Chapter 49: Chapter 49: The Strategic Vision of the Crown Prince
The great fountain refracted joyous rainbow lights under the sun’s illumination.
Before Joseph even spoke, Andre couldn’t contain himself and asked, “Your Highness, I really want to know, how did you make the Prussians retreat?”
In the past few days, the image of the Prussian Army suddenly withdrawing just as he was resolutely facing death had often appeared in his mind.
Dibowa was about to reprimand him for breaching etiquette when he heard the words “make the Prussians retreat,” but he was surprised and said, “Was the situation in the Netherlands really your doing, Your Highness?”
He had no connection to the Dawu family; though rumors linked the Crown Prince to the events in the Netherlands, this was the first time he had received concrete news.
Andre nodded and looked towards the Crown Prince with anticipation.
Joseph chuckled and said, “The details are not convenient to disclose, but in essence, it was about handing over Wilhelmina to the Southern Netherlands police and having them deliver her back to Prussia, then letting the Patriot Party bring the Prince of Orange back to Amsterdam. This naturally eliminated William II’s excuse to interfere in the Netherlands.”
His brief explanation contained huge implications—how they found Wilhelmina, how they got her to the Southern Netherlands, and how they sent her back to Prussia to precisely coincide with the timing on the battlefield, without raising William II’s suspicions about France…
Andre and Dibowa exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise and admiration in each other’s eyes for the Crown Prince’s masterful move! As it concerned secret matters, though they were burning with curiosity, they didn’t feel it was proper to inquire further.
They then began to describe the bloody and fierce battle conditions in the Netherlands, especially on the last day when the Prussian Army’s offensive was extremely intense, and the French Army had over forty casualties among their 300 volunteers.
With a grave expression, Andre sighed and said, “The Prussian Army has strict military discipline and high levels of training. If the battle had continued, I estimate that the Dutch would not have held out until nightfall.”
Dibowa nodded, “Alexander is currently studying the Prussian Army’s military structure and training intelligence. According to him…”
He glanced at Joseph and cautiously said, “The fighting capability of the Prussian Army is one-third greater than that of the French Army.”
Joseph knew his statement was not an exaggeration, as Prussia once claimed to have the number one army in Europe. The Junker Nobility’s military training system was very comprehensive and strict, along with the German perseverance and obedience. Although its capabilities had declined somewhat, its combat effectiveness was still not to be underestimated.
He solemnly said, “The structure of France’s military is too outdated; it should have been thoroughly reformed a long time ago.”
Historically, France’s outdated military had suffered severe setbacks on the battlefield until Napoleon appeared, steadying the situation. Under Napoleon’s leadership, the military reform was completed, eventually becoming the dominant force on the European Continent.
Dibowa immediately agreed, “Indeed, Alexander and I have discussed this multiple times. We should comprehensively study Prussia to deal with various future challenges!”
“Study Prussia?” Joseph looked at him but shook his head slightly, “What we need to do is surpass the Prussian Army, not simply emulate them.”
Andre and Dibowa looked at each other again, “So, Your Highness, how do you think the military should be reformed?”
Joseph had thought about this matter previously and replied, “The biggest problem with the French Army is that the forces are fragmented, there is no unified command, no standardized training, and the disparity in the quality of equipment and soldiers is stark. During major battles, an assembled army might seem vast, but in reality, the number of capable corps is very limited…”
As he had brought up military reforms, he went on to talk about abolishing local regiments, nationalizing army management, increasing the number of non-commissioned officers and their training, and developing new tactics.
Listening intently, Andre and Dibowa’s eyes grew wider and wider. The Crown Prince was barely thirteen years old, yet he already possessed such strategic foresight. They, with several years of military academy education, only knew to repeat the experiences of the past—it was as if they had been functioning without a brain…