War Palace and Knee Pillow, Austria’s Destiny

Schönbrunn Palace, Royal Gardens.

Friedrich shook his head and said that he did not know the country cousin named Ambrosius and had no interest in attacking the natives of Southeast Asia.

Franz wanted to persuade him again, but Friedrich seemed determined.

If the Austrian navy couldn't be asked to help, then the church would have to rely on it.

But teaching is a double-edged sword. The more you use it, the more dependent you become on it.

If you are really determined to solve the church's problems, you will either endure the pain of digging out the flesh and scraping the bones, or spend dozens or even hundreds of years eroding its influence.

"So what are your plans?" Franz asked.

"Of course it will be an armed escort to Mexico. Count Tural is worried about this matter. Count Tular will probably be very happy then, because the equipment sold to Mexico will bring him one step closer to his plan."

Of course Franz knew Count Tural's plan, but in Franz's eyes, the plan was stupid and meaningless.

Because the Austrian Army wants to update the M1831 front-loading musket. Although it is the latest musket, it does not have a very obvious improvement in firepower and other aspects.

The M1831 front-loading musket is better made than the musket produced in Austria in the last century. The ignition method has changed from firing to firing. The caliber is larger, the barrel length is longer, and the power is larger than before. It also has an advantage when bayoneting.

In fact, in 1836, Dresser completed the design of a needle gun that loaded ammunition from the back.

At that time, rifles were loaded from the muzzle, and loading ammunition from the back was a very "rebellious" practice.

However, the Prussian government recognized the superiority of the rifle and immediately acquired the invention.

The government took over everything and classified it as a secret, developing it under secrecy.

Franz also wrote anonymously to the military to remind him of the huge advantages of breech-loading guns. However, in the eyes of senior military officials, this was completely nonsense.

Breech-loading guns are too expensive, have many hidden dangers, and are not easy to repair.

The most important thing is the way of loading from the breech, which is not very elegant.

One general even quipped that "a noble man should eat with his mouth, not his butt, and the same goes for guns."

In fact, breech-loading guns have appeared for a long time, and the earliest one should be the Ferguson rifle.

This Ferguson is not the manager of Manchester United, but the protagonist of the text "The Shot Not Fired".

He once spared Washington, the first president of the United States. Washington is not called the "Father of the Founding of the United States" here, because I only recognize Louis XVI as the "Father of the Founding of the United States."

However, the American snipers did not let him go, and Ferguson and his Ferguson rifle became history.

In fact, the real reason why the Ferguson rifle was buried was not Captain Ferguson, but its excessive price. The cost of 150 pounds made many nobles prohibitive.

The other is the Hall rifle that Americans are proud of. It is said that this rifle has a range of up to 1,200 meters, can shoot up to ten times per minute, and can shoot a one-cent coin from 500 meters away.

Of course, this is just American folklore. After all, the above-mentioned performance is comparable to the rifles of World War II.

In history, a group of Rangers equipped with Hall rifles were wiped out while driving away Indians. In the book, American volunteers equipped with Hall rifles were pinned to the ground and hammered by the Mexicans.

In fact, the Hall rifle has a fatal flaw, which is a serious lack of airtightness.

This kind of rifle is vividly called "mud-faced". Since black powder was used at that time, a large amount of residue would be produced every time it was burned. If it is not cleaned up, shooting this rifle three to four times may cause the powder chamber to leak. , the remnants of black powder were sprayed directly into the soldier's face, and in serious cases it might even explode the barrel.

Another characteristic of insufficient airtightness is that the thrust is very poor. Even if the weight of gunpowder is increased, it can only reach one-third of the power of an ordinary rifle. On the battlefield, long-distance shooting often fails to penetrate the board or hit the same person. The embarrassing situation of being shot several times and still not dying.

The M1826 smoothbore cannon is very useful, but the cost is a bit high.

"I can understand if you want to go to Mexico, but Prime Minister Metternich is opposed to getting involved in the Mexican Civil War." Franz said.

"Oh, this is simple. The navy can formulate a drill plan. After all, the Austrian navy has never conducted an ocean voyage before. I think Prince Metternich should also know the importance of the navy in this era to a country." Friedrich Nozomi replied.

Franz still wanted to persuade him again and said.

"Prince Metternich will not allow you to take the navy to the warring countries. We should consider building new warships in Trieste."

"The Americas are so big, and it's not just Mexico. It will be easy to change the route when the time comes. As for the new warships, you don't have to worry. I have a group of great technicians who can build anything I want. Of course. I will stay in Trieste for a month and then leave once my plans are on track.”

Friedrich understood the importance of new battleships, but he also wanted to practice military training. After all, he still did not know the true strength of the Austrian Navy. At the same time, he was also preparing for the major event that Franz said might change the fate of the Austrian Empire.

Theoretically, the Mexican navy poses no threat to the Austrian naval fleet, but in this era of sea navigation, bad weather, disease, and even pirates may take lives, and there are too many uncertainties in naval battles. Lantz could only continue to remind.

"You must be more careful. If possible, it is best not to engage in meaningless battles. Your mission this time is just to deliver goods. The Austrian Imperial Navy is still waiting for you to flourish."

"This is a rare opportunity for actual combat. How could I give up. According to intelligence, the Mexicans don't even have a battleship, only light gunboats left by the Spanish." Friedrich said.

"Your intelligence may be wrong, and our Austrian Empire's navy seems to have no battleships capable of long voyages, only some cruisers and frigates." Franz replied.

"Oh, dear Franz. You may not know much about the navy. How difficult it is to use a light gunboat to sink a frigate." Friedrich seemed nonchalant.

At this time, the high-explosive artillery shells known as "ship killers" had not yet been born. Everyone in the sea battle was still in the stage of throwing iron balls at each other, and the big ships undoubtedly had a huge advantage.

In fact, Friedrich's judgment was indeed correct. The Mexican Navy's light gunboats were a joke when facing the Austrian cruisers, but at this time the Austrian cruisers were also a joke in front of the British main battleships.

Afterwards, Franz discussed the European situation and army construction with Friedrich, and the afternoon passed in the blink of an eye.

Franz invited Friedrich to dinner, but Friedrich refused. He was busy going home and drawing plans for the battleship.

Friedrich glanced at Thalia when he left, but Thalia pretended to clear the tableware on the table and avoided Friedrich's sight.

After Friedrich left, Franz stared at Thalia.

"Look what I do! Are there flies on my face?" Thalia asked.

"You usually don't take care of your own food, and you still order servants. What's wrong today?"

Thalia was annoyed by Franz's teasing, but she couldn't get angry in front of others, so she smiled and said.

"Archduke Franz, exercise is good for your health."

"Okay, then come with me for a walk." Franz said.

Thanks to book friend Uffizi for the tip, and he is also the first deacon of this book. Logically speaking, I should add a separate chapter, but I encountered some situations today (the group was blocked, the pot was messed up), and it may have to be postponed until tomorrow.

Thanks to book friend xiaotang246 for the reward, book friend 20190706212226573, uffizi for the monthly pass, and all readers for their support.

grateful!

The last step is the daily vote-seeking stage.

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