Knock, knock.
Karl knocked on Ferdinand’s office door in Hofburg Palace, but there was no response.
The attendant had said that the Crown Prince had locked himself in his office since the morning, asking not to be disturbed.
Considering their relationship as both mentor and friend, Karl thought that a slight intrusion wouldn't be rude, so he gently pushed the door open.
“Hmm…”
Franz Ferdinand was standing with his back to the door, looking down at something spread out on the large central desk.
On the desk was a huge map of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which had been cut and divided into many sections with different colored ink pens, according to a certain standard.
With just one glance, Karl understood what it was.
It was precisely the bold reform plan that the Crown Prince had poured countless efforts into, yet faced immense resistance—the administrative division concept of the united states of greater austria.
The entire imperial territory was initially divided into fifteen relatively equal large regions, and several areas with mixed ethnicities were further subdivided in an attempt to balance linguistic and ethnic conflicts.
The more he looked at it, the more troublesome this grand vision seemed.
Karl sighed inwardly. As a historically rare multi-ethnic mosaic state, just clarifying the main ethnic composition was complex enough. To also consider the historical evolution, languages used, religious traditions, and economic ties of each region, designing a relatively fair and smoothly functioning system was simply mind-numbing.
Moreover, Bosnia and Herzegovina, which the empire had officially annexed not long ago, was prominently included.
That land had long been caught between Ottoman Culture, Slavic Peoples, and the Pan-Yugoslav Unification Movement. Its historical entanglements were complex, and ethnic and religious conflicts were sharp. Clearly and rationally dividing it into a major region was already incredibly difficult.
“Karl?”
Franz Ferdinand was startled from his contemplation and noticed someone had entered.
“Why was the meeting can—” Karl was about to ask about the canceled meeting.
“Karl, come and see.” The Crown Prince didn't even bother with a casual greeting, directly beckoning him to stand beside him. “Even after I’ve revised it repeatedly and divided it like this, I still don’t feel confident. The structural reform of the empire is simply too complex.”
He said with a bitter smile, a rare hint of fatigue on his face.
Reform was undoubtedly the way out of the empire's predicament for its future, but this path was never smooth, full of thorns from vested interests and traps of nationalism.
Even if the traditional Austrian and Hungarian noble groups, unwilling to give up their privileges, had been initially subdued, that was merely the beginning of a long struggle, not the end.
This was not a fairy tale where heroes achieve their goals, everyone lives happily ever after, and the kingdom enjoys eternal peace and tranquility.
The “united states of greater austria” plan was merely a possibility, a risky experiment, for this ancient empire to survive and continue into the 20th Century.
After the reforms, could the empire truly achieve stronger cohesion?
If regional autonomy instead strengthened local identities and accelerated disunity, the result would only be worse than maintaining the status quo, leading to a faster disintegration.
“Actually, there might only be one solution in the end.” Karl said slowly after a moment of silence.
“Only one?” Franz Ferdinand looked up at his grand-nephew and capable assistant, in whom he placed great hopes.
“The Habsburg Dynasty. The reason this multi-ethnic empire has been able to sustain itself for centuries, enduring trials without completely falling apart like the Ottoman Empire, is ultimately not due to a perfect system, but because of the Habsburg Family itself.”
The future was indeed unsettling. But at this very moment, what truly held together the dozens of ethnicities, dozens of languages, and several religions within the empire?
The answer was self-evident: the Emperor, and the centuries-old tradition of rule and prestige of the Habsburg Dynasty. They were not parvenus or a new dynasty, but an ancient family deeply intertwined with European history, with profound heritage.
Countless ethnicities, countless languages, countless cultures, countless demands. It was this family that, spanning the long history of medieval and modern Europe, through intermarriage, conquest, diplomacy, and a degree of compromise, forcibly unified all these complex and conflicting elements under the banner of the “Habsburg Monarchy.”
Although nationalism was on the rise, and demands for complete independence certainly existed and grew stronger, the argument for maintaining the imperial framework around the Habsburg Royal Family (i.e., “Habsburg Patriotism”) still held sway.
Why easily abandon the dynastic prestige and inertial power that had accompanied European history for centuries during reforms? It could itself serve as a stabilizer for reform.
“Habsburg, huh…”
Franz Ferdinand heard this and again gave a bitter smile.
He himself still maintained a tense, almost broken, distance from the traditional court forces represented by the Emperor. The hurt, coldness, and oppression he had endured were not something that could easily heal with time.
He had always opposed the Emperor's politically conservative style and detested the rigid, status-conscious, and corrupt court that blocked all radical possibilities.
Yet, precisely this traditional force and symbol that he most detested became the core he had to rely on to achieve his reform ideals.
That sense of tearing between ideal and reality, that pain and helplessness, was probably difficult for outsiders to truly comprehend.
“Forget it, this isn't a problem I alone need to worry about, nor is it something one generation can completely solve.”
“Since you’ve made such a big deal out of it (the reform), someone has to be responsible for its execution and aftermath, right?”
“I am fifty years old. Announcing the reform plan and fighting for its successful implementation, even if everything goes smoothly, will take a long time. By the time everything settles, I will be old and frail. At that point, who will deal with the new problems and challenges brought by the reform?”
He looked at Karl and smiled meaningfully.
The Emperor was already over eighty, in his twilight years. And Franz Ferdinand, as the heir to the throne, was naturally no longer young.
If he was fortunate enough to ascend the throne and successfully push through reforms, by the time the reforms initially took effect, he would also be an elderly monarch.
Ultimately, the one to manage the post-reform situation and steer the new imperial ship could only be the next successor, the young and promising Karl before him.
“You can do it. Unlike some stubborn old men in the palace, you are very capable and see the direction of the times.”
While praising Karl, he habitually satirized His Majesty the Emperor.
These two stubborn Habsburg men would probably still be pointing fingers and cursing each other in another world: “You old bastard (little bastard)! It was all your fault!”
“Indeed, talking to smart people is always a pleasure.”
Franz Ferdinand seemed to be in a better mood, showing a relaxed smile.
Tsk, of course you're relaxed. You dumped all the difficulties on me, how could you not be relaxed?
“But you didn't just come to my office today to discuss future responsibilities, did you?”
The Crown Prince only now remembered to ask Karl about the main purpose of his visit.
Karl rubbed his throbbing temples and spoke.
His immediate purpose for this visit was actually very simple, but it concerned life and death.
“It's about an itinerary scheduled for mid-June.”
“June? Ah, yes, for the parade, I'm supposed to attend the exercises in Bosnia.” Franz Ferdinand nodded, clearly remembering this pre-planned official activity.
“Could that itinerary be canceled, or could someone else represent the royal family?”
“Cancel?” Franz Ferdinand raised an eyebrow, very surprised. “Why? Give me a reason.”
A reason?
There were countless.
Because the place where Franz Ferdinand was going for the parade was the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
That city was called Sarajevo.