Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 532

Chapter 532: Chapter 105, Ambition in Existence
 

The Vienna Government bulletin board displayed a recruitment notice which took many by surprise. It wasn’t unusual for the colonial government to recruit public servants, which happened annually, but the content of the notice was what caused astonishment.

Being drawn to spectacle is in human nature; each time the board was updated, it attracted a crowd of onlookers. In an age with scant entertainment options, gossiping was one pastime that many enjoyed.

Although there were many people, the scene was far from chaotic. Everyone conscientiously followed the rules, ensuring there was no pushing or shoving.

With so many people present, it obviously wasn’t possible for everyone to see the contents of the notice at the same time, and those inside were already reading the content aloud.

“Announcement by the South African Colonial Government via the Austrian Organization Department for the recruitment of public servants: A total of 4,800 individuals will be hired this year, including 1,000 government employees and 3,800 policemen.

Eligibility criteria: 1. Must be an Austrian citizen, in good health, with all limbs intact and with no criminal record; 2. Must have completed compulsory education with passing grades in all subjects; 3. Must be able to endure hardships and the minimum service period is 8 years.”

Note: Those applying for police positions must have a certain level of military training, at the very least having undergone reserve training, with priority given to retired military officers. Candidates must be under 30 years of age, with the age limit relaxable to 40 for officers.

Compensation: The salary is double the domestic average for similar positions, with benefits based on Vienna standards.”

Putting aside the salary discussion, the harsh conditions of the colonies made it a dangerous place and naturally commanded higher wages than domestic ones.

The problem lay in the qualifications; they weren’t too high but too low. According to the listed standards, more than ninety percent of the age-eligible Austrian youth would qualify.

If this were in the homeland, with these offered benefits, the ultimate criteria would certainly be starting with a university degree, possessing military honors, or being of nobility – typically qualifying under at least one of these conditions.

The colonies, naturally, couldn’t have such demands, but typically they would start with a secondary education requirement, or the threshold would be set for exceptional retired military personnel.

This time, there was almost no restriction, which wasn’t anything to be excited about; the lesser the restrictions, the more applicants there would be, and the competition would ultimately increase.

No one willing to go because conditions are bad? That’s because the price offered isn’t high enough. As long as you’re willing to spend the money, how could it be that no one is interested?

Based on these standards, not to mention 4,800 people, even 4.8 million could easily be found within Austria.

Of course, there wouldn’t nearly be that many willing to go to the African continent. The lowering of the recruitment standards by the South African Colonial Government was mainly influenced by the gold rush.

To ensure the stability of the administrative system, they set restrictive terms; once a contract was signed, it was obligatory to serve, and one couldn’t resign before the completion of the term.

This would certainly deter many. Africa was different from the homeland; if one was assigned to a region with harsh conditions, not being able to leave early would be unbearable for most.

Upon hearing the restriction, murmurs of discussion began continuously. Most people were merely there for the spectacle and showed little interest in this recruitment.

Yet there were also those whose interest was piqued, hoping to try their luck. In this era, the places with the harshest conditions often presented the biggest opportunities.

The colonial government wasn’t foolish; they would not set up administrative bodies in places without value. Over the past few years, Austro-Africa has developed very quickly, and many once-remote areas have leapt forward to become burgeoning cities.

With every major development, a batch of fortunate ones would rise. Ordinary people didn’t often get the chance to enter the ruling class; in domestic public service recruitment, having completed secondary education was merely the minimum requirement.

For most who had just finished compulsory education, this was still an unattainable dream. Geniuses would always be in the minority; ordinary people wanting to advance further had to rely on hard work and a fair bit of luck.

Stevie was one of them, the kind who wouldn’t stand out in a crowd. Coming from an ordinary working-class family, he did well in school but failed to gain admission to secondary school, instead going straight into factory work after completing mandatory education.

The daily grind was tough for the newly minted Stevie to adjust to. But reality left no room for caprice, and he diligently went about his days, clocking in and out of work.

Upon hearing the recruitment terms, Stevie’s eyes lit up. But he didn’t recklessly push through the crowd. Long-standing discipline had taught Austrians to queue and wait their turn.

Those who had finished reading the notice made way for others, and the queue moved in an orderly fashion. This was one of the outcomes of compulsory education; from the first day of school, they were taught to follow order, and over the years, this had become a well-established habit.

Time flew swiftly, and soon it was Stevie’s turn. He read the notice carefully, making sure he missed nothing, then Stevie’s heart grew restless.

Despise the African continent for its adverse conditions? Sorry, Stevie wasn’t in a position to be picky. Opportunities were scarce for the ordinary folk, and who was he to be choosy?

The homeland indeed offered better conditions, but the average Stevie had no advantage. The best outcome for staying would be to hone his skills, stepping up from an ordinary worker to a skilled technician. Climbing into the management tier was too difficult.

The best chance to stand out had already passed him by. His failure to advance in education meant he was destined to struggle for his daily bread from that moment on.

Daily toil was his lot in life, and talk of advancement was mere nonsense. Despite being at the cusp of the second industrial revolution, this had nothing to do with Stevie.

