Chapter 826: The Munich Conference
Bavaria.
The Munich Palace.
At the front of the spacious, elegantly decorated hall, the Austrian Minister of State, Baron Thugut, raised his arms and vehemently declared to the room:
"This is a war that will determine the future of the great Holy Roman Empire! We can accept only one outcome: the total defeat of the barbaric French.
"Before long, the Empire's forces will surround Paris, and we shall receive the French King's surrender within the halls of Versailles!
"An imperial army of a hundred thousand is already advancing steadily through Luxembourg..."
Sitting in the front row, Prince Heinrich of Prussia immediately nodded in agreement. "The Duke of Brunswick will occupy the city of Luxembourg within a week," he interjected.
While he appeared to be supporting Thugut, his words were a pointed reminder that the main force fighting in Luxembourg was Prussian, not the "Imperial Army" Thugut claimed.
"The Duke of Brunswick is indeed the finest commander in Europe," Thugut conceded, rolling with the interruption before pointing toward the south. "In Freiburg, Count Latour's legions have also finished their mobilization. They will launch an offensive into Alsace very soon.
The representatives of the various states in the hall let out a chorus of half-hearted cheers, though Lord Grenville, the British representative, made sure his voice was the loudest among them.
Sensing the atmosphere was as prepared as it would ever be, Baron Thugut quickly cut to the chase.
"In this critical moment of the war, every German state has an obligation to do its part for the Empire!"
He gestured toward the western side of the hall and gave a slight bow. "The seven thousand troops dispatched by Count Auguste arrived in Geldern last week. Please allow me to extend the Emperor's sincere gratitude to you."
Count Auguste, the King of Thuringia, had always been a staunch military supporter of the Holy Roman Emperor.
"Hanover and Mainz will also be sending troops to the west bank of the Rhine," Thugut added, his gaze sweeping over the representatives. "His Imperial Majesty is eagerly awaiting your armies."
The representatives of Württemberg, Trier, and other states began exchanging nervous glances. Then, a somewhat jarring voice belonging to Baron Waldeck, the Assistant to the Baden Foreign Minister, rang out: "Honorable Baron Thugut, as you know, this war is terrifying for small nations like ours. Furthermore, the outcome of this conflict has very little to do with us."
As a small state with long-standing pro-French leanings, Baden had not even sent a member of the royal family or the Foreign Minister himself; they had sent their number-two diplomatic official just to endure the meeting called by the Emperor.
Thugut immediately adopted a stern, righteous tone. "No, it certainly concerns you! If we cannot defeat the French on the battlefield, your Rhineland states will be the very first they invade."
Waldeck lowered his head, appearing to mutter to himself, though his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear. "The French government has promised repeatedly that they will never infringe upon German states that do not participate in the war..."
"Lies! Those are nothing but French lies!" Thugut snapped, his anger visible for a moment before he regained his composure. "His Imperial Majesty has already decided that the South German Trade Agreement will be renegotiated after the war. Trade subsidies and tariff coefficients will be adjusted based on each nation's contribution to this conflict. Furthermore, Britain will open portions of its markets to the signatory states."
He glanced pointedly at Waldeck. "And those states that fail to fulfill their Imperial obligations will be excluded from the agreement entirely."
Waldeck smirked with indifference and looked away. Baden had already hitched its wagon to the French economic system. Given their size, they could thrive just by catching the crumbs from France's table; they didn't care about Austria's threats.
However, the representatives from Mainz and Württemberg looked visibly shaken.
Over the past two years, they had grown accustomed to the Seine-Rhine Trade System. Being suddenly kicked out would surely cause chaos in their domestic economies. At the same time, the lure of entering the British market was a temptation they found hard to resist.
The Minister of State for Trier was the first to stand, his face full of hesitation. "Baron Thugut, our national strength is meager. We simply cannot afford the losses a war would bring."
Bomenthal, the Bavarian Minister of State, immediately nodded. "Indeed. If the French army invades our lands, the destruction will be catastrophic..."
Thugut's teeth gritted in frustration. 'You Bavarians dream of restoring the glory of the Burgundian dynasty, yet you play the part of a helpless small nation the moment you're asked to provide troops?'
Fortunately, Vienna had long anticipated such resistance. Thugut took a deep breath, produced a decree from Franz II, and read it aloud: "His Imperial Majesty solemnly promises that all losses incurred by the states during this war against France will be compensated by Austria afterward."
He turned his gaze toward Bomenthal. "So, what is Bavaria's response?"
The latter hesitated, stunned that Austria was willing to wager so much. He had no choice but to brace himself and reply, "We... we shall dispatch thirteen thousand soldiers."
Seeing Thugut's expectant gaze remain fixed on him, he gritted his teeth and added:
"And we will provide logistical supplies for an army of fifty thousand."
"Excellent." Thugut then looked toward the representative of Trier.
The man stammered, "Our country can dispatch four thousand troops."
Thugut nodded and turned to the representative from Mainz.
Under his intense pressure, almost all the South German states committed troops to some degree, with the exception of Baden. Even a micro-state like Rothenburg offered a transport convoy to assist with logistics.
By noon, the grand joint conference of the German states came to a temporary close. Guided by Bavarian court officials, the dozen or so representatives made their way toward the banquet hall.
Thugut, Prince Heinrich, and Lord Grenville lingered behind the group, speaking in low voices.
"The states have committed a total of forty thousand troops. That is better than I expected," Prince Heinrich remarked, though his brow remained furrowed. "But we must achieve a major victory in Luxembourg for this to hold."
Thugut nodded. "His Imperial Majesty is already considering a temporary withdrawal from the Southern Netherlands. This would allow the Duke of York to move his forces into the Rhineland theater."
Grenville smiled. "His Majesty has made a rare, correct decision! With that move, we will have over a hundred and fifty thousand troops on the Luxembourg line. The French only have sixty-five thousand there."
Heinrich's expression finally relaxed slightly. "As long as we can break through Verdun and reach Paris within two months, all other losses can be recouped."
He turned back to Thugut. "What worries me most is the situation in Northern Italy. You have suffered several consecutive defeats there. If Mantua falls..."
"General Wurmser will reach Mantua by the end of the month," Thugut assured him firmly. "It is an incredibly strong fortress. There will be no surprises."
Lord Grenville interjected, "The Northern Italian front only needs to hold for two months. After that, thirty thousand new troops trained by Marquis Wellesley will be ready to enter the fray."
Comments