Imperial Reform

After a period of diligent work, Laszlo finally escaped the busy political affairs that had plagued him since the end of the Swabian War.

This was largely thanks to his Queen Leonor, who, as the interim Regent of Austria, had taken on a considerable portion of Austrian affairs while he was on campaign.

His Privy Council meetings also played a significant role, managing Austria in an orderly fashion and relieving him of his worries.

Compared to the stable Austria, the situation in the eastern territories was not as calm.

Archbishop Veszter, the Regent of Hungary, had sent multiple petitions, hoping that Laszlo would visit Hungary again to discuss state affairs.

Although the new golden bull previously issued by Laszlo had abolished the restriction of personally convening a parliament every year, Laszlo's long-term neglect still caused concern and dissatisfaction among the Hungarian nobles.

Originally, Archbishop Veszter was able to withstand the pressure from the nobles for Laszlo and maintain stability in Hungary.

However, with the Saxon Army being transferred from Pressburg to join the Swabian War, many Hungarian nobles began to question the Emperor's decisions.

There were even rumors in Hungary claiming that the Emperor was implementing "tyranny" in Hungary.

These rumors were not unfounded.

According to the traditions of past composite monarchies, the army of the Kingdom of Hungary would generally not join Austrian wars to assist in combat.

After suppressing the Hunyadi rebellion, Laszlo seized the opportunity to announce the expansion of the Hungarian army, deploying the Saxon Army to western Hungary to consolidate his rule.

The Hungarian nobles, intimidated by the Emperor's military might, could only grudgingly acquiesce to the Emperor's minor actions.

Thereafter, the Saxon Army was maintained by the finances of the Kingdom of Hungary, greatly reducing the financial burden on Moravia, Austria, and Bohemia:

This was not a big problem for the Kingdom of Hungary after the tax reform.

Hundreds of thousands in tax increases allowed Hungary to easily support this suddenly added "Royal Standing Army."

However, when Laszlo transferred this army from Hungary and took it to Switzerland to participate in the war, some nobles who were already dissatisfied with the Emperor immediately began to incite hostile sentiments.

They accused the Emperor of unilaterally mobilizing the kingdom's army to assist Austria in the war without convening a parliament for discussion, violating the interests of all Hungarians.

This was the reason why the opponents accused Laszlo of implementing "tyranny."

However, although such calls made Regent Archbishop Veszter feel somewhat difficult to handle, they did not actually cause much public uproar within the Kingdom of Hungary.

No one in Transylvania, which had just been purged a few years ago, dared to criticize the Emperor's decision.

No one dared to say anything in the governorates fully controlled by the Emperor, such as Croatia, Slavonia, and Bosnia.

Some Slovak nobles whose interests were harmed, as well as opposition nobles in the south-central part of Hungary proper, were keen to advocate such disunifying rhetoric.

However, when the Saxon Army truly returned from Switzerland and re-entered Pressburg, those opposing voices quickly disappeared.

Laszlo was well aware that there must be a mastermind secretly instigating this.

However, with his current prestige and strength, he basically did not need to worry about the efforts of these rats in the gutter trying to overthrow his rule.

As for the petition sent by Archbishop Veszter, it was mostly out of his own will.

Laszlo had indeed not been to Budapest for a long time, which was not very beneficial for his rule in the Kingdom of Hungary.

Therefore, Veszter hoped that he could personally go to Budapest to respond to the long-awaited calls of the Hungarian people.

Unfortunately, although Laszlo was eager to go to Hungary to boost morale, he now had another, more important major issue that needed to be resolved.

Moreover, after the New Year, it would be Laszlo's tenth year of ruling Hungary.

His stable rule in Hungary was partly due to his prestige from repelling the Ottomans, partly due to his powerful army and illustrious military achievements, but certainly not due to submission to the Hungarians.

After the implementation of the new tax system, he was able to maintain a larger standing army in Hungary, which was his confidence in controlling Hungary.

Compared to Hungary, where trouble was temporarily unlikely, the Imperial Conference currently being prepared was more important.

Laszlo intended to use the lingering prestige from sweeping through Switzerland and the opportunity of the Elector of Saxony's succession to continue promoting his Imperial reform plan within the Empire.

This was a strategic plan he had set long ago, and naturally, he would not change it lightly.

Just on Christmas Day in 1464, Laszlo issued an edict in Vienna, announcing that a new round of the Imperial Diet would be convened in Regensburg at the end of February of the following year.

