Chapter 10: A Beautiful Misunderstanding

On December 12, 1848, the civil service examination that had a profound impact on Austria began registration. This marked a fundamental change in the way Austria selected its talents.

Although this exam was still an internal competition among the nobility, having competition was better than no competition.

Here, declining nobles got a chance to return to the center of power, and the Austrian government gained their support again.

Government agencies, state-owned enterprises, teachers, and other positions offered nearly 130,000 jobs to the public. More than 186,000 people registered for the exam.

If this competition rate were in later generations, many people would probably be overjoyed. However, in this era, many still complained about the pressure.

Inside a small tavern in Vienna, a young man in his twenties complained, "Damn, Raul, do you know what the Ministry of Finance is up to this time? We've entered the second round, why is there still an exam?"

"Come on, Wigel. Everyone knows we got into the second round without an exam. I heard that over 8,000 people have applied for the Ministry of Finance, but only 876 positions are available. That's a 10-to-1 pass rate. How else do you eliminate the majority without testing? If you're afraid of competition, you can apply to be a primary school teacher. There are more positions there and fewer applicants." Raul took a sip of wine, grinning.

He wasn't afraid of exams. He was an excellent student in school and was more confident than his friend Wigel.

Cheat on the exam? It wouldn't even cross one's mind. Who could stand the fallout from a bunch of disgruntled nobles?

"If you have strong connections, you would have joined the civil service long ago. Why bother competing here?"

"Forget it, I don't want to waste my days in the countryside, without bars or friends. It would be the death of me!" Wigel shook his head.

Compared to power departments, the education department's teacher recruitment was a tragedy. Many were appalled at the idea of teaching in the countryside.

They planned to recruit 50,000 teachers, but less than 20,000 applied. To recruit enough teachers, the education department had to build schools on the outskirts of towns.

After all, the government bore all the costs of compulsory education. Boarding might be an option.

In most areas, the government seized a lot of property from the rebels, which could be converted into schools.

Still, not many people applied to be primary school teachers. In the end, the education department had to reduce the number of recruitments.

Compulsory education couldn't be implemented nationwide overnight. It would take time to promote gradually. There was time to train more teachers.

"Then we just have to compete. The most competitive position, the Senate Secretary, is only recruiting two people, but over 800 have applied, and the number is still increasing. God, the odds are less than one in four hundred. I have to admire their courage." Raul exaggeratedly said.

Another man nearby interjected, "What's so strange about that? The Senate Secretary serves the cabinet, constantly around big shots. Their future prospects are much brighter. Everyone wants a shortcut to success. If by some fluke they get in, they've hit the jackpot. If not, they've just wasted a little registration fee."

"In that case, I'm kind of tempted. After all, not all departments have exams at the same time. It's worth a shot." Raul pondered.

...

This time, the civil service examination was not conducted uniformly. Different departments had different talent needs, and Franz didn't plan on recruiting a group of all-rounders.

As a result, the recruitment conditions varied by department. Some departments faced intense competition, conducting both written tests and interviews, while others had too few applicants and couldn't afford to be selective, only requiring basic qualifications. Since this was the first examination, nobody knew what would be tested. Applicants were anxious, with no clear direction for last-minute preparations.

Not only were the candidates clueless, but even the government departments overseeing the exams were somewhat puzzled. Everyone lacked experience and had to refer to foreign talent selection systems for guidance.

At that time, the most popular system in Europe was still based on favoritism. Austria was leading the way globally by breaking away from this system. Interestingly, the examination system in Austria most closely resembled the imperial examination system of the Qing Dynasty in China. If there had been more time, the Austrian cabinet would have even considered sending a delegation to study it.

In the end, it was Franz who personally offered guidance. Although he had never overseen a civil servant exam, he had taken many in his past life and had ample experience being eliminated.

At the Schönbrunn Palace, Prime Minister Felix said with a frown, "Your Majesty, for this civil service examination, we offered 128,939 positions, with a total of 589,656 applicants. Many individuals applied to multiple departments, and nearly 35,000 positions, mainly in education, went unapplied for."

Austria's civil service exam wasn't as segmented as it would be in the internet age. Applicants applied to ministries, and the exact positions were determined based on actual conditions after the exams. For example, those who applied to the Tax Department might end up in Vienna, Croatia, or even as a tax inspector traveling around the country.

Hearing about the numerous unapplied positions, Franz rubbed his forehead. He had consolidated all recruitment into the ministries to avoid this very issue. He hadn't expected the shortage of applicants even after that. He briefly considered redistributing applicants from other departments but decided against it, believing that forcing roles would create resentment and compromise the integrity of the government workforce.

"For positions that no one applied for, we can cancel them and train people ourselves. I suspect that even if they pass the exam, many won't want to go to remote areas. If they don't want to go, we shouldn't force them. Don't we have demobilized soldiers? The noble youths might disdain these remote positions, but surely the soldiers won't?"

Regarding applicants who applied for multiple positions, Franz was understanding. He too had once wished for multiple opportunities and choices. However, this practice increases the workload for the recruitment departments. Nevertheless, since the government hadn't clarified this rule beforehand, they had to take responsibility and accommodate the additional workload.

...

The government abruptly canceled over 35,000 positions, bringing the exam-to-post ratio up to 2:1, making the competition seem rather fierce.

While various recruitment units were still fretting over setting questions, European public opinion was already in an uproar. Mainstream media outlets expressed diverse opinions, with both support and opposition. In any case, Austria's civil service exam had become the focal point of European society.

Engels published an article in the Rheinische Zeitung, fully affirming the Austrian government's civil service examination system.

The reason was straightforward: while the Austrian government's eligibility criteria excluded the bourgeoisie, they did not restrict the working class or the peasantry. Theoretically, as long as they met the educational requirements, they could be selected into the government system.

Considering Austria's recent proposition for compulsory education, many socialists believed that the Austrian government was actively reforming, preparing to incorporate the working class into the government.

Well, this beautiful misunderstanding was something Franz wasn't going to correct; having more supporters was always a good thing.

As an emperor, what he needed were loyal individuals who met a certain standard of loyalty to help him manage the country. Their backgrounds didn't matter.

It can be said that different countries, given their specific situations, adopt varied employment mechanisms. In Austria, there was a reliance on the nobility, whereas in England and France, the bourgeoisie could also be the pillars of the state.

This was determined by the social environment. In a burgeoning country without an entrenched nobility or a strong bourgeoisie, the working class and the peasantry could equally serve as the nation's backbone.

Blindly reforming and turning one's back on the class that supports oneself would be misguided. Wang Mang from Chinese history serves as an apt example of such folly.