Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 829 - 92, Murder to Crush the Spirit

With one official after another being netted, the original anti-Semitic movement gradually drew to a close, and a vigorous anti-corruption campaign began.

In all dynasties and regimes, catching corrupt officials has always been the peoples favorite, and Austria was no exception.

Though there was no direct embezzlement, transactions of power and money and the resulting flow of benefits, in essence, were the same, or to be exact, subject to the same level of punishment under Austrian law.

Watching one bigwig after another being arrested, the happiest were the media, with blockbuster news every day that never repeated, which even caused newspaper sales in 1886 to hit an all-time high.

The onlookers were also satisfied, having so many stories unfold to talk about over meals and leisure time.

Even public servants within the government were pleased, for while there was a sense of sorrow for the fallen, this could not quench their enthusiasm for promotion.

A carrot for every hole; as long as those above didn’t step down, those below simply couldn’t move up. If you were blocking the way, you were the enemy.

By this point, the investigation team’s anti-corruption cases had completely spiraled out of control, unstoppable on command.

Investigating one led to another, and the more they dug, the more people were implicated, leaving Franz completely flabbergasted.

You see, the level of skill required for trading favors versus direct corruption was much higher, impossible for ordinary civil servants to engage in; those truly involved were all officials.

Many local leaders were jailed, with the top ranks of several areas swept away in one fell swoop, leaving a bunch of lower-level staff to take charge.

Then, amazingly, the local government agencies began to operate normally. Well, compared to those cases in later times where governments shut down while the country still ran smoothly, this didn’t seem so strange.

As long as international affairs remained stable, and as long as the regions stayed orderly, the anti-corruption campaign could continue.

With officials taken away, the bribe-givers couldn’t escape either. To reduce their own sentences, reporting others was inevitable.

Unless they had committed egregiously heinous acts and were certain to be sentenced to death, they would probably choose to resist to the end. Most people, however, had to consider their own futures and look to lessen their burdens of guilt.

Seeing the number of implicated individuals continually rising, Franz was able to announce to the outside world: The Austrian Government was not anti-Semitic but was engaged in anti-corruption and crackdowns on criminality.

There was no issue, the jailed Jews only accounted for just over forty percent, not even half, and all had concrete evidence of their crimes. If this wasn’t anti-corruption and a crackdown on criminality, then what was it?

Franz might not care, but that didn’t mean others didn’t. Count Witters, a concerned party, was terrified; the prisons were nearly overflowing, and the cases showed no sign of drawing to a close.

In the last month alone, Count Witters had experienced three assassination attempts, all perpetrated by Jews. Who the real mastermind was, nobody knew.

Witters didn’t believe in the leaderless Jews having the capacity to meticulously plan multiple assassinations.

And it wasn’t just him suffering; even his family members had been attacked by the mob. Thankfully, the Vienna Police were effective and resolved the issues promptly.

In the Prime Minister’s residence, Count Witters complained anxiously, "Prime Minister, everyone outside has lost their minds—they’re absolutely crazy!"

Watching his deputy overwhelmed by the evening sun, Prime Minister Carl sighed internally; honestly, he did feel a bit of sympathy for Count Wester.

But mistakes were made, and there was a price to pay. Wester had chosen this path himself, and no matter how many pitfalls lay ahead, he had to navigate them on his own.

"Wester, calm yourself, your current state is very unbecoming. The sky isn’t falling, what’s there to fear from a bunch of crazies!"

Prime Minister Carl had the confidence, the bourgeoisie in Austria had limited power, especially when it came to military force—they were virtually nil.

The so-called influence was nothing more than a network built upon transactions of power and money.

However, this network of relationships is the least reliable, for the power of the bureaucrats stems from the government, and with a single order, they can be brought low into the dust.

After all, the Austrian Government has an intact system; it doesn’t matter who steps in, it can function normally.

If a chief officer is put away, there is a deputy to replace them; if the deputy is also put away, someone from the next level up takes over—the administrative hierarchy provides a line of succession.

Take several cities in Galicia, for example, where ordinary clerks are now carrying out the mayoral duties. They might not be great at their jobs, but they are sufficient to maintain the status quo.

After so many years of compulsory education, the Vienna Government is not short of officials, and any vacancies can be filled quickly.

