Chapter 8 – Prussian-Austrian Cooperation
With King Wilhelm I and Prime Minister Bismarck leading Prussia's top ranks in preparation and coordination, the Prussian army stood ready for action, and the Austrian Empire's army was on its way. The Austrians clearly understood Prussia's ambition to unify the German states. In recent years, the Kingdom of Prussia had developed rapidly. Its Customs Union, industrial growth, and interconnected railways had all boosted its influence in German affairs. So when it came to war against Denmark, Austria would never stand aside and let Prussia win the hearts of the German people.
Naturally, Austria's own dream of unifying the German states was no weaker than Prussia's, but because of interference from Britain and France, it dared not act rashly. This time, Bismarck enticed Austria to join the operation against Denmark by presenting the two northern duchies as a joint endeavor. Faced with such a tempting offer, Austria took the bait. This was an open scheme. If Austria did nothing, Prussia would succeed on its own and win the support of the German people; if Austria acted, it would still have to move in tandem with Prussia, giving Prussia an unassailable position.
Schleswig and Holstein were far from Austria. Even if Austria managed to gain control of one duchy, it would be merely an outpost, while Prussia could quickly absorb its own share due to its geographical advantage. Yet Austria had a long history of scattered territories, so nobody within Austria minded this point. The Habsburgs had long held enclaves across the Holy Roman Empire and indeed all over Europe—some even worldwide. Later, Prussia could use this fact to its advantage.
This was also where Bismarck showed his brilliance. Austria had no choice but to accept this open scheme. By bringing Austria along, Prussia shared the international pressure. In the eyes of other nations, Austria, as a leading world power of the time, was on a higher level than "second-tier" Prussia. At its peak, the Habsburg dynasty had faced no equal in Europe, and even now it was in the same league as Britain, France, and Russia. The present Austrian Empire was not yet the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary, and it still held considerable strength. Though the old guard from the Napoleonic era was fading away, the Austrian army remained a top force that could not be underestimated on the continent. It was unlikely these aging officers would lead troops on the front lines, but they still held the army together. Though they might have outdated ideas, they had plenty of ability and experience.
Even now, it seemed Austria's army could keep up with the times; despite a complex makeup, it was calmly making its preparations. As the Austrian army marched north, huge armies gathered in northern Germany. Bavaria, Württemberg, and various other states rallied their own forces to join in. When it came to mobilization, Prussia clearly had the upper hand. Prussian forces moved within the kingdom's own territory, while Austria had to march north from home, traveling a long distance—a natural disadvantage. Still, the professional quality of the Prussian army was undeniable. With railways, ports, and pack animals all managed in unison, the General Staff drew up efficient plans. Across Prussia, the logistical network ran smoothly, every part of the national machine connecting seamlessly with the military. Prussian troops wore standardized uniforms and followed carefully organized regulations, giving them a neat, capable appearance.
By contrast, the Austrian army seemed diverse and patchwork. Because it lacked a unified language and culture, nobles from each region brought their own troops with different designations and uniforms, reflecting local and ethnic differences. Only Austria's vast resources kept its logistics from collapsing. Backed by the northern German states, the Austrian army could still find decent places to rest and regroup.
Alongside the Prussian and Austrian forces, other German states with the means to do so also deployed their troops, though compared to Prussia and Austria, they were mostly on the sidelines. Naturally, the armies couldn't bring all their supplies from home; once they had set off, most additional provisions and equipment had to be procured in Prussia or neighboring northern German states. This was precisely where Ernst, already prepared, stepped in to support the troops. His first batch of industrial goods was shipped directly from his factories and warehouses to the barracks—free of charge.
Many units that had never tried products from the Hexingen Development Company found them fascinating. Cigarettes and lighters in particular proved very popular among the soldiers, especially in the Austrian army. Although Austria was already a customer of Ernst's, distance had previously limited large-scale product deliveries. Now Ernst seized the opportunity to introduce his goods to Austrian units. By the time the war ended, Ernst planned to have finished building a tobacco factory in Austria as well.
Since the Prussian army handled everything through centralized procurement and distributed items uniformly to soldiers and officers, Ernst had fewer chances there to pull off any side deals. But with Austria's mixed, irregular forces and inconsistent officer quality, plus looser discipline, Ernst's products found plenty of buyers. He bribed the officers so they would enjoy their smoke in the barracks, and soon the cigarettes Ernst had provided ran out. Austria's quartermasters had no choice but to increase cigarette orders for the troops. If cigarettes truly helped keep morale steady, there was nothing more to say. The Austrian high command simply looked the other way, and the empire placed large orders with Ernst's factories.
Once the soldiers were discharged, it would be hard for them to break their addiction to tobacco. Ernst would then go on selling them cigarettes—convenient, cheap, machine-rolled cigarettes that would spread throughout Germany, carried by those returning soldiers.
January 16, 1864. Prussia and Austria's representatives formally signed an agreement. One clause, drafted by Austria, aimed to maintain the 1852 agreement, but Bismarck canceled it. Instead, Prussia and Austria would only be able to make decisions about those two duchies jointly; neither country could settle the matter of succession without the other's consent. In this way, they shared international scrutiny, and the affairs of the German region were framed as something for the German people themselves to resolve.
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