Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 897 - 160: Crisis on the Western Front

The bright sunshine shimmered on the azure sea, casting a unique charm.

On a fine sunny day, with a windfall just within reach, Colonel Richard’s mood was exceptionally pleasant.

With years of experience under his belt, he had long sensed something amiss with the ship ahead. Upon giving chase, its true nature was revealed.

Even ordinary merchant vessels keep their distance from the Royal Navy on the high seas, but they would never go so far as to jettison their goods into the sea just to make an escape.

The Royal Navy has a history of acting like freebooters, but that’s all in the past now; they’ve toned it down significantly in recent years.

If they were to turn to robbery, they would certainly do so in disguise. When flying the Navy’s flag, at most they’d extort a protection fee.

Those with connections could schmooze their way to a discount. As long as the money was right, even smuggling was not an issue.

The behavior of the Fulda unmistakably indicated they had something to hide, a rarity these days, and Colonel Richard naturally would not let this opportunity slip by.

The officer in charge of signal flags excitedly said, "Colonel, we’ve encountered Victor Emmanuel III, right aboard the ship ahead. His identity has been confirmed."

The London Government had been ruthless in its pursuit to apprehend the fleeing Victor Emmanuel III, with the Royal Navy out in full force.

It couldn’t exactly be called an arrest, after all, even John Bull needed to consider international repercussions when dealing with a king, so the Royal Navy’s mission was to cordially ask him to return.

Upon hearing this great news, Colonel Richard’s expression brightened. It was well known that a hefty reward had been offered domestically to stimulate everyone’s eagerness.

If one could successfully "invite" Victor Emmanuel III back, not only would there be a substantial bounty, but also a promotion up the ranks.

Richard was already a colonel; crossing the threshold to general was the next step. It seemed like a thin line, but in truth, it was a world of difference.

There was a plethora of colonels in the Royal Navy, but those who managed to cross the threshold to general were few and far between. It couldn’t be helped, these were times of peace, and without wartime achievements, promotion was naturally challenging.

"Then what are we waiting for? Have them stop their ship immediately and ’invite’ Victor Emmanuel III over here," he said.

Colonel Richard placed heavy emphasis on "invite". Even a king in reduced circumstances was still a king and had to be afforded ample respect.

It couldn’t be helped, relations among the European royal families were incredibly complicated, with relatives everywhere, and the influence of any royal house was not to be underestimated.

The young officer’s face turned sour as he replied with a headache, "We’ve already sent out the invitation, but Victor Emmanuel III refuses to accept.

He also warned us not to follow, or else any accidents that occur en route would be our responsibility."

Finally catching on, the young officer tactfully chose to underplay the situation, avoiding a mention of Victor Emmanuel III’s threats.

Colonel Richard was dumbfounded; he had never imagined Victor Emmanuel III would be so uncooperative.

Firing a warning shot was out of the question; if bad luck had it and they sent Victor Emmanuel III to meet his Maker, no one could bear the blame for that.

After glaring at the young officer, Colonel Richard reprimanded, "He refuses, and you don’t know how to persuade him?"

Indeed, persuading was the key; no matter how destitute, to most common people, Victor Emmanuel III was a figure of great importance.

Seeing the young officer’s perplexed expression, Richard continued to add, "Idiot, we can’t touch Victor Emmanuel III, can’t you find a way to coerce or entice the others on the ship?

Send the order to speed up and put pressure on them…"

…

As it turned out, the signal flags were not perfect, especially when it came to conveying threats, their deterrent power was not strong enough.

Once it was clear that the British dared not fire, everyone on the Fulda quickly recovered, though their emotions were still somewhat agitated.

With Victor Emmanuel III’s word, everyone on board was nobility, provided that the King of Sardinia could successfully restore his kingdom.

Those who make a living at sea know that one must seek wealth amid danger. Captain Petra also appropriately exaggerated the success rate, telling everyone that the French Army was at a disadvantage on the battlefield.

To save the French’s failure, the despicable and shameless British Government detained Victor Emmanuel III.

No mistake, it was the despicable and shameless British Government. Even though everyone was British, there was still a difference between British people.

