Prime Minister of the Netherlands Schimmelpenninck, who had been meeting with key Cabinet officials, sprang from his chair in shock. "Tell me exactly what happened."
The officer placed the battlefield report on his desk. "General Bronckhorst was defeated by the noble rebels west of Utrecht.
"They have now surrounded Utrecht Fortress. The general requests that Parliament dispatch reinforcements as soon as possible. Otherwise... he can hold out for two months at most."
Utrecht was Amsterdam's southern gateway. If it fell, Amsterdam itself would be hanging by a thread.
Cold sweat had already beaded on Schimmelpenninck's brow.
Since taking office, he had faced one crisis after another. Now, even the capital was about to be lost—after surrendering to the Flemish Republic, the previous prime minister, Gogel, had swiftly been driven from office. Schimmelpenninck's Dutch People's Party had won the election.
Yet the moment he took office, the former Stadtholder of the Netherlands, William V, had gathered the Old Nobles and sparked a Rebellion in The Hague.
Well, William V himself called it "driving out the rebels."
This time, the noble army had rallied considerable support beneath the banner of "recovering lands occupied by foreign invaders," crushing the parliamentary army all the way.
Schimmelpenninck instinctively turned to Valkenaer, head of the Mobilization Committee. "How many soldiers do we still have available for reinforcements?"
The latter lowered his head. "About... one thousand, Prime Minister."
"That is nowhere near enough." The Prime Minister of the Netherlands shook his head. "Begin conscription at once..."
He stopped halfway through. Amsterdam had already carried out three rounds of conscription. If they recruited more men, they would likely provoke a popular uprising.
Silence filled the room for a moment before Minister of Finance Gogel cautiously said, "If we can move General Dandels's troops to Utrecht, we may have