In the headquarters of the coalition forces, looking at the troop deployment map sent from the front, Archduke Albrecht frowned.

"General Desmet, is your deployment of forces in the coastal areas too weak?"

There was no way, the anti-French alliance had the upper hand in all respects, except in the navy.

The Mediterranean line is okay, the Franco-Austrian navy is close in strength, and both countries are afraid of being fishermen by the British, so they dare not risk a decisive battle at sea.

The North Sea region is different, whether it is the Belgian Navy or the German Federal Navy, they are weak in front of the French Navy.

Even after Vittorio Emanuele III left London, neither navy sent a warship to meet him.

There is no other reason than to dare. The French Navy has blocked the door, and the warships have left the port without returning.

The anti-French alliance lost the right to control the sea in the North Sea region, and coastal defense became a real problem that the two countries had to face.

Belgium has a short coastline of only 66 kilometers, but this is not something that a few garrisons can defend.

As far as Archduke Albrecht knew, the Belgian garrisons were temporarily expanded after the war.

The structure of the troops is: a small number of retired officers and soldiers + temporarily conscripted noble officers + a group of young and strong.

It is worth mentioning that the retired officers and men among them are generally over 50 years old, and the younger ones have gone to the main force.

Officers and soldiers are also eliminated after the screening of the main force. There is no way, even if the Belgian government is prepared, it cannot change the fact that they are short of manpower.

By the beginning of the war, the Belgian government had mobilized nearly 300,000 troops. Not to mention the quality, the proportion and speed of mobilization are the highest among the participating countries.

"Your Excellency, we have deployed a large number of shore guns along the coast, and the French will have to pay a terrible price if they want to land. No commander would be so stupid to bombard warships and shore artillery.

Moreover, the French offensive was too fierce, and our main forces were engaged in front-line operations, and there were no longer enough troops to deploy to the coastal areas. ”

Admiral Desmet was very helpless, not that he did not realize the danger of the coastal area, but the problem was that he did not have enough troops in his hands, and he had to take care of the more important battlefield first.

Now one can only bet that the French are reluctant to use warships to bombard shore artillery, anyway, as long as they hold out for another week, Austrian reinforcements will arrive.

Archduke Albrecht shook his head: "Your Excellency, this judgment may have been fine twenty years ago, but it is not possible now.

The French could have used warships as bait to expose the fire points of their shore guns and then bombard them with airship troops.

The previous battles have proven that the airship troops of your country are no match for the French at all, and the heavens belong to the French for the time being.

Don't doubt the determination of the French government, warships are not as valuable as you think, and there are many warships that France hauls out to target every year. ”

The combat effectiveness of airships has been proven, especially when it comes to fixed-point bombing, and airships can exert more power.

Because of the advent of anti-aircraft weapons, most of the airship bombardment is now high-altitude bombing, and the hit rate is not good, and the problem is that the coast of Belgium is such a big place.

Bombing two kilometers of coastline is more than 100 square kilometers, which is equivalent to a city. Naval guns + airships, covering such a small area, is no longer a problem.

As long as the French were willing to pay a certain price, landing on the weakly defended coastal areas of Belgium would not be a problem at all.

Warships are worth a lot of money, and they are also relative. The most advanced warships are naturally very valuable, and it is not the same for old warships that are ready to be decommissioned.

Especially for Britain, France, and Austria, which often participate in the arms race, who doesn't have a bunch of warships waiting to be scrapped?

It cannot be sold in the international market, and there are not so many training ships, so in addition to pulling them out to shoot targets, they can only be dismantled and sold for scrap metal.

Take a part of the warships out as cannon fodder, there is no need to feel distressed at all.

In the opinion of the Grand Duke Albrecht, the French did not implement the landing plan, or the commander was too stupid to see it; Either the commander is indecisive and reluctant to sacrifice......

But these are temporary, and as long as the front line is not able to achieve a breakthrough, sooner or later the French will take this step.

Even if the landing operation failed, the French could contain a large number of troops of the anti-French alliance and create favorable conditions for the decisive battle of the main force.

Not to mention anything else, the group of princes along the coast of the German Confederation, in order to ensure the safety of their hometown, they were not able to send troops to participate in the war.

Admiral Desmet nodded disapprerovingly: "Don't worry, Marshal, we will pay attention."

As soon as the French launch a landing campaign, we will immediately send reinforcements. Belgium is not big, and there is no time for it.

Now it is mainly due to the lack of troops that it has been completely suppressed by the French. The situation will change when reinforcements from your country arrive. ”

After more than half a month of fighting, it was not without help. At least the Belgian military's fear of the French has been dispelled considerably.

