Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 950 - 213, "Letter to the French People

Chapter 950: Chapter 213, “Letter to the French People

The battle for Turin had reached its most intense point, and a new round of Central European battle was about to begin.

Unlike World War I in the original timeline, this time the French people didn’t have fortress constructions to rely on. To create conditions for a counterattack, the Allied Forces had destroyed the fortress constructions along the way during their retreat, including the famous Liege Fortress and Mul Fortress, which were now in ruins.

The proud French people, perhaps never considering the possibility of failure, did not organize manpower to repair fortress constructions after occupying these areas.

Of course, it could not be said that Marshal Patrice McMahon was negligent. After all, the local residents had been driven away and production had ceased long ago.

To repair these damaged fortress constructions, both raw materials and labor would need to be reallocated from within the country, a task that was impossible to complete.

To ensure the logistics of the frontline battle troops, the French government had already exhausted all its efforts and had no spare manpower or material resources left for fortress repairs.

Lacking fortress constructions to utilize, after the last defeat in the Central European battle, the French Army was forced to imitate the Allied Forces by digging trenches, constructing makeshift temporary defense lines.

French Command, Marshal Patrice McMahon, “When will the latest batch of cannons and machine guns arrive?”

It’s hard to believe that the glorious French Empire, fighting on its own doorstep, would also experience a shortage of weapons.

However, that was the reality. Both cannons and Gatlings were too cumbersome. After their defeat in the previous battle, in order to transfer troops quickly, the French Army had to painfully abandon them.

No matter how large the empire, it could not withstand such relentless depletion. A loss of thousands of cannons, thousands of machine guns, hundreds of thousands of rifles, and a vast amount of materials, the French people could not replenish these in a short time.

War waits for no one, regardless of the difficulties, weapons and equipment needed to be replenished quickly.

After the war, the French government immediately emptied its stock, even purchasing a batch of second-hand goods from the public and adding yet-to-be decommissioned supplies to barely ensure that each frontline soldier had one gun.

While guns were hastily assembled, cannons and machine guns could not be replenished quickly. Aside from ordering the armament factories to work overtime, the French government also actively sought to make purchases abroad.

However, distant waters could not quench immediate thirst. Less than a month had passed since the last battle, and the enemy was preparing to attack again.

The middle-aged officer solemnly answered, “Marshal, I just received news. The enemy has launched attacks from both Spain and Switzerland towards our homeland, and the weapons and equipment allocated to us have been requisitioned on an emergency basis.”

At this news, those present had various expressions. Some were visibly panicked, while others secretly felt relieved.

For France, opening two new fronts was a disaster; but for the individuals present, it was undoubtedly good news.

As the saying goes, better for one’s friend to die than oneself. Since the war was going to be lost anyway, it was natural to start thinking about oneself.

Having two additional fronts also meant there were two potential scapegoats. Whoever’s front collapsed first would be the scapegoat for France’s defeat.

Although the Central European battle zone faced the greatest military pressure, they were the strongest in terms of capabilities. Instead, the new troops at the newly added fronts were just green soldiers, making them the most vulnerable to breakthroughs.

Marshal Patrice McMahon frowned, “Does that mean no reinforcements either?”

The middle-aged officer helplessly nodded. The word “yes” reached his lips but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Upon receiving this response, the aging Marshal Patrice McMahon couldn’t handle the shock and promptly fainted in all his glory.

…

At the Allied Command, Albrecht was still worried about dealing with the French trenches, without realizing that the greatest enemy had now already been laid low.

Friedrich, “Marshal, according to intelligence from the air force, the enemy has adopted a double trench system, one broad and one narrow.

The broad trench is in the front and is five or six meters wide. After calculations by the staff, our armored troops cannot cross it; if they carelessly fall into it, they become targets for the enemy.

About ten to twenty meters away is another ordinary trench, which we would typically fill with infantry. The enemy has also taken this into account.

Moreover, it’s not just one such trench system. Theoretically, if the French plan succeeds, we would have to breach hundreds of such trenches to reach French homeland.

