She changed Europe

Page 128

“As I said, Marta’s behavior was due to my being drunk, not something I did intentionally. If it hurt her, I will apologize. As for anything else, that’s impossible. I have never thought about building a closer relationship with Your Highness…” Bismarck’s tone remained consistent with her usual style.

Marta stood up and walked towards Bismarck, then expertly put her arm around her waist.

"Your figure is still so perfect that it's enviable. It's a pity that no one has the good fortune to enjoy the favor of the Iron-Blooded Prime Minister. Do you know how many men want to pin you down and do whatever they want to you? Or do you prefer them to that lovely princess? Can't that tormenting fox-eared princess arouse your strong desire to conquer her?" Marta seemed to be saying some unimportant words.

Bismarck's strength was no secret in Europe, and that's why almost no one could guess who this beautiful and powerful woman would ultimately end up with.

“I am the commander-in-chief of the army. My soldiers are fighting the enemy on the front lines. I don’t have time to joke with you.” Because of the height difference, Bismarck easily grabbed Marta’s shoulder and pushed her aside.

“You’re dodging the question! Lord Bismarck, the commander of this force is Helvad, not you,” Marta persisted.

"Enough! Let's end this pointless riddle and tell me what you really want, Mata Hari."

“That is to help the little fox get you.” After saying that, Marta’s eyes became a little playful. Then she burst out with some amazing strength, pushing Bismarck directly against the wall. Then she used her right leg to wed Bismarck’s legs, and then brought her cheek close to Bismarck’s, lightly touching Bismarck’s chin with her right hand.

"Princess Chloris is infatuated with Princess Gisela because Princess Gisela can constantly bring surprises to her boring life. Although Miss Jeanne de Darc herself has not admitted it, she also admires Princess Gisela because Gisela can make her feel the responsibility of sacrificing to protect others. As for Nina, Rita, and Aponia around her, they have different emotional needs for the princess, but none of these prevent them from turning into love for her."

"And you? Why did you help her?" Bismarck retorted defiantly to Marta.

“Me? I’m just doing this out of interest. I want to see just how far this princess is capable. Of course, as a reward for her meeting my expectations, I will try my best to get her anything she wants.” Marta skillfully placed her hand on Bismarck’s chest.

"I think I can feel the flutter of your heartbeat."

"Lord Bismarck, I think our army can prepare to break out to the north." Just then, the veteran general Helvar opened the tent, ready to tell Bismarck his thoughts, but saw two beautiful ladies doing something rather intimate.

"Ahem! I apologize for disturbing you. I'll wait outside for a moment." The old general quickly left the room, also calling away the two guards standing at the door.

No wonder Lord Bismarck has remained single for so many years; even the Crown Prince couldn't win his heart, Helwath thought.

"No, we should organize a breakout now." Thinking of this, Helwat, still lost in thought, hurriedly ran to the magic communication center to issue the order to the entire army.

"Are you satisfied now?" Bismarck pushed Marta away once more and left the tent with light steps.

"Could I have misjudged him?" Marta fell into reflection, slumped onto the table like a salted fish, and then took out a black and white notebook from her backpack, on which the word "diary" was written in Chinese.

“A little diary in the third drawer of someone’s forgotten dressing table at Schönbrunn Palace,” Marta muttered to herself.

Marta then opened any article, which was filled with dense Chinese text. However, very few Europeans understood Chinese at that time, but Marta happened to be one of them.

"Lin Wei, Gisela, and Su Beiming, how many secrets are still hidden within you waiting for me to explore? Should I call you Miss Lin Wei? Or Mr. Gisela?" Thinking of this, Marta jumped off the table, struck a match, and lit it completely.

Watching the fragments of the diary gradually turn to ashes and dance freely in the room, Marta felt a strange sense of satisfaction. Why did she only burn it now? Because she had originally intended to tell Bismarck about it, but ultimately decided against it and destroyed it completely.

Under the combined attack of the German princes' allied forces and Gisela's Austrian army, Bismarck and Helwath's Elbe army, after suffering nearly half its losses, broke out on the night of the 16th and retreated towards Prussian territory.

Gisela's reaction to the enemy's successful breakout was extremely calm, because from the beginning of the war she had not used the poorly trained and demoralized allied forces of the princes as the main force against Prussia, and it was also planned that they would be unable to resist the Prussian breakthrough.

PS1: Time really is a cruel mistress!

