CHAPTER 595: CHAPTER 586: THE NEW NEWSPAPER AND PERIODICAL CENSORSHIP SYSTEM

That afternoon, Richard Metternich and Prince Metternich delivered the manuscript of "Empire Industrialization and Future Guidelines," which they had spent hours drafting, to Franz Joseph.

Before Franz Joseph could begin reviewing the manuscript’s contents, Richard Metternich, the son of Prince Metternich, eloquently said: "Your Majesty, this is the industrialization strategy my father and I have formulated for the Austrian Empire! If the Empire follows this guideline, it will surely join the ranks of industrialization!"

"Approximately how long will it take? Three years? Or five years?" Franz Joseph, still in a state of confusion about the concept and timeline of industrialization yet eager for quick progress, asked.

"Your Majesty, industrialization is not a process that can happen overnight! It requires years of development; the larger the territory of the country, the longer it takes for it to transform from an agricultural nation to an industrial one!" Prince Metternich quickly cautioned Franz Joseph: "Take France, for instance. It began its industrialization journey during the era of the Orleans Kingdom. From the Orleans Kingdom to the Second Empire, it took twenty-four years for France to transition from an agricultural country to an industrial one. If we include the Bourbon Dynasty, the time period is even longer!"

"The Empire isn’t lacking a foundation, is it?" Franz Joseph rebutted: "Don’t we have many enterprises and factories within our nation? Logically, it shouldn’t take that long, right?"

"Your Majesty, the Empire indeed has some industrial foundation, but these foundations are quite weak compared to those during the Orleans Kingdom era!" Prince Metternich explained to Franz Joseph: "Industrialization isn’t just about building a few factories and railways. It requires a complete set of industrial systems as support, from upstream to downstream of the industry must be comprehensive; only then can we be considered to have truly completed industrialization!"

"I see!" Franz Joseph nodded and then began to browse through the manuscript written by the Metternich father and son.

The Metternich father and son stood ready for any questions Franz Joseph might have.

After a while, Franz Joseph looked up again and pointed to the manuscript, asking Metternich: "Advisor Metternich, what is the significance of dividing the Empire into various industry zones?"

"Your Majesty, we must prevent a region’s industries from becoming too comprehensive! The more comprehensive the industries in a region, the stronger their desire to break away from the Imperial Government!" Prince Metternich calmly replied to Franz Joseph: "The Imperial Government must play a leading role in this industrial transformation, dividing industries within the Empire according to ethnic lines so that they cannot achieve coordinated control after breaking away from the Imperial Government."

"This is indeed a good approach!" Upon hearing Prince Metternich’s reply, Franz Joseph’s eyes lit up, and he continued reading.

In the following five articles, Franz Joseph inquired about the meaning of each article and its benefits to the Imperial Government.

Prince Metternich explained the benefits one by one to Franz Joseph, particularly regarding tourism in Slovenia and Venice. Prince Metternich even suggested that the Imperial Government should spend money placing advertisements in various European countries to portray Venice and Slovenia as holy sites for tourism and weddings (Jerome Bonaparte: Damn it, stealing business?), to attract European aristocrats and Royal Families to Venice for consumption, thus using the tourism industry to provide "high added value" to the affiliated industries in Venice and Slovenia.

Franz Joseph listened to Prince Metternich’s "prosperity gospel" with a vague understanding, suddenly feeling that this teacher, after traveling through Britain and France, seemed to have awakened to something incredible. Now he was even more impactful than when he was Prime Minister.

"Your Majesty, newspapers are a great tool for propaganda, and we should pay attention to them!" Prince Metternich said earnestly to Franz Joseph: "Merely blocking speech will only push more people into opposition; the government should appropriately guide the subjects within the territory to express dissatisfaction and allow them to voice some grievances, as long as they do not touch on fundamental issues of the Empire, they can be released.

At the same time, the Empire’s newspaper offices should also publish novels..."

Prince Metternich eloquently discussed the newspaper issue; back then, if Metternich understood these principles, he wouldn’t have been overthrown.

In this world, people of any country harbor a rebellious mindset towards their government; the more you prohibit them from doing something, the more they insist on doing it.

During the twenty to thirty years of Metternich’s governance, how many newspaper offices were sealed off, and how many books were banned.

Did any of what he did prove effective? Absolutely not!

