She changed Europe

Page 117

“Impossible, child. Austria and Prussia are mortal enemies, and the two countries are locked in a life-or-death struggle. If Germany wants to be unified or strong, then there can only be one dominant voice on this land.” This is the inherent belief of the older generation of Junker nobles.

“Sir, it’s just like that proverb from the East, ‘Two tigers cannot share one mountain,’” the young man said with some emotion.

“Sir, there’s another line after this, which is ‘unless it’s a male and a female.’” Gisela stood in front of the two men with her hands on her hips. When a beautiful fox-eared girl walked up to them, the young man who had been answering questions calmly was completely captivated by the girl in front of him. Even the old senator noticed his assistant’s lapse in composure and punched him on the head.

"Little brat, watch your manners." The use of "manners" here is just right.

"Hehe, it's alright, sir, I don't mind at all." Gisela was well aware of her beauty, so she didn't mind Lin Liusi's words at all. After all, she used to occasionally look in the mirror and admire herself, though only in her mind.

"I think I just heard you mention Lord Bismarck?" Gisela was particularly concerned about Bismarck, not because of her ill-fated relationship with the old drunkard, but because that woman was the most feared opponent of Gisela's era. After all, the three dynastic wars before the unification of Germany in history had demonstrated Bismarck's terrifying political skills to the extreme, even the British were completely manipulated by this iron-fisted prime minister.

"Lord Bismarck has been arrested by His Highness the Crown Prince for treason." Although the relationship between Prussia and Austria is extremely hostile, the senator himself has no grudge against Gisela. Moreover, this is a public matter and can hardly be called a secret. Gisela's lack of knowledge is simply due to her not paying attention.

"So what does Frederick intend to do with her?" Treason is no small crime; an ordinary person could be executed. But Bismarck is no ordinary person. She was the former Prime Minister, and the Magic Power users are an indispensable force in Prussia. To destroy his own Great Wall—this man, later known as the "Hundred-Day Emperor," seems to be nothing more than a mediocre talent.

Logically speaking, he had no historical conflict with Bismarck, so he shouldn't have become such a paranoid and twisted person. But what caused him to undergo such a huge transformation?

"That depends on His Highness the Crown Prince's opinion." Even if he knew about this, he couldn't possibly continue to tell the Austrian princess in front of him, and Gisela was well aware of this.

"Then I'll take my leave, sir." Gisela turned and walked towards the exit. She could leave the rest to the expert (Hana) to handle; she had other things to do.

Because besides Bismarck, Gisela was also worried about another person, the woman she both loved and hated.

"Chloris, what are you plotting now?" Gisela narrowed her eyes at the thought, her golden hair fluttering in the wind blowing in from the window.

In December 1874, the Kingdom of Prussia, facing both diplomatic and economic difficulties, finally ordered its long-awaited army to cross from Holstein into the Austrian-controlled Schleswig side. The local Austrian garrison was annihilated by the Prussian army's elite magical armored forces without being ordered to resist.

After that, the Prussian ambassador to Vienna, who had been waiting outside the Hofburg Palace for orders for a long time, walked into the palace with an arrogant expression the moment he received the magical communication of the successful surprise attack and handed the declaration of war to Emperor Joseph. From this moment on, a new war in the German region officially broke out...

PS1: I'm getting up early on the weekend to write for everyone.

Chapter 437 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 56 The Prelude to the Austro-Prussian War (Vote Requested)

This time, Emperor Joseph broke with his usual hesitant nature. He placed the battle plan, which his daughter had completed months earlier, on the table, carefully reviewed it, and then issued the order for imperial war mobilization. He also instructed Herzendorf, the Chief of the General Staff of the Royal Allied Forces in Vienna, to develop a defensive counter-attack plan tailored to the Austrian Imperial Army's capabilities, based on Gisela's battle plan.

Marshal Benedek, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Allied Forces, personally went to Prague to oversee the overall situation and complete the deployment tasks in the region.

During this Austro-Prussian War, Britain and France expressed concern but did not have any explicit intention to intervene. The Russian Empire also did not show any strong interest in the question of the ownership of hegemony in the German region, as they were preparing for a new round of Russo-Turkish War.

