Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 419 The Austro-Prussian War Begins

Upon learning of the agreement between Iran and Austria, the Prussian ambassador to Iran rushed to the Iranian government to protest, but was turned away after being told it was a normal loan agreement.

After Bismarck came to power, he focused more on foreign policy in Europe, seemingly paying less attention to Iran. He learned of these actions only through the embassy and Hungarian spies. He believed Iran wouldn't affect Austria, but who could have predicted that Iran, through oil trade and cotton speculation, would become wealthier than anyone else, and possess a Shah capable of precise investment?

The first installment of 300 million rials has been transferred to the Austrian account through the Iranian Trade Bank. While not a large sum, it indicates that more payments are expected later.

The Principality of Romania also provided considerable support, as much of its domestic capital is controlled by Iran and Austria. Iran holds a 60% stake in the Vienna-Constance railway, in particular, which will continuously transport goods.

The Vienna Stock Exchange has been in an uproar these days, with stockbrokers selling off their shares to cut their losses. But some believe now is a good time to buy the dip, preparing to snap up quality assets at low prices.

The first battle of the Austro-Prussian War took place in Italy, where a large and well-equipped army, personally commanded by King Victor Emmanuel II, launched an offensive against the Austrian army led by General Albut.

However, in the first battle between the two armies on April 4, the Italian army suffered a crushing defeat, with officers and soldiers scattering and fleeing in all directions, to the point that they were no longer able to fight.

The collapse of the Italian front completely disrupted their plans—the Italian army, which was supposed to tie down the main Austrian forces, was routed at the Battle of Custocha. Worse still, instead of retreating to Vienna as expected, the Austrians pressed their advantage, and the Austrian vanguard had already approached the outskirts of Milan.

Unlike in the past, this time the Austrian army did not hold its ground and wait for reinforcements, but boldly expanded into Italy, with its forces pointing directly at Milan.

Meanwhile, the chaos at the Vienna Stock Exchange was turning into a frenzy. When news of the Austrian victory in Italy arrived, defense stocks, which had been plummeting, soared like rockets.

Bankers, already receiving inside information from the government, were frantically buying up shares of railway and steel companies. But a dramatic turn of events was unfolding. Austrian defense stocks, which had been ignored just three days earlier, were suddenly snapped up by mysterious buyers. Traders later discovered that all the orders came from the same account—held at the Iranian Trade Bank in Tehran.

"The annualized return on loans in Vienna has reached 15%, which is more profitable than the kerosene business."

Jahangir, the Vienna representative of the Iranian Trade Bank, was signing the final acquisition document with a gold pen. Outside the window, cheers erupted from the crowds celebrating their victory in the war against Italy. However, this victory had a side effect: Italians in Venice became targets of Austrian ostracism. They vandalized Italian shops and assaulted Italians. The Venetian police did nothing, and local security deteriorated drastically. Italians were forced to sell their property at rock-bottom prices and leave the region. The Iranians seized the opportunity, purchasing numerous high-quality assets at extremely low prices.

"We have now purchased 700 million riyals worth of assets and stocks, especially in the military industry. If the war does not end within three months, we can control 20% of Austria's military industry and 30% of its shipping."

Jahangir reported to Tehran that the war in Italy was undoubtedly a shot in the arm, and this rebound had temporarily spared the Austrian economy from impact, making it a good time to buy at the bottom.

In the Turin palace, Victor Emmanuel II listened to the defeat report, his face ashen. Even more terrifying were the reports from the citizens of Milan—some were inciting Lombard separatists, the radicals chanting "Freedom" and burning Italian flags in the streets. Trembling, he signed a letter pleading for help, requesting Prussia to immediately attack Austria to alleviate the pressure.

Even without his letter, Prussia realized that it had to launch a war as soon as possible. Late on the night of April 8, Prince Frederick Karl delivered a declaration of war to the entire army, fiercely condemning Austria's treacherous actions, calling on the entire army to pray to God for victory, and finally reiterating the glorious spirit of the Prussian eagle emblem, "By the glory of God, to our King and our Fatherland!" Then, in the early morning of the 23rd, the Prussian army crossed the Austro-Prussian border.

Chief of the General Staff Moltke's plan was as follows: Since Prussia was not deep enough and the surrounding countries could intervene in the Austro-Prussian conflict at any time, the Prussian army had to fight on the outer lines, launching a rapid assault with its advantages in information, resources and manpower, breaking into Austrian territory in a short period of time, and quickly launching a large-scale annihilation operation to encircle the main Austrian forces.

The central front consisted of the First Army, which was advancing towards Bohemia, with a portion of its forces deployed in eastern Silesia to form the Second Army, and a reserve Elbe Army for mobile support. In contrast, the Austrian army's poor preparedness, sluggish communication, and sparse railway network led to chaotic mobilization. While some improvements had been made in recent years, these were primarily in troop transport.

Moreover, the Austrian commander at this time, Benedek, was a highly decorated commander in the previous Austro-Italian War, but he was old and frail. In the early stages of Austrian mobilization and assembly, he was even slow to respond to the orders from the special envoy sent by the Austrian Emperor to complete the assembly of Austrian troops in Bohemia. Austria's mobilization began a few weeks earlier than Prussia's, but even the assembly of its main forces in Bohemia was a mess before the official start of the war, let alone launching an offensive.

On April 12, the Prussian Fifth Army and the Austrian Sixth Army clashed at the Wosunko Heights. Due to the slow and cumbersome advance of its supply train, the Prussians were able to gain the upper hand and establish a defensive position on the heights. At 9:00 AM, the Prussians reached the heights and launched an uphill assault. The Austrian Jäger units, the pride of the Austrian army, fought bravely and tenaciously against the Prussians, inflicting considerable casualties with their accurate fire. Other Austrian units also held advantageous positions and resisted fiercely. However, the Austrian army's valiant fighting spirit was no match for the terrifying rate of fire of the Prussians' new needle guns.

At 10:00 AM, the Austrian 1st Brigade suffered heavy casualties under the Prussian attack of needle gun fire, and its position began to waver. General Lamin, commander of the Austrian 6th Corps, sent a reinforcement brigade in an attempt to salvage the situation, but the newly deployed brigade was quickly mowed down in large numbers under the Prussian gunfire. Austrian corpses, several times the number of Prussian soldiers, lay scattered across the high ground. Despite the unfavorable situation, Lamin did not intend to give up. He judged that the Prussians were exhausted after several hours of fierce fighting, so he committed all his previously inactive cuirassiers and lancers to the battlefield, attempting to use the final, energetic charge of his cavalry to completely destroy the exhausted Prussian lines. However, Lamin misjudged the situation. When the Austrian cavalry launched their general offensive, the equally impatient Prussian cavalry simultaneously launched a counter-charge, effectively weakening the Austrian cavalry's offensive spearhead. Furthermore, all were equal before the Prussian needle guns, and the Prussian infantry also reaped a large number of Austrian cavalry. Meanwhile, more Prussian artillery continued to arrive and be urgently deployed to the battlefield, making it even more impossible for the Austrian cavalry to achieve their tactical objectives.

The Austrian army's morale plummeted due to the unprecedented speed at which the Prussian needle guns reaped kills, and their organized retreat turned into scattered routs. In this battle, the Austrians suffered 5719 casualties, while the Prussians lost 1122, a ratio exceeding 5:1. The power of the Prussian needle guns was undeniable.

(End of this chapter)