Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 907 - 170, The Duel of the Veterans

"Marshal, when will you be handing over the defeated troops you’ve gathered to us?"

The German Federation, belatedly aware of the command authority issue, had General Adrian hurry over to address it.

Archduke Albrecht shook his head, feigning surprise, "Hand over what? Does this Allied Command not have the authority to command these troops?"

How much power the Allied Commander holds is another unsolved mystery of the world.

Prussia and Germany were coerced into the Anti-French Alliance and lacked the confidence to dispute the leadership with Austria, hence even the jurisdiction of the Allied Command was not explicitly defined.

Authority that has not been specifically agreed upon can theoretically be inflated indefinitely. For instance, Archduke Albrecht is currently incorporating the defeated troops under the name of the Allied Command.

General Adrian tried to explain, "But Marshal..."

Before he could finish, Archduke Albrecht interrupted, "There are no ’buts,’ my general.

You know very well how dangerous the situation is on the battlefield right now. Do you think we can hold the Rhine Defense line without unified command?"

With insufficient forces at the front, I have already reorganized the defeated troops and they have been sent into battle; they cannot be relocated at this time.

The transfer of command over these troops will have to wait until after the war is over. You can rest assured, I won’t hold onto them forever!"

Rest assured, how could he relax?

It was precisely because of this concern that General Adrian had come. In fact, the defeats at the front presented an opportunity for the Central Government of the German Federation.

If they seized the chance and took control of the command of the State Army troops, the loose alliance would not be far from true unification.

One can’t blame the German Army generals at the front for their slow response; unlike the vaguely defined Allied Command, the rights of the German frontline command were stringently set early on.

Each state had its own independent command authority, and the German Army’s command was made of representatives from each state, with the overall commander appointed by the Central Government effectively serving as a coordinator of relations.

The slow reaction time of the commanders, bogged down by internal politics, was to be expected.

By the time George I decided to seize the opportunity to usurp power, Archduke Albrecht had already mobilized under the name of the Allied Command and nearly completed the incorporation of the German troops retreating from the front.

Due to communication difficulties, many frontline units lost contact with the German Army command after their defeat.

The regular soldiers on the ground were unaware of these higher-level disputes. After all, the existence of the Allied Command was well-known, and the troops were accustomed to obeying orders from their superiors.

In the chaos, the majority accepted the orders upon receiving commands from the Allied Command.

The reorganized forces included not only scattered soldiers, but also the German troops that had retreated from the front. Archduke Albrecht had beaten the clock by using the name of the Allied Command to call up the troops, including many from Hanover.

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By this stage, Archduke Albrecht effectively held command over the majority of the frontline German Army.

Had he not considered the subsequent need for cooperation from the German Federation, he would have been even more overbearing, like forcefully taking over the command of all frontline German forces.

General Adrian, steeling himself, argued, "Marshal, the unification of command by the Allied Command could entirely be achieved through a tri-national alliance, there is really no need to command frontline troops directly."

It’s not that General Adrian was inarticulate, but the relationship between Germany and Austria was too intricate, and with the German Federation relying on Austria for security, there was much he couldn’t say.

Other countries in the International Alliance could use cultural and linguistic differences as excuses to demand independent command.

The Anti-French Alliance couldn’t do that, since linguists might not even be able to clarify the differences between German and Austrian languages; in any case, the languages of Prussia, Austria, and Germany were mutually intelligible, so there were no barriers to communication.

With the universal excuse unusable and harsh truths unsayable, General Adrian was naturally frustrated.

Archduke Albrecht waved his hand, softening his tone, "Alright, general. We’re both military men; let’s think about this from a military perspective, and let the governments handle the political issues.

The most important thing right now is to win this war. The immediate priority is to hold the Rhine Defense line; otherwise, the heartland of the Germany Region will become a battlefield.

You know what that implies. The French ambition is boundless, and at this point, no one can remain unscathed."

This was both persuasion and a warning. Once the French Army broke through the Rhine Defense line, not much would change for Austria, but the German Federation would become the next Belgium, and the Northern States would not be spared either.

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With things having progressed this far, and Austria clinging to command of the troops, General Adrian was powerless.

He surely couldn’t incite a mutiny among the soldiers, right? If turmoil erupted at the front, giving the French an opportunity to break through the Rhine Defense line, it would be nothing less than shooting himself in the foot.

Having learned from the collapse of the Luxembourg Line, General Adrian had to take heed. The German Federation could not afford another loss.

...

The minor episode at the headquarters did not affect the progress of the Anti-French War.