Attacking head-on like this would result in significant losses.

The only good news is the enemy didn’t have enough time to prepare; if we move quickly enough, they won’t be able to complete the trench constructions in time.

I propose initiating a comprehensive attack immediately; first bombarding the area with shells, then having infantry coordinate with armored troops to advance, using tanks as mobile firing platforms to cover the infantry as they fill the trenches.

If necessary, we could have the air force execute precision bombings. One spot at a time, creating breaches a hundred meters wide, allowing armored troops to pass through and that would decide the overall situation.”

In an era dominated by manpower alone, trenches were not easy to dig either. A laborer could only dig so much dirt each day; an unlimited trench warfare tactic was not feasible.

This meant that as long as the Allied Forces were willing to pay the price, they could break through. Armored troops were inherently suited for flanking maneuvers; once they appeared behind enemy lines, everything would be settled.

Being merciful does not command an army; when it was time to expend lives, Albrecht naturally did not hesitate: “Hmm, order all troops to prepare, and launch a comprehensive attack in two days.”

…

In Vienna Palace, just as the battle on the European Continent was about to determine its victor, Franz reluctantly rubbed his forehead upon receiving a request from the Russians for passage to enter the battle.

One had to admit that the Russians, seeing an opportunity to gain advantage, immediately pounced on it.

If it was merely about troops passage, the Tsarist Government wouldn’t need to exert much effort; they could just send troops directly, as Austria wouldn’t hinder any military action against the French.

Undoubtedly, the Tsarist Government’s decision to consult with Austria had underlying motives. Besides post-war interest distribution, the Russians also wanted the Vienna Government to bear the expenses of the Russian Army.

The costs of sending troops over long distances were already high. Given the Tsarist Government’s financial capabilities, if they started sending supplies from their homeland, they could probably only sustain an army division at most.

Such a small force thrown into the European battle front would be like sending lambs to the slaughter. Not to mention competing for a say in the distribution of post-war benefits, they might well be completely annihilated by the French.

Having no money, they could only turn to their allies for help. Moreover, this was not even a loan; the Tsarist Government would not recognize such military expenditures, and these would be charged to the French account at most.

This was exactly where Franz struggled: given the current pace of events, the French would surely face enormous reparations after the war, the type they were destined not to be able to afford. Trying to secure more war reparations was futile if they could not collect them.

Times were different now. If the clock could be turned back a month or two, Franz would not have minded spending money to pull the Russians into the war. But now, it was different; the French were on the brink of collapse, and it was unknown whether they could hold out until the Russian Army arrived at the front line.

If the Russian Army was still en route, or only arrived at the very last moment of the war, Austria would have suffered a great loss, having spent money for nothing and, in addition, increasing the Russians’ negotiating power after the war.

Refusing was also difficult for Franz. Despite the grand scale of the Anti-French Alliance, in reality, 99% of the military expenses were borne by Austria alone.

Including Spain and Switzerland, who joined the war last, they were fighting with Austrian money, which is why they were able to maintain such high efficiency.

The sort of treatment other allies had, the Russians now wanted too; even for the sake of Russian-Austrian friendship, Austria could not afford to discriminate.

“Let the diplomatic department stall the Russians for now, if it really can’t be put off any longer, then agree to their request.

However, there must be a preset condition: upon agreement, they must deploy immediately, with the Russian Army arriving in Austria within three days, and we will send them to the front line via special trains.

Order the troops at the front line to speed up and strive for a quick resolution. At this point, it’s time to secure our gains.”

With no better option, Franz could only employ a stalling tactic. If they could defeat France before the Russians deployed, then the post-war negotiations would be none of the Tsarist Government’s concern.

Having made no substantive contributions, managing to secure some reparations would prove sufficient to show that Austria was a good friend; sharing negotiating power was out of the question.

If that could not be achieved, then they would have to settle for using the Russian Army as cannon fodder to minimize their own casualties and offset the loss in benefits.

Prime Minister Carl, “Your Majesty, anyone with eyes can see that the French are on their last legs. The French government has also expressed their intention for peace talks through the British; it is time to persuade them to surrender politically.

