Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 168 Seizing Command

The collapse of the Luxembourg defense line had a huge impact, and the prestige of France once again resounded throughout the European continent, as if the army that swept across the European continent in the past had returned.

Belgium panicked, many states in the German region panicked, European countries also panicked, and even Austria panicked.

Vienna Palace

Putting down the newspaper in his hand boasting about the theory of French invincibility, Franz nodded with satisfaction: "Good job, I believe we will be able to gain a lot of help in the next period of time."

Continental balance policy is not only played by the British.In fact, the vast majority of European countries are supporters of this policy, and no one wants to have a behemoth appear on their heads.

There is no doubt that this continental war is the key to the sustainability of the continental balance.It is not what everyone wants to see if any of Fao's family wins.

Now that France has the upper hand, it is natural that someone will hold back.In order to make the storm more violent, Franz of course had to exaggerate the strength of France.

The fact is before us that the German Federation, a medium-sized country, relied on fortifications for defense, and did not survive a month under the hands of the French army.

You must know that the Kingdom of Prussia in the past was not as strong as the German Confederation, and it was able to fight back and forth with the Russians, and was finally worn to death by the tsarist government's crowd tactics.

With this set of stark contrasts, who would dare to say that France is not the world's number one army power?

Foreign Minister Weisenberg: "Your Majesty, the strength of France has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. If we continue to build momentum for them, it is easy to lose control.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has learned that Switzerland, the Netherlands, Portugal and other countries have been flirting with the French recently, and the isolated French political structure that we have painstakingly created is being shaken. "

The way for a small country to survive is to let the grass fall with the wind. Now that the French have the upper hand, everyone naturally has to rely on it.

Of course, this approach was not their true wish, and they eased relations with the French only because of survival needs.

On the bright side, we should move closer, but we still need to continue to stab the knife in the dark. After all, the French Empire seems to be too aggressive, and it may threaten their safety at any time.

Franz shook his head: "It doesn't matter, these small countries are moving closer to them, but the big countries are alienating them.

Have you noticed that since the fall of the Luxembourg defense line, our destruction of the Suez Canal has been selectively forgotten by everyone.

The members of the Italian independence organization detained by the British will soon be sent back to the country. It seems that the London government is still very vigilant against the French.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs tried harder to encourage the British to raise tariffs on the export of goods to France, and continue to increase the cost of the war for the French.

Spain and Russia can't relax their public relations either. Although they are not very reliable, they can also add obstacles to the French. "

It seems to be an understatement, but in fact Franz's heart is not peaceful.Now European countries can hold back the French, and they will also hold back Austria in the future. Anyway, whoever is strong will oppose whoever is strong.

But at this point, to complete the strategy of imperial unification, France must be resolved; to resolve France, European countries must also be resolved.

Well, Franz is sensible, he chose to go with the trend, and has no plans to fight against European countries.

The Austrian General Staff is not the Showa General Staff either, and they have no brains to formulate a strategy to conquer Europe.I'm just going to catch everyone by surprise and take a chicken-stealing operation.

In order to achieve strategic goals, Franz did not hesitate to suppress the frontline generals.I would rather bear the political pressure brought about by the defeat in the early stage of the battlefield, but also...

……

"Quick, run faster!"

"Philil, you are an idiot. Hurry up and keep up. If you keep doing this, the French will stab you in the ass!"

The urging voices of the middle-aged officers kept ringing, but the effect was not satisfactory.There was no way, he lost the battle in a daze, and then ran for his life in a daze, the morale of the army was long gone.

The Luxembourg line of defense collapsed, but the rear of the German army was not cut off. The French came directly from the front A, and there was no way to stop everyone from running.

If it weren't for the chaotic command system of the German army, the gaps in the front line were not filled in time by reserve troops, and the troops were running for their lives in a swarm, they wouldn't be in such a mess now.

Philier, who was being scolded, replied out of breath: "Colonel, we are already fast. But how can running with two legs beat four legs?"

It can be seen that this is the army of a small country.Only the troops of small states, officers and soldiers can get along so casually.

The middle-aged officer snapped, "Philier, you are really stupid. The French only have a few cavalry, and there are so many routs on the front line. Are they in a hurry?"

Facts have once again confirmed the battlefield survival rule of "It doesn't matter if you can't outrun the enemy, as long as you outrun the allies".

Because of historical issues, the relationship between the German states is not as harmonious as it seems on the surface, and there is no pressure on Colonel Ryan to lose his allies and run away.

It can't be considered lost. Now everyone is running for their lives in a hurry. The situation on the front line is over, and the situation on the battlefield has been completely corrupted. It is simply not the small army of "Bremen Hanseatic" that can turn things around.

Being able to run with the troops without riding away on his own, Colonel Lane can be regarded as doing his duty.

