The Legendary Figure - Archduke Charles

Chapter 3: The Legendary Figure—Archduke Charles

After exhausting his powers of persuasion, Franz finally managed to convince his mother to grant him the right to arrange his own schedule, though he still had to attend classes—albeit with significant cuts.

For instance, the religious, language, and art classes that Franz deemed of little use were compressed; had it not been for Sophie's insistence, he would have even slashed the political courses.

The primary issue was that the content remained stuck a century in the past, preaching things like: the nobility is supreme, the spirit of chivalry is sacred...

The subject Franz was most interested in, the study of imperial governance, was reduced to a watered-down version where all the political intrigue had been scrubbed away, leaving behind nothing but the "aura of a monarch."

For example: The Emperor shakes his tiger-like frame, and the heroes of the world kneel in submission, bowing their heads as vassals.

Was this meant to cultivate an emperor, or to hoodwink the masses?

If an emperor were truly raised to this standard, given the complexities of Austria, another name would likely be added to the list of monarchs headed for the guillotine.

It was already 1846. If nothing went awry, Franz would inherit this ancient empire in two years; time was running short.

Interfere in politics ahead of schedule?

That was clearly impossible. Any action that altered the grand historical trajectory would introduce uncertainty into the future. Before ascending the throne, Franz would not take such risks.

Of course, even if he wanted to interfere, he couldn't. What kind of political voice could a sixteen-year-old brat have?

Even as the Crown Prince, he could not overcome the fatal flaw of his youth.

However, this did not prevent him from stirring the pot. Often, being the hand behind the curtain was far better than charging into the fray at the front.

For instance, Franz was currently on his way to visit a great man, a legendary figure of Austria—Archduke Charles.

As the most legendary general among the Allied forces during the French Revolutionary Wars, he had defeated the French army multiple times. At only twenty-five, he was promoted to Field Marshal for his merits, and he was the only Allied general whom Napoleon feared.

Had the Vienna government not been so incompetent, squandering a winning hand, perhaps the war would have ended before the Russians even needed to intervene, and Austria would not have lost the Netherlands.

A Field Marshal who served only to highlight the incompetence of the Emperor naturally would not meet a good end, especially since Archduke Charles was a member of the imperial family.

Fortunately, this was the European continent, and Emperor Franz I—the protagonist's grandfather—was not a ruthless man, which allowed this Field Marshal, whose achievements overshadowed his master, to remain active to this day.

A titan of the military is not necessarily a titan of politics. After utilizing him to reform the Austrian army, his political rivals played a few petty tricks to force him into retirement.

From then on, Archduke Charles returned home to dedicate himself to military theory, authoring works such as Principles of the Art of War, Strategy Principles from the 1796 German Campaign, and History of the 1799 German and Swiss Campaigns.

A generation's military strategist was thus forged. Archduke Charles believed that military science consisted of two parts: strategy and tactics.

Strategy is the science of the supreme commander, tasked with drafting war plans and determining military operations. Tactics are the art of commanders at all levels, subordinate to strategy.

Both strategy and tactics are composed of certain rules or principles. An important principle of military science is: correctly calculating the forces and weapons available to achieve a predetermined goal; the force must be adapted to the objective.

Regardless of the size of the force, it only produces maximum effect when used at the decisive moment.

Therefore, correctly judging the timing and concentrating force at the moment where it can achieve the most effect is the most effective way to win.

Another key point is: forming an overwhelming advantage over the enemy at the decisive location. Force refers not only to the number of troops but also to morale, the commander's ability, and terrain conditions.

At the same time, he divided combat types into offensive and defensive, believing the offensive to be more advantageous and pointing out that defensive operations only have meaning when there is a plan to transition to the offensive.

He also clearly proposed the concept of a reserve force, explicitly stating that whether in offense or defense, one must leave a reserve to guard against unexpected situations on the battlefield.

Archduke Charles believed that a commander is vital to the fate of a nation and the lives of millions, but a commander is not born; they are forged through knowledge and experience.

A true commander must deeply understand the essence of war, study the laws of war diligently, and learn to apply their own and others' experiences in practice to master various military principles.

To not make use of such a genius military strategist would be a disservice to the reputation of a transmigrator.

Military reform is not just about being correct; the conservative forces within the army are often stronger than one might imagine, a fact Franz understood deeply.

Any reform infringes upon the interests of certain groups, and backlash is inevitable. Franz felt he could not yet shoulder such a burden.

For example, if Franz were to propose a reform of the staff system, everyone would likely laugh it off, and some might even whisper behind his back: "Go play somewhere else, kid."

If it were Archduke Charles, however, it would be different. Regardless of whether they agreed, everyone would have to sit down and give it serious thought.

"Your Highness, please wait a moment. The master will be out shortly!"

The butler spoke politely, his tone tinged with anxiety. Franz was no ordinary Archduke; was it really appropriate to leave him waiting like this?

But to Archduke Charles, these were trifles. In terms of royal seniority, he was of the generation of Franz's grandfather.

Setting that aside, given his influence in the imperial army, Franz had to show him respect, especially since he had come today under the pretext of studying military science.

"It is no matter. I shall wait here. By the way, brew me a pot of tea; I do not wish to drink coffee today!" Franz said with a slight smile.

He was not angry in the slightest. In any case, this old man would be "receiving his lunchbox" next year; there was no need to bicker with a dead man.

Time slipped away, and over an hour passed. Franz remained there, sipping tea and reading the newspaper, without a hint of impatience.

"Little Franz, it has been a long time. You've grown so tall!"

A hearty voice rang out. Franz knew the man approaching was Archduke Charles; no one else here dared speak to him like that.

"Respected Field Marshal, could you please drop the 'little' when addressing me? I am already sixteen!" Franz said helplessly.

"Is that so? My little Franz has grown up. What brings you to see me today?" Archduke Charles asked with concern.

Franz didn't mind the details of how Archduke Charles spoke. If he wanted to call him "Little Franz," so be it—after all, Archduke Charles was the brother of Franz's grandfather.

"Field Marshal, I have read your military works and gained deep insights, so I have come specifically to seek your guidance!"

"Speak then. What is it you do not understand that you need me to explain?" Archduke Charles laughed heartily.

"It is your philosophy regarding commanders. I have found that the imperial army is quite deficient in this regard and has not substantively solved the problem!" Franz began.