Chapter 1443: Defeat in Switzerland
The Captain's face darkened with rage. "What are the police doing?" he barked. "Why aren't they protecting the tax collectors?"
"Who knows?" Göld replied, shrugging dismissively. "Perhaps those high-and-mighty officials who passed the new exams aren't familiar with the situation yet."
Over the past few months, a large number of lawyers and scholars had secured positions within the Austrian bureaucracy by passing the newly implemented civil service exams.
However, these clever and knowledgeable individuals had failed to bring the expected vitality and efficiency to the government. Instead, departments that had functioned reasonably well in the past began to suffer from constant issues, and the level of corruption had become even more severe than it had been under the hereditary officials.
What these two Austrian officers did not realize was that nearly half of these newly appointed officials were actually proxies for the old nobility.
The aristocrats, despite losing their official titles, still possessed immense influence and wealth. They used various schemes—such as illicitly obtaining exam questions—to maneuver their representatives into power.
On the surface, it appeared that the Austrian political scene had been infused with fresh blood, but in reality, the reins of power remained firmly in the hands of the former nobility.
Once these proxies took office, their first priority was to protect the interests of their secret benefactors, followed closely by lining their own pockets. Where an official might have taken one bribe in the past, they now had to take two to satisfy both themselves and their masters.
Of course, there were some officials who had truly earned their positions through their own merits. Yet they were forced to contend with the local nobility who had held sway over their regions for decades, if not centuries. These intellectual elites, lacking connections and political experience, were no match for the seasoned aristocrats.
This was the reason why, following the reforms of the Austrian bureaucracy, administrative efficiency had actually plummeted.
As for the issues with tax collection, they were the result of a counterattack by the Tax Farmer Group.
These men possessed vast wealth, and their influence reached into every corner of Austria. They only needed to spend a small sum to leave the government's tax collectors overwhelmed with trouble or, in some cases, dead.
The tax farmers did not rely solely on violence; they also bribed officials and police, while secretly inciting or threatening the populace into tax resistance.
Nowadays, the Austrian police often went unpaid or received only a fraction of their salaries. When faced with bribes that far exceeded their pay, they had no interest in protecting tax collectors. If a tax farmer gave the word, the police would just as easily beat the collector themselves.
Ruining a man's livelihood is like killing his parents. Since the Emperor intended to destroy their business, they fought back without the slightest hesitation.
Five months after Metternich began his tax reforms, Austria's tax revenue had plummeted by twenty-six percent, and it continued to drop rapidly.
Meanwhile, Archduke Charles had implemented a military reform modeled after the French system, establishing the General Staff to oversee soldier training, equipment, and the distribution of military pay.
However, this meant the old practice of officers advancing military pay out of their own pockets had become a thing of the past. Once the government's finances faltered, military funding was immediately affected.
The Captain remained silent for a moment before whispering an order to his subordinate. "Once we defeat the Basel Rebels, find a few wealthy villages. Charge them with conspiring with the enemy—let the soldiers find a little extra income for themselves."
"Yes, sir," Göld replied, though his voice lacked conviction. Switzerland was such a miserable, impoverished place that a mouse would starve to death there; there wasn't much worth plundering.
He was just about to suggest they sack Aarau City instead when he heard the low, mournful blast of a horn from up ahead.
The Captain instantly snapped to attention, waving his arm and shouting to his men, "Tighten the formation! Hold your muskets ready! Prepare for combat!"
That horn signal meant their vanguard had made contact with the Basel Rebels.
The Captain felt a sense of relief. The rebels numbered only about eight hundred, while they had over four thousand soldiers under their command.
Furthermore, they were regular army, equipped with the latest percussion cap muskets and cannons. Dealing with the rabble from Basel would be nothing short of a massacre.
Once the rebels were cleared out, he could return to Vienna and stop worrying about when his unpaid soldiers might suddenly decide to mutiny.
A messenger from the regimental commander galloped up, shouting toward the company colors, "Captain Kemmler! Move to the hills on the southeast flank immediately and establish a defensive line! Intercept any rebels attempting to escape through that route!"
"Yes, sir!"
Kemmler was secretly pleased. It seemed he likely wouldn't even have to participate in the actual fighting. Those hills were on the path he had just crossed, less than two hundred yards from the rebel positions.
Once he had chosen his ground and ordered his men into a line formation, the thunder of artillery erupted to the west.
Göld peered into the distance and remarked, "I expect it'll be over in half an hour."
Kemmler nodded. Major Haase's cavalry battalion had moved to the western side of the Jura Mountains two days ago to block any retreat. The rebels were trapped.
On the northern slopes of the Jura Mountains, a middle-aged major in a black double-breasted coat ducked as a cannonball kicked up dirt nearby. He looked at the commander standing behind the breastworks and shouted, "Mr. Steffens, our soldiers will be torn to shreds by those shells soon. We should retreat to Olten!"
Steffens was a councilor from Basel who was currently serving as the militia supervisor.
He had never set foot on a battlefield before. His face was deathly pale, and his mind had gone completely blank, leaving him to do nothing but mechanically curse under his breath, "Damned Württembergers... damn them..."
Previously, the advisors sent by Württemberg had patted their chests and promised him that as long as they fortified this pass on the northern side of the Jura Mountains, the Austrians wouldn't dare to attack.
But now, not only had the Austrians come, they had arrived with over four thousand men!
The Major roared in frustration, "You must give the order now, or we will be surrounded!"
Steffens's lips trembled, but no words came out.
He knew very well that Basel had no garrison left. If he abandoned this defensive line, the Austrians would march straight through. Within two or three days, they would occupy Basel.
When that happened, he would certainly be sentenced for treason. The other members of the council would face the same fate.
'I only wanted to enter the French market to grow my business,' he thought desperately. 'I never wanted to die.'
A cannonball struck about ten meters away, instantly crushing several guards before burrowing into the distant wild grass in a trail of blood.
The Major raised his telescope, and his face turned ashen. Over a thousand Austrian soldiers were closing in on their line, raising their muskets for a volley.
The Basel militia managed only a chaotic, disorganized return fire before they began to pull back in panic.
He dropped the telescope and slumped to the ground. It was too late to run now; everything was over.
He looked at Steffens and whispered, "We should... we should surrender..."
Before the words had fully left his mouth, a faint, low rumble echoed from the east.
The Major stood up in surprise. That direction was supposed to be the Austrian rear. Who was firing cannons there?
He scrambled to retrieve his telescope and saw the previously aggressive Austrian infantry lines suddenly falter and begin to withdraw. Even their artillery had ceased fire.
He hurriedly sent out scouts to investigate. However, only twenty minutes passed before a man with the distinct accent of the eastern mountains galloped toward them, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Colonel Engelmann requests that you coordinate with us for a counterattack!"
Steffens's eyes lit up instantly. Engelmann was the military advisor sent by Württemberg!
He hurriedly asked the messenger, "The Colonel only brought three hundred guards with him! How did he drive the enemy back?"
The rider wheeled his horse around and shouted back, "Mercenaries, sir! We are mercenaries from Schwyz and Brienz. There are nearly two thousand of us!"
Comments