Before the war, many scholars had predicted the outcome, analyzed the balance of power between the two sides, and considered the possible tactics employed. Ultimately, many concluded that the Austrians would win. When Gisela saw the contents of the newspaper, she was in a state of complex and ambiguous uncertainty, because history had also favored Austria, and yet...

That night, Prague Castle was brightly lit. In the huge hall, six of the ten magic users of the Austrian Empire were gathered: Gisela, Gisela's twin cousins ​​Lana and Liana, and three ladies whom Gisela rarely saw: a cheerful, energetic black-haired girl from Croatia; a petite, fair-skinned, gothic-style girl from Transylvania who was holding a teddy bear; and a tall, blonde lady from Galicia. Of course, Marshal Benedek and his military adjutants were also present.

"According to ****'s plan, the enemy's vanguard will arrive at the Empire's northern border within seven days. Utilizing their convenient railway network, they can initially deploy over 100,000 troops." It will take our army at least two to three weeks to reach a similar mobilization force. Therefore, until our army's strength is comparable to Prussia's, we will focus on defense." At this point, Benedek turned his gaze to Gisela, who was staring intently at the map.

"Your Highness, the main force of the Imperial Allied Army in Bohemia numbers approximately 70,000, and with the temporarily recruited soldiers, the number can reach around 120,000." The Austrian Empire's total standing army numbered nearly 600,000, but due to its vast territory and uneven transportation distribution, the initial deployment was relatively small. The Kingdom of Prussia, with its conscription system, while having a smaller population than the Austrian Empire, consistently maintained a standing army comparable to or even larger than Austria's. However, Prussia possessed superior training levels, morale, transportation, and mobilization speed compared to the Austrian army. This forced the Austrian army to initially fight against overwhelming odds and find itself at a disadvantage.

The core of the Prussian army's strategy was to win through speed and maneuverability, while the Austrian Empire's strategic focus was on defense and delaying tactics to gain an opportunity for a counterattack.

“The Prussian army opposite us will definitely launch a fierce attack on us. We can use the mountains and hills of northern Bohemia to build fortifications and wear down their forces. Then we can send a detachment from Silesia to probe the interior of Prussia and test their reaction.” Although there was a plan, Gisela still needed to analyze the situation and the next course of action for everyone present based on the actual combat situation.

"According to my firsthand intelligence, at least two of the ten Prussian magic users will not participate in the war." Bismarck should not be able to go to the battlefield in the short term, and Chloris will not be her enemy. Although there is no evidence to support her judgment, Gisela still decided to assume this.

“Although the opposing magic users seem to have two more than us, fortunately, Miss Jeanne de Darc from France and Miss Cecilia from the Vatican are willing to help us.” Gisela looked at Jeanne, who was lost in thought, and the silver-haired beauty behind her with a warm smile. Her elegant and dignified aura was very beautiful and noble.

Although no one knew what Archbishop Otto in the Vatican was secretly plotting, he actually sent his capable subordinate, Cecilia Shariat, one of the saints of the Roman Catholic Church, to Vienna the day before the outbreak of the Austro-Prussian War to assist Gisela in dealing with the Prussian attack.

The fact that Gisela could so easily send out a magic user clearly shows that she knows very little about the power of the Roman Catholic Church and the Thirteen Courts.

“So at least in terms of magic users, we are not inferior to Prussia. As for the issue of magic users and magic armored units…” Gisela hesitated, because there really was no better way. Magic armor could be produced, but there weren’t enough magic users to use it at the moment.

“There is a magic academy in Prague, and we can have the students pilot magic armor,” said a slightly older general.

"Absolutely not! The students haven't systematically learned about magic armor yet; sending them to the battlefield now would be tantamount to suicide." This point was quickly rejected by Gisela's strong-willed and righteous cousin, Lana.

“My sister is right,” Liana, the younger of the twins, echoed her sister’s words.

"I only want more blood, anything else is fine." The mage from Transylvania licked his lips, revealing a wicked smile, just like a true vampire. Unfortunately, he was just a delusional chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur), at least in Gisela's eyes.

