As the battle for Turin reached its most intense stage, a new round of the Central European campaign was also about to begin. Unlike the First World War of the original timeline, this time the French had no fortress defenses to rely on. In order to prepare the ground for a counterattack, the coalition forces had destroyed the fortifications along their retreat, including the famous Liège and Meuse forts, which now lay in ruins. The proud French, perhaps never having considered the possibility of defeat, did not bother to organize manpower to repair these fortifications after occupying the area. Of course, this could not be blamed entirely on Marshal Patrice de MacMahon’s negligence. The local population had already been driven out and production had long since stopped. To repair these destroyed fortresses would require raw materials and labor to be transported from France itself, which was an impossible task. The French government had already exhausted all available resources to ensure the frontline troops were supplied, leaving nothing in reserve for fortress reconstruction. With no permanent defenses to use, and after the failure of the last Central European campaign, the French army had been forced to imitate the coalition by digging trenches and setting up makeshift temporary lines. At French army headquarters, Marshal Patrice de MacMahon asked, “When will the latest batch of cannons and machine guns arrive?” It sounded unbelievable, but the mighty French Empire, fighting practically on its own doorstep, was now facing a shortage of weapons and equipment. Yet this was the reality. Both the artillery and the Gatling guns were far too cumbersome to evacuate quickly. After the defeat in the last campaign, the French had no choice but to abandon them in order to speed up troop withdrawal. No matter how wealthy a nation might be, it could not withstand such losses. In one blow, over a thousand artillery pieces, several thousand machine guns, hundreds of thousands of rifles, and vast amounts of supplies had been lost. France simply could not replenish all of it in a short time. War waits for no one. No matter how difficult the situation, weapons and equipment still had to be replaced as quickly as possible. After the battle, the French government immediately emptied its stockpiles, bought a batch of second-hand arms from the civilian market, and even pulled out some old retired weapons still in storage, just to ensure that every soldier at the front had at least one gun. Firearms could be scraped together, but artillery and machine guns could not be replaced so easily. Apart from ordering the armories to work around the clock, the French government was also actively purchasing arms from abroad. However, water from afar cannot quench a fire close at hand. Less than a month after the last campaign ended, the enemy was preparing to launch another offensive. A middle-aged officer replied in a deep voice, “Marshal, we have just received word. The enemy has launched attacks on our homeland from both Spain and Switzerland. The weapons and equipment originally allocated to us have been requisitioned at the last minute.” At this news, the expressions in the room varied. Some looked uneasy and fearful, while others secretly felt relieved. For France, the addition of two more fronts was a disaster. For the individuals present, however, it was undeniably good news. As the saying goes, better for a friend to die than for me to die. Since the war was going to be lost anyway, each man naturally thought of his own survival. Two more fronts also meant two more potential scapegoats. Whichever commander’s sector collapsed first would bear the blame for France’s defeat. Although the Central European front bore the heaviest military pressure, it was also the strongest. By contrast, the troops defending the two new fronts were mostly green recruits, making them the most likely to be broken through. Marshal Patrice de MacMahon frowned and asked, “Does this mean we have no reinforcements either?” The middle-aged officer nodded helplessly. The word “yes” was on the tip of his tongue but somehow could not be spoken aloud. Hearing the answer, the aging Marshal Patrice de MacMahon could not withstand the shock. He collapsed on the spot in a most dramatic faint. … At the coalition headquarters, Albrecht was still troubled over how to deal with the French trenches, completely unaware that his greatest opponent was already out of the fight. “Marshal,” said Friedrich, “according to intelligence from the air force, the enemy is using a double-trench system—one wide, one narrow. The wide trench is in front, a good five or six meters across. The staff has calculated that with such a width, armored units cannot cross. If they accidentally fall in, they will become easy targets for the enemy. Ten to twenty meters behind it lies an ordinary trench. The enemy has even accounted for our likely use of infantry to fill in the gaps. And there is not just one such trench. In theory, if the French complete their plan, we will have to break through at least a hundred of these lines before we can reach French territory. If we attack head-on, our losses will be enormous. The only good news is that the enemy’s preparation time has been too short. If our