Although the Fulda was a temporary arrangement, the Austrian Embassy would still have investigated. The Fulda was chosen precisely because the crew were all Irish.

If the crew had all been Englishmen most loyal to Britain, the situation would be quite different now.

As the distance between the two sides continued to decrease, the atmosphere on the Fulda began to tense, and Victor Emmanuel III himself had to step in to calm people down.

Suddenly, a few small dots appeared on the horizon. The crew in the crow’s nest reported back, "A fleet has been spotted ahead, heading in our direction."

Victor Emmanuel III sighed with relief and immediately said, "Those are the ships coming to meet us. Let’s get closer."

After speaking, he entered the cabin, pretending to remain calm.

A middle-aged man accompanying him couldn’t help but remind him, "Your Majesty, we chose this route ourselves. Even the Austrians don’t know our exact path, and no ships were arranged to meet us!"

Exiled for so many years, the Italian Independent Organization had been severely battered by society, and now it trusted no one.

Even now, as allies with Austria, Victor Emmanuel III had not accepted the escape route arranged by the Austrian Embassy but had instead changed plans at the last minute to board the Fulda.

Victor Emmanuel III slowly said, "It doesn’t matter whether someone is meeting us or not. As long as people know I’m on the Fulda, that’s enough.

We are now less than a hundred nautical miles from the Netherlands, and there are only two British warships chasing after us, and they do not have the capability to wipe out everyone on a fleet.

Once they get close, tell them there is a distinguished king on the Fulda. The British officers chasing us, as long as they are not fools, will let us leave."

In theory, the Royal Navy would not dare to commit regicide. But there are always exceptions, and on the vast sea, a missing ship is not a big deal. Experience more content on novelbuddy

Victor Emmanuel III’s decision to board the Fulda was made on the spur of the moment, known only by a limited number of people.

And these informants were all in London. If the British got tough and decided to silence witnesses, who could prove it was done by them?

There might be traces left behind, but the issue was that there had to be someone willing to investigate further, and it had to be someone significant.

The crew aboard the Fulda were all hastily conscripted lackeys, whose loyalty could not withstand any real test. When it was said earlier that the English wouldn’t dare to make a move, that was to boost morale.

...

On October 9, 1890, under the escort of the Royal Navy, Victor Emmanuel III arrived in the Netherlands.

Colonel Richard, who was in pursuit, had a very keen political sense and decisively redefined the mission as an escort for Victor Emmanuel III at a critical moment.

As for the unpleasant incidents that occurred en route, those were minor issues. Not to mention that Victor Emmanuel III had not yet successfully restored his reign, even if he did become the King of Sardinia, he could not afford to offend the British.

Being less powerful, he had to swallow the loss, even appearing very pleased with it, to demonstrate to the outside world the cordiality between England and Sardinia.

On the Western Front, after half a month of fighting, the Anti-French Alliance was in an absolute disadvantage.

Even fighting on their own soil, in the face of overwhelming strength, Belgium was unable to turn the tide.

Austrian reinforcements were still on the way, and the mobilization of the German Federation was slow. The defense line from Belgium to Luxembourg was teetering, and even the Rhineland Front had issues.

The situation on the battlefield was increasingly dire, and Leopold II no longer had the spirited demeanor of the past.

"The situation is becoming increasingly unfavorable for us. When can the reinforcements from Germany and Austria arrive?"

Frankly speaking, the performance of the Belgian Army this time was still passable. Being able to resist the French Army’s attacks for half a month with inferior forces was already commendable.

Foreign Minister Jul replied, "The main force of the Austrian army arrived in Baden yesterday afternoon, among which the vanguard has reached the Rhineland region. They are expected to enter our country within five days.

The mobilization speed of the German Federation is a bit slower. Currently, only the Sub-States in the west have completed military mobilization, while those in the east are still in progress.

However, the troops mobilized by the western Sub-States did not arrive at the front lines immediately. We have communicated with the German Federal Government about this, but they have no way to deal with these Sub-States either."

Lack of unified command is the chronic ailment of the German Federation. If not for these internal issues, they would have joined the club of great powers long ago.