Perhaps they ran fast enough, or perhaps their desire to survive moved God, and they ran all the way from Luxembourg to Koblenz without encountering the French army.

Arriving here, the escape journey has also come to an end.Colonel Lane breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the Austrian military flag erected in front of him. Just as he was about to step forward to negotiate, a loud voice sounded.

"Report the unit number and the name of the commander!"

It was a young military officer who was speaking, holding a small notebook in his hand, and behind him was a group of soldiers waiting in full battle.

Anyone would feel uncomfortable facing ten muzzles, and Colonel Lane was no exception.He frowned and replied: "Bremen Hanseatic Defense Force, Commander Colonel Ryan!"

The specific number is not required.The Hanseatic Free City of Bremen is only a larger township, but it is more prosperous in business and denser in population.

There are only a few hundred troops participating in this war, and the establishment of a reinforced battalion is enough. It is much more convenient to directly report the name of the country than the number.

Perhaps aware of the poor image of his group, Ryan emphasized his status as a colonel, hoping to get better treatment.

Frankly speaking, Ryan is not satisfied with his status as a colonel. Seeing that the top commanders sent by other countries are all generals, he is the only colonel, and everyone is inferior to others.

It is a pity that the domestic parliamentarians refused to agree, and resolutely suppressed his military rank as a "big brother" at the school level on the grounds of lack of military exploits.

Hearing the word "colonel", the young officer became more polite.After all, they are allies of everyone, and they still recognize each other's military ranks, even if there is a lot of water in it.

"Excuse me, Colonel, when did you enlist in the army, and what occupation did you do before enlisting?"

During the routine interrogation, Colonel Lane suddenly became embarrassed, and answered bravely: "I joined the army three months ago, and I was in charge of security work in Bremen before joining the army."

There is no way, the real Hanseatic in Bremen is too small to support a standing army at all.Generally speaking, it is the job of the domestic police part-time army.

Perhaps worried that his resume was not bright enough to be looked down upon by others, Colonel Lane added: "When I was young, I also served as a commander of a mercenary army, and I once fought against the British in South Africa."

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

The young officer opened the small notebook, searched quickly, and after a while smiled and said: "There is no problem with the information.

Colonel Lane, on behalf of Coalition Command, I welcome you back. "

Hearing "return to the team", Colonel Lane's expression suddenly became unnatural.There is no doubt that they were legally incorporated.

After hesitating again and again, Colonel Ryan bit the bullet and said: "Your Excellency, we have just suffered a defeat on the front line, and now the morale of the army is completely gone, and the troops need to take a necessary rest."

There is no way, when in Luxembourg, many small states reported to the regiment together, and they had enough confidence to negotiate terms with the commander appointed by the central government.

It can't work now, the troops have been dispersed.Soldiers don't know their generals, and generals don't know their soldiers. This is the truest portrayal.

Now that the coalition command is gathering the rout, it will definitely not help them recover. As long as the commander is not stupid, he will take the opportunity to seize the command of the troops.

If he reorganized the rout and dismantled the military system based on the state, he would lose the ability to bargain.

For the overall situation, this is the most beneficial, and it can integrate forces and exert the greatest combat effectiveness.

But from the standpoint of an individual or a small state, the situation is completely different.This means that they will lose their right to speak in the coalition forces.

Theoretically speaking, it is more logical for the German Federal Government to do this kind of thing.After all, it is the central government in terms of jurisprudence, and it has the great righteousness to unify the states below.

The coalition headquarters jumped out to gather and reorganize the defeated troops, which was still a bit over the top.But these are all minor problems. Now the German army headquarters is in chaos, so they don't care about it at all.

When they react, the established facts have been created, and if they want to take back the command from Austria, they can only go to the Vienna government to file a diplomatic lawsuit.

Seemingly thinking of something, the young officer reassured: "Don't worry, Colonel, you won't have any combat missions in the short term.

Now you should go to the camp to take a shower, get a good night's sleep, recharge your energy and wait for the order. "

His arms couldn't hold his thighs. Looking at the exhausted soldiers behind him, Colonel Lane nodded helplessly.

……

Chapter 169 When the Airship Meets the Airplane

On November 1890, 11, Grand Duke Albrecht and Leopold II had a historic meeting in Cologne, and the two sides had in-depth exchanges on anti-French issues.

Well, these are official rhetoric.The real situation is that after the collapse of the Luxembourg defense line, the situation in Belgium followed. Leopold II could no longer control the situation and had to go into exile.

Just stick to Brussels, just think about it.With the strength of Belgium, there is simply no ability to persist under the strong attack of the French.

However, the situation is not yet desperate. Although the Luxembourg defense line has collapsed, the German Federation has suffered heavy losses, and Belgium is about to fall, this still cannot change the fact that the anti-French war has just begun.

