At the sa ti, as rebellions in Milan and Venice were being brought under control, the Austrian Empire was also enforcing public order very strictly. Firstly, a huge number of mbers of independence organizations were apprehended in Hungary before several heretical organizations were obliterated.
Just in one month, more than 150,000 people had been arrested and it was enough for Franz to quickly call a halt to it. It would have affected the countrys economic progress adversely if it had continued to escalate.
Nevertheless, individuals and social groups that were suspected of involvent in the rebellion or with inclinations towards independence still couldnt go scot-free.
Their background was already tarnished, and the governnt could always find charges if it wanted to. As pri targets, this group would not even qualify for exile to the colonies but would join the road-building army instead.
The railway project spanning over 90,000 kiloters was not just a re plan. Technological progress has made what appeared ludicrous a few years back now possible.
With the rapid economic developnt, many railway lines that initially lacked economic value turned profitable. After sustaining losses for over a decade, the Austrian railway company finally managed to turn the tide.
By this ti, the Austrian governnt had beco the largest shareholder. Naturally, contracts previously signed with the governnt still needed to be fulfilled, and the essence of the bundled business model had never changed.
In 1865, the railway mileage in the new Holy Roman Empire totaled 58,000 kiloters and was built at the expense of many batches and groups of free laborers working to exhaustion.
Under normal circumstances, there werent as many criminals to fill the ranks; the number of people joining the road-building army each year was far less than the consumption.
After the 1848 revolutions, the number of labor reform troops once surpassed the threshold of 450,000, but then gradually declined annually, now totaling less than 100,000.
After all, not all criminals would be sent there; basically, as long as it didnt involve rebellion and the sentence was less than five years, most were banished to the colonies.
The road-building army was composed mainly of serious offenders whose threat to society was too great for exile to the colonies hence unified managent was better.
Franz would never send political prisoners or nationalists to the colonies. Who knew if they would cause trouble there?
If these miscellaneous ideologies spread to the colonies, wouldnt that increase the cost of governance? Franz would never willingly invite trouble.
However, apart from the 1848 revolutions, these dangerous elents dwindled. Those entering the road-building army were no longer insurgents but rather ordinary serious offenders, resulting in a sudden decrease in their numbers.
Only eight thousand individuals were added each year, which simply couldnt keep up with consumption. This wasnt because the construction companies were exploiting them and disregarding casualties; in fact, everyone valued this free labor force.
The main factor was the limited dical technology of the era. One could hardly expect the Austrian governnt to provide doctors for criminals. Those who fell ill either recovered on their own or t their maker prematurely.
Austrias average life expectancy had just surpassed the age of 40. Most individuals entering prison were adults, and after experiencing over a decade of prison life, how many could survive?
To address the shortage of cheap labor and reduce the cost of railway construction, the Ministry of Railways proposed to the governnt last year to import indentured laborers from Africa, but Franz vetoed this idea.
In order not to shoot himself in the foot, Franz never did such a thing, which would have many consequences.
In a sense, this rebellion not only resolved internal hidden dangers and contributed to the long-term stability of Austria but also tackled the issue of insufficient cheap labor in railway construction.
Compared to this, the wealth confiscated was barely worth ntioning. Austria was no longer the impoverished nation it once was, and such a small amount of wealth mattered little now.
Investigations continued, and apart from Lombardy-Venetia where the rebellion erupted, making resolution simpler there, individuals implicated in other regions required solid evidence for conviction.
As an enforcer of the rules, Franz adhered to them as well. Under the circumstances, he would naturally act according to the rules.
However, mbers of the Hungarian Independence Organization and Italian revolutionaries were individuals who were bonafide insurgents and did not require in-depth investigation.
They would either be executed or thrown into the road-building army for lifelong reform. Undoubtedly, since railway construction now lacked manpower, they would fortuitously avoid execution.
The main instigators of the rebellion have fled, leaving behind accomplices who can be considered as ones who were coerced. In the spirit of cooperation, there is no need to resort to extre asures.
If needed in the future, everyone can always try to rebel again. Politics is inherently about employing all ans necessary to enforce the law, which is much more sophisticated than outright framing and entrapnt.
Pri Minister Felix stated, Your Majesty, in the Milan rebellion, a total of 461 insurgents were killed and 2,986 insurgents were apprehended; in the Venice rebellion, 296 insurgents were killed, and 3,128 insurgents were captured, which can be described as a splendid achievent.
Unfortunately, all the ringleaders escaped, and we only managed to arrest a few minor figures, failing to completely eliminate the Hungarian independence organization.
Most of the captured insurgents are Italian rcenaries, with approximately 2,518 of them committing the cri of crossing the border, and another 864 being local rcenaries.
The remaining over two thousand insurgents mostly provided funding and intelligence support to the revolutionary party. The influx of so many rcenaries into the region was also facilitated by these individuals.
Undoubtedly, this was a foregone conclusion, pinning all bla on the rebels while the Austrian governnts behind-the-scenes actions would forever remain buried in history.
In the wake of this operation, not a soul in the Austrian-controlled Italian territories dared to challenge the Austrian governnt. The handful that managed to slip through the net were hailed in the press as heroes for reporting on the rebels.
Even if just to save their own lives, they had to uphold Austrian rule. If the Austrian-controlled Italian territories gained independence, how could these traitors possibly live well?
Traitors were always more loathso than enemies a truth that spans from East to West. Every Italian revolutionary organization stood in opposition to them.
This is the cost of betrayal; one must always bear responsibility for their wrongdoing. Since mistakes were made earlier, now its ti to pay the price.
A single report letter could not prove their loyalty. Only by becoming traitors within the revolutionary parties, tying themselves to the Austrian governnts war chariot, could the matter be settled.
Franz said calmly, Have the judiciary convict them as soon as possible and then send them to the road-building army. The Ministry of Railways has complained more than once about manpower shortages. Lets not keep them waiting.
What about other regions? I recall that this operation resulted in the arrest of over a hundred thousand individuals. Yet, its only a fraction. How were the other hundreds of thousands apprehended?
Pri Minister Felix explained, Your Majesty, the arrest of over a hundred thousand suspects dont all pertain to the rebellion.
Currently, evidence is still being gathered and reviewed. A significant portion of these individuals were not arrested for rebellion; they were apprehended by the police due to other issues uncovered during the investigations.
Apart from the heavily affected Italian region, in Hungary, we also arrested over two hundred core mbers of the independence organization and over five hundred individuals suspected of rebellion.
As the Hungarian rebellion was suppressed before it could fully unfold, it would take so ti for convictions to be determined.
In other dostic regions, a total of 183 individuals suspected of rebellion were arrested. Due to insufficient evidence, their charges have yet to be officially determined.
This explanation relieved Franz if so many truly wanted rebellion, his reign would be unstable.
The facts proved that rebels were few. This was the result of entrapnt; otherwise, the number could have been lower still.
Upon careful examination, after deducting the hired rcenaries, the actual number of dangerous individuals inclined towards rebellion was probably only 2,000-3,000. This was vastly different from the total number of arrests.
These individuals might not necessarily be plotting rebellion; most were likely coerced into it. Its just that their political ideologies were misled, causing them to stand against the Austrian governnt.
Franz pondered for a mont before saying, Then, according to the original plan, continue investigating these suspects. Everything must be done according to the law.
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