“Sir, this won’t be our first choice, but if absolutely necessary, every adult citizen of the Empire has a duty to protect the country.” Gisela seemed to agree with the man’s statement, but in fact, most of the students attending the Magic Academy were not adults, which implied that they should not be sent to the battlefield.

"Does Your Highness have a better idea?" Although he knew the princess had made up her mind, he still had the duty to ask.

"You'll see when the time comes," Gisela once again displayed her feigned profundity, effectively avoiding the question. However, how to solve this problem still troubled Gisela.

“I will now assign tasks according to the orders of the General Staff and His Majesty. All units are requested to carry them out diligently.” Benedek’s calm voice echoed in the hall, and everyone listened attentively, except for Gisela, who was deep in thought and conflicted.

PS1:ra!

Chapter 438 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 57 Deploying Troops

After an unknown amount of time, the meeting ended when Benedek drew the last defensive perimeter on the map, and people left one after another, leaving only Gisela and Jeanne in the hall once again.

"Why aren't you leaving yet?" Gisela sat down in her chair without turning her head, staring blankly at the map.

“You seem to be having some trouble, and I simply want to enjoy seeing you looking distressed; it makes me feel incredibly good.” Jeanne ruffled her short silver hair, looking at Gisela with delight in her golden eyes.

"Oh!" Gisela's reaction was indifferent, and she did not retaliate against Jeanne as she usually would. This made Jeanne feel a little uncomfortable, because if the other party did not care, then she could not achieve the effect of retaliating against the fox.

"Is it the same question as before?" Jeanne frowned slightly and walked towards Gisela with some concern.

“The general is right. I’ve thought about it for a long time, but I still can’t come up with a good solution. Students are lives, and soldiers are lives too. For every magic-armored suit the enemy adds to the battlefield, countless soldiers will be slaughtered, and countless others will sacrifice themselves to destroy it. If one person can save more lives, no one will hesitate to make that choice, especially since the battlefield is such a monstrous place.” Sending students to the battlefield was the best solution they, as soldiers, could offer.

"You're incredibly stupid today!" Jeanne grabbed Gisela's collar angrily, pinning her leg over Gisela's, and stared into Gisela's blue eyes with her golden ones. Jeanne's stunning beauty was right in front of her, but Gisela was too preoccupied to appreciate it.

"Where were your landmines to deal with the Italians? Where were your artillery pieces? Where were your newly developed small mortars? Who was it that proposed that magic would eventually be trampled underfoot by science? Who spared no effort in scientific research, helping one neglected scientist and inventor after another to create the power to change the world?" Jeanne revealed an expression she had never shown before.

"The electric light shining above your head is the result of your, Mr. Werner's, and Miss Rania's wisdom. It is because of its appearance that the era in which mankind lost the light in the night came to an end. You silly fox, you are also Prometheus who stole fire, but you are more like a god than that madman!" Jeanne said, looking at the fox ears on Gisela's head, which were a symbol of magic power.

“Even as a god, you possess humanity, and that is your greatest treasure.” Why would Prometheus, as a god, help humanity? Because He had compassion for humankind; He possessed humanity. In contrast, Dr. Frankenstein in history was merely a blasphemer, and in Jeanne’s view, he was not worthy of being called Prometheus at all.

“So stand up and use your wisdom to defeat the enemy. Don’t waste your time on such trivial matters, or you won’t be worthy of being someone I, Jeanne de Darc, am willing to follow for life.” Jeanne slowly lowered her leg that was pressing down on Gisela, and as she was about to leave, Gisela grabbed her wrist.

Jeanne Alter's words undoubtedly had a resounding impact, even boosting Gisela's confidence. However, Gisela wouldn't hold a grudge against Jeanne Alter for daring to "yell" at her; she would retaliate on the spot, after all, she wasn't exactly a gentleman now...

"My dear Jeanne Alter, who did you just call hopelessly stupid?" Gisela skillfully pulled Jeanne Alter into her arms, pinched Jeanne Alter's firm and graceful waist as if to harass her, and then began various skillful acts of harassment.

"It was definitely the right thing to make you exercise every day." Gisela, despite having a pretty face, let out a wicked laugh like a lewd old man.