Chapter 477 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter96 The Actions of the Berlin Citizens (Seeking Votes)

After defeating her opponents, Gisela handed over the defensive line to the allied forces and, according to the plan formulated by the Imperial General Staff, completed the integration and deployment of the strategic mobile forces on the 17th. The light magical armor units of the 6th, 7th, 9th, 13th, and 21st Magical Armor Regiments served as the core of the breakthrough, complemented by a large cavalry force, commanded by Gisela herself, with her husband, Leo, as her adjutant. This decision was primarily based on Gisela's political philosophy of promoting cooperation with various states, and her emphasis on Bavaria as an independent state, which served as reassurance to the other states.

The military objective of this operation was to continue Gisela's mobile warfare doctrine employed in Italy. During the lull in the main Prussian battles against the Austrian army, the operation aimed to utilize the high mobility of the vanguard to capture key railway hubs as planned. Simultaneously, infantry transported by rail would be deployed at these hubs to complete defenses, thereby encircling the main Prussian force and driving it into Silesia. Correspondingly, this involved disrupting their logistics, and with the accompanying Berlin uprising as a prelude, completely severing the connection between the front and rear, effectively trapping them in Silesia.

Finally, the German forces stationed in the Sudetenland could easily recapture major cities such as Hanover and Brunswick, and their advance could then reach Berlin.

Gisela entrusted the task of liberating the cities to the armies of these states mainly to protect the interests of countries such as Britain and Russia. Britain, in particular, was most worried that once the Austrian army controlled these cities, it might not leave easily. At this stage, the British absolutely could not allow a unified Germany to emerge on this land.

Maintaining the status quo in the German region while maximally punishing and weakening Prussia would be the only possible outcome.

On January 18, 1875, Gisela Louise Marie led her army across the Sudetenland border between Prussia and Austria into Prussia, and launched an attack on Dresden, which was under Prussian control, that afternoon.

Upon receiving reports from the Elbe Legion, which had broken out of the encirclement, and from the Prussian garrison in the Dresden direction, the Prussian General Staff was forced to send troops from the Second Army Corps to reinforce Dresden. Unfortunately, during the march, a train derailed due to a railway malfunction, causing delays and preventing the timely completion of the reinforcements. Gisela, meanwhile, abandoned his infantry and continued leading his army northward.

During this time, a minor incident occurred in the Prussian military camp: Mr. Mackensen was demoted from a major to a cavalry captain for once again publicly challenging the authority of the Crown Prince due to a disagreement with Frederick, and was sent to the front.

The enemy's mobile forces' flanking maneuvers and encirclements that he warned Frederick to be wary of were ignored. The reason given was that the Austrians lacked the mobility to quickly cut off the Prussian army's logistics, and that it would be very easy for them to break out of the enemy's encirclement if they discovered that the enemy intended to do so.

Regarding the riots in Berlin, his confidant, the new Chancellor Friedrich, assured him that everything was still under control and that suppressing the riots was only a matter of time; His Highness should simply focus on the current tactics. To avoid delaying the war effort, he had already left Berlin for Frankfurt under Friedrich's direction. (There are two Frankfurts in Germany; this refers to the smaller Frankfurt on the Oder River, and the other is Frankfurt on the Main River, which is a major German city and the seat of the German Confederation Parliament.)

But what was unexpected soon unfolded. Following the Berlin riots, similar events quickly took place in major northern Prussian cities such as Hamburg, Lüneburg, and Poznan. People took to the streets, echoing the slogans of the people in Berlin, demanding the return of the fruits of their labor, opposing exploitation and oppression, demanding an eight-hour workday, and demanding equal treatment with the Austrian people.

Of course, these demands that challenge the authority of the Prussian government could not be compromised or agreed to, because unlike Austria, which had achieved great success in economic reforms and driven rapid economic development, Prussia's current fiscal situation was actually quite bad.

Then, with a gunshot from who-knows-who, the rebellion against the authorities was ignited like a powder keg struck by a spark.

At this time, in the city of Berlin, Prussian garrison troops and police were engaged in fierce battles with rioting civilians.

Although these civilians lacked systematic military training, they possessed high morale and, under General Lindenvann's command, fought a back-and-forth battle against the Prussian military and police. Utilizing their familiarity with the streets and precise control of the terrain, they launched attacks time and again from positions undetected by the Prussian regular army.