Because of the relationship between the local war, the two sides fought back and forth on the battlefield. At a disadvantage, it was just a lack of troops, and the gap in combat effectiveness between the two sides was not as disparity as imagined in advance.

Looking out the window, Archduke Albrecht did not continue to intervene. Austrian reinforcements were coming, but not for the Belgians.

The attitude of the Viennese government was very clear, first encouraging the two countries to fight with the French, and then to fight the main decisive battle when the battle was almost over.

Don't ask why, anyway, it's the strategy formulated by the emperor, and the execution is right.

Against this background, the pace of action of Austrian reinforcements naturally did not rise to speed.

Of course, Franz was still disciplined and didn't go too far.

The Austrian troops were still advancing at a rate of thirty or forty kilometers a day, depending on the road conditions and the weather.

There is nothing to say, everyone's marching speed is not good these days, and they can advance thirty or forty kilometers a day, which is already the standard of the elite.

It's not that it's not fast, it's that it's hard to continue. Perhaps, in the case of a light car, one day you can march in a hurry and walk seventy or eighty kilometers in one go.

But this kind of speed cannot be sustained. Soldiers are also people, and when they are exhausted, don't count on combat effectiveness.

In fact, the collapse of troops due to the speed of the march is also not uncommon in military history.

……

At the Vienna Palace, Franz is holding a welcome banquet for the arrival of Vittorio Emanuele III.

Franco-Austrian relations were okay in the past, and although Austria recognized Vittorio Emanuele III as King of Sardinia, it was only in private.

On the surface, the Vienna government, like the rest of Europe, remained silent on this issue, as if it did not know anything.

Now it's different, France and Austria are fighting, so naturally there is no need to care about the feelings of the French.

In order to build momentum for Vittorio Emanuele III and to convince the Italian people that Austria was there to liberate them, Franz had to attend the welcome banquet in person to show the Austrian government's political support for the Kingdom of Sardinia's regaining independence.

Except for a non-nutritious cliché, nothing substantive was discussed at the banquet, and Franz only showed his face and left in a hurry.

The emperor is gone, and the feast continues. The task of hosting Vittorio Emanuele III fell to Wessenberg, as Foreign Secretary.

Vittorio Emanuele III asked with great concern: "Your Excellency, at what point is the war in Italy going on, and when will I be able to lead the Italian independence movement at the front?" ”

There is no way, Vittorio Emanuele III has been stimulated a little bit lately, especially by being under house arrest in Britain.

There has never been such an urgent need to restore the country now. If Franz hadn't left too quickly and didn't give him a chance to speak, what he was asking now would be ......

"Your Majesty, don't be in a hurry. When you first arrive in Vienna, you should take advantage of the sights.

Trust me, you won't be disappointed in Vienna. It's the most beautiful city in the world. ”

After speaking, Weissenberg picked up a glass of red wine and took a small sip. Looking at Vittorio Emanuele III with an anxious face, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

There is no such thing as a free lunch, and if Austria wants to help restore the country, Vittorio Emanuele III will naturally have to pay the price.

Otherwise, there were so many people qualified to restore the Kingdom of Sardinia, why should the Vienna government support him?

Just by virtue of Vittorio Emanuele III being the most orthodox now?

Unfortunately, it is now the end of the 19th century, and orthodoxy has to make concessions for profit.

The Bonaparte dynasty is an example of this, where European countries did not send troops to interfere with the restoration of Napoleon III in the name of legitimacy.

Of course, in the case of a small gap of interests, the Viennese government was more than willing to support the orthodox monarchy, after all, the Habsburgs were now flaunting orthodoxy and working for the unification of the German regions.

"Your Excellency, the name of Vienna has long spread all over the world, and I have been fascinated for a long time, and I have long wanted to visit it.

But now the people of Sardinia are still suffering under the enslavement of the French, and as their king, I am very ashamed that I am not able to free them, and I really have no face to do anything else. ”

Putting down your body and slapping on the back is no pressure for Vittorio Emanuele III.

Unlike other kings, Vittorio Emanuele III grew up in an environment under the fence, and his arrogance could not be nurtured at all.

Although he was not very impressed by Vittorio Emanuele III's thoughts, Wesenberg gave him a high look.

As a king, not only is he able to put his body down, but he also has a keen sense of judgment. After discovering that nothing could be done, he decisively reduced the Italian region to the Kingdom of Sardinia, implying that he had no ambitions.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. God will punish the French invaders, and the Kingdom of Sardinia will eventually gain independence.

