Holy Roman Empire

"Marshal, when will the defeated soldiers you gathered be handed over to us?"

The German Confederation was aware of the issue of command power, and Adrian, who was not responsible for contacting him, hurried to the door.

Grand Duke Albrecht shook his head, pretending to be surprised, and asked: "Transfer what? Don't I, the coalition headquarters, have the power to command these troops?"

The power of the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces is another unsolved mystery in the world.

The two countries were forced to join the anti-French alliance. They had no confidence to compete with Austria for dominance. They did not even make a clear agreement with the authority of the coalition command.

Without a specific agreement, the power can be infinitely amplified in theory.For example, now, Grand Duke Albrecht has incorporated the defeated troops in the name of the coalition headquarters.

Admiral Adrian tried to explain: "But the marshal..."

Before he could finish speaking, Grand Duke Albrecht interrupted: "No, but my admiral.

Your Excellency knows exactly how dangerous the situation on the battlefield is now.If the command is not unified at this time, do you think it is possible for us to defend the Rhine line?

The troops on the front line are insufficient. I have reorganized the collapsed soldiers, and now they have been put into battle, and they cannot be mobilized in a short time.

To transfer the command of these forces, wait for the end of the war.Your Excellency can rest assured, I won't be dominating all the time!"

Don't worry, how can you relax?

Admiral Adrian came to the door because he was not at ease.In fact, the defeat on the front line is also an opportunity for the German Federal Central Government.

If you seize the opportunity and seize the opportunity to gain command of the armies of various states, this loose alliance will not be far from true unification.

It cannot be blamed for the slow response of the German generals on the front line. Unlike the coalition command whose power is vaguely defined, the power of the German front-line command was stipulated early.

Each state has independent command power, and the German command is composed of representatives sent by each state. The commander-in-chief appointed by the central government is essentially just a relationship coordinator.

The internal relations of the command headquarters were not straightened out, and the response was a step slower, which was also logical.

By the time George I decided to take the opportunity to seize power, Grand Duke Albrecht had already used the name of the Allied Forces Command to gather the German troops from the front lines.

Due to the inconvenience of communication, many frontline troops lost contact with the German command after the defeat of the frontline.

The officers and soldiers below do not know the disputes at the upper level.Anyway, the existence of the coalition command is well known, and the grassroots officers and soldiers are used to obey the orders of their superiors.

In the panic, I received an order from the coalition command, and most people accepted the order.

It was not only the stragglers who had retreated from the front line, but also the Germans who had retreated from the front line. They were also conscripted under the name of the Allied Forces Command by Grand Duke Albrecht, including many Hanoverian troops.

By this time, Grand Duke Albrecht had essentially mastered most of the German army on the front lines.

If it is not taken into account that the subsequent battles will require the cooperation of the German Federation, Grand Duke Albrecht will do even more excessively, for example: forcibly taking over the command of all German forces on the front line.

Admiral Adrian bit his head and argued: "Marshal, the unified command of the coalition command can be achieved through the three-nation alliance. There is no need to directly command the frontline troops."

It's not that Adrian Adrian has a bad eloquence. It is that the relationship between Germany and Austria is too complicated. Now the German Confederation has to rely on Austria to protect its own security. He can't say many things.

Other international alliances can also use different cultures and customs and language barriers as an excuse to demand independent command.

The Anti-French Alliance will not work. Linguists may not be able to figure out the difference between German and Austrian. Anyway, all three languages ​​can be used in common, and there is no communication barrier.

The excuse of panacea cannot be used, and words that hurt feelings cannot be said. Admiral Adrian is naturally uncomfortable.

Grand Duke Albrecht waved his hand, calmed down his tone and said, "Okay, Admiral. You and I are both soldiers. Just consider issues from a military point of view. For political issues, let the government communicate!

The most important thing now is to win this war. The first task now is to defend the Rhine line, otherwise the hinterland of Germany will become a battlefield.

What this means, you should understand.The ambitions of the French are endless. By this time, no one can be alone."

This is persuasion, but also a warning.Once the French army tore through the Rhine Defense Line, Austria was nothing, but the German Federation was the second Belgium, including the Northern States.

At this point, Austria dominates the command of the army, and Admiral Adrian is powerless.

You can't encourage soldiers to mutiny, right?If the front line riots and the French seized the opportunity and tore through the Rhine line of defense, it would really be shooting himself in the foot.

With the warning of the collapse of the Luxembourg line, Admiral Adrian had to take a warning, and the German Federation could not afford to lose.

