Chapter 38: William II's Decision
The Duke of Brunswick immediately ordered the main Prussian force to defend their current positions, instructing Blücher to quickly assess the enemy situation and avoid a rash attack. He then dispatched three infantry regiments and one cavalry regiment to establish a 20-kilometer defensive line from Amstelveen to Utrecht to protect their logistics.
Before noon, he received more bad news: the Blücher Corps was locked in fierce combat with the Dutch along the Sibela River, subjected to intense shelling and surrounded by enemy forces, suffering over 800 casualties.
The Duke of Brunswick drew a deep breath, surprised that the Dutch still had the strength to resist. He quickly sent reinforcements to assist Blücher.
Two days later, the Prussian supply lines were secured, and their vanguard forces had reorganized.
The Duke of Brunswick paid no mind to the lost time. He had patched the vulnerabilities caused by his rapid initial advance; now, it was time to crush the Dutch with overwhelming force.
On the fourth day after Dubois repelled the Prussian vanguard, he faced the Duke of Brunswick's most ferocious assault.
On the plains south of Amstelveen, there was no room for elaborate strategies—only a brutal clash of iron and blood!
Dubois directed twelve cannons, ceaselessly bombarding the densest formations of Prussian soldiers. Andre, leading his cavalry, continuously harassed the Prussian flanks, firmly drawing the attention of the Prussian cavalry.
The Dutch held the higher ground, their morale soaring after the great victory a few days prior. They unleashed astonishing combat prowess, and despite the Prussian army's fierce assault until nightfall, they couldn't breach the Dutch defenses.
The fighting was so intense that by less than 2 PM, the French artillery had exhausted its ammunition.
Andre watched Captain Dubois lead his artillerymen away from their positions, muskets in hand, preparing to join the infantry. He knew the situation was dire.
He glanced at the Prussian cannons, still spitting fire, made the sign of the cross, and raised his saber high. To the blood-soaked soldiers behind him, he shouted, "Follow me! We'll break through the Prussian artillery positions!"
The French cavalry immediately struck their cuirasses with their saber hilts, roaring in affirmation, "Yes, sir!"
The Duke of Brunswick frowned, surveying the smoke-shrouded battlefield. He hadn't anticipated such tenacious Dutch resistance, especially from their artillery. Though they possessed half the number of cannons, their astonishing marksmanship allowed them to fight on equal terms.
Given the current circumstances, taking Amsterdam would likely come at a significant cost, a complete departure from his initial expectations.
As he pondered whether to commit his reserves for a final, powerful push, a guard arrived with a special envoy from the King.
The Duke of Brunswick looked at the withdrawal order, personally signed by King William II, that the envoy presented. He frowned, demanding, "What in the world is going on?"
The envoy replied awkwardly, "It has been confirmed that Princess Wilhelmina is not in Dutch hands."
"What?! That's impossible!" The Duke of Brunswick's eyes widened. His entire purpose for this campaign was to rescue Wilhelmina, and now he was being told she wasn't even here?
The envoy stated helplessly, "She was found in the Southern Netherlands. Apparently, an Italian-speaking group of kidnappers was responsible. The police in Antwerp rescued her and killed two of the culprits."
The Southern Netherlands he referred to would later become Belgium, currently Austrian territory.
"Kidnappers? That's impossible!"
The envoy continued, "Your Grace, Princess Wilhelmina has already returned to Prussia..."
The Duke of Brunswick glanced at the withdrawal order again, stating reluctantly, "Even so, we could use this opportunity to wipe out the rebels and ensure the Prince of Orange returns to Holland!"
The envoy offered another awkward smile. "Actually, yesterday the Dutch Parliament formally announced its acceptance of the Prince of Orange's return to Amsterdam to resume his duties as Stadtholder."
The Duke of Brunswick stared blankly for a moment, then finally, with a sigh of resignation, waved to the orderly beside him. "Order the entire army to retreat."
William V's return to the Netherlands was, naturally, Joseph's doing. The Patriot Party initially refused outright, but French Special Envoy Colbert relayed the Crown Prince's words to them: "The so-called Stadtholder can easily be a ceremonial position. Rather than letting William V stir up trouble outside, it's better to bring him back to Amsterdam and keep an eye on him. William V's influence is concentrated in The Hague, and you control the army; you could even hold him as a hostage."
The Patriot Party then happily accepted this suggestion.
Three days prior, French spies set an ambush in Nijmegen, abducting Wilhelmina on her way to church. The Prussian princess believed her hiding place was unknown and had only brought seven or eight bodyguards, so she was kidnapped by "Italian-speaking bandits" with little resistance.
Although Prussia had captured the southern Netherlands, their control was limited to major cities; smaller towns and villages remained in the hands of the Patriot Party. Thus, the French spies left the Netherlands unimpeded, taking Wilhelmina to the Southern Netherlands, even sending a ransom note to William II en route.
Subsequently, their contact in Antwerp procured two corpses to serve as the "killed kidnappers," notified local police about "suspicious foreigners," and even arranged for newspaper reporters to follow the story.
With Wilhelmina publicly rescued by the police, she could no longer pretend to be held captive by the Patriot Party, and King William II of Prussia's primary justification for invading the Netherlands evaporated.
Furthermore, the Patriot Party offered concessions, France conducted a grand military exercise in southern Luxembourg, and the Duke of Brunswick had failed to capture Amsterdam.
Ultimately, William II looked at his rather pathetic treasury and decided to withdraw his troops.
Andre gazed at the thousands of enemy troops defending the Prussian artillery positions and the Prussian cavalry who were constantly tracking him. He knew it was highly probable he would bleed out on the battlefield before even reaching the Prussian cannons.
But this was the only way to salvage the dire situation; if there was even a one percent chance, he had to try. He gently nudged his horse's flanks, gradually accelerating. Just as he was about to close in on the right flank of the Prussian infantry, bugle calls suddenly blared from the Prussian lines, and the Prussian infantry formations began to retreat.
He reined in his horse, remaining there until the Prussians had almost vanished from sight. Only when the surrounding Dutch soldiers began to cheer did he finally confirm that the enemy had indeed withdrawn.
He made the sign of the cross, looked up at the sky, his chest swelling with emotion. 'It's the Son of Divine Favor,' he thought, 'he really did it!'
...
At first light, Joseph traveled by carriage towards Paris.
Today was the opening day of the Paris Angel boutique on the Champs-Élysées, and he was scheduled to cut the ribbon at noon.
Although it was just a store opening, the store itself was a kind of product. He naturally had to make sure the ceremony was grand enough to enhance its perceived value.
News of the opening had been widely publicized in newspapers, making it known to all. By the time he arrived at the Champs-Élysées, the area was already teeming with people. The central section of the avenue, where the new Paris Angel store was located, had become completely impassable.
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