Austria, unlike France, is a peace-loving country that does not have any ambitions for the territory of the Italian region and does not expand in the Italian region.

Supporting the independence of the Kingdom of Sardinia has always been our political proposition, but it will cost us very much to drive out the French.

As you may have heard, we have formed anti-French alliances with Belgium, the German Confederation and other countries.

In order to protect everyone's interests, we have to adopt the principle of equivalent exchange. After the expulsion of the French, all the belligerents distributed the spoils according to their contributions.

With the current situation in your country, I am afraid that it will be difficult to contribute to this war, and it is reasonable to say that you are not qualified to share the spoils.

However, looking at the traditional friendship between Austria and Saxonia, we will still support the independence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, but at the cost of your country's military expenses.

The exact figure is determined based on the actual post-war expenditure. Of course, if you can make a certain contribution on the battlefield, then you can also reduce some of the amortization accordingly. ”

Hearing the words "Friendship of Osa", Vittorio Emanuele III's face was slightly unnatural.

There is no way, if this word gets out, it will be another joke of this century.

The Kingdom of Sardinia has come to this point, and Austria has also played a great role, if not a decisive role.

If Austria hadn't beaten them half-through, the French wouldn't have taken Sardinia so easily, and perhaps the situation would have been different.

It is a pity that history has no ifs, and what is even more tragic is that the Auss-Sa War was instigated by the Kingdom of Sardinia on its own initiative, which made Vittorio Emanuele III's father bear the infamy to this day.

The reality is so cruel, people only remember the winners, and the losers are sinners, even if the intention is great.

Whitewashing was impossible, and the defeat of the Aussian-Sa War directly led to the inability of the Kingdom of Sardinia to resist the French invasion.

Vittorio Emanuele II became synonymous with idiots and megalomaniacs, even though he was pushed into battle by the Sardinian populace.

After a brief period of discomfort, Vittorio Emanuele III recovered and pondered Wessenberg's words.

He hesitated not because the conditions in Austria were too harsh, but because they were too generous, to the point that Vittorio Emanuele III could not have believed.

Just a part of the military expenses can be exchanged for the restoration of Sardinia, where to find such a cheap thing?

After a moment's hesitation, Vittorio Emanuele III tentatively asked, "How much of the French army has invested on the southern front?" ”

In addition to the tension of the war and the desperate need for allies, Vittorio Emanuele III could no longer think of a reason for Austria to offer such lenient terms.

Wesenberg shook his head: "It's okay! The French focused their strategy on the Central European theater and were mainly on the defensive in Italy.

Your Majesty, you should know that the terrain of the Italian region is not suitable for a decisive battle with a large army.

The decisive battle in Italy is a replica of the Anglo-Russian war in Afghanistan, and it can be fought as long as everyone wants.

If it were not for the liberation of the Italian regions, to help the countries free themselves from the enslavement of the French, we would not have entangled with them on the southern front. ”

Knowing the doubts in Vittorio Emanuele III's mind, Wesenberg didn't mean to explain.

It's not that the Austrian government wants to give preferential treatment to the Kingdom of Sardinia, it's just that I don't know what I want now.

Territory?

There is no shortage of Austria at all, the best of Italy is in the hands of Austria, and the rest is rotten.

Continuing to expand, there is no value in it other than adding trouble.

Even Sicily, which now seemed strategically important, was of no value to Austria after the war.

There is no way, the current kingdom of Sardinia exists only in theory. Vittorio Emanuele III had nothing but an orthodox name.

Even if you want to extract oil, you have to wait until after the Kingdom of Sardinia becomes independent. Without a single word, Vittorio Emanuele III signed a bunch of unequal treaties, how can people control the field in the future?

Austria needed a stable kingdom of Sardinia, constantly adding to the French; And not a kingdom of Sardinia, which is in need of help at all times.

The pie was smashed, and Vittorio Emanuele III, who was already hungry, had to eat it, regardless of whether it was poisonous or not.

……

On 21 October 1890, Vittorio Emanuele III signed the Aussa Agreement with Wessenberg.

The content of the treaty, naturally, is to talk about the friendship between Austria and Sa. The original unpleasantness was a deliberate conspiracy created by the French in order to annex the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Anyway, so much time has passed, and even if the older generation is still alive, there are now even more hateful French people who pull hatred, and it is not a matter of Osa hatred.

With the signing of the treaty, the decades-long feud between Austria and Sa since 1847 came to an end, and the relationship between the two countries entered a new level.