Accustomed to direct combat, the troops found themselves disoriented in the heart of Berlin. Even more alarming was the growing number of Berlin citizens supporting the rebels, which had grown from six hundred in the morning to several thousand by the afternoon. Their target was the prime minister's residence and other core government buildings. Ultimately, the government forces were forced to withdraw from Berlin and relocate to the suburbs, leaving the prime minister, who was taking his lunch break, stranded in the city.

When Friedrich awoke from his afternoon nap, his official residence was completely surrounded by angry citizens. The prime minister, who had been in office for less than a month, was forced to hide under his bed. His servants and doubles were quickly dragged out of the residence and paraded through the streets bound like dumplings. Taking advantage of the chaos, he abandoned his family and fled Berlin.

Berlin citizens spat at the rich to express their discontent and anger, and the poor's revenge against the rich had only just begun. Countless shops and private residences were looted by these disorderly civilians. At this time, the city was in complete chaos. Some radical citizens even began to demolish the Brandenburg Gate, which was considered a symbol of the Hohenzollern monarchy. Similarly, Charlottenburg Palace was set on fire, with flames soaring into the sky. Although the old king and queen were recuperating in Königsberg and escaped the disaster, countless treasures were looted and smashed or consumed by the fire.

The citizens of Berlin quickly convened the first Berlin Conference in the city council to elect representatives of the people, and put forward the right to universal suffrage for equal rights between men and women. They also demanded that all capitalists and nobles voluntarily hand over their wealth to the new city council, and at the same time form a National Guard.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 478 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 97 Austria's Counterattack (Seeking Votes)

Although Ms. Lindenvan attended the meeting, she did not participate in the election because she understood that most of the attendees were opportunists, just like the politicians in the Italian Republic, and very few were truly concerned for the well-being of the people. Therefore, she did not want to get involved in politics. The only reason she helped the Berlin Conference was because she would fight for all the oppressed and bring them hope of victory.

As expected, the Berlin Parliament quickly fell into division over the adoption of the action plan, and because the two factions had similar numbers of supporters, the newly formed Berlin Parliament ironically became mired in a long election while doing nothing.

At this time, Prussia, preoccupied with its troops at the front, was powerless against this rabble and could only allow them to grow stronger. Not only Berlin, but also the northern Prussian cities led by Berlin, were now trapped in a vicious cycle of anarchist control, each fighting its own battles and ignoring the others.

When Gisela received this news during his march, he couldn't stop smiling. History was indeed strikingly similar; even without the movement in Paris, there would have been one in Berlin sooner or later. Such trends were irreversible, and the attempts of the people to seize power were always accompanied by failure. This time, the insurgents secretly supported by Gisela had no clear program or goals for each stage. Once they achieved their initial goals, they were completely plunged into chaos and a long vortex of political struggle. In this respect, apart from the different participating people and the classes they represented, there was no essential difference between them and the countless regime changes during the French Revolution.

Even from her perspective as a later generation, it didn't even qualify as a revolution of that nature, because it was neither thorough nor progressive enough.

Although Gisela didn't know how the kind-faced middle-aged man in London would view this incident, she hadn't been oblivious to why the people of this world couldn't develop. After all, the existence of a group of high-level combatants like magic users inevitably concentrated power in the hands of a small group, and the royal family only needed to win them over, or perhaps the royal family itself had magic users, to maintain its rule at a very low cost.

Uncle Gisela's rule in Mexico is the best example. According to history, he should have been shot by the Republicans long ago, but he is still living happily in Mexico.

Gisela's birth and class meant she couldn't follow that path, but she could still dedicate herself to the happiness of her people, rather than rigidly defending royal power. This was her pride as a 21st-century woman, and her ultimate goal.

"What are you thinking about?" Nina looked at Gisela with some confusion from her horse. At that moment, she seemed to see some unusual emotions in Gisela's clear eyes.

"It's nothing, Nina. Help me look at the map, we're almost at that city."

"Cottbus, we are now roughly to the northwest of the Prussian Second Army Corps."

"It seems our marching speed is quite impressive." Even Gisela had not expected his army to march so fast. Unlike the hilly and mountainous regions of Italy, once they left the Sudetenland Mountains, they were on the vast Central European Plain, where the marching speed could naturally increase exponentially.

"Yes, are we going to attack the enemy from here?"

"No! We need to move forward a little further, and wait for the infantry behind us to advance a bit more."

On the night of January 19, 1875, TF141, the unit responsible for the derailment of the Prussian train carrying troops to Dresden, had completed its mission and arrived in Frankfurt, about 100 kilometers southeast of Berlin, ahead of the rest of the troops in a prototype car prepared for them by Gisela.

