Chapter 307: French Aid
Leopold II still bristled with anger. "Austria should make its stance clear on this!" he declared.
Joseph II waved a tired hand, cutting him off. "General Wurmser just suffered a defeat at Rochefort. Now, the German States are watching our reaction, and we must deliver a strong counter-blow to the Prussians."
Leopold II's gaze instantly dropped.
He knew very well that, due to his brother's reforms, the Austrian nobility was extremely dissatisfied and unwilling to contribute to the nation. Bohemia, Croatia, and Hungary likewise resisted the royal family, as the reforms had infringed upon their interests.
In this situation, Austria simply could not muster the strength for a decisive battle against Prussia. Yet, if the Southern Netherlands were allowed to become independent, the German States would undoubtedly view Austria as utterly weak and flock to Prussia.
This was an absolutely unacceptable outcome!
Joseph II paused for a few seconds before continuing, "Right now, only by persuading France to offer support can we hope to defeat Prussia. Clémentine was not, in fact, engaged to the French Crown Prince, so let's put that matter behind us."
Leopold II understood the stakes. He nodded reluctantly, then suddenly recalled something and turned to his brother. "Your Majesty, although we are allied with France by marriage, according to the supplementary clauses Comte de Vergennes signed with our nation back then, France bears no military obligations towards us."
The "Gravier" he spoke of was none other than Louis XV's Foreign Minister, Comte de Vergennes, the very man who orchestrated Queen Marie's marriage to Louis XVI. As a shrewd and experienced politician, Comte de Vergennes had leveraged Austria's reliance on France at the time to completely absolve France of its marital obligations.
"I know," Joseph II acknowledged, nodding. "That's why we must do everything we can to persuade Marie Antoinette; she is our sister, after all.
"Furthermore, France seems to place great importance on trade agreements with the South German States. We can offer them some assistance in this regard, in exchange for their military aid."
According to Austria's original plan, France was not to be allowed to "penetrate" the South German market too easily. They had intended to insert numerous restrictive clauses into the trade agreements between France and Germany and erect high tariff barriers for states like Bavaria and Württemberg, ensuring their own dominance over this market.
However, circumstances dictated otherwise. Now, Austria could only offer concessions in this area to secure French military support.
Fortunately, the French were quite accommodating regarding high tariffs for the German States, only requesting reductions for a few categories of goods, such as iron products and machinery. This was acceptable to Austria.
At the same time, Austria could leverage this trade agreement to gain access to the French market.
Moreover, no matter how the trade agreement was signed, as long as France committed troops, it would at least guarantee that Austria's reforms could proceed.
This was what Joseph II valued most!
His reforms absolutely could not be interrupted; otherwise, given Austria's current state, it would sooner or later lose its status as a leading European power.
...
Along the spacious corridors of Schönbrunn Palace, Talleyrand briskly followed a court official towards Leopold II's reception hall.
He had been summoned by the latter and had just rushed back from the negotiation venue in Munich.
Recalling Leopold II's letter, Talleyrand couldn't help but sigh with emotion. When he had left Strasbourg last month, the Crown Prince had told him there was a strong possibility Austria would be defeated in the Southern Netherlands. True enough, Wurmser was routed by the Duke of Brunswick.
According to the Crown Prince's instructions, high-ranking Austrian officials—either the Emperor or a Secretary of State—would seek him out afterward to discuss France dispatching troops to assist Austria.
And so, this summons from Leopold II, who was effectively the Austrian Crown Prince, had materialized.
Talleyrand immediately straightened his posture, realizing that the Crown Prince's subsequent arrangements now fell to him to implement.
In the reception hall, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Leopold II steered the conversation toward the war in the Southern Netherlands. "As I just mentioned, General Wurmser withdrew his main force into the dense forests near Luxembourg, thus preserving the majority of his troops."
"That is to say, we still maintain immense military pressure on the rebels."
Talleyrand knew the Austrian casualties weren't too heavy, but this talk of "maintaining pressure" was mere diplomatic rhetoric. Blücher's twenty-thousand-strong army and tens of thousands of Netherlandish rebels were blockading Luxembourg from the west. Had they not feared an ambush in the Black Forest, they would have long since driven the Austrian army into Bavaria.
Of course, France's logistical supplies were also a crucial guarantee for Wurmser to hold out; otherwise, the Austrian army would have to compete with Luxembourg farmers for potatoes to stave off hunger.
He simply smiled at Leopold II, offering no reply.
The latter, somewhat awkwardly, had to continue, "His Imperial Majesty has decided to mobilize eighty thousand troops to Luxembourg, to make William II understand what a foolish decision it is to interfere in the affairs of the Southern Netherlands.
"Of course, the Prussians will likely reinforce their troops as well. At the same time, the Dutch have also provided substantial aid to the rebels.
"While His Imperial Majesty's grand army is confident in defeating any enemy, the war is likely to drag on for a long time. As you know, this is extremely uneconomical financially."
He cast a glance at Talleyrand. "However, if Austria's close French allies could provide some immediate military support at this time, it would greatly accelerate the Prussian defeat."
After speaking, he looked directly at the French Foreign Minister. "His Imperial Majesty also instructed that Austria would give utmost consideration to France's views during the 'Seine-Rhine Trade Agreement' negotiations."
The Seine-Rhine Trade Agreement was the new name decided upon by the various negotiating representatives a few days prior. The Seine River represented France, while the Rhine River flowed directly through the South German States. This name also aptly reflected France's proposal for utilizing inland waterway transport for trade.
Leopold II continued, "I hope you can relay His Imperial Majesty's opinions to His Majesty the King of France as soon as possible. I eagerly anticipate even closer cooperation between our two nations."
Talleyrand nodded, recalling the Crown Prince's instructions, and smiled. "Your Majesty, in fact, after learning of the situation in the Southern Netherlands, His Majesty the King has already authorized me to sign an agreement with you for military aid at any time."
Leopold II was overjoyed at this news. He thought, 'My sister truly still cares for her homeland. Even before I could speak, she had already made preparations to reinforce Austria.'
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