Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 898 - 161, Treaty of Osso

In the Allied Command, Archduke Albrecht frowned as he looked at the troop deployment map sent from the front line.

"General Desmet, isn’t the troop deployment in the coastal area a bit too weak?"

There was no other way, the Anti-French Alliance had advantages in all aspects, but they were at a naval disadvantage.

In the Mediterranean frontline, the France-Austrian Navy had similar strength, and both countries were afraid of the British playing the fisherman, so they did not dare to take risks in a naval battle.

It was different in the North Sea Area, where the Belgian Navy and the German Federal Navy were like a flimsy wall against the French Navy.

Even after Victorio Emanuele II left London, neither of the two navies dispatched warships to meet him.

For no other reason than fear. The French Navy had blockaded the harbor, and any warship leaving port would not return.

The Anti-French Alliance had lost naval dominance in the North Sea Area, and coastal defense had become a stark reality that Prussia and Germany had to face.

Belgium’s coastline was not long, only 66 kilometers, but even so, it could not be defended by just a few garrison brigades.

According to what Archduke Albrecht knew, the garrison brigades that Belgium had deployed were all expanded temporarily after the war.

The structure of these troops was: a small number of retired soldiers + temporarily conscripted nobility officers + a group of young and strong men.

It is worth mentioning that among these retired soldiers, the average age was over fifty years old, the younger ones had all gone to the main forces.

Both the officers and the soldiers were the rejected ones after the main forces’ selection. There was no other way, even with the Belgian government’s preparations, it could not change the fact that they were short on manpower.

Since the start of the war, the Belgian government had mobilized nearly three hundred thousand troops. Not to mention the quality, the mobilization rate and speed were the highest among the participating countries.

"Your Excellency, the Marshal, we have deployed a large number of shore batteries in the coastal area. The French will have to pay a heavy price if they want to land. No commander would be foolish enough to bombard shore batteries with naval ships.

Moreover, the French offensive is too strong. Our main forces have been put into frontline combat, and we no longer have enough troops to deploy to the coastal area," said General Desmet with helplessness. It was not that he was unaware of the dangers in the coastal area, but rather that he lacked sufficient troops and had to prioritize more important battlefields.

Now, all they could do was bet that the French wouldn’t dare to exchange gunfire with the shore batteries, and all they needed was to hold out for one more week, then the Austrian reinforcements would arrive.

Archduke Albrecht shook his head, "Your Excellency, the General, that judgment might have been fine twenty years ago, but not now.

The French can use their warships as bait, forcing the exposure of your shore battery fire points, and then carry out bombing with airship troops.

Prior battles have proven that your country’s airship troops are no match for the French, the skies temporarily belong to the French.

Do not doubt the French government’s determination, naval ships are not as valuable as you imagine, and France drags plenty of warships out for target practice every year." Find your next read at novelbuddy

The combat power of airships has been proven, especially during targeted bombings, where airships can exert even greater power.

Because of the emergence of anti-air weapons, airship bombardments are now conducted from high altitude, with low accuracy, but the Belgian coastline is not that large an area.

Bombarding a coastline two kilometers wide is just over a hundred square kilometers, equivalent to a city. With naval guns + airships, covering such a small area is no longer a problem.

As long as the French are willing to pay a certain price, landing in the weakly defended coastal areas of Belgium is not a problem at all.

Warships are valuable, but that is relative. The most advanced warships are certainly very valuable, but old ones ready for retirement are a different story.

Especially for countries like Britain, France, and Austria that frequently engage in arms races, which of them doesn’t have a bunch of warships waiting to be scrapped?

