Knowing where to draw the line

The Parliament system of the Southern Netherlands provides just such an opportunity.

Onck's Conservatives, who had been suppressed by Van der Noot, have made a strong comeback in Parliament this time by taking advantage of the "miracle" of saving the Witt's Legion.

It is foreseeable that, with the support of General Witt and the Southern Netherlands Army, the Conservatives will have the strength to rival the Liberals. And Onck will inevitably seek revenge for being ostracized before.

If Joseph were to allocate some resources, strike a balance between the two forces, and stir up public opinion, then the Southern Netherlands Rebels would be left with nothing but political infighting.

In later generations, whether in the United States or Europe, as long as the power between parties is close, they will fight tooth and nail without any instigation, let alone newcomers to the election game like Van der Noot and Onck.

Of course, all of this is predicated on Austria, a formidable adversary that could foster unity among the Southern Netherlands, remaining silent.

To achieve this, the Royal Guard Legion still have a long way to go.

"What? You mean pursuing Blücher?" General Leo, commander of the Austria Luxembourg Army, looked nervously at Berthier, swallowed hard, and then looked pleadingly at Lefebvre beside him, "Do you think this is feasible?"

He desperately hoped that his old friends, with whom he had fought side by side, could say a few words on his behalf, even if it was just to say that "his troops are utterly ineffective in combat."

However, Lefebvre said loudly with a serious expression, "General Leo, I remember that His Joseph II's order was to recapture the entire Southern Netherlands."

"Now that the Prussia and the Netherlands Rebels have just suffered a major defeat, this is the perfect opportunity for you to press your advantage and reclaim lost territory."

Leo subconsciously shook his head, thinking to himself, "That was a victory you won, why should I press my advantage..."

Berthier glared exaggeratedly at Leo: "Are you afraid of battle? Or do you intend to disobey His Majesty the Emperor's orders?"

"Ah, no!" Leo jolted, puffed out his chest, and shouted, "Long live His Majesty the Emperor! Even if I am shattered to pieces, I will definitely reclaim Southern Netherlands!"

"I knew it. You are Austria's most valiant general." Berthier smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Rest assured, France is currently at war with the Southern Netherlands Rebels. If any Southern Netherlands Army appear, I will fight alongside you!"

Leo breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing that the France would help, and said with a forced smile, "General, I'm sure you've already made your battle plans, haven't you?"

Berthier nodded. "Tomorrow at noon, you can launch your attack on the Prussia positions in the southeast, where the Liège."

"Tomorrow? Me?"

"Yes, the longer we drag this out, the better the Prussia ' defenses will become. I think it would be better for you to attack as soon as possible."

Joseph was unaware that, despite his best efforts to keep the number of the Prussian Army captured and killed below 4,000 in order to reduce the French Army's presence, the battle in Luxembourg still caused quite a stir in various European Continent countries.

Political leaders from various countries are discussing that although France and Austria have not formed a formal alliance and France has not declared war on Prussia, the current situation is developing in the direction of France-Austria joining forces to deal with Prussia.

Prussia, the administrative center of Pozztan.

Sanssouci Palace.

King William II, dressed in formal attire, looked at the Hanover envoy with delight. "I welcome Your Governor's suggestion to increase the number of troops."

"So, how many troops does Hanover plan to send to Silesia? Oh, I'll do my best to provide logistical support."

The Hanover envoy bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the Governor- General will, as Your Majesty commands, send another 30,000 troops. However, the destination is not only Silesia, but also Luxembourg."

William II was overjoyed. With the 12,000 soldiers Hanover had previously sent, more than 40,000 Hanover would be joining the battle. This would have a huge impact on the situation in Silesia.

Moreover, he heard the word "Your Majesty." That meant that the United Kingdom were also paying close attention to the war situation here. You should know that the Prince-Electors of Hanover was still held by the King of the United Kingdom. Although it was nominally an independent German States, it was actually a United Kingdom enclave.

With the strong support of their United Kingdom allies, their chances of winning have increased significantly.

However, Luxembourg didn't offer Prussia many interests. Had it not been for weakening Austria, Prussia would have already recalled its troops from the Southern Netherlands. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, were very interested there. Was it because of the France victory there? Or because United Kingdom had made some promise to the Dutch people?

Thinking this through, William II said to the envoy, "You should know very well that the core of the war lies in Silesia. If we can concentrate our forces to repel the Austria, and even penetrate deeper into Bohemia, then the Dutch people can easily take both the Southern Netherlands and Luxembourg."

"I will certainly convey your suggestion to His Excellency the Governor." The envoy bowed slightly. "However, until His Majesty makes a decision, the 20,000 Hanover Army will continue their journey to Luxembourg to assist General Blücher."

The United Kingdom weren't particularly concerned about the war in Silesia; even the Russia were more interested, since it was, after all, a Germany "domestic affair."

However, the France have intervened in the Luxembourg direction, and that area is very close to France.

If the France momentum cannot be contained in time, the Southern Netherlands rebels alone will find it difficult to stop the French Army. If the France then reach the mouth of the Rhine River, it will deal a huge blow to the United Kingdom trade.

Therefore, King George III quickly decided to devote all available Hanover to aiding the Southern Netherlands. The British Parliament also quickly approved the aid allocation for the Southern Netherlands.

Meanwhile, the Dutch people would also send an army of several thousand men to the Southern Netherlands. Although the Dutch people were unwilling to clash with the France, unification with the Southern Netherlands remained their greatest dream.

If the France gain the upper hand in occupying the Southern Netherlands, they will risk offending France to protect Netherlands "ancestral lands." Moreover, this time they have the United Kingdom backing them up.

Vienna.

Schönbrunn Palace.

Joseph II was already exhausted by the protracted war in Silesia.

Austria's current Finance situation is also far from ideal. In recent years, it has invested a lot of money in reforms. If the war drags on, Austria may be dragged down before Prussia.

Fortunately, news of the defeat of the Prussian Army in Luxembourg arrived this morning, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief amidst his anxiety.

Leopold II stood by his bedside, also smiling, "Your Majesty, the France have stopped two miles from Liège. It seems our sister knows how to exercise restraint."

According to the tacit political understanding between France-Austria, Luxembourg was essentially paying France a wage, but the Southern Netherlands would not tolerate any France interference.

The France are putting Austria's mind at ease through their actions.