The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1785 Looting
This time, Franz did not object; he knew that time was the most precious thing at that moment.

Franz knew very well that if he wanted to quickly break through the Nestos River defenses and occupy eastern Macedonia, he would have to pay a heavy price.

The so-called cost can be a military cost or a political cost.

After weighing the options, Franz clearly felt that it was more appropriate for Greece to pay the political price.

As I said before, from a purely military perspective, it wasn't difficult for the Austrian army to conquer these territories; the difficulty lay in maintaining the occupation.

Franz could no longer pay the price for Otto I; he had more important goals.

Or rather, the most important thing for the Austrian Empire was to weaken the British. Only when the British were weak enough could the Austrian Empire confidently carry out its overseas expansion.

Only weaker countries dare to expand overseas; otherwise, any country's expansion would only benefit the British.

If the British had maintained their previous power, they could have easily overthrown and restricted the development of other countries' colonies.

Ultimately, this left those countries with no choice but to sell off their colonies at rock-bottom prices or join Britain as its vassals.

Franz was not exaggerating. The fact that the British did not do it so obviously in history does not mean that they lacked the ability or the ambition.

In fact, the British were involved behind the scenes in Spain, France, Russia, and later, in Germany, which was almost driven mad.

Especially after Germany began to seek land in the sun, Britain immediately created the Triple Entente to contain it in all aspects.

It's just that Britain's victory automatically led Germany to the side of evil, without mentioning who drove Germany to its doom.

Historically, even without World War I, the United States would not have escaped Britain's clutches.

Although the United States' industrial output had surpassed that of Britain at the time, every drop of blood flowing through the veins of so-called American manufacturing was British capital.

According to American economic commentators at the time.

"If the bankers in the City of London sneeze, the respectable people on Wall Street will wet their pants."

High interest rates and debt are both the driving force behind the rapid development of the US economy and the reins that Britain uses to control the US.

If the United States dares to go against the grain, then the nationwide economic crisis caused by the withdrawal of Barings Bank's capital in 1890 will be its fate.

The naval power, financial incentives, and diplomatic chains have always been the three great weapons of the British.

Franz wasn't a masochist; he didn't want to try every move.

The best approach is to strike first and seal or shatter the British artifact.

Although the British Navy has suffered repeated defeats in the past, its combat capabilities have actually been improving over the years, and it has not regressed or stagnated.

However, the Austrian Empire developed at such a rapid pace that it is difficult to replicate, so it has little reference value.

Although ships can be rebuilt and sailors can be recruited again, Britain, as a maritime power for hundreds of years, has a sufficient reserve of maritime talent.

But some who have lost honor and morale find it difficult to regain their absolute confidence in victory.

The idea that "a generous reward will surely bring forth brave men" is more like a stimulant; not only is the effect short-lived, but it is also very likely to cause side effects.

An army driven by external forces is often a god when things are going well, a ghost when things are going badly, and can even be a traitor within its own ranks.

After all, a generous reward will surely attract brave men, and it's not unreasonable for whoever offers the most to become the leader.

In the past, people always liked to sing stories of loyalty, but when we turn to history books, we find that self-preservation and profit-seeking were the norm for such money-oriented armies.

At this point, the Royal Navy was at a critical juncture. A major victory might allow them to stem the bleeding, while a major defeat could completely shatter their unfounded confidence.

In addition, the reason why Britain was able to replenish its resources so quickly was because of the capacity to generate revenue that it had acquired with real money.

Even if Britain were not currently mired in an economic crisis, such a series of failures would shake them, causing them to lose confidence in the navy, reduce investment, and adopt a contractionary strategy.

For a parliamentary country like the UK, the debt problem is almost a dead end, since solving the debt problem often conflicts with winning votes and even being able to govern.

Living beyond one's means is almost a necessity, but what happens when even that becomes insufficient?

The combined Austrian and Greek forces advanced rapidly and soon reached the Nestorus River defense line, where the Ottomans and British had a force of 20 men, commanded by General Henry McCley.

However, General McClellan's position as commander-in-chief was nominal; the Ottoman army under Ahmed Yilmaz was not under his command.

“Ilmazpasha, I hope your troops will not collapse like last time, which would lead to the collapse of the entire defensive line.”

Ahmed Yilmaz was not to be outdone.