After occupying the Luxembourg region, the French Army did not stop their march and continued towards the Germany Region, now not far from the Rhine Defense Line.

Frankly, defending the west bank of the Rhine was not the best military choice, far inferior to pulling back to the eastern bank and relying on the natural defenses of the Rhine River to build a defensive line.

However, the military needs to serve politics, and retreating to the eastern bank would mean that the Anti-French Alliance admitted to an early military defeat and gave up Belgium and the Rhineland.

Admitting defeat was out of the question, as the Anti-French War was not just about defeating the French, but also involved the question of who would dominate Europe.

Austria had to make a display of its own strength on the battlefield, rather than giving the appearance of having won by sheer luck.

Without natural defenses to rely on, the Allied Forces still had trenches. This concept had flourished during the Prusso-Russian War and was now widely accepted by the European world.

Archduke Albert did not dare to underestimate the French Army; he had trenches dug one after another, clearly intending to use positional warfare to wear down the strength of the French forces.

To win this war, the French government was all in, with Napoleon IV even calling the veteran Marshal Patrice McMahon out of retirement.

Patrick McMahon and Archduke Albert were contemporaries and long-established military figures. This Anti-French War was also a peak showdown between two renowned European marshals.

...

At the French Command, Marshal Patrice McMahon slowly spoke after staring at the map for a long time:

"Albrecht made his name for his skill in attack, but unexpectedly, he’s now resorting to turtle tactics. It seems the previous battles have greatly impacted him.

Austria has placed its strategic focus on Africa, and now with the Suez Canal blocked, the British are seizing the opportunity, and the domestic supply of goods is starting to tighten.

Next, our enemy is not just the Anti-French Alliance, but also time. If we can’t quickly break through the enemy’s Rhine Defense line, then..."

Everyone’s faces became solemn, their previously smug expressions no longer present. They were all intelligent people and understood that the old marshal was cautioning them.

While the supply shortage was a problem, it was more of a financial issue. Though the European continental war had vast impacts, it had not spread to the entire world.

Without the Suez Canal, there were still routes around the Cape of Good Hope. Moreover, the shipping routes to America remain open, and Austria could only block some sea areas.

Even though sailing for French merchant ships might have become riskier, there were still ships from neutral countries available, just at a higher cost.

The shortage of supplies was only temporary, and the market would adjust itself. Money was all that was needed to buy supplies in those days.

Before the French finances collapsed, nobody needed to worry about going hungry.

"Marshal, the Austrian Government really chose the wrong person this time. Albrecht is best at attacking, which is evident even now; even in defense, he’s preparing to attack.

But currently, the Anti-French Alliance is at a disadvantage, and the Luxembourg region is not indefinitely defensible. Relying only on a few trenches to stop us is simply laughable.

If the enemy withdrew their forces to the eastern bank and defended using the Rhine River, we would truly be helpless against them for a short time."

Marshal Patrice McMahon’s brow furrowed: "Uddino, you have not changed your arrogant ways.

Albrecht is known for his offense because he became famous with attacks; it doesn’t mean he is incapable of fighting a defensive battle.

Looking at the enemy’s troop deployments, we see that it is a tortoise shell, and although this tortoise has been hurt before, its defense should not be underestimated.

However, you are correct on one point: Prussia and Germany’s troops have lost all military spirit and morale; Albrecht does not have enough forces to hold the Rhine west bank firmly—it’s a blunder.

We need to race against time now. As long as we tear through the Rhine Defense Line before Austrian reinforcements arrive, the war’s initiative will fall into our hands."

Indeed, Uddino was the same person from the original timeline who led an expeditionary force in the conquest of Mexico.

Only this time his luck was much better. A mishap mid-campaign left him slightly wounded, so he was called back home to recover, and his successor took on the responsibility for the failure of the war.

Rebuked but not irritated, Uddino replied with an unchanged expression, "Marshal, the troops are ready to fight and can launch an attack at any moment.

The soldiers’ morale is high, and everyone is looking forward to breaking through Vienna and capturing Franz!"

Actually, the initial battle plan of the French Army was only to seize territory west of the Rhine. Once they had torn through the Rhine Defense Line, they would have completed the first phase of their military operation.

As for breaking through Vienna and capturing Franz, that was merely a slogan.

The countries of Europe were not fools; they would not sit idly by and let France fight its way to Vienna. Likely, the British would cut off their supplies while they were still on their way to Vienna.

Unlike Austria, which could withstand blockades, France could not do without foreign material support, and even North Africa was insufficient.