Chapter 204: Negotiations
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Chapter 204: Negotiations
After receiving the message that Archduke Charles had sent a military envoy, Napoleon turned to General Soult, who was accompanying him, and asked, "General Soult, what do you think the Austrian envoy is here for?"
"Most likely to negotiate a peace agreement," Soult replied after a moment's thought.
"Go on," Napoleon said. His recent interactions with Soult had left him quite satisfied. He found this new subordinate to be tactically sound and sharp-minded, making him curious to hear Soult's opinion.
"Your Excellency, we can certainly defeat the Austrians, and I believe Archduke Charles understands that. However, he also knows how precious time is for us at the moment. He probably wants to use this time to bargain with us."
"So, what do you think our approach should be?" Napoleon asked.
"It depends on the conditions they propose, Your Excellency," Soult replied.
"Very well," Napoleon nodded. "Bring the envoy here and, on the way, let him see the cannons we've captured."
In Verdun, when the British and Prussian armies retreated into their camps, they left behind a significant number of cannons, especially the British, who abandoned many large naval cannons. While military discipline required the firing mechanisms to be disabled when abandoning cannons (to prevent their immediate use without repairs), due to the sheer quantity and limited time, about half of the cannons had functional firing mechanisms.
Thanks to the recent dry weather and the additional labor force from German mercenaries, along with the capture of many draft horses (virtually all of the British artillery horses had been taken prisoner, and with nearly half of the cannons rendered unusable, there was a surplus of these horses), the captured cannons were barely keeping up with Napoleon's marching speed. However, in the context of ammunition shortages, the presence of these cannons only added to the logistical stress.
Nevertheless, these cannons were quite effective at intimidating the enemy, and the Austrians were unlikely to be aware of the limited ammunition at Napoleon's disposal. (Of course, before the invention of synthetic ammonia, few countries had ample gunpowder.)
Soult escorted Archduke Charles's envoy to meet Napoleon.
Although the Austrian envoy had been waiting for quite a while, he remained composed and courteous. This demeanor impressed Soult, and he felt somewhat favorably disposed toward the envoy.
"I regret to inform you, General Bonaparte is not here," Soult said. "However, I have been tasked with taking you to meet him. I'm sorry, but we don't have suitable carriages, so you will have to ride with us to the general's location."
"That's not a problem; when can we depart?" the young Austrian envoy asked.
Metternich nodded with a smile, "Our Emperor has always been a kind and peaceful monarch, so, when the war began, he considered that the disputes between our nations ultimately should be resolved through peaceful negotiations..."
"But your Emperor would prefer to hold the talks in Paris, right?" Napoleon couldn't help but add a touch of sarcasm.
"That is not the main issue, General," Metternich replied. "Due to such considerations, His Imperial Majesty has authorized Archduke Charles and France to engage in peace negotiations at the outbreak of the war. I carry here the Imperial Majesty's authorization, which certifies my negotiating credentials."
As he spoke, Metternich reached for a document bag that had already been inspected by Napoleon's guards to prevent any potential assassination attempts. Such incidents were rare, but Joseph had always been cautious, so Napoleon's guards had received specialized training organized by Joseph.
Metternich opened the bag and handed a document to Napoleon. Upon inspection, it indeed was a valid authorization. It seemed that the Austrian Emperor had planned for negotiations in case the situation turned unfavorable, unlike the Russians who had agreed to conditions but needed nearly a month to send a proper peace envoy.
"Very well," Napoleon nodded. "While I may not have full authorization, I am one of the rulers of the French Republic now. I believe I can represent France in deciding matters of war and peace with your country. Now, Mr. Metternich, what are the conditions Austria hopes to achieve for peace?"
"We hope to return to the state of peace before it was broken. Furthermore, this peace should also include the issue of peace between our nation and the Cisalpine Republic," Metternich said.
Napoleon smiled, "So, your country unilaterally tore up the peace agreement, and now you hope to restore peace without any consequences?"
"We can offer you assistance," Metternich replied.
"Oh? What kind of assistance can your country provide?" Napoleon inquired.
"We can cede Luxembourg, allowing you to save valuable time for your eastern advance," Metternich said.
"We can capture it ourselves," Mura interjected at Napoleon's side.
"But it will take time," Metternich responded. "General, even though I haven't served in the military, when I arrived here, Archduke Charles told me that your army has the capability to take Luxembourg. However, he believes that he can hold out for at least two months. After your brilliant victory in Verdun, both Hanover and Prussia are now vulnerable. But if you don't exploit their vulnerability promptly, the value of your victory in Verdun will diminish. Every second is precious right now. Our country can help you save this invaluable time. Why can't you be more generous to our nation, General?"