If they cannot be sold on the international market, and not so many training ships are needed, then apart from using them for target practice, they can only be dismantled and sold as scrap metal.

```

Using a portion of the fleet as cannon fodder is something we don’t need to lament over.

In the eyes of Archduke Albrecht, if the French haven’t launched a landing operation, it’s either because their commander is too foolish to recognize the opportunity, or the commander is indecisive and reluctant to make sacrifices…

However, these are all temporary situations. As long as there is no breakthrough at the front, the French will eventually take this step.

Even if the landing operation fails, the French can still tie down significant forces of the Anti-French Alliance, creating favorable conditions for their main force’s decisive battle.

Not to mention, after the princes of the German Federation along the coast ensure their homeland’s safety, they won’t have the capacity to send troops to battle.

General Desmet nodded in disagreement, "Marshal, rest assured, we will take heed.

Once the French launch their landing campaign, we will immediately send troops to reinforce. Belgium isn’t big, and there is plenty of time to make it.

The main issue now is the lack of troops; that is why we’re completely suppressed by the French. Once your country’s reinforcement troops arrive, the situation will change."

After over half a month of fighting, it hasn’t been without its help. At the very least, the Belgian military’s fear of the French has been greatly reduced.

Due to the battle on home soil, there was give and take on the battlefield. Being at a disadvantage was merely due to a lack of troops; the gap in combat effectiveness between both sides wasn’t as big as initially anticipated.

Looking out the window, Archduke Albrecht refrained from interfering further. Austrian reinforcements were about to arrive, but they weren’t coming to die for the Belgians.

The Vienna Government’s stance was very clear: instigate Prussia and Germany to fight with the French first, and once they were sufficiently weakened, then engage in a decisive battle with the main force.

Don’t ask why, it was simply a strategy set by the Emperor, and executing it was what mattered.

Under such a context, the action speed of the Austrian reinforcements naturally couldn’t be fast.

Of course, Franz is still principled and hasn’t gone too far.

The Austrian troops indeed advanced at a pace of thirty to forty kilometers a day, the actual speed still depended on road conditions and weather.

There’s nothing much to say, during these times everyone’s marching speed isn’t great. Being able to advance thirty to forty kilometers a day was already the standard for elite forces.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t move faster, but that it was difficult to sustain. Perhaps under light-equipped conditions, the troops could march up to seventy or eighty kilometers in one breath on a certain day.

But such speed couldn’t be maintained. Soldiers are also human, and when exhausted, one couldn’t expect them to be battle-ready.

In fact, collapses of troops due to moving too fast are not infrequent in military history.

...

In the Vienna Palace, Franz was holding a welcome banquet for Victor Emmanuel III.

In the past, relations between France and Austria were somewhat acceptable. Although Austria acknowledged Victor Emmanuel III as the King of Sardinia, it was only said in private.

Outwardly, regarding this issue, like the rest of Europe, the Vienna government kept silent, as if oblivious to anything.

Now it was different. Since France and Austria had begun fighting, there was no need to consider the French’s feelings anymore.

To support Victor Emmanuel III and to persuade the Italian people that Austria was there to liberate them, Franz had to personally attend the welcome banquet to show the Austrian government’s political stance in favor of Sardinian independence.

Apart from some inconsequential formalities, there was no discussion of substantive matters at the banquet, and Franz made a brief appearance before hastily departing.

With the Emperor gone, the banquet continued. The responsibility of hosting Victor Emmanuel III fell on Wessenberg, as part of his duty as the Foreign Minister.

Victor Emmanuel III asked with great interest, "Your Excellency, the Minister, how far has your country proceeded in the military situation in the Italian Area, and when can I lead the Italian independence movement at the front?"

```

There was no choice, Victor Emmanuel III had recently been greatly provoked, especially being placed under house arrest in Britannia, which only aggravated him further.

Never before had there been such an urgent need for the restoration of his monarchy. Had Franz not left so swiftly, without giving him the chance to speak, the question now would be...

"Your Majesty, there’s no need to be anxious. Since it’s your first time in Vienna, you should take the opportunity to truly appreciate the beauty here.

Trust me, Vienna won’t disappoint you. It is the most beautiful city in the world."

Having said that, Wessenberg picked up a glass of red wine and took a small sip. Looking at the anxious face of Victor Emmanuel III, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. If Victor Emmanuel III wanted Austria’s help in restoring his monarchy, it was natural that he would have to pay a price.

Otherwise, with so many eligible to restore the Kingdom of Sardinia, why should the Vienna Government support him?

Is it because Victor Emmanuel III is currently the most legitimate?

Unfortunately, it is now the end of the 19th century, and even legitimacy must bow to interest.

The Bonaparte Dynasty is an example; the countries of Europe did not launch an intervention to restore Napoleon III just for the sake of legitimacy.

Of course, when the gap in interests is not wide, the Vienna Government is still more willing to support a legitimate monarch, as the Habsburg dynasty is currently advocating legitimacy, striving for the unification of the Germany Region.

"Your Excellency, Vienna’s reputation has long spread across the world, and I have longed to visit, intending to tour quite thoroughly.

But for now, the Sardinian People are still suffering under the enslavement of the French, and as their King, I am already deeply ashamed of my powerlessness to rescue them, truly having no face to do anything else."

Brown-nosing was not an issue for Victor Emmanuel III; he felt no pressure in doing so.

Unlike other monarchs, Victor Emmanuel III had grown up dependent on others, lacking the environment to develop any sort of arrogance.

Although Wessenberg wasn’t particularly fond of Victor Emmanuel III’s ideas, he still regarded him more highly after hearing them.

As a King, not only was he able to lower himself, but he also possessed keen judgment. Upon realizing the futility of the situation, he immediately narrowed his focus to the Kingdom of Sardinia, subtlety indicating a lack of ambition.

"Your Majesty, have peace of mind. God will punish the French invaders, and the Kingdom of Sardinia will eventually gain independence.