These prototype cars are worth mentioning; they are upgraded versions of the cars that Gisela made a grand debut with. They can reach speeds of up to 35 kilometers per hour. Although the speed seems to be not much different from that of a warhorse, unlike a warhorse, these metal lumps can continue to operate as long as they are supplied with fuel.

The real key issue hindering its widespread adoption is its extremely high cost and questionable practicality, but these are more than enough for Gisela's small team of less than thirty people.

And so, before these future darlings of war had even learned to benefit others, they stepped onto the battlefield, facing death as if they were already there.

"Boss, the map that Her Highness the Princess asked us to scout and draw is now complete," a young man said, looking at the burly man in the seat in front of him.

"The straight-line distance from Dresden to Frankfurt is 143 kilometers. Along the line, the Prussians had four large stations and sixteen small stations. Their supplies were mainly stockpiled in Cottbus and now Frankfurt."

"Is this written in the action guidelines His Highness gave us?" the scarred middle-aged man asked, turning around.

“Yes, once we confirm the situation in Frankfurt, we can be fairly certain whether this intelligence is accurate.” This intelligence was given to Gisela by Marta. Although Gisela believed that she and Marta had a good relationship and that the woman wouldn’t lie to her, she still needed to send troops to conduct an on-site investigation. After all, the upcoming military operations would determine the success or failure of the war, and there could be no room for error.

"Where are our troops now?"

"Near Cottbus."

"So, has Your Highness decided to attack Cottbus?"

"His Highness's command post made its last magical communication today. The order indicates they will continue north. His Highness likely intends to capture Frankfurt first, then join forces with the infantry to take Cottbus." Gisela's mobile force, having undertaken a long march, carries its own rations, while the magical armored units suffer minimal non-combat losses, so temporarily detaching from logistics is not a problem. Currently, the Prussians' attention is entirely focused on the battles north of Dresden and the Sudetenland, naturally overlooking Gisela's northward-bound force.

"In that case, I shall make proper preparations for His Highness's arrival." The major's lips curled up as he raised his hand, directing his men to get out of the car. He then took out a camouflage cover from the back of the vehicle and draped it over the car.

Gisela also equipped each car with a Maxim machine gun, making them heavily armed, though of course they weren't needed today.

"Team A, go to the east and take control of the high ground. Team B, watch our rear. Team C, follow me and infiltrate the military camp to conduct reconnaissance." After saying this, the three teams disappeared into the darkness according to their missions.

PS1: Have a great weekend!

Chapter 479 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter98 Chloris in Berlin

At this moment, in the Prussian temporary command post in Frankfurt, Moltke stared solemnly at the map before him. For the first time, this battle-hardened military genius felt a strange sense of powerlessness.

The northern regions, including the capital Berlin, were in chaos. East Prussian troops needed to be redeployed to quell the rebellion, while troops in the Rhineland were wary of French intervention, as reports from the region's commanders indicated a sudden increase in French troop presence in Alsace and Lorraine, with unclear strategic objectives. The main force led by the Crown Prince was tied down by the enemy, and the Elbe Army was defeated, forcing it to regroup.

The Silesia Army, which had previously achieved significant victories, was firmly blocked outside the country's borders by the Austrian forces in front of it. In this respect, Prussia, having lost the initiative in the war, had already lost half of its battle.

"General, is there still a chance for us to win?" a younger officer asked Moltke.

"Concentrate our strength to break through the opponent's defenses at one point. The core can only be in Silesia. I believe that little girl named Hindenburg will not disappoint me. As long as His Highness Frederick is not a fool, he should know when to give up some power."

"By the way, Gilbert, how is Prince Karl's injury?" Prince Karl was the Prince Karl Frederick who was injured by Gisela's surprise attack at the beginning of the war.

"He's fine and is currently recuperating at his residence in Potsdam. He won't be able to go to the battlefield in the short term." After Goben was captured, the actual command of the Second Army Corps fell to Moltke's own niece, Moltke the Younger. However, Frederick overstepped his authority and took over command, which is why the two army corps are now fighting a bloody battle with the Austrians in the north.

"That's good. You can step down now. You'll be in charge of the sentry duty today." Sentry duty is a fundamental skill for any officer, and Moltke entrusted this task to a young man mainly because he was young and needed more experience.

