Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 422 A sudden turn of events
The victory at the Battle of Kniegetz shocked Germany, and Austria was naturally jubilant. Although the casualties were still greater than those of Prussia, this was Austria's greatest victory to date.

Prussia, naturally, fell into deep thought, and even its supporting states began to waver. However, their victory over the Bavarian-led army of the four southern powers at the Battle of Munich brought all those countries that had supported Austria to a neutral stance. They would decide to wait until after the war.

The Prussian ambassador to Iran also received the news and rushed to see the Shah, but he was told that the Shah had already gone to Baghdad for an inspection!

No, I haven't heard of any activities Shah has been up to lately. Is there something you're hiding by inspecting him at this time?

In that case, how about he goes to see the Grand Vizier? What, he went to Baghdad with the Shah?

Okay, what about the Foreign Minister? Ah, he didn't go to Baghdad, he went to Malaya!

Good grief, there's not a single person I can talk to. Are you kidding me?

The Prussian ambassador even met with Musharraf and said that their loan would push a powerful country to the opposite side of Iran.

"If I may be so bold, Your Excellency, relations between our two countries have been at a freezing point ever since your country supported Britain's rights in Malaya."

Musharraf produced a document detailing an agreement between Prussia and Britain. It specified Prussia's support for British interests in Malaya and even indicated that Prussia would provide some support if it sent troops.

The ambassador understood; so that's what it was about. Iran wanted to teach Prussia a lesson. He needed to report immediately and then head to Baghdad; time was of the essence.

Grand Prince Albrecht seized the opportunity to launch a counter-offensive and recapture some lost territory. However, the situation remained dire. Apart from Iran, none of his allies could offer any assistance.

However, the situation for the Austrian army did improve somewhat. Two days after the Battle of Kregniz, the Prussian 5th Division, well-rested in the town of Kieschen, was the first to arrive and engage in battle. After an hour of artillery preparation, the Prussians captured the village of "Beard" and advanced to the foot of the Previchen Mountains. The Austrian troops had learned from the Prussian needle guns in the fighting over the past few days. The Austrian scouts improved their tactics, hiding in pairs in the bushes. One would fire, then pass the gun to his partner to reload, and so on. This tactic inflicted considerable damage on the Prussians, weakening their previously fierce offensive. Meanwhile, the Austrian Perschacher Brigade even repelled the attack of the Prussian 10th Brigade in hand-to-hand combat. Since the start of the war, the Prussians had never faced such resolute and intense resistance from the Austrians; even the commander of the 5th Division was wounded. The Saxon troops defending the village of Dietz were reduced to a pile of corpses on the riverbank by the Prussian needle guns. Austrian cavalry launched a charge against Prussian infantry in an attempt to turn the tide, but with little success and suffered heavy casualties themselves.

While the Prussian and Austrian armies were locked in fierce fighting on the main defensive line, the newly arrived Prussian 3rd Division began to flank the Austrian forces by crossing the Muchengrac-Kistzin highway. Although the troops stationed there were remnants of the Lingelsheim Brigade, withdrawn from the front lines, their initial resistance was extremely brave and tenacious, holding the Prussian forces at bay for three full hours. These three hours also allowed the Prussian 3rd Division to complete its flanking maneuver and launch a full-scale attack on the Austrian rear.

Just then, the Austrian troops defending Kieschen were suddenly ordered to retreat—Benedec, the "Prussian War God" who, although relieved of his command, still commanded the army, was unlikely to send his three corps; this was already the umpteenth time they had been tricked by Benedek. Upon learning that they could retreat, the Austrian soldiers instantly relaxed and began to withdraw from their positions in a joyful but chaotic manner. Wagons, horses, soldiers, and laborers tangled together on the roads and in the towns.

The Prussian army, seizing this golden opportunity, immediately launched an attack on the chaotic retreating Austrian troops. Fortunately, the Saxon royal guard brigade fought valiantly to hold off the Prussian forces, preventing the disorganized Austrian retreat from escalating into a large-scale rout and escape. After fulfilling their mission of covering the Austrian withdrawal from the battlefield, they left in orderly formation. The Prussian army, exhausted, rested on the spot and abandoned the pursuit.

Upon learning of the partial victory in this battle, Berlin organized a large court procession headed by the King to travel to the front lines in a six-carriage special train to celebrate the victory and conduct research. The Prussian army suffered 1553 casualties, while the Austro-Saxon forces suffered 5505 casualties, with nearly 7,000 captured. The exchange ratio of losses on both sides remained staggering, and the sheer number of Austrian prisoners of war is also thought-provoking.

Moreover, the Prussian army at the same time was not without its flaws. On the battlefield, supplies could only be transported by conscripting civilians to push carts slowly along muddy roads. The speed and efficiency were drastically reduced compared to railways, and many logistical supplies were stuck at the front-line railway stations, causing circulation problems. Many Prussian soldiers could not even get hot food, and because they had no tents, they had to sleep in the open in the field. Diseases such as dysentery and typhoid fever occurred frequently in the army.

Of course, what happened next also baffled the Prussian high command. The main force of the Austrian army had vanished. The Prussian army was shrouded in the fog of war. To prevent the potentially ubiquitous main force of the Austrian army from launching separate attacks on the Prussian First and Second Armies, the Prussian units advanced slowly, providing cover for each other.

The special train carrying the King, Bismarck, and Moltke arrived in Kieschen. Although Moltke, like the army group commander, didn't know the exact location of the main Austrian force, based on his intuition and experience, he ordered the First Army to advance towards Knischegretz, the Second Army to remain on the left bank of the Upper Elbe, and the Third Army—the Elbe Army—to cover the First and Second Armies. Now, nobody knew where the main Austrian force had gone; everything depended on luck, experience, and courage.

At the military conference the following day, many Prussian generals criticized Moltke's deployment. Moltke insisted on his view that the main Austrian force would definitely retreat to Kregnicz to regroup, because even if they were defeated again, they could retreat to the Olmitz fortress. Moltke could only deal with each criticism individually and remain steadfast in his opinion.

Bismarck, who was also attending the meeting, brought even worse news: Napoleon III of France had demanded an immediate ceasefire between Prussia and Austria. The Prussian army, which had mobilized its entire force, faced immense pressure and risk. It had to locate the main Austrian army as soon as possible and achieve a swift victory; otherwise, once the French army officially intervened in the conflict, everything would be irreversible.

So, where the hell is the main force of the Austrian army?
(End of this chapter)