Holy Roman Empire

A dozen kilometers away from the city of Venice, in an ancient castle, Viscount Olabi was holding a heavy welcome banquet. The host of the banquet was just Baron Fickney who had just returned.

This is not the first time Fickney has come here, but it is different from the last time he came, and the specifications of the welcome banquet are much higher.

It can be seen that the Viscount Olabi was very enthusiastic this time. Unlike the last time, it was just a courtesy feast.

No one asked the poor in the busy city, the rich had distant relatives in the mountains.

Baron Fickney felt it deeply.Ten years ago, he borrowed money to go to the colony for development, but he was widely ridiculed; today, the ridicule of the past has become praise.

Even if he is far away on the African continent, for well-informed nobles, these are not obstacles.

Today is different. In the eyes of the African continent ten years ago: poisonous beasts and beasts, diseases and plagues are rampant; now the African continent has become: a field of hope.

The winner is not to be blamed. Baron Fickney enjoys the treatment of a successful person in full wind, and his vanity is satisfied.

There are a lot of Austrian nobles developing on the African continent, but after being distributed in the vast Africa, there will be few.

Moreover, everyone is busy making a fortune, and a few have a leisurely mood, how about holding a banquet every day?

Fickney's participation in the banquet was not without purpose. To promote the localization of the colony, it was inseparable from the support of the local nobles.

Now those who support the localization of the colony, in addition to those who developed on the African continent, local capitalists are also a major force, but this is not enough.

Austria is not English and French, and the capitalists have a low political voice.Even Baron Fickney, the nobles developing in Africa, has a higher political voice than capitalists.

This time, the main force to promote the localization of the colonies is their nobles.

It may be too exaggerated to link up with five people in this world through five people; however, it is not difficult to connect all the nobles of Austria through five nobles.

...

Baron Fickney said with a smile: "Orabi, I haven't seen it for ten years. I didn't expect Harrington, Gardner and Derwinton to be so big. They can all see that they will all become excellent soldiers."

Viscount Olabi replied rightfully: "Yes, I am proud of a few of them."

Joining the army is the tradition of the Austrian nobility. Noble children must receive military training from an early age. To become an outstanding soldier is the pursuit of many noble children.

Modesty is not a virtue in Europe, it only makes people think it is hypocritical.

Viscount Obira thought that his son would become a good soldier, and he would admit it openly and honestly. This is the true idea in his heart.

Baron Fickney asked with concern: "Are you going to send them to the army or the navy?"

In recent years, the position of the Austrian navy has greatly improved and it can almost keep pace with the army.

Many noble children who chose to enter the navy at the beginning seized the opportunity of the naval enlargement to rise steadily.

Now that the noble children are in service, there is one more option-the Navy.

Orabi said with pride: "Harrington and Derwinton served in the Army, and Gardner served in the Navy. They were admitted to the military academy.

Harrington studied at the Artillery Command Academy in Vienna and enlisted more than a week after graduating. Gardner and Derwinton sent him back to the army this time.

Dwinton studied at the Infantry Command Academy in Munich before he was in the third grade; Gardner studied at the Austrian Naval Academy in front of his house and just entered the first grade.

Fickney, it ’s the right time for you to come back. If you are late, you wo n’t see them."

This is a typical two-headed bet. With the continuous development of overseas colonies, well-informed nobles have recognized the importance of the navy.

In the case of uncertainty about the country's future strategic focus, many nobles bet on both ends.Anyway, there is little conflict between the Austrian army and navy.

All three sons were admitted to the military academy, and Olabi did have proud capital.

Although the nobles were born with a higher starting point, the Austrian military school is not so easy to access.There are 9 army and navy military schools across the country, and the annual enrollment is only more than 3,500, and the number of applicants is not less than 100,000.

This is the impact of compulsory education.The number of people with basic education has increased sharply. Students with good grades have been admitted to middle school and can apply for student loans to continue their studies. This directly leads to a sharp increase in the number of middle school students.

Admissions to the Austrian military academy and university admissions are separate. Candidates can apply for both sides. Anyway, they are staggered for three months, and will not affect each other's admission results.

Undoubtedly, this is the era when thousands of troops crossed the dug bridge.Whether it's a university or a military academy, students report first.

Grassroots students who can rush out all the way are not much different from being a bully, at least in the cultural class.

Even if they are limited by resources, their education cannot be compared with the noble children, but there are always talents and lucky ones.

If you are only competing with grassroots students, then it is nothing.The problem is that the noble children's internal competition is also fierce. In this era, Austria is not popular with only children, and every household is basically starting from three to five.

There are also a large number of children of the nobles of the nobles. Although these people have no title to inherit, it does not mean that their children's education is poor.

Now the middle class in Austria is basically these people.Doctors, teachers, lawyers, small and medium businessmen, most ancestors are nobles.

Too few grass roots are truly pure.The lucky ones who can grow up without knowledge and social connections are all children of destiny.

At present, the proportion of noble students in Austrian universities is only 31.1%, and that of ordinary family students is only 1.2%. The rest are all middle-class groups.

In military schools, noble children dominate, accounting for 64.8% of the total number of students, and the middle class accounts for 34.3% of the total number of students. Students from ordinary families can be ignored, and there are not many foreign students.

No way, this is the result of fair competition.The reality is so cruel, from the beginning of public compulsory education, it has lost at the starting line.

At the elementary school level, ordinary family students account for the majority, while at the middle school level, ordinary family students become a minority.On the surface, the odds of going to a middle school in Austrian primary schools are around 8%.