speed is fast enough, they will not have time to complete construction. I propose we launch an immediate full-scale offensive. First, use artillery to scour the ground. Then have infantry advance with the armored units, using the tanks as mobile gun platforms to cover the infantry while they fill the trenches. If necessary, the air force can carry out pinpoint bombing. We bomb one position after another, open a breach a hundred meters wide, and once the armored units push through, the outcome will be decided.” In the era of pure manpower, trenches were not easy to dig. A single laborer could only move a few cubic meters of earth a day, making an endless trench system impossible. This meant that as long as the coalition were willing to pay the price, they could break through. Armored units were well-suited for flanking maneuvers, and once they appeared behind enemy lines, the battle would be over. Mercy has no place in command. When it came time to gamble lives, Albrecht did not hesitate. “Very well. Order all units to make ready. In two days, we will launch a full offensive.” … At the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, just as the European war was about to reach its decisive moment, Franz suddenly received a request from Russia to send troops through Austrian territory. He rubbed his forehead in frustration. One had to admit, the Russian Bear was true to its nature, always ready to pounce when there was a bargain to be had. If it were merely a matter of passing troops through, the Russian government would not have gone to such lengths. They could have simply sent forces directly. After all, Austria would never obstruct any military action against France. There was no doubt that the Russian government had additional motives. Beyond the division of spoils after the war, they wanted the Austrian government to cover the expenses of the Russian expeditionary force. Long-distance campaigns consumed enormous resources. With the Tsar’s limited finances, transporting supplies all the way from Russia could at best sustain a single division in the field. Such a force, thrown into the European theater, would be practically meaningless. It would be too small to claim a share of the postwar spoils and very likely to be wiped out entirely if they met the French in battle. Without funds of their own, the Russians had no choice but to reach out to an ally. This was not a loan, as they would never acknowledge the debt. At most, they would claim the expense should be added to France’s bill after the war. That was precisely what made Franz hesitate. At the current pace of the conflict, France was certain to be saddled with massive reparations afterward, the kind they would never be able to pay. No matter how much was promised, if it could not be collected, it was worthless. Things are different now. If this request had come one or two months earlier, Franz would have gladly spent the money to pull Russia into the war. But now France was already on its last legs. Whether they could hold out until Russian troops reached the front was uncertain. If the Russians were still en route, or arrived only at the very end of the war, Austria would have wasted its money for nothing. Worse still, it would have given Russia greater leverage in postwar negotiations. Turning them down was also awkward. For all the noise of the anti-French alliance, in reality ninety-nine percent of its military expenses were being borne by Austria alone. Even the latecomers to the war, Spain and Switzerland, were fighting with Austrian money, which explained their sudden efficiency. If other allies enjoyed such treatment, the Russians would expect the same. For the sake of Austro-Russian friendship, Austria could hardly apply double standards. “As for the Russians, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should stall them for now. If we really can’t delay any longer, then agree to their terms. However, we must set preconditions: if they send troops, it must be immediately. The Russian army must arrive in Austria within three days of the agreement, and we will arrange special trains to transport them to the front lines. Order the troops on the front line to speed up and strive for a quick victory. At this stage, it’s time to secure what we have.” With no better options, Franz could only resort to stalling. If they could defeat France before the Russians sent troops, then the Russian government would have no say in the post-war negotiations. Having made no substantial contribution, a share of the indemnity would be generous enough to prove Austria’s friendship and sharing a say in the talks would be out of the question. If that wasn’t possible, he would have to settle for the next best thing: using the Russian army as cannon fodder to reduce their own casualties and make up for the loss of a larger share of the spoils. Chancellor Karl said, “Your Majesty, with the war having progressed to this point, any clear-headed person knows that France’s cause is lost. The French government has also, through the British, expressed its intention to hold peace talks. It is time to begin political negotiations for their surrender. If the war can be ended through political means, it would be impossible for the Russians to interfere in European