If short-staffed, they can always recruit more. Prime Minister Carl is not the least bit worried these guys can stir up any serious trouble.

Count Witters: "But Prime Minister, they are now…"

Carl cut him off before he could finish, "Count, I understand what you mean.

It’s nothing more than some overactive riffraff disrupting the investigative team’s work and your normal lives.

Rest assured, the police have already deployed ample force to protect your safety. The Cabinet has just decided to initiate a nationwide crackdown.

All thugs will face the most severe punishment, including the hidden hands behind them, without exception.

No matter how high their status or how illustrious their position, as long as you can bring them to light, you won’t have to worry about anyone seeking revenge."

Though he seemed calm, Prime Minister Carl had, in fact, harbored a killing intent. Assassinating government officials was a slap in the face of the Vienna Government.

Carl held a deep-seated detestation for those who broke the rules of the game. Once they were caught, they faced either death or a lifetime in prison, a "special package deal" ensuring they had no chance of getting out.

For Witters, who didn’t want to be targeted for retaliation in the future, the best strategy was to root out all enemies once and for all, eliminating any potential threats permanently.

It seemed straightforward, but in reality, it was a fallacy. Despite the multitude of suspects identified, those with solid evidence against them, those who could actually be sent to prison, were still a minority.

Neither capitalists nor bureaucrats are isolated individuals; if they fall on hard times, their underlings won’t escape either.

If every suspect were to be caught, then those imprisoned would not be the current forty thousand, but rather, the number would have already exceeded one hundred thousand.

The existence of those who slipped through the net meant that the animosity Witters and others had drawn out couldn’t vanish; they were destined to face vengeance in the future.

After hesitating for a moment, Count Wester steeled his heart, "Prime Minister, there is already solid evidence against a good number of criminals. Can we not hand them over to the courts for trial?"

To kill the chicken to scare the monkey!

With so many involved this time, many people believed the Vienna Government would take an approach of "showing high and dropping low," lacking sufficient deterrent power.

Naturally, the best method was to embark on a bloody purge, using bloodshed to make these people understand that wrongdoing could cost them their lives.

After a moment of contemplation, Prime Minister Carl nodded, "Then let’s select a batch of severe criminals for harsh punishment, with the number set at one thousand for now."

The fate of a thousand unfortunate souls was thus decided. As examples set to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, they would be dealt with according to the strictest standards prescribed by law.

Upon hearing this answer, Count Witters inhaled sharply. One thousand people was roughly the total number of criminals executed in Austria last year, and now this figure was to be met in one fell swoop.

There was no doubt. Not just one thousand, but even two or three thousand severe criminals could easily be singled out for execution if necessary.

Despite the public focus on anti-corruption and anti-Semitism, the majority of those arrested are still members of the criminal underworld.

There’s no other reason for this than the fact that the criminal evidence against these scum is the easiest to collect.

Crimes committed by others are mostly economical in nature, and even when there’s a murder, they are the ones pulling strings from behind the scenes; these thugs are the actual executors.

Seeing the Prime Minister’s firm stance, Witters secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that he had switched roles quickly, or else he would now be the proverbial chicken slaughtered to frighten the monkeys.

Don’t say they won’t kill nobility; if you become the boss of such a large criminal gang, no matter how prominent your identity, you won’t be able to escape.

...

Bukovina Central Square was now swarming with people, countless onlookers had rushed to see the public trial at the court.

The elderly Feilude and his companions also appeared among the crowd, but compared to the excitement of the people around them, their faces were terrifyingly grim.

On trial today was the infamous Leo Cohen, who might be seen as a vile scoundrel by others, but to them, he was a respected member of the community.

As one charge after another was proven, Feilude closed his eyes and slowly said, "Let’s go!"

Causing trouble was out of the question; these days, any European nation could see civil unrest, except for the Jews.

Walking on eggshells, not even sure of surviving from one day to the next—if they made waves, it would just give an excuse to the anti-Semitic forces.

Osytho, unable to contain his emotions, indignantly exclaimed, "That defense attorney is an idiot, I want to..."

Seeing the odd looks from the people around them and fearing that Osytho might blurt out something foolish, Feilude quickly scolded, "Shut up!"

