Chapter Five Hundred and Eighty-Six New. Newspaper Censorship System
In the afternoon of that day, Richard Metternich and Prince Metternich handed the manuscript of "Guidelines for the Industrialization and Future of the Empire" which they had spent several hours writing into the hands of Franz Joseph.
Before Franz Joseph could start to read the contents of the manuscript, Prince Metternich’s son Richard Metternich spoke eloquently: “Your Majesty, this is the industrialization strategy that my father and I have formulated for the Austrian Empire.
!As long as the empire follows this policy and moves forward, then the empire will definitely be able to enter the ranks of industrialization!"
"How long will it take? Three years? Five years?" asked Franz Joseph, who was still confused about the concept and time of industrialization but was eager for success.
"Your Majesty, industrialization is not something that happens overnight! It requires years of development. The larger the country, the longer it takes to transform from an agricultural country to an industrial country!" Prince Metternich hurriedly called Franz Joseph.
He got a vaccination: "Take France, for example. It started to industrialize during the Kingdom of Orleans. It took a total of twenty-four years from the Kingdom of Orleans to the Second Empire for France to transform from an agricultural country to
It is an industrial country. If we include the Bourbon dynasty, the time it has taken has been even longer!”
"The empire is not a country without foundation!" Franz Joseph retorted: "There are still many companies and factories in our country! Logically speaking, it shouldn't take so long!"
"Your Majesty, the empire does have some industrial foundations, but these foundations are too weak compared to the Kingdom of Orleans!" Prince Metternich explained to Franz Joseph: "Industrialization is not about building several companies.
Factories, building a few railways can solve the problem! It requires a complete set of industrial systems as support, from the upstream to the downstream of the industry. Only in this way can we truly complete industrialization!"
"So that's it!" Franz Joseph nodded, and then began to read the manuscript written by Metternich and his son.
Metternich and his son stood there waiting for Franz Joseph's questions.
After a while, Franz Joseph raised his head again and pointed at the manuscript and asked Metternich: "Consultant Metternich, does it mean that you divided the empire into industrial areas?"
"Your Majesty, we must prevent a region from having too many industries! Because the more complete the industries in the region, the stronger their willingness to break away from the imperial government!" Prince Metternich responded to Franz Joseph unhurriedly.
He said: "The imperial government must play a leading role in this industrial transformation. Dividing industries within the empire according to ethnic groups will prevent them from being able to coordinate and control after they are separated from the imperial government."
"This is indeed a good idea!" After hearing Prince Metternich's answer, Franz Joseph's eyes lit up, and he began to read on.
In the next five articles, Franz Joseph asked one by one what each article represented and what benefits it had to the imperial government.
Prince Metternich explained the benefits to Franz Joseph one by one, especially in terms of tourism related to Slovenia and Venice. Prince Metternich even suggested that the imperial government should spend money on advertising to various European countries to link Venice with
Slovenia is portrayed as a tourist and wedding destination (Jérôme Bonaparte: Damn it, you are stealing business, right!) to attract European aristocrats and royal families to spend money in Venice. In this way, the tourism industry can be used to provide supplementary industries to Venice and Slovenia.
Provide "high added value".
Franz Joseph listened to Prince Metternich's "The Book of Wealth" with vague understanding. He suddenly felt that the teacher in front of him seemed to have awakened to something extraordinary after traveling around Britain and France. Now he is more...
When he was Prime Minister before, the feeling it brought to him was even more impactful.
"Your Majesty, newspapers are a very good propaganda tool, we should pay attention to it!" Prince Metternich said to Franz Joseph with a serious expression: "Blindly blocking remarks will only make more and more people
To join the ranks of opposition, the government should properly guide the subjects in the territory to express their dissatisfaction and allow them to make some voices. As long as it does not touch the fundamental issues of the empire, it can be allowed to do so.
At the same time, the empire’s newspapers will also publish some novels..."
Prince Metternich talked eloquently about the newspaper's problems again, thinking that if Metternich had known this back then, how could he have been overthrown.
People in any country in the world maintain a rebellious mentality towards the government. The more you don't let them do something, they will do it.
During Metternich's 20 to 30 years in power, many newspapers were closed down and many books banned.
But was everything he did useful? It had no effect at all!
