Life of Being a Crown Prince in France

Silesia.

The southeastern front of the Prussian-Austrian line at Legnica. Stay tuned with My Virtual Library Empire

Inside the Austrian Army headquarters located in Wrocław, General Leao, now sporting brand-new General’s epaulettes, handed a crystal-clear glass of wine to the French Lieutenant Colonel standing before him, his face all smiles, “You must try this, my dear old friend, this is none other than the Bordeaux fine wine bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Thank you for your hospitality,” Lefevre took the glass and raised it in a toast, “It took me a full month to get here from Algiers, and then I came straight away to see you. You’ve been promoted to General now, I must really congratulate you!”

After Leao returned from the Southern Netherlands, Leopold II personally signed the commissioning document, promoting him to the rank of General in an exceptional move.

Leao also smiled and raised his glass in response, “I couldn’t have done it without your help.”

He was indeed speaking the truth; without Lefevre’s help, he might have already been captured by the Prussians.

“Oh, by the way, I’ve also prepared a lunch for you. The cheese stewed beef and roasted pork knuckle here are rather delectable.”

Lefevre, exchanging pleasantries, stepped out the door and seemed to casually remark, “By the way, why did Marshal Lacy send you here? I mean, you should be earning your stripes on the main front, not sitting in this remote little town.”

General Leao spread his hands, “After all, he is the Commander-in-Chief. But staying here isn’t too bad, everyday…”

He almost blurted out “fishing” but caught himself with a cough and corrected himself, “Ah, inspecting the defenses, training the soldiers, and such.”

“Yes, all in service to His Majesty the Emperor.” Lefevre nodded, then leaned in closer, speaking earnestly, “However, as a loyal old friend, I think you shouldn’t be so idle right now.”

“Oh? What do you mean?”

“To be honest, with your current prestige and your achievements in the Southern Netherlands, you could certainly be appointed a marshal,” Lefevre said regretfully, “But perhaps the Emperor might think you’re still a bit young.”

Leao just turned 35, and indeed, it would be very young to be made a marshal.

“What can be done,” Leao said with a laugh, waving his hand dismissively, “I’m quite satisfied with the situation as it is.”

He truly was satisfied. If it weren’t for his “adventure” in the Southern Netherlands, his career would likely have ended at the rank of Brigadier General.

Lefevre extended his right index finger and thumb, pinching them together slightly: “In fact, you are only that little bit of military glory away from becoming a marshal.”

He lowered his voice, “It seems Marshal Lacy doesn’t quite want you threatening his position.

“You see, Wrocław is at the very end of the front line, there’s really no chance of fierce fighting here. When the war is over, you’ll miss any chance to earn further merits.”

Leao blinked, feeling that his old friend had a point, especially the word “marshal,” which tantalized his heart like a coquettish beauty.

He then expressed his concerns, “But, Lacy probably will not agree to transfer me to the main battlefield. You know, those are all his people there.”

Lefevre nodded, adopting a thoughtful pose, “Perhaps, you could create an opportunity elsewhere.”

“Elsewhere?”

“Yes, for example, Ratibor. The Prussian garrison there isn’t large; you could definitely take it on your own.”

Ratibor was located at the southernmost tip of Silesia, a smaller province.

Leao expressed his doubts, “But even if we recapture Ratibor, we would still be facing the Oder River, which would hardly affect the overall situation.”

To travel from Ratibor to the capital of Silesia, Breslau, one must cross the Oder River. Prussia needed to deploy only a small number of troops to defend along the river, making it hard for the Austrian Army to break through. Meanwhile, the Prussian Army could rapidly deploy troops on the north side of Ratibor by traveling downstream along the Oder River from Breslau, swiftly retaking the area.

However, the south side of Ratibor is bordered by the Sudeten Mountains, which also poses no threat to Austria proper, so neither side in the Silesian War paid much attention to Ratibor.

Lefevre offered a faint smile, “All you need is that little merit for a promotion to marshal. And recapturing any land in Silesia, no matter which, is enough for you to become a marshal.”

Upon hearing this, Leao’s eyes lit up. That’s right! How come I didn’t think of that?

Once promoted to marshal, I could return to Vienna and live in comfort. As for how the situation in Silesia turned out, that would be Lacy’s concern.

“Thank you so much!” he said, looking at Lefevre with some excitement, “You always give me the best advice. It was the same in the Southern Netherlands; you truly are my best friend!”

As he spoke, he hesitated again, “But are you sure I can take down Ratibor?”

One knows best what one is good at. Back in Luxembourg, his forces had been almost embarrassingly defeated by the Prussians, and it was only thanks to Lefevre, who led more than 3,000 soldiers to turn the tide, that he achieved a significant victory.

“The Prussian garrison at Ratibor should not exceed 7,000 men. Your legion has 16,000 soldiers. Leave a small force to defend Wrocław.”

As Lefevre spoke, he gestured around, “There’s hardly anything worth defending in this godforsaken place. With superior forces, you can launch a fierce attack that will surely overwhelm the Prussians.”

Leao looked at him eagerly, “My old friend, would you consider joining me?”

Lefevre immediately responded with gravity, “I would very much like to fight alongside you, but this concerns your promotion to marshal, and I shouldn’t share in your military exploits.

“Oh, but once you’ve retaken Ratibor, I can help defend the place. I promise.”

Lefevre then spoke many encouraging words and, after a moment, Leao’s gaze finally became resolute.

Three days later.

Leao gazed into the misty haze at Ratibor in the distance and turned to his staff officer, “Any movements from the Prussians?”

“Not as of yet, General. The enemy troops are all huddled behind their defensive lines in the town.”

Leao nodded and ordered, “Tell the troops to stay concealed. We launch the full attack at 10 a.m. sharp, as planned.”

This time he brought an army of 12,000, and, as Lefevre had advised, a surprise fierce attack should quickly bring victory.

“Yes, General!”

Two hours later, the cannons of the Leao Legion appeared southwest of Ratibor, where two 12-pounders and seven 6-pounders roared to life together.

After about twenty rounds of cannon fire, large contingents of Austrian infantry formed columns and, to the sound of military drums, began their assault on the Prussian positions from the west and south.

After his time with Lefevre, Leao might not have great actual combat ability, but at least he had learned the ropes to a large extent.

The Prussians seemed unable to react in time, and it was quite a while before their cannons began to fire back.

Meanwhile, the Austrian soldiers, advancing under cannon fire, quickly reached the first defensive line outside the town. On their officers’ commands, they began to spread out to both sides, forming into horizontal lines.

[Note 1]Wrocław is the name in Polish; I couldn’t find the name used during the German occupation period, so for the moment, let’s use this name in the text.