Within the Austrian high command, the armored forces had another nickname—“heavy cavalry.” To many, these units were simply an enhanced version of cavalry, a true embodiment of “iron cavalry.” Even within the Austrian military, there was debate over how to employ the armored units. A significant number believed they should be used just like cavalry. In a way, this viewpoint was not entirely without merit. There were indeed many similarities between armored units and traditional cavalry. For example: both were more expensive than infantry, both had heavy logistical requirements, and both saw their operations hindered by harsh winter weather… Unfortunately, the Rhine had long been blanketed in snow and ice. During the coldest hours of the night, temperatures could drop to below minus ten degrees. In such harsh conditions, even cars required engine preheating before they could start. Otherwise, they simply wouldn’t turn over. Essentially, armored vehicles were not much different from automobiles, aside from having more powerful engines. When it came to enduring severe weather, both suffered similarly. It wasn’t that they couldn’t be used, but the failure rate under such conditions was significantly higher. Even under normal circumstances, Austria’s armored units already had a relatively high breakdown rate. If they were deployed in extreme conditions, the result could be catastrophic. Fortunately, Central European winters didn’t last long, and truly harsh weather only persisted for a few days. With proper maintenance, it was possible to get through it. If it were Russia’s brutal winter climate, the so-called “Moscow icy hellscape,” the armored units might have lost a fifth of their strength before a single shot was fired. Charging in recklessly had never been Archduke Albrecht’s way. As he aged, his command style had only grown more cautious and methodical. It wasn’t just Albrecht, most of the senior commanders in the Austrian army favored a cautious style of warfare. Those who liked to take unconventional approaches and win through surprise were now mostly limited to the younger officers in the mid and lower ranks. There was no fundamental difference between the two styles. It was simply that, as a person’s rank and status changed, so did their mindset and perspective. In the military, where careers are built on battlefield achievements, young officers who wanted to climb the ranks had to take risks to surpass their peers. In fact, most of Austria’s top military leaders had once been the type to favor bold and unorthodox strategies. It was precisely through surprising victories that they outmaneuvered their rivals and rose to the top. Now that their roles had changed and they had wealth, influence, and status, their time of “starting up” was over. They were now in the stage of preserving what they had earned, and with that came a shift toward caution and stability. This had its pros and cons. From a national perspective, it was certainly beneficial. At its core, any unorthodox move in warfare was a gamble. Junior officers had smaller stakes. If something went wrong tactically, even losing dozens of times over wouldn’t seriously harm Austria as a nation. Besides, officers weren’t fools. Even when taking risks, they only acted when they had some degree of confidence. Overall, the odds of winning were often higher, since commanders usually weighed the risks and benefits before making a move. In many cases, a single victory on the battlefield could outweigh the losses of dozens of failed attempts. To put it simply, the chips they gambled with were usually just a few hundred or a few thousand men. If they lost, the damage was limited. But if they won, the payoff might be an entire battle. It was different for senior officers. They often held the fate of tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of troops in their hands. Any defeat at that level could seriously weaken the nation itself. From another perspective, looking at it from the standpoint of an individual soldier, the situation is different. Under this model, it becomes very difficult for Austria to produce famous generals. There’s no way around it. The mainstream public opinion tends to celebrate those legendary commanders who win through bold moves, clever strategies, and victories against overwhelming odds. Wars won through conventional means, with overwhelming force and solid logistics, are seen as textbook outcomes. They are rarely admired or remembered. This is quite unfavorable to Austrian officers. Perhaps in their younger years they still had such achievements, but as they climbed the ranks, their records became more and more average. In this respect, Archduke Albrecht was undoubtedly fortunate. Early in his career, he built his record by crushing rebels. Then came the easy victories over minor opponents, allowing him to earn a reputation without much effort. Now, with the outbreak of the Continental War, and with Franz introducing a string of cutting-edge technologies, he once again had the opportunity to step on the backs of the French and ascend to legendary status as the new “God of War.” After the military meeting ended, Albrecht stayed behind with his nephew. “Friedrich, you seemed like you had something to say earlier. Are you unhappy with my decision?” “Marshal, although the current weather is harsh, it’s not yet bad enough to stop the armored units from operating. If we launch a surprise attack tomorrow, while the French are still unprepared, the armored corps can easily tear through their defenses. If the entire army follows through, we will deal a heavy blow to the French forces. If we wait too long, the armored corps may be exposed, giving the French time to respond and prepare.” The Austrian army places great importance on discipline. While “uncle and nephew” might be acceptable in private, in the command center, Albrecht could only be addressed as “Marshal.” Without strict discipline, considering how intertwined European noble families were, the army might end up being filled with relatives, which would be utterly discouraging for commoner officers. Although in reality nepotism has always played an important role, at least there was still a path. As long as one earned military merit on the battlefield, they could rise faster than anyone else. This path was not just left open for officers of common birth; it