affairs again.” After a long detour, the issue once again returned to the matter of European hegemony. The right to dictate the post-war settlement with France was also a matter of solidifying Austria’s hegemonic position in Europe. The Russians were eager to get involved not just to compete for spoils, but more so to contend for a voice on the European continent. Unable to shake Austria’s hegemonic status, getting a piece of the pie was still a good option as the Russian government had no intention of completely abandoning Europe. After a moment of hesitation, Franz shook his head firmly and said, “This time, the British cannot be allowed to mediate, and they cannot even participate in the post-war negotiations. We will only accept France’s unconditional surrender. This is a matter of principle. After so much effort to squeeze the British out of the European continent, we absolutely cannot let them return. The issue of persuading France to surrender is simple. Here is the ‘Proclamation to the French People’ I prepared. Just have it published. Secretly release a message letting that group of greedy French capitalists know that if they do not surrender, the coalition forces will confiscate all of their property upon entering Paris.” In Franz’s view, besides defeating the French, the second major strategic significance of this European war was to squeeze out British influence in Europe. Looking around Europe, everything was within the sphere of influence of the Anti-French Coalition. Yet, the British were still allies of the French, giving Austria a legitimate reason to demand its allies cut ties with the British. Neutral countries were no exception. One of the conditions for their neutrality was to politically sever ties with the British. Refusal was impossible as the British had offended too many people. The Russians were in full support on this matter, and everyone was already dissatisfied with John Bull’s previous betrayal of his allies, so they readily agreed. Although this severance was not thorough, the rift had ultimately been created. As long as Austria persevered, it would not be a dream to exclude the British from the European continent. Against this backdrop, Franz naturally couldn’t allow the British to come out and assert their presence. He took the “Proclamation to the French People” and scanned it briefly. Chancellor Karl hesitantly asked, “Your Majesty, aren’t the contents a bit too exaggerated?” Exaggerated? That is inevitable. Someone must always be held responsible for a failed war. However, that person cannot be the emperor. As a monarch himself, Franz could not possibly send Napoleon IV to the guillotine. Nor can it be the nobility, as they are one of the pillars of imperial power. They cannot ruin them like this. Besides the nobility and the emperor, there are few others qualified to take the blame. Therefore, the blame could only be laid at the feet of the capitalists. In any case, this isn’t exactly a miscarriage of justice as the bourgeoisie was indeed one of the behind-the-scenes instigators of this war. Under an avalanche, no single snowflake is innocent. If you truly trace it back to the source, then everyone from Napoleon IV to the common French people must take responsibility for this war. All Franz is doing now is finding them a scapegoat, and incidentally, he’s exaggerating the scapegoat’s crimes while downplaying the responsibilities of other groups. “It’s fine. The content here is all true anyway and can all withstand scrutiny. I am merely using a magnifying glass to enlarge the problems of a specific group of people. Next, we just need to do a good job of guidance, and provide reminders at the right time. Someone else will take care of the rest for us.” Conspiring to provoke war, hoarding goods, price gouging, reselling strategic supplies... These all genuinely happened and are the indisputable dirt of the bourgeoisie. Politicians might understand that these things couldn’t have been accomplished by capitalists alone without cooperation, but the common people won’t think that deeply. They will directly lay the blame at the feet of the bourgeois financial groups. They know, but no one should expect anyone to stand up for the capitalists. When disaster is imminent, everyone fends for themselves. There’s no time to avoid blame, so who would voluntarily take responsibility? If all goes as planned, the bureaucrats, nobles, and even Napoleon IV himself in the French government will all go with the flow and shift the blame to the domestic bourgeois financial groups. The power of France’ financial groups is not weak and they will certainly not sit idly by. Once they realize the danger, they will inevitably take action. This is an open conspiracy. Even if all parties know what’s happening, they will have to grit their teeth and go along with it. Especially for Napoleon IV and the high-ranking officials, with such a convenient scapegoat, they will have a chance to escape unscathed. The final outcome of the battle is no longer important. France right now cannot withstand any more turmoil as the result of internal strife will inevitably be an early fall of the empire.
*** 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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