The passion of the pilgrimage could not be stopped. After staying in Venice for a day, everyone was rejuvenated. The next day, they started a new journey.
Due to seasickness, Franz did not like to travel around. Even the Austrian royal family did not have a special cruise ship. This time, they directly borrowed a luxury passenger ship from the royal shipping company.
Although it was a luxury passenger ship, it still looked a little shabby with such a large family.
There was no other way. There was too little time. The coronation date had been set long ago. It would only take three to four months. Even if the shipyard could complete the task, Franz did not dare to take a ship that was in a rush.
The core members of the House of Habsburg were all on board. If an accident happened, they would all be lost. This was a risk that could not be taken.
At first, Franz planned to take a warship. It was safe, convenient, and domineering. Unfortunately, plans could not keep up with changes. The old, weak, women, and children insisted on following, so they had to consider comfort.
It seemed like a normal trip, but the Austrian Mediterranean Fleet was out in full force. Hundreds of warships of all sizes were on duty along the way, and more than a dozen main ships escorted them.
Such a big fuss was actually a show of force.
There were Austrian ports along the eastern Mediterranean. Franz and his group took ships during the day and rested on land at night. They only needed to spend one night on the ship, so there was no so-called safety hazard.
At the beginning of the year, the Austrian Navy had been sweeping the eastern Mediterranean Sea for pirates. Even if there were fish that slipped through the net, no one would be so stupid as to run to their deaths at this time.
It was another peaceful day. Franz, who was bored to death, stood on the deck and looked into the distance.
"Looking at the sea again. Since when did Franz like the sea?" Empress Helen's voice sounded.
Franz shook his head and handed the binoculars over. "Look, those little fellows are the ones who like the sea."
Following the direction of Franz's finger, Empress Helen looked over. After a while, she said, "It's good to be young!"
There was a hint of loneliness in her tone, as if she was reluctant to part with the lost youth.
Franz nodded very cooperatively. Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, he had been an emperor for more than 20 years.
Youth and passion. Unfortunately, this was not the life an emperor should have. When he was young, he had to pretend to be mature and steady in order to convince others.
After so many years, his power and status had been stabilized, and there was no need for him to continue pretending. Unfortunately, his lost youth was gone forever.
After feeling sentimental for a while, Franz asked in a negotiating tone, "What do you think if I let Frederick The Great enter the navy?"
Serving in the army was an essential life experience for a member of the royal family. As the crown prince, Frederick The Great was no exception. The only difference was whether he would join the army or the navy.
As early as the Near East War, Franz was prepared to throw Frederick The Great into the army to gain some gold. Unfortunately, the military service law stipulated that the age limit for new recruits was 20 years old, which was a little off.
As the one who made the rules, Franz was very clear about the consequences of breaking the rules. The seemingly insignificant change was actually the beginning of the collapse of the system.
Moreover, Frederick The Great was the crown prince. His military achievements were just icing on the cake and did not have much practical significance. Franz did not intend to cultivate a Napoleon-like successor. What Austria needed was a king who maintained the status quo.
Empress Helen replied very firmly, "Very bad! Austria is a country with land power as its core. Even though the navy has expanded rapidly in recent years, the essence has not changed.
Frederick The Great is the crown prince. If he enters the navy, it will send a wrong political signal to the outside world, which will trigger a new round of land and sea battles. "
After so many years as a queen, Empress Helen was no longer a political novice. She still had the basic ability to judge.
The geographical location had determined that Austria's strategy of land power as the core could not be changed at all. There was no room for negotiation in this regard. Being neighbors with three powerful armies, Russia, France and Prussia, meant that Austria had to maintain a continental army.
The outside world might not know, but the higher-ups were very clear that Franz attached great importance to the development of the army. The total number of troops did not expand much, but the number of reserves was increasing day by day.
The reserve plan of the General Staff was also getting bigger and bigger. Today, if a war really broke out, the Government of Vienna could mobilize three million reserves within a month, and could increase to five million within three months.
If it wasn't for Franz's steadiness, many people would probably suspect that the emperor wanted to sweep the European continent, which was why he created such a crazy reserve system.
After a long time, everyone was relieved. His Majesty the Emperor preferred to use diplomatic means, and challenging the world did not exist.
Now, the international supporters of Austria all thought that the main reason Franz created so many reserves was to reflect fairness.
In everyone's subconscious, there was no need for so many people to fight a war. No matter what kind of war it was, there was no need for so many troops.
From the royal family to the ordinary people, everyone had to serve in the military together. No one could be an exception. This in itself was a manifestation of fairness.
Franz nodded helplessly, "This is indeed a problem, but it's not impossible to solve.
Forget it, let Frederick The Great make this choice himself. I can deal with the aftermath for him. "
Even if he was confident that he could suppress the military, Franz still had a bit of a headache. The war between the army and the navy was a problem that almost every major country would face, and it was also an unsolvable problem.
If the army and the navy really lived in harmony and didn't even bother to fight for military expenses, that would be a real disaster.
For example, the recently promoted Kingdom of Montenegro never had a war between the army and the navy.
Since the Osman Empire withdrew from the Balkans, Montenegro was really free.
It had to be said that this was a smart move. For a small country with a population of less than 200,000, an army was a very extravagant thing.
Of course, in name, the Kingdom of Montenegro also had an army and navy. The police on land were the army, and the police responsible for anti-smuggling were the navy.
What was the point of expanding the military? The neighbor next door was not easy to mess with. If the Government of Vienna became hostile, the country could be destroyed at any time.
Fanatical nationalism also needed to be stimulated. The rulers were not fools. Who would risk their lives for something that was completely hopeless?
Without the pressure, the Kingdom of Montenegro lived a good life. Although they did not become rich, they were still on the road to riches.
This time, Franz did not intend to visit along the way. He only passed by three countries in total. Greece and Montenegro were not worthy of him personally trying to rope in. The Osman Empire was originally an enemy, so it was right to fight. There was no need for a visit.
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