Chapter 5: Swiss Mercenaries
"Regardless of the military's willingness, Austria's disarmament resolution was determined. The government shifted its focus from the military to local construction.
On top of that, the more critical national policy was compulsory education. To motivate bureaucrats, Franz decided to implement an evaluation system.
That is: linking the effectiveness of compulsory education to the promotion of officials.
The core of this is the promotion of the Austrian language. After all, the purpose of this compulsory education is not pure. It's mainly for the unification of language and culture, laying the foundation for national integration.
"Have the assets bought from the church been accounted for?" Franz asked with concern.
Finance Minister Karl replied, "Your Majesty, we are still counting. Many assets are intertwined and difficult to evaluate.
We've initially counted about 4.78 million hectares of land, including arable land, forest, grassland, etc.; 386 mines, including gold, silver, copper, iron, coal, etc.; and real estate, shops, residences..."
Franz nodded. These assets were indeed hard to evaluate. Cash and antiques had long been divided up by the clergy.
Even if there were remaining artworks, they were in churches, and the Austrian government wouldn't take them.
Much of these immovable assets became private property of certain clergy, but under the pressure of the Austrian government, they had to surrender them.
They had no choice in the matter; these assets couldn't be hidden. If they didn't give them up, they'd have to serve as suicide squads in the Papal States.
"Slowly tally the value of these assets. First, estimate the annual income. How much is it?" Franz asked.
"It's around 80 million shillings. This income is stable and won't change much," Karl answered.
This number did not surprise anyone. Religions have always been wealthy, especially the monotheistic system in Europe. The church often had more wealth than governments.
They had many privileges, such as tax exemptions for church properties and control over donations.
This was after the religious revolution. In the Middle Ages, the church controlled most of Europe, with kings and emperors subordinate to them.
"What about the tithe?" Franz continued.
By the mid-19th century, the Austrian tithe was not exclusive to the church. Monarchs and nobles shared the benefits.
After it was changed to an education surcharge, the money went directly to the Ministry of Finance.
The tithe originated in the Old Testament and has persisted. It's mainly for agricultural products, like grains, fruits, livestock, etc.
The fixed rate is 10%. As far as Franz knew, even in the 21st century, some places still collected this tax.
The French abolished it first during the 18th-century revolution. European countries gradually eliminated it in the 19th century, and the British until 1936.
"Your Majesty, Austria's tithe is between 80 million to 100 million shillings. Considering the real situation, we probably can't change it directly to an education surcharge," Karl pondered.
"Why?" Franz asked.
"Your Majesty, since compulsory education benefits all Austrian citizens, if we impose an education surcharge, it's only on land-owning farmers and nobles, which is unfair," Karl reminded.
Franz quickly understood. The name of a tax cannot be changed carelessly, considering its societal impact.
If changed to an education surcharge, it must be collected from all sectors, or the nobles wouldn't pay taxes honestly, leading to societal conflicts.
If Austria imposed this on all sectors, other taxes would have to be reduced, surpassing their economic capacity.
Although superficially flexible, in practice, it's difficult. Those unable to bear this tax would be the working class. Their limited income was just relieved; another surcharge would revert them.
Franz wouldn't risk that, losing hard-won public support.
"What does the Ministry of Finance suggest to avoid this problem?" Franz inquired.
Karl thought and said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Finance suggests that the clergy continue collecting the tithe, without changing its name, but under our supervision.
We can ask the Pope to issue an order, transferring all Austrian tithes to the government as educational funds."
So, the Austrian government intends to make the Vatican their subordinate, letting them bear all the grievances.
Franz pondered, "Alright, let's shelve the education surcharge issue and let the church continue collecting the tithe."
He couldn't find a reason to refuse. For Austria's compulsory education, it's best to let the church carry on.
God can handle some resentment. Having collected for centuries, a few more decades wouldn't hurt.
When the Austrian government becomes wealthy, they'll find a reason to abolish it.
Not only the Catholic Church was targeted by the Austrian government, but other churches were affected too.
However, these churches weren't mainstream and lacked influence and wealth. They didn't warrant Franz's attention.
...
On November 2, 1848, at the invitation of Pope Pius IX, the Austrian government dispatched 80,000 troops to mediate internal power disputes within the Papal States.
