Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 905 - 168: Seizing Command

The collapse of the Luxembourg Line had a profound impact, causing France’s prestige to resound across the European Continent once again, as if the army that had once swept across Europe had returned.

Belgium was in panic, as were the many nations of the Germany Region. The rest of Europe was alarmed, and even within Austria, there was a sense of panic.

Vienna Palace

Putting down the newspaper that boasted of France’s invincibility, Franz nodded in satisfaction, "Well done. I believe in the coming period, we will be able to reap considerable support."

The balance of power policy in Europe was not just played by the British. In fact, the majority of European countries supported this policy, as no one wanted a behemoth over their head.

Without a doubt, this war in Europe was crucial for the continuation of the balance of power. Neither France nor Austria winning was desirable for anyone.

Now, with France gaining the upper hand, naturally, some would start to hold them back. To make the storm fiercer, Franz certainly needed to exaggerate France’s strength.

The reality was right before their eyes; the German Federation, a mid-level power, relying on fortress defenses, had not lasted a month against the French Army.

Remember, the former Kingdom of Prussia was not as powerful as the German Federation, yet it managed to go back and forth with the Russians, ultimately worn down by the Tsarist Government’s tactics of using masses of troops.

With this stark contrast, who could dare say France was not the world’s leading land power?

Foreign Minister Weisenberg, "Your Majesty, France’s strength has already deeply ingrained itself in people’s hearts. If we continue to build them up, it could easily spiral out of control.

The Foreign Ministry has learned that in recent times, countries such as Switzerland, Netherlands, and Portugal have been cozying up to the French, and the political isolation of France that we painstakingly crafted is being shaken."

The survival tactic of small countries is to sway like grass on the top of a wall; now with the French in the ascendant, naturally, they would align themselves.

Of course, this alignment was not their true intention, but merely a necessity for survival, to ease relations with the French.

Outwardly aligning while covertly continuing to backstab, as the French Empire appeared too aggressive and could threaten their security at any moment.

Franz shook his head, "No matter, these small nations move towards them, but the great powers are distancing themselves.

Have you noticed? Since the collapse of the Luxembourg Line, our disruption of the Suez Canal has been selectively forgotten by everyone.

The members of the Italian Independence Organization detained by the British are about to be returned to their country, indicating the London Government remains very cautious about the French.

The Foreign Ministry must strive harder to urge the British to increase tariffs on exports to France, thus continuing to elevate the French’s cost of war.

We must also not relax our public relations efforts with Spain and Russia; although they are not very reliable, they can still troubleshoot for the French."

Franz appeared nonchalant, but inside, he was anything but calm. Now that the European nations could hold back the French, they could similarly hold back Austria in the future; opposition was geared towards whoever was powerful.

Yet, at this stage, to fulfill the Empire’s unification strategy, France must be dealt with; to deal with France, the European nations must be managed.

Alright, Franz was sensible and chose to go with the flow, without any intention of confronting the European nations head-on.

The Austrian General Staff was not like the Showa General Staff, and they harbored no foolish intention to devise a strategy for conquering Europe. They were merely preparing to catch everyone off guard with a surprise attack.

To achieve the strategic objective, Franz did not hesitate to restrain his frontline commanders. Rather than suffering the political pressure from initial battlefield losses, he chose to...

...

"Hurry, run faster!"

"Filery, you fool. Hurry up and follow along, or the French will stab you in the behind!"

The middle-aged officer’s urging voice rang out continually, albeit to little effect. There was no helping it; having been bewilderingly defeated in battle and then equally hazily fleeing, the military’s morale had already vanished.

Though the Luxembourg Line had collapsed, the German Army’s retreat path had not been cut off; the French had come directly from the front, not impeding anyone’s escape.

If it wasn’t for the chaos within the German command structure, where after a breach appeared at the front line no reserves were promptly committed to plug it, resulting in all units fleeing in a panic, they wouldn’t have been so disheveled now.

The scolded Filery replied breathlessly, "Colonel, we’re already going as fast as we can. But we only have two legs for traveling—how can we outrun those with four?"

It was apparent that this was a unit from a small state. Only in the military of a small state could officers and soldiers interact so informally.

The middle-aged officer sternly reprimanded, "Filery, you are truly foolish. How many cavalrymen do the French have? With so many routed soldiers at the front, could they possibly handle all of them?"

The fact reiterated the truth of battlefield escapes: "It doesn’t matter if you can’t outrun the enemy, as long as you outrun your allies."