The subjects of the Austrian Empire could still find them through various channels, and the Empire’s strict censorship system instead drew countless complaints.

Recently, after Prince Metternich carefully observed the censorship systems of the Kingdom of Britain and the French Empire, a brand-new door opened for him.

The Empire should not set strict newspaper regulations; instead, it should make the censorship system somewhat ambiguous, placing some newspapers within a category of optional or non-optional review, so even after sealing off a newspaper office, subjects will spontaneously seek out its flaws.

Why are other people’s newspapers not sealed, but yours is?

After Prince Metternich finished explaining the newspaper censorship system, Franz Joseph was utterly bewildered; he felt he somewhat understood, but also somewhat didn’t.

In conclusion, controlling the degree of the censorship system is indeed a problem for Franz Joseph now.

Thus, Prince Metternich suggested once more to Franz Joseph.

A group of journalism practitioners can be recruited in Vienna to act as the reviewers for newspaper censorship.

Just like when Felix Schwarzenberg handed the position of Minister of Internal Affairs to Bach, who was not a noble, only insiders truly understand insiders!

"Since you raised the question, you shall be the one to complete it!" Franz Joseph decided to assign this relatively unimportant position to Prince Metternich.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Hearing that Franz Joseph assigned the newspaper censorship rights to him, Prince Metternich couldn’t help but feel secretly pleased.

On the surface, this power is merely responsible for newspaper censorship, but if one is inclined to expand the scope of censorship rules, this power involves more than just newspapers.

However, Prince Metternich was unwilling to expand the emperor-granted censorship powers.

Because he had just escaped the awkward position of an advisor, he couldn’t afford to be too ostentatious, giving the impression of seeking power and profit.

"By the way, will your measures cause losses to the imperial aristocracy?" Franz Joseph asked Prince Metternich worriedly.

He did not want to become an accomplice in destroying the aristocratic system!

"Your Majesty, they will not!" Prince Metternich shook his head and replied to Franz Joseph: "Many nobles within the empire have invested in industrial enterprises to varying degrees. The empire only needs to slightly tilt some of the resources towards the nobles, and they can quickly transform! Even if some of the nobles’ investments fail, as long as the empire is willing to underwrite for the loyal nobles, they can still quickly rise again!"

In Prince Metternich’s grand blueprint, the nobility would act as the vanguard of the industrial transformation, becoming the first group to "get rich first".

"For those successful businessmen, we should also strive to integrate them, making them part of the nobility! Only in this way can the empire’s nobility remain enduring!" Prince Metternich passionately responded to Franz Joseph.

"But their loyalty is far inferior to that of the nobles who have followed us for many years!" Franz Joseph sighed and replied to Metternich.

"Your Majesty, sometimes ability is more important than loyalty!" Prince Metternich responded to Franz Joseph.

Although Franz Joseph internally despised Metternich’s approach of valuing ability over loyalty, he couldn’t deny that the current empire indeed needed a group of capable strongmen.

Ultimately, Franz Joseph agreed to Prince Metternich’s reform strategy, informing him that he would convene an Imperial Council for a second discussion after returning to Mei Quan Palace.

Prince Metternich and Richard Metternich both smiled, realizing their efforts had finally not been wasted.

Afterward, Richard Metternich and Prince Metternich both took their leave from Franz Joseph.

Franz Joseph nodded in agreement to their departure and continued to carefully peruse the manuscript’s content in his room.

Shortly after Richard Metternich and Prince Metternich left, a knock on the door was heard. Franz Joseph promptly set aside the manuscript and inquired, "Who is it?"

"Your Majesty Franz, it’s Mokar!" Mokar’s voice resonated from outside the door.

"Come in!" Franz Joseph, having tucked the manuscript into the drawer, slightly tidied his jacket before responding to Mokar outside.

Mokar entered the room and bowed to Franz Joseph.

"What is it?" Franz Joseph asked Mokar.

"His Majesty Jerome asked me to inform you that there will be a ball held in the Louvre ballroom tonight! He hopes you can attend!" Mokar replied to Franz Joseph.

"The Louvre?" Franz Joseph muttered before inquiring if the ballroom event was to welcome Queen Victoria.

"Your Majesty, indeed it is to welcome Queen Victoria and Prince Albert! Queen Victoria and Prince Albert have already settled in the Louvre!"