Subjects of the Austrian Empire can still find them through various channels, but it is the empire's strict censorship system that has caused countless complaints.
Until recently, after Prince Metternich carefully observed the censorship system in the Kingdom of Britain and the French Empire, a brand new door opened for Prince Metternich.
The empire should not formulate strict rules and regulations for newspapers at all. Instead, it should blur the censorship system to a certain extent and allow some newspapers to be censored or not. In this way, even after the newspaper is closed down, the subjects will spontaneously look for the shortcomings of the newspaper.
Why is it that other people’s newspapers have not been closed down, but yours has?
After Prince Metternich finished describing the censorship system of the newspaper, Franz Joseph was completely confused. He felt that he understood something, but he seemed to be a little confused.
In short, it is indeed a problem for Franz Joseph now to control the size of the censorship system.
So Prince Metternich once again made a proposal for Franz Joseph.
A group of journalistic practitioners can be recruited in Vienna and asked to serve as reviewers for newspaper censorship.
Just like when Felix Schwarzenberg handed over the position of Interior Minister to Bach, who was not an aristocrat, only one's own people know one's own best!
"Since you raised the question, then you should complete it!" Franz Joseph decided to hand over this not-so-important position to Prince Metternich.
"Yes! Your Majesty!" Prince Metternich couldn't help but secretly rejoiced when he heard that Franz Joseph handed him the right to censor newspapers.
On the surface, this right is actually only responsible for censoring newspapers. However, if there is intention to expand the censorship regulations, this right of censorship itself will not only censor newspapers.
However, Prince Metternich was unwilling to expand the censorship powers granted to him by the emperor.
Because now he has just got rid of the embarrassment of being a consultant, he cannot be too showy and give people the sense of fighting for power and gain.
"By the way, will these measures of yours bring losses to the imperial nobility?" Franz Joseph asked Prince Metternich worriedly.
He doesn't want to be an accomplice in destroying the aristocratic system!
"Your Majesty, no!" Prince Metternich shook his head and replied to Franz Joseph: "Many nobles in the empire have more or less set up industries. The empire only needs to slightly tilt some resources towards the nobles.
They will be able to transform quickly! Even if some nobles fail to invest, as long as the empire is willing to take care of the loyal nobles, they can still rise again quickly!"
In Prince Metternich's grand blueprint, the nobility will serve as the vanguard of industrial change and become the first group of "first rich groups".
"For those successful businessmen, we must also try our best to absorb them and make them part of the nobility! Only in this way can the empire's nobility prosper forever!" Prince Metternich responded to Franz Joseph confidently.
"However, their loyalty is far less than that of the nobles who have followed us for many years!" Franz Joseph sighed and responded to Metternich.
"Your Majesty, ability is sometimes more important than loyalty!" Prince Metternich responded to Franz Joseph.
Although Franz Joseph in his heart sneered at Metternich's statement that his ability was greater than his loyalty, he had to admit that today's empire did need a group of capable strong men.
In the end, Franz Joseph agreed with Prince Metternich's reform policy. He told Prince Metternich that he would hold a royal meeting for a second discussion after returning to Schonbrunn Palace.
Prince Metternich and Richard Metternich had smiles on their faces at the same time, their hard work was finally not in vain.
Later, Richard Metternich and Prince Metternich bid farewell to Franz Joseph.
Franz Joseph nodded and agreed to their departure, while he carefully read the contents of the manuscript in the room.
Shortly after Richard Metternich and Prince Metternich left, a knock came from the door. Franz Joseph quickly put down the manuscript and asked: "Who?"
"Your Majesty Franz, I am Mokar!" Mokar's voice came from the door.
"Come in!" Franz Joseph, who hid the manuscript in the drawer, straightened his coat slightly, and then responded to Mokar outside the room.
Mokar entered the room and bowed to Franz Joseph.
"What's the matter?" Franz Joseph asked Mokar.
"His Majesty Jerome asked me to tell you that there will be a ball in the ballroom of the Louvre tonight! He hopes you can go to attend!" Mokar replied to Franz Joseph.
"The Louvre?" Franz Joseph muttered, and then asked if the Mokar Ballroom was held to welcome Queen Victoria.
"Your Majesty, it is indeed held to welcome Queen Victoria and Prince Albert! Queen Victoria and Prince Albert have already stayed at the Louvre!"