However, compulsory education is over. Almost 100% of the children of wealthy people can go to school, and this proportion has been pulled up.

Grassroots students from ordinary families are not tyrants, and basically have few opportunities.They have to enter the top one percent of the entrance examination to get the bursary.

This was originally intended for geniuses. In an era of limited educational resources, Austria adopted elite education.

The military school is the most obvious. Students who have received strict military training from an early age naturally have an advantage. However, this requires a lot of investment, which is not affordable for ordinary families.

Ordinary people's cultural achievements are even higher. Adding the scores of various professional examinations still has the destiny of elimination.It can be said that the more subjects tested, the less chance ordinary students have.

Improve the teaching quality of public education and increase the teaching of these specialized courses.Unfortunately, this looks like a good idea, just think about it.

An additional course means an increase in education expenditure.Compulsory education according to the standards of noble children is enough for the Vienna government to go bankrupt ten times.

Unless there is an increase in the demand for ordinary talents in society, it is impossible for universities to expand enrollment. Higher education in this era is too expensive.

Now even noble children who can receive university education or military school education will not exceed 35%.

Of course, the second-class technical college, or Pheasant University, there is no limit, you can study with money.

Baron Fickney said calmly, "Yes, it seems I am really lucky!"

Viscount Olabi answered affirmatively: "Of course!"

Baron Fickney took a sip of wine and continued to ask: "Which troops did Harrington serve? Are you prepared to develop in the continent of Africa? There is a much greater chance of making military achievements there?"

This is Baron Fickney's opening conditions.There is no way to get the native nobles to support colonial integration, naturally speaking with interests.

Most nobles will face a problem, there are many younger children, but there is only one title.

The eldest son inherited the title, so what about the second son?

According to the conventions in the German region, if they have money, they can still give them an industry.Those who have no money will either let them go out for themselves, or send them to church to be priests.

After the Reformation, there was not much oil in the church.Churches in economically prosperous areas are okay, and some of them are doing business to make money. If luck is not allocated to poor areas, then they can only eat bran.

Going outside, this is only suitable for breaking down.Most of them used family connections to find a decent job for them. This is how the nobility collaterals, or the middle class redeemed.

There are few local opportunities and fierce competition, but it is different in the colony.If you have a family, you can hit a knight if you are willing to smash resources.

If you get the cooperation of the ground snake, then this difficulty can continue to be reduced.After all, for the colony, war would happen every three minutes.

In addition to gaining military power, it can also enter the colonial government for development.Once the localization of the colony is passed, these official positions are also rising.

Or doing business in the colony and opening plantations, these are all ways, and the success is still very high.

Olabi was tempted. He received Baron Fickney in such a high standard. In addition to the cousin relationship between the two, he was also preparing to invest resources to get aristocratic titles for several sons.

Don't look at the fact that several of his sons have entered the military school. It looks promising.In fact, Olaby knew that there were too few people in the peaceful years to come forward.

Not to mention the descendants of the Viscount, even if they entered the army under the title of Duke, when they retired, they might not be able to be generals.

Without merit, everyone can only get seniority.

After all, everyone has received military education since childhood, and no one's ability will be too bad.There is no way to prove that your ability is superior, why should you be promoted first?

The army is the place to speak with strength, and the best way is to speak with merit.It is a pity that the wars of this era, at most, bullied the indigenous people in the colonies, and still had more monks and porridge.

Olabi thought about it and said: "It has not been determined. He is just a recruit who has not been enlisted in the army. He has at least half a year before the troops are assigned.

If you arrive in an African colony, then you have to take care of your uncle."

There is no doubt that Olabi has not made up his mind yet.

As a veteran nobleman, he still has many contacts in the army. It is not difficult to use these relationships to determine his son's military service.

However, promoting the localization of the colony is not that simple.Like many people, Olabi was also worried that after the colonization of the country, his own industry would be affected.

After all, there are not many other colonies, but more land.Once so much land is developed, agricultural products are estimated to be hit by cabbage prices.

Without an accurate answer, Baron Fickney still answered gracefully: "Of course, I am his uncle!"

I can only secretly sigh in my heart. I haven't caught up with the good times. It would be nice if some of Olabi's sons were older.

The best time is when you have just retired from the army and worry about your future.Then, without him speaking, the boys will help persuade their father.

In this banquet, Baron Fickney has persuaded three nobles to support colonial localization. These people basically supported it because of the next generation.

The colony hit the local agriculture, that was the worry of the nobles who had more land.If the land is gone, why bother?

After the land was redeemed, the land in the hands of the Austrian nobility was actually few.By now, the land in the hands of nobles has fallen to less than 20% of the total land area of ​​the country.

Since the opening of overseas colonies, including the royal family, many large nobles have successively sold their land.

This is determined by interests. With the funds for the sale of land, to open plantations overseas, it is often possible to obtain several times, or even a dozen times, the land area.

Although colonial land is not valuable, it does not affect the value of cash crops produced by these lands.Perhaps the income per acre of land is not as good as the local one, but it can't hold more land!

When the quantity goes up, the income goes up.The emergence of large plantations has also promoted the advancement of agricultural farming techniques.

The popularity of mechanized agriculture in Austria and Africa is rising.It's a pity that the internal combustion engine hasn't come out yet, the steam engine machinery is too bulky, and it's nothing at all.

Stimulated by interests, what really promotes the localization of the colony behind the scenes is actually the nobleman headed by Franz.

It's just that everyone pays attention to political influence and doesn't directly state their position.Instead, Baron Fickney and the little nobles charged forward to test the reaction of the domestic people.