Chapter 1457: North and South
Lavalette had long grown accustomed to the Prince Regent's—or rather, His Royal Highness the Prince Regent's—enigmatic maneuvers. He chose not to press further and instead continued his report. "Your Highness, there is another matter. Austria's Mikhalevich Legion passed through Innsbruck three days ago. We estimate they will reach Zurich by the end of the month."
Joseph nodded. "I have already handed that matter over to the General Staff. You need to focus on continuing our operations within Austria's borders."
The French military naturally maintained its own intelligence apparatus. While they might not be as swift as the Security Bureau in certain areas, their channels for tracking major troop movements were far more extensive.
Long before the twenty thousand troops of the Austrian Intervention Force had even cleared Klagenfurt, Joseph had received a full report from General Staff Headquarters.
According to his arrangements, nearly a thousand Liberal Volunteers from France, Württemberg, Augsburg, and Bavaria should have already arrived in the northern Jura Mountains by now.
They had gathered there "voluntarily" to help the Swiss people in cantons like Basel and Schwyz resist Vienna's brutal aggression.
This coalition—comprising nine hundred Basel Militia and twenty-five hundred mercenaries recruited by Württemberg officers from the southeastern mountains of Switzerland—was tasked with intercepting the Austrian forces within the dense forests spanning from the Jura Mountains to the Bernese Mountains.
Unlike previous skirmishes, this Resistance Army would be commanded by Pellegier, a retired French officer. Utilizing his private connections, he had procured a significant amount of "obsolete" armaments from France, which would substantially bolster the Resistance Army's combat capabilities.
Joseph knew that this ragtag force of fewer than five thousand men could never hope to defeat an Austrian army several times its size in a pitched battle. However, they didn't need to. They could utilize the mountainous terrain and river valleys to launch relentless harassment campaigns against the Austrians.
Indeed, as the illustration printing plants in France and Baden continued to ramp up production, their combined output had reached over one hundred and fifty thousand illustrated booklets per month.
These comic books were filled with French romance and liberty, showcasing the idealized French lifestyle. They were flooding into Switzerland, Austria, and even the United Kingdom in massive quantities.
Unlike traditional pamphlets, these visual stories could be understood by even the most illiterate peasant. Consequently, Swiss mountain herders, silk workers, and woodcutters—who had previously been indifferent to the political landscape—were now joining the resistance against Austria, moved by the stories they saw on the pages.
Most of them would not fight on the front lines, but their contributions were invaluable. Whether it was passing intelligence to the Resistance Army or hiding grain to prevent it from being sold to the Austrians, their actions heavily skewed the balance of power.
Furthermore, if the Resistance Army found itself in a dire situation, it could simply retreat into the neighboring Bern region—the French province of Upper Germania.
Not even if the Austrians were given a hundred times their current courage would they dare to pursue them into French territory.
After resting and refitting in Bern, the Resistance Army could quickly strike back into Basel and other regions.
Joseph did not expect the cost of maintaining twenty thousand troops to bankrupt Austria's treasury immediately, but as long as the Empire continued to waste its military budget on a poor, rugged place like Switzerland, domestic discontent would only grow.
This was especially true if they failed to secure a decisive victory.
As the Metternich Reforms continued to stir up tension, independence movements would likely ignite in Hungary, Bohemia, Croatia, and Serbia. The entire Empire would find its national strength steadily eroded by internal friction.
It was not even outside the realm of possibility that the Empire might fracture prematurely.
Prussia was already effectively reduced to a second-rate power; therefore, Austria did not need to remain overly strong either. After all, maintaining a balance of power between the two German giants was the best way to ensure regional peace, wasn't it?
Lavalette made careful notes before concluding his briefing. "Your Highness, there is one more matter that warrants our attention.
"While the Americans repeatedly affirm their commitment to the joint plan to invade Canada, the intelligence we've gathered in North America suggests otherwise. Their conscription and training efforts in the states north of Philadelphia have been very limited.
"Conversely, General Wilkinson has been spotted frequently in the southern state of Georgia, and a new recruit training camp has been established in Charleston."
Wilkinson was the current Commander-in-Chief of the US Army and arguably their most capable general.
Joseph frowned upon hearing this.
'It seems the Americans have no intention of heading north. Do they still hope to seize control of the Mississippi River?'
'That seems unlikely. Georgia is in the southeastern corner of the United States, far from Saint-Louisiane.'
'Moreover, Napoleon's campaign should have left a lasting impression on them. They shouldn't have forgotten that sting so quickly.'
'Georgia...' Joseph’s mind suddenly sparked with a realization. 'Are the Americans planning to move south into Florida?'
Florida, situated in the southeastern corner of North America, was the only territory east of the Mississippi not yet under American control.
Currently, Spain's garrison in Florida numbered only about eight hundred men, split between East and West Florida.
If the Americans launched an invasion southward from Augusta, Georgia, the Spanish defenders in East Florida would have virtually no chance of holding their ground.
But why would the United States dare to go to war with Spain?
Granted, Spain might not care deeply about Florida itself, but for the sake of imperial prestige, they would surely deploy reinforcements from San Juan Island or Mexico.
Furthermore, should the King of Spain request it, the French colony of Saint-Louisiane would undoubtedly send troops to reinforce Florida.
Where did the Americans get the confidence to think they could swallow Florida?
Joseph pondered the matter for a long while without reaching a definitive conclusion. He eventually turned to Lavalette. "The Security Bureau must intensify its intelligence gathering in North America. Find out the Americans' true objective as quickly as possible. Also, send word to the Governor of Florida. Tell him to prepare his defenses in advance."
"As you command, Your Highness."
Western Germany.
In Wiesbaden, the capital of Nassau.
Within the imposing two-story, light-gray office building of the Alphonse-Boutin Ironworks, Maréchal stormed into the manager's office, his face flushed with rage. He slammed several purchase orders onto the desk and shouted, "The payment was processed twenty days ago! I just checked the shipping schedule—why hasn't the order for the Hibbert Coking Plant been arranged yet?"
The Hibbert Coking Plant was the intermediary company he had established in Cologne.
Goner, the manager for the Northern German region, hurried to offer a placating smile. "My Lord Baron, you have likely heard that the Steel Technology Association has been scrutinizing our sales records lately. In fact, auditors from the Tax Bureau are in the accounting office as we speak."
"What does that have to do with me? I am asking you when my coal will be shipped!"
"It... it actually has everything to do with you," Goner said with a strained expression. "In fact, it was the excessive volume of shipments the company was sending to the Cologne region that drew the attention of the Steel Technology Association in the first place."
Maréchal waved his hand dismissively and barked, "Dammit! I am French, and my company is a French company. I haven't violated a single regulation of the Association!"
"Yes, yes, I am well aware. Please, do not be angry. But those bureaucrats at the Steel Technology Association are always looking for trouble just to prove to the Ministry of Industry how indispensable they are."
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