Chapter 931: Empire's Twilight
Venice.
The long, low blast of a steam whistle echoed over St. Mark's Cathedral.
The sound lingered for a long time, and just as Ludwig von Cobentzel felt his ears go numb from the vibration, silence finally returned to the surroundings.
The newly appointed Austrian Foreign Minister instinctively turned his gaze toward the sea.
Unfortunately, the harbor was a bit far, and the cathedral's architecture blocked his view. However, he knew that twenty French steam warships were currently lined up in a row just outside the port.
When they sounded their whistles, nearly half of Venice could hear them.
Cobentzel sighed inwardly. It was these strange warships that had forced the British to withdraw from the Mediterranean. Otherwise, the Empire would not have collapsed so quickly in Northern Italy...
The whistle sounded once more.
His assistant whispered a reminder in his ear.
Cobentzel nodded. He moved to step forward but stopped abruptly, stepping aside to make way. He gestured to Marshal Alvinczy behind him. "Respected Marshal, after you."
Alvinczy had been freed five days ago after paying a ransom of 850,000 florins, finally reclaiming his liberty.
The old Marshal sighed, lowered his head, and led the way into St. Mark's Square. The first thing he saw were over a thousand soldiers standing in disciplined ranks around the square, holding various flags high.
He had heard before he came that member nations of the Mediterranean Security Organization would come to observe the signing of the armistice, but he had not expected this kind of "observation."
Then, he saw Talleyrand, Napoleon, and several other Frenchmen standing side by side behind a conference table in the center of the square.
As the Austrian delegation approached, the lame man smiled and gestured to them. "Ah, please, gentlemen, take your seats. We have a very full schedule today, so we must hurry."
Alvinczy had expected long consultations over the terms. Instead, as soon as he sat down, Talleyrand distributed a stack of documents to him, Cobentzel, and the others.
It was the text of the armistice.
Ten minutes later, Talleyrand clapped his hands and smiled. "I trust there are no objections. I shall begin reading."
Alvinczy hadn't even finished a fifth of the document. He frowned and glanced at the Foreign Minister, who remained silent. He slowly closed his eyes and shut the folder.
Without waiting for an answer, Talleyrand stood up, gestured to those around him, and began to recite loudly.
"His Majesty Louis XVI, King of France, and His Majesty Franz II, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, in order to terminate the war and establish a lasting peace, have agreed upon the following terms..."
The content was exactly what Joseph had told Count Mercy originally, but more detailed and precise.
The French Foreign Minister read for nearly an hour before finally reaching the end.
"...and four secret articles. These will not be read publicly."
"The contracting parties..."
He then handed the official text to an assistant, who brought it to the other side of the table and placed it before Cobentzel.
Cobentzel, Alvinczy, and Archduke Ferdinand, representing the Hapsburg imperial family, signed the armistice one after another.
Then the French representatives signed, exchanged the documents, and sealed the originals with wax.
Talleyrand gestured to an officer in the distance. The officer immediately commanded the soldiers to fire a twenty-four-gun salute. Then, to the accompaniment of a band, the flag bearing the Hapsburg crest in front of the negotiation table was lowered.
After the flag-lowering ceremony came the sword-surrender ceremony, the troop handover ceremony, the map partition ceremony, and press interviews...
Only then did Alvinczy understand why Talleyrand had said time was tight.
It was six in the evening when the signing ceremony finally concluded after the last journalist finished their questions.
The painters and reporters on the scene left satisfied with their haul.
A few days later, news spread across Europe through the newspapers: Austria had officially withdrawn from the Anti-French Coalition, recognized French rule over the Southern Netherlands, Northern Italy, and the Rhineland, and agreed to pay thirty million florins in war reparations.
Austria's aura as a top-tier European power shattered almost instantly.
In the hearts of people across Europe, Austria had fallen to the same level as Prussia...
And France, having defeated the Anti-French Coalition single-handedly, became the undisputed first power of the European continent.
While everyone discussed the war, they also began to focus on France's industrial, commercial, and technological developments.
Overnight, newspapers in various countries turned into "French enthusiasts." Even the luxury and decadence of the Versailles nobility were described as virtues that "led fashion" and "promoted the economy."
Of course, those most affected were the Austrians.
Vienna barely maintained a semblance of calm under the strict control of the army and secret police. However, large-scale protest marches broke out in other major cities. The liberal slogans of "Liberty, Equality, Human Rights" echoed throughout the Empire.
Meanwhile, Baron Thugut suffered three assassination attempts in a single week. His residence was set on fire, and he eventually had to flee Vienna to seek refuge in Galicia.
Fortunately, after the armistice was signed, Napoleon's troops began returning to France. This allowed Archduke Charles to withdraw a large number of troops from the border and send them across Austria to suppress the riots.
As the last military genius of the Holy Roman Empire, Archduke Charles dealt with the rioters in most cities with extreme efficiency in less than a month.
Although bloody incidents like the "Krems Massacre" and the "Graz Square Incident" occurred, he managed to stabilize the overall situation. For this, he was commended by Franz II and granted the rank of Marshal.
However, his momentum was halted when his army encountered Hungarian and Romanian rebels in Transylvania.
Over fifteen thousand rebels, relying on their familiarity with the mountains of southeastern Austria, continuously ambushed and harassed the Imperial army. For a time, Archduke Charles suffered significant setbacks...
Prussia.
Potsdam.
Sanssouci Palace.
Wilhelmine, the mistress of William II and the current de facto ruler of the kingdom, handed a report to the Marquis of Grolman, the Minister of War. "So, what are your thoughts on this?"
The latter glanced at the new Prime Minister, Baron Heinrich von Stein, and spoke cautiously. "A serious rebellion has broken out in Austria, and their forces are currently tied down in Transylvania. This is indeed a good opportunity..."
"However, I am not certain if our finances can support such a war. After all, Austria still has several thousand troops stationed in Liegnitz."
Comments