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Chapter 204: Negotiations
After receiving the message that Archduke Charles had sent a military envoy, Napoleon turned to General Soult, who was accompanying him, and asked, "General Soult, what do you think the Austrian envoy is here for?"
"Most likely to negotiate a peace agreement," Soult replied after a moment's thought.
"Go on," Napoleon said. His recent interactions with Soult had left him quite satisfied. He found this new subordinate to be tactically sound and sharp-minded, making him curious to hear Soult's opinion.
"Your Excellency, we can certainly defeat the Austrians, and I believe Archduke Charles understands that. However, he also knows how precious time is for us at the moment. He probably wants to use this time to bargain with us."
"So, what do you think our approach should be?" Napoleon asked.
"It depends on the conditions they propose, Your Excellency," Soult replied.
"Very well," Napoleon nodded. "Bring the envoy here and, on the way, let him see the cannons we've captured."
In Verdun, when the British and Prussian armies retreated into their camps, they left behind a significant number of cannons, especially the British, who abandoned many large naval cannons. While military discipline required the firing mechanisms to be disabled when abandoning cannons (to prevent their immediate use without repairs), due to the sheer quantity and limited time, about half of the cannons had functional firing mechanisms.
Thanks to the recent dry weather and the additional labor force from German mercenaries, along with the capture of many draft horses (virtually all of the British artillery horses had been taken prisoner, and with nearly half of the cannons rendered unusable, there was a surplus of these horses), the captured cannons were barely keeping up with Napoleon's marching speed. However, in the context of ammunition shortages, the presence of these cannons only added to the logistical stress.
Nevertheless, these cannons were quite effective at intimidating the enemy, and the Austrians were unlikely to be aware of the limited ammunition at Napoleon's disposal. (Of course, before the invention of synthetic ammonia, few countries had ample gunpowder.)
Soult escorted Archduke Charles's envoy to meet Napoleon.
Although the Austrian envoy had been waiting for quite a while, he remained composed and courteous. This demeanor impressed Soult, and he felt somewhat favorably disposed toward the envoy.
"I regret to inform you, General Bonaparte is not here," Soult said. "However, I have been tasked with taking you to meet him. I'm sorry, but we don't have suitable carriages, so you will have to ride with us to the general's location."
"That's not a problem; when can we depart?" the young Austrian envoy asked.
Metternich nodded with a smile, "Our Emperor has always been a kind and peaceful monarch, so, when the war began, he considered that the disputes between our nations ultimately should be resolved through peaceful negotiations..."
"But your Emperor would prefer to hold the talks in Paris, right?" Napoleon couldn't help but add a touch of sarcasm.
"That is not the main issue, General," Metternich replied. "Due to such considerations, His Imperial Majesty has authorized Archduke Charles and France to engage in peace negotiations at the outbreak of the war. I carry here the Imperial Majesty's authorization, which certifies my negotiating credentials."
As he spoke, Metternich reached for a document bag that had already been inspected by Napoleon's guards to prevent any potential assassination attempts. Such incidents were rare, but Joseph had always been cautious, so Napoleon's guards had received specialized training organized by Joseph.
Metternich opened the bag and handed a document to Napoleon. Upon inspection, it indeed was a valid authorization. It seemed that the Austrian Emperor had planned for negotiations in case the situation turned unfavorable, unlike the Russians who had agreed to conditions but needed nearly a month to send a proper peace envoy.
"Very well," Napoleon nodded. "While I may not have full authorization, I am one of the rulers of the French Republic now. I believe I can represent France in deciding matters of war and peace with your country. Now, Mr. Metternich, what are the conditions Austria hopes to achieve for peace?"
"We hope to return to the state of peace before it was broken. Furthermore, this peace should also include the issue of peace between our nation and the Cisalpine Republic," Metternich said.
Napoleon smiled, "So, your country unilaterally tore up the peace agreement, and now you hope to restore peace without any consequences?"
"We can offer you assistance," Metternich replied.
"Oh? What kind of assistance can your country provide?" Napoleon inquired.
"We can cede Luxembourg, allowing you to save valuable time for your eastern advance," Metternich said.
"We can capture it ourselves," Mura interjected at Napoleon's side.
"But it will take time," Metternich responded. "General, even though I haven't served in the military, when I arrived here, Archduke Charles told me that your army has the capability to take Luxembourg. However, he believes that he can hold out for at least two months. After your brilliant victory in Verdun, both Hanover and Prussia are now vulnerable. But if you don't exploit their vulnerability promptly, the value of your victory in Verdun will diminish. Every second is precious right now. Our country can help you save this invaluable time. Why can't you be more generous to our nation, General?"
Unlock exclusive early access to The Complete Novel (All the chapters) before anyone else by becoming a valued member of my Patreon community.