It was foreseeable that this conference would last much longer than previous Imperial Conferences, perhaps even for several years.

This time, Laszlo's determination to push for Imperial reform would not waver under any circumstances.

At the very least, he needed to establish proper governmental institutions within the Empire, taking the first step towards centralization.

In the first Privy Council meeting after Christmas, Laszlo and his ministers had an intense discussion on how to achieve this goal.

"Gentlemen, regarding the reform, although we have had some discussions before, at that time, the Empire had no possibility of achieving centralization,"

Laszlo's tone was full of confidence and pride,

"In recent years, through our unremitting efforts, the situation has finally turned in our favor.

Today I have gathered you here to formally discuss the specific matters of Imperial reform."

With that, Laszlo distributed the ultimate version of the Imperial reform plan, which was placed before him, to all the ministers present.

This was the final version he had produced, combining his own ideas with Pope Pius II's plan and some suggestions from Eyczing.

In terms of core ideas and reform direction, this plan was not very different from the previous one, but some of its details had been modified based on actual circumstances.

The so-called actual circumstances were some problems discovered after examining the Imperial district system implemented in Swabia and the Permanent Council system implemented in Northern Italy.

Imperial reform was a gradual process of improvement, and Laszlo did not expect to achieve it in one go.

But at least he should do better than Maximilian I in history, otherwise, he would not be worthy of his many years of planning and conquests.

The ministers took the reform plan issued by the Emperor and immediately began to read it.

Only Eyczing, because the drafting of this plan was mainly done by him, was already intimately familiar with its contents.

"Your Majesty, since Wenceslaus IV of the Luxembourg family, the Empire's chaos has been continuously increasing in the new century."

Eyczing suddenly stood up and began his performance before the Emperor and his colleagues.

"The Empire is deeply mired in the Hussite Wars and private wars among princes, and externally, it faces threats from powerful forces like France and the Ottoman.

At this time of internal and external troubles, Your Majesty stood out,

repelling the Ottoman in the Balkans, ending the Hussite in Bohemia, and repelling France in Northern Italy.

Furthermore, you have insisted on maintaining widespread peace within the Empire, allowing the princes to resort to Imperial law for their disputes.

The enlightened people within the Empire are now looking forward to you, the great monarch who has resolved multiple crises of the Empire, being able to establish a powerful rule and end all chaos within the Empire.

This is not only your wish and ours but also the common vision of many Imperial subjects."

After listening to Eyczing's flattery, the smile on Laszlo's lips could no longer be suppressed.

"This opening speech is well prepared, Eyczing," Laszlo, unable to hold back his smile, gave Eyczing a thumbs up, "It's just that the princes sitting in the Regensburg hall might not acknowledge it then."

Eyczing quickly waved his hand, bowing and replying to Laszlo: "Your Majesty, everything I said is true.

Moreover, your prestige within the Empire has even surpassed Charles IV, who was hailed as a great monarch.

Now, two-fifths of the Empire's land is under your direct rule, and your supporters are spread across a vast territory from the Low Countries to Vienna, from Pomerania to Northern Italy.

After suppressing the Swiss who resisted the Empire, your path to Imperial reform will be even smoother."

Upon hearing this, the ministers nodded in agreement.

The Archduke of Austria and the King of Bohemia, the two noblest titles in the Empire apart from the Emperor, were now concentrated in Laszlo's hands.

The crowns of the Eastern and Western Roman Empires were now also in his grasp.

Those princes who still wanted to prevent the Emperor from carrying out Imperial reform would have to weigh whether they could withstand the Emperor's wrath.

"Alright, let's talk about something practical. How about this reform plan?"

Laszlo's gaze swept over the ministers, wanting to hear if they had any suggestions for modification.

"Your Majesty, for this Imperial Supreme Court, do you intend to directly use the Court of the Empire in Vienna to act as the Supreme Court?"

Royal advisor Bessarion, who usually spoke little, was the first to speak this time, aiming at his area of expertise, law.

From the distribution of space in this reform plan, it could be seen that the Emperor did not pay much attention to the issue of Imperial legal norms.

Most of the reform plan revolved around establishing Imperial districts, organizing a standing Imperial Army, and collecting universal taxes.

Undoubtedly, Laszlo's greatest dream was to command a standing Imperial Army funded by the Imperial subjects.

This army would fight the Empire's enemies under his command and maintain the Empire's stability.

