Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 186: Changing Nationalities

On June 25, 1852, Austria once again launched an attack on the Ottoman Empire, traversing hundreds of miles in Serbia and Bosnia within a month, rescuing over a million people enslaved by the Ottoman Empire, and bringing the dawn of civilization to the Balkan Peninsula...

— From Austria’s annual government work report

In fact, the Austrian army merely took over local defense after the Ottoman forces withdrew, maintaining social order.

Serbia was relatively easy to manage, with rural serfs being quite obedient. Although there were instances of urban unrest, it remained at the stage of street hoodlums.

Under the iron fist of Austria, the remnants of the Ottoman Empire were quickly eradicated. The remaining population appeared to be well-behaved, which was also related to the fact that the Ottomans took away a significant number of young and able-bodied individuals when they withdrew.

This wasn’t an act of goodwill from the Ottomans, nor was it a foolish decision on their part. In warfare, a large number of cannon fodder and laborers are required, and leaving behind these young and able-bodied individuals would be aiding the enemy.

The two principalities in the Danube River Basin are examples of this. Currently, the Russian army has conscripted at least 150,000 laborers from the local population, and when necessary, these laborers can also be transformed into soldiers.

If it weren’t for the contributions of these people, the Russians would have had to conscript laborers from their own country. The Russian government is not that foolish, and they would naturally not make that choice.

Drawing too many able-bodied individuals from the domestic population would also impact production, but there are no concerns about conscripting laborers from the two principalities. This area belongs to Austria, and no matter how severe the losses, the Russians wouldn’t feel bad.

The Russians don’t care, and neither does Franz. Without the atrocities committed by the Russian army, how could Austria’s benevolence stand out?

Currently, these Romanians have not yet obtained Austrian nationality; they are not Austrians, nor have they paid taxes to Austria. Therefore, the Austrian government is not obliged to provide them with protection.

As for the resulting economic losses, that’s even less worth mentioning. These regions haven’t been extensively developed; it’s just a matter of reduced food production.

Thinking a bit cynically, if these able-bodied individuals suffer heavy losses on the battlefield, the future difficulty of Austrian rule in the region will decrease a notch.

To avoid Russian conscription, becoming Austrian was the sole choice. Russia would not draft Austrians.

Everyone gets what they need. The Russians obtain a large number of laborers, and Austria grants nationality to many, gaining a group of supporters. In this matter, the cooperation between Russia and Austria is very pleasant.

Even though the Austrian government invested relatively little forces in the conquest of Serbia, it doesn’t mean they don’t consider it important. On the contrary, Franz places a significant emphasis on this potential source of future trouble.

To nip this European source of conflict in the bud, the Austrian government has also implemented specific measures.

Martial law is necessary, and it is essential to eradicate the local Ottoman influence. For the post-war recovery, Franz specifically ordered the transport of large quantities of flour and bean flour as relief supplies.

Belgrade’s geographical location in the Balkans was excellent.

Situated at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, it is also where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkan Peninsula. Known as a junction between Europe and the Near East, it has long been hailed as the “Key to the Balkans.”

But Belgrade’s current commander Isaak Pasha doesn’t think of this “Key to the Balkans” as a good place.

With the surrounding areas all abandoned, he is left as the unfortunate one guarding this isolated city.

The thought of abandoning Belgrade and fleeing has crossed his mind more than once, but Isaak Pasha could not dare to do so.

Abdulmejid I gave him a death order to defend this Balkan gateway city, laying foundations for the Ottoman Empire’s future counterattack.

In the matter of counterattacking against Serbia, Isaak Pasha scoffed at it. If the Ottoman Empire had the strength, the war wouldn’t have reached this point.

The person who proposed this idea was obviously trying to set him up. As a political loser, Isaak Pasha was mentally prepared for this. He had submitted his resignation early on in the campaign in the Near East, only to be rejected.

Now, he only has two options in front of him: either hold onto Belgrade or die on the battlefield. He dare not choose any other path; dying alone is better than his entire family perishing.

Unless the Ottoman Empire wins this war, then finding someone to blame and offering a few gifts might solve the problem.

In Isaak Pasha’s view, the chances of that happening are virtually zero. If they can’t win this war, a scapegoat is needed, and he, as a political loser, is just the perfect fit for the role.

“Send someone to investigate what the enemy is up to. Why haven’t they launched an attack for so long?” commanded Isaak Pasha.

Three days ago, the Austrian army surrounded Belgrade. Besides firing a few shots as part of their daily routine, there has been no further action.

This unusual behavior naturally raised Isaak Pasha’s vigilance. No matter how careful he was, the enemy refused to attack. All his preparations were in vain.

Isaak Pasha was anxious, and outside the city, Lieutenant General Feslav was even more anxious. Leading a group of reservists into battle was one thing; after all, the enemy was even more rubbish anyway.

However, the headquarters ordered him to keep casualties below a thousand, which posed a challenge. The previous Ottoman forces had withdrawn, and directly taking over the area basically involved minimal casualties. Now, isn’t it impossible to attack Belgrade without paying a price?

Having some political acumen, Lieutenant General Feslav understood that the government was not enthusiastic about this war. Even orders to attack Belgrade were just four words — act based on circumstances.

The higher-ups’ actions are obviously related to politics. The Russo-Austrian alliance was no longer secret, with endless rumors about its contents.

Feslav speculates that domestically, there is a reluctance to let the Russians capture Constantinople, but due to the alliance, they have to support the Russians. In this situation, the Austrian military’s passive role is somewhat acceptable.

