Chapter 645: Peaceful Wallonia in the Southern Netherlands
Franz II's brow furrowed the moment he opened the financial report.
He glanced up at Baron Thugut. "Our debt has already soared to 110 million Florins?"
According to Austria's public statements, the total debt was only a little over 70 million Florins. While Franz II, as Crown Prince, had access to the true figures, he had never truly concerned himself with the matter.
Baron Thugut nodded regretfully. "I'm afraid so, Your Majesty. As you know, Emperor Joseph II's reforms met resistance from the nobility... ahem, which tightened our finances considerably. Then we poured enormous military funds into the war in Silesia, followed by last year's Serbian rebellion..."
Franz II interjected, sounding annoyed, "And then our trade faced stiff competition from the French."
"Indeed. Last year, our nation's trade revenue plummeted by over 7 million Florins."
Franz II stared at the long string of zeros trailing the debt figure in the report, a sudden insecurity creeping into his voice. "Given our dire financial situation, perhaps we shouldn't be so outwardly aggressive? I mean, if we were truly to wage war, our military funding might not last."
Baron Thugut recalled the emperor's air of worldly disdain from their recent meeting and inwardly shook his head.
He took a deep breath and stated:
Franz's confident smile instantly reappeared. "You are absolutely right. We must never show weakness to the French!"
Baron Thugut seized the opening. "Your Majesty, our nation has been trialing paper currency for several years now. If we could fully implement it, it would significantly improve our financial situation."
"Paper currency? Hmm, I know the British and French are both experimenting with it." Franz II waved a dismissive hand. "I'll be busy with my coronation these next few months. We can discuss it once the ceremonies conclude."
He flipped to the third page of the financial report, a sudden note of surprise in his voice. "Why are we paying the Poles so much for military expenses to quell the Serbian rebellion?"
The military expenditures for quashing the rebellion totaled 9 million Florins, and over 6.5 million of that had gone to the Poles.
Baron Thugut explained, "Your Majesty, as you know, the Hungarian nobility cares little for Slavonia. Therefore, General Kościuszko's Polish army was, in fact, the primary force in suppressing the rebels."
He cleared his throat. "Ahem, truthfully, we still owe 1.5 million Florins in unpaid soldiers' wages."
"For the Polish soldiers?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Franz II looked rather displeased. "Send those Poles home. Order the Royal German Legion to Slavonia to quell the rebellion."
Baron Thugut flinched. Deploying troops from Vienna to suppress the rebellion would be significantly more expensive than relying on the Poles; otherwise, the Polish army wouldn't have been hired initially.
But he quickly realized the rebellion had been contained to a very small area and would likely conclude soon. He bowed respectfully. "Yes, Your Majesty. I shall convey your orders to the Military Council."
Franz II added, "As for those soldiers' wages, we have continuously shielded Poland from Russian annexation. Therefore, they have a reciprocal obligation to help suppress rebels for our nation."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Thugut saw no issue with this. After all, what harm could come from withholding a small sum from a weaker nation like Poland?
...
Southern Netherlands, Wallonia.
Several carriages, their compartments draped in black cloth, pulled to a halt in the northern outskirts of Mons.
The coachman glanced at the setting sun, and just as he was about to signal the people on the carriages to unload, a flurry of whistles pierced the air. Over 30 police officers swarmed from dilapidated farmhouses and dense thickets, completely blocking all possible escape routes.
The coachman and the dozen or so individuals who had dismounted exchanged sharp glances, swiftly drew flintlock muskets from the carriages, and took cover behind them, opening fire on the police.
The police, however, were clearly well-trained; not a single one showed panic. Instead, they swiftly coalesced and, under their officer's command, unleashed several coordinated volleys.
Wood splinters flew from the carriages. Roughly half of the armed men were cut down instantly.
Then, the police surged forward, bayonets fixed to their muskets.
The brief skirmish concluded in mere minutes. All the men from the carriages were killed, save for three who dropped to their knees and surrendered.
A police officer stepped forward and pulled back the black canvas from one of the carriages, revealing neatly stacked wooden crates. Several boxes had been pierced by bullets, exposing the dark gleam of flintlock muskets within.
Shortly after, two officers reported to the commanding police officer. "Sir, there are a total of 120 British Brown Bess Flintlock Muskets. No gunpowder or ammunition was found, however."
The officer's heart gave a jolt. 'It's a good thing there was no gunpowder, otherwise the previous shooting might have triggered an explosion.'
He waved a hand. "Take them back for interrogation. We must find the ammunition as well."
Simultaneously, in a small town south of Ghent, police raided a clandestine meeting point, apprehending over 40 individuals who were actively conspiring to launch an armed uprising.
Outside Namur, police intercepted an armed squad of over 80 people attempting to infiltrate the city. After a fierce engagement, all were either killed or apprehended.
Similar scenarios unfolded across Wallonia. Numerous armed individuals, equipped with flintlock muskets, attempted to sow chaos but were relentlessly crushed by the formidable Wallonian police, left with no means to retaliate.
Southern Netherlands.
Middelburg.
A British intelligence officer, his face pale and grim, placed the casualty report on George Kevin's desk. "Nearly all 200-plus men are lost," he stated gravely. "The plan must be temporarily suspended."
The assistant to the British Foreign Secretary frowned. "Captain Pickering, you spent half a year setting this up, and not a single operation managed to cause the planned chaos?"
The intelligence officer lowered his head. "The Wallonian police are not only highly numerous, but their combat capability is absolutely on par with regular troops. Our force of over 80 men engaged 50 police officers in Namur and were routed in a mere ten minutes."
Kevin's frown deepened further.
According to Lord Grenville's plan, British intelligence had recruited armed insurgents in the Flanders Region of the Southern Netherlands—an area rife with remnants of the Brabant rebellion, making recruitment easy—with the intent to infiltrate Wallonia and attack its Dutch-speaking residents.
Yes, while Wallonia was predominantly French-speaking, it still had a significant Dutch-speaking population.
If the plan had succeeded, they would then have spread propaganda throughout the Flanders Region claiming that 'Wallonian thugs were persecuting Dutch-speaking residents.' Incited by this, the predominantly Dutch-speaking Flanders Region would inevitably pour into Wallonia seeking revenge.
With the British secretly supplying weapons and equipment, this conflict would have been exceptionally brutal, plunging the entire Southern Netherlands into utter chaos.
However, what British intelligence hadn't anticipated was the tenacity of the police force in Wallonia, a region they had considered an "undefended" trade zone.
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