Talleyrand immediately revised his plan to meet Franz II directly. He did not even show himself in public, merely using his network in Vienna to gather information before reporting the situation here to Paris through the Shap Signal Tower in Baden.
Six days later, he received the Crown Prince's latest orders and immediately summoned the "wealthy merchant" Schulmeister—the Security Bureau's foremost agent in Austria.
In Franz II's study, Austria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kobzl Jr., was speaking eloquently:
...In certain respects, the Englishmen were indeed right. If they continued to bleed themselves dry in Silesia, France would reap the greatest benefit. "Perhaps for more than a decade, we will no longer have the strength to retake Italy."
Yes, although the Queen of France had provided some assistance to her beloved nephew, that had only been a matter within the royal family. Now, all of Austria was deeply hostile toward France because of the disastrous defeat in the previous war. Everyone was holding their breath, eager to retake Italy and the Southern Netherlands.
Minister of Finance Earl Stadion nodded. "Moreover, the war has also depleted Prussia. That is even more what the French wish to see." General Hoendorf immediately said, "But we cannot abandon Silesian territory merely to keep the French from benefiting.
"If we accept English mediation, you know that they are allies of Prussia. They will certainly join forces to suppress our interests!"
Yes, Austria was now divided into two factions over whether to end the war—
The Reformist Faction, represented by the Kaunitz Faction, hoped to end the war as soon as possible and devote its funds and energy to domestic reforms.
The Hardline Faction, represented by the military, advocated seizing the advantage Archduke Karl had won and completely recovering Silesia.
A few days earlier, England's Minister of