It had to be said that Prime Minister Metternich had some ability. At this time, the Government of Austria was also very strong. The bourgeois strike did not scare them.
The great nobles supported the government at this time. Their power was no less than that of the capitalists. They might not have a lot of other materials in their hands, but they had a lot of food.
Each of them was a big landlord with a large group of serfs at home. Who didn't have some food in their house? The government bought a batch of food from them and transported it to the emergency. It was not a problem at all.
It was impossible to keep the connections of the capitalists secret. As early as before the crisis broke out, the Government of Vienna invested to buy a batch of food from the nobles as a reserve.
At the beginning of the strike, the government sold food to the outside to ensure the food supply of Vienna, but the prosperity of the past was gone. Looking at the depressed market, many people in the government were anxious.
Interior Minister Fischer said awkwardly, "Prime Minister, this can't go on. Although the food problem has been solved, other materials are still scarce.
Moreover, now that the capitalists have closed their factories and the workers have lost their income, I'm afraid that the money in their hands will soon run out. At that time … "
Metternich sneered and said, "Don't worry, this situation won't last long. You have to know that with the strike, the capitalists are losing gold coins every day. The small merchants won't last for a few days!
However, we can't just sit back and do nothing. There are also nobles participating in the strike. I'll ask Grand Duke Louis to work for them. If they stand with the capitalists, we'll remove them from the list of nobles.
As long as someone takes the lead, the rest will be easy. The capitalists are not monolithic. No matter how dissatisfied they are, they will not go against the money! "
…
This was indeed the case. The strike lasted for less than a week and ended with the defeat of the capitalists.
The nobles who participated in the strike were the first to be persuaded.
Did they still want the glory of the aristocracy?
For a little profit, they actually degenerated to the point of associating with the capitalists. It was simply a disgrace to the aristocracy.
Anyway, it was easy to talk. In this era, most of the aristocrats had not become capitalists yet. Looking at the nouveau riche engaged in industry and commerce, their hearts had long been unbalanced. At this time, of course, they would righteously criticize.
They were no longer invited to the banquets of the nobles. They invited others, but they were rejected with righteous words. Their relatives and friends all came over to persuade them.
The radical nobles were already clamoring to kick these fallen nobles out of the circle of nobles, which immediately frightened many people.
Although the Austrian capitalists were rich, they had no political status! It was not easy to obtain a hereditary title. What would happen if he lost it?
The nobles who could not withstand the pressure had no choice but to draw a line with the capitalists and withdraw from the strike.
There were even people who thought: If the treatment of workers is better, then so be it. At worst, I will just use serfs in the future!
Well, such idiots were in the minority. Most people knew that once they compromised, labor costs would inevitably rise in the future.
You want to use serfs? Do you really think that the daily calls for the abolition of serfdom in society are just slogans and will not become a reality?
With someone taking the lead, the capitalists' profit-seeking nature determined that the alliance they formed would not last for long.
No one was selfless. Seeing someone open their business to make money, others would naturally feel unbalanced. Why should we risk our heads to fight for benefits, while you sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor?
The first wave of counterattacks launched by the bourgeoisie was quickly defeated because the organization was not strict enough and there was no binding force on the members.
Franz was not surprised by all of this. Unless the supply of food, coal, and other necessities of life could be cut off, it would be difficult to make the Government of Vienna compromise in a short time.
However, this was something that the capitalists could not do. The Austrian aristocracy was too powerful at this time. Food and coal were produced in their fiefdoms. If the capitalists did not sell them, wouldn't they transport them to sell themselves?
You have a purchase contract? At this time, you still expect them to abide by the rules of the game? As the rule maker, they have the right to change the rules!
Franz knew that this matter was not over yet. The capitalists would not be willing to fail. If the government was not prepared, then they would suffer a big loss in the economic war that followed.
Thinking of this, Franz secretly regretted. If he knew this would happen, he would have hoarded a batch of supplies. When the capitalists went on strike, the prices of goods in Vienna nearly doubled.
"Raul, how much food do I have left in my manor to sell?"
"Grand Duke, according to your instructions, we did not sell this year's food. However, when the market strike broke out some time ago, we sold 1.5 million pounds of wheat to the government for emergency purposes. After leaving enough food for consumption, there are about 3.86 million pounds left," Raul replied.
(1 pound = 0.45359237 kg)
Franz naturally knew about the food sold to the government. His manor was only 30 kilometers away from Vienna. In such a crisis, as the crown prince of the empire, Franz was still very principled.
3.86 million pounds sounded like a large number, but if converted into tons, it would be more than 1,750 tons, which would only be sold for two or three thousand gold coins.
Only after deducting the production cost would Franz be able to obtain the income. All the manors of the royal family had released serfs, and the labor cost was also not a small amount.
"Be prepared. Once the price of wheat rises by more than 20%, sell all the food!" Franz said after thinking for a moment.
He knew that the capitalists would not give up. Raising the price of goods was one of the most common means. The price of food in Vienna was bound to skyrocket.
Industrialization had already begun. Now the wheat could only be sold to flour mills. No matter how high the price of food rose in the market, the flour mills would not give too high a purchase price.
The biggest advantage of Franz's manor was that it was close to Vienna. However, when a rebellion could break out at any time, this became a disadvantage. If they were not careful, they would be harmed by the rebels.
Hoarding a large amount of food at this time was risky. Even if he knew that when the Hungarian Revolution broke out next year, the price of food in Austria would skyrocket, he could only reluctantly sell them.
In the next game between the capitalists and the government, raising the price of goods was indeed a fast way to make money. Unfortunately, Franz's identity meant that he could not play this game. Otherwise, the nobles would follow suit, and Prime Minister Metternich would not be able to withstand it.
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