"Let go of me! Are you an idiot?!" Jeanne's French disdain crept onto her face again, but the blush on her face was still very obvious.

Standing outside the door, looking through the crack at Aponia inside the room, she showed a somewhat forlorn expression, while behind her, the silver-haired woman named Cecilia leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, remaining silent.

“She never liked you, did she?” Cecilia muttered in a low voice.

"You don't understand, her love was never limited to just one person, and I never dared to ask to have her all to myself..."

"..."

Time continues to move forward —

The signing of the Frankfurt Agreement, while a major political and economic crisis for Prussia, did not shake their military plans. This was because the Prussian General Staff, led by Moltke, had already considered the wavering Central German states as potential military adversaries from the outset. Therefore, whether Hanover and other countries joined Austria or not, they would ultimately face the onslaught of the Prussian army.

First was the Elbe Legion, a force of approximately 4.6 men commanded by General Helwart Bittenfeld, which deployed along the Leipzig line with its target being Hanover, the capital of the Kingdom of Hanover. The mage accompanying the army was Bismarck, the former prime minister of the kingdom.

Next is the 1st Legion, commanded by the veteran general Prince Frederick Karl, with approximately 9.3 men, deployed along the line from east of the Elbe River to Görlitz, with their target being Dresden, the capital of the Kingdom of Saxony. The accompanying magic users are Augustia von Karlgoben and Julia Ludwig von Moltke (the two who appeared earlier).

Finally, there was the 2nd Legion, the absolute main force of the Prussian army in the early campaign. It was personally commanded by Crown Prince Frederick, and its accompanying magic users included four of the kingdom's remaining five magic users, as well as two from the Jesuits. The total strength of the army was 11.5 men. They gathered in the area east of Görlitz to the Oder River, with a very clear objective: Prague, the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia, which belonged to the Austrian Empire.

Of course, Moltke also set up a decoy force of about 2 men in Silesia, which was entrusted to Miss Hilde von Hindenburg, the representative of the new generation of magic users in the kingdom. Its role was to attract the Austrian army's misjudgment and make them relax their defenses in Bohemia, so that they could take the opportunity to invade the heart of the Austrian Empire and find a chance to fight.

The Elbe Army was the first of the four Prussian legions to engage in combat.

On the third day of the war, at dawn, the 30,000-strong army of the Kingdom of Hanover, led by their young King George, clashed with General Herwat.

The two armies completed their deployment on the vast plain east of Brunswick, with the Hanoverian army launching the first attack. As the Hanoverian troops, clad in yellow and white uniforms and adorned with feathered headdresses, marched in orderly ranks towards the Prussian army, beating their drums, the Prussian soldiers methodically raised their breech-loading muskets and, under the command of their officers, skillfully pulled the triggers.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The gunshots signaled the start of a battle...

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 439 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 58 The Glory of the Hanoverian Cavalry (Seeking Votes)

As the Prussian army fired their guns—

The Hanoverian army was routed by the Prussian army, but even so, they showed no fear. Instead, they stepped over the corpses of their comrades and continued their head-up charge into the enemy ranks.

Hanover, after all, had a relationship with the British royal family, so it had always received training and equipment from the British army. Its morale was actually far higher than that of the troops of ordinary German states. Unfortunately, it must be admitted that the British army tactics were utterly ineffective compared to their powerful navy. Even though it was already 1874, they were still using the line infantry formation of the post-Napoleon era. Perhaps the only thing that kept up with the times was the Martini-Henry rifle in their hands.

The fact is that the British army's opponents in the 19th century were mostly backward countries. Even in the Crimean War against the Russian Empire, the French army was still the main force on the land battlefield.

Soon, as the Prussian army completed its second reload, whistling bullets spun out of the barrels again, striking the advancing enemy, and another rank of soldiers fell.

Despite suffering heavy casualties, the Hanoverian army finally reached the range recommended in the manual, raised their guns, and prepared to fire. This time, the Prussian artillery and the cannons on the magic armor finally opened fire. Whistling shells flew towards the Hanoverian soldiers who had stopped to fire. For a moment, bullets rained down, and huge explosions echoed across the battlefield. Countless soldiers were blown to pieces without even pulling a trigger.

