Chapter 901 Osa Agreement
In the coalition headquarters, Grand Duke Albrecht frowned as he watched the deployment map of the troops sent from the front.
"General Desmet, is your troop deployment in the coastal areas too weak?"
There was no way, the Anti-French Alliance had an advantage in all aspects, but was at a disadvantage in the navy.
The front line in the Mediterranean is okay, and the strength of the Fao navy is close. Both countries are worried that they will be made fishermen by the British, and they do not dare to risk a decisive battle at sea.
The North Sea region is different. Whether it is the Belgian Navy or the German Federal Navy, they are weak in front of the French Navy.
Even after Vittorio Emanuele III left London, the navies of both countries did not send warships to respond.
For no other reason, just because I dare not. The French navy has already blocked the door, and the warships have no return when they leave the port.
The anti-French alliance lost its control of the sea in the North Sea, and coastal defense became a real problem that the two countries had to face.
Belgium's coastline is not long, only 66 kilometers, but this is not something that a few garrison regiments can defend.
As far as Archduke Albrecht knew, the garrison regiments deployed in Belgium were all temporarily expanded after the war.
The troop structure is: a small number of retired officers and soldiers + temporarily recruited noble officers + a group of young men.
It is worth mentioning that the retired officers and soldiers are generally over fifty years old, and the younger ones have all gone to the main force.
Officers and soldiers are also the eliminated goods after the main force screening. There is no way, even if the Belgian government is well prepared, it cannot change the fact that they are lacking in manpower.
Since the start of the war, the Belgian government has mobilized nearly 300,000 troops. Not to mention the quality, the mobilization ratio and speed are the highest among the participating countries.
"Your Excellency Marshal, we have deployed a large number of shore artillery in the coastal areas. The French have to pay a heavy price for landing. No commander would be so foolish to use warships and shore artillery against each other.
Moreover, the French offensive was too fierce, and our main force was thrown into the front-line operations, and there were not enough troops deployed to the coastal areas. "
Admiral Desmet was very helpless. It wasn't that he didn't realize the dangers in the coastal areas. The problem was that there were not enough troops in his hands, and he had to take care of the more important battlefields first.
Now we can only bet that the French are reluctant to use warships to bombard the shore, anyway, as long as they persist for another week, the Austrian reinforcements will arrive.
Archduke Albrecht shook his head: "Your Excellency, this judgment may have been fine twenty years ago, but it is not right now.
The French can totally use warships as bait to expose your shore guns and bombard them with airship troops.
The previous battles have proved that your country's airship force is no match for the French at all, and the sky belongs to the French for the time being.
Don't doubt the determination of the French government, warships are not as valuable as you think, and there are not a few warships that France drags out to shoot targets every year. "
The combat effectiveness of airships has been proven, especially in fixed-point bombing, airships can exert greater power.
Because of the emergence of anti-aircraft weapons, airship bombing is mostly high-altitude bombing, and the hit rate is not good. The problem is that the Belgian coast is so big.
Bombing two kilometers of coastline is more than 100 square kilometers, equivalent to a city. The naval gun + airship, covering such a small area, is no longer a problem.
As long as the French are willing to pay a certain price and land on the weakly defended coastal areas of Belgium, it is not a problem at all.
The value of warships is also relative. State-of-the-art warships are naturally very valuable, and old-fashioned warships ready to retire are different.
Especially for countries like Britain, France and Austria that are often involved in the arms race, who doesn't have a bunch of warships waiting to be scrapped?
They couldn't sell them in the international market, and the training ships couldn't be bought as much. Apart from pulling them out to shoot targets, they had to dismantle and sell scrap iron.
Take some warships out as cannon fodder, you don't need to feel distressed at all.
In the view of Archduke Albrecht, the French did not implement the landing plan, either the commander was too stupid to see it, or the commander was indecisive and reluctant to sacrifice...
But these are temporary, as long as the front line fails to achieve a breakthrough, the French will take this step sooner or later.
Even if the landing operation fails, the French can contain a large number of troops of the anti-French alliance and create favorable conditions for the main decisive battle.
Not to mention, after the gang of princes along the coast of the German Federation, in order to ensure the safety of their hometowns, they were unable to send troops to participate in the war.
Admiral Desmet nodded disapprovingly: "Don't worry, Marshal, we will pay attention.
As soon as the French launch a landing campaign, we will immediately send reinforcements. Belgium is not big, so there is no time for it.
Now it is mainly because of the lack of troops that it has been completely suppressed by the French. Things will change when reinforcements from your country arrive. "
After more than half a month of fighting, it is not without help. At least the Belgian military's fear of the French has been alleviated a lot.