Whether the defense attorney was effective or not was secondary; the crux of the matter was that the evidence was overwhelmingly sufficient, with a mountain of testimony and physical proof.

Whether they liked it or not, the court was determined in its verdict against Leo Cohen.

Feilude, with his many years of life experience, could tell from the murmurs of the surrounding crowd that Leo Cohen had indeed been involved in many sordid affairs.

Ordinary Jews are very low-key, trying to minimize their presence in daily life to avoid hostility.

Jews who are more aggressive tend to be in cahoots with the local powers-that-be. Unfortunately for Leo Cohen, his boss betrayed him.

The evidence that was meant to be used in a last stand now became the evidence of his conspiracies against Austrian officials, attempts to manipulate politics, and plots to overthrow the government...

The evidence he provided was enough to send him to the guillotine; there was nothing more to be said.

...

Having returned to his quarters, Feilude spoke with grave concern, "Osytho, calm down first.

We all regret Mr. Leo’s situation, but there’s no way for us to refute the police’s evidence, especially since a good amount of it came from Mr. Leo’s own confessions.

You must realize what this implies; when the Austrians bring a case to public trial, it means the charges cannot be overturned.

The fact that you managed to stay out of this is fortunate enough.

Keep in mind that Gleyer and his associates still haven’t been released. If nothing unexpected happens, they might never see the light of day again.

If you get involved again, you won’t only be incapable of saving Mr. Leo, but you might also doom many more of our people.

I believe you understand what I’m saying."

How could he not understand? Osytho had not been implicated because the Jewish community was preparing to push him into politics. A politician can’t have clear blemishes, so Leo had always kept Osytho away from his business dealings.

Of course, that was all in the past. Now, after this incident, the Jewish power in the Bukovina area is too damaged to support Osytho’s political aspirations any longer.

Without external support, and given his sensitive ethnic identity, even if he managed to enter the official ranks through examinations, he was doomed not to go far.

"Don’t worry, Mr. Feilude. I know what to do next and won’t cause any trouble for everyone," Osytho assured.

...

After calming down Leo’s followers, Feilude began to worry about whether or not to leave Austria.

After spending a few months there, he had a clear understanding of the situation. Austria is relatively friendly towards ordinary Jews, but it’s not a suitable environment for Jewish capitalists to thrive.

Leaving other issues aside, the single decree prohibiting usury could spell doom for many Jewish capitalists.

It’s not impossible to carry on such activities in secret, but given the intensity of the Austrian Government’s anti-corruption and crackdown on the underworld, one carelessness could lead to decapitation. Discover stories with empire

The pending execution of Leo Cohen served as a warning; he was once a bigwig in the Austrian business world, but once disaster struck, he was finished overnight.

Doing business legally is indeed no problem, but legitimate business just doesn’t make money!

Today, the market competition within Austria is extremely fierce, with limited profits in most industries.

For newcomers wishing to get a share of the pie, it’s even more challenging.

High-profit industries, meanwhile, have very high barriers to entry. Not only do they require substantial capital investment, but they also demand high technical know-how and are filled with uncertainties, with even the return on investment taking a long time.

Certainly, there are industries with short cycles and high profits like the stock market and futures trading; aside from the high risks, they have no other drawbacks.

This is definitely not what Jewish capitalists want. While they all pursue extraordinary profits, it doesn’t mean they’re willing to be the suckers.

Experts in finance know full well how treacherous it is. Even powerful dragons don’t press local snakes, and they’re at most a mere caterpillar—diving in is suicide.

Before Feilude could weigh the pros and cons, cruel reality made the decision for him.

Leo Cohen’s execution was just the beginning. As the trials continued, more and more people were sent to the guillotine.

Watching head after head tumble, Jewish capitalists who already lacked a sense of security became restless, urging Feilude to leave.

It was hopeless; this place was not suited for making a fortune. They showed their deep-seated aversion to the harsh Austrian laws.

If the wealthy patrons leave, keeping only the ordinary Jews behind, would they still be considered Jews?

Without financial investment and under Austria’s assimilation policies, ordinary people won’t last long.

After all, cultural inheritance also requires time, and ordinary people preoccupied with daily sustenance don’t have much time for the education of the next generation.

Once the language and writing are lost, within a few generations the essence would have changed.