"Marshal, when will the routed soldiers you've gathered be handed over to us?"
Though slow to realize it, the German Confederation had finally recognized the issue of command authority. General Adrian, who was responsible for liaison, hurried over at once.
Archduke Albrecht shook his head and asked with feigned surprise, "Handed over what? Does my Allied Command Headquarters not have the authority to command these troops?"
How great the authority of an Allied Commander-in-Chief truly was remained one of the world's unsolved mysteries.
Belgium and Germany had been forced into joining the Anti-French Alliance and lacked the confidence to contend with Austria for leadership. As a result, the powers of the Allied Command Headquarters had never been clearly defined.
Authority without specific limits could theoretically be expanded without end. For instance, Archduke Albrecht had now incorporated the routed troops in the name of the Allied Command Headquarters.
General Adrian tried to explain, "But, Marshal—"
Before he could finish, Archduke Albrecht cut him off. "No buts, General.
"You know perfectly well how dangerous the situation on the battlefield is right now. If we do not unify command at a time like this, do you think we can hold the Rhine River line?
"The front lacks troops. I have already reorganized the routed soldiers we gathered and committed them to battle. They cannot be redeployed in the short term.
"If you want command of these troops transferred, wait until the war is over. Rest assured, I will not cling to them forever!"
Rest assured? How could he possibly be?
It was precisely because he was not reassured that General Adrian had come. In truth, the defeat at the front was also an opportunity for the German Confederation's central government.
If it seized the moment and took command of the armies of the