Because of the relationship between local operations, the two sides fought back and forth on the battlefield. Being at a disadvantage is just a lack of troops, and the gap in combat effectiveness between the two sides is not as great as previously imagined.
Looking out the window, Archduke Albrecht did not continue to intervene. Austrian reinforcements are coming, but not to serve the Belgians.
The attitude of the Vienna government is very clear. First, it encourages the two countries to fight against the Germans and the French, and when the battle is almost done, the main decisive battle will take place.
Don't ask why, it is the strategy formulated by the emperor anyway, and the execution is right.
In this context, the action speed of the Austrian reinforcements was naturally not fast.
Of course, Franz was still disciplined and didn't go too far.
The Austrian troops are still advancing at a speed of thirty or forty kilometers a day, depending on the road conditions and weather.
There is nothing to say, everyone's marching speed is not very good these days, and they can advance 30 to 40 kilometers every day, which is already the standard of the elite.
It's not that you can't get up quickly, the problem is that it's difficult to continue. Perhaps in the case of a light car and a simple trip, one day, you can march quickly and walk 70 to 80 kilometers in one breath.
But this speed cannot be sustained. Soldiers are human too, so don't count on combat effectiveness when you're exhausted and exhausted.
In fact, it is not uncommon in military history to cause troops to collapse because the marching speed is too fast.
...
Palazzo Vienna, Franz is hosting a welcome banquet for the arrival of Vittorio Emanuele III.
In the past, the relationship between Fao and Austria was okay. Although Austria recognized that Vittorio Emanuele III was the king of Sardinia, it was only a private talk.
On the face of it, the Vienna government, like the European countries, is silent, as if it doesn't know anything.
It's different now, France and Austria are fighting, and naturally there is no need to worry about the feelings of the French.
In order to build momentum for Vittorio Emanuele III and to convince the Italian people that Austria was going to liberate them, Franz had to personally attend the welcome banquet to show that the Austrian government supported the re-independence of the Kingdom of Sardinia. political standpoint.
Except for some unnutritious clichés, there was no substantive content at the banquet, and Franz just showed up and left in a hurry.
The emperor has left, and the banquet will continue. It fell to Wesenberg to receive Vittorio Emanuele III, as foreign minister.
Vittorio Emanuele III asked with great concern: "Your Excellency Minister, how far has your country's war situation in Italy progressed, and when will I be able to lead the Italian independence movement on the front line."
There is no way, Vittorio Emanuele III has been stimulated a bit recently, especially the house arrest in Britain, which has stimulated him even more.
There has never been a time when there has been such an urgent need to return to the country. If it wasn't for Franz leaving too quickly and not giving him a chance to speak, what he's asking now is...
"Your Majesty, don't worry. When you arrive in Vienna for the first time, you should go and enjoy the beauty here.
Trust me, Vienna will not disappoint you. This is the most beautiful city in the world. "
After speaking, Wesenberg took a glass of red wine and took a sip. Looking at the anxious Vittorio Emanuele III, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
There is no free lunch in the world. If you want Austria to help restore the country, Vittorio Emanuele III naturally has to pay a price.
Otherwise, there are so many people who are qualified to restore the Kingdom of Sardinia, why should the Vienna government support him?
Just because Vittorio Emanuele III is the most orthodox right now?
Regrettably, it is now the end of the 19th century, and orthodoxy has to make concessions for profit.
The Bonaparte Dynasty is an example. European countries did not send troops to interfere in the restoration of Napoleon III in the name of orthodoxy.
Of course, in the case of a small interest gap, the Vienna government is still more willing to support the orthodox monarch. After all, the Habsburg dynasty is now advertised as orthodox and is working hard to unify the German region.
"Your Excellency, the reputation of Vienna has spread all over the world for a long time, and I have been fascinated for a long time, and I have long wanted to take a good tour.
But now the Sardinian people are still suffering under the enslavement of the French. As their king, I have no ability to rescue them. I am very ashamed. I really have no face to do anything else. "
There was no pressure on Vittorio Emanuele III to let go and flatter him.
Unlike other monarchs, Vittorio Emanuele III grew up in an environment where he was surrounded by others, and he could not cultivate arrogance at all.
Although not very impressed by the idea of Vittorio Emanuele III, Wesenberg gave him a high look.
As a king, you can not only put down your body, but also have a keen judgment. After discovering that nothing could be done, he decisively reduced the Italian region to the Kingdom of Sardinia, implying that he had no ambitions.
