1836 - 1837: A Titan
With the initial overview phase over, the great Austrian nation may begin taking its first steps towards becoming a truly modern power. It begins by stabilising the finances: taxes on all strata of population are raised to exorbitant heights in order to pay for public education programs and creating a more efficient bureaucracy in all corners of the vast empire. Taxes alone cannot achieve this goal, so military salaries are cut down severely to the minimum allowed by Chancellor Metternich; this will result in lower enlistment in the army, of course, but it is an acceptable compromise.
With the rectification of the dreadful Austrian budget, the State Conference turns its watchful eye towards the technology and literacy of the nation. As of now, Austria is on par with their neighbours, but this will change, as Prussia and France quickly outpace the illiterate Austrian populace.
"Untold thousands of geniuses are prevented from furthering the glory of our nation simply because of their poverty and illiteracy; although Austria is a nation of scholars and arts, it is worth nothing if they cannot utilise their strengths", Metternich states, and the rest of the Conference acquiesces. Development into further political thought begins, and something truly pivotal starts:
The highest population areas of the Empire are focused in a powerful effort to raise literacy rates. Teachers for all types of subjects, from basic writing to complex mathematics, come from the corners of the world to Bohemia and Nitra. The recently-fixed budget, as seen previously, accomodates this great shift in policy, funding the new educational efforts with all the money required and more.
In addition, diplomats are sent out to Austrian-aligned states to ensure they remain friendly to the Emperor Ferdinand (assisted in ruling by the State Conference), as opposed to the Hohenzollern Friedrich Wilhelm to the north. Saxony in particular is given attention, as Prussia has invested many thousands of thalers into their infrastructure, and they may slip out of Hapsburg grasp. Like a tree, it may die if not pruned properly; the rot and decay must be removed in order to survive.
6 January and the Grand Duchy of Baden requests an alliance with the Austrian Empire. This is accepted, and similar alliance requests are received from Wurttemberg, Saxony, and Bavaria, all of which are also accepted. One offer that is declined is the City of Krakow's: Austria does not bother with useless communications.
At the end of the month of January, Croatian Chartists hold a rally in Split, seeking democratic elections and the right to vote for every male over the age of 21 in a secret ballot system. This is unanimously agreed upon to be a great danger to the Austrian nation, and they are crushed.
In a similar fashion, shortly after the destruction of the Chartists, a young Slovene revolutionary performs a speech in Triest, urging for action and the creation of a free and united Slovene nation, free from Austrian dominion. Once more, he is considered to have committed a grave crime, and is put to death. His final words ring out as he dies:
De bi nam srca vnel za čast dežele,
med nami potolažil razprtije,
in spet zedinil rod Slovenš'ne cele!
After two months of new finances, Chancellor Metternich again revamps the budget after outcry from militarists in the government. The large +350£ budget surplus is used to pay for a full national stockpile for the Army, along with raising army salaries back to normal due to fears of mutiny.
In order to counteract strong Prussian influence in Saxony, a steel factory is constructed in Leipzig as an act of goodwill and an investment in the Saxon economy. Far beyond a simple gesture, this act should allow the Austrians to exert further soft power in the crucial lynchpin state of Saxony.
June marks a large breakthrough in Austrian politics, as Metternich is able to force an expansion of the army through the government. This expansion calls for the III. Armee, led by Hermann von Heß, to gain several artillery batteries, increasing their firepower significantly; although this adds extra strain into the III. Armee, requiring many more men to supply and tend the batteries, the gain is greater than the negatives.
Deep into the year, an important discovery is made: gold has been found in Adelsberg, called Postojna by the natives, along with a similar revealing in Karlstadt (Karlovac). These two twin discoveries are immediately exploited by the Austrian state, and bring a steady supply of income to the crown, as well as employing many citizens in their respective areas.
The month of November is mostly marked by the deployment of the artillery requested back in June. As they march to join the III. Armee in Vienna, Heß reports high morale and celebration among his troops, being given a powerful new tool to fight with; the green artillerymen themselves do not share Heß' s enthusiasm, but will be trained and drilled over time.
As the year comes to a close, the State Conference convenes again; many members seem to have renounced excessive militarism, but many have gone even a step further, and taken an anti-war stance in general with the Liberals. Let 1837 be the year of good things to come: for Austria needs it.
