Several hours later, a succinct battle report was submitted into his hands. The report showed that approximately 16,000 Austrian soldiers and 9,000 French had successfully retreated. As for the Bavarian forces on the western side, since no combat had occurred, they, along with the 5,000 Austrian soldiers, had all safely returned.
The main forces were still intact, and Wumz quietly breathed a sigh of relief. However, in this battle, his two most elite skirmisher battalions had almost been entirely wiped out, and the cavalry had lost nearly four squadrons, even General Naundorf was wounded.
Therefore, although the losses in terms of numbers were not too great for the Austrian Army, the impact on their combat effectiveness was quite severe.
The next day at noon, when Marshal Lacy, the overall commander of the Austrian forces, led the main forces to the border of Legnica, he was met face-to-face with the retreating Wumz Corps.
Upon learning of the Austrian Army’s disastrous defeat the day before, his complexion instantly turned livid.
According to his original plan, he would have been able to take Legnica by surprise tomorrow or the day after and then set his sights on Breslau, the capital of Silesia.
However, given the battle situation that Wumz encountered, it was clear that the Prussians had been well prepared.
What he faced would likely be a tough and fierce battle…
…
When the news of the disastrous defeat at Legnica reached Vienna, the entire city erupted.
Countless Austrians were instantly reminded of the painful memories of the three disastrous Silesian Wars over the past decades—a series of failures that resulted in Austria losing the rich region of Silesia and consequently being embroiled in a struggle with Prussia for dominance over Germany.
Along with the adverse effects brought about by Joseph II’s reforms, the nobility and citizens of Vienna took to the streets in droves, sparking large-scale protests.
An enormous crowd of four to five thousand people surged towards Schonbrunn Palace, chanting slogans along the way:
“Marshal Lacy must be held accountable!”
“Reinforcements to Silesia, we must not suffer another defeat!”
“Replace the incompetent Lacy, let Marshal Laudon command the army!”
“Yes, only Marshal Laudon can defeat the Prussians…”
Meanwhile, among the protesting crowd, there was also a significant mix of dissatisfaction with the Royal Family—they blamed the defeat on the reforms of Joseph II, claiming that the reforms affected the morale of the troops, and criticized the Emperor for rashly waging war against Prussia without adequate preparation.
Schonbrunn Palace.
Although the protesting crowd was kept out of the palace square by the guards, Joseph II could still faintly hear the clamor from outside the window.
After a bout of coughing, the Emperor of Sanctum looked towards Leopold II and State Minister Kaunitz, who stood solemnly beside his sickbed: “There’s no need to disperse the protesters; haven’t you heard them saying we should send reinforcements to Silesia? This might be an opportunity to unite the Austrians.”
Kaunitz tentatively asked, “Your Majesty, do you think we should give Marshal Lacy some reminders?”
What he referred to as a reminder was, in fact, a reprimand.
Lacy, being of Irish descent born in Saint Petersburg, was politically very inclined towards Russia. The pro-French Kaunitz often clashed with him.
Joseph II waved his hand: “Please draft an order on my behalf, praising Marshal Lacy for his rich experience which prevented even greater losses for our forces. Additionally, issue a stern reprimand to General Wumz for his improper command, which led to the collapse at Legnica.”
Despite being gravely ill, his mind was still clear, and he knew that at this moment, it was imperative to fully support the overall military commander, otherwise the morale of the troops would falter, and the battle would be pointless.
Leopold II added, “Your Majesty, it seems the Prussians were likely prepared. Perhaps we can appease the Hungarians, where at least fifty to sixty thousand troops could be conscripted.”
Hungary, under Austrian rule, retained a significant degree of autonomy, especially the Hungarian Nobility Group, which often banded together to oppose Vienna.
As a result of Joseph II’s reforms, the privileges of the Hungarian nobility were considerably affected, or rather, weakening them was precisely Joseph II’s intention. Consequently, Hungary adopted a passive and antagonistic stance towards the Silesian conflict, contributing almost no troops.
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However, harnessing the full strength of Austria was impossible without Hungary.
Joseph II weakly waved his hand again, “Apart from canceling the reforms, there is nothing that can satisfy them. Send Baron Tugut to Paris, let our sister send more troops, and we could exchange interests in Italy…”
Before he could finish, the protesting crowd outside the square suddenly burst into heaven-shaking shouts, as if cold water had been poured into boiling oil.
