Holy Roman Empire

In the coalition command, seeing the deployment plan sent from the front line, Grand Duke Albrecht frowned.

"General De Smet, is your deployment of forces in the coastal areas too weak?"

There is no way, the anti-French alliance has an advantage in all aspects, but the navy is at a disadvantage.

Fortunately on the Mediterranean front line, the Fao-Aust navy is close in strength. Both countries are worried about being made fishermen by the British, so they dare not risk a decisive battle at sea.

The North Sea area is different. Whether it is the Belgian Navy or the German Federal Navy, they are weak and unpredictable in the face of the French Navy.

Even after Vittorio Emanuele III left London, the two navies did not send warships to respond.

There is no other reason, just because I dare not.The French Navy has blocked the door, and warships leave the port without returning.

The Anti-French Alliance lost control of the sea in the North Sea, and coastal defense has become a realistic problem that the two countries have to face.

The Belgian coastline is not long, only 66 kilometers, but this is not something that a few garrison groups can defend.

As far as Duke Albrecht knew, the garrison regiments deployed by Belgium were all temporarily expanded after the war.

The troop structure is: a small number of retired officers and soldiers + temporary noble officers + a group of young men.

It is worth mentioning that the retired officers and soldiers among them are generally over fifty years old, and the younger ones have all joined the main force.

Officers and soldiers are also eliminated after screening by the main force.There is no way, even if the Belgian government has long been prepared, it cannot change their lack of manpower.

Since the start of the war, the Belgian government has mobilized nearly 300,000 troops.Not to mention the quality, the mobilization ratio and speed are the highest among the participating countries.

"Your Excellency Marshal, we have deployed a large number of shore artillery in the coastal areas. The French have to pay a heavy price if they want to land. No commander is as stupid as warships and shore artillery fire.

Moreover, the French offensive is too fierce, our main force has been invested in frontline operations, and there are not enough troops to deploy to coastal areas."

Admiral De Smet was very helpless. It was not that he was unaware of the dangers in the coastal areas. The problem was that he had insufficient forces in his hands and had to take care of the more important battlefields first.

Now it can only bet that the French are reluctant to take the warship against the shore artillery, anyway, as long as one more week, Austrian reinforcements will arrive.

Grand Duke Albrecht shook his head: "Your Excellency, this judgment may have been no problem twenty years ago, but not now.

The French can use warships as decoys to expose your shore artillery fire points, and then use airship forces to bomb them.

The previous battles have proved that the airship force in your country is not an opponent of the French at all, and the sky belongs to the French temporarily.

Don't doubt the determination of the French government. The warships are not as valuable as you think. There are not a few warships that France drags out every year for shooting."

The combat effectiveness of the airship has been proven, especially in the fixed-point bombing, the airship can exert greater power.

Because of the advent of anti-aircraft weapons, airship bombings are now mostly high-altitude bombings, and the hit rate is not good. The problem is that the Belgian coast is so big.

The bombing of two kilometers of coastline is more than 100 square kilometers, which is equivalent to a city.Naval gun + airship, covering such a small area is no longer a problem.

As long as the French are willing to pay a certain price, landing on the weak coastal areas of Belgium will not be a problem at all.

The value of warships is relatively speaking.The most advanced warships are naturally very valuable, and it is not the same for warships that are old and ready to retire.

Especially for countries like Britain, France and Austria that often participate in the arms race, who doesn't have a bunch of warships waiting to be scrapped?

They cannot be sold on the international market, and there are not so many training ships. Apart from pulling them out for shooting, they can only sell scrap iron.

Taking part of the warship out as cannon fodder does not need to be distressed.

In the eyes of Grand Duke Albrecht, the French did not implement the landing plan, either the commander was too stupid to see it; or the commander was indecisive and reluctant to sacrifice...

But these are temporary. As long as the frontline fails to achieve a breakthrough, the French will take this step sooner or later.

Even if the landing operation fails, the French can also contain a large number of troops in the anti-French alliance and create favorable conditions for the main force to fight.

Apart from other things, the gang of princes along the coast of the German Federation, in order to protect the safety of their hometown, was unable to send troops to the war.

Admiral De Smet nodded disapprovingly: "Marshal, don't worry, we will pay attention.

Once the French launch a landing campaign, we will immediately send reinforcements.Belgium is not big, and there is no time for it.

Now it is mainly due to lack of troops that it has been completely suppressed by the French.When your country’s reinforcements arrive, the situation will change."

