Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 262: Scientist Archive

In 1855, British engineer Bessemer invented the Bessemer process, which used a converter furnace to make steel, replacing manual stirring with machinery and greatly improving production efficiency.

In those days, everyone’s sense of confidentiality was low, and the news spread quickly. Of course, it was impossible to keep it secret anyway, since filing a patent would reveal the technology.

The Bessemer process was not an advanced technology; the main reason others did not adopt it was a matter of mindset, not because the stirring machinery was difficult to manufacture.

When the news reached Vienna, it immediately caused a sensation. This invention meant a substantial increase in the efficiency of steel production, alleviating the scarcity of steel in the market.

After glancing through the newspaper, Franz remembered that steelmaking technology was still very primitive at the time.

In Austria, the largest steel conglomerate, employing over 100,000 workers, produced just over 500,000 tons of steel annually.

This small production still accounted for half of the New Holy Roman Empire’s total steel production and claimed to be the number one steel conglomerate in the European continent.

Austria’s steel production was surpassed only by the British, ultimately ranking second globally. Total capacity had already surpassed that of the French.

These figures were enough to satisfy the Austrian government. At present, Austria’s steel production capacity is growing at an astounding rate of more than 20% per year, an extraordinarily rapid development.

The main reason for the explosive growth in production capacity was still market demand. The steel market was currently in a state of severe shortage, not only in Austria but throughout the European continent.

Currently, the major international steel exporters are primarily the British, with Belgium also being an exporter of steel. The remaining countries, even those considered industrial powerhouses, do not import steel.

After five years of hard work, the steel production capacity finally exceeded one million tons. This achievement was made possible by the annexation of Southern Germany, without which this milestone would not have been possible.

Franz was not the least bit surprised by the Austrian government’s excitement. If you don’t compare, you don’t despair. Now British steel production was approaching 3.3 million tons, about the same as the whole of continental Europe.

At this point, it was time to push the boundaries. In steel production, the natural resources of Great Britain and France determined the upper limit of their steel production.

Even if breakthroughs in steel technology continue, these problems cannot be solved. In the short term, it may not be apparent, but in the later stages, resource scarcity will limit their growth.

Of course, they have colonies to compensate for resource shortages, but the increased costs also lead to decreased profits, causing capitalists to lose interest in further investment.

Franz asked with concern, “Mr. Algiest, is it possible to adopt the open-hearth furnace with our current technology?”

With so many things going on, Franz had even forgotten to push for innovation in the steel technology field, and there was one more aspect that needed to be explored.

Of course, Franz was not even an amateur in this field. All he knew about the open-hearth process were the three words “open-hearth furnace”. As for specifics, who besides professionals would know?

Algiest looked at Franz in confusion. What on earth was the open-hearth furnace, did it involve laying the furnace flat?

Franz could not answer this question either! He could only explain rigidly: “That is, to improve the efficiency and quality of steel smelting by changing the design of the smelting furnace.”

Algiest nodded thoughtfully, still confused, and answered uncertainly: “Your Majesty, this matter requires a lot of experimentation to figure out. How about I do some experiments first?”

“Very well!” Franz replied without hesitation.

Clearly, this was not just a conceptual problem, but also a technical one. At least Franz could be sure that simply laying the steelmaking furnace flat wasn’t the answer.

After sending Algiest away, Franz decided that in the future it would be best not to blindly insist on such matters of industrial technology. It would be better to just poach talent directly.

Isn’t it the Siemens Family? With Franz’s influence in Germany, is there any need to worry about not being able to recruit them?

Franz could proudly say that after so many years of managing the country, with the exception of the Junker aristocrats in Prussia, who could not be poached, most of the others were just a matter of price.

The Junker aristocrats could not be helped, they really could not be poached. The army owns the country, and Franz can’t give that kind of treatment anyway.

As for the ordinary Junker nobility, however, quite a number of them chose to serve Franz. After all, the wisdom of not putting all one’s eggs in one basket was widely understood among the nobility.