"General McClelland was the first Redshirt to reach the Nestorth River line; we were just following closely behind."

General McClellan snorted coldly.

"We are defending the territory of the Ottoman Empire!"

"Our new army has shed more blood than your British!"

General McClellan was stunned by the Ottoman's retort. He knew perfectly well that what the other man said was unreasonable, but for a moment he didn't know how to refute him, so he could only let out a heavy snort.

"Humph!"

After a long while, both sides decided to sit down and have a proper discussion, since the Austrian imperial army had advanced so rapidly that it had already reached the other side.

If it weren't for the river, the Austrian army would have already advanced by now.

In fact, the Austrian army was very good at pursuit, but this time, due to transportation and supply problems, as well as the large amount of mountainous and valley terrain on the battlefield, they did not bring many cavalry.

Unexpectedly, the Ottomans and British fled so fast that they left no troops to defend the towns along the way, leaving the locals to organize their own armed forces for self-defense.

Many Ottomans along the way fled to the Nestorus River defense line with the army. Most of the remaining people had little will to resist and either surrendered at the first sign of trouble or waited for a better price. They would surrender immediately if the conditions were right.

Of course, even without offering them any conditions, they would most likely choose to surrender if the Austrian army showed any intention of launching a strong attack.

But in reality, Gablenz had no interest in dealing with these guys; his goal was to expand his gains, so he simply handed those towns over to the Greeks.

The Austrian army may have come to fight, but the Greek army was not necessarily; they looted almost every town along the way, regardless of whether the enemy surrendered or not.

As for the conditions, Greek generals would often agree to them all, only to change their tune once they entered the city.

Although Otto I was somewhat disgusted, he was also very pleased, since he hadn't personally ordered the looting of the town. This would not only boost morale but also solve part of the funding shortage problem.

It should be noted that Greece's financial situation was also not good, so this was a good opportunity to raise funds.

The hatred between Greece and the Ottomans could not be easily resolved, and large-scale looting and massacres were almost inevitable.

Furthermore, the population composition of eastern Macedonia is very complex, and mutual killings are inevitable, with some people even using the name of the Greek army.

So when Gablenz reached the Nestorus River defenses, he discovered that the rear was already engulfed in flames. He had no choice but to halt the attack and wait for reinforcements. "General, are those Greeks even an army? Why are they only concerned with looting? Why are they leaving all the hard fighting to us?"

"A young officer said indignantly."

In fact, there were quite a few people who shared similar thoughts. The soldiers' desire to plunder far exceeded that of the officers, after all, they were really broke and were on the front lines risking their lives.

However, after Franz's reforms, the military discipline of the Austrian Empire became much stricter than before, and coupled with the brainwashing of the church, the moral standards of the soldiers were greatly raised.

However, the situation was different now, because the other party was a sworn enemy, a heretic, and the murderer who plotted to kill Her Majesty the Queen.

This sentiment didn't have much of an impact on senior officers. Gablenz was still thinking about the old ways he used to do on his home soil, and he was afraid that if he ordered the looting of towns, he would be sent to a military court.

"We are soldiers, and we have our bottom line."

"I can't help it," Gablenz said helplessly.

To be honest, Gablenz had no real interest in plundering; he had done it quite often in the colonies back in the day.

However, the indigenous people in Africa really don't have much to steal; sometimes, even if they manage to steal a few jars of condiments, they might be poisonous.

"So we're just going to shoulder everything and let others reap the benefits?"

The leading officer questioned the others, who echoed his sentiments.

"Yeah yeah!"

"What's all the noise about! Do you want to go to a military court or a religious inquisition?"

His Majesty only issued the order to attack; he did not authorize us to do any of those other shady things!
Do you intend to disobey His Majesty the Emperor's orders?

Gablenz's words dealt a heavy blow to everyone. Franz still held considerable authority in the Austrian Empire, and at least no one dared to openly oppose him.

"Rest assured, His Majesty the Emperor is never stingy with rewards. You just need to complete your tasks, and the rest is to trust the Emperor and trust the country."

Gablenz's words finally brought morale back, after all, he was telling the truth; the Austrian Empire's soldiers had always been treated well.

If they survive to retirement, they can usually get a relatively stable job or receive fixed assets such as land. Disabled soldiers will receive subsidies.