After more than half a month of fighting, it was not without help.At least the Belgian military's fear of the French has been eliminated.

Because of the local combat relationship, the two sides fought back and forth on the battlefield.At the disadvantage, it is only the lack of troops, and the difference in combat effectiveness between the two sides is not as wide as previously imagined.

Looking out the window, Grand Duke Albrecht did not continue to intervene.Austrian reinforcements are coming soon, but they are not here to help the Belgians.

The attitude of the Vienna government is very clear, first encourage the two countries and the French to fight, and when the fight is almost done, then the main decisive battle.

Don't ask why, anyway, it is the strategy formulated by the emperor, and the execution is right.

In this context, the speed of the Austrian reinforcements is naturally not fast.

Of course, Franz still has the integrity and did not go too far.

The Austrian troops are still advancing at a speed of 30 to 40 kilometers per day, depending on the road conditions and weather.

There is nothing to say. Everyone's marching speed is not good these days, and they can advance thirty or forty kilometers every day, which is already an elite standard.

It's not that you can't get up quickly, the problem is that it is difficult to continue.Perhaps in the case of light vehicles, one day you can march in a hurry and walk seven or eighty kilometers in one go.

But this speed cannot be sustained.Soldiers are human beings, so when you are exhausted, don't expect combat effectiveness.

In fact, it is not uncommon in military history that the army collapsed because of the fast marching speed.

...

In Vienna Palace, Franz is holding a welcome banquet for the arrival of Vittorio Emanuele III.

In the past, the relationship between France and Austria was passable. Although Austria recognized that Vittorio Emmanuele III was the king of Sardinia, it was only a private talk.

On this issue, the Vienna government, like the European countries, is silent on this issue, as if it knows nothing.

Now it's different. Both France and Austria are fighting, so there is no need to worry about the feelings of the French.

In order to create momentum for Vittorio Emanuele III and to convince the Italian people that Austria was to liberate them, Franz had to personally attend the welcome banquet to show that the Austrian government supports the Kingdom of Sardinia to regain its independence. political standpoint.

Except for some non-nutritive rhetoric, no substantive content was discussed at the banquet, and Franz just showed up and left in a hurry.

The emperor has left, and the banquet will continue.The responsibility of receiving Vittorio Emanuele III fell on Wesenberg, which is the responsibility of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Vittorio Emanuele III asked with great concern: "Your Excellency, where is your country's war in Italy? When will I be able to lead the Italian independence movement on the front lines."

There is no way, Vittorio Emanuele III has recently been stimulated a bit, especially when he was under house arrest in Britain, which stimulated him even more.

There is no time when there is such an urgent need to restore the country now.If it wasn't for Franz to leave too quickly and didn't give him a chance to speak, what he is asking now is...

"Your Majesty, don't worry. When you arrive in Vienna for the first time, you should go and enjoy the beauty here.

Believe me, Vienna will not disappoint you.This is the most beautiful city in the world."

After speaking, Wesenberg picked up a glass of red wine and took a sip.Looking at Vittorio Emanuele III with an anxious face, a smile appeared on his mouth.

There is no free lunch in the world. If you want Austria to help restore the country, Vittorio Emanuele III will naturally pay the price.

Otherwise, there are so many people who are qualified to restore the Kingdom of Sardinia. Why should the Vienna government support him?

Just relying on Vittorio Emanuele III now the most orthodox?

Unfortunately, it is now the end of the 19th century, and orthodoxy has to make concessions for interests.

The Bonaparte dynasty is an example. European countries did not send troops to interfere in the restoration of Napoleon III for an orthodox name.

Of course, when the interest gap is small, the Vienna government is more willing to support the orthodox monarch. After all, the Habsburg dynasty is now flaunting orthodoxy and working hard for the unification of the German region.

"Your Excellency, the good name of Vienna has spread all over the world, and I have been fascinated for a long time, and I have long wanted to visit it.

But now the Sardinian people are still suffering under the enslavement of the French. As their king, I am unable to rescue them. I am very ashamed. I really have no face to do anything else."

Putting down and flattering, for Vittorio Emanuele III, there is no pressure.

Unlike other kings, Vittorio Emanuele III grew up in a fenced environment, and arrogance could not be raised.

Although he didn't have a cold idea of ​​Vittorio Emanuele III, Wesenberg gave him a high look.

As a king, you can not only put down your body, but also have keen judgment.After discovering that something could not be done, he decisively reduced the Italian region to the Kingdom of Sardinia, implying that he had no ambitions.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. God will punish the French invaders, and the Kingdom of Sardinia will eventually gain independence.

