side, the Transylvania section could only be built in secret.