Thus, Talleyrand's agents either directly contacted the Austrian high command or spread rumors, making the news that "Austrian and French forces will jointly retake Silesia" spread like wildfire. No one dared to question the French for "stirring up trouble" because reclaiming Silesia and erasing decades of humiliation was the politically correct stance for all Austrians. Anyone who dared to disagree would likely be beaten by fellow Austrians.
Schönbrunn Palace
Emperor Joseph II's Bedroom
Due to the Emperor's worsening health, the court etings had been held here for nearly a year. The core issue of this eting was naturally the war with Prussia, so besides a dozen key ministers, nearly all the top military leaders were present.
Crown Prince Leopold II first briefed everyone on the situation and then turned to Joseph II, bowing, "Your Majesty, that's the gist of it. The French propose that our forces should march directly into Silesia, forcing the Prussians to withdraw from the Southern Netherlands."
Sitting up in bed, Emperor Joseph II summoned his strength and looked around at the officers and ministers gathered in the room. "What are your opinions on this matter?"
Field Marshal Laudon was the first to speak up, "Your Majesty, this is a rare opportunity to reclaim our lost lands! I am willing to personally lead the troops and teach those Prussian scoundrels a lesson!"
Seeing that the elderly Marshal was nearly as frail as he was, Joseph II quickly gestured for him to calm down and reassured him, "Your experience and courage are invaluable to Austria. Let the younger n handle the front lines."
Field Marshal Lacy and several other senior officers imdiately stepped forward. They had recently been in contact with French diplomats and had discussed the idea of invading Silesia among themselves, reaching a consensus to support the plan.
"Your Majesty, with France as a powerful ally, this is our chance to reclaim Silesia!"
"I believe we have a great chance of victory in this war, Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, with Prussia's focus still on the Southern Netherlands, we must act quickly to catch them off guard..."
"I also support launching the attack as soon as possible..."
Chancellor Count Kaunitz, the leader of the pro-French faction in Austria, excitedly stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, if Austria and France stand united this ti, we might not only reclaim Silesia. We could defeat Saxony and even march on Brunswick!
"Achieving this would greatly enhance Your Majesty's prestige, and the Holy Roman Empire could once again shine across all of Germany!"
At his words, everyone present, regardless of their true feelings, imdiately echoed, "The Holy Roman Empire will shine once more!"
However, as the cheers died down, Ho Secretary Count Wöller suddenly frowned and said, "I have a feeling that the French might be seeking more than just recognition of their claim to Piedmont. After all, they would be getting involved in a very brutal war, and such a small gain seems insufficient. They must have other plans..."
If Joseph were present to hear this, he would undoubtedly comnd Wöller with a "You're absolutely right." But the brutal war Wöller feared was more an Austrian-Prussian affair. France, located far away, could choose how deeply it wished to get involved. And with public opinion in Vienna now overwhelmingly favoring an invasion of Silesia, who would care what the French were thinking?
Count Kaunitz quickly smiled at the Ho Secretary and said, "Count Wöller, you might not be aware of just how important the trade agreent is to the French.
"I frequently travel to Paris and am well-acquainted with the situation there. The French governnt has converted a large portion of its national debt into an 'Industrial Developnt Fund,' amounting to perhaps billions of florins.
"This ans that in the coming decades, France must ensure strong product sales to make the fund profitable and keep its finances from collapsing.
"To achieve this, they must expand their markets, and lacking colonies, their only option is to push their goods into the Rhine region. This requires our help to enter the southern German market."
Two ministers imdiately voiced their agreent with Kaunitz's analysis, offering further detailed explanations.
These two officials were, in fact, agents Talleyrand had cultivated. Over the past few weeks, they had received various benefits through Talleyrand's interdiaries, totaling tens of thousands of livres.
Joseph knew that when it ca to bribery, Archbishop Talleyrand was exceptionally skilled. Although he had stumbled during the XYZ Affair, that was more due to the Aricans not playing along. Thus, Joseph entrusted this task to him . Of course, the Intelligence Bureau kept a close eye on Talleyrand to ensure the money ended up where it was supposed to.
As it turned out, the crippled diplomat's ability to bribe and select targets for bribery was entirely reliable. The two Austrian officials, having accepted French bribes, began advocating for France according to the "script."
"Count Wöller, in fact, France's interest in weakening Prussia aligns perfectly with our own. Prussia acts as Britain's proxy in continental Europe, and you've surely heard about what the British did to the French in North Africa."
"Furthermore, when it cos to influence over the Netherlands, France and Prussia are fierce competitors. In particular, the Dutch siding with the Prussians during the Brabant rebellion without regard for France's stance has infuriated the French..."
With these two elaborating on the shared interests between France and Austria, even the skeptical Count Wöller finally fell silent.
Joseph II, however, remained remarkably calm. He turned to Leopold II and asked quietly, "Do you think it's worth sacrificing our interests in Western Italy?"
As the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Leopold II was most familiar with the situation in Italy. Acknowledging France's claim over Piedmont would directly place Austrian territories like Lombardy and Tuscany on France's doorstep, and even Venice might be at risk.
But without hesitation, Leopold II replied, "Your Majesty, if it ans regaining Silesia, it's a price worth paying.
"Besides, if the French overstep in Italy, we can always bring Britain in to check their ambitions."
Joseph II fell silent for a long ti before slowly nodding as he surveyed the resolute faces of his ministers and generals. "Very well, let's move on to discussing troop deploynts and specific battle plans."
Footnote:
[1] XYZ Affair: At the end of the 18th century, the United States sought to restore diplomatic relations with Britain for economic gain and expressed opposition to the French Revolution. In retaliation, France began seizing and plundering Arican ships, causing significant losses. President John Adams then sent a delegation to France to negotiate peace. Talleyrand, the French Foreign Minister at the ti, took the opportunity to have three of his agents demand a large bribe from the Aricans. Outraged, the Aricans refused, leading to an undeclared naval war between the two nations. The three French agents involved were referred to as X, Y, and Z in diplomatic docunts, giving the affair its na.
Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon/johanssen10
User Comments
0 comments from readers