Chapter 1285: Armistice Agreement
East of Fürstenhofen Castle, French Headquarters.
"Brother, the Duke of Brunswick achieved a great victory in Fürstenhofen this morning!"
Charles, in a braided cavalry uniform with sergeant's epaulets, burst excitedly into Joseph's office, waving a battle report.
However, the young man snapped to attention and saluted the moment he saw his older brother, then continued, "They reportedly annihilated two Hungarian infantry regiments and have now secured the north bank of Fürstenhofen."
"They performed very well." Joseph smiled at his brother in acknowledgment. "Thank you for bringing me the latest news. Would you like a cup of tea?"
"Oh, no, thank you." Charles hesitated for a moment, then said, "Brother, everyone is actually very eager to prove themselves. I mean, the soldiers of the First Army."
He leaned closer: "You can't give all the opportunities for glory to the Prussians and Bavarians... Perhaps you could send General Davout to show them how true French warriors fight."
Recently, all offensives against the Passau defensive line had been entrusted to the armies of the various German states. News of the Franco-Polish army's advance deep into Austrian territory had already reached Passau, causing the Coalition Forces' morale to nearly collapse. They were in full retreat, even against the Württemberg army.
Joseph chuckled, "Even if I agreed, you couldn't go with them."
Caught out, Charles grew a little flustered and whispered, "But I can't return to Versailles and tell everyone I never even went to the front lines, can I?"
Joseph motioned with his eyes for his brother to sit down: "In reality, the fighting at Passau no longer holds any significance.
"I'm confident Wurmser is waiting for Vienna's order of surrender to arrive any day now.
"So, there's no need for our soldiers to suffer casualties at this point."
Charles nodded, deflated, then asked with some confusion, "Then why are you still ordering the Prussian and Bavarian armies to launch large-scale offensives?"
Yesterday, the Brunswick corps even committed 30,000 soldiers to besiege Fürstenhofen.
"This is diplomacy," Joseph patiently instructed his brother. "These states of the Holy Roman Empire must eliminate as many Austrian troops as possible on the battlefield to more thoroughly sever their ties with this Empire.
"Moreover, allowing them to win some achievements they can be proud of will make them more willing to respond to our country's demands for military action in the future."
As he spoke, Eman's soft knock on the door came: "Your Highness, Archbishop Talleyrand is here."
"Please invite him in."
The door opened, and France's Minister of Foreign Affairs hastened forward to salute the Crown Prince: "Your Highness, all of Paris is celebrating your magnificent victory! Oh, I hear the Paris Opéra has already begun rehearsals for a new play, 'The Conqueror,' which will officially premiere on the day of your triumphant return..."
Joseph smiled, gently cutting short his impending long-winded praise: "You seem to have arrived a little earlier than expected. You see, the war isn't quite over yet."
"The outcome is already decided, victory belongs to France!" Talleyrand declared, taking a stack of documents from his satchel. "Additionally, regarding the armistice terms, I wanted to discuss the details with you in person."
Joseph had drafted these terms, then sent them to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for refinement.
Joseph noticed Talleyrand's hesitation and nodded: "I greatly value your professional opinion. Please, speak freely."
Seeing that serious matters were to be discussed, Charles quickly bowed to his brother, preparing to leave.
Joseph, however, raised a hand to stop him: "It's alright, you can listen in too."
Talleyrand placed the treaty text before the Crown Prince and cleared his throat: "Your Highness, I humbly venture a guess that perhaps Her Majesty the Queen offered you some advice, perhaps regarding sympathy for Austria...
"However, I still believe that we should use this military victory to maximally weaken Austria's influence over the German states."
He subtly glanced at Joseph, cautiously adding: "Even, I wouldn't rule out demanding that Franz II relinquish his title as Holy Roman Emperor."
The armistice terms drafted by the Crown Prince contained no provisions for dismantling the Holy Roman Empire.
Joseph nodded slightly at the remark.
'Dissolving the Holy Roman Empire would certainly be satisfying,' he thought. In fact, he had initially intended to do so, but after careful consideration, he realized this wasn't the most advantageous approach for France.
He looked at Talleyrand: "How does the Habsburg family exert its influence over the German regions?"
The latter replied without hesitation: "I believe it's the legal basis provided by the Golden Bull, Your Highness."
"That is indeed a bond connecting the states of the Holy Roman Empire," Joseph conceded, "but more importantly, it stems from Austria's century-long political and economic penetration of the various states, as the most powerful nation in the German region.
"This deep-seated influence wouldn't simply vanish by revoking the imperial title.
"Furthermore, Vienna could exploit it with tragic propaganda, claiming 'the Empire collapsed due to foreign coercion' or 'Germany was humiliated by outsiders,' which could then incite resentment and resistance among the populace of the German states."
Talleyrand nodded thoughtfully at once: "Indeed, that is a possibility, Your Highness."
Charles interjected instinctively: "Then how should we respond?"
Joseph said, "We need to think from the perspective of the German states. For example, what do they fear most from Austria?"
Neither the Minister of Foreign Affairs nor the young Prince answered.
"They fear Austria forcing them into a Personal Union under the name of the Holy Roman Empire. And Austria has always striven for this in the past."
Joseph picked up his teacup and leisurely continued: "If the title of Holy Roman Emperor were abolished, it would ironically make them feel more secure about Austria."
Talleyrand frowned: "So, we just let Austria off the hook?"
"Of course not," Joseph gestured towards the document before him. "Look at articles five and nine."
He didn't need to flip through the document; as a negotiator, Talleyrand had already memorized the armistice treaty.
Recalling the two articles the Crown Prince mentioned, his eyes suddenly lit up: "So that's it! I failed to grasp your intention. This truly is the optimal strategy."
Charles, unable to grab the documents himself, was itching with curiosity beside them.
Talleyrand continued: "Your Highness, regarding the demand for Austria to join the German market led by our country, specifically the Stuttgart Trade Agreement, I believe you seem to have overlooked this matter?"
One significant factor in Austria joining the First Anti-French Coalition was its belief that the trade agreement was disadvantageous to it. France had consistently insisted that Austria adhere to the agreement, allowing French industrial goods to enter the Austrian market, but this was not mentioned in the current armistice terms.
Joseph shook his head: "No, the situation is entirely different now; we must ensure Austria is excluded from the common German market."
Comments