Imperial Loyalists

With the end of the war, the last Imperial Army units gradually left the Central Highlands.

Although this battle consumed a lot, Laszlo's accumulated wealth over the years was enough to sustain it.

After leaving Switzerland and returning to Austria, Laszlo immediately began to busy himself with a large amount of post-war work.

First and foremost was to reward the warriors who had performed outstandingly in the war.

Some received land, money, and even knightly titles, thus becoming Austrian nobles overnight.

Others received commendations and promotions from the Emperor, subsequently taking on more important military positions.

As for the extremely rare Imperial titles, the Emperor had only bestowed them upon a handful of individuals in past wars, and no one received this honor this time.

The Emperor's generous rewards to the army quickly made the soldiers look forward to the next war.

Whether they were soldiers conscripted from Austria or Hungary, or Imperial mercenaries who had pledged allegiance to the Emperor, they were now all members of the Imperial Army loyal to the Emperor.

Any soldier who had sworn allegiance to the Emperor himself had the opportunity to achieve class advancement through their brave performance on the battlefield.

This was one of the driving forces that inspired countless brave warriors to fight with all their might for the Emperor and the Empire, disregarding their own lives.

In addition, the military pay distributed during the war was more than double that of peacetime.

No one disliked more money, especially those extravagant soldiers.

However, after the Swabian War ended, these soldiers, who had hoarded a lot of money in the Swiss mountains, should settle down for a while.

Once they ran out of money, they would start longing for the next war.

The generous rewards for the army were also laying the groundwork for another important task—recruiting soldiers to fill vacancies.

After the baptism of the Swabian War, the reputation of the Austrian Army now resounded throughout Europe.

Even the Swiss were defeated by this powerful army, which made more and more Imperial youths aspiring to join the army for a living hope to join the Austrian Army.

Good treatment and high salaries were secondary; the key was that everyone hoped to serve the Emperor.

This clearly reduced many difficulties for army replenishment.

Since the establishment of the Imperial Army, Laszlo had heavily relied on mercenary agencies to recruit soldiers within the Empire.

Mercenary Generals, represented by Gunter, commander of the Independent Army, and Werner, commander of the Saxon Army, held very mature channels.

In Swabia and Saxony, the mercenary agencies dispatched by the two Generals would quickly recruit a large number of mercenaries locally when the army needed rapid replenishment.

They might be landless knights, or even Imperial knights seeking fortune, as well as some wealthy citizens or propertied farmers.

These individuals had the financial means to equip themselves with weapons and armor, and they had the desire to join the army; coupled with the Imperial Army's golden reputation, the two groups quickly formed a stable connection.

Such a connection constituted an invisible human resource pool that Laszlo controlled, also known as the Imperial Human Resource Pool.

The Emperor's good name was that when he was powerful enough, the subjects of the Empire would truly regard him as an Emperor, not a mascot. In the eyes of these aspiring mercenaries eager to achieve merit, serving the Emperor was far better than seeking a foreign monarch who might not treat them as human beings.

Just like in the original timeline, when France and Spain were fighting fiercely, Emperor Maximilian issued a decree, directly recalling all German mercenaries serving the rival French King.

As long as the Emperor's prestige was high enough and he could gain the recognition of the Imperial subjects, such a thing could be achieved.

This was undoubtedly a very convenient method, and Laszlo even hoped to establish a regular mercenary system within the Empire.

Because the pilot experiment for the construction of a standing army system in the Swabian Imperial Circle had almost failed, Laszlo was now prepared to settle for the next best option.

However, regarding the construction of the Habsburg army, he now had some different ideas.

Even setting aside the Empire's vast reserve of soldiers, recruiting new recruits within the territories under Laszlo's rule alone to replenish the army was completely feasible.

With over ten million people, the only issue would be the presence of multiple languages within the army, which in the cold weapon era could hardly be called a problem.

Even if recruitment was limited to Austria, with over two million people, recruiting a few thousand strong men would be effortless.

After these soldiers were trained in Vienna Neustadt and then equipped with weapons and armor from Graz and Milan, they could form a fighting force within two months.

In the past, Laszlo had always mixed these two methods, allowing the army to quickly replenish its losses in a short period.

He often pondered whether he should make a choice between them.

While the former was faster, it cost more money, whereas the latter, though having a longer replenishment cycle, had the advantage of being cheaper and the domestic soldiers being more reliable.

After much deliberation, Laszlo finally decided to adopt the second conscription system as Austria's primary replenishment mechanism, with the first method only being used in special circumstances.