But he didn't know that Gilbert had been targeted by TF141 shortly after leaving, and was then knocked unconscious, bagged, stuffed, and tied up in one swift motion, making him a pioneer in the art of bludgeoning.

Thus, the young adjutant whom Moltke valued was successfully and quietly abducted by the Austrian's new-style troops.

Our gaze briefly returned to someone detached from the battlefield.

At this moment, Chloris, wearing a black cloak, was in the city of Berlin.

Berlin at night became extremely unsafe without the support of the Prussian government. Former thugs and hooligans openly took to the streets, transforming themselves from the despised scum and cancerous elements into members of the "glorious" National Guard, but they continued to commit crimes.

Establishing order can take years, but the collapse of order can happen in just a few days. Clearly, Berlin was such a hotbed of conflict at that time.

Just then, she passed by the Brandenburg Gate. Looking at the toppled monuments and the broken statue of Victory, Chloris frowned slightly. This statue, symbolizing Prussia's victory in the Seven Years' War, this building embodying Prussian glory, hadn't been damaged by Napoleon, but was ultimately destroyed by its own people—what a profound irony.

Of course, it would be a pity to destroy it, but Chloris is the kind of person who holds grudges. She is determined not to let any of the people involved in this Berlin parliamentary movement get away with it in the future, and that is absolutely true.

Just as Chloris was venting her frustration, she noticed several National Guard soldiers harassing a beautiful young woman on the street, which quickly caught her attention.

"Miss, why don't you have some fun with us?" The clichés of hooligans never improve, just like their pathetic brain capacity, which only allows them to think with their lower bodies.

"Let go of me! Do you know who I am?" The blonde girl arrogantly shook off the thug's hand that was holding her and questioned him with her hands on her hips.

“I am Beja von Friedrich, the granddaughter of your prime minister. If you release me and escort me out of the city, I can give you a sufficient reward as a token of my gratitude.”

"Prime Minister? Your grandfather is still in our prison." The thug said dismissively, then reached out to grab Beya.

“That was just a stand-in for my grandfather. Now my grandfather has organized an army and stationed it outside the city. Your end is nigh.” Beya still appeared calm and fearless, as if she really wasn’t afraid of these people, but in reality, her legs under her long dress were trembling slightly.

"Hahaha, if you say so, then so be it! So how will you pay us?" After saying that, the man laughed loudly at his companion behind him.

“I can pay you in gold!” Beiya said after biting her lip.

"That's quite a good reward!"

“Unfortunately, we want to take it now.” After saying that, the man and her companion grabbed Beya’s hand and dragged her deeper into the alley.

Suddenly, Chloris appeared, grabbed the man's hand, and her scarlet eyes were filled with coldness.

"Are you looking for death, you bastard?" The man swung his hand, and Chloris leaned back slightly to dodge the attack. However, her hood was ripped off, and the Prussian princess's stunning beauty came into their view.

"Tsk tsk, this woman is not bad either! We're in for a treat today." The leading man continued to swear, while he and his companion began to lick Chloris with extremely lewd eyes.

As the man reached out his groping hand to attack, Chloris's lips curled up, she leaned forward, extended her right hand, used her right leg as a fulcrum, and in a flash grabbed the man's clothes and slammed him to the floor. Before the man could react, Chloris grabbed his right hand again, broke it off, and trampled the man under her feet.

“You lowly creatures, you are a disgrace to Prussia!” Chloris’s tone was icy, and the murderous intent in her eyes was palpable.

"Release the boss!" His men all raised their guns.

"Are you sure?" Chloris tilted her head, looking at them. Her heel was close to the man's neck. For her, taking a man's life was just a matter of one kick. The man's men hesitated because of this.

"Listen to her and throw away your weapon!" The thug naturally lacked the courage to face death.

"Yes, boss!" After a moment, the thugs finally threw away their weapons, and Chloris released the man, kicking him in front of her men.

The thugs helped their leader up.

"Be gentle, your hand is broken!" the man roared in dissatisfaction, then looked at Chloris.

"What are you waiting for! Pick up your guns now and kill her!" The man's roar echoed through the sky. His men quickly picked up the guns on the ground and fired at the two men.

Chloris skillfully wrapped her arm around Bea's waist, picked her up in a princess carry, and jumped onto the rooftop, disappearing into the night. She only wanted to save people and didn't want to waste her time killing these boring scumbags.

PS1: The outcome is uncertain now, so the old lady has no reason to interfere, and the British will suffer this time.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 480 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter99 Chloris's Scheme (Seeking Votes)