Chapter 317: France Will Be the Key to the War
"You want me to provide support?!" Kellermann, the French commander, roared at the officer who had come seeking aid, pointing towards the faint sound of gunfire from the west. "There are over 7,000 enemies there, and that's the total Prussian force in all of Liegnitz!"
"But, General..." the grimy-faced messenger glanced over with surprise, then hastily explained, "General Wumutz is under heavy artillery fire, and over 20,000 Prussian troops have suddenly appeared south of the fortress."
"My apologies, but I've also been ambushed here. Please report back to General Wumutz that I am truly unable to help."
The messenger officer urged, "Please, at least send cavalry to provide support..."
Kellermann stated flatly, "Without cavalry to cover my flanks, my men will be cut to pieces by the Prussian cavalry before we can retreat into Kreignitz."
"Eckard, send someone to escort this captain back."
"Carus, order Félix's regiment to establish a second defensive line at the edge of the forest over there. Have Dort's men withdraw in half an hour!"
"Yes, General!"
On the gentle slope south of Liegnitz Fortress, 8 kilometers away, nearly 60 cannons on pre-established positions spewed fire towards the approaching Austrians.
Under the concentrated fire of numerous artillery pieces, his vanguard was almost immediately scattered.
Just as he hesitated whether to deploy his troops on the spot for a direct confrontation with the Prussians ahead, a large force of Prussian soldiers emerged from a low-lying area to the southwest, advancing towards him in a neat Line Formation.
The unprepared Austrians instantly fell into disarray. Fortunately, the Prussians, in an effort to increase their concealment, had positioned their troops within the depression, giving Wumutz a temporary topographical advantage.
Wumutz, a veteran general who had served in both the Seven Years' War and the War of the Bavarian Succession, immediately seized this sole opportunity. He ordered his elite Skirmisher regiments to launch a counter-charge from their elevated position against the Prussian infantry line.
At the same time, he sent Naundorf's cavalry to circle north, adopting a posture that suggested they would assault the Prussian artillery positions at all costs.
General Driesen, commander of the Prussian Liegnitz Front, soon received a report from his scouts: a full 10 Austrian cavalry squadrons, or 1,500 horsemen, were maneuvering towards the flank and rear of the gentle slope where the Prussian artillery was located. The terrain there was higher, almost level with the artillery positions. If cavalry charged from that direction, the Prussian cannons would be in grave danger.
He frowned and weighed his options. Prince Heinrich's orders were to defend Liegnitz to the last, not to annihilate the Austrian army.
He knew very well that he was currently facing only the Austrian vanguard, and behind them, there were likely over 100,000 more Austrian troops.
If he lost his cannons, it would be impossible for his mere 30,000 men to hold Liegnitz.
After a moment, General Driesen said to the messenger, "Order Jonas's cavalry to withdraw and fully intercept the enemy cavalry."
"Yes, General."
As orders were dispatched by both sides, across the undulating hills of Liegnitz, a thin green line galloped relentlessly northwest through the thickets, moving further and further away from the main Austrian force, like a band of assassins risking their lives to strike at the enemy's heart.
Meanwhile, another thin light blue line circled out from the Austrians' southeast, avoiding the main Austrian force, desperately racing back to the high ground near Liegnitz Fortress.
If Wumutz had been able to survey the scene from above at that moment, he would have undoubtedly broken out in a cold sweat.
If that Prussian cavalry unit had suddenly charged out during his retreat, his main force would have been instantly cut in two, and essentially none of them would have made it back to Bohemia.
On the other side, the Austrian elite Skirmisher regiments began to scatter, using the cover of the tall grass, charging towards the Prussian infantry lines below the depression.
They were highly experienced. Although in Skirmish Formation, they could use the drummers' signals to rise from different positions and fire synchronized volleys, greatly increasing their killing efficiency.
Many among them were hunters from the Austrian mountains, possessing exceptional marksmanship. Using the range advantage provided by the higher ground, they carved out numerous gaps in the Prussian Line Formation before the infantry could return fire.
However, in the era of the Flintlock Musket, charging directly at an infantry line with inferior numbers was undoubtedly an unwise maneuver.
Soon, the Prussian infantry lines advanced within range, and with several volleys, a dense rain of bullets covered the hiding places of the Austrian Skirmishers.
Screams continuously echoed from the tall grass on the gentle slope, followed by bodies rolling down into the depression, leaving blurred streaks of blood on the green turf.