Seeing the carnage at the front, the King of Hanover did not hesitate to throw his cavalry into battle. Countless cuirassiers quickly charged out from both flanks, taking advantage of the gaps in the Prussian artillery's slaughter of their own soldiers in the center to attack the Prussian flanks. Shouts of battle rang out, and the Prussian soldiers on both flanks retreated in unison at the sound of whistles, while rows of black, magically powered armored vehicles slowly advanced.

These new Prussian magical armors were developed by Prussia in combination with the new, highly mobile magical armored cavalry used by the Austrian Empire in Italy. To this end, the Prussian army even studied every battle fought by the Austrian army in Italy, learning any useful details in order to better defeat their opponents in future battles.

As a nation, Prussia was not the best, but in terms of its army, it was undoubtedly the best in continental Europe.

Returning our attention to the Hanoverian army, Major General Varelaan, the cavalry commander, led his thousands of cavalrymen in a fearless charge towards the Prussian soldiers in black uniforms. Unfortunately for the Prussians, the sight of the imposing cavalry charge showed no fear; instead, under the command of their junior officers, they slowly retreated.

Having exposed his flanks without reservation, Varian himself was filled with doubt at this bizarre tactic. His right eye was twitching wildly. Although he was a devout believer in God, he would occasionally have his fortune told by Gypsy women on the street. Today, he had a sense of foreboding.

Soon, a series of slender, black magical armors came into his view. Their narrow bases seemed to float in the air, while their long, thin bodies resembled standing humans. These black monsters did not carry any of the heavy cannons traditionally used by magical armors; instead, they had blades emitting a white glow on one side of each armored arm. The magical armors quickly crouched down, as if preparing for a race, half-crouching on the ground.

As the command flag was waved, these black monsters swiftly charged towards their opponents.

"Prepare the explosives to prepare for the impact!" Valerian shouted to his men, raising his saber high. The well-trained Hanoverian cavalrymen quickly took anti-magic explosives from their saddles and held them up, ready to ignite them at any moment.

The high-speed Prussian magic armor quickly reached the position of the cavalry vanguard, and the riders at the front threw out their explosives, but something unexpected happened.

A new white light emerged from the grooves of the Prussian black magic armor, and with surprising speed, it dodged the thrown explosives, then cleaved the leading officer and his horse in two.

The scattered blood was like a blooming flower, both alluring and terrifying.

Within minutes, dozens of these magical armors charged into the cavalry, hacking countless soldiers to pieces. Despite the prevalence of firearms, humanity seemed to have returned to the barbaric and cold-blooded era of cold weapons.

"Don't panic, prepare more explosives." Major General Valerian gripped the reins tightly, controlling his mount's panicked emotions, and commanded his men to fight back.

"You are the glorious Hanoverian cuirassiers! You are the heroic force that defeated the unparalleled heroine, Empress Polina! For His Majesty the King, for Hanover!!" Varian rallied the troops, personally directing their continued attack. (This cavalry unit originated from Wellington's cavalry force.)

He charged towards a Prussian magic armor, ablaze with a lit bomb in hand. At the same time, the magic user inside the armor also noticed the unusually dressed man. After killing two other approaching cavalrymen, it too charged headlong into his path.

As the sword, gleaming with white light, flashed, Major General Valerian gripped the reins and led his warhorse into the air, dodging the opponent's low slash. He then crouched low, pressed himself against the horse's belly, and ignited explosives, throwing them beneath the opponent's magical armor. With a massive explosion, the previously dangerous magical armor collapsed to the ground like a broken puppet.

Before he could even catch his breath, another magical armored vehicle slammed him and his horse away. The major general rolled several times on the ground before falling unconscious.

Both infantry and cavalry were suppressed by the Prussians. The King of Hanover wanted to send all the remaining men to fight the Prussians to the death, but was dissuaded by his own general.

"We cannot go any further, Your Majesty! Our army cannot afford the losses! If we commit more troops this time, we will have no strength left to defend Brunswick and Hanover."

“We still have three squadrons of magical armor! I must rescue Valerian.” As the king’s favorite general, Valerian naturally received the king’s attention.

