Chapter 747: Chaos in the Southern Netherlands
As Napoleon departed Paris heading south, in a coal crushing plant in the southernmost part of Wallonia, near Brussels, several Dutch-speaking workers huddled in a corner during their lunch break, whispering amongst themselves.
A middle-aged man with coarse skin nervously glanced at a distant foreman, then lowered his head and said:
"Why do we need guns? Nobody said it would be this serious..."
"Are you scared?" The tall young man beside him gestured around with the bread in his hand.
"Do you really want to keep being oppressed by those French lackeys, just for your pathetic wages? If our plan succeeds, I promise, this factory will be yours!"
The others nearby, including the middle-aged man, instinctively swallowed upon hearing this.
This coal crushing plant was worth over a hundred thousand francs. For such a massive sum, countless people would be willing to risk their lives.
A moment later, a thin-faced old man cautiously asked, "Mr. Marsevin, can this truly succeed?"
"Of course, without a doubt. Thousands of brothers across Wallonia will answer our call!"
"What's there to be afraid of? We have guns." The tall young man clenched his fist. "And the Austrian government will send troops to support us. The Southern Netherlands belongs to us, and those French-speaking bastards will be completely driven out of the Low Countries!"
He had been a mid-level leader in a previous uprising in the Southern Netherlands. After several years in prison, he chose to cooperate with the Austrian government.
Inciting division and rebellion was precisely his forte.
The six or seven workers around him finally stopped hesitating and stated that they would each contact other Flemish workers to join the action once they returned.
Similar scenes unfolded in factories and streets across Wallonia.
Over 120,000 people from the Flanders Region lived there.
They had previously enjoyed income from the port of Antwerp and had always looked down on the poorer Walloons.
Now, however, Wallonia's industrial development was rapid, and its overall economic situation had surpassed that of the Flanders Region. The Flemish people who came to work there were now discriminated against by the Walloons.
Their wages were also lower than those of the French-speaking Walloons, making their psychological balance easily upset. Even a slight instigation could now provoke unrest.
Of course, the sheer scale of the unrest and the influx of weapons were primarily due to the Austrian intelligence organization operating behind the scenes.
Over ten days later.
Early one morning, Marsevin led sixty to seventy rioters to surround the Halle town's Chamber of Commerce building, demanding that the town's administrative committee surrender immediately.
Behind them, many more Flemish people arrived in droves, joining the rebellion.
However, they met no resistance as they stormed the Chamber of Commerce building. Only a few low-ranking clerks were present; the Chamber's top officials seemed to have fled in fear.
Concurrently, large-scale riots also erupted in Wavre, Landen, Ath, and other locations on Wallonia's northern side.
The rioters quickly seized control of the Chambers of Commerce, which functioned as administrative bodies, and declared that their respective areas would be integrated into the Flanders Region.
It wasn't until two days later that the supposedly formidable Wallonian police finally appeared in the riot-stricken areas. However, they merely maintained a distant standoff with the rioters, showing no intention of retaking the Chamber of Commerce buildings.
...
Southwestern Netherlands.
Middelburg.
Inside the Coalition Forces' Low Countries Army Command in Middelburg, Prince Coburg, the Coalition's supreme commander, held a teacup and calmly looked at the officer reporting the news. "So, these riot activities alone have rendered the Wallonian police helpless?"
"Yes, Marshal," the officer nodded. "Currently, four northern cities, centered around Wavre, are under the control of Collins's people. They are now trying to plan a riot... ahem, I mean, an uprising in Namur."
Henriques Collins was the person responsible for inciting the riots in Wallonia.
Prince Coburg then gestured to his chief of staff beside him. "What about the movements of the French army recently?"
The latter immediately replied, "A week ago, the Trier Corps arrived in Lille. Currently, it should have concentrated seven infantry regiments and some artillery units there, totaling around 12,000 troops."
Prince Coburg nodded, took a deep breath of the tea's aroma, and smiled. "The French are too late to rescue Wallonia."
The main force of the Coalition, over 25,000 strong, was already on standby in Antwerp in the northern Southern Netherlands. They could reach Brussels in less than two days.
Reaching Namur would only take about five days.
As for the French army, the distance from Lille to Brussels was over 65 miles (about 105 kilometers). Including preparation time, they would likely only arrive after a week.
Baron Paul Davidovich, commander of the Dutch corps, who was sitting on the opposite sofa, reminded him, "Your Highness, if I were the French, I would choose to abandon Brussels and head straight to Namur to set up defenses."
"No matter," Prince Coburg waved a dismissive hand, appearing very confident. "Our army is still closer to Namur. Furthermore, if the French truly arrive in Namur before us, we will immediately turn to attack Mons."
Baron Davidovich pondered for a moment, then nodded repeatedly.
Mons was on the western side of Wallonia, bordering French Lille. If the Coalition Forces passed through Mons, they could launch an attack on Lille, a major French stronghold in the northwest.
Therefore, even if the French arrived in Namur ahead of time, they would have to rush back to provide relief.
The Coalition Forces could then ambush them in the Charleroi area.
At that point, the French army would only be able to resupply from the Luxembourg direction to the east, with a supply line stretching over a hundred miles, constantly facing the threat of being cut off by the Coalition Forces' Rhine Army.
He looked at Prince Coburg, a smile also appearing on his face. "Indeed, as you said, the French will have no choice but to abandon the Southern Netherlands."
"In truth, abandoning the Low Countries is a very reasonable tactical choice for them," Prince Coburg stated. "With their current forces, only by holding the Lille fortress can they ensure their northwestern defenses don't collapse quickly."
He spoke with ample confidence.
Austria's Southern Netherlands Army had around 25,000 men, the Dutch army over 30,000, and a British cavalry battalion also under his command.
Meanwhile, the opposing French army had not yet managed to gather 20,000 soldiers.
If the French dared to enter the Southern Netherlands to fight, he would quickly annihilate them with his superior forces.
Prince Coburg set down his teacup, stood up, and said to his chief of staff beside him, "Have the Brussels security forces enter Wallonia to quell the riots."
"If the Walloon Chamber of Commerce dares to repel them, General Radetzky will immediately go to reinforce."
Count Radetzky was the advance commander of the Austrian army.
Prince Coburg then turned to the Dutchman and said, "General Davidovich, General Radetzky will immediately proceed to Namur after entering Wallonia, so you must control the northern cities of Wallonia as quickly as possible and be ready to advance south to attack Mons at any moment."
"Yes, Marshal."
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