Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 161

Chapter 161: Chapter 48, Everyone is Preparing

Translator: 549690339

Having to make this decision, Franz found himself with no other choice. The Austrian army had just quelled a domestic rebellion, defeated the Kingdom of Sardinia, and even intervened in the affairs of the Papal State.

Now, he had hundreds of thousands of battle-hardened veterans at his disposal, and anyone with a bit of military knowledge understood how precious experienced soldiers were.

This meant that the Austrian Army’s fighting capability was at its peak, not inferior to the military of any other nation of the era.

If he missed this window of opportunity, when the bloodied veterans had all retired, the fighting ability of the Austrian Army would gradually decline.

No matter how rigorous the training, it cannot compare to actual combat experience. A few victorious battles can build a formidable and confident fighting force.

With such a significant advantage, how could Franz possibly give it up? Moreover, the Austrian military’s old generals were aging, and if he didn’t act now, they would lose even the chance to utilize their remaining heat.

Take Marshal Radetzky, for example, in his early eighties; even if he remained vigorous with age, Franz could not confidently send him to lead troops on the frontlines anymore.

At this time, these old fellows could still manage to direct operations from the staff headquarters. If another ten to eighteen years pass, Franz would have to accept the decline of the renowned Austrian commanders.

It is a cycle; no country can maintain its peak forever. If he doesn’t set the stage now, the risks of taking action in the future will greatly increase.

It’s not that there are no successors in the Austrian army; it’s just that great commanders are forged on the battlefield. Without having proven himself in combat, who knows whether a general truly has the ability or is just a theoretician?

When the strength of your leaders is uncertain, the best strategy is to fight a drawn-out war, leveraging national power to overwhelm the enemy and not give them any opportunity to exploit.

This point was proven during the World Wars; While the German people had the world’s most outstanding commanders and the greatest number of famous generals, they still lost—in both of the World Wars.

Until the South German Region is assimilated, Austria evidently cannot hold such an edge. It might be possible to crush Prussia with national power, but to defeat the French is still a fantasy.

In the end, the outcome was that Austria’s military budget for 1851 increased once again, from the initially planned 73.95 million Shield to 112 million Shield.

If they did not go to war, such expenses would hold for at most three to five years before the Austrian Government would have to concede.

The increase in military spending was all for the army; the navy could not be counted upon, whether for advancing westward into the German Region or southward into the Balkan Peninsula.

The direct consequence of the rise in military expenditures was the active forces of Austria being expanded to 512,000, and concurrently, civilian formations began to organize and train reserve forces. This time, the target was not an annual increase of 200,000 but rather an addition of 350,000 reserves in 1851.

If added to the existing 586,000 reserve forces, in theory, there would be 936,000 reserves. In reality, this is impossible as every year, twenty to thirty thousand people of age leave the reserve forces.

These reserve forces can’t be trained in a year. Based on past experience, it takes more than three years of training before a reserve force can be comparable to a new recruit who has served for one year.

Of course, this would require the guidance of retired veterans; otherwise, this timeline would need to be greatly extended.

Young and strong individuals participating in the reserve training are naturally entitled to preferential treatment; for example, exemption from agricultural tax on 3 hectares of land, and should any accidents occur during training, they would be eligible for military pension benefits, etc…

The Austrian Government’s sudden move to expand its military was not done impulsively; the foreign ministry even communicated with the Russians, as allies should discuss such matters.

St. Petersburg

Upon receiving the notification from Austria, Nicholas I knew that his strategic intention had been exposed. There was nothing that could be done; the scale of war preparations was so large that secrecy was impossible.

This is not a mythological tale; from the expansion and fortification of troops and the procurement of materials to the final declaration of the war, the people involved numbered in the millions—how could it be kept a secret?

Even if the Tsarist Government used the Far East strategy as a cover, it was futile. With the Siberian Railway yet unfinished, sending hundreds of thousands of troops to the Far East would likely lead to many starving before reaching their destination.

Simply looking at a map would show that the only place that warrants the Russian mobilization of hundreds of thousands of troops is the Ottoman Empire.

Nicholas I, puzzled, asked, “Didn’t the Austrian Government say they needed to recuperate, that they couldn’t engage in war for ten years? How come they can’t restrain themselves so soon?”

Foreign Minister Carl-Wassell replied, “Your Majesty, Austria has emerged from its civil unrest and even profited from suppressing rebels, having confiscated a large amount of wealth.

We preliminarily judge that the Austrians intend to take advantage of our attack on the Ottoman Empire, whether they aim for the South German Region or the Balkan Peninsula remains unclear.”

He spoke no further, not daring to say that the Austrian Government had profited by confiscating the properties of nobility. If the Tsar took interest, he would be in deep trouble.

The Russian Empire was also a nobility system, even more conservative than Austria. Therefore, the promoted narrative in Russia was that the Austrian Government seized the assets of rebellious capitalists, glossing over the involvement of local nobility in the rebellion.

Nicholas I, undisturbed, said, “That is actually good news. If the Austrians make their move, it can help relieve some pressure on us and see if the British can manage to pay attention to that area.”

Nicholas I had the capital to be self-confident; Europe’s stability in recent decades was not just due to the constraints of the Vienna System, but more so due to European nations collectively suppressing Russia’s external expansion.