Less than two Austrian Skirmisher regiments fought and retreated, forcing the Prussian infantry lines to repeatedly halt, reform, and fire. On this less than one-kilometer-long gentle slope, they successfully held up nearly 10,000 Prussian troops for over an hour.
Coupled with the diversion created by Naundorf's cavalry, Wumutz finally managed to withdraw his main force beyond the range of the Prussian artillery, then began an orderly, mutually covering retreat.
Near dusk, Wumutz finally encountered Kellermann's French forces about ten kilometers from Kreignitz, on the Austrian border.
Only after entering the well-constructed French camp did Wumutz's heart finally settle a little. He immediately ordered his staff to compile a casualty report.
A few hours later, a concise battle report was submitted to him. The report indicated that approximately 16,000 Austrian soldiers and 9,000 Frenchmen had successfully withdrawn. As for the Bavarian forces on the western flank, having not engaged in combat, they and their 5,000 Austrian counterparts had all returned safely.
'Our main force is still intact,' Wumutz secretly breathed a sigh of relief. However, in this battle, his two most elite Skirmisher regiments had been almost completely wiped out, his cavalry had lost nearly 4 squadrons, and even General Naundorf had been wounded.
Thus, while the number of Austrian casualties wasn't excessively high, the impact on their combat effectiveness was quite severe.
The next day at noon, when Marshal Lacy, the overall commander of the Austrian army, arrived at the Liegnitz border with his main force, he was met by Wumutz's retreating corps.
When he learned of the crushing Austrian defeat from the previous day, his face immediately turned livid.
According to his original plan, he could have taken Liegnitz by surprise attack either tomorrow or the day after, and then marched on Breslau, the capital of Silesia.
However, judging from the battle Wumutz had encountered, the Prussians were clearly well-prepared.
'It seems I'm facing a tough, head-on battle,' he thought.
...
When news of the crushing defeat at Liegnitz reached Vienna, the entire city erupted.
Countless Austrians were instantly reawakened to the painful memories of the three Silesian Wars and their devastating defeats over the past decades—a series of failures that had cost Austria the entire fertile region of Silesia, plunging it into a continuous struggle with Prussia for dominance over Germany.
Compounded by the adverse effects of Joseph II's earlier reforms, nobles and citizens across Vienna poured into the streets, triggering large-scale protests.
A throng of four or five thousand people surged towards Schönbrunn Palace, shouting slogans all the way: "Count Lacy, the frontline commander, must be held accountable!"
"Send more troops to Silesia! We absolutely cannot suffer another defeat!"
"Replace the incompetent Lacy! Let Marshal Laudon command the army!"
"Yes, only Marshal Laudon can defeat the Prussians..."
Simultaneously, the crowd of protestors also included many voices expressing dissatisfaction with the royal family. They blamed the recent crushing defeat on Joseph II's reforms, arguing that these changes had undermined army morale, and criticized the Emperor for rashly declaring war on Prussia without adequate preparation.
Schönbrunn Palace.
Although the protestors were held back by guards outside the palace square, Joseph II could still faintly hear the clamor from beyond his window.
After a fit of coughing, the Holy Roman Emperor looked at Leopold II and Minister of State Kaunitz, who stood respectfully by his sickbed. "There's no need to disperse the protestors. Didn't you hear them calling for more troops to Silesia? This might be an opportunity to unite the Austrian people."
Kaunitz asked tentatively, "Your Majesty, do you think Marshal Lacy should receive a certain 'reminder'?"
His "reminder" was, in fact, a reprimand.
Lacy, an Irishman born in Petersburg, was politically inclined towards Russia. The pro-French Kaunitz often found himself at odds with him.
Joseph II waved a hand. "Please draft an order commending Marshal Lacy; his extensive experience prevented even greater losses for our army. Furthermore, issue a severe reprimand to General Wumutz for his improper command, which led to the Liegnitz rout."
Though gravely ill, his mind remained clear. He knew that at this critical moment, he had to fully support the army's overall commander; otherwise, with unstable morale, there would be no point in fighting this war.
Leopold II spoke from the side, "Your Majesty, it appears the Prussians were prepared. Perhaps we can appease the Hungarians; we could conscript at least fifty or sixty thousand troops there."
Under Austrian rule, Hungary maintained significant autonomy, and its noble class, in particular, frequently banded together to oppose Vienna.
This time, due to Joseph II's reforms, the rights of the Hungarian nobility had been significantly impacted—or rather, Joseph II had specifically aimed to weaken them. Consequently, Hungary adopted an attitude of passive resistance towards the Silesian campaign, sending almost no troops.
