Holy Roman Empire
Chapter 149: Disbanding the Juvenile Officer Corps

As history’s currents rolled forward, after the end of the Prussian-Danish War, the situation in Europe underwent a dramatic transformation where reform suddenly became the mainstream in society seemingly overnight.

Except for the Russians in their icy realm who continued to follow their own path, most countries on the European continent were carrying out social reforms. Austria was reforming, France was reforming, Prussia was still in the process of starting to reform…

With reforms progressing well, everyone was busy with internal changes, and there was little energy left for external conflicts. The European situation calmed down, as if returning to the Metternich Era.

Franz knew that this was all an illusion; the contradictions hadn’t disappeared but were merely lurking beneath the surface. With the ever-present threat of the Russian Bear ready to disrupt the international order and Britain the troublemaker, how could Europe truly be at peace?

The Austrian government accelerated its internal reforms. Today, an official would receive a warning and reprimand, tomorrow another would leave in disgrace, and occasionally, an unfortunate soul would replace themselves in court facing charges brought by the anti-corruption agency.

Since the issuance of orders to cleanse the bureaucracy, life has become increasingly difficult for government officials. Starting in March, nearly every day there were dismissals and resignations of dozens of officials for various reasons, with about one in ten of them facing legal action.

As far as Franz knew, the government was showing leniency in these cases; otherwise, the number could easily have been multiplied tenfold. Perhaps they believed that the higher-ups were too distant to notice, and this emboldened bureaucrats in the remote regions.

For example, in the province of Dalmatia, there was a mayor named Aliges who firmly believed that Latin was the best language in the world. He tirelessly promoted Latin for decades.

However, for such audacious and defiant officials, the Cabinet government did not show any mercy.

In the case of this troublemaker, they ordered one-third of the officials in the province of Dalmatia to go home and start farming, with three hundred unlucky ones accompanying him to prison.

In a fit of anger, Prime Minister Felix reassigned all of them to the railway construction laborers to contribute to Austria’s modernization efforts.

Since it’s about setting an example, there’s no room for leniency.

Not receiving the death penalty doesn’t mean the Austrian government is being soft. It’s about making someone’s life a living hell and becoming a deterrent for others for a longer period of time than simply sending them to meet their maker.

For ordinary officials involved in corruption and bribery, most of the time, their ill-gotten gains are confiscated. What happens next depends on the severity of the case—they might either be sent home or imprisoned.

As for officials who go against government orders, regardless of their integrity, they are the ones who must go to prison, and they are considered “special cases” who receive “special attention.”

This time, no one’s social status or background was of use. Some prominent individuals didn’t just go to prison alone but took their entire families with them, and even the nobility wasn’t exempt from this.

Prime Minister Felix, known as the “Butcher,” certainly lived up to his reputation. He struck fear into the hearts of bureaucrats, and even if they were deeply dissatisfied, they dared not make any move for fear of getting burned.

It’s not just the government making significant changes; the Austrian military is also overhauling discipline. The Ministry of War has dismissed 12 generals and 361 field officers, while numerous lower-ranking individuals have been weeded out.

Most of these individuals were dismissed for negligence or slacking off, while a small minority faced military tribunals for corruption and bribery.

It’s worth noting that the nobility in the military seem to be mindful of their public image, probably fearing that any misappropriation of military funds might come back to haunt them on the battlefield. So, while there are relatively few cases of embezzlement within the military ranks, many engage in under-the-table dealings, such as selling military supplies or taking kickbacks during procurement.

Ironically, some high-ranking officers with questionable personal ethics still maintain a good reputation within the military.

Unfortunately, these individuals seem to have chosen the wrong stage. They might have thrived in government positions, but in the military, they’re simply out of luck. If they are discovered, they would be dealt with. There were no exceptions.

The lower-ranking soldiers might not be fully aware, but the military leadership has already realized that the government is preparing for a major war.

Anyone or any interest group that affects the military’s combat effectiveness is being dealt with.

Just look at the current training situation; generals and marshals often personally supervise the training of officers and soldiers. Sometimes, when they’re not satisfied, they even use whips to motivate the troops.

In addition to improving training across the board, the military has established officer training programs aimed at enhancing their professional qualities. Many nobles who were slacking off are now frequently at the receiving end of canes and whips during training.

In the evening, at a military camp just outside of Prague, exhausted noble officers return to their dormitories to rest.

“Kasamen, you’ve always been well-informed. Do you know when this special training will end?” Gellnia asked.

"Isn’t that nonsense, Gellnia? If I knew the news in advance, I would have found a way to escape long ago, and I wouldn’t be suffering here with you,” Kasamen replied wearily.

“But your uncle is at the headquarters, isn’t he? Don’t you have any information at all?” Gellnia asked in confusion.

“He did tell me that I need to perform well, or else I’d be in big trouble. Now it’s exactly as he said. Look at poor Sarkes, they beat him so badly that his butt is all bruised. The Military Justice people are ruthless, not leaving him any dignity,” Kasamen replied with a bitter smile.

“That’s not even the worst of it. In the neighboring unit, Altar tried to escape over the wall, and one of the guards shot him in the right leg. He almost had to have it amputated.