"Your Majesty, Lord Valerian is likely in grave danger." The generals gazed at the smoke-filled area in the distance. The battle had descended into complete chaos, and if the fighting continued, the collapse of the Hanoverian army was only a matter of time.

PS1: This is quite a famous unit.

Chapter 440 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 59 The Sudetenland Line

"Your Majesty, Lord Valerian is likely in grave danger." The generals gazed at the smoke-filled area in the distance. The battle had reached a fever pitch. Compared to Prussia, the Hanoverian army had committed all its elite troops to the battlefield. Therefore, given the current trend, the Hanoverian army's defeat was only a matter of time.

"General Valerian is a decorated general, and his cuirassiers are also mine..." Before he could finish speaking, several more cannonballs landed not far from the King's command post, marking the advance of the Prussian army's artillery positions...

“Damn it! Let’s retreat to Brunswick first. We will never forget their sacrifice.” George V was not the kind of person who could not see the situation clearly. As the aggressor, Prussia could naturally claim that this was a just war and thus gain British support, because they were protecting their own country.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Following the king's command, the remaining Hanoverian troops retreated in an orderly fashion.

At this moment, in the Prussian military camp, Bismarck, dressed in full military uniform, watched the retreating Hanoverian army. Her golden hair fluttered in the wind, but her expression was surprisingly calm.

“Miss Bismarck, do you think we should pursue them?” a tall, thin Prussian general asked Bismarck. Although Helwart Bittenfeld was the commander of this legion, he preferred to seek the advice of this former prime minister, after all, she had assisted His Majesty in ruling Prussia for decades and knew the situation in Prussia best.

Bismarck had reservations about being dismissed from his post. As a pure soldier, he had no ambition for the throne and therefore did not want to offend either side.

"Hanover won't take up too much of our time. It's better to win hearts and minds than to attack people. We need to resolve the Hanover issue politically as soon as possible," Bismarck said calmly, his brow slightly furrowed as he gazed into the distance.

"By the way, Her Majesty, Her Majesty has completely disappeared, hasn't she?"

"Yes, she left Berlin several days ago, and nobody knows where she went."

"Is that so? That's a real shame." Despite her words, Bismarck's lips curled up almost imperceptibly, for her test of Chloris and that fox-eared girl had only just begun.

This Austro-Prussian War will be the best whetstone on the road to German unification.

Meanwhile, on the Austrian side—

Gisela, who had taken over four Imperial Allied Infantry Divisions and five Magic Armored Regiments from Benedek, established a defensive line in the Sudetenland Mountains region of northwestern Bohemia on Benedek's orders.

In theory, Gisela, as the emperor's designated heir to the throne, was fully qualified to command from the rear throughout the entire process. However, her identity as a magic user made her unwilling to stay in her comfort zone. Instead, she went to the front line to actually participate in the battle and obtain information on the deployment of the Prussian army as soon as possible.

After all, Gisela was not one of those arrogant old-school Austrian commanders. He did not have a clear understanding of the Prussian army's advantages, nor did he have corresponding contingency plans.

Returning to the immediate issue of establishing a defensive line, Gisela had previously engaged in a heated argument with General Herzendorf, the Army Chief of Staff in Vienna. This chief of staff, whom Gisela had personally recommended and promoted, led a staff that opposed Gisela's idea of ​​building a defensive line in the direction of the Sudetenland Mountains. They believed that the focus of the Bohemian garrison should be placed in the northeastern mountains, waiting for an opportunity to prepare for the recapture of Silesia.

Although Gisela was well aware of the Imperial soldiers' obsession with Silesia and their desire to erase the shame of losing the jewel in the Imperial crown, she believed that the ultimate goal of the war should not become a shackle binding the Imperial army's actions at this moment. The Prussians might also know the Austrians' emphasis on Silesia, and therefore choose to launch a defensive attack on the vulnerable Sudetenland in the northwest, but these were all speculations, lacking concrete intelligence to support her view.

As for Gisela's astonishing wisdom from the future, unfortunately she had no recollection of the details of the war. She could only combine her understanding of the Prussians with the suggestions of her adjutants to formulate specific battle plans.