Chapter 1673 - 1579: Bavaria’s Ambition

Chapter 1673: Chapter 1579: Bavaria’s Ambition

Just as Adorno was lost in thought, someone on horseback came chasing from behind, loudly asking where General Kosport was.

Adorno noticed the red insignia on the rider’s arm—indicating he bore the most urgent message—and hurriedly pushed open the carriage door, waving: "Sir, is there something urgent?"

The rider turned his head and, recognizing this leader of the "Stone Slab Faction," quickly rode over.

The so-called "Stone Slab Faction" represented the sans-culottes, named after the location of their first gathering on Stone Slab Street.

The rider leaned down, whispering to Adorno, "Member of Parliament, Engelszell Town has fallen."

Adorno felt a sudden emptiness in his mind, standing frozen.

Engelszell Town was the last town on the northwest border of Austria. Losing it meant the National Assembly’s forces had been completely expelled from Upper Austria, the core region of Austria.

Although everyone knew this was an inevitable outcome, when it truly happened, it was still as if the world had suddenly collapsed.

"Member of Parliament, I must immediately report to the Emergency Affairs Committee."

Adorno stared blankly at the man’s back, repeatedly thinking to himself: Perhaps, I’ll never return to Vienna.

...

West of Engelszell Town, the Austrian Western Army Commander Andre O’Leary frowned at the calmly flowing Inn River, asking the aide beside him, "Are you sure they haven’t reached Bughausen yet?"

"Yes, General," the aide said, "the fleeing group is over two miles long. We don’t need our spies to report it; countless people saw them along the way."

O’Leary gripped his riding crop tightly, hesitated for a moment, then turned to the order officer, saying, "Order Lieutenant Colonel Kleiner to lead the hussars across the river immediately and pursue them, with the infantry division covering them."

"Yes, General!"

The aide looked nervously at O’Leary: "General, this could cause trouble..."

Once Kleiner’s cavalry crossed the Inn River, they would be on Bavarian territory.

O’Leary mounted his horse, loudly declaring, "By the time the Bavarians react, we will have captured the rebels."

It’s no wonder he was willing to take such a risk. According to information from an informant, more than 30 National Assembly members were in the fleeing group ahead.

And they were less than 5 miles away, approximately 35 kilometers.

If the pursuit was urgent, they could catch up within two days. The Bavarian army should be stationed in Passau, with only a few patrol units along the long border.

By the time the Bavarians arrived, he would retreat from the Bughausen area back to Austria—this year, the low-water season of the Inn River came early, making crossing it nearly effortless.

By a little after one in the afternoon, more than 1,700 Austrian cavalry had reached the west bank of the Inn River with the support of the engineering corps, without waiting for the logistics camp, and galloped southward instantly.

The fleeing rebels could walk at most just over 2 miles per day, while they could cover nearly 5 miles.

Every Austrian cavalryman was extremely excited; it was said the rebels’ morale had already collapsed, and this would be a one-sided massacre.

If lucky enough to capture a so-called Member of Parliament, bounty and promotion would be within easy reach.

However, Lieutenant Colonel Kleiner had barely led his men out for less than 5 kilometers when they suddenly heard bursts of horn sounds around them.

Soon, the scouting cavalry returned in haste to report to Kleiner: "Commander, large Bavarian forces appeared from the south and west!"

Kleiner immediately frowned, but recalling the general’s orders, he gritted his teeth and said, "Charge through."

"But they have at least 3,000 men."

Kleiner’s face turned dark. Could it be an unfortunate encounter with a Bavarian army movement? His luck was really bad.

He had originally sneaked into Bavarian territory; lacking even the advantage meant he wouldn’t dare engage easily—even if they had one, Bavaria was the third-largest power in the Germanic Region.

Just as he was about to order a retreat, a sharp warning whistle sounded from the west side.

Another messenger hurried over, loudly announcing, "Commander, the Bavarians have launched an attack on us!"

Kleiner was shocked and urgently called out to the aide, "Vilda, send someone to explain to the Bavarians we mean no hostility!"

But the speed of the Bavarian army was unexpectedly fast; before Kleiner’s envoy set off, the right wing of the Austrian army was already caught in a frenzy from intensive cannon fire.

By the time the supporting infantry arrived, their hussars had 40 casualties, and another 70 were captured.

...

Behind the Bavarian army’s position, Cavalry Camp Commander Markut nervously spoke to Commander Zoller, "General, more than 12,000 Austrian troops have crossed the river..."

The latter glanced at him: "Don’t make me repeat myself, launch a full army attack."

He brought a force of less than 4,000, but he knew well that Austria, beset within and without, would not dare to fight.

Especially since this territory was within Bavaria.

Markut hesitated, "General, if this triggers a war, it could be troublesome."

"It’s fine." General Zoller smiled, "I can tell you a secret: Princess Catherine will soon be engaged to Crown Prince Ludwig."

He referred to Catherine, the eldest princess of Bavaria, and Ludwig, the Württemberg Crown Prince.

Markut didn’t catch on, "Congratulations to Her Highness. But what does this have to do with us?"

Zoller patted him and nodded towards the warhorse, "You’ll find out soon enough. Now, go drive back the Austrians."

The next morning.

In the commander’s tent at the Bavarian army camp, O’Leary’s aide, with a sullen face, spoke to Zoller, "General, you know, a large number of rebels are in the south, not far away. As an Elector of the Empire, you have an obligation to help me capture them."

Zoller merely coldly stared at him, "I have never received any report about rebels, but there are over ten thousand invading soldiers in our country here."

"Do you... really want to oppose His Majesty the Emperor?"

"Do you really want to continue invading my country?"

The Austrian officer stood dumbfounded for a while, finally conceding that he would immediately retreat to the east bank of the Inn River.

On June 12th, Adorno and over a thousand soldiers, along with 14,000 civilians, arduously reached Innsbruck—most of the others remained in Bavarian villages along the way.

What they didn’t know was that the Bavarian Border Army had shielded them from utter disaster.

Ten days later, just as the Austrian National Assembly’s remaining six to seven thousand soldiers were reinforcing fortifications at the Alpine Pass, news broke simultaneously from Munich and Stuttgart: Bavaria and Württemberg had officially allied, and the Regent of France announced he would officiate their marriage ceremony.

Indeed, Bavaria was acting on France’s request, dispatching armies to cover the National Assembly’s retreat at the border.

There was a deep understanding between Bavaria and France about preserving a force that could continually weaken Austria.

Of course, Bavaria gained far more than just that.

The Regent of France promised them full support for Bavaria and Württemberg’s long-planned "Southern German Dual Core" initiative.