Chapter 926: Seizing the Right to Command
Chapter 908 Seizing Command
The collapse of the Luxembourg defense line, the impact is huge, the prestige of France once again resounded in the European continent, as if the former army that swept the European continent is back.
Belgium panicked, many states in the German region panicked, European countries also panicked, even the Austrian domestic panic.
Vienna Palace
Putting down the newspaper boasting the invincibility of France in his hand, Franz nodded with satisfaction: “Good job, I believe that in the next period of time, we will be able to harvest a lot of help again.”
The Continental Balance Policy was not only played by the British. In fact, the vast majority of European countries were supporters of this policy, and no one was willing to have a behemoth on their head.
There is no doubt that this Continental War is the key to the sustainability of the Continental Balance. A victory for either France or Austria is not what anyone wants to see.
Now that France has the upper hand, it’s natural for someone to pull the plug. In order to make the storm come harder, Franz of course had to exaggerate the power of France.
The facts are in front of us, the German Confederation, that middle power, relying on fortification defense, did not even last a month under the French army.
You know that the Prussian Kingdom of the past is not as strong as the German Federation, were able to fight with the Russians back and forth, and finally by the Tsarist government with the sea of men tactics to wear to death.
With this set of stark contrasts, who still dares to say that France is not the world’s number one army power?
Foreign Minister Weissenberg: ”Your Majesty, the power of France has long been deeply rooted in people’s hearts, if we continue to build up momentum for them, it will easily get out of hand.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has learned that Switzerland, Holland, and Portugal have all been browbeating the French in recent times, and the political pattern of isolating France that we have painstakingly created is being shaken.”
The survival of small countries is that wallflowers fall with the wind, and now that the French have the upper hand, it is natural for everyone to lean on them.
Of course, this leaning in is not their true will, but only because of the need to survive, to ease relations with the French.
On the surface of the close, secretly the knife should continue, after all, this French empire looks too aggressive, at any time may threaten their security.
Franz shook his head, ”There is no relationship, this group of small countries are leaning towards them, but the big countries are alienating them.
Have you noticed that since the Luxembourg defense line was lost, our destruction of the Suez Canal has been selectively forgotten.
The members of the Italian Independence Organization, who were detained by the British, are soon to be released to their country, and it looks as if the London government is still very wary of the French.
The Foreign Office is trying a little harder to agitate for the British to raise tariffs on exports of goods to France and to continue to increase the cost of the war to the French.
Spain and Russia must not relax their public relations either; neither is very reliable, but they are able to give the French a hard time.”
Seemingly glib, in reality Franz’s heart is not calm. Now the European countries are able to give the French pull back, the future will likewise give Austria pull back, anyway, who is strong against who.
But at this point, to complete the strategy of imperial unification, it is necessary to solve the French; to solve the French, but also to deal with the European countries.
Well, Franz was sensible and chose to go with the flow, with no intention of hardening himself against the European countries.
The Austrian staff was also not the Showa staff, and did not have a brain-dead strategy for conquering Europe. It was just prepared to catch everyone by surprise and have a chicken-stealing operation.
In order to achieve the strategic purpose, Franz did not hesitate to suppress the frontline generals. He preferred to bear the political pressure brought by the loss of the battlefield in the early stage, but also ……
……
“Quickly, all of you run faster!”
“Philil, you give stupid. Why don’t you hurry up and keep up, if you keep this up, the French are going to stab you in the butt hole!”
The middle-aged officer’s urging voice continued to ring out, but the effect was unsatisfactory. There was no way, after losing the battle in a confused manner, and then fleeing for their lives in a daze, the military morale had long since been lost.
The Luxembourg line had collapsed, but the Germans had not been cut off at the rear; the French were coming directly from the front A, and there was no way to stop everyone from running.
If not for the confusion of the German command system, the front line after the gap did not promptly put into reserve to plug it, the troops in a swarm of fleeing for their lives, it would not be such a mess now.
The scolded Fillier replied, panting, “Colonel, we’ve been fast. But how can two legs rush and outrun four?”
It could be seen that this was a troop from some small state. Only in the troops of a small state, officers and soldiers could get along so casually.
The middle-aged officer scolded sternly, “Firiel, you’re really stupid. How many French cavalry are there, and with so many routed soldiers on the front line, are they busy?”
The fact once again proved the law of battlefield survival, “It doesn’t matter if you can’t beat the enemy, as long as you can outrun your allies”.