He had been unable to make up his mind after past wars, but this time he finally issued clear instructions.

Austrian recruiting officers no longer traveled throughout the Empire, seeking experienced mercenaries to join the Imperial Army.

Instead, they went deep into the Austrian countryside, especially the Tyrol region, to recruit young people eager to serve their country or idle vagrants.

These individuals were quickly taken in batches to Venetia, Graz, and Pressburg, where they would receive Imperial-issued equipment, undergo training, and then join the various Austrian armies.

As for Laszlo's Imperial Guard, this army had another unique set of selection criteria, prioritizing loyal Austrian noble offspring.

After arranging the most important military affairs, Laszlo did not forget the post-war recovery of the new territories.

It was the usual process: tax-free immigration all the way. In reality, the main object requiring reconstruction aid was Zurich.

After the war, Zurich had only two thousand inhabitants left, which was only one-sixth of its population during its peak.

Since it was meant to be an outpost fortress to restrict the Swiss, Laszlo did not wish for Zurich to be too weak.

Therefore, he decided to relocate some Austrians there to revitalize the once largest city in Switzerland.

The greatest gains from this war, besides capturing Zurich and dismembering the Swiss Confederation, was the complete opening of communication between the Austrian homeland and Outer Austria.

Now, the border status of Outer Austria could largely be abolished, as there were no longer any hostile forces around that could threaten its territory.

However, Laszlo still maintained the military nobility system in Outer Austria, merely strengthening his control over regional judicial power.

In any case, Outer Austria remained the closest part to France, and a certain military presence had to be maintained for unforeseen circumstances.

Before returning to Vienna, Laszlo specifically summoned the three lords of Baden and Württemberg in Constance.

The atmosphere of this meeting was somewhat somber. Laszlo hosted a dinner to entertain them.

The fatigue from months of campaigning still lingered on the faces of Marquess Karl of Baden and Count Eberhard V of Württemberg-Urach.

And Count Eberhard VI of Württemberg-Stuttgart, who had recently inherited his title and taken the opportunity to pay respects to the Emperor in Constance, was still in low spirits.

Both Eberhards were dressed in black, mourning the 'Revered' Count Ulrich who had died on the battlefield.

Laszlo could only offer them a few words of comfort, praising Count Ulrich's loyalty and bravery.

If he hadn't been ambushed by the unscrupulous Swiss, Ulrich could have continued to serve Laszlo in the future.

It was a pity. As a rare capable General among the Imperial princes, he died inexplicably at the hands of mountain people. Laszlo could only lament the capriciousness of fate.

Thinking this, his gaze unconsciously shifted to the Margrave of Baden, who was sitting aside and drinking in silence.

The truly useless ones continue to live well, while the capable ones die one after another, earlier than the last.

However, there was a reason why the Margrave of Baden survived.

He had a fierce General under him, Rudolf von Baden, who was the head of the Baden-Hachberg branch.

This branch was the other of the two surviving branches of the Baden family. Due to its smaller territory, it was subservient to its kinsman, the Margrave of Baden.

Laszlo had met that powerful General once. He had saved the Margrave of Baden's life during multiple collapses of the Baden army.

One can only say that some people are born lucky. This time, the Margrave of Baden also acquired some land.

Laszlo had originally allocated some Swiss territory to him, but the Margrave of Baden hoped to exchange it for some Austrian territory in Breisgau.

After agreeing to pay a few thousand florins in compensation, Laszlo ceded a portion of Outer Austria's enclaves in Swabia to the Margrave of Baden. Now, the Margrave of Baden was the most powerful prince in the Swabia region besides Austria.

Although his wife came from the Habsburg imperial family, Laszlo still did not want to see a situation where one power dominated a region.

This was also one of the purposes of his banquet for them.

However, this banquet, which should have celebrated the victory of the war, could not be enjoyed due to the poor performance of the Swabians in the war.

The Margrave of Baden, who dispatched the most troops, lost one-third of his military strength, and Württemberg even lost a Count.

However, for Laszlo, these two events, in theory, were enough to rank alongside the defeat of the Swiss as the three greatest gains of this war.

Of course, he would not reveal his innermost thoughts.

To ease the atmosphere, Laszlo decided to say something to lift the spirits of the important Swabian princes.

