Chapter 1036 Greater Illyria

The successive failures of Britain and France did not scare Kossuth, but made him face the reality.

The so-called reinforcements and assistance of the British were just empty promises. The legendary world's first navy was actually defeated by the Austrian river patrol.

In Kossuth's view, the British Empire was just so-so. After all, although he had not crossed the sea, he still knew how powerful the Austrian river patrol was.

(There is a saying that when Kossuth arrived in the United States in 1851, he said that this was his first ship trip.)

You must know that the brave Magyars captured Austrian warships of hundreds of tons with sabers alone.

It is thought that the British navy that could be defeated by the Austrians would not be that strong. Besides, even if the British navy was strong, they could not land. It was up to him to rebuild the glory of the Great Magyar.

The plan of the future three giants in the Hungarian army naturally entered his field of vision. The Croatians were strong and most of them lived in the mountains. It was too difficult to attack them by force, so he mainly recruited them.

The Hungarian envoy promised Governor Jerachich that as long as Croatia joined Hungary's cause, they would all become glorious Magyars, and after defeating the Austrian Empire, Vojvodina could be ceded to Croatia.

Jerachich would also become the governor of three provinces and the first marshal of the new Hungary. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he had such great power in the new Hungary.

But these promises first required Jerachich and his family to become Hungarians and Magyars, then he needed to persuade the Croatians to accept Magyarization, and finally he needed to defeat the Austrian Empire.

No man can face the temptation of power without being tempted, let alone such a huge power.

However, being tempted is one thing, and taking action is another.

Over the years, due to the support at the national level, the lives of Croatians have improved a lot, especially after he took charge of Vojvodina, Croatians finally did not have to spontaneously plan their families, and young people no longer had only one way to go, to join the army.

Before the end of World War II, Croatia had always been synonymous with poor and remote areas. The population of Croatians in the Austrian Empire had hardly changed from the end of the anti-French war to before World War I.

During the same period, the population of other ethnic groups in the Austrian Empire, except for the Italians, increased exponentially.

The barren land could not feed too many people, and the simple mountain people could only spontaneously reduce the population. They only thought of joining the army as a way to reduce the population and make money.

Therefore, the Croatian region has always been one of the important sources of soldiers for the Austrian Empire, but Franz's reforms gave them new options, working outside and going down to the mines.

Going down to the mines in the Neretania region is usually a torture for criminals, and only those who have run out of money will choose to go into the mines.

But in the mountains of Croatia, this is indeed a way out. Although it is not decent, the pay is very generous. It is a job that many young people yearn for. After all, in theory, it is easier than carrying a gun and killing people.

These practical benefits, coupled with the fact that Croatia itself has a tradition of loyalty to the Austrian Empire, made the people very supportive of the empire.

In fact, on the other hand, it was also because the Hungarians were really not human beings. The Hungarian government never stopped exploiting and suppressing Croatia, and Hungarian landlords and officials often acted recklessly in Croatia.

Especially in 1848, the Great Magyarization Reform carried out by the Hungarians made the relationship between the two nations even more hostile.

However, the influence of the so-called public opinion at that time was actually minimal, especially in the eyes of local power groups like Jelačić.

However, the nobles and businessmen were even more opposed to joining the Hungarian cause, because their interests were mostly linked to the Austrian Empire, not Hungary.

Even if they were to look at power and money, they would not support the Hungarians. Where did the so-called tradition of loyalty come from? Isn't it still led by these landlords and gentry!

As for the church, it has long been tied to the Habsburg family. In a sense, these charlatans are the most loyal believers of the Austrian Empire.

These people can only influence decision-making, and the real decision-making power is still in the hands of the governors of each province.

However, senior officials of the Slovenian province rejected the discussion on the future fate of the Greater Illyria region.

(Say it is Slovenia for the convenience of reading and understanding. In fact, strictly speaking, Slovenia at that time was composed of three administrative regions, namely the Principality of Carinthia, the Principality of Krajina and the Principality of Styria. The concept of Slovenia did not exist at that time.)

The attitude of the Slovenian region was very firm, because the Slovenians at that time usually communicated in German and Italian, rather than their native Slovenian.

In fact, this is inseparable from the local history and natural environment. In the early 19th century, there were more than 100 dialects in the Slovenian region, and even today there are still 46 officially recognized dialects.

And because they have been ruled by people for thousands of years, the locals have a very serious psychological admiration for the strong. Most of them like to call themselves Germans or Italians, not Slovenians.

Since Slovenes usually knew three to five Austrian imperial languages, the translation department was long dominated by Slovenes.