However, for soldiers like them, it’s tragic. Without war, there is no military merit. This kind of situation, where they accept territorial gains without actively participating in battles, can only be considered as laborious, and it’s not enough for promotions.

Feslav asked, “The terrain map of Belgrade is here, and the enemy is not stupid. The defense is quite tight. Does anyone have a way to take this city without causing significant casualties?”

A young officer eagerly said: “Commander, I don’t have a good plan, but I have two evil ones. Do you want to give them a try?”

Feslav showed a delighted smile and said, “Vasim, as long as we can capture Belgrade with reduced casualties, that’s already a good plan!”

“Yes, Commander!”

“Belgrade is located at the confluence of the Tisza River and a tributary of the Danube River. We just need to build a dam upstream and use water to conquer this city.

However, as Belgrade is situated in the Pannonian Plain, the destruction caused by flooding the city would be difficult to estimate.

The second method is to drive the local population into the city. There are many locals among the defenders of Belgrade. We can gather soldiers’ families and people leaning towards the Ottoman Empire, and force them all to the outskirts of Belgrade.

If the defenders allow them into the city, these people will intensify the city’s food consumption. If the defenders refuse them entry, then drive these people with sticks to attack the city, consuming the enemy’s ammunition.

However, the consequences of doing this are too great, and after the war, we must keep it under wraps.” Vasim said.

The crowd took in a cold breath. The methods were effective, but they were also quite ruthless.

The use of flooding would have a widespread impact, and the losses would be uncontrollable. Driving the population into the city, and keeping it secret after the war essentially meant killing people to cover it up, and the impact could only be minimized if all those involved were dead.

After much hesitation, Feslav slowly said, “Seek help from the homeland, have the government send water conservancy experts over. We will be flooding Belgrade.

As for driving the people to attack the city, forget about it. The homeland has also mobilized a large amount of relief food. If we harm the people, who will we feed the food sent here?”

Feslav is willing to flood the city, but he cannot bring himself to drive the people to attack the city. The relief food from the homeland is just an excuse.

Serbia’s young and able-bodied individuals were taken by the Ottomans. Finding cannon fodder for an attack was impossible now.

Using the remaining elderly, weak, sick, and disabled — these people have no value in being armed. Sending them with wooden sticks to attack the city is tantamount to sending them to their deaths, purely to waste enemy ammunition as Vasim said.

God knows how many people will have to die to deplete the enemy’s ammunition. If they really go through with it, there will be numerous deserted villages and towns in Serbia after the war.

After taking Belgrade, massive slaughter would be needed to silence witnesses. If they don’t kill enough people to turn the Danube River red, it will be difficult to put an end to this matter.

Vasim’s proposal seems normal in this era. The Americans are massacring Native Americans, the British are engaging in wanton slaughter in Australia and New Zealand, and the Qing Dynasty in the Far East is having a competition on who kills more with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

The main characters in this war, Russia and the Ottoman Empire, are both ruthless killers, and killing innocent people for credit is one of their main sources of military achievements.

As their armies pass through, they often leave behind deserted villages. With such a vast territory, the Ottoman army also made outstanding contributions to population control.

In this era of darkness, the Austrian army, after undergoing purification, is like a breath of fresh air. They are known for their strict military discipline in the Near East War.

After calculating pros and cons, Feslav did not drive civilians to attack. The Austrian government also shipped large amounts of relief food, quickly stabilizing Serbia.

Despite the scarcity of young and able-bodied individuals, the Austrian government adopted a policy of using work in exchange for relief food, recruiting local elderly, weak, and disabled individuals to repair roads and restore transportation.

Those who performed exceptionally well during the construction process were eligible to apply for Austrian citizenship. Only with Austrian citizenship could one qualify for official positions.

At this time, with the departure of the Ottoman forces, the original ruling class was finished, and the social order was reshuffled. There was a need for a large number of officials in the area.

Opportunists naturally rushed to apply for Austrian citizenship, as this was the best opportunity to change their social status.

Not to mention the present, even in the past, those who already had Austrian citizenship were more respected here. Ottoman government officials were afraid of causing diplomatic disputes.

People followed blindly. Seeing others naturalized, they followed suit.

From an unknown point in time, news spread that having Austrian citizenship could grant serfs the status of free citizens, and it drove people into a frenzy.

From Bosnia to Serbia, and further to the Danube River Basin’s two principalities, many people were eager to naturalize into Austrian, with the majority being serfs.

However, at this time, there were also restrictions. To obtain Austrian citizenship, one must first learn the Austrian language.

This didn’t deter them because, after applying, the Austrian government would send language teachers to instruct them. Once they learned everyday language, they could become part of Austria.

Local officials completely replicated Austria’s land redemption policies. Ignoring landowners’ opinions, they forcibly redeemed lands.

Even if there were objections, it wouldn’t matter. Their land ownership was certified by the Ottoman Empire, unrelated to Austria. Without the owners, it could be considered ownerless land.

As for whether the Austrian government’s actions were legal, no one thought much about it. Anyway, now Austria has the final say in this area.

Interest is always the best weapon. Austria didn’t gain sovereignty over these lands but managed to turn the local population into Austrians first.

If Austria could rule for two or three years, and most of the population naturalized into Austrians, then things would get interesting.

One day, if the Ottoman government negotiated to reclaim these lands, sent officials to take over, and suddenly discovered that foreigners, not their own people, were on Ottoman Empire land, who knows what they would think.