Chapter 247: The Hechingen Brigade
Shortly after the Third Conquest War began, on July 15, France had already started mobilizing its army. The next day, the French Parliament voted and officially declared war on Prussia.
Following that, nationalist sentiment surged in the four southern German states (Bavaria, Baden, Württemberg, and Hesse), causing them to side completely with Prussia.
Prussia currently has three corps in total. The southern one is led by Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm (Frederick III) and is called the Third Corps. Its composition is as follows:
• 5th Corps, commanded by Kirchbach
• 6th Corps, commanded by Tümpling
• 11th Corps, commanded by Bose
• 1st Bavarian Corps, commanded by Tann–Rathsamhausen
• 2nd Bavarian Corps, commanded by Hartmann
• Württemberg Division
• Baden Division
• 2nd and 4th Cavalry Divisions
• Hechingen Brigade
Because of the special status of the Principality of Hechingen, it was designated a separate combat unit, theoretically on par with a Prussian corps.
In this war, the Hechingen Brigade was fully organized by the Hechingen royal family. Aside from providing personnel, they were also self-sufficient in weapons and equipment, all supplied by the Hechingen arsenal in the German region. Their standard armaments were the same as those of the Prussian Army, making it easier to match Prussian logistics compared to other south German state armies that had joined on short notice.
Leopold served as the commander of the Hechingen Brigade, under the direct command of Crown Prince Frederick III.
In total, 4,372 people from the Principality of Hechingen took part. Besides third-year students from the Hechingen Military Academy, there were also a few second-year and first-year students, as well as some conscripts recruited in Hechingen and Sigmaringen.
…
"Dong, dong, dong…"
As the bell tolled, the newly formed Hechingen Brigade assembled on the drill grounds of the Hechingen Military Academy.
The Hechingen Brigade consisted of two infantry regiments. Under Leopold's leadership, they quickly gathered and then headed to Stuttgart, moving west along the roads. Making use of local advantages, they arrived at the border region three days later. Except for the Grand Duchy of Baden's forces, which were fighting on home territory, no other states' or Prussian troops had yet arrived.
The Third Corps, made up primarily of armies from the southern German states and supplemented by the Prussian Army, comprised a total of 12 divisions—about 130,000 men (historically around 125,000)—stationed in the south near Baden and Karlsruhe, in the Palatinate region.
Hechingen itself was next to the Grand Duchy of Baden, and because the Hechingen Brigade was the smallest force among the Third Corps's constituent armies, it could be deployed more flexibly.
Two days later, the Württemberg forces—which, like Hechingen, also bordered Baden—arrived on Baden's territory. On the same day, the Prussian troops led by the Crown Prince arrived from the north.
As the supreme commander of the Third Corps, Frederick III first reviewed the armies of the other states—except for the Bavarian Army, which had not yet arrived.
He was most confident in the Prussian Army, but Baden and Württemberg, which had enjoyed long periods of peace and had not fought a war for quite some time, gave him little reassurance. As for the Bavarian Army, it probably wouldn't be too weak, as they had engaged Prussia once in the past.
Soon, each state's forces were assembled. Frederick III looked upon the jostling crowds of soldiers from the various states with displeasure; his brow remained furrowed. Compared to the Prussian Army, their proficiency seemed lacking, and their equipment was all over the map. Some units even used weapons from Prussia, France, and Austria all at once. Their day-to-day organization was chaotic—on the battlefield, how could they measure up to the battle-hardened Prussian Army? Moreover, their enemy was the French Army, widely regarded as the world's number-one land force.
Just when Frederick III was giving up hope on the other states' troops, he noticed the Hechingen Brigade, stationed off to one side.
His first impression: they were young. His second impression: efficient. His third impression: orderly.
"Leopold, is this the Hechingen Brigade?" Frederick III asked as he approached Leopold.
"Yes, Your Royal Highness. They're composed entirely of cadets recruited by the Hechingen royal family," Leopold replied.
"Huh! I heard Ernst wasn't interested in military affairs. If he wanted to form a unit, why not just join the army directly? Prussia could have arranged a post for him."
"Haha, Ernst's claim that he's not interested in the military is just an excuse. In reality, he knows his own abilities well. Becoming a businessman was the right choice for him, and these cadets are essentially being trained for his colonies. You'd never be able to place him in the army," Leopold said, chuckling.
"Alas! Prince Konstantin was known as a brilliant general. It's a shame Ernst never inherited that quality," Frederick sighed.
"Everyone makes different choices, Your Royal Highness. Besides, Prince Konstantin had Ernst when he was already advanced in age, and since Hechingen has only this one heir, of course he wouldn't want Ernst anywhere near a battlefield."
"In any event, Ernst's so-called Hechingen Military Academy seems quite successful. I hear he's personally the principal. Managing to whip these troops into shape shows he's got talent. They're far neater than the armies from other states. It's just unfortunate their numbers are so small."
"Heh, each of the southern German states has its own military system. If France hadn't declared war, they would have stayed independent. The Principality of Hechingen, on the other hand, is itself a Prussian vassal, so naturally the Hechingen Brigade follows the Prussian Army's model entirely. All their instructors were chosen from retired Prussian soldiers. One thing you may not know: even though Ernst is the principal of the Hechingen Military Academy, he rarely takes part in teaching or training. Once his business ventures expanded, he was away on trips more often. There were countless times I visited Hechingen and couldn't even find him," Leopold replied, laughing.
"Ernst is quite a character—he just has his hands in too many things. Beyond business, he's running an overseas colony as well, so obviously he doesn't spend much time in Hechingen. Though it looks like overseas colonization isn't so difficult. Even a merchant can pull it off without much trouble. Maybe once Germany is unified, we should get more involved in it too!" said Frederick III.
"Colonization is indeed appealing, but dealing with the British won't be easy. Besides, the land Ernst is colonizing might not be the worst, but it's certainly not the best. Even the Portuguese, who have been there for hundreds of years, never touched East Africa."
"Let's put that aside for now. Our main task is to defeat the French. If we fail to beat France, Prussia and Germany simply have no future. But looking at these troops, the armies of Baden and Württemberg seem even less promising than Hechingen's. I doubt Bavaria's forces will be much better. This war with France won't be an easy one," Frederick III said.
"We can't say for sure. The Bavarian Kingdom's elite units should still be decent. And it's not about how they look—the real test is the battlefield," Leopold said.
"So, in your opinion, can this Hechingen Brigade, which looks well-drilled, make a name for itself in combat?"
Leopold answered confidently, "Absolutely. They're cadets who have never been on a real battlefield, so they'll definitely struggle at first. But once they get past that initial phase, they will become an elite force."
…
Facing Prussia's Third Corps was France's First Corps, positioned opposite them along the border running from Saarbrücken to Strasbourg.
The Franco-Prussian War had officially begun. News of the declaration of war triggered massive patriotic fervor throughout France. Crowds poured into the streets to bid farewell to the departing troops, shouting, "On to Berlin! Smash Prussia!" Similar scenes played out everywhere in the country, including remote villages. At rural train stations, people handed bottles of wine through the windows of trains packed with soldiers, urging them to teach those "square-headed Germans" a lesson.
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