From Austria to Russia (Extended chapter)
Joseph certainly would not tell the Holy Roman Emperor that more than eighteen thousand of the enemy troops in Brussels were Southern Netherlands soldiers with little fighting ability, including the remnants of Witt's forces whose morale the Royal Guard Legion had shattered, as well as hastily conscripted peasants, peddlers, and the like.
Even the Netherlands Military had enlisted during last year's uprising, and its fighting ability was barely worth mentioning.
The only troops truly capable of fighting were the roughly thirteen thousand Hanoverians, who had neither cavalry nor artillery.
But the combined total of thirty-five thousand was all listed under Karl II's command, which sounded intimidating enough.
Joseph's pen continued moving across the paper:
"To prevent the Southern Netherlands from falling into rebel hands again, you need to send at least twenty thousand soldiers here. Moreover, Prussia and Hanover may also send reinforcements, so you would be better off assembling even more troops to be safe.
"Oh, there is another very important matter, dear Uncle. The threat posed by the Prussian Army near Liège has caused considerable trouble for our logistical supplies. As you know, wagons traveling from Luxembourg to Brussels must pass near Liège. This leaves our supply lines extremely vulnerable to attack. I therefore hope to requisition military supplies locally in the Southern Netherlands, which would also save you some expense."
Austria was currently covering a large portion of the French Army's military expenses in the Southern Netherlands.
And if the French Army could "requisition supplies locally," that would amount to taking over taxation in the Southern Netherlands. It would also inevitably require establishing administrative posts to facilitate communication with the populace and the transportation of supplies.
As for certain "incompetent" Austrian officials, having them temporarily surrender their authority during the war would then follow naturally.
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