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

Chapter 1250: The Temptation of the Carlos Faction

Franz naturally knew what these officials were thinking. A fancy sedan is carried by everyone, and people are only willing to contribute if everyone benefits.

The money was invested in the colonies, and the only beneficiaries were the emperor's cronies, some merchants, and civilians.

In fact, the Austrian Empire survived the famine by relying on colonial food. At that time, the cheap tobacco, sugar, tea, coffee and tropical fruits in the country were also the result of colonial operations.

However, these things are not important to officials. They cannot feel the so-called benefits. After all, they do not need to worry about these things.

In fact, Franz also took part in the construction of the Austrian Empire, including compulsory education reform, the Austrian Empire Railway Plan, the Galician Urban Belt Plan, industrialization, urbanization, the eastern development, and post-war reconstruction.
The proportion of domestic and foreign fiscal expenditures was as high as 9:1, and even a lot of the money for these construction projects came from the gold and silver mines in the colonies.

But these officials were not satisfied. Not only were they greedy, they also wanted to tame Franz.

It’s a pity that Franz only wants to tame others, but doesn’t want to be tame by others at all.

"Can we plunder if we want? The British want our colonies, so is it right for them to go to war against us?"

The emperor's sudden attack made these officials a little confused, especially the officials who said that Austria needed a colony like Cuba, which could make huge profits without a large investment. They were even more surprised.

In fact, judging from the minister's behavior, he was probably used as a gun and someone induced him to say these words.

This kind of thing is not uncommon in the officialdom, and that smart person may not even be here today. But Franz's words will definitely get out, and then it will depend on how that or those smart people decide.

Count Tural, who seldom spoke at royal meetings, opened his mouth.

"Your Majesty, in fact, there are many families on the island of Cuba that have maintained contact with our country. They were once loyal to the Habsburg family, and now they are still willing to be loyal to the Habsburg family."

Franz rubbed his forehead, feeling somewhat helpless towards the upright Minister of War. These words obviously should not be said at this time.

Moreover, these should be classified information, at least not in such a semi-public occasion. The most important thing is how credible is this nonsense?
More than a hundred years have passed, and several generations have passed. The reason why some people are willing to bring it up is because they are not living a happy life in Spain, and the Spanish government cannot give them enough sense of security and support.

"Well, very good. Let them remain loyal. But the Austrian Empire will not use force against the legal property of a civilized country without a legitimate reason."

In fact, everyone present was smart. They knew that Franz would not take advantage of the situation and attack Cuba.

However, many people were relieved. After all, this monarch had been too warlike before. It could almost be said that he would fight any battle, no matter who the opponent was or how many people they had.

No one likes to live under the rule of a tyrant, not even a treacherous one.

"But the Spanish humiliated you, which is equivalent to humiliating the Austrian Empire. Should we take countermeasures?
Carlos VI sent someone to say that he was willing to use all of Spain's overseas colonies as a dowry to marry Princess Maria Anna to his eldest son.

As soon as Prince Schwarzenberg finished speaking, the entire Hall of Mirrors fell into chaos.

You have to know that although Spain had been in decline for a long time at this time, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse.

Spain's colonies today include:
The Canary Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean (mentioned above) and are an important transshipment hub.

Ceuta and Melilla are important port cities in North Africa, and their strategic position is comparable to Gibraltar. Guam is an important strategic fulcrum in the Pacific Ocean.

Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, etc.
The common characteristics of these colonies are important strategic positions, relatively high levels of development, relatively successful assimilation and low maintenance costs.

Although officials in the Austrian Empire had a limited understanding of the importance of colonies, they knew what it meant to acquire these places.

Some people couldn't help but gasp at the determination of the Carlos faction. It seemed that both sides had reached the point of fighting to the death, otherwise the Carlos faction would not have placed such a heavy bet.

However, Franz was full of disdain in his heart. After all, it was just a big deal. If he wanted Spain to fulfill its promise, he had to make the Carlos faction right.

It is not so easy to restore the Carlos Party. Britain, France, Russia, and even Prussia would not want the Habsburg family to relive the old dreams.

Even if the Carlos faction is really put in power, whether the Spanish government will fulfill its promise is another matter.

Moreover, Franz did not want to marry his sister to Spain, as things were always so bad there. If something unfortunate happened, the whole family would be shrouded in a shadow.

Franz didn't mind using his brothers' marriages to gain political benefits, but he didn't want to sacrifice his sister's lifelong happiness because of his plan.

After all, marriage does not mean exactly the same thing to men and women. Even if some people don't care, they still have to care about the secular perspective.

Even if we take a step back, Franz doesn't want to be involved in any major war now, let alone the quagmire of Spain.

Some people think that it is just a muddy pond and can be flattened with one foot. Franz wanted to say that Napoleon also thought so.

However, beneath the muddy pond is a deep abyss, and even a giant would find it difficult to extricate himself if he fell into it.

The Austrian Empire did not border Spain, so once the navy was deployed, it would be a full-scale war. In this war, Austria might not only face the Spanish orthodox faction, but also the intervention of the great powers.

It was also difficult for Franz to take the initiative in this war into his own hands. After all, whichever side had the advantage would enter the city, and once they divided their troops and stationed them in the city, they would be passive.

Want to conduct a comprehensive cleanup? How many troops would be needed? Moreover, Austria still has hidden dangers, and there are still a small number of bandits in the mountains of Transylvania.

There were also undercurrents in the Albanian region. Some people wanted to overthrow the rule of the Austrian Empire and return to the Ottoman Empire, while others planned to collude with the British to establish their own regime.

Not to mention the Russian Poland region which is now in chaos. If Franz is not careful, Galicia may become the next Russian Poland.

The Czechs in Prague have become a minority, and the conflicts between the large number of foreign Germans and the locals are becoming increasingly serious.

In 1848, Franz cut the Gordian knot, but the knife fell on the Czechs, while the Germans didn't feel anything.

The Czechs who were stabbed were dissatisfied, and the Germans who were not stabbed were also dissatisfied. As the German Confederation continued to develop, this dissatisfaction would continue to escalate.

Unless Franz can prove that the Czechs are not Slavs, but Germans.