Chapter 204: NegotiationsAfter receiving the message that Archduke Charles had sent a military envoy, Napoleon turned to General Soult, who was accompanying him, and asked, "General Soult, what do you think the Austrian envoy is here for?""Most likely to negotiate a peace agreement," Soult replied after a moment's thought."Go on," Napoleon said. His recent interactions with Soult had left him quite satisfied. He found this new subordinate to be tactically sound and sharp-minded, making him curious to hear Soult's opinion."Your Excellency, we can certainly defeat the Austrians, and I believe Archduke Charles understands that. However, he also knows how precious time is for us at the moment. He probably wants to use this time to bargain with us.""So, what do you think our approach should be?" Napoleon asked."It depends on the conditions they propose, Your Excellency," Soult replied."Very well," Napoleon nodded. "Bring the envoy here and, on the way, let him see the cannons we've captured."In Verdun, when the British and Prussian armies retreated into their camps, they left behind a significant number of cannons, especially the British, who abandoned many large naval cannons. While military discipline required the firing mechanisms to be disabled when abandoning cannons to prevent their immediate use without repairs, due to the sheer quantity and limited time, about half of the cannons had functional firing mechanisms.Thanks to the recent dry weather and the additional labor force from German mercenaries, along with the capture of many draft horses virtually all of the British artillery horses had been taken prisoner, and with nearly half of the cannons rendered unusable, there was a surplus of these horses, the captured cannons were barely keeping up with Napoleon's marching speed. However, in the context of ammunition shortages, the presence of these cannons only added to the logistical stress.Nevertheless, these cannons were quite effective at intimidating the enemy, and the Austrians were unlikely to be aware of the limited ammunition at Napoleon's disposal. Of course, before the invention of synthetic ammonia, few countries had ample gunpowder.Soult escorted Archduke Charles's envoy to meet Napoleon.Although the Austrian envoy had been waiting for quite a while, he remained composed and courteous. This demeanor impressed Soult, and he felt somewhat favorably disposed toward the envoy."I regret to inform you, General Bonaparte is not here," Soult said. "However, I have been tasked with taking you to meet him. I'm sorry, but we don't have suitable carriages, so you will have to ride with us to the general's location.""That's not a problem; when can we depart?" the young Austrian envoy asked.Metternich nodded with a smile, "Our Emperor has always been a kind and peaceful monarch, so, when the war began, he considered that the disputes between our nations ultimately should be resolved through peaceful negotiations...""But your Emperor would prefer to hold the talks in Paris, right?" Napoleon couldn't help but add a touch of sarcasm."That is not the main issue, General," Metternich replied. "Due to such considerations, His Imperial Majesty has authorized Archduke Charles and France to engage in peace negotiations at the outbreak of the war. I carry here the Imperial Majesty's authorization, which certifies my negotiating credentials."As he spoke, Metternich reached for a document bag that had already been inspected by Napoleon's guards to prevent any potential assassination attempts. Such incidents were rare, but Joseph had always been cautious, so Napoleon's guards had received specialized training organized by Joseph.Metternich opened the bag and handed a document to Napoleon. Upon inspection, it indeed was a valid authorization. It seemed that the Austrian Emperor had planned for negotiations in case the situation turned unfavorable, unlike the Russians who had agreed to conditions but needed nearly a month to send a proper peace envoy."Very well," Napoleon nodded. "While I may not have full authorization, I am one of the rulers of the French Republic now. I believe I can represent France in deciding matters of war and peace with your country. Now, Mr. Metternich, what are the conditions Austria hopes to achieve for peace?""We hope to return to the state of peace before it was broken. Furthermore, this peace should also include the issue of peace between our nation and the Cisalpine Republic," Metternich said.Napoleon smiled, "So, your country unilaterally tore up the peace agreement, and now you hope to restore peace without any consequences?""We can offer you assistance," Metternich replied."Oh? What kind of assistance can your country provide?" Napoleon inquired."We can cede Luxembourg, allowing you to save valuable time for your eastern advance," Metternich said."We can capture it ourselves," Mura interjected at Napoleon's side."But it will take time," Metternich responded. "General, even though I haven't served in the military, when I arrived here, Archduke Charles told me that your army has the capability to take Luxembourg. However, he believes that he can hold out for at least two months. After your brilliant victory in Verdun, both Hanover and Prussia are now vulnerable. But if you don't exploit their vulnerability promptly, the value of your victory in Verdun will diminish. Every second is precious right now. Our country can help you save this invaluable time. Why can't you be more generous to our nation, General?"Unlock exclusive early access to The Complete Novel All the chapters before anyone else by becoming a valued member of my Patreon community.