Their connection with the Austrian Empire was too close, and they were closer to the Italian battlefield, so they were more aware of the power of the Austrian Empire, so the option of participating in the rebellion did not exist at all.

In fact, the concept of the Slovenian nation was proposed by the rebels in Vienna, but at this time they had no chance to make those influential speeches.

They were either sent to the mines or had become fertilizer. Franz didn't want to give these people a chance to perform, let alone let them leave a name in history, even if they left a bad name.

The unemployed college students hired by Franz before came in handy again at this time. Their task was to "truthfully" record the meanness, shamelessness, dirtiness, and meanness of the rebellion, while showing the suffering of the residents of Vienna, as well as the greatness, light, and justice of the rebels.

Of course, the necessary review mechanism is indispensable. Franz doesn't want some opponents and fun people to mix into the team. Since he has decided to do it, he must do it cleanly and beautifully.

The West Bosnia side directly executed the envoys from Zagreb. The locals were still under the influence of strong convert fanaticism. They not only refused to negotiate, but even thought that talking about rebellion was a crime.

The West Bosniaks suffered for hundreds of years under the rule of foreign races and religions, and were not liberated until 1844 by the Austrian Empire.

The literacy rate of the local indigenous people was less than 0.1%. Because they were called "Laiya" in the Ottoman language, which means livestock, they were the third-class people in the local area. Their fate was once like livestock and could be slaughtered and sold at will.

It was not until after 1844 that the Austrian Empire allocated tens of millions of florins to the West Bosnia region every year, which allowed schools, hospitals, and churches to rise from the ground, and the concept of roads and railways was first seen in the mountains.

In fact, the way Franz persuaded the Regency Committee was also very simple, that is, to attribute all these expenses to national defense expenditures. After all, the reason that it was a border was reasonable.

The West Bosniaks had actually organized an army to defend their country, but they were suppressed by Franz.

Because the weapons and equipment of this army were too simple, and since it was a spontaneously organized army, it did not have the standard equipment of the Austrian Empire. It had everything from inferior weapons on the black market to antiques, and swords and spears.

Franz did not doubt the courage of the mountain people, but it was not enough to have only passion for war in Europe at this time, especially on the Hungarian Plain.

So the Supreme Command ordered the West Bosnia Army to stick to it, which stopped the patriotic and religious enthusiasm of these people.

The reason why the locals were so extreme was that the charlatans of the church contributed greatly. In the hearts of a group of illiterates who had been oppressed for hundreds of years, no nation or morality was as recognizable as religion, and gold and silver were not as tempting as going to heaven.

As long as an order came down from the center of the empire, these people really dared to rush out of the mountains with the elderly and children and fight with the Hungarians on the plains. Of course, it was hard to say whether they could win.

At this time, Zagreb's hesitation not only caused the tragic death of an envoy, but also the local "outsiders" suffered a bloody massacre.

These "outsiders" refer to the Croatians who came from the Croatian province to aid the West Bosnia region, not the Germans. Perhaps fratricide is the fate of this nation.

The West Bosnians, with their fanaticism for converts, naturally regarded the Austrians as the first class, themselves as the second class, and those who opposed the Austrian Empire as the enemy.

The enemies are all beasts! They are pagans! The thinking mode formed by the West Bosnians for hundreds of years will not be changed in a few years.

Jelacic was very depressed. To be honest, he was really a die-hard fan of the Austrian Empire. Otherwise, he would not have supported Austria, which was the weaker party, when Hungary was dominant in history.

The reason why Jelacic held a meeting to discuss this matter was to find the internal traitors, and then unify their thoughts and gather the power of Greater Illyria to help the empire overcome difficulties. As a result, he now seems to be a traitor.

Jelacic could not help but look at his advisor with some anger.

"It's all your fault! Why hold a meeting when there's nothing to do? We used to get things done in the church!

What should I do now? I feel like a traitor with a weak will!"

The consultant thought for a while and said.

"General, we are considering the future of the Croatian nation. Future generations will definitely justify your foresight."

"I'm not an artist! Why wait until after death? And the Croatian nation you mentioned is just because these guys can't speak German. If they can, then they will soon not be Croatians."

More than a decade has made the Croatians, who already yearn for German culture, yearn to become Germans even more.

And with the establishment of schools, German has become more and more popular. At least in the upper class of Croatia, few people let their children learn Croatian.

In fact, one of the most important factors for Croatia to choose loyalty at this time was the completion of the Great Illyrian Railway. This railway not only strengthened Croatia's connection with the outside world, but more importantly, it also provided it with more choices.

At the same time, it also strengthened Croatia's dependence on Austria, making it easier for the Austrian Empire to invade Croatia's hinterland.