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

Chapter 1853 Changing Generals
Well, at that time, American military thinking was still very backward, and it was in the stage of copying France but not quite understanding it.

The more outstanding Robert E. Lee and others were on the front lines, the more incompetent the native French faction at West Point appeared, after all, it was these very people who had been defeated and lost their homeland by the British.

So these people were all eager to prove themselves, but the returnees stabilized the front line, shattered the myth of the British being invincible, and even brought in sponsorship from Texas.

Everyone understands the principle of "a wise man doesn't suffer a loss in front of him," but they can still continue to undermine each other, since the winds of change are not static.

For example, at this time, more than a year of war had already exhausted the Americans, with soaring prices, a stock market crash, a business slump, and a shortage of war supplies.

Cotton became the most sought-after commodity, not only for the front lines but also for factories within the United States. However, the US government urgently needed cotton to pay off its debts and to exchange goods with the Texas colony.

American paper money became completely worthless, and after the British occupied New York, they began printing paper money like crazy to buy goods from American merchants.

This caused the inflation rate of US paper money to rise dozens of times, and no one was willing to accept paper money anymore. Many middle-class people lost all their assets overnight, and many middle-class men and women even had to compete with black people for food in Southern plantations.

A group of "German-Americans" who did not speak German often appeared at the Texas border seeking asylum. Initially, the colonial government accepted them all, since they were mostly people who had been driven out and abandoned by the German Confederation.

However, they soon discovered a problem: this group of "Germans" seemed to be different from them.

Differences in language and lifestyle are tolerable, but this group clearly has their own different views on politics, law, and the country.

These things were already taboo for the vagrants of the German Confederation, but what truly made them regretful was the rapid increase in violent crimes such as robbery, rape, and shootings.

The Texas colony essentially continued the system from the German Confederation; the police still carried batons, and a few hunting rifles were only used to deal with wild animals.

Such a security force seemed like kindergarten level to the simple-minded American refugees, and so Colt's name quickly spread throughout Texas.

Gang culture spread rapidly, with American gangs roaming the streets, committing violence and extorting protection money. Any slight disobedience would result in shop windows being smashed, the place being looted, and possibly even a fire.

In addition, the Americans brought Black people with them, and these Black people did even worse than the Americans.

Soon the people of Texas could no longer tolerate it, and the counterattack began.

However, the main force behind the counterattack was not civilians, but the Texas army, since that was their specialty.

After a series of crackdowns on organized crime, gangs and Black people in Texas have been largely eliminated.

At the same time, the colonies increased their military presence on the border and began to strictly guard against American refugees, and any convoy carrying weapons or black people would be immediately deported.

This practice in the Texas colonies was condemned by American abolitionists, but it was widely praised in the American South.

In fact, there was considerable opposition to the entry of refugees and Black people into the United States before it even began, as it was seen as a violation of the Articles of Confederation.

However, few of those sent to the Texas colony were law-abiding citizens. But after being brutally taught a lesson by the Double Black, most of them chose to abide by the Confederate Articles.

In fact, the people most anxious about how the situation had turned out were Franklin Pierce and his cabinet, since everything happened during their term.

Moreover, if Britain hadn't made that risky move to attack Mexico, they might not be in this mess now. Keep in mind that even at this point, Britain was still operating under the banner of maintaining peace in North America.

In fact, everyone knew that this was a lie, but unfortunately, the Americans were not as loud as the British. While the people of other major powers might have been arguing a lot, no government was willing to publicly criticize Britain and demand that it withdraw its troops.

The United States sent an envoy to London to negotiate peace on the condition of withdrawing troops from Mexico, but unsurprisingly, the meeting was turned away.

At this time, under the British blockade, not only supplies but also intelligence were extremely unstable.

It can only be said that the British are professionals in intelligence work, while the Americans outsource everything. It would be strange if their intelligence were accurate.

The British could get whatever intelligence they wanted from the Americans by spending a small amount of money.

Furthermore, the Franklin Pierce administration, as well as a considerable number of American politicians, placed their main hopes on intervention from other powers.

