Chapter 443: Focus on Ratibor
Headquarters of the Austrian Silesian Front Army.
Berthier moved his gaze from the map, looking at Lefebvre with some apprehension. "Do you think General Leo could truly crush the Prussian forces at Ratibor? After all, he has a decisive numerical advantage."
Lefebvre chuckled. "If it were any other officer in command, even a regular colonel, we might genuinely be concerned about that. But with Leo as the commander, trust me, his greatest talent is getting soldiers to appear where they shouldn't.
"And his ability to train soldiers is also... ah, mediocre. As a result, his legion only has about two thousand soldiers left by General Wurmser who possess any real fighting strength. The rest can't even manage a proper volly."
"Now, I'm actually a bit worried that he might be routed by the Prussians..."
Joseph interjected, "General Leo has a numerical advantage, so he should be able to hold out for at least five or six days. I've already dispatched Major Masson to a position near Ratibor to support him."
He gazed towards the distant Prussian lines. "Now, all that's left is to see when Duke Brunswick will make his move."
As they spoke, hoofbeats echoed outside the tent, and soon a messenger strode in, saluting Joseph with a tip of his cap.
"Your Highness, General Leo's attack on Ratibor has failed. He is now surrounded by the Prussian army."
The messenger continued:
"According to the scouts, General Leo failed to notice the movement on the Prussian army's flank and insisted on a frontal assault with his main force. As a result, the Prussians outflanked him. Then he mistakenly withdrew his attacking troops, and the enemy forces from the front immediately pressed forward, ultimately creating a pincer movement."
Joseph immediately cast an admiring glance at Lefebvre and chuckled.
"Your prediction was spot on. He truly excels at making the wrong moves."
Lefebvre sighed. "Twelve thousand men surrounded by seven thousand Prussians... he's truly outdone himself this time."
Berthier looked at Joseph. "Your Highness, should Major Masson immediately reinforce them?"
Joseph shook his head. "We must have faith in General Leo. His legion is the best-equipped in the Austrian army; even if surrounded, they should be able to hold out for several days.
"You are to immediately inform Marshal Lacy and Duke Brunswick of General Leo's situation."
Joseph then addressed an officer nearby. "Please send someone to notify Potsdam; they can begin their operations now."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The officer, a liaison from the Intelligence Bureau assigned to the Crown Prince, immediately acknowledged the order and departed with Berthier.
...
East of Liegnitz.
Inside the Prussian command post, Duke Brunswick stared at the map in astonishment, shaking his head.
"What on earth are these damned Austrians trying to do? Attacking Ratibor is utterly pointless."
Just half an hour ago, he had received intelligence from the Austrians: Leo's legion, over twelve thousand strong, had suddenly attacked Ratibor. However, Colonel Erwin, who was responsible for its defense, reacted swiftly, capitalizing on the Austrians' carelessness to encircle them on the outskirts of Ratibor.
Blücher, who had fought Leo for a long time at Liège, was not about to miss this golden opportunity to kick a man while he was down. He immediately declared in a loud voice:
"Marshal, Erwin's legion numbers only seven thousand men. It will be difficult to annihilate the enemy. I believe we should immediately send reinforcements!"
General Driesen, standing nearby, suggested:
"Ratibor holds no strategic value whatsoever. Colonel Erwin merely needs to hold the position; there's no need to push for total annihilation of the enemy."
Duke Brunswick lowered his head, pondering for a moment, then suddenly said, "No, we should immediately reinforce Erwin."
"But..."
"While Ratibor itself has no value, this Leo holds immense prestige within the Austrian army," Duke Brunswick said, rising to his feet and bracing his hands on the table. "If we can capture or kill him, it will deliver a devastating blow to Austrian morale.
"The national treasury is already in dire straits; if we can end the war sooner, we should make every effort to try."
He looked at Blücher. "You are to immediately lead ten thousand men to Ratibor. First, cut off the Austrians' retreat path back to Ostrau, and ensure that Leo is either killed or captured."
Blücher was instantly overjoyed. "Yes, Your Grace!"
Meanwhile, a similar dispute was unfolding in Marshal Lacy's tent.
Naundorf declared loudly, "Sending two regiments to rescue Leo's legion should suffice. We shouldn't commit too many troops to Ratibor."
Berthier immediately shook his head. "General, you must consider that if the Prussians also send troops to Ratibor, then these few reinforcements will be utterly insufficient."
Wurmser, who had a good relationship with Leo, quickly voiced his support:
"Ratibor is also our territory; we might as well seize this opportunity to reclaim it. General Leo has a numerical advantage; he merely stumbled into an encirclement. Once his troops break free, we should be able to retake Ratibor with ease."
Seeing Lacy still hesitate, Berthier added fuel to the fire. "Marshal, if next week's Vienna newspapers report that 'The Spear of the Southern Netherlands successfully reclaims its homeland,' it will undoubtedly galvanize everyone."
Marshal Lacy's brow furrowed at these words. What he heard in the French Chief of Staff's statement was that if 'The Spear of the Southern Netherlands' were captured at Ratibor, it would be a nightmare for Austria. Moreover, if anything happened to this widely acclaimed general, His Imperial Majesty would surely hold him, the Commander-in-Chief, accountable.
With that thought, he no longer hesitated. Turning to Wurmser, he said, "You are to immediately lead ten thousand soldiers to Ratibor as reinforcements."
"Yes, Marshal!"
At the same time, in Potsdam, the political heart of Prussia, the streets and alleys buzzed with excited discussions about the army's victory at Ratibor.
The front pages of all the newspapers carried headlines such as "Austrian Forces Invading Ratibor Crushed by Erwin's Legion; Leo to be Captured" and "Great Victory at Ratibor: Twelve Thousand Austrian Invaders Trapped in a Vicious Encirclement."
As for the pamphlets, they even inflated the number of annihilated enemies to thirty thousand, and declared that Leo, the pride of the Austrians, had already been captured. It was claimed that the Austrian army was now desperately trying to prevent Leo from being brought to Potsdam for a public trial.
Naturally, all of this was orchestrated by the French Intelligence Bureau's spies in Potsdam. Spreading news that the Prussians would love to hear was the easiest task for any agent.
Meanwhile, at Sanssouci Palace, William II was equally thrilled. Although various rumors were flying around and the exact situation at Ratibor remained unclear, Leo's encirclement was a certainty.
After such a long stalemate on the Silesian front, a major breakthrough had finally occurred.
After a brief consultation with Prince Heinrich, he immediately drafted a commendation order, promoting Erwin to Major General and lavishing praise on Duke Brunswick.
Just three or four days later, all eyes across the German territories converged on the unassuming province of Ratibor.
No less than forty thousand troops from both Prussia and Austria were rushing there, ready to make a desperate gamble with Leo as the stake...
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