"My dear lords, you are all trustworthy and loyal servants of the Empire, models for the Imperial princes," Laszlo said, raising his glass to the three, "Although we encountered some misfortunes in our battles with the Swiss, there is no insurmountable difficulty in this world, and we ultimately defeated the rebellious mountain people.

Cheer up, and let us celebrate this great victory together."

Count Eberhard VI, who had lost his father, scoffed at the Emperor's words in his heart.

This war could only be described as a victory for the Emperor and his allies; they were merely irrelevant individuals dragged into it.

Although his family had also received a lot of new territories and privileges in return, he would rather not have these lands, and his father would never return.

Despite his immense reluctance, he, along with the two war veterans, raised his glass in response to the Emperor.

"To victory!"

The few of them drained the fine wine in their cups and began to focus on the meeting before them.

If a special victory banquet were held, the Emperor's guests would certainly not be limited to just them.

In other words, there was a hidden motive for the Emperor to summon them this time.

"From the Mainz War to this Swabian War, your performances have not disappointed me."

This was a lie. The Margrave of Baden, in Laszlo's eyes, was a complete liability, but considering that he had suffered hardships even if he had no merits, Laszlo decided not to dwell on it.

"In view of this, I have decided to bestow special rewards upon some of you, as a return for your loyalty to me, your Emperor.

And also to set an example for those unruly princes in the Empire, so that they may uphold their duties as Imperial princes."

As soon as Laszlo finished speaking, the Margrave of Baden almost immediately understood.

His gaze was fixed on the Emperor, and his expectant look made Laszlo feel a little embarrassed.

Every time something good happened, this guy, who always held him back, would immediately cling to him.

It was as if every time he suffered so much and endured so many beatings, the reward was his due.

If it weren't for the intermarriage between their families and Laszlo's need to establish an example of Imperial loyalty, how could such a good thing fall to the Margrave of Baden?

On the other side, the two Eberhard brothers were still in the dark, completely unaware of the promotion in title.

"Marquess Karl of Baden, and Count Eberhard of Württemberg-Urach, in recognition of your merits, I hereby elevate your titles to Imperial Duke.

This promotion resolution and edict will be announced at the next Imperial Conference, and I will hold a promotion ceremony for you in front of the Imperial princes."

"Is… is this true?"

Count Eberhard V, only twenty years old, was filled with disbelief.

On the other side, the Margrave of Baden, having anticipated it, quickly recovered from his ecstasy and respectfully replied, "Thank you for Your Majesty's grace."

Count Eberhard V also quickly expressed his gratitude to Laszlo.

"Count Eberhard of Württemberg-Stuttgart, you and your father are also great contributors to the Empire.

Therefore, I specially permit you to succeed your father's position as the Deputy Governor and Military Commander of Swabia."

"Thank you for Your Majesty's recognition."

Count Eberhard VI, who had been feeling a bit neglected, suddenly had most of his grievances dissipate.

Instead, the joy of Count Eberhard V, who was about to be promoted to Duke, was significantly diluted.

He looked at Laszlo, opened his mouth as if to say something, but then understood that the Emperor had his own considerations, and ultimately remained silent.

However, just the title of Duke sparked some other thoughts in his mind.

"You two brothers should work together to strengthen the Württemberg family. I believe Ulrich's spirit in heaven will also be pleased."

Laszlo subtly hinted at the two Eberhards, but those present apparently only took his words as comfort.

Only Count Eberhard V felt that he seemed to have grasped the Emperor's meaning.

During the latter half of the banquet, Laszlo discussed some major events occurring within the Empire with them and inquired about their opinions on Imperial reforms.

As the only pilot administrative region of the Empire outside of the Habsburg territories, they had actually taken a significant step forward on the path of Imperial reform.

Therefore, the three of them expressed their utmost loyalty to the Emperor, promising to support the Emperor's reforms at the Imperial Conference.

After the banquet, Laszlo had largely finished his affairs in Swabia and immediately set off to return to Vienna.

On the way, he received an expected piece of news.

Count Eberhard V and Count Eberhard VI announced the reunification of the territories of the two Württemberg family branches, with Count Eberhard V serving as the ruler.

In exchange, Count Eberhard V designated Count Eberhard VI as his heir.

If Count Eberhard V had no offspring in the future, the entire Württemberg family would be inherited by his cousin, Count Eberhard VI.

Of course, in practice, the two families still adopted a divided rule, merely presenting a united front to the outside world.

In this way, the Württemberg family and the Baden family, the two great powers of Swabia, once again stood on the same level, and Laszlo's balancing strategy was once again a great success.