Chapter 71: Reform Through Stealth

```

Croatia

After Kossuth issued the Declaration of Independence of Hungary, many Croatian nobles hesitated over the issue of joining the Hungarian Republic or staying within the Austrian Empire.

However, reality soon forced them to make a decision, as the Hungarian provisional government excluded Croatians from the scope of power, sparking discontent among the local nobility.

In the Croatian region, the vast majority of the land was controlled by the great Hungarian nobility, who looked down upon the Croatian "country bumpkins." Local middle and minor nobility were cut off from the Hungarian nobility.

This provided the Vienna Government with an opportunity, and Franz took the initiative to show goodwill to the local middle and minor nobility, promising them a share in the future Austrian government.

Specifically, this meant the establishment of an Austrian National Union to act on behalf of the parliament, in which 2 to 5 seats would be allocated to Croatian representatives.