Due to historical issues, the relationships among the German States were not as harmonious as they seemed on the surface, and Colonel Ryan felt no pressure in leaving his allies behind to escape.

It couldn’t exactly be considered a loss. Right now, everyone was frantically fleeing for their lives, the front lines were lost, and the situation on the battlefield had completely deteriorated. It simply wasn’t a situation that the small unit "Bremen Hansa" could reverse.

Being able to lead his troops in the retreat, rather than riding off alone on horseback, Colonel Ryan had indeed fulfilled his duty.

Perhaps because they had run fast enough, or perhaps because their will to survive had moved God, they had encountered no French forces from Luxembourg to Koblenz.

Upon arriving here, their flight for survival also came to an end. Seeing the Austrian army’s flag erected in front, Colonel Ryan breathed a sigh of relief and was about to step forward when a loud voice rang out.

"State your unit number, commander’s name!"

The speaker was a young officer, holding a notebook, with a group of soldiers ready for battle behind him.

Facing ten gun barrels, anyone would feel uncomfortable, and Colonel Ryan was no exception. With a frown, he answered, "Bremen Hansa National Defense Force, Commander Colonel Ryan!"

No specific number needed. The Free City of Bremen Hansa was just the size of a large township, notable only for its bustling commerce and dense population.

The troops participating in this war numbered just a few hundred people; a reinforced battalion’s organization was enough, and reporting the country’s name was much more convenient than the unit number.

Perhaps realizing that his own and his group’s appearance was not the best, Colonel Ryan emphasized his rank in the hope of receiving better treatment.

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To be honest, Ryan was not satisfied with his rank of Colonel. Compared to the highest commanders from other sub-states who were generals, his rank seemed inferior when they stood together.

Regrettably, the domestic parliamentarians did not agree, and strictly used his lack of military achievements as a reason to keep this military "big shot" at the rank of Colonel.

Hearing the word "Colonel," the young officer became much more polite. After all, they were allies and recognized each other’s ranks, despite the considerable leeway within that recognition.

"May I ask, Colonel, in which year did you enlist, and what was your occupation before enlistment?"

The routine questioning made Colonel Ryan visibly embarrassed as he reluctantly answered, "I enlisted three months ago, before which I was responsible for security in Bremen."

There was no helping it; Bremen Hansa was simply too small and could not afford a standing army. Typically, the domestic police would double as the military.

Possibly worried that his resume might not seem impressive and could be looked down upon, Colonel Ryan added, "When I was younger, I also commanded a group of mercenaries and fought against the British in South Africa."

It was precisely because he had been on the battlefield that Ryan had been able to stand out from many novices and become the commander of this unit.

The young officer opened his notebook, quickly flipping through it, and after a moment, smiled and said, "No problem with the details.

Colonel Ryan, on behalf of the Allied Command, I welcome you and your troops."

Hearing "welcome back," Colonel Ryan’s expression abruptly became uneasy. There was no doubt they had been legally incorporated.

After much hesitation, Colonel Ryan steeled himself and said, "Your honor, we have just suffered a defeat at the front, and now the morale of our troops is utterly broken; the troops need necessary rest."

There was no alternative. In Luxembourg, when many small sub-states reported as a group, they had enough confidence to negotiate terms with the centrally appointed commanders.

Not anymore, the troops were scattered. Soldiers not knowing their generals, and generals not knowing their soldiers, was the most accurate description.

The Allied Command was now gathering scattered troops, and would undoubtedly not help them restore their formations, as any competent commander would seize this moment to take command of the troops.

To reorganize the scattered soldiers and dissolve the sub-state based military system meant losing any bargaining power.

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For the overall situation, this was most beneficial, as it would consolidate strength and maximize combat efficiency.

However, from the perspective of an individual or a small sub-state, the situation was entirely different. It meant that they would lose their say within the allied forces.

In theory, it would be more natural for the German Federal Government to handle such matters since it was, after all, the central government in law with the right to integrate the sub-states below it.

The Allied Command’s stepping forward to gather and reorganize scattered troops was somewhat overreaching. But these were minor issues; currently, the German command was in complete disarray and simply couldn’t pay attention to this area.

By the time they realized what was happening, the facts on the ground would have been established; retrieving command from Austria’s hands would then only be possible through diplomatic proceedings with the Vienna Government.

As if he had thought of something, the young officer reassured, "Colonel, don’t worry, you won’t have combat duties for the short term.

Now, you should head to the camp, take a bath, rest well, and wait for orders."

Unable to contend against a stronger force, and seeing his tired soldiers behind him, Colonel Ryan reluctantly nodded.

...