Joseph II frowned and looked at Kaunitz, “What’s happened now?”
The latter bowed slightly and quickly stepped out of the Emperor’s bedroom. More than ten minutes later, he returned with a somber face and said, bowing his head, “Your Majesty, news just came from the Southern Netherlands, Blucher has led his troops into Luxembourg. General Leao’s forces were insufficient, and three days ago, they suffered a terrible defeat. Now, the western part of Luxembourg is under Prussian control…”
Upon hearing this, Joseph II suddenly coughed violently and then suddenly slumped onto the bed.
Leopold II was greatly alarmed and hurriedly shouted at the Imperial Physician waiting at the door, “Mr. Richter, the Emperor has fainted!” Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire
The Imperial Physicians, after having bled the Emperor of Sanctum three times and administered medicine containing opium, finally saw the pale-faced Joseph II slowly regain consciousness at twilight.
Joseph II was too weak to sit up and, and after gathering strength for half a minute, spoke to Leopold II in a trembling voice, “Order Marshal Laudon to lead twenty thousand soldiers and rush to Luxembourg for reinforcements immediately.”
The latter was immediately shocked and quickly said, “Your Majesty, if we divide our forces now, it’s very possible we’ll face insufficient soldiers in the direction of Silesia…”
Gasping for breath, Joseph II struggled to speak, “Marshal Lacy will find a way… the Southern Netherlands must be held.”
Austria had operated in the Southern Netherlands for decades; holding that territory was a much better bet than attacking Silesia. Moreover, Joseph II knew that losing the Southern Netherlands completely would severely affect morale on the Silesian front.
He rested for a while, then continued, “Also, seek assistance from France, let them aid Marshal Laudon…”
This Emperor, conscientious throughout his life, striving to strengthen Austria’s power, ambitiously prepared to recapture Silesia, had not expected the Prussians to take the risk of leaving heavy forces behind in the Southern Netherlands, striking Austria a heavy blow.
Seeing his brother so weak he was almost about to faint again, Leopold II patted his chest to take command and leave.
Exiting the Emperor’s bedroom, and hearing the protesters’ shouts again, he frowned and signaled to the captain of his guard, “Disperse those people! The Emperor needs rest.”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
The Austrian Foreign Minister, Baron Tugut, with letters signed by Joseph II, hurried to Paris day and night for assistance, but encountered the Crown Prince of France in Lorraine—the latter was inspecting the French Army about to depart for Austria there.
Of course, Joseph was specifically waiting there for the Austrian envoy.
Blucher was on the verge of capturing all of Luxembourg. Soon, Austria would have no standing in the Low Countries. And their Emperor could only seek assistance from France.
In the camp of the French Expeditionary Force, Joseph looked at the anxious Baron Tugut, “Are you saying that the Emperor wishes to transfer troops from Silesia to rescue Luxembourg?”
“Yes, Your Highness.” The Austrian Foreign Minister took out the Holy Roman Emperor’s letter, which was actually written for Queen Mary, but it was entirely appropriate to give to the Crown Prince of France, “His Majesty hopes that France can dispatch additional troops to help Luxembourg and provide logistical supplies nearby.”
Joseph took the letter but frowned and shook his head, “Transferring troops from Silesia now might be too late, Luxembourg could be occupied by the Prussians before they reach the Southern Netherlands. And it would also mean facing a disadvantage on both the Southern Netherlands and Silesian fronts.”
Tugut sighed, although he knew that was most likely the case—General Leao in Luxembourg had less than two thousand troops left, definitely not enough to hold out for half a month.
Joseph’s face was full of concern and sincerity, “The only way to keep Luxembourg now, I fear, is one option.”
Tugut immediately lifted his head, “What do you suggest?”
“Our twenty thousand troops prepared for Silesia are right now in Verdun,” Joseph said, “If they set off immediately, they could reach Luxembourg in three to four days to withstand Blucher’s offensive.”
“And Austria need not transfer troops from Silesia. This way, we can turn a disadvantage on both the Southern Netherlands and Silesia fronts into an advantage on both!”
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