Chapter 580: Sparing Me from Bitter Regret
The sun had completely dipped below the horizon.
At Schönbrunn Palace, Talleyrand outwardly feigned indignation but inwardly delighted as he walked alongside Leopold II, leaving the Grand Gallery to attend the evening banquet.
Before his trip to Vienna, the Prince had instructed Talleyrand to use the order fraud incident to secure the right for trade settlements in the Southern Netherlands to be conducted in francs as compensation.
However, leveraging his rhetorical skills, Talleyrand not only secured this concession but also extended it to include Tuscany—an Austrian vassal state ruled by Leopold's son. Both regions also agreed to reduce tariffs on French iron goods, paper products, and wines for one year.
Additionally, Leopold II revealed critical intelligence: the mastermind behind the order fraud was Henry Hope, a Dutch banker whose bank provided the deposit funds.
This information had been fed to Leopold by the British.
The scale of the scandal had alarmed the British government, which feared Austria discovering their involvement, potentially damaging Anglo-Austrian relations. To deflect suspicion, they pinned the blame entirely on Hope. Given that Hope had indeed devised the plan and financed it, Austria's intelligence services could find no contradictions in the narrative.
After the banquet, Leopold II finally bid farewell to the "plague god" Talleyrand and returned to his study to address the day's accumulated state affairs.
As the last reasonably competent ruler of the Habsburg dynasty, Leopold relied on pragmatic governance and personal diligence to stabilize Austria's precarious position.
Among the papers on his desk was a report on the Silesian War, set to be discussed in tomorrow's cabinet meeting. Leopold leaned back in his chair, exhausted, and let out a weary sigh.
The Next Day
In the soberly decorated walnut chamber, Vienna's senior leadership engaged in a fierce debate over whether to negotiate peace in Silesia.
Thanks to British mediation and considerable efforts by Walter's anti-French faction, calls for peace quickly outweighed those opposing it.
However, staunch advocates for continued aggression against Prussia included Chancellor Kaunitz, whose political influence was unmatched.
In Austria, the position of Chancellor was akin to that of a Prime Minister—the second most powerful figure after the Emperor. If Kaunitz insisted on continuing the Silesian campaign, even Leopold II would struggle to impose a ceasefire.
Moreover, the campaign to reclaim Silesia was seen as politically sacrosanct. Kaunitz frequently invoked the humiliations of the Seven Years' War and the restoration of Holy Roman glory, single-handedly countering the numerous voices calling for peace.
After half an hour of heated argument, Baron Thugut and Interior Minister Cobenzl exchanged glances and began to execute the Duke of Leeds' plan.
"Count Kaunitz," Baron Thugut said loudly, "it is evident that our nation can no longer sustain a full-scale war against Prussia."
The Interior Minister immediately echoed, "Indeed, we must not jeopardize Austria's future for personal political ambitions in an unwinnable war."
"What has robbed you of your courage?" Kaunitz retorted sharply. "Under His Majesty's reforms, our finances have improved significantly, and our manpower is more abundant than ever before.
"Now is the perfect moment to decisively defeat Prussia!"
Leopold II's so-called "reforms" largely involved reversing Joseph II's sweeping policies, thereby appeasing the nobility and creating the illusion of a resurgence.
Baron Thugut turned to Kaunitz with a cold tone. "You are gambling with Austria's future—and your hand lacks any winning cards."
"No, I am confident of victory," Kaunitz shot back disdainfully before addressing the Emperor. "Your Majesty, we can retake Silesia in this war!"
Kaunitz, an experienced statesman, had meticulously prepared for this confrontation.
He had secured commitments of financial and military support from the Hungarian Diet, the Bohemian Parliament, the Transylvanian nobility, and even southern Romanian aristocrats. This was arguably Austria's most unified moment in decades, bolstering his confidence.
Baron Thugut immediately countered, "You're spouting empty rhetoric."
Cobenzl added mockingly, "Even if the front lines fail, some people will surely find excuses to shirk responsibility."
"No excuses are necessary!" Kaunitz, provoked, declared to Leopold II, "Your Majesty, I am willing to take full responsibility for the Silesian campaign. Just grant me the authority to proceed!"
Thugut and his allies smiled triumphantly. This was exactly the outcome they had anticipated.
"And if we fail to reclaim Silesia, Count Kaunitz, how will you take responsibility?"
Kaunitz hesitated for a moment before replying solemnly, "I will resign as Chancellor and withdraw from politics forever."
He then turned to the peace advocates and challenged, "But what if I succeed?"
"I will accept any consequences," Thugut responded boldly.
Shortly thereafter, with the peace faction no longer opposing the motion, a reluctant Leopold II authorized Kaunitz to plan a new offensive in Silesia, granting him the authority to appoint front-line commanders.
The Aftermath
Vienna's newspapers immediately ran headlines like Count Kaunitz Insists on Continuing the Silesian Campaign, Pledges to Resign if It Fails.
The city was abuzz with excitement. Crowds filled the streets, loudly praising Kaunitz as if victory were already assured.
Among the nobility, tales of Kaunitz's resolve during the cabinet meeting spread like wildfire. He was even nicknamed the "Nemesis of Prussia."
Emboldened, Kaunitz swiftly began preparing for the campaign. Orders for troop movements and supplies were signed and dispatched across Austria.
Under Kaunitz's directive, Marshal Lacy on the Breslau front resumed artillery bombardments of Prussian positions.
However, Kaunitz did not foresee what happened next.
The day after his orders reached Budapest, the Hungarian Diet passed a resolution rejecting his proposal for a "special war tax."
The Bohemian Parliament did not reject the tax outright but cited the severe frost damage earlier in the year, requesting that collection be postponed until mid-next year.
Meanwhile, Hungarian, Bohemian, and Slavic forces promptly mobilized troops for the Silesian front. Within a month, Marshal Lacy's forces had swelled to 160,000 men.
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