Because of the legacy of history, the relationship between the German states is not as harmonious as it seems, and Colonel Lane did not feel any pressure to lose his allies and run away.
Can not be counted as lost, now everyone is fleeing for their lives, the front line has gone, the situation on the battlefield has been completely rotten, is not “Bremen Hansa” this small force can turn the tide.
To be able to take the troops to run away together, not to ride away, Colonel Lane is also considered to have done his duty.
Perhaps they ran fast enough, or perhaps their desire to survive moved God, from Luxembourg all the way to Koblenz without encountering the French.
Here, the journey to escape was also declared to be over. Seeing the Austrian flag erected in front, Colonel Lane breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to go forward to negotiate, when a loud voice rang out.
“Give the number of your troops and the name of your commander!”
The speaker was a young officer with a small notebook in his hand, and behind him was a group of soldiers standing at attention.
Being right in front of ten guns would make anyone feel uncomfortable, and Colonel Lane was no exception. Frowning, he replied, “Bremen Hansa Defense Force, Commander Colonel Lane!”
The specific number, it wasn’t needed. The Free City of Bremenhansa was just a larger township in size, just a bit more commercial and densely populated.
The troops participating in this war were only a few hundred in total, a reinforced battalion was enough, and it was much more convenient to directly report the name of the country than the number.
Perhaps realizing that the image of his party was not good, Ryan emphasized his colonel status, hoping to get better treatment.
Frankly speaking, Ryan was not satisfied with his colonel status, look at the other states sent the highest commanders are generals, but he was a colonel, everyone stood together are inferior.
Unfortunately, the domestic legislators refused to agree, and firmly cited the lack of war service as the reason for suppressing the rank of his military “big brother” to the school level.
Hearing the word “colonel”, the young officer was much more polite. After all, we are allies, each other still recognize each other’s rank, even if there is a lot of water in it.
“May I ask your honor, Colonel, what year did you join the army and what occupation did you have before joining the army?”
Routinely cross-examined, Colonel Lane looked embarrassed for a moment and replied stiffly, “Enlisted three months ago, responsible for Bremen’s security before enlisting.”
There was no way around it, Bremen Real Hansa was too small to afford a standing army. Generally, it was the domestic police that did the army’s work on the side.
Perhaps worried that his resume wasn’t polished enough to be belittled, Colonel Lane added, “When I was younger, I also served as the commander of a mercenary unit that once fought the British in South Africa.”
It was because of having gone to war that Lane was able to stand out from the many rookie contenders and become the commander of this unit.
The young officer opened his small book and quickly rummaged through it, and after a few moments of effort smiled and said, “There is no problem with the information.
Colonel Ryan, on behalf of the coalition command, I welcome your return.”
Hearing “return”, Colonel Lane’s face instantly became unnatural. There was no doubt that they had been legally integrated.
After hesitating for a while, Colonel Lane said, “Your Excellency, we have just suffered a defeat at the front line, and now our military morale is all gone, so our troops need to rest and recuperate as necessary.”
There was no way around it, in Luxembourg, the many small states had reported their regiments together, and they had enough backbone to make conditions with the commander appointed by the central government.
Not anymore, the troops were broken up. Soldiers don’t know their generals, and generals don’t know their soldiers, is the truest portrayal.
The coalition command is now collecting the defeated soldiers, certainly not to help them restore their establishment, as long as the commander is not stupid he will know to take advantage of the opportunity to seize the command of the troops.
If the commander is not stupid, he will know to take advantage of the opportunity to seize the command of the troops. By reorganizing the routed soldiers and splitting up the military system based on the state, he will lose his bargaining power.
For the greater good, this is the most favorable to consolidate forces and maximize combat power.
Standing on the side of an individual, or a small state, though, is a very different story. It meant that they were about to lose their voice in the coalition.
Theoretically, it would be more logical for the German federal government to do such a thing. After all, it was the central government in law, with the right to unite the states below.
It was still a bit of an overreach for the Union Command to jump out and collect and integrate the routed soldiers. But it was a minor issue, and now the German command was all in disarray and couldn’t care less about this place.
When they have reacted, the established facts are created, and then want to take back the command from Austria, you can only go to the government in Vienna to fight diplomatic lawsuits.
Seems to have thought of something, the young officer pacified: “Colonel do not worry, in the short term you will not have combat missions.
Right now you should go to the camp to take a shower, get a good night’s sleep, and refresh yourselves to wait for orders.”
Arm in arm, looking at the exhausted soldiers behind him, Colonel Lane nodded helplessly.
……
(End of chapter)