Chapter 441： Never sleep city

Christmas Eve 1868 was a memorable day, and that night opened a new era for humankind.

Auguste is an ordinary citizen of Vienna, and these changes in Vienna are too much for him, as if in a dream.

With the children at home and looking at the bright street lights, this is the best gift for Christmas.

"Father, is this a light, why is it so bright?"

After hearing his son's question, Auguste didn't know where to start. There was no Internet in this era, and the spread of knowledge depended on books.

Although August's education is not low, the major is not the right one. As a doctor, he didn't need to research electric light, so naturally he couldn't answer this question.

Not only him, not many people in Vienna knew why. Vienna is not an industrial city. There are studios doing research in this area, but there are no factories producing such products.

Vienna is an inland city and a capital, integrating political centers, financial centers, cultural centers, scientific research centers, and education centers.

With so many titles added, it is really impossible to add another industrial center. Otherwise the skyrocketing population could crush this beautiful city.

In just two decades since Franz's succession, Vienna's population has tripled, and it is still growing at a rapid rate of 8%.

This is obviously not natural growth. If the natural population growth rate is so fast, then it is not a dream to unify the whole world.

Even with the factories closed, Vienna, as the capital of both empires, still sees a large influx of people every year.

Population growth is the driving force for urban development. Today, Vienna is already one of the most prosperous and beautiful cities in the world.

Per capita income has leapt to the top of the world rankings, and neither Paris nor London can match. Although their economies are also very developed, a large number of workers have lowered the average.

This is why Vienna was the first to be a city that never sleeps. The people of Vienna can already afford the lighting, but other cities cannot afford it.

Electricity is not cheap in this era, as long as the middle class and the rich can enjoy it. An average worker's annual income is not enough to open a power company account.

Since the breakthrough of large generator technology in 1866, Austrian power companies have sprung up like mushrooms. If any city does not have a power company, then this must be a small city.

Every city in Austria with a population of more than 100,000 people now has a power company and at least one branch.

As a new energy industry, the Vienna government has been supporting it, and now is the golden age for power companies to race horses.

Unfortunately, the cost is still high, and it has not been able to achieve universal access. The biggest obstacle to the spread of electricity is not the cost of power generation, but the cost of electrical wires, or copper and rubber.

No matter how low the utilization rate is, how can a kilogram of coal generate electricity once? Austrian coal is not valuable and power generation is not fussy. Any coal can be used.

The cost of pure power generation does not exceed 5 Groschen per kilowatt-hour, but when it is delivered to residents' homes, the price of electricity once became 8 shillings, which has increased by 159 times.

(1 shield = 100 shillings = 10000 Groschen)

There is no way, the number of users is small, the cost of wires is high, and the amortization cost naturally goes up.

The most direct benefit of the development of new energy is that, in the depression of the economic crisis, Austria's copper smelting industry and rubber industry grew against the market.

Many companies in the relevant industry chain have benefited from this, and have been driven by at least 500 million Aegis markets, contributing to Austria's economic recovery.

Touching his son's small head, Auguste said kindly: "I don't know this issue, but my little scientist needs to study it in person."

The academic atmosphere in Vienna is still very strong, and scientists have a very high social status in Austria. Especially after Franz, an emperor who was keen to confer to scientists, he was sought after by all walks of life.

Of course, the title is not so easy to get, there is not necessarily a place every year. Franz is a realist, and he will not bother even if he blows up the ceiling before seeing the results.

This is also harmless and still cannot stop the enthusiasm of the people. Auguste is no exception, always referring his son's interests to scientific research.

Obviously, the little guy didn't buy it that way, shook his head and said, "No, the lab is too boring. How can it be comparable to running around the world, my ambition is to be a great soldier."

Looking at his dancing son, Auguste had no choice but to accept this reality. It's not learning to dominate, it's too difficult to become a scientist, and becoming a soldier is also a good choice.