...

The episode that took place in the headquarters did not affect the conduct of the anti-French war.

After occupying the Luxembourg area, the French army did not stop and continued to march towards the German area, not far from the Rhine Defense Line.

Frankly speaking, sticking to the west bank of the Rhine is not the best military option. It is far better to withdraw to the east bank and rely on the natural dangers of the Rhine to build a defense line.

However, the military needs to serve politics. The contraction of the defense line to the east bank means that the Anti-French Alliance has recognized the previous military defeat and abandoned Belgium and Rhineland.

Acknowledging that defeat is impossible, the anti-French war was not only for defeating the French, but also for the European hegemony.

Austria must play its own prestige on the battlefield, and not let people think that this victory was because of luck.

There is no natural danger to rely on, and the coalition forces still have trenches.This thing was carried forward in the Prussian-Russian War and has now been widely accepted by the European world.

Archduke Albrecht did not dare to underestimate the French army. The trenches were dug one after another, making it clear that the French army would be consumed by battle of positions.

In order to win this war, the French government also worked hard, and Napoleon IV did not hesitate to hire veteran Marshal Patrice McMahon.

Patrice McMahon and Archduke Albrecht are figures of the same era, and they are both long-standing veterans.This anti-French war is also the pinnacle of two European stars.

...

After staring at the map for a while, Marshal Patrice McMahon slowly said:

"Albrecht is known for his offensive skills. He didn't expect to play the tortoise tactics now. It seems that the previous battle has had a great impact on him.

Austria has placed its strategic focus on Africa. The Suez Canal is now blocked, the British are taking advantage of the fire and looting again, and domestic supplies have begun to be tight.

Our next enemy is not only the anti-French alliance, but also time.If the enemy’s Rhine defense line cannot be torn apart as quickly as possible, then..."

Everyone's expressions condensed, and the triumphant expressions no longer exist.Everyone is smart, knowing that this is the old marshal beating them.

The shortage of supplies is certainly a problem, but the problem is more reflected in finances.Although the impact of the European War was great, it did not spread to the whole world.

Without the Suez Canal, there is still the Cape of Good Hope to walk.Moreover, the American route is still open, and Austria can only intercept part of the sea.

Even if the French merchant ships are more dangerous to go to sea, there are also ships from other neutral countries available, but the cost is a little higher.

The shortage of materials is only temporary, and the market will adjust itself.As long as you have money these days, you don't have to worry about not being able to buy supplies.

Before the French financial collapse, no one had to worry about being hungry.

"Marshal, the Austrian government has chosen the wrong person this time. Albrecht is best at offense, and now you can see that even defense is preparing for offense.

But now the Anti-French Alliance is at a disadvantage, and the Rhine River Xi'an is infinitely defendable. It is a joke to try to block us with just a few trenches.

If the enemy retreats to the east bank and rely on the Rhine for defense, we really can't help them in a short time."

Patrice McMahon frowned: "Udino, you still haven't changed your pride.

Albrecht is good at offense. That's because he is famous for offense, so everyone thinks that it does not mean that he can't fight defensively.

Judging from the deployment of the enemy's forces, this is a tortoise shell. Although the tortoise has been injured in front, its defense is still not to be underestimated.

But you are right. The troops of the two countries have no morale. Albrecht does not have enough troops. It is a failure to stick to the west bank of the Rhine.

Now we need to fight for time. As long as the Rhine defense line is torn before the Austrian reinforcements arrive, the dominance of the war will fall into our hands."

That's right, Udino is the guy who took the expeditionary force to attack Mexico in Yuan Shikong.

It's just that his luck is much better than in history. Some accidents happened in the middle and he was slightly injured, and he was transferred back to the country to recuperate. The next one assumed the responsibility for the failure of the war.

After receiving the blame, Udino was not annoyed, and said without changing his face: "Marshal, the troops are ready for battle and can launch an offensive at any time.

Now the morale of the officers and soldiers is high, and everyone is still waiting to break through Vienna and capture Franz!"

In fact, the original plan of the French army was only to seize the territory west of the Rhine.After tearing through the Rhine defense line, the first phase of the French combat mission was completed.

As for breaking Vienna and capturing Franz, it was just shouting slogans.

The European countries are not fools, and will not watch France fight all the way to Vienna.It is estimated that the French army is still on the way to Vienna, and the British will cut off their supplies.

Unlike Austria, which is not afraid of blockades, France cannot do without the support of foreign materials, even if it has North Africa.