Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 181

Chapter 181: Chapter 68: Everyone is Playing the Game of Using Others to Kill

Translator: 549690339

Emerald waters, azure skies, verdant pastures, Vienna blooming with flowers.

In May, Vienna belonged to the flowers, with their presence filling every street and alley, as if the Viennese had a particular penchant for gardening.

The Belvedere Palace was even more a battleground of blooming flowers, adding a unique charm to the refreshing month of May.

Reading, admiring flowers, brewing tea, attending concerts—these were Franz’s hobbies, and if there weren’t two little girls following him, he would have enjoyed watching dances as well, particularly those with long-legged dancers.

It was purely artistic appreciation, of course; Franz’s private life was highly respectable. He never mixed with noblewomen of wealth, had no vices, and didn’t even have a lover, setting a moral example in the nobility.

If it weren’t for the fact that he was often seen embracing two little girls, he would have even more evidence to prove this point.

After all, nobles leading a bit of a disordered private life was normal. Life was so taxing, with constant scheming, that a bit of relaxation was needed.

Franz could be considered quite decent indeed; at the very least, he hadn’t caused a single scandal at the palace. Coaxing the two little girls was hardly worth mentioning.

The court rules of the Habsburg dynasty were strict, and the two girls who received palace educations felt this profoundly.

Although the expectations for princesses weren’t as high as for princes, what they had to learn was still far too much compared to commoners.

Princess Helen was fine and quickly adapted, even finding joy in the process. Princess Sissi, however, said farewell to her happy childhood. For a girl yearning for freedom, this was undoubtedly devastating.

Skip classes? If a school had a hundred and eighty students, one student skipping wouldn’t matter; but if you were the only student, wouldn’t the teachers essentially have a holiday if you skipped? Besides, where could you run off to in the heavily guarded Imperial Palace?

Palace life might be comfortable, but it lacked freedom—this was without a doubt a torment for Princess Sissi.

You can’t bend an arm against a thigh. Whether she was willing to learn or not, her mother, Princess Ludovica, had already decided for her.

If it hadn’t been for the poor family finances, Princess Sissi would have already been subjected to this education. Court etiquette was the basic knowledge all nobles must master.

Princess Helen being with Franz was arranged by Empress Sophie, ostensibly to foster affection ahead of time. Princess Sissi joined in purely to skip classes.

The world is such a wondrous place, with the fates of three individuals entangled. What happened afterward is hard to articulate, but Franz ended up charming two little girls at once.

Of course, in that era, their ages were not considered young. Princess Helen was nearly 18, and Princess Sissi was already 15, now of marriageable age.

Their mother, Princess Ludovica, was more than happy with this development. The inequality in status was significant, and for such a union to take place, other sorts of occurrences were all too common in royal families.

As for Empress Sophie, she was even more indifferent. Her son was her own; her nieces belonged to another household. As long as no premarital pregnancy scandal emerged, she couldn’t care less.

Of course, Franz would never admit his ulterior motives. On a larger scale, this was about deceiving an enemy, making the Kingdom of Bavaria lower its guard, since the two royal families were entering into marriageable alliances—what was there to worry about? On a smaller scale, he was rescuing underage girls. The girls’ royal Bavarian heritage destined their marriages for alliance purposes. Given Princess Sissi’s character, marrying anyone wouldn’t end well.

Freedom was too much of a luxury for the aristocracy, who, from the moment they were born, carried the heavy responsibility.

The 19th century was the last of the nobility’s glory days, and the wise knew danger was drawing close. One wrong step could mean the curtain call for an ancient lineage.

It was tragic enough not to be politically astute, but if you were wavering and easily influenced to meddle in politics, only a tragic end awaited.

If you were also disinclined to have children, it was doubtful any family could accept that. Love often wore away in the face of reality; what could one rely on when beauty faded?

Prime Minister Felix said, “Your Majesty, the Battle of Bulgaria has concluded. The outcome wasn’t surprising; the Russians defeated the Ottomans.

However, the French have behaved quite unexpectedly this time, rapidly deploying reinforcements to the Balkan Peninsula. It seems that Napoleon III has now stabilized his domestic situation.”

The Russian Army defeating the Ottoman Army was to be expected. Even though the Russian Army was a motley crew, they were a fierce one. Facing the Ottomans, who were just as disorganized, naturally, they prevailed.