Austria is different from France. We are a peace-loving country. We have no ambitions for the territory of the Italian region and will not expand in the Italian region.

Supporting the independence of the Kingdom of Sardinia is our consistent political proposition, but to drive out the French, we also need to pay a very heavy price.

You must have heard that we have formed anti-French alliances with Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany and other countries.

In order to protect everyone's interests, we have to adopt the principle of equivalent exchange.After driving out the French, all participating countries distributed the spoils based on their contributions.

Given the current situation in your country, I am afraid that it is difficult to contribute to this war. Logically speaking, it is not qualified to share the spoils.

However, looking at the traditional friendship between the two countries, we will still support the independence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, but as a price your country must share a portion of its military expenditure.

The specific figures are determined based on actual expenditures after the war.Of course, if you can make a certain contribution on the battlefield, you can also reduce a portion of the amortization accordingly."

Vittorio Emanuele III's face was slightly unnatural when he heard "Ossa Friendship".

There is no way, if this is spread out, it will be another joke of this century.

The Kingdom of Sardinia has fallen to this point, and Austria has also contributed a lot, and it can even be said to have played a decisive role.

Had it not been for Austria to beat them halfway, the French would not have occupied Sardinia so easily, perhaps now it is a different situation.

It's a pity that history has no if, and what is even more sad is that the Ossa War was initiated by the Kingdom of Sardinia, which made Vittorio Emanuele III's father still bear the infamy.

The reality is so cruel. People only remember the winners, and the losers are sinners, even if the intention is great.

Whitewashing is impossible. The failure of the Ossa War directly caused the kingdom of Sardinia to be unable to resist French invasion.

Vittorio Emanuele II became synonymous with stupid and arrogant, even though he was pushed onto the battlefield by the Sardinians.

After a short period of unsuitability, Vittorio Emanuele III immediately recovered and pondered Wesenberg's words carefully.

What made him hesitate was not because the conditions in Austria were too harsh, but because they were too generous, so generous that Vittorio Emanuele III could not believe it.

Just apportioning a portion of the military expenditure can be exchanged for the restoration of Sardinia. Where can I find such a cheap thing?

After hesitating for a while, Vittorio Emanuele III tentatively asked: "How much force did the French army put on the southern front?"

In addition to the tense war situation and the urgent need for allies, Vittorio Emanuele III has no reason to allow Austria to offer such loose conditions.

Wesenberg shook his head: "It's okay! The French have placed their strategic focus on the Central European battlefield, and mainly take a defensive position in Italy.

Your Majesty, you should know that the terrain of the Italian region is not suitable for the decisive battle of the large corps.

The decisive battle in the Italian region is a replica of the Anglo-Russian war in Afghanistan, and it can continue as long as everyone wants.

If it were not for liberating the Italian region and helping countries to get rid of the enslavement of the French, we would not entangle them on the southern front."

Knowing the doubts in Vittorio Emanuele III's heart, but Wesenberg didn't mean to explain.

It's not that the Austrian government wants to treat the Kingdom of Sardinia preferentially, but it really doesn't know what it wants.

territory?

There is no shortage of Austria at all. The best areas in Italy are in Austria's hands, and the rest is bad land.

Continuing to expand will have no value except to increase trouble.

Including Sicily, which now seems to be strategically important, it has no value to Austria after the war.

No way, the kingdom of Sardinia now only exists in theory.Vittorio Emanuele III had nothing but an orthodox name.

Even if you want to squeeze oil, you have to wait until the kingdom of Sardinia becomes independent.Without a stroke of the horoscope, let Vittorio Emanuele III sign a bunch of unequal treaties. How can they be able to live in the future?

Austria needs a stable kingdom of Sardinia, which constantly adds to the barriers to the French; not a kingdom of Sardinia that is full of turmoil and needs constant rescue.

The stuffed pie came, no matter whether it was poisonous or not, Vittorio Emanuele III, who was already hungry, had to eat it.

...

On October 21, 1890, Vittorio Emanuele III and Weissenberg signed the "Osa Agreement."

The content of the treaty naturally talks about the friendship of Osa.The original unpleasantness was a deliberate conspiracy made by the French in order to annex the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Anyway, time has passed for so long, even if the older generation is still alive, now there are even more hateful French people who hate it. Osa hates that is not a problem.

With the signing of the treaty, it marked the end of the decades-long grievances between the two countries since 1847, and the relationship between the two countries has entered a new level.