Unfortunately, the Austrian Empire and Britain reached a deal, leaving France hesitant and demanding exorbitant prices.

The only country to give a clear response was Russia, but Nicholas I did not seem to take the matter to heart, while the Russian officials were only interested in making money.

The United States looked down on Spain and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, while Prussia didn't even have a navy.

However, this error could not be sustained indefinitely, especially with Lincoln, Davis, William Hill (the American Party) all eyeing the situation, as well as a large number of rhythmists.

Franklin Pierce needed to let the public know that he hadn't been doing nothing, so he naturally made contact with the high-ranking officials at West Point.

"Mr. President! The highest art of war lies in deploying the most troops to the places most likely to decide the outcome! And Pittsburgh is such a place."

"Once we recapture this industrial heartland on the upper Ohio River, the United States will regain the initiative on the battlefield! We will completely sever British supply lines and their connection to the Great Lakes region. The entire British logistics system will be paralyzed!"

Richard Delacfield spoke with great enthusiasm, representing the conservative faction at West Point. Delacfield's most advocated practice was daily memorization, requiring cadets to recite the textbook content word for word, even down to the grammar.

Richard DeLarfield refused any form of discussion or questioning at West Point, was a fervent enthusiast of line infantry, and was well-versed in various military histories.
At this moment, he was explaining to President Pierce with the same dedication he would show to students. As a politician, President Pierce had limited knowledge of these strategic issues, but he was a good student and adept at asking questions.

"General Delacfield, do you have any precedents or classic cases?"

This question struck a chord with Richard Delafield, and the old man surprisingly made an exception and answered it.

"Of course! Mr. President! In the Battle of Ulm in 1805, Napoleon concentrated his forces to seize Ulm, a key transportation hub, and forced the main force of the Austrian Empire to surrender."

This is a famous example of winning with fewer resources and achieving great success with minimal investment.

In the Battle of Jena in 1806, the French army's rapid advance directly destroyed the Prussian army's command system, and they occupied Berlin in less than two weeks!
Pittsburgh is now Ulm! It's Jena! You could become the next Napoleon with just a word!

Although Franklin Pierce knew nothing about military affairs, he had heard of Napoleon's name and those classic victories.

"General DeLefed, you're right! We can't stick to the old ways; we must take the initiative! I hope you can assume the position of Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army and take full command of this campaign!"

Franklin Pierce was telling the truth; he had long disliked Winfield Scott, especially since Scott had not only suffered a crushing defeat on the front lines but had also lost New York.

If the U.S. military had been able to hold New York back then, the United States wouldn't be in such a passive position now, or at least wouldn't be so panicked by counterfeit currency and stock market turmoil.

After the U.S. military lost New York, many people involved in finance suffered heavy losses. People like Isabelle Adjani, who made reckless investments, lost almost all their assets overnight.

But what disgusted President Pierce the most was that Winfield Scott knew it would be difficult for him to lead troops again, so he was preparing to enter politics.

Winfield Scott wasn't a very popular candidate, but Pierce's presidency was also quite precarious, so he wanted to replace Winfield Scott with a newcomer.

Just then, Richard DeLofty stepped forward and proposed a surprise attack on Pittsburgh.

According to President Pierce's thinking, if Richard DeLefed's plan succeeds, he will not only be able to restore his reputation, save the United States, and resolve the current predicament, but also eliminate a competitor.

Why not kill three birds with one stone?

However, President Pierce did not expect one thing: Richard Delafield did not actually want to be the Commander-in-Chief.

Surprisingly, this stubborn old man was very self-aware. He basically only knew how to do logistics and teach at schools. When he went to the front lines, he was an engineer helping to build fortifications and did not directly command troops.

“Mr. President, I am already sixty years old. I am too old to go to the front lines. Let the younger people take over.”

Richard Delafield spoke very modestly, which further increased President Pierce's goodwill towards him.

"America needs selfless people like you! The position of Commander-in-Chief of the United States Army is rightfully yours!"