In terms of weaponry and equipment, Russia and the Ottomans were similarly backward. It became a matter of which bureaucracy was more corrupt in terms of equipment and development.

The French government’s efficiency once again proved the effectiveness of one person making decisions over hundreds doing so together.

The London Government had just managed to persuade Parliament to deploy troops when the French had already sent their forces to the battlefield, which sufficiently demonstrated that Napoleon III’s control over the French government had reached a point where his word was decisive.

But these were minor issues, Franz didn’t concern himself with the French’s domestic affairs, and after all, he had no means to intervene.

“How combat-effective is the French Army? Are there any areas that require special attention?” Franz asked with concern.

Marshal Radetsky analyzed, “Your Majesty, the combat effectiveness of this French expeditionary force is quite good. According to the information we have gathered, these fifty thousand French troops are among the most elite units of the French Army.

It seems that Napoleon III, in order to achieve a respectable battle record, has really invested heavily this time.

However, now he must be feeling the pain, even though the French Army achieved a higher casualty exchange rate on the battlefield, it was a Pyrrhic victory for them.

In the Battle of Razgrad, the French Army directly lost nearly a division’s worth of their elite troops, and such elite soldiers are not so easily replaced.

Elite troops are not so easy to train, and units with this level of combat effectiveness are rare within the French Army; now they have been consumed on a battlefield of little significance.

To say that achieving a 1:1.3 casualty ratio against the Russians was a win, even a 1:3 exchange rate would mean a significant loss for the French.

If this French force had not rushed blindly into combat, and had not fought the Russians without adapting to the environment, their achievements could have been even more glorious.

In a head-to-head battle, fifty thousand such elite troops would be enough to defeat a hundred thousand Russian soldiers.

If this French force had arrived half a month earlier, and acted as the main force in this battle, the outcome might have been different.”

Franz nodded noncommittally, acknowledging that these French forces were indeed elite units; their heavy losses clearly weakened the combat power of the French Army.

But to say that Napoleon was in pain, that might not be the case. These elite troops accumulated by the July Monarchy were also loyal supporters of the July Monarchy.

If it weren’t for King Louis-Philippe’s successive blunders, and his failure to mobilize these troops promptly, with these forces, suppressing the rebellion would have been an easy task.

For France as a nation, these units were among the most critical national defense forces, but for Napoleon III personally, these units were a concern.

To expend these units on the battlefield for his own interest might well be a premeditated strategy of Napoleon III.

The current situation perfectly aligns with the interests of Napoleon III.

The French forces at the front, despite facing adversity, managed to achieve a high casualty exchange rate, which boosted his political standing significantly.

Through this war, by heavily reducing the numbers of these units, restoration of their combat power will inevitably require the integration of new recruits.

As long as he seizes this opportunity well, Napoleon III can promote his own loyalists to higher positions and gradually take control of this force.

As for the decline in combat power, in the face of loyalty, it is not worth mentioning. Put in the same position, Franz might well have made the same decision.

Felix tentatively asked, “Marshal, if we found a way to annihilate these units, what would the impact be on the French military strength?”

After pondering for a moment, Marshal Radetsky answered, “These units represent about two-tier’s worth of the current French military strength.

However, this does not mean that these tens of thousands of French soldiers equate to two-tier’s worth of the French military capability, as they can still mobilize nationwide, though the combat effectiveness of newly mobilized troops would be very low.”

France is no small country, and its military strength is not weak. To be able to diminish the enemy’s power so much in such a short period of time is a rare accomplishment.

Prime Minister Felix shook his head saying, “If that is the case, then there’s no need for us to get involved. It’s better to leave this enemy for the Russians to deal with—I’m sure they will appreciate it.

The French expeditionary force now has only slightly more than thirty-six thousand combat-capable soldiers left. If they were to fight a few more battles against the Russians, they would be nearly completely wiped out.”

The force that the French have committed to the Balkan Peninsula is too small, and even if it were annihilated, it wouldn’t severely weaken France.

At such a time, Austria’s best choice is not to let the Russians devour this elite French force all at once, but rather to use this as an opportunity to encourage England and France to continuously send troops into this war.

A major defeat could lead both England and France to pull back, which would thwart the goal of using the Near East war to deplete the strengths of England, France, and Russia.

Just as Napoleon III can use the Russians’ assistance to eliminate opposition, Austria can do likewise. Austria can use the Russian strength to strike at England and France, then employ the strength of England and France against the Russians.