Based on current developments, Germany clearly had more potential as part of the New Holy Roman Empire, which was the most orthodox entity.

Most importantly, Franz’s policies best protected everyone’s interests. Even the member states that had joined the German Federal Empire subtly interacted with the Austrian government.

Although the Paris Conference forcibly divided Germany, this does not mean that the people in the region are willing to accept it.

On the contrary, the interference of the Great Powers has made the idea of Greater German unification even more widespread. Especially among the rebellious youth, they have become staunch supporters of Greater Germany.

The Austrian government already had an advantage in attracting talent. Because of its resources, Franz could also offer higher prices than the other two.

……

Franz ordered: “Tyron, send people to investigate the Siemens Family.”

After several years of reorganization, the intelligence organization had become much more capable. The external intelligence organization, composed of aristocratic networks, mainly collected some basic information.

There were also specially trained intelligence personnel among them. Using these networks, they assumed new identities and infiltrated various governments.

These individuals would go undercover for an extended period of time and would only be activated when absolutely necessary. In the short term, bribery is still the primary method because it is still the most effective.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Tyron responded.

After a pause, Franz added, “Let’s set up an archive for scientists, collecting information on renowned and respected scientists worldwide, especially those from Germany.

This should include promising young talents who have the potential to become scientists. Whatever is needed to poach them can be arranged. You can ask Count Hohenberg for help in settling them.”

No matter what, in a world of so many scientists, many individuals who did not achieve fame in later years, but who made outstanding contributions in their time, are also worth winning over.

If outsiders could not be fooled, then fooling German scientists by waving German nationalism and patriotism should work, right?

Franz had already thought of the slogan: “Strive for German unity”. With generous treatment, he refused to believe that it could not fool people.

When all else fails, Franz doesn’t mind resorting to moral coercion. He can approach family and friends, encourage them to do ideological work, and provide patriotic education for stubborn individuals.

As long as these people were deceived, it made no difference whether they worked in government research institutions, private enterprises, or their own industries.

In the mid-to-late 19th century, Germany experienced a significant surge of talent that surpassed other countries in both quality and quantity.

This surge of talent allowed the Second Reich to become an economic powerhouse at the forefront of the Second Industrial Revolution.

Now the foundation of the New Holy Roman Empire was much stronger than that of the Second Reich. Whether in resources or market, the gap was extremely wide.

In 1855, the New Holy Roman Empire had a total population of 51.286 million and a territorial area of approximately 1.026 million square kilometers. Its industrial output was also comparable to that of France.

With this foundation, no other European country, except the neighboring Russian Bear, could compare.

The Russian Bear is a behemoth, with a territory twenty times larger than the New Holy Roman Empire and a population of over 73 million. The Crimean War also contributed to this, otherwise it would have been 74 million.

No need to compare with the Russian Bear, Franz only had to compare with Great Britain and France. Especially France, which 10 years ago had a population of over 35 million but now has barely reached 36 million.

This snail-like growth rate continued to decline, reaching the 40 million mark only during the First World War, when France dropped from the second to the fifth most populous country in Europe.

Faced with this competitor, Franz could boldly say, “No need to worry, let’s take our time!”

With each passing year, the relative power of the two sides changed. In less than twenty years, the population of the New Holy Roman Empire would be twice that of France, completely widening the gap in power.

There was no way around it, facing such an unmotivated opponent, even the salted fish strategy could surpass them. There was no need to target them specifically, the French would fall behind on their own.

Despite Napoleon III’s decent ability for economic development, he can’t change the current situation of low birth rates among the French population unless he abolishes the current inheritance and marriage laws…

In short, the French are not unwilling to have children; they just can’t afford to raise more. The big cities are full of abandoned infants because the working class can’t afford to raise children, or more accurately, they don’t have the time.

The peasants, who should have been the main source of population growth, spontaneously reduced the number of children to maintain their quality of life due to the limited amount of land.

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