Franklin Pierce placed the glass in Delafield's hand without saying a word.

"Come and drink this cup to the brim! May you achieve great success! Cheers to America!"

Richard DeLofty thus became the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army in a confused manner. Although the military observers of the Austrian Empire did not know the detailed intelligence, they were able to analyze the intentions of the U.S. military based on the general troop movements.

It wasn't that the military observers Franz sent were particularly capable; the main problem was that Richard Delafield's actions were too rigid, exactly the same as classical warfare tactics in textbooks.

It's fair to say that any officer who couldn't discern Richard Delafield's intentions must not have studied properly in class.
They immediately wrote to Franklin Pierce, and were subsequently deported as spies.

Franz found it amusing. What was there to spy on about American military intelligence? Besides, if the Austrian Empire really wanted it, it could simply buy it openly and honestly; after all, there were people willing to take on such a business.

However, it was indeed a very dangerous thing for the US military to concentrate its forces to attack Pittsburgh, because Pittsburgh's defenses were too strong. If the US military failed to capture it after a long siege, the British army could either take the opportunity to move south or launch a counter-encirclement, which could directly change the situation on the battlefield.

"Your Majesty, shouldn't we remind the Americans? If Britain really defeats the United States, then while the British will return to the Americas and their national strength will increase greatly, the main problem is that our investments in North America may be completely lost."

Prince Schwarzenberg said with great concern that he did not actually believe in the strength of the Americans, partly due to the arrogance of old Europeans, and partly because he felt that both the United States and Britain were exaggerating. He simply did not believe that there were millions of troops on the North American continent at this time.

Prince Schwarzenberg himself was more anti-Russian, but in his eyes, the North American continent should be a colony of the Austrian Empire, so he was in a competitive relationship with Britain and naturally did not want Britain to win.

"Don't worry. The British won't last long, and the Americans aren't as weak as you think. Do you know the real difference between a true great power and those that just appear powerful?"

Prince Schwarzenberg had heard many times not to underestimate the Americans, but he didn't really understand it. He felt that if the Austrian Empire's army had been sent to the North American continent, the war would have ended much earlier.

Technology? Population? Money?

Prince Schwarzenberg's answer was exactly what Franz had expected, so he gave his answer directly.

"Depth is also resilience. The United States already has the foundation of a great power. If the British want to take over the United States, they will have to be prepared to kill millions of people. Only in that way can they turn the United States back into their colony."

But the British were clearly unprepared.

"A massacre involving tens of millions?"

Prince Schwarzenberg couldn't help but swallow hard. Such a massacre was too outrageous. At this time, perhaps only the Russians in all of Europe could make such a decision.

"That's right. You can learn something from the Near East wars. Why didn't the Ottoman Empire perish despite repeated defeats? Did the Ottomans really love their country that much?"
To put it bluntly, even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse; it has sufficient strategic buffer. Even if many people hate it, it can survive as long as it has a portion of supporters among the majority of the population.

Franz's examples do not include the Austrian Empire because Austria did not have a truly dominant ethnic group, and therefore its stability was far less than that of modern nation-states.

Prince Schwarzenberg did not study the Ottoman Empire; he was more concerned with neighboring France and Russia, since these were the true rivals of the Austrian Empire, while the Ottomans were simply not worthy of his attention.

“Your Majesty, I understand. But are we really going to do nothing? We still have a lot of business in America, and they still owe us money.”

In fact, Franz considered this matter meaningless, but he still wanted to reassure people, otherwise Prince Schwarzenberg might not be able to sleep.

"We can write letters to the American generals at the front in the name of those students and military academies. Aren't there still a group of students in the US who studied here?"

Franz casually brought it up, and Prince Schwarzenberg suddenly remembered the military's previous plan and immediately understood.

"I understand. I'll get on it right away."

In fact, Franz's letter was somewhat superfluous, because the American generals at the front had already learned of Richard Delafield's plan.

"Has this brainless old man gone mad? Does he want to ram his head into the combine harvester?"

"Stonewall" Jackson said angrily.

(End of this chapter)