If Hanover and Prussia had not intervened in the affairs of the Southern Netherlands, the Rebel Army led by Vandernoot would have been quickly extinguished by the Austrian Army.
By then, the French Army would have no reason to continue its presence in the Southern Netherlands. Unless they shamelessly chose to stay put, in which case they would immediately fall out with Austria.
Moreover, France needed the coal resources of the Walloon Region and had already invested heavily there; they could not simply walk away.
Your next journey awaits at
As he considered this, the carriage came to a stop, and two servants who were leading the way bowed deeply, gesturing towards a small villa nearby:
"The esteemed lord, it is right there."
Joseph, accompanied by Kesode, arrived in front of the villa and immediately saw an elderly man with a look of anxiety come out to greet him, bowing and placing his hand on his chest:
"I am delighted that Your Highness has made the journey in person, Crown Prince."
It was the Austrian Minister of State, Count Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz.
Kaunitz ushered Joseph into the house, closed the door himself, and immediately expressed his urgency:"Your Highness, the Franco-Austrian alliance is facing a huge crisis."
Knowing that the old man was a renowned "Francophile," Joseph directly asked:
"Are you referring to the matter of Hanover’s and Prussia’s withdrawal from the Southern Netherlands?"
Kaunitz nodded, but then shook his head: "Those two countries do indeed intend to abandon their support for the Southern Netherlands Rebels, but more importantly, His Majesty the Emperor has decided that he will sign a cease-fire agreement with Prussia afterwards..."
Joseph’s pupils contracted slightly: "A cease-fire agreement? Do you mean a cease-fire in Silesia?"
"Exactly," said Kaunitz. "Count Franz used some means to spend only 300,000 florins to get Charles II and William II to withdraw from the Southern Netherlands.
"After that, he suggested to His Majesty the Emperor that the original purpose of waging the Silesian War was to counter Prussia’s interference in the Southern Netherlands. Now that the rebellion in the Southern Netherlands is about to end, continuing the deadlock in Silesia becomes senseless."
Joseph frowned slightly. This Franz did have some skill. Initially, it was Joseph himself who, under the pretext of the Brabant uprising, had suggested to Joseph II the recapture of Silesia, yet now it had been used as the reason by Franz to end the war.
He looked at the Austrian Minister of State:
"So, His Majesty the Emperor agreed?"
Kaunitz nodded: "To be frank, Austria’s financial situation is not promising. The cost of military expenses for fighting on two fronts in the Southern Netherlands and Silesia is extremely high. ṟÅΝОʙƐꞨ
"In fact, previously His Majesty Leopold II had even suggested due to financial issues that the Emperor temporarily halt the reforms.
"Additionally, rumors say that the Hungarian nobility, to oppose the war tax, are secretly planning a rebellion. This also motivated His Majesty to resolutely bring an end to the war as quickly as possible."
Joseph’s frown deepened—if the conflict in Silesia were to stop, Prussia and Austria could very likely refocus their attention on Poland, leading Russia to set the stage for the partition of Poland, eventually forming some kind of alliance—history would be back on its original course.
Kaunitz seemed even more anxious than he:
"If we fail to reclaim Silesia this time, Austria might lose it forever."
Kaunitz’s core strategic position was "Alliance with France against Prussia," dedicating his life to defeating Prussia and restoring Austria as the dominant power in Germany. If Austria’s all-out effort were to end so abruptly, it would certainly elevate Prussia’s prestige, which was unacceptable to him.
Joseph knew he was right—in history, after Joseph II, Austria would gradually weaken and indeed never managed to reclaim Silesia.
He nodded and said, "Then, what do you suggest?"
Kaunitz showed a pleading expression:
"If France can provide more support, such as additional troops and some loans, I am confident in uniting the ministers who are tough on Prussia and persuading Her Majesty to continue the attack on Silesia,"
Upon hearing this, Joseph narrowed his eyes. Did this mean he was expected to pull out of the Southern Netherlands and continue to supply personnel and money to help Austria fight in Silesia?
Do you think I look like a sucker? Capturing Silesia wouldn’t contribute the slightest benefit to France.
Besides, with France’s current financial situation, where would the money for a loan to Austria come from?
Wait a second...
He suddenly remembered Kaunitz mentioning the "ministers who are tough on Prussia," so he looked at the old State Minister and asked:
"Are there many in Vienna who support waging war against Prussia?"
"Of course!" Kaunitz nodded vigorously, "The ignominy of Silesia is something people are constantly unable to forget. Everyone is worried that Her Majesty will make peace with Prussia."
He said it was about washing away the shame, but in reality, Austria’s bourgeoisie couldn’t bear to let go of Silesia, an industrially developed area with strong consumption power.
Joseph nodded slightly, a smile flickering in his eyes.
At any time, political correctness is an enormously powerful weapon.
And in Austria, reclaiming Silesia was the greatest political correctness. Although the deadlock in the war, compounded by financial strain, had left Vienna’s upper echelons exhausted and hesitant, a huge stimulus could immediately reactivate this political correctness.
By then, even the Emperor of Holy Rome would not be able to go against the tide and make peace with Prussia.
"Please rest assured, our country will continue to support the conflict in Silesia. At the same time, I will certainly not sit idly by and watch Austria bow to Prussia," he told Kaunitz.
"Thank you! Austria will forever remember your help!"
Joseph continued, "Additionally, I hope you can help me with something."
"I am always at your service."
"I need your cooperation at Schonbrunn Palace..."
After leaving Kaunitz’s villa, Joseph immediately headed to the French Embassy in Austria and summoned Baron Alphonse, the Ambassador to Austria.
"Your Highness, bypassing Vienna’s news censorship is indeed difficult," Alphonse frowned. "But I will definitely try my best."
Joseph nodded and said, "The Intelligence Bureau will cooperate fully with you. Moreover, if you encounter any insurmountable problems, you can go to Count Kaunitz for help."
"I hope to see those news stories published within a week."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Early the next morning, Joseph instructed Talleyrand to visit those ministers advocating a hard stance against Prussia, while he himself went to the address left by his mother to visit Madame Delvaux’s residence.
It was a not-so-large yet quite unique manor, indicating that the Queen of France’s wet nurse lived quite comfortably. In fact, the old lady had some reputation in Vienna, and had it not been for the fact that the brother-in-law of Leopold II was someone she really couldn’t provoke, she would have never reached out to Queen Mary for help.
The Delvaux household had already been startled by the extravagant scene outside their doors and the large contingent of guards in white uniforms. Seven or eight servants immediately came out to welcome them.
Upon learning that the Crown Prince of France had arrived, a maid hurriedly turned and ran back into the house, calling out:
"Miss, come quickly! It’s the Fr, French Crown Pri..."
An old man, looking like a butler, scolded the servants to make way and then, with extreme nervousness, bowed his head low and ushered Joseph into the manor.
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