Versailles Palace.
The atmosphere in the Senate chamber was unusually grave.
Duke of Broglie clenched his fists. "We must respond. The Russians have already crossed the Western Dvina River and are only two hundred kilometers from Vilnius!"
His voice rose several notches. "Once Poland collapses, our country will have no choice but to commit more troops to the East Line!"
Berthier, seated in the second row, added in a low voice, "The General Staff Headquarters can deploy thirty to fifty thousand troops at any time. Weapons and supplies are all ready."
"Moreover," Duke of Broglie said with a nod, "if we use the railways to transport the troops to Karlsruhe, our soldiers can reach Vilnius in just two months."
Baron de Breteuil swept his gaze toward Talleyrand and Bayei. Seeing both men give slight nods, he turned to the Minister of Finance on his left. "Mr. Gaudin, what about the finances? If we send thirty thousand troops and conduct operations for a month and a half—"
"A month and a half?" Gaudin flipped through the documents before him and said hesitantly, "Your Excellency, if we delay construction of the railway to Orleans, we can raise those funds immediately.
"But I must remind everyone that His Highness the Regent has always said we should avoid becoming embroiled in the war in Eastern Europe."
"At that time, the Russian Army had not yet occupied Polotsk," Duke of Broglie immediately retorted. "Kilinski's and Bilak's corps had not been defeated either! Just one week ago, Kutuzov took advantage of the Lithuanian peasants' rebellion. He first used cavalry to feint along the Dnieper River, then suddenly forced a crossing of the Western Dvina River and seized Polotsk, which guarded the river mouth, in a single stroke.
"After that defeat, the main force of the Polish