Even so, he was sent to a military court on charges of desertion. His life is pretty much over,” Gellnia said with a shudder.

……

Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna.

Prince Windisch-Grätz handed a document to Franz and said, “Your Majesty, this is the improved reform plan of our Ministry of War, please review it.”

Austria’s military reform plan had been originally formulated by the late Archduke Charles, and Franz had been involved in it. The plan had some of Franz’s own ideas added to it, and now the Ministry of War was working on refining it.

During the battles of 1848, the Austrian army had shown several shortcomings, prompting informed individuals within the military to propose reforms. It was during this time that Franz brought out the reform plan that Archduke Charles had taught him before his death.

Although implementing this plan would continue to elevate Archduke Charles’s influence within the army, Franz chose to carry out the reforms under his name.

In Franz’s view, the status of a deceased military hero, no matter how high, doesn’t amount to much. Having Archduke Charles, the acknowledged top figure in the Austrian military, propose the reforms was more influential than if Franz, the Emperor, had proposed them.

Leaders of reform movements typically didn’t fare well; no matter how much praise they received, they would face an equal amount of criticism. It was even possible for them to be targeted by interest groups seeking revenge. When someone was already deceased, they had nothing to lose, making it difficult for others to seek retaliation.

Many of the generals in the Austrian army had been influenced by Archduke Charles. For example, the most esteemed Marshal Radetzky had served as his chief of staff, and Prince Windisch-Grätz regarded himself as his successor.

Now was the ideal time for military reform. If they waited another decade or so until the older generation had retired, it would become much more challenging to push for these changes.

Thinking about this, Franz felt a headache coming on. There were signs of a shortage of talent in the Austrian army, even though the generals in the Austrian army were currently no weaker than those in any other country.

These famous generals from the Napoleonic Wars were slowly getting older, and the younger generation had not yet produced many outstanding leaders.

After flipping through it, Franz asked with interest, “Expelling overage officers from the army, are you planning to let the old veterans retire?”

Allowing the old veterans to retire was a plausible idea in theory, but it would be quite challenging to implement in practice.

People like them have made remarkable contributions to Austria, and they still believe they can continue to serve the country. It wouldn’t make sense to send them home on the grounds of age, would it?

Moreover, in Franz’s view, age often came with experience, and when it came to actual warfare, the qualities of the younger officers might not compare to those of the older generation.

Troubled times produce talents, and the older generation had grown up during the era when Napoleon was dominating Europe. Austria, as a major force resisting Napoleon, had fought in dozens of battles, honing its military skills.

They had achieved significant victories, and many military leaders were convinced that if it weren’t for the government holding them back, they could have won even more.

The Austrian military spirit was indeed forged during that era. In history, during the Napoleonic Wars, the Austrian monarch himself took to the field to command, resulting in an epic defeat that crushed that military spirit.

Without that military spirit, the fighting capabilities of the army naturally declined. By the time of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, they were barely able to hold their own, perhaps only against Italy.

Prince Windisch-Grätz explained, “No, Your Majesty. These veteran officers are treasures of the Austrian army, and we are currently grooming the next generation of officers within the army. The Ministry of War would never consider retiring them!

Our plan is to remove officers from the army who are currently under 16 years of age and cannot serve in the military.”

Franz nodded; this was indeed about disbanding the legendary “Juvenile Officer Corps.” There was no shortage of young officers like this in the Austrian army, and the imperial family was leading the way.

Franz himself had benefited from this policy in the past, so naturally, he had fully supported it. However, his position had now changed, and this policy was no longer beneficial to him. Franz’s stance had shifted.

If, upon reaching the age of military service, nobles became officers due to their exceptional military qualities, no one would have any objections. The army revered strength, after all.

However, this “juvenile officers” situation was simply unbearable, and no Austrian soldier would believe that their military knowledge was inferior to infants still in nursing.

Franz thought for a moment and said, “Then let’s change ‘overage’ to ‘underage.’ Remove the ranks of all juvenile officers who haven’t reached the age for military service and haven’t served in the army, including the imperial family.”

He didn’t believe that the Ministry of War was unaware of the situation, mistaking “underage” for “overage.” Clearly, this was a way to clear out the juvenile officers while leaving a backdoor open.

The purpose was simple: the imperial family’s reputation had to be preserved. They couldn’t be treated the same way as everyone else. Franz’s three younger brothers were among those affected.

However, in Franz’s view, this was an unnecessary move. The juvenile officers had no substantive role and, for the sake of a supposed prestige, it disrupted the principle of fairness within the army. It was truly not worth it.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Prince Windisch-Grätz replied.

With the imperial family taking the lead, what more could the nobles say? In any case, it was only a matter of losing a title for the younger generation, with no substantive losses.

The initial purpose of implementing these juvenile officers was to motivate the next generation to study diligently and constantly remember that they were officers.

So far, this educational model has both succeeded and failed.

The aristocratic youths indeed developed a sense of superiority through their education, becoming competitive in their studies. If they managed to surpass their peers through hard work, this motivation would continue to drive their progress.

On the other hand, if they couldn’t catch up with their peers despite their efforts, this pride would gradually wear away, leading to a sense of decadence.