Chapter 469: Golden Cicada Sheds Its Shell
Under the desperate shouts of the high-ranking French and Austrian officers, the soldiers on both sides did not dare to use weapons, but the group brawl was still incredibly brutal.
Finally, after the French Guards Corps arrived on the scene, the more than 1,600 people, who were on the verge of beating each other to a pulp, were forcibly separated.
By noon that day, Perna looked at the hundred-plus wounded soldiers outside the field hospital and felt like crying, but no tears came.
She had been beaten for no reason, and now her workload had increased significantly because of it.
With dark circles under her eyes, she gazed at the sky and made the sign of the cross:
"My God, what have I done wrong?"
...
Paris.
On the second floor of the Tuileries Palace.
"Your Highness, an urgent report has arrived from Vienna."
Joseph gestured for the messenger to enter, took the report, quickly scanned it, and immediately frowned.
Kellermann's corps indeed had terrible discipline; they actually started a massive brawl involving over a thousand people over a romantic rivalry, and Perna even got injured because of it.
It was clear such an army lacked any real fighting strength.
He was immediately prepared to sign the attached list of disciplinary actions—it contained over 600 names, including 27 officers.
Just as his pen was about to touch the paper, something suddenly occurred to him. He paused, his hand still, and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Currently, with Leopold II preoccupied with his coronation and the recently defeated Prussian army showing no intention of launching an offensive, the conflict in Silesia had temporarily halted.
This presented him with an opportunity to gradually withdraw the French forces back home.
However, over 40,000 French soldiers still remained in Silesia. With such a large force, any misstep during the withdrawal could provoke dissatisfaction from Austria.
Perhaps this brawl was a good thing after all; it could be exploited.
Joseph pondered for a moment, then drew several large crosses over the disciplinary list. He then picked up his pen and wrote in the blank space reserved for his signature:
'It is entirely reasonable to deliver a stern lesson to those who harmed a French field hospital physician. This incident demonstrated the courage of French warriors and defended the dignity of France. I recommend withdrawing the disciplinary actions. Joseph. March 22, 1790.'
Afterward, he took up his pen again to write separate letters to Berthier, Chief of the French General Staff, and Baron Alphonse, the French Ambassador to Austria. He handed the disciplinary document and both letters to the messenger, along with a few brief instructions.
...
Silesia.
In the French Kellermann's corps camp in Liegnitz, Berthier sternly reprimanded the three regiments and two battalions involved in the previous brawl, in front of General Wurmser and other Austrian officers who had been invited there. His rule was: regardless of how many individuals from your unit participated, if anyone from your unit was involved, the entire unit would be punished.
He then publicly announced the disciplinary actions against these units, which included demoting officers, deducting soldiers' pay, and even confinement, as well as the immediate return of the involved units to France for strict rectification.
General Wurmser, seeing Berthier's severe punishment, immediately expressed his approval and promised to report to His Imperial Majesty, affirming that the Franco-Austrian friendship remained completely unaffected.
A few days later, nearly 4,000 French soldiers who had been disciplined began their return home.
As they dejectedly crossed into the French border at Strasbourg, the commanding officer immediately produced and publicly read out the Crown Prince's order.
When the thousands of French soldiers heard the Crown Prince say that they "had courage" and "defended their dignity," they were instantly overcome with emotion:
"Long live the Crown Prince!"
"I will forever be loyal to His Highness!"
"His Highness isn't afraid to offend those damnable Austrians! He is truly a hero of France!"
Subsequently, the officer announced that His Highness had rescinded all their disciplinary actions, and their withheld pay would be reimbursed later.
The soldiers' cheers pierced the sky, and many were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes as they loudly prayed for the Crown Prince.
As this batch of French troops withdrew from Silesia, Baron Alphonse, the French Ambassador to Austria, held a cordial meeting with Baron Thugut, the Austrian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
"Those scoundrels dared to cause trouble in an allied camp," Baron Alphonse declared, waving his hand indignantly. "No punishment is too severe for them!
"I hear the involved units will be individually scrutinized by the Military Police in Paris. Hmph, they're in for a world of trouble."
He looked at Baron Thugut and said with great sincerity, "His Highness hopes you will convey to His Imperial Majesty that the Franco-Austrian alliance will forever remain unbreakable."
Baron Thugut nodded repeatedly. "Long live the Franco-Austrian alliance! I am certain His Majesty will understand this matter.
"Furthermore, isn't the punishment for the units a bit too harsh? Especially for those who didn't participate in the brawl; they'll also be implicated..."
"No, military discipline must be strict!" Alphonse declared unequivocally. "This is the decision of the General Staff Headquarters; you need not intercede for them."
He then lowered his voice. "However, our Crown Prince is quite displeased this time. You see, the injured Miss Perna and he... well, they are rather close.
"Therefore, he hopes that your side will also severely punish those involved in the incident."
A look of solemnity appeared on Baron Thugut's face.
He had previously heard that the injured female physician had an unusual background, and today he finally received confirmation from the French Ambassador to Austria.
He hastily nodded and said, "I assure His Highness that Miss Perna will receive a satisfactory explanation!"
Meanwhile, the pro-French faction in Austria, led by Count Kaunitz, was overwhelmed with problems.
Recently, due to the soldiers' brawl, political factions discontent with France had begun to stir domestically, especially Baron Walter, who was actively agitating.
Moreover, the first Hungarian corps had arrived in Silesia last week, and Walter's faction was now advising His Imperial Majesty to "reduce French influence over Austria," which was essentially a veiled suggestion to withdraw French troops from Silesia.
Fortunately, France had severely punished the involved soldiers, which allowed Kaunitz to breathe a sigh of relief. He promptly went to seek an audience with Leopold II, preparing to speak favorably on France's behalf.
What he didn't know, however, was that trouble had once again erupted at the Coalition Forces' garrison in Silesia.
The Austrian army was seething with resentment because Vienna had issued strict orders, leading to severe punishments for the units involved in the brawl.
Meanwhile, a French Artillery Battalion commander kept bringing his men to the Austrian camp to make snide remarks. His thinly veiled jabs implied that Austrians only dared to hit women, that they hadn't dared to fight back when provoked last time, and that they would even complain to the French General Staff—actions that his own five-year-old wouldn't stoop to.
Since these individuals refrained from using vulgar language, the Austrians couldn't do anything about them.
But the Austrian soldiers couldn't take it anymore.
Finally, the enraged Austrians, represented by several officers, arranged a confrontation with the French Artillery Battalion commander: in three days, both sides would face off at the French camp.
Comments