The Crown Prince of France - Chapter 289

Chapter 289: What Does Sentiment Mean Between Nations?

Queen Marie Antoinette immediately turned to Archbishop Brienne after hearing the news. “My brother is already plagued by illness, and now such chaos has erupted in the Southern Netherlands. I believe we should assist him in handling the rebellion.”

She clasped her hands and pondered aloud: “The Dutch hold considerable influence in the Southern Netherlands, and we have long supported the Dutch Patriot Party. Now is the time for them to reciprocate.”

Archbishop Brienne nodded promptly. “Of course, Your Majesty. However, I believe His Majesty Joseph II can easily suppress the few thousand rioters in Brabant.”

Joseph, recalling details of the Brabant uprising, frowned deeply.

This was no simple rebellion that Austria could easily resolve!

Historically, Britain, Prussia, and the Netherlands quickly became involved in this turmoil. Shortly afterward, the eastern part of the Southern Netherlands, Liège, also erupted in revolt. The insurgents in the Southern Netherlands alone numbered more than 20,000. Combined with Prussian intervention forces and substantial Dutch funding, their combat strength was formidable.

In reality, Austria's counter-rebellion forces encountered fierce resistance upon entering the Southern Netherlands, narrowly avoiding annihilation by the Prussian-Dutch coalition. The Austrian commander had no choice but to retreat to Luxembourg to fortify defenses and urgently request reinforcements from Vienna.

At that time, Joseph II passed away. Seeing the deteriorating situation, his successor, Leopold II, was compelled to revoke his brother's reform policies to stabilize the Southern Netherlands and the domestic situation.

Leopold II subsequently granted significant concessions to Hungarian nobles, including rolling back reforms, ultimately securing their support. Shortly after, Austria amassed nearly its entire military strength, including forces from Hungary, Bohemia, Moravia, and Galicia, totaling 180,000 troops. Bavaria also contributed more than 10,000 soldiers, forming an imposing force to advance into the Southern Netherlands.

On the Prussian side, King William II entrusted over 100,000 Prussian troops to the Duke of Brunswick and allied with Saxony, Mainz, and Hesse, forming a coalition of 150,000 troops committed to interfering in the Southern Netherlands.

William II even demanded that Poland, a newly allied state, send reinforcements to the Southern Netherlands. Although Prince Poniatowski prepared 30,000 troops, he hesitated to act, wary of antagonizing Austria.

Nevertheless, with the insurgents in the Southern Netherlands and the Prussian coalition evenly matched with Austrian forces, a massive battle erupted in late 1790. Many European powers believed this conflict could mark the start of a second Seven Years’ War.

As the fighting intensified, divisions emerged within the Southern Netherlands insurgents. The conservative and liberal factions clashed, with the liberal leader Vandernoot seizing power, forcing the conservative Vonck into exile. The insurgent forces descended into chaos.

Seizing this opportunity, Austrian forces launched an offensive, quickly retaking Liège and Brussels, while the Prussian troops temporarily retreated to the Netherlands.

Just as William II was preparing to rally more troops for a counterattack, the escalating French Revolution diverted the attention of both Prussia and Austria.

Soon after, Louis XVI was executed, prompting the two nations to cease hostilities and issue the Declaration of Pillnitz, forming the First Coalition against Revolutionary France. Troops stationed in the Southern Netherlands were redirected to interfere in France.

One could say that Louis XVI selflessly sacrificed himself to avert a potential “Second Seven Years’ War.”

Joseph drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair. By suppressing the French Revolution, he realized, the Brabant uprising could escalate into a prolonged and expansive conflict.

In this great war, how could France maximize its benefits with minimal cost?

At the head of the conference table, Queen Marie Antoinette spoke firmly. “At the very least, assisting Austria will allow my poor brother some respite. Approaching the Dutch will cost us nothing and may even earn Austria’s gratitude. Let us proceed with this plan.”

Joseph shook his head silently. Austria’s primary focus might be on Prussia for now, but that did not equate to deep friendship with France.

Quite the opposite—Austria’s ambition to dominate Europe made France its greatest obstacle. France was perpetually seen as Austria’s ultimate adversary.

Historically, the rapid formation of the First Coalition against Revolutionary France was not truly motivated by avenging Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. That was merely a facade. The underlying cause was Austria, Prussia, and Britain seizing the chance to eliminate France, weakened by internal strife, as a long-standing threat.

If not for Napoleon’s meteoric rise, France in the 19th century might have been crushed by the coalition and fragmented into small states.

Even though his mother was an Austrian princess, Joseph knew this meant nothing when Austria decided to act. After all, the European royal families were all interrelated, yet they never hesitated to go to war when their interests clashed.

Thus, between nations, sentiment was irrelevant; only interests mattered.

France could only achieve true security in Europe by developing into a nation of unrivaled strength.

Joseph quickly reviewed the historical trajectory of Austria, Prussia, and other nations in his mind, gradually outlining a strategy to leverage the Brabant uprising for France’s benefit.

He looked at Queen Marie Antoinette. “Your Majesty, we should indeed assist Austria.”

Noting her smile, he continued, “But we might also seize this opportunity to gain Wallonia. You understand its immense importance to France.”

Wallonia, the southern region of the Southern Netherlands, was predominantly French-speaking and naturally inclined toward France.

More importantly, Wallonia was home to some of Europe’s finest coal mines.

Coal was the lifeblood of the Industrial Revolution, and for coal-scarce France, it was even more invaluable.

While Alsace-Lorraine could meet France’s basic coal needs, its reserves were insufficient for a full industrial takeoff.

Historically, this was a critical reason why France struggled to rival Britain and Germany during the Industrial Revolution.

Securing Wallonia’s coal and Luxembourg’s iron resources would lay the foundation for France’s industrial surge.

Currently, France’s primary desire for Wallonia stemmed from its 1.5 million French-speaking residents and its proximity to the Rhine River.

Queen Marie Antoinette fell silent upon hearing this. She had not anticipated her son calmly pinpointing France’s interests, whereas she had merely focused on aiding her ailing brother.

She nodded slightly, acknowledging the Crown Prince’s reasoning.

Though Joseph II was her brother, she was foremost Queen of France. For her, the interests of France had to come first.

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