Chapter 384: An Awkward Situation
Southern Netherlands. Brussels, Southern Outskirts, Hanoverian Expeditionary Force Camp.
"And finally, here!" Marshal Karl II enthusiastically tapped a small town southeast of Brussels on the military map. "We will encircle the French forces and completely annihilate them. After that, we'll march south to support General Blücher…"
The officers standing before him exchanged awkward glances. Finally, an older general cautiously spoke up:
"Marshal, your strategy is flawless. However… considering the current state of our troops, I'm afraid they're not in the condition to launch a full-scale counterattack."
The other officers quickly nodded in agreement.
Just half a month ago, Karl II had mobilized 30,000 troops and a large amount of supplies for a thunderous assault on the French positions. However, as soon as the Hanoverian army left their camp, the French mysteriously appeared near Antorff.
The 4,000 South Netherlands National Guard troops defending Antorff barely lasted half a day before being completely routed. It wasn't that the French were particularly formidable; the South Netherlands forces were newly recruited and had less than two months of training. Facing a regular army, they were bound to collapse at the first encounter.
Alarmed, Karl II hastily called off the southern offensive and redirected his forces north to reinforce Antorff. If they lost that position, the French would have a clear path to Brussels from the north.
As the Hanoverian main force moved north, the Dutch and South Netherlands forces to the south of Brussels were immediately hit by a French assault, losing two strategically critical villages.
It took Karl II more than ten days, under constant French artillery fire, and at the cost of over a thousand casualties, to recapture those villages and stabilize the front.
After all this, the Hanoverian army's morale was severely depleted. Without two or three months of rest, they were in no shape to mount a serious offensive.
Yet here was their marshal, planning a "full-scale counterattack."
Karl II didn't scold the officer who had voiced objections. Instead, he smiled, surveying the group with a self-satisfied expression:
"If all goes as expected, within two weeks, the French will be forced to withdraw a significant portion of their troops back to their homeland. We must be prepared to seize this opportunity."
He ignored the astonished looks from his officers and pointed back at the map:
"Now, let's discuss the operation to support the Prussian army."
He had barely begun when a servant's voice came from the doorway:
"Marshal, Speaker Vandernot is here."
Karl II's smile widened even further, and he gestured:
"Please, bring in the Speaker. My generals are eager to hear his good news."
Indeed, Vandernot had informed him of the "Free Allies Committee's" efforts to stir up rebellion in France, which was why Karl II had started planning a counterattack against the French.
He had also received intelligence from his own sources indicating that the Southern Netherlands' efforts were bearing fruit, with the French royal family supposedly overwhelmed by the unrest in the northwestern provinces.
Vandernot's arrival likely meant he was about to confirm that the French were indeed pulling their troops from the front lines.
As the doors to the war room opened, Vandernot hurried in. He was about to speak when he noticed the room full of Hanoverian senior officers.
He paused, bowed to Karl II, and stammered:
"Marshal, I… I have something I'd like to discuss with you in private."
"Oh, there's nothing I can't share with my loyal officers," Karl II replied with a smile, gesturing toward his generals. "I've already informed them of the situation."
"You… you already know?!" Vandernot was taken aback.
Seeing his troubled expression, Karl II hesitated:
"The situation you're referring to is…?"
Vandernot, now growing increasingly anxious, stepped forward and said grimly:
"Our people in France have been massively arrested. The French are publicly trying them, and the rebellious farmers have all gone to watch the trials… In short, our plan has failed."
"What? Failed?!" Karl II grabbed Vandernot by the arms, shouting, "You said the operation was foolproof! That the French would withdraw within two weeks!"
Karl II knew his troops well enough to understand that without the French withdrawing, any counterattack would be a death sentence.
Vandernot nodded painfully: "I swear to God, we were thoroughly prepared. I don't know how it went wrong…"
It wasn't entirely Vandernot's fault; he simply lacked understanding of the new French police system and operated under the assumption that the old police force was still in place.
Had it been the old police, the 1,000-strong Reims farmers, led by the Southern Netherlands "revolutionaries," would have easily overrun the town hall in their first riot. The unrest would have quickly spread, plunging the entire province into chaos. Lille and other areas would have likely faced similar situations.
With young nobles incited to "defend noble rights" and clashing with rebellious farmers, the unrest could have spread across half of France.
Vandernot had deployed over 200 revolutionary operatives and significant funds, confident that they could severely weaken France.
But he hadn't counted on encountering Joseph's new police force.
The 500-plus Reims police officers fearlessly marched into the rioting crowds, despite being pelted with stones and shot at, breaking the mob into smaller groups and using their anti-riot gear to drive them back.
In the first two riots in Reims, over 70 police officers were injured or killed, but the well-established police training system allowed the Reims Police Department to quickly draft over a hundred police cadets as reinforcements, maintaining the highest level of alert for over half a month.
This sense of duty, loyalty to the government, and high morale surpassed even some military units.
Thanks to the exceptional performance of the police in the northwestern provinces, a potentially massive storm was quietly averted. Similar incidents in Austria or Prussia would have caused ten or a hundred times more damage.
After repeatedly questioning Vandernot for more details, Karl II finally turned to his officers, his face dark with anger:
"Everyone out. And remember, not a word of this to anyone."
"Yes, Marshal."
...
Paris.
The day after the public trials of the Southern Netherlands spies ended, Joseph received a report from the Foreign Ministry stating that the British Foreign Secretary had requested to postpone their scheduled meeting by five days.
As he read the report, a smile spread across Joseph's face: "It seems he needs some time to figure out how to handle this awkward situation."
(End of Chapter)
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