One's death in battle allows one's sons and brothers to inherit one's military merits, and provides the family with a continuous pension.

Moreover, in recent years, the attitude of Austrian imperial society towards soldiers has changed significantly, and they are no longer simply regarded as legitimate bandits as in the past.

At that moment, an officer walked in.

"Your Excellency General, a letter from Vienna."

Gablenz took it and after a few glances, he felt that His Majesty the Emperor either had some special ability or had developed some new technology.

In addition to outlining the subsequent operational strategy, Franz also specifically mentioned the issue of plunder.

Looting is a natural human instinct in revenge campaigns, but massacres are strictly prohibited.

Furthermore, women willing to convert could be brought back to the Austrian Empire, where the Empire and the Church would provide them with refuge.

Note: This is for women only and requires conversion.

Franz even sent a "treasure map" that marked the residences of wealthy Ottoman landowners, long-established families, officials and merchants, mosques, mines, and fur factories.

Franz was not so rigid; the nature of the war was different, so the way it was handled was naturally different.

To put it bluntly, Franz didn't care about the lives of the Ottomans, but he also wouldn't allow the military discipline he had painstakingly cultivated for so many years to fall into disarray again.

Even looting at this time would be in line with the most basic understanding of most Austrian citizens: revenge should be done in a proper way.

In reality, most people in the Austrian Empire hated the Ottomans; only the Church hoped to use this opportunity to spread its faith.

Franz wasn’t particularly interested in religion, but he had to admit that religion played a significant role in uniting people and calming social emotions.

Franz understood that once the looting began, unsavory things were bound to happen, and since it couldn't be covered up by slaughter, he had to find another way.

Islam itself allows believers to convert to Islam during times of crisis, so he believed that the Church's plan to subdue the Ottomans was bound to fail.

However, in the 19th century, there was a very oppressive group within this sect where women generally had very heavy obligations and low status, and were often treated as mere tools.

The fact that the Austrian Empire's church allowed them to convert and join the Austrian Empire can be seen as a way of escaping their suffering.

Whether from a historical, social, or genetic perspective, women are more easily assimilated.

The Austrian Empire had many inherent problems, and it was impossible for it to continue increasing the number of ethnic groups and make things difficult for itself.

In addition, the Austrian Imperial War Ministry urgently drafted a law on looting, arguing that acting like bandits would actually reduce combat effectiveness.

Actually, similar things have always existed, but they have been further refined and categorized.

The strategic objective remained unchanged: to capture the Nestorus River defense line, occupy eastern Macedonia, and support the Russian offensive.

Gablenz liked Franz's new order very much because the Austrian army's moral bottom line was too high, making many tactics unusable.

Allowing looting is good; as long as the west bank of the Nestorus River is turned upside down, a large number of people will inevitably cross the river to escape.

He could then send some people in, who could wreak havoc on the other side, or spread rumors to mislead the enemy before launching an attack.

A forced crossing is almost an impossible option; the better course of action is to disperse the enemy forces and then wait for an opportunity to cross the river.

Now that the troops are gathered together, it is easy for the Ottomans to determine the Austrian army's crossing point. However, once the looting begins, the overwhelming amount of false intelligence will render the Ottoman intelligence system ineffective.

Just like investigating a case, too many clues are more dangerous than no clues at all; cognitive overload can more easily paralyze the other party's decision-making system.

Thus began a massive looting operation, with the Austrian Imperial army immediately scattering to take care of the key areas marked on the treasure map.

Besides looting and misleading the enemy, Franz had another purpose in this raid: to show the Ottoman families of East Macedonia what was to come.

After all, not firing a single shot is hardly a threat; to make those local tyrants give up resistance, they need to see the consequences of resistance.

Verbal threats alone are far from enough to deal with those seasoned heroes.

In addition, the Austrian imperial army also had to help Otto I restrain the Greek army. Judging from their style of plundering alone, Franz could tell that they were a bunch of rabble.

Otto I believed that allowing his troops to plunder was a way of showing goodwill to his soldiers, who would then be grateful to him.

Franz must correct his mistaken view; indulging them will only make those soldiers more arrogant.

Franz didn't think his cousin was capable of managing warlords, so he set rules for them, or rather, made it clear who was in charge.