Essentially speaking, this war was waged by France and Austria in order to compete for European hegemony.

The strategic location of Belgium and the resources of the Rhineland region of the Federal Republic of Germany are the root causes of their involvement.

Bede suffered heavy losses, but the strength of Austria, the leading brother, is still there.On the southern front, the Austrian army still had an advantage; on the African battlefield, Austria even pushed the French to the ground.

It's just that the Austrian army on the southern front hadn't made a substantial breakthrough, and the African battlefield was not taken seriously by everyone. Everyone focused their attention on the Central European battlefield, only to feel that the French had the upper hand.

Before it was time to go all out, Leopold II was not a reckless man. After receiving the assurance of Grand Duke Albrecht, he decisively chose a strategic shift.

Now that the war has progressed, the fate of Leopold II, or the fate of Belgium, has been tied to Austria.

After winning this war, Belgium can recover all the losses it has paid from the French, and it is even possible to take a small step forward; if it loses the war, Leopold II will be a full-fledged member of the army in exile.

If you open the history books, you will find that in the history of Continental Europe, there have been more than a hundred royal families in exile, but very few of them can be restored. Most of the royal families have disappeared in the long river of history.

What happened behind this, other people don't know, but Leopold II has heard about it.

What exactly happened may not be clear.Anyway, except for a few royal families who are naturally extinct, most of them are extinct.

Of course, behind these tragic characters, tricks to death are indispensable.The content is so brainless that ordinary novels dare not describe it like that.

In the political system of Europe, as long as the king does not kill himself, he will not die.

Napoleon is an example. He was exiled after having so much fun, and the Bonaparte dynasty was not destroyed.

From the standpoint of Leopold II, defending Brussels is death.Guns and guns have no eyes on the battlefield, but there is no distinction between high and low status, and it is still the kind that does not need to be responsible.

This is not the most important thing. The king does not need to go to the battlefield, and the chance of being accidentally injured is still very low.

The point is that the French have the motive to kill him. France wants to annex Belgium, so he, the king, is an eyesore.

Regicide is very serious in Europe. If he is not dealt with on the battlefield, the French will have no way to do it afterwards.

The Kingdom of Sardinia is a ready-made example. The royal family, which was let go under international pressure, has now jumped out to add to their obstacles.

Politics was bloody, and Leopold II dared not gamble on the integrity of the French.Besides, the French may not be the only ones who want him to die.

In addition to domestic opponents, the British and Austrians are also likely to do black hands.

Although Leopold II and the British royal family are the same family, and the Austrian royal family is related by marriage, but the reality has proved that in the face of national interests, any relationship is unreliable.

……

After appeasing Leopold II, Grand Duke Albrecht breathed a sigh of relief.In his opinion, the ideological work of being a king is much more troublesome than fighting a war.

No matter what the strength of Belgium is, they are all members of the anti-French alliance. If Leopold II can't think of surrendering to the French for a while, Austria will suffer a great political loss.

According to Emperor Franz the Great, the essence of war is to increase the number of allies and reduce the number of enemies.

In order to achieve this goal, even Montenegro and Greece, which can only play soy sauce, were forcibly pulled into the chariot by the Vienna government.

Of course, you can't count on them on the battlefield.But politically, the more countries that participate, the more it proves that the war of aggression launched by the French is unpopular.

As long as there are more countries involved, when the international community defines this war in the future, Austria must be just and without any flaws.

……

"Woooooooo..."

The air defense siren sounded suddenly, Grand Duke Albrecht frowned, and ordered the guards: "Go out and have a look, what happened?"

Grand Duke Albrecht had heard about the rampant airships in France, but this was the first time he experienced them himself.

Regardless of the fact that Austria was the first to use airships in war, the French were actually the originator of airships.As early as 1784, the French built the first airship.

Many people wouldn't believe it. The world's first airship was fine except for its power system, which was a bit more dangerous.

It is 15.6 meters long and has a maximum diameter of 9.6 meters. After filling with hydrogen, it can generate a lifting force of more than 1000 kilograms and last for seven hours.

After Austria used airships in war, European countries realized the importance of airships and began to deploy troops one after another.

However, this thing is a high-tech product after all, and the cost is very expensive. There are only a few big countries that are really capable of large-scale equipment.

After the outbreak of the Anti-French War, the French airship troops showed great power, easily defeated the airships of the two countries, and seized the air supremacy on the battlefield in one fell swoop.

Air defense weapons have a limited range these days, and accuracy depends on luck. As long as the airship does not lower its flight altitude, it is still very safe.

Of course, high-altitude bombing is safe, and the hit rate is also very touching. The record depends entirely on God's blessing.

After a while, the guard returned to report: "Marshal, the enemy's airship is coming, and it seems to be investigating intelligence."

"Humph!"