While this was certainly necessary, sound laws and a tightly structured judiciary could also bring stability to the Empire.

"In fact, my Court of the Empire has been acting as the Supreme Court all these years, and many people recognize this status quo."

Laszlo was not lying, because disputes in places like the Teutonic Order, Pomerania, and Mainz were initially appealed to the Court of the Empire in Vienna for trial.

Well, this was actually just a formality.

Regardless of whether Laszlo ultimately instructed the judges to pronounce judgments or mediate disputes, these conflicts eventually turned into wars.

From the Prussian War to the Mainz War, and then to the ongoing Pomeranian Succession War.

"Perhaps the legal efficacy of the Court of the Empire is not that strong," Bessarion quickly pointed this out, "In reality, the ruling of the Court of the Empire is merely equivalent to an edict from you.

Its ultimate result is to demonstrate the Emperor's stance, rather than truly reconcile conflicts."

"If courts and bailiffs were useful, there wouldn't be so many wars in this world.

Only an army armed to the teeth can truly maintain lasting peace!"

Marshal Adolf, Chairman of the Imperial Military Council, interrupted Bessarion, stating his focus.

"Your Majesty, perhaps we should try again to establish a standing Imperial Army in Swabia, and then promote it to other regions.

Your plan for establishing an Imperial mercenary system is certainly good, but I think we should still strive for it."

"Adolf, how could I not know this?" Laszlo sighed lightly, "However, to make the Imperial princes prioritize the public interest of the Empire over their personal interests is tantamount to asking for their lives.

The Swabian army, with its touching numbers and worrying quality, is their answer to me—to want an elite standing army provided by the princes is a pipe dream."

"Do you intend to rely on the Austrian army to maintain peace in the Empire?"

Adolf looked at the Emperor with some surprise; in his impression, the Emperor could not be so generous.

"How could that be!"

Laszlo shook his head, denying Adolf's statement, and then began to consider his suggestion about forming a standing Imperial Army.

"Your Majesty, establishing a standing Imperial Army is still feasible.

Although these armies are small in scale and poor in quality, their very existence demonstrates the authority of the Empire.

Based on the Imperial administrative district system and the permanent Imperial Diet system that you are determined to establish, it is actually not difficult to establish such an army.

The accompanying Imperial public tax system also complements the standing army system."

Eyczing's persuasion finally led Laszlo to decide to try again to establish a standing Imperial Army.

Similar to the Imperial public tax just mentioned, the standing Imperial Army was also based on the Imperial circles.

As for the central institutions of the Empire, Laszlo decided to establish the Imperial Diet and the Imperial Government.

Although he expressed in the plan his vision of controlling the entire Empire through the Imperial Government, whether such a reform could actually be implemented remained a mystery.

"Your Majesty, it seems that the Imperial Army does not possess the powerful might I imagined, and is insufficient to maintain long-term peace in the Empire."

Bessarion finally found an opportunity to re-address the topic that had just been interrupted.

"Perhaps you should consider jointly establishing an Imperial Supreme Court with the princes, especially the Electors, that is truly recognized and respected by the Imperial subjects."

Laszlo nodded slightly, acknowledging the legal expert's statement.

"But in that case, the judicial power of the Empire will inevitably be dispersed into the hands of the princes."

Georg, another ecclesiastical legal expert and Imperial Chancellor, voiced Laszlo's concern.

"The power of the Electors is still too great. Before we can end this damned system, we can only exchange their compromise for minor concessions."

Laszlo said somewhat helplessly, but he immediately regained his confidence.

"But no matter what, we hold an absolute advantage in strength, and there are many supporters among the Electors.

As long as we can implement Imperial reform and increase the centralization of the Empire, our efforts will not be in vain."

Within the Holy Roman Empire, which was already a scattered mess, any attempt at centralized reform could be seen as progress.

Historically, the reason why Maximilian I was forced by the Electors to agree to their farcical reform plan was fundamentally due to immense external pressure.

Facing numerous wars simultaneously with France, Hungary, and Italy prevented him from concentrating his efforts on promoting centralized reform.

Laszlo, however, was different. Laszlo had already dealt with his surrounding opponents, and two rebellious princes within the Empire had been executed as a warning.

Now there were still many powerful princes loyal to him within the Empire, and Laszlo was confident that his reforms would be effective.

After arranging numerous affairs in Austria, Laszlo once again bid farewell to his family and embarked on the journey to Regensburg.