The tradition in the German region is strong, and being an excellent soldier is the goal of most people.

Don't look at Auguste as a doctor, in fact he was also a soldier, but he has retired.

In the national military service system, basically every adult male enters the army for service. Men who have never served in the military are vulnerable to discrimination in society.

Austria's service rate is still as high as 95%, and the remaining 5% is naturally defective. Ordinary people will enter the reserve even if they cannot enter the regular army.

This is not just an obligation, but a right for everyone. The legal definition is that every citizen has the right and obligation to defend the country, and the right to military service is also one of the rights of citizens.

This is not Franz's pot, but the core of Austria's constitution: rights are equal to obligations.

Failure to serve in the military also means that the rights and obligations of defending the country have not been fulfilled, and political rights have naturally been lost, including a range of social benefits.

There is not much social welfare at present, and we can't see how much influence it will have. It will be different in the future.

The issues of unemployment assistance and pensions are now on the agenda. Napoleon III took the lead, and Franz had to follow suit.

Just like when Austria first enacted labor protection laws, it is now standard in all European countries, including the Russian Empire.

In this respect, the proletarian fighting force in Europe is still very powerful. Everyone is very active in fighting for their rights.

The delay has not yet been resolved, mainly due to the burden of the enterprise. To increase these two expenditures, it is necessary to increase taxes, otherwise what can I do if I have no money?

It is not surprising that Napoleon III would lose the throne. Most of the hats on his head in future generations are false, and there is only one real reason: the capitalist Napoleon III has been a long time.

The socialist emperor has a price, and it is definitely not an understatement in history books. Whether it's rebuilding Paris or improving the welfare of the working class, these need money.

Of course, economic development can increase taxes, but the accompanying expenditures have also increased. When Napoleon III succeeded, France's fiscal deficit was as high as 1 billion francs.

Until now, not only has it smoothed out the expenses, but it also has the power to pay workers benefits. The money is not simply printed.

From the tax changes before and after his ascension, we can see the problem. The tax paid by the big capitalists during the Orleans dynasty was less than 1% of fiscal revenue, and now exceeds 30% of fiscal revenue.

Whether it's unemployment benefits or retirement pensions, the money is pulled out of the capitalists' pockets.

Just looking at his establishment of the two major French central banks "Land Credit Bank" and "Movable Credit Bank" and the establishment of land banks in Paris and the provinces, he knows how much meat has been cut by financial capitalists.

The lesson learned is not to be forgotten, and Franz is doing the same thing, even going further. But the fighting power of the Austrian capitalists was not good, and they were politically suppressed by the aristocracy.

In order to reduce pressure, Franz is occasionally recruiting big capitalists. Regardless of their rights, these people became members of the ruling class, and their class stance changed.

It is impossible for them to share the rights that they have been lucky enough to share with their former bourgeois companions.

Capitalists and capitalists are naturally opposed to each other, and competition has divided this group. As long as monopoly consortia are not allowed to appear, this group has no strength against the government.

...

Christmas Eve in 1868 left a shocking scene in this era. The scene of "Sleepless City" in science fiction became a reality in Vienna.

The telegram was definitely one of the greatest inventions of the 19th century. Thanks to the efficient transmission of the telegraph, the news of "Vienna = the city that never sleeps" seized the front page of European newspapers the next day.

This Christmas, there is only one "sleepless city" in the eyes of Europeans.

Electric lighting has been around for a long time in continental Europe, but many people dare not think about making a city light up.

In fact, Vienna is not all on, just street lights are installed, and many residents still have oil lamps in their homes.

Newspapers will not explain these issues in detail, and they will be taken straight away, so that Europeans take it for granted that Vienna has already popularized electric lighting.

Small countries just need to watch the liveliness. Everyone's mentality is good. Vienna was originally the richest city in Europe, and it was normal to become the city that never sleeps.

It's different in the eyes of some people. For British and French people in this era, this can't be tolerated.

London

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