Even with their confidence, they did not believe they could take on the whole of Europe alone. Hence, during the Vienna era, the Tsarist Government remained rather well-behaved.

Years had gone by, and the Russians could no longer hold back. At this time, Austria abandoned its previous stance and agreed to their expansion into the Ottoman Empire.

After the secret Russian-Austrian pact was signed, the last shackles hindering their expansion had been unlocked, and the Tsarist Government could no longer restrain itself.

Forming an alliance with Austria, the Russians did not expect military support from the Austrian Army; His Majesty the Tsarist did not lack soldiers. All Austria needed to do was to be a good caretaker.

This was the role Russia had assigned to Austria. Following the alliance, they joined forces in the east to suppress the Kingdom of Prussia, and to the south to deal with the Ottoman Empire. In both cases, they could fight their own separate battles.

Neither Austria nor Russia felt any moral pressure in bullying the Ottoman Empire and did not see the necessity in forming Allied Forces.

In fact, geographically, it was not feasible for them to organize an allied army due to the issue of post-war spoils division.

Do not assume that a secret pact could settle everything; it is more reliable for those spoils of war to be secured by one’s own efforts. Otherwise, should any mishap occur on the battlefield and the originally targeted territories are not captured, will the prior agreements still hold any validity?

If one side independently captures territory, then it goes without saying that the conqueror claims it. However, if the territory is taken jointly, there would be disputes over the division of spoils since both sides contributed.

To avoid such a situation, both parties made a pact to fight within their respective spheres of influence. Any overstepping would be considered futile effort.

Contrary to what was proclaimed in later ages, the Tsarist Government never harbored ambitions to unify the European Continent. What they desired was to establish a solid hegemonic status in Europe.

It wasn’t for lack of wanting to unify the European Continent; rather, it was simply unfeasible. Except for ancient Rome, the European Continent had never been unified since.

Even the phenomenal Napoleon merely expanded his territory, then propped up pro-French governments instead of unifying the entire European Continent. Naturally, Nicholas I didn’t believe that Russia had the strength to unify the European Continent.

This was also the precondition for establishing the Russian-Austrian Alliance. If the Tsarist Government had aimed to unify the European Continent, then during the Hungarian revolution in history, the Russians would not have helped Austria suppress the rebels but would have taken the opportunity to kick Austria while it was down.

The Russians were indifferent since the two countries were allies. They could overlook Austria’s army expansion, but others could not.

The people who understand you the best are not necessarily your friends, but certainly include your enemies. Undoubtedly tragic, the Ottoman Empire was archenemies with both Russia and Austria.

Observing the reactions of the two neighbors, the Sultan Government was already on edge. Abdulmejid I would swear on ***’s name that these two neighbors definitely harbored ill intentions.

There was no alternative; anyone in his position would think the same, given they were centuries-old adversaries. Weren’t Russia and Austria traditional allies, and traditional enemies of theirs? What issues would arise from them joining forces against the Ottomans?

Never mind joining forces; even on a one-on-one dual, Abdulmejid I admitted he couldn’t withstand them.

Do not think that just because they have reformed, the Ottoman Empire is now a European power. The insiders know their own troubles, and the core issues of the Ottoman Empire have never been resolved.

On the surface, they too appeared to be a modernized nation, but in actuality, due to a multitude of internal conflicts, the strength of the Ottoman Empire was only superficial.

Of course, their two enemies were not very powerful in reality either. Both Russia and Austria displayed more strength externally than they truly possessed.

All were textbook cases of being outwardly strong but inwardly weak; however, Russia and Austria had suppressed their internal conflicts, making them somewhat stronger in that aspect than the Ottoman Empire.

Regrettably, even in terms of apparent strength, the Ottoman Empire was much weaker. Compared to most smaller European nations, they were a powerhouse, but against any major power, they were nothing but a “cup sitting on the coffee table.”

Anxiously, Abdulmejid I inquired, “What do England and France say?”

The Foreign Minister’s expression darkened. At such a distance, with no telegraph connection, how could he know what was happening thousands of miles away?

However, Abdulmejid I was not someone to be trifled with. Compared to other European countries, Ottoman ministers had the least sense of security; angering the Sultan could mean losing one’s head.

“Your Majesty, there has been no news yet. However, previously when we notified the British about the Russians making war preparations, the London Government responded that they would stand with us should a Russian-Ottoman war break out again,” said the Foreign Minister, seizing an opportune moment to speak.

These words eased Sultan Abdulmejid I’s anxious heart a little, yet his worries were far from over.

Even with British support, would they be able to withstand the onslaught? A one-against-two scenario wouldn’t have phased the Ottoman Empire at its zenith, but now they truly couldn’t handle it.

“How ready are we?” Abdulmejid I continued to ask.

The War Minister promptly responded, “Your Majesty, as of now, we have expanded the army to five hundred and thirty thousand, and we expect to grow it to eight hundred thousand within the next three months.

Should war break out, we can additionally mobilize three hundred thousand troops to handle sudden emergencies on any front.”

If they truly had so many regular troops, then during the Crimean War, the Ottoman Empire would not have been so hard-pressed by the Russians.

As a once mighty empire now in decline, corruption, embezzlement, drawing pay without service, trafficking in military supplies… the Ottoman Empire was afflicted with all such maladies.