"Your Majesty, rest assured. God will punish the French invaders, and the kingdom of Sardinia will finally gain independence.
Austria is different from France, we are a peace-loving country, we have no ambitions for the territory of the Italian region, and we will not expand in the Italian region.
Supporting the independence of the Kingdom of Sardinia is our consistent political proposition, but to expel the French, we also need to pay a very heavy price.
You must have heard that we have formed an anti-French alliance with Belgium, the German Confederation and other countries.
In order to protect everyone's interests, we have to adopt the principle of equivalent exchange. After driving out the French, all the belligerents distributed the spoils according to their contribution.
With the current situation of your country, it is difficult to contribute to this war, and logically speaking, you are not eligible to share the spoils.
However, looking at the traditional friendship between the two countries, we will still support the independence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, but as a price your country must share part of the military expenditure
.
The specific number is determined based on the actual expenditure after the war. Of course, if you can make a certain contribution on the battlefield, you can also reduce some of the amortization accordingly. "
Hearing "Osa Friendship", Vittorio Emanuele III's face was slightly unnatural.
There is no way, if this word spreads out, it will be another joke of this century.
The Kingdom of Sardinia has come to this point, and Austria has also played a great role, and it can even be said to have played a decisive role.
The French would not have taken Sardinia so easily if it hadn't been for the Austrian beating them half-hearted, and maybe it's a different story now.
It is a pity that there is no such thing as history, and what is even more tragic is that the Osa War was provoked by the Kingdom of Sardinia, which made the father of Vittorio Emanuele III still bear the infamy.
The reality is so cruel, people only remember the winners, and the losers are sinners, no matter how great their intentions are.
Whitewashing is impossible, and the failure of the Osa War directly caused the Sardinian Kingdom to be unable to resist the French invasion.
Vittorio Emanuele II became synonymous with a fool, a megalomaniac, even though he was pushed into battle by the Sardinian populace.
After a brief period of discomfort, Vittorio Emanuele III recovered immediately and pondered Wesenberg's words carefully.
What made him hesitate was not that the conditions in Austria were too harsh, but that they were too generous, so generous that Vittorio Emanuele III could not believe it.
Just sharing a part of the military expenses can be exchanged for the restoration of Sardinia. Where can I find such a cheap thing?
After hesitating for a while, Vittorio Emanuele III asked tentatively, "How many troops did the French army put into the southern front?"
In addition to the tension in the war and the urgent need for allies, Vittorio Emanuele III could not think of a reason for Austria to offer such lenient conditions.
Wesenberg shook his head: "It's okay! The French have focused their strategy on the Central European battlefield, and they are mainly defensive in the Italian region.
Your Majesty, you should know that the terrain of the Italian region is not suitable for a decisive battle for a large army.
The decisive battle in the Italian region is a replica of the Anglo-Russian Afghan War. As long as everyone wants to, they can continue to fight.
If it were not for the liberation of the Italian regions and the help of countries to free themselves from the slavery of the French, we would not have entangled them on the southern front. "
I know the doubts in Vittorio Emanuele III's heart, but Wesenberg didn't mean to explain.
It's not that the Austrian government wants to treat the Kingdom of Sardinia preferentially, but it really doesn't know what to do now.
territory?
Austria is not lacking at all. The most elite areas in Italy are in Austria's hands, and the rest are rotten.
Continuing to expand has no value other than adding trouble.
Including Sicily, which now seems to be a very strategically important island, has no value to Austria after the war.
No way, the current Sardinian kingdom only exists in theory. Vittorio Emanuele III had nothing but an orthodox name.
Even if you want to squeeze oil, you have to wait until the Sardinian Kingdom becomes independent. Without a single word, let Vittorio Emanuele III sign a bunch of unequal treaties. How can people stay in the future?
Austria needs a stable Sardinian kingdom that constantly blocks the French; not a Sardinian kingdom that is full of wolves and needs to be rescued at all times.
The pie smashed over, and Vittorio Emanuele III, who was already hungry, had to eat it, no matter whether it was poisoned or not.
...
On October 21, 1890, Vittorio Emanuele III signed the "Osa Agreement" with Wesenberg.
The content of the treaty, of course, is to talk about the friendship of Osa. The original unpleasantness was all a deliberate conspiracy by the French to annex the Sardinian kingdom.
Anyway, time has passed for so long, even if the older generation is still alive, there are even more hateful French people who hate it.
With the signing of the treaty, it marked the end of the decades-long grievance between the two countries since 1847, and the relationship between the two countries entered a new height.