However, to unleash Austria's full strength, Hungary's contribution was indispensable.
Joseph II weakly waved his hand again. "Nothing will satisfy them short of canceling the reforms. Send Baron Thugut to Paris and have our sister send more troops; we can exchange for interests in Italy..."
He hadn't finished speaking when the protestors outside the palace square suddenly erupted in earth-shattering shouts, as if cold water had been poured into boiling oil.
Joseph II frowned, looking at Kaunitz. "What's happening out there?"
Kaunitz bowed slightly and quickly exited the Emperor's bedroom. He returned over ten minutes later, his face grim, and said with a bowed head, "Your Majesty, news has just arrived from the Southern Netherlands. Blücher has led his army into Luxembourg. General Leo's forces were insufficient, and he suffered a crushing defeat three days ago. Western Luxembourg is now under Prussian control..."
Upon hearing this, Joseph II immediately began to cough violently, then suddenly swayed and collapsed onto the bed.
Leopold II was greatly alarmed and hastily called out to the imperial physicians waiting by the door, "Mr. Richter, His Majesty has fainted!"
After the imperial physicians performed bloodletting three times in a row and administered medicine containing opium, a pale-faced Joseph II finally regained consciousness as dusk fell.
Joseph II was too weak to sit up. After gathering his strength for half a minute, he said to Leopold II in a trembling voice, "Order Marshal Laudon to lead 20,000 soldiers and immediately rush to Luxembourg as reinforcements."
Leopold II was startled and hastily said, "Your Majesty, if we divide our forces now, the Silesian front might suffer from insufficient troops..."
Joseph II gasped for breath, saying with difficulty, "Marshal Lacy will find a way... The Southern Netherlands must be held."
Austria had managed the Southern Netherlands for decades; holding it offered a much greater chance of success than attacking Silesia. Moreover, Joseph II knew that if the Southern Netherlands were completely lost, it would severely impact morale on the Silesian front.
He rested for a while, then continued, "Also, appeal to France for help. Have them assist Marshal Laudon..."
This Emperor had worked diligently his entire life to strengthen Austria's national power. He had confidently prepared to reclaim Silesia this time, but he never expected the Prussians to risk leaving a large force in the Southern Netherlands, dealing a heavy blow to Austria.
Leopold II saw his brother so weak he almost fainted again, so he clutched his chest, received his orders, and departed.
As he left the Emperor's bedroom, he again heard the shouts of the protestors. He immediately frowned and gestured to the captain of the guard. "Go disperse those people! His Imperial Majesty needs quiet rest."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Baron Thugut, the Austrian Foreign Minister, traveled day and night with Joseph II's signed letter, rushing to Paris for aid. However, he encountered the French Crown Prince in Lorraine—the latter was there reviewing the French troops about to depart for Austria.
Naturally, Joseph was specifically waiting there for the Austrian envoy.
'Blücher is on the verge of taking all of Luxembourg,' Joseph thought. 'At that point, Austria will have no foothold left in the Low Countries, and their Imperial Majesty will have only one path: to seek help from France.'
In the camp of the French Expeditionary Force, Joseph looked at Baron Thugut, who had an anxious expression. "Are you saying that His Imperial Majesty intends to reassign the Silesian Front Army to rush to Luxembourg for rescue?"
"Yes, Your Highness," the Austrian Foreign Minister said, taking out the Holy Roman Emperor's letter. Though addressed to Queen Mary, it was perfectly suitable for the French Crown Prince. "His Majesty hopes that France can send more troops to reinforce Luxembourg and provide logistical supplies nearby."
Joseph took the letter, but frowned and shook his head. "If troops are moved from Silesia now, Luxembourg will likely already be occupied by the Prussians before they even reach the Southern Netherlands. Furthermore, it would leave both the Southern Netherlands and Silesia in a disadvantageous position."
Thugut sighed. He knew the situation was most likely as Joseph described—General Leo in Luxembourg had fewer than 2,000 troops left and absolutely could not hold out for more than half a month.
Joseph's face was full of concern and sincerity. "At this moment, there's probably only one way to save Luxembourg."
Thugut immediately raised his head. "You mean?"
"The 20,000 troops our nation was preparing to send to Silesia are currently in Verdun," Joseph said. "If they depart immediately, they could reach Luxembourg in three or four days and resist Blücher's offensive."
"And Austria wouldn't need to move troops from Silesia. This way, we can turn the disadvantaged positions in both the Southern Netherlands and Silesia into advantageous ones!"
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