"No, we have not lost yet! It is not time to despair yet. Even if the Bohemians and Hungarians have betrayed us, we still possess half our strength. If we fight the Germans to the death, we may not necessarily lose. As long as we hold on, the Americans will support us. Baron Marshal von Heitzenforf, I order all troops across the country to proceed to the front and resist the German attack. In addition, begin an emergency mobilization immediately. We need more troops!" Karl I ordered, his eyes bloodshot. He was like a gambler whose eyes had turned red from losing, determined to stake his last possessions for a chance to turn the tables.
"Your Majesty, even if we gather all the troops in the country, that will take time. Mobilization will take even more time. I fear that before we have completed these preparations, the Germans will already have reached Vienna," Baron Marshal von Heitzenforf said.
"No, they will not. Our existing troops can hold back the German attack. Even if we cannot defeat the Germans, we can at least buy time. Once we have assembled our other forces and completed the mobilization, we will have enough strength to deal with the Germans," Karl I insisted. He stubbornly believed that his plan would certainly succeed. Like a drowning man clutching at a straw, he believed that straw could save his life.
In truth, all of it was futile.
"Your Majesty, I fear we cannot meet your demands. Besides, with the situation having deteriorated to this extent, will the Americans still support us? That is clearly unlikely. I even suspect that this was all an American conspiracy. They wanted us to fight the Germans, using us to wear down Germany's strength so they could reap the profits without lifting