Austria is different from France; we are a peace-loving country with no territorial ambitions in the Italian Area and no intention of expansion there.

Supporting the independence of the Kingdom of Sardinia has always been our political stance, but to drive out the French, we will also have to pay a very heavy price.

You must have heard that we have formed the Anti-French Alliance with Belgium, the German Federation, and other countries.

To ensure everyone’s interests, we have to adopt the principle of equivalent exchange. After driving away the French, all participating countries will distribute the spoils according to their contributions.

Given the current situation of your country, it would be difficult to contribute to the war; in theory, it would not qualify to share in the spoils.

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However, out of respect for the traditional friendship between Austria and Sardinia, we will still support the independence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, but your country must bear a portion of the military expenses as a price.

The specific amount will be determined based on the actual expenses after the war. Of course, if you can make a certain contribution on the battlefield, you can also reduce part of the apportionment accordingly."

At the mention of "Austria-Sardinian friendship," Victor Emmanuel III’s complexion became somewhat unnatural.

There was no choice, should this become known, it would be yet another joke of the century.

The Kingdom of Sardinia had fallen to its current plight largely due to Austria’s significant contribution, even playing a decisive role.

If it weren’t for Austria’s devastating defeat of them, the French would not have so easily occupied Sardinia, and perhaps the situation would be different today.

Unfortunately, history offers no "what-ifs," and what’s more tragic is that it was the Kingdom of Sardinia that initiated the Ossetian War, leaving the father of Victor Emmanuel III burdened with infamy to this day.

Reality is this cruel: people only remember the victors, and the losers are deemed the guilty ones, no matter how noble their intentions might have been.

Redemption is impossible. The failure of the Ossetian War directly led to the inability of the Kingdom of Sardinia to resist the French invasion.

Victorio Emanuele II became synonymous with folly and megalomania, despite the fact that he was pushed onto the battlefield by the Sardinian people.

After a brief period of acclimatization to the cold winds of change, Victor Emmanuel III quickly recovered and carefully pondered Wessenberg’s words.

What made him hesitate was not that Austria’s terms were too harsh; on the contrary, they were overly generous, to the point that Victor Emmanuel III found it unbelievable.

To merely share a portion of the military expenses in exchange for the restoration of Sardinia was an incredibly cheap deal—who wouldn’t take it?

After a moment of hesitation, Victor Emmanuel III tentatively asked, "Is the French military investing a lot of troops on the southern front?"

Aside from the intense battle situation, urgently needing allies was the only other reason Victor Emmanuel III could think of that would prompt Austria to offer such favorable terms.

Wessenberg shook his head: "It’s manageable! The French have focused their strategic efforts on the Central European Battlefield, mainly adopting a defensive stance in the Italian Area.

Your Majesty, you should be aware that the terrain in the Italian Area does not favor large-scale decisive battles.

Engaging in a decisive battle in the Italian Area would be akin to the Afghanistan Wars between England and Russia—a conflict that could continue indefinitely if all parties are willing."

"If it weren’t for the purpose of liberating the Italian Area and helping other countries free themselves from French bondage, we wouldn’t be entangled with them on the southern front," he added.

Wessenberg knew the doubts in Victor Emmanuel III’s heart, but he had no intention of explaining them.

It wasn’t that the Austrian Government intended to give preferential treatment to the Kingdom of Sardinia; they simply didn’t know what else they needed.

Territory?

Austria hardly lacked it. The most valuable regions of Italy were already in the hands of Austria; the rest was not worth much.

Continuing to expand would only bring more trouble without adding any value.

Even Sicily, which now seems to be of great strategic importance, would have no value to Austria after the war.

There was no way around it; the Kingdom of Sardinia existed only in theory. Victor Emmanuel III had nothing but a legitimate title.

Even if one wanted to extract oil, one would have to wait until after Sardinia’s independence. Why make Victor Emmanuel III sign a bunch of unequal treaties when nothing was set in stone? How could he maintain control in the future?

Austria needed a stable Kingdom of Sardinia, one that continuously caused trouble for the French, not a Sardinia constantly in turmoil, needing continual rescue.

Faced with a tempting pie, Victor Emmanuel III, starving with hunger, had to take a bite, whether it was poisoned or not.

...

On October 21, 1890, Victor Emmanuel III signed the "Austro-Sardinian Agreement" with Wessenberg.

Naturally, the content of the treaty extolled the Austro-Sardinian friendship. Any past displeasures were conspiracies crafted by the French to annex the Kingdom of Sardinia.

After so much time had passed, and with the older generation no longer around, there was now a more detestable enemy—France. The Austro-Sardinian enmity was trivial in comparison.

With the signing of the treaty, the long-standing grievances between Austria and Sardinia that dated back to 1847 were finally settled, and the relationship between the two countries elevated to new heights.