Chapter 1500: Dilemma on the Eastern Front
Chapter 1500: Dilemma on the Eastern Front
The Palace of Versailles.
The atmosphere inside the Senate Chamber was uncharacteristically solemn.
The Duke of Broglie clenched his fist. "We must react! The Russians have already crossed the Western Dvina River and are less than two hundred kilometers from Vilnius!"
His voice rose another notch. "Once Poland collapses, our nation will be forced to commit more troops to the Eastern Front!"
Hearing this, Berthier, who was sitting in the second row, added in a low voice, "The General Staff can mobilize thirty to fifty thousand troops at any moment. Weapons and supplies are fully prepared."
"Furthermore," the Duke of Broglie nodded, "if we use the railway to transport the army to Karlsruhe, our soldiers will only need two months to stand in Vilnius."
Baron Breteuil's gaze swept over Archbishop Talleyrand and Bailly. Seeing them both nod slightly, he turned to the Minister of Finance on his left. "Monsieur Godan, what about the finances? If we dispatch thirty thousand troops for a one-and-a-half-month campaign—"
"One and a half months?" Godan flipped through the documents in front of him and said hesitantly, "Monsieur le Baron, if we delay the construction of the railway to Orléans, we can secure these funds immediately.
"At that time, the Imperial Russian Army had not yet captured Polotsk," the Duke of Broglie retorted immediately, "and the legions of Gilinsky and Bielak had not been routed!"
Just a week ago, Mikhail Kutuzov took advantage of the Lithuanian peasant uprising. He first used cavalry to launch a feint along the Dnieper River, then suddenly forced a crossing of the Western Dvina River, capturing Polotsk, which guarded the river mouth, in one fell swoop.
Following this defeat, the main force of the Polish Army was left with only about fifty thousand men. Furthermore, their domestic economic situation had severely deteriorated, making it extremely difficult to withstand the subsequent onslaught of the Imperial Russian Army.
The head of the Military Intelligence Department, sitting in the third row, glanced at Berthier before standing up to speak. "General, in truth, the Russians' financial situation is also dire."
As he spoke, he pulled a sheet of paper from his documents. "This year, they have received almost no tax revenue from the region spanning Vyazma to Belgorod. Moscow has even had to continuously ship supplies to these areas.
"At the same time, Gozerov's rebel army continues to employ harassment tactics in southwestern Russia, forcing the Tsar to permanently station a force of nearly ten thousand men there."
He paused, then concluded, "According to our assessment, Russia's treasury can hold out for another five months at most."
""
Godan immediately seized the opportunity. "Therefore, we only need to provide aid to the Poles. If they can hold out until early next year, the war will end on its own."
"Aid?" the Duke of Broglie sneered. "Poland has already descended into internal strife!"
"Gentlemen, please calm down!" Baron Breteuil raised his hand to cut off the dispute. "As for dispatching troops, we shall let His Royal Highness the Prince Regent make the decision."
As he spoke, he glanced toward the main doors.
The Prince Regent had not yet arrived.
With the Crown Princess's due date approaching, His Highness spent most of his time at the Grand Trianon. It was rumored that he had even personally conducted an assessment of the obstetricians' skills a few days ago.
It was no wonder Prince Joseph was so anxious; maternal mortality rates in this era were staggeringly high. Even within the Palace of Versailles, one in twenty births resulted in the mother's death.
In truth, the Crown Princess's pregnancy had driven rapid advancements in French obstetrics over the past six months. An obstetric hospital had even been established in southern Paris.
Just as the Duke of Broglie and the other senators were about to move on to the next agenda item, the side door of the chamber opened silently. An officer from the Security Bureau hurried to Archbishop Talleyrand's side, handed him a document, and whispered a few words into his ear.
Archbishop Talleyrand's eyes narrowed instantly.
He held up the document and spoke in a drawling tone, "Gentlemen, just two days ago, because the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire vetoed their August Decree, the Hungarian Bicameral Parliament unanimously passed a Resolution to break away from Austrian rule and establish a Responsible Cabinet."
A hush fell over the chamber.
Everyone understood that with a large-scale rebellion raging in Vienna, Hungarian independence would utterly shatter this empire ruled by the House of Habsburg for centuries.
Bailly, the Minister of Trade, who was not well-versed in military affairs, asked hesitantly, "Surely the House of Habsburg still has enough troops to handle the situation?"
Berthier shook his head. "The Austrian troops in Switzerland have not yet fully withdrawn, and Archduke Charles has gathered fewer than forty thousand soldiers. Whether he attacks Vienna or Buda, the other side will immediately strike him from behind."
Archbishop Talleyrand added, "Furthermore, the Bohemian Diet has submitted a demand to their Emperor for greater autonomy. If Franz II refuses, they are highly likely to follow Hungary's example."
The Duke of Broglie surged to his feet. "In that case, it is all the more reason for us to send troops to Poland! Once Austria fractures, the Russians will easily seize vast swathes of Eastern European land. When that happens, we might find ourselves facing the Russian Army in Italy!"
Archbishop Talleyrand nodded. "I believe it may even be necessary to directly intervene in Austria's affairs."
He rested his walking stick horizontally across his lap. "Austria is not only the front line against Russian expansion but also a vital counterweight to Prussia within Germany. If Austria collapses, we will have to increase our military expenditure to guard against Northern Germany. Furthermore—"
He turned his head, his expression solemn and cold. "The rebels in Vienna intend to establish a republic. This sort of direct, armed overthrow of a monarch by commoners must absolutely not set a precedent in Europe!"
No sooner had he spoken than the gilded doors of the chamber were pulled open. Prince Joseph strode in through two rows of guards.
He was still wearing a loose black coat—evidently, he had come straight from the Grand Trianon without even pausing to change.
The senators rose immediately and bowed. "Your Highness the Prince Regent."
Prince Joseph gestured for everyone to sit and walked to the head of the table. "I heard your heated debate from outside. What has happened?"
Baron Breteuil briefly summarized the events of the Polish-Russian War and the Hungarian independence before concluding, "Currently, the Duke of Broglie and Archbishop Talleyrand recommend dispatching troops to Eastern Europe, while Monsieur Godan and his colleagues advocate for caution."
Prince Joseph tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, falling into deep thought.
Poland had to be saved; they were the barrier preventing Russia from penetrating into Central and Western Europe. However, an expedition to Eastern Europe would inevitably hinder France's economic development—waging war against Russia was a purely financial drain with no return, and throwing tens of millions of francs into it would be perfectly normal.
Baron Breteuil cleared his throat and continued, "Your Highness, in addition, Hungary recently declared its independence from Austrian rule. We may find ourselves forced to dispatch troops to two fronts simultaneously."
Hearing this, Prince Joseph's eyes lit up. "Are you saying Hungary has declared independence?"
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