Chapter 311: A Historic Trade Agreement
Regarding the battle plans, Field Marshal Lacy and the military leadership had already discussed them thoroughly, so they presented them directly.
Austria planned to muster 80,000 troops from across the country—this was the maximum force possible due to the constraints of Joseph II's reforms. These troops would be led by Field Marshal Lacy and secretly deployed to Silesia.
Meanwhile, only 5,000 troops would be left in Luxembourg to keep an eye on the Brabant rebels, while the main force, under General Wurmser, would be brought back to Austria for a brief rest before joining the campaign in Silesia.
In Bavaria, the goal was to persuade Karl Theodor to commit 10,000 to 20,000 troops, with the promise of exchanging them for territories in the Southern Netherlands.
France, on the other hand, would need to commit more than 50,000 troops.
If the Southern German states also contributed forces, the Austrian coalition could potentially assemble an army of 150,000 to 170,000 in Silesia.
At present, Prussia could muster no more than 120,000 troops, with Saxony almost certain to join the conflict, adding about 30,000 more.
In terms of overall strength, the Austrian coalition would have a numerical advantage. Moreover, both the Austrian and French armies were as strong as the Prussian army and far superior to Saxony's.
As long as France kept its promise to prevent Poland from aiding Prussia, the Austrian coalition would have a good chance of winning. If France could send even more troops, they might even overwhelm Prussia.
As evening fell, the meeting at Schönbrunn Palace finally adjourned. By then, Crown Prince Leopold II had taken over presiding over the meeting, as Emperor Joseph II retired to another room to rest after deciding to go to war in Silesia.
After the meeting, Leopold II seemed troubled. He knew that one crucial factor in the Silesian campaign was Russia's stance.
Russia and Prussia had shared interests in Poland, and if Prussia began to struggle, Catherine II might intervene. Although Russia was still at war with Sweden, its powerful military could easily tip the scales by diverting a few divisions.
So how could Austria ensure that Russia stayed out of the conflict?
Leopold II rubbed his temples and thought aloud, "It seems I'll need to ask my dear sister for help again. But what can I offer in return...?"
Bavaria, Munich Palace
The Seine-Rhine Trade Agreement Negotiation
"Regarding the tariffs on wooden products, I still hope to increase them further," said Count Wintzingerode of Württemberg to Bailly. "At least to 45%..."
Austrian Foreign Minister Count Thugut interrupted him, shaking his head. "You keep getting bogged down in these minor issues.
"If we keep delaying, we might not reach an agreement by the end of the year. This would cost all our countries nearly half a year's trade revenue.
"I believe you should focus on the bigger picture, and not let your concerns delay progress for everyone else."
Count Wintzingerode looked puzzled. Ever since the previous week, the Austrian delegation had been pushing hard to finalize the agreement. As a major power with significant influence over Southern Germany, Austria's stance was something the smaller states couldn't ignore.
Baden's representative chimed in, "Count Thugut is right; we're also eager for the agreement to be finalized.
"The merchants in Baden have heard about these negotiations and have piled up goods at the docks, waiting to ship them to France and Austria. If we delay too long, they'll go crazy."
Augsburg's representative nodded in agreement, "I think the current terms are entirely acceptable. The draft even states that we can renegotiate the details every three years. We can revisit any issues then."
Unsurprisingly, both men were also among Talleyrand's bribery "successes," secured for a modest sum of just 30,000 livres each. Of course, the terms of the agreement were favorable to Baden and Augsburg, so they were happy to take the money. Signing quickly posed almost no risk to them.
As for Bavaria, they received the most favorable terms in the agreement, and Duke Karl Theodor was still dreaming of moving to the Southern Netherlands, so he was inclined to follow Austria's lead.
Thus, the negotiation saw France, Austria, Bavaria, and two smaller states firmly pushing for the agreement, while Württemberg and Hesse hesitated.
However, when Austria privately threatened to exclude Hesse from the agreement and sign with the other countries, Hesse quickly caved. Missing out on such a large market in Southern Germany, France, and Austria could lead to significant economic losses and a rapid decline in national strength.
The smaller states were only trying to gain a bit more leverage but had no desire to be left out entirely.
Thanks to Austria's firm mediation, the trade negotiations reached a preliminary agreement in just over two weeks. Count Wintzingerode finally relented after France promised to import at least 800,000 piques of coal annually at market prices.
A pique is a standard-sized basket, holding about 20 kilograms of coal. 800,000 piques amount to 16 million kilograms. While this may seem negligible in modern times, in the 18th century, when coal was primarily used for heating, this was nearly Württemberg's entire annual coal production—a substantial deal for them.
On July 1, 1789, the "Seine-Rhine Trade Agreement," which would profoundly impact the European trade landscape, was officially signed. The signatories included France, Austria, Bavaria, Salzburg, Württemberg, Augsburg, Hesse-Darmstadt, and Baden.
Accompanying the agreement was a supplementary clause: ships from signatory nations along the Seine and Rhine could directly enter each other's territories. Although they couldn't dock without hiring local labor to unload, this provision greatly facilitated free trade.
Versailles Palace, Paris
Queen Marie Antoinette set down the joint proposal from Archbishop Brienne and War Minister Duke de Broglie, looking at them in surprise. "Are you sure France should get involved in the German conflict? Is this really in France's best interest?"
Both ministers nodded in unison.
Of course, this was at the Prince's command, so they followed his instructions in drafting the proposal for the Queen.
The Queen asked cautiously, "And is France ready for war?"
Brienne and Duke de Broglie weren't fully informed of the details but still nodded firmly, "Yes, Your Majesty. The battlefield is far from France, and the rewards are great. We only need to send some troops to Silesia. We don't even need to worry about winning or losing."
Standing nearby, Talleyrand, who knew the most about the situation, kept his head down, muttering to himself. "You're worried about whether we're prepared... The Prince has already ironed out everything with the Austrians. By now, the Austrian army might even be fully mobilized."
(End of chapter)
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