Without capital, connections, or ability, even when opportunity was visible, he had no means to seize it and make use of it.

Lucky individuals who shot to success through inventions and creativity appeared every year, but when you look at the whole of Austria, those chances were merely one in ten million.

Many restless young people chose to take the biggest gamble of their lives by venturing to the colonies.

Stevie had been prepared to do so, but his parents obstructed him. Their household was not wealthy, yet they got by, and naturally, his parents did not want him to go out and take risks.

In these times, merely wishing to immigrate to the colonies for a living was not highly dangerous, but seeking a fortune still required staking one’s life.

The mortality rate of adventurers had never been low; every year, Austria was littered with countless adventurers who fell midway in their quest for wealth; very few truly struck it rich, with most earning just a bit more than the average person.

There was no helping it, the golden age of colonization had come to an end. Now, expanding a colony was much more difficult than in the past.

Unless it was a remote backwater, most of the rich land had owners. Those lands where not even the costs of rule could be recovered, even if turned into colonies, could not expect returns—the reality was just that harsh.

Stevie saw this recruitment as an opportunity to turn his life around; even if the conditions were harsh and the prospects for promotion not great, it was still better than continuing to work in the factory, at least in terms of salary.

Many people harbored dreams, but few succeeded. For the average person, in any era, gaining an opportunity was extremely difficult.

…

In the Vienna Palace, the Habsburg family, immersed in joy, was holding a banquet. Perhaps it was the prospect of becoming a father, but Maximilian’s spirits were greatly improved.

Franz was absent. The Russians could not wait to act with Austria, and he had many matters to handle.

War was never child’s play; any ruler who underestimated war ultimately faced dire consequences.

The Russians had many enemies, from west to east; the landscape was littered with foes. If they wished to ally with Austria, then the target of their joint efforts was clear: either Prussia, Poland, or the Ottoman Empire.

This multiple-choice question was not easy to answer; it required weighing pros and cons and considering the impact on international affairs.

Franz first ruled out the Kingdom of Prussia; he did care about appearances. After all, the Kingdom of Prussia was also part of the German People, and colluding with outsiders against one’s own would not sit well with public opinion.

If he indeed took that action, Franz’s reputation in the Germany Region would be ruined. Nationalists would not recognize such a government, and the Prussians would not admit defeat.

This was a consequence of nationalism. When establishing the New Roman Empire, Franz had utilized nationalism and now had to bear the consequences.

Besides, the strategic location of the Kingdom of Prussia was too precarious; surrounded by enemies, with no defensible positions. If he were to occupy Prussia, he would have to be ready to face the entire world as enemies.

Regrettably, Franz was not prepared to make enemies of the whole world. As a member who benefited from the established world order, Austria had no need to challenge it.

What remained were Poland and the Ottoman Empire, necessitating careful consideration of their benefits and drawbacks. He must beware of being dragged into trouble by the Russians, potentially leading to a grand European conflict.

Limited by national power and transportation, in this era, major powers might not engage in wars of annihilation, but it was still possible for countries to decline due to warfare.

In the conference room, Franz, staring at the world map on the wall and with his back to everyone, asked, “The Russians want to ally with us, what do you think?”

It was true that Russia and Austria were allies, but that alliance did not extend to joint expansion. Both parties had completed the preliminary strategic transactions.

To continue the cooperation, communication was essential. Otherwise, it would be like during the Prusso-Russian war period, where the Russians instigated the war and Austria was happily doing its own thing on the side.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg stated, “Your Majesty, the European situation has just finally stabilized; if we ignite the flames of war, we will struggle to control its scale.

From the standpoint of interests, whether we move against the Ottoman Empire or act on Poland, the returns we could reap are very limited.

If we attack the Kingdom of Poland, the Prussians will inevitably get involved. If England and France insist on supporting Poland, the eventual enemies might well be England, France, and Prussia.

Even if the French need to digest the Italian Area and are not going to take military action, we would just be reenacting the scenario of our joint partition of Poland with Prussia and Russia.

Frankly, I do not think there is anything in the Kingdom of Poland that warrants our attention. Even if we make some gains, it will only be icing on the cake. The sole purpose, I suppose, would be to further exacerbate the Prusso-Russian conflict.

Moving against the Ottoman Empire would also yield little profit. Unless we join the Russians and eliminate them in one go, the benefits we could divide would inevitably be very limited.

Accomplishing this is nearly impossible; the Ottoman Empire remains a great power, and European nations will not sit by and watch us divide it.

The current Russian Empire no longer has its former dominance; faced with European interference, the pressure will likely fall on us in the end.”

Without a doubt, Weisenberg opposed starting a war at this time. Not only him, but many in the Vienna Government, including Franz, did not wish to launch a war just then.

But many situations cannot be resolved simply by not wanting to. If Austria remained inactive, many would have trouble sleeping.

One couldn’t simply say: “The Vienna Government loves peace and holds no ambition over Europe; everyone can sleep soundly.”

This statement, even Franz himself did not believe. “Ambition” is a very vague term; in many cases, power itself is ambition. As long as one has power, in the eyes of the outside world, they are perceived to have ambition, beyond any individual’s control.