If the war can be ended through political means, the Russians will no longer have a chance to interfere in European affairs.”

After circling back, the issue returned to the dominance over Europe. The authority over how France would be managed after the war was also a crucial part of establishing Austria’s dominance in Europe.

The Russians were eager to join in not just for the spoils of war but more so for competing for influence on the European Continent.

Unable to shake Austria’s dominant position, sharing in the spoils was also a fine choice; the Tsarist Government did not wish to completely give up on the European Continent.

After a moment’s hesitation, Franz firmly shook his head: “This time the British cannot be involved in mediating, even in the post-war negotiations. We will only accept the unconditional surrender of the French.

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This is a matter of principle. Having finally pushed the British out of the European Continent, we can’t let them return.

The matter of persuading France to surrender is simple. Here is the ‘Letter to the French People’ I have prepared; just issue it.

Quietly release the information, letting those profit-driven French capitalists know that if they do not surrender, upon the Allied Forces entering Paris, all their assets will be confiscated.”

From Franz’s perspective, this war on the European Continent had a second strategic importance besides defeating the French, which was to squeeze the British influence out of Europe.

Looking around Europe, the entire region was under the influence of the Anti-French Alliance, yet the British remained allies with the French. Austria had every right to demand its allies cut ties with the British.

This included neutral countries as well, and one of the conditions for their neutrality was a political separation from the British.

Refusal was out of the question since the British had offended too many. On this matter, the Russians were more than eager to agree, especially since everyone was already displeased with John Bull’s previous actions, so they went with the flow and consented.

Although this separation was not thorough, a rift had indeed formed. As long as Austria persevered, excluding the British from the continent was not a dream.

In such a context, Franz naturally could not allow the British to come out and make their presence felt.

After taking the “Letter to the French People”, and having glanced over it briefly, Prime Minister Carl hesitated and asked, “Your Majesty, isn’t the content somewhat exaggerated?”

Exaggerated, it inevitably was. War failures always require someone to take responsibility, and that person could not be the Emperor, nor could a monarch like Franz send Napoleon IV to the guillotine.

Nor could it be the nobility, as they were one of the pillars of imperial power, and such actions could not play havoc with them.

Besides the nobility and the Emperor, there were few others qualified to take the blame. Therefore, the responsibility had to be shifted onto the capitalists’ heads. After all, this was not entirely unjust, as the bourgeoisie indeed was one of the instigators behind this war.

Beneath an avalanche, no snowflake is innocent. If one were to trace it to its roots, then from Napoleon IV to the ordinary French citizen, everyone had to bear responsibility for this war.

What Franz was doing was merely finding a scapegoat for them. He also exaggerated the scapegoat’s guilt while diminishing the responsibility of other groups.

“It doesn’t matter, the content is all true, it all stands up to scrutiny. I just magnified the issues of some individuals using a magnifying glass.

All we need to do now is direct things well and provide reminders at the right moment, and others will take care of the rest for us.”

Conspiring to start a war, hoarding, price gouging, black market trading of strategic materials…

These were all facts, a dark history of the bourgeoisie. Politicians might understand that these deeds could never have been accomplished by the capitalists alone without collusion, but the general public wouldn’t think so much and would straightforwardly blame the capitalist consortium.

While acknowledging this, one must not expect anyone to stand up for the capitalists. At a time when everyone is looking out for themselves during a crisis, who would voluntarily take responsibility?

If things go as expected, the French government’s bureaucracy, nobility, and even Napoleon IV himself will likely flow with the tide and shift the blame to the domestic bourgeoisie.

The power of the French consortium is not weak, and they will certainly not sit by waiting for doom. Once they sense the danger, they will undoubtedly take action.

This is an overt plot, and even if everyone is aware of it, they must proceed regardless. Especially for Napoleon IV and the senior government officials, having such a scapegoat allows them an opportunity to come out unscathed.

The outcome of the battle no longer matters; today’s France cannot endure turmoil. Infighting would inevitably lead to a premature collapse.