War Palace and Knee Pillow, Austria’s Destiny

"Ten times?!"

Prince Schwarzenberg was excited, and you 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 question whether the Austrian Empire really needed so many railways?

You must know that it was because of the blind and disorderly expansion of the British that the economic crisis caused the entire country to pay a heavy price.

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

"To be precise, it will increase tenfold, that is, 85,000 kilometers."

Franz added that he was very confident in this number.

Before World War I, the railways of the Austro-Hungarian Empire were 43,280 kilometers. It must be said that the Austrian engineers at that time were really very 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. Northern Italy was not lost, and Belgrade, Western Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania and other regions were obtained.

In addition, the two poor brothers of Southern Italy and Greece also need Austria's care, and Franz believes that the Austrian Empire is more than that, so 85,000 kilometers is a reasonable number.

The sooner the infrastructure such as railways is completed, the better, and the sooner it is completed, the greater the significance for the development of economy and industry.

At this time, Austria is still an agricultural country, at least the Crown of St. Stephen is still dominated by agriculture.

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

If you want to surpass Britain, it is not enough to rely on the colonies in Africa, because the output of all the colonies of the Austrian Empire in Africa cannot be compared with that of India.

If you want to keep the colonies in your hands, a strong industry is necessary. If your own industrial strength is not strong, then you may not need foreign enemies at all, and the colonies themselves will rebel.

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

Rather than stationing troops everywhere, it is better to build more railways and connect them to the Austrian Empire.

The same is true for Transylvania. Instead of trying hard to prevent people from other countries from entering, it is better to strengthen control over it.

Those Moldavia and Wallachians are not fools. They naturally know which is better. And when they see that things are impossible, they will most likely join Austria and become Transylvanians.

"But, Your Majesty. If we want to complete this great plan within ten years, we need to build 7,650 kilometers of railways every year.

But before this, only Americans and British had built more than 2,000 kilometers of railways in a year. Can the time of the plan be extended?"

To be honest, Prince Schwarzenberg really thinks this plan is feasible. After all, in his mind, as long as enough manpower and material resources are invested, nothing can be done.

Just like the floods in the Danube, no one has been able to control them for more than a thousand years, but Franz solved it lightly 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 flooded.

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

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

Other lands and regional governments need to be coordinated. In the case of the Austrian Empire, except for Hungary and Galicia, additional tunnels and bridges are basically needed.

Such a huge project, Franz naturally would not think that the Austrian Empire could complete it in ten years. In fact, it took Austria in history nearly seventy years to complete a goal that was much smaller than Franz's plan.

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

"Thirty years"

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

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

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

"Sorry to make you laugh, Your Majesty. This is an old problem. The doctor said I would not live past 30, but now I am 50 years old."

"Now there is a way to treat it."

Franz said seriously.

Prince Schwarzenberg was stunned, and then said.

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

Franz said helplessly.

"I don't mean these. I mean professional treatment methods."

Obviously, Prince Schwarzenberg got the wrong meaning. He began to chatter about his treatment experience.

"Your Majesty, I have also soaked in hot springs and used bloodletting therapy, but that only made me more and more sleepy.

Oh, right. I have also tried the church's treatment methods. Now the priests are like a group of medieval witch doctors. They will put bugs, grass roots, bat wings, wall coverings and other things into a big pot and stir them."

Franz raised his eyebrows, it would be okay if these magicians could come up with a quick-acting heart-saving pill, but it would be a bit difficult for them after it had just started for more than ten years.

"Actually, I'm talking about nitroglycerin."

"Nitroglycerin? Isn't that dynamite?"

Prince Schwarzenberg's face turned ugly. He still knew a lot about military matters, and he had also seen the nitroglycerin bomb test site with his own eyes. Several wild boars with rough heads and thick flesh were blown to pieces on the spot. Now, I still have lingering fears when I think about it.

Franz really couldn't refute Schwarzenberg's words, because nitroglycerin was indeed a dangerous explosive more powerful than TNT, but it was also a life-saving medicine.

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

After Franz's unprofessional explanation, Prince Schwarzenberg seemed to understand something and no longer struggled.

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

After a while of pleasantries, the two sides returned to the topic.

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

"Your Majesty is wise."

Prince Schwarzenberg breathed a sigh of relief as he was able to avoid the topic that asked him to eat dynamite.

"In the first ten years, we plan to first complete the Austrian Imperial Railway. The total distance is about 27,000 kilometers."

The so-called Circum-Austria Railway is not a secret, but a consensus of the military. The previously built Great Illyrian Railway is part of it, but due to the obstruction of the Hungarian side, the Transylvanian section could only be built secretly.