May 3, 1799.
Passau.
Allied Forces General Headquarters.
"Enough!" Archduke Karl waved a hand with a livid expression, cutting off the staff officer who was reading the Stuttgart Declaration to him. Clenching his fists hard, he said, "Those pitiful cowards actually bowed to the French threats."
He looked up and took a deep breath. "Do they not know that the French can never control the German Territories for long? One day, they will face the empire's severe punishment!"
In truth, he was merely venting. He knew full well that it would be very difficult for the empire to win this war.
In fact, Vienna's armistice negotiators had departed for Karlsruhe ten days earlier—the Crown Prince of France was there.
Yet Archduke Karl, Vienna's most steadfast hawk, had never intended to surrender so easily.
Austria possessed uniquely favorable defensive terrain—mountains encircled it on three sides, leaving the French with very few places from which to launch an attack, all of them easy to defend.
As long as they held Passau for now—the main force of the French Army was concentrated here—within eight or nine months at most, the more than 300,000 French troops fighting far from home would be forced to retreat under the crushing burden of logistics.
Archduke Karl had absolute confidence in Passau's defenses.
The Allied Forces still had over 300,000 troops, and during this time he had personally laid out three defensive lines along the Danube River.
The French Army had previously attempted several attacks, all of which had been repelled without suspense.
Now, Vienna's recruits and logistical supplies were flowing here in an endless stream. The French had no chance at all.
When the French Army began retreating because of supply shortages, his chance to counterattack would come!
"Marshal," Werneck entered, holding a Shap Signal Tower document