Naturally, this action was opposed by the bourgeoisie reactionary regime. Anti-Austrian sentiments surged again in Italy. Numerous nationalists gathered in Rome, hoping their actions would deter the Austrian forces.
In the end, Pope Pius IX ordered an attack, and the brave Austrian army sent these nationalists to meet their maker.
On November 7, 1848, the Austrian forces launched an attack on the reactionary regime, killing over 8,000 on the spot and capturing more than 30,000. This dealt a heavy blow to Italian nationalists, both physically and morally.
The stronghold of Italian nationalism was in the Kingdom of Sardinia, which unfortunately had been subdued by Austria. The backbone of nationalist suffered greatly.
The government of Charles Albert, which had just returned to Sardinia, was now terrified and dared not act recklessly anymore.
To maintain their power, they tried to ally with the British while suppressing radicals at home, fearing any provocation might bring catastrophe from Austria.
Disappointed Italian nationalists fled to Rome, plotting their last stand, hoping to retain their final stronghold.
The outcome was tragic. When Pope Pius IX returned to Rome, his first action was to suppress these nationalists.
Pius IX was willing to unify Italy, but under the condition that it was led by the Papal States. If that couldn't be achieved, preserving the Papal States was the utmost priority.
Among the Italian states, the Kingdom of Sardinia was the most powerful and developed. Many nationalists supported Sardinia.
In the eyes of Pius IX, this was a betrayal, as despicable as the revolutionaries. Now with Austria's support, he was ready to take drastic measures.
While bloodshed might not resolve all issues, it certainly was an effective way to physically eliminate enemies. After the bloody suppression, the situation in Rome stabilized.
After recapturing Rome, the Papal forces naturally leaned towards Pius IX, and there was no further need for Austrian intervention.
While in Vienna, Franz suggested to Pius IX that he disband part of his army and use the saved expenses to hire Swiss guards to ensure the safety of the Papal States.
This had precedent. Swiss mercenaries were known throughout Europe for their combat skills and often took on tasks to defend or attack certain nations.
From the 16th century onwards, the Papal Guard was Swiss, earning respect through their actions.
In 1789, at the Palace of Versailles, 138 Swiss mercenaries swore to defend Louis XVI to the death, with none choosing to flee.
Having experienced a coup, Pope Pius IX naturally found the idea appealing. He would've been skeptical had German mercenaries been suggested, but Swiss mercenaries posed no such concerns.
Under Franz's influence, from that point on, the defenders of Rome would be the battle-hardened Swiss mercenaries, not Italians.
With these mercenaries, the authority of Pope Pius IX greatly strengthened.
Other armies might sympathize or even support revolutionaries, but these foreign Swiss mercenaries had no interest in revolution.
Of course, that was for the future. The Pope's Swiss Guard hadn't been established yet, and his current security was still ensured by the Austrian army.
...
Vatican
A cardinal exclaimed, "Your Holiness, we've contacted three Swiss mercenary regiments willing to serve us, totaling over two thousand men."
Pius IX nodded in satisfaction. Swiss mercenaries might be expensive, but they were worth the price, far superior to the local Papal forces.
He pondered how different history might have been if King Louis XVI had not 138, but 1,380 Swiss guards, or if King Louis-Philippe had a regiment of them. Would the revolutions have turned out differently?
Pius IX realized that if he had had two thousand Swiss mercenaries in the past, the revolutionaries would've been easily crushed, and he wouldn't have had to flee.
His thoughts wandered, and he seemed to forget that needing foreign protection indicated a failure of governance, a profound mistrust of one's subjects.
Regardless, this was not a concern for him. His papal reign wouldn't be hereditary, so as long as he was comfortable, why worry about his successor?
Pius IX ordered, "Finalize the contracts quickly and have them immediately stationed in Rome. And keep in touch with more Swiss regiments. Over two thousand is just one regiment's strength; we need more to defend the Papal States."
The cardinal asked, "Your Holiness, are the Austrians withdrawing?"
"Yes, General Edmund has been urging us to form a loyal army. They wish to return home for Christmas," the Pope said with a smile.
Having Austrian forces suppress the rebellion was concerning, as Pius IX feared they might overstay their welcome. Fortunately, they willingly chose to leave, much to his relief.
Their discipline and respectful behavior impressed him. Even their looting was organized and disciplined.
The collaboration with Vienna went smoothly. The Austrian commander, General Edmund, treated him with utmost respect, causing no troubles.