Chapter 871: Britain and Austria's Final Gamble
From the highest tower of the Mantua Fortress, Beaulieu and Wurmser watched as four riders galloped out of the gates. Amidst a hail of French gunfire, they quickly vanished from sight.
The two Austrian commanders silently crossed themselves, praying that those riders would break through the siege and deliver their joint plea for help to Vienna.
Outside the fortress, French hunters armed with rifles quickly picked off three of the riders. Before they could finish the last one, the company commander hurriedly pushed down the barrels of his eager soldiers' weapons.
"Let him go! Hey, no more shooting!"
This was Napoleon's order.
Allowing a messenger to escape was meant to pressure Austria into reinforcing Mantua as quickly as possible, while the three dead riders would serve to heighten the sense of urgency in the capital.
......
Vienna.
Schönbrunn Palace.
"The people of Mainz are desperate for Your Imperial Majesty to save them... Every day, more flee from the west bank of the Rhine, and those within Mainz are pouring into Frankfurt.
"Seven or eight thousand French troops sit across the river, watching Frankfurt like a pack of hyenas. I beg you, grant us an eagle banner so we might find the courage to face their cannons..."
Maximilian, the Crown Prince of Bavaria, loudly cut him off. "Your Majesty, the French clearly have little interest in Northern Germany.
"More than thirty thousand French troops are currently marching south and could cross the Rhine to attack Memmingen at any moment. We are the true target of the French."
He glanced at Franz II, his tone carrying a faint hint of a threat. "If you do not send reinforcements, the Prince-Elector will have no choice but to compromise with the French. Once their army crosses Bavaria, they will be at the gates of Linz."
Linz was an Austrian western province, a mere 150 kilometers from Vienna.
Beside him, the Foreign Minister of Cologne also knelt to speak, but Franz II, his face ashen with rage, stood up and stepped around his chair. "Baron Thugut will give you your answer," he muttered, quickly striding out of the hall.
Meyer scrambled to turn on his knees, reaching out toward the Emperor's retreating back. "Your Supreme Majesty! We have your solemn promise! You swore to compensate the states for the losses incurred in this war!"
Franz II gripped the letter in his pocket tightly, crushing it. It was the message Wurmser had sent at the risk of his men's lives.
The Mantua Fortress had only twenty thousand soldiers remaining, besieged by a staggering fifty-five thousand French troops. The fortress could fall at any moment.
And yet, those damned Bavarians and men from Mainz were still demanding he split his forces to reinforce them.
He didn't even know where he would find the troops to save Mantua!
A sudden thought crossed Franz II's mind: 'Perhaps... I should just sue for peace with France.'
Just then, the Minister of State, Count Rheinfels, approached and bowed. "Your Majesty, Lord Grenville requests an audience."
"He's finally here. Those damned English," Franz II muttered under his breath. "He was the one who claimed defeating France would be easy...
"Have him go to the Grand Gallery... No, take him directly to my private reception room."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Fifteen minutes later, Lord Grenville stood before Franz II and offered a respectful bow.
Before the British Foreign Secretary could speak, the Holy Roman Emperor exploded in anger. "Great Britain cannot even keep its own allies in line! Ha! First, the Netherlands surrendered, and now even Prussia has been cowed by the French!
"Tell me, how is this war supposed to continue?!"
"With confidence and persistence," Grenville replied calmly. "Believe me, the difficulties France faces are no less than our own.
"Our nation has severed all of France's maritime trade. This will deal a devastating blow to their finances.
"As long as we stand firm, the French may very well retreat by next month, or perhaps the one after that!"
Franz II waved a hand dismissively. "Your fleet suffered a defeat in the Mediterranean..."
"The French used despicable tricks to ambush Lord Hood," the Englishman countered immediately. "However, our nation has already set a massive shipbuilding program into motion. In six months, the Mediterranean Fleet will possess sixty steam warships.
"As you know, the French rely on such vessels for their sneak attacks.
"When our fleet is ready, France will lose all Mediterranean trade and their control over North Africa. Their finances will be utterly destroyed!
"And you, Great Emperor, need only lead the Empire to hold out until that moment. The scales of victory will once again tilt in our favor."
"Six months?" Franz II shook his head. "That is far too long. What I need now is a solution for the situation in Northern Italy!"
"One point two million pounds sterling," Lord Grenville said, immediately presenting the aid package recently passed by the British Parliament. "Our nation will provide you with a zero-interest loan of one point two million pounds. I have brought representatives from the Bank of England with me; the funds can be disbursed within a week."
One point two million pounds sterling was equivalent to thirty million francs. It was clear that Britain was going all-in this time.
The Englishman noted the change in the Emperor's expression and added, "Your Majesty, I can share another secret with you.
"In fact, half a month ago, when the French invaded Mannheim, Mr. Wilberforce discovered a massive vulnerability in French finances. He has made his preparations and will soon launch an attack. If all goes well, we may not even have to wait six months for the French economy to collapse."
In this world, gold could indeed solve most problems.
The promise of one point two million pounds clearly bolstered Franz II's resolve.
He exchanged a look with Count Rheinfels, who immediately addressed the British Foreign Secretary. "His Majesty will give your proposal serious consideration. I will personally deliver our response by tomorrow afternoon at the latest."
Two hours later, Austria's highest officials gathered at Schönbrunn Palace. Under the leadership of Franz II, they discussed the expansion of military conscription.
By evening, a new conscription decree had been signed into law.
The decree stated:
First, for every fifteen male serfs owned by a landlord in any German province, one must be sent to join the army (ages sixteen to forty).
Second, the Hungarian Noble Diet must provide eighteen thousand soldiers within a month, and the Galician Noble Diet must provide thirteen thousand soldiers within a month. All are to assemble at Gorz.
Third, in the name of the Holy Roman Emperor, all noble males between the ages of sixteen and forty-five are called upon to dedicate themselves to this sacred war.
Furthermore, Baron Thugut suggested that the ten-thousand-strong garrison at Liegnitz in Silesia be dispatched to Mantua.
The plan aimed to raise a grand army of eighty thousand men under the command of Marshal Alvinczy to reclaim control of Northern Italy.
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