was also the standard for the promotion of noble officers. Don’t assume that being well-connected was everything. When everyone around you was also well-connected, it still came down to real ability in the end. There was no helping it. After all, the tradition in the German-speaking world was that everyone served in the military. From top to bottom, the nobility was expected to perform military service. Some families might not have had many direct heirs, but they certainly had a good number of collateral relatives without titles. If you included illegitimate children, the group became even larger. At that point, background and connections didn’t matter as much. After the Austrian army completed its military reforms, those without sufficient ability could not advance, no matter how many resources they had. The most typical example was Crown Prince Friedrich. He was close in age to Friedrich (the nephew), and had every possible resource, connection, and network behind him. Yet the latter was already a lieutenant general, while the Crown Prince had retired as a lieutenant colonel. That was probably the lowest military rank ever held by a crown prince in Austria since the introduction of military ranks. Of course, it was a bit unfair to compare Friedrich to the Crown Prince, since the military system had undergone such significant changes. Take Franz himself for example. From the moment he could drink milk, he was already an Austrian officer, and before reaching adulthood, he had already become a general. The amount of inflation in that rank was off the charts—nothing but fluff. By the time it came to Friedrich, the era of easy advancement was over. The days of bottle-feeding while serving in the military were gone for good. After graduating from the military academy, he had to start from the bottom like every other cadet. As crown prince, Friedrich could not stay in the military full-time, and that inevitably affected his career progression. Due to a streak of bad luck, he had perfectly missed the chance to earn military accolades on the battlefield. Without any combat achievements to his name, becoming a general was out of reach, so he simply retired. After the outbreak of the continental war, Crown Prince Friedrich, still holding the rank of lieutenant colonel, rejoined the army and was now waiting for an opportunity on the southern front. Not only Friedrich, but his younger brothers were in similar situations, scattered across various fronts and awaiting their own chances. Whether they could make progress in the military depended entirely on their own abilities. This sort of thing couldn’t be decided by external support alone. If someone lacked the skill, then even if they were pushed into high positions, they wouldn’t be able to win others’ respect. In fact, Franz had initially considered giving this opportunity to Friedrich. Since his rank was too low to serve as an army group commander, they could have simply downgraded the organization level of the armored forces. For example, they could have formed a single armored division with several hundred tanks grouped into a regiment. But doing that would have looked far too unseemly. On top of that, Friedrich’s ability to command was an unknown variable. No one could say for certain whether he would be able to handle it. If things fell apart, it would be like lifting a rock only to drop it on one’s own foot. As the crown prince of Austria, Friedrich only needed to gain some prestige by tagging along. There was no need for him to take such a risky gamble just for the sake of a little reputation. Given all this, the golden opportunity to build military merit naturally fell to Friedrich’s cousin, a royal family member who had already proven himself capable. Archduke Albrecht shook his head and said earnestly, “Friedrich, you’re thinking too simply. Although the coalition army has gathered 1.78 million troops on the banks of the Rhine, nearly a million of them are from the Belgian and German forces. They may be passable on defense, but if we abandon the defense lines and take them into open battle with the French, who knows what might happen? Even if the armored units manage to tear through the French lines and go further by splitting them into separate chunks, we won’t be able to swallow them whole. We might even choke in the attempt. The position at home is to inflict as many casualties on the French as possible. From the very beginning, the purpose of this war was to wear down the enemy. Delaying until the snow melts isn’t just about making it easier for the armored units to maneuver. More importantly, it’s about gathering sufficient forces. And of course, waiting for the outcome of the Egyptian front is also a key part of the equation. According to the plan back home, this war was always meant to begin in stages. First in Egypt, then here, and finally on the southern front. It’s a strategy aimed at dealing the greatest possible blow to France. Once we establish a fait accompli in Egypt, then march all the way to Paris, even if the other European powers intervene, we will have dismantled France’s colonial empire and taken control of the Suez Canal. Without its African colonies, France will lose one of its main pillars. It won’t recover for decades. As for whether the armored units will be exposed, that was always expected. With such a large force in motion, it’s impossible to keep it a secret forever. Even if the French hear about it, they still won’t know exactly what the armored force is for. They might even think we just bolted some steel plates onto trucks. Remember this, Friedrich: you are not like ordinary commanders. They can afford to think purely in military terms. You, on the other hand, must also consider the political aspect. In most cases, military action serves political goals. If we want to reduce the pressure on us along the western front in the future, merely defeating the French won’t be enough. We must severely cripple France. Right now, every government strategy is centered on that objective. As long as we achieve that strategic goal, it won’t matter much whether we reach victory a day sooner or a day later on the battlefield.”
*** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH) Support the translation and read more chapters at https://ko-fi.com/dragonlegion
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