Leopold II asked with puzzlement, "Didn’t George I say he would personally come to the front to supervise the battle a few days ago? Why has there been no action?"

War is both a risk and an opportunity, and George I, who had only recently ascended the throne, naturally would not give up easily.

Indeed, George I’s throne was not stable. Apart from the covetous gaze of Austria, more importantly, his own monarchic prestige was too low.

This was a historical legacy issue. The German Federation was a product of a special period, an Empire imposed on the German People by countries such as England, France, and Russia.

An empire that was forced into existence naturally could not satisfy everyone, especially the nationalists, for whom the Empire represented a disgrace.

Under such circumstances, the smaller Sub-States naturally would not follow the Central Government’s lead.

To weaken the Central Government’s authority and safeguard their own power, there was even deliberate propaganda accusing Hanover of treason.

Public assertions in newspapers proclaimed that the crown of the House of Gotha was a reward from the powers for obstructing the unification of the Germany Region.

There was no choice; Hanover’s power was limited and incapable of subduing these Sub-States. Coupled with the lack of support from the public for the Central Government, the German Federation had been in a weak position since its establishment.

In an effort to change this passive situation, two successive Emperors of the German Federation made numerous efforts, such as striving to develop the economy, open up colonies, and integrate the Kingdom of Prussia among a series of measures.

The results were significant, but the effects were just average. After all, these efforts could not satisfy the appetites of the nationalists.

In some sense, this war against France was George I’s last opportunity. Only if he established enough prestige during the war would he have the strength to strike back afterwards.

"Your Majesty, the internal issues of the German Federation are too troublesome. For George I to gain prestige in the war, the support of the Kingdom of Prussia is indispensable,"

The problem is that, having learned from two Prusso-Russian wars, the Prussian Government has gradually become more conservative and unwilling to continue taking risks.

Because of political changes, the conditions they had previously agreed upon are now something the Prussian Government is not prepared to honor.

George I is working hard to persuade the Prussian Government; from the current situation, there is a great chance of failure.

Mainly because the Austrians will not give him this opportunity. Once the Vienna Government intervenes, all the efforts made by George I will be in vain."

Foreign Minister Jul explained, leaving Leopold II feeling almost too frustrated to cry. Whether the Germany Region is united or not has nothing to do with Belgium.

For Belgium, the difference between a unified German Federation and a united Shinra Empire is like that between a large elephant and a small elephant.

Neither a large elephant nor a small elephant can be provoked. In any case, they have to keep a low profile, and the final result is the same.

After pondering for a moment, Leopold II said decisively, "Urge the Vienna Government again, tell them if no reinforcements arrive, we are going to be... finished."

Fortunately, Leopold II realized in time. Otherwise, he would have made the joke of threatening allies with "surrender."

...

Although reinforcements had not yet arrived, the officer corps had already made it to the front line.

In order to secure the final victory, Franz directly assigned Archduke Albrecht to the western front.

This was also a move made out of necessity, not because Austria lacked generals, but because the western front required a joint command.

Without a doubt, the command of the Allied Forces fell into Austrian hands. Prussia and Germany, even if they wanted to dispute it, did not have the confidence.

It’s easy to obtain command, but not easy to lead a multi-national army. Without someone of sufficient weight as commander-in-chief, one could not stabilize the troops.

Archduke Albrecht, with the most prestigious name in the Austrian army, became the best candidate.

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The Allied Forces had not yet been fully assembled, but the Allied Command had already been initiated in advance, and Archduke Albrecht began to fulfill his duties early.

The situation was becoming increasingly disadvantageous for the Allied Forces, and the loss of the Ardennes Forest seemed imminent. Setting down the documents in his hands, Archduke Albrecht also started to get restless.

It seems like the current war has little to do with Austria, after all, it is not the Austrians who are dying, and no matter how heavy the losses, they are the allies’ concern.

But in fact, it’s not so simple. Both Belgium and the German Federation are important forces against France, and now that they have suffered heavy losses, the responsibility to counterattack France in the future will be solely on Austria.

Especially since they control strategic locations, once these fall into French hands, it will undoubtedly cost more to recapture them later on.