76. The Citadel Can Crumble at Any Moment
July 17, 1781.
Laudon and Prince Heinrich headed to the French army's encampment. Thanks to the herald they'd sent ahead, they were able to sit down at the negotiation table without any particular issues.
Laudon and Prince Heinrich presented five demands to the French commander, Lafayette.
1. Release all 320,000 mercenary prisoners without exception.
2. France shall recognize the occupied territories of the Pan-European Order Preservation Alliance.
3. Reestablish the Duchy of Lorraine and incorporate the Alliance's occupied territories into it.
4. As responsibility for defeat, the Alliance shall pay reparations in gold equivalent to the height of a child and the width of one arm in both dimensions. However, this sum may be paid via promissory notes issued in the name of one of the princes of the Holy Roman Empire, valued at the gold price as of July 17, 1781.
5. Upon signing this treaty, the French army shall immediately open passageways for the Pan-European Order Preservation Alliance to return to the Holy Roman Empire.
Lafayette could hardly believe his eyes upon seeing the proposal. But no matter how much he rubbed them, the terms on the capitulation document remained unchanged.
"Are these the full terms of surrender for the Pan-European Order Preservation Alliance?"
"Indeed. Quite reasonable, wouldn't you say?"
Lafayette was at a loss for words. Capitulation—didn't that derive from capitulum, meaning a small head? The word itself implied submission, so why were these the contents of a peace treaty offered in a stalemate after a fierce battle? Lafayette simply couldn't comprehend it.
"Anyone reading this would think France had lost. Allow me to point out the objectionable and acceptable parts."
Lafayette went through each unreasonable clause in the document one by one.
"First, the immediate release of 320,000 mercenary prisoners. This is at least something we could consider. However, most mercenaries under the Alliance have already fled into French territory, making capture practically impossible. Even the roughly 20,000 we've managed to detain have been reassigned through job placement services and sent off to various locales. Moreover, prisoner releases typically involve exchanges as standard practice—but don't you have any of our captured soldiers?"
It was a perfectly obvious point, but demanding unilateral release without exchange was absurd from the start. And France wasn't casting a net over the land; rounding up 320,000 deserters was impossible. From France's perspective, those 300,000 deserters were no different from dropping 300,000 subversive elements into the northeast. If it was France's problem, it was France's to handle—not something for Austria or Prussia to worry about.
"Our sympathies for your troubles. Still, they are mercenaries, even to us. They might cause unrest in France, so if any are caught, could you hand them over to us?"
"We'll consider it."
But the situation was different now. Austria and Prussia intended to pin the blame on the mercenaries and wash their hands of it. Yet the fact that 20,000 had been taken in by France, and 300,000 scattered across the country, could undermine their political position at any moment.
What if those 300,000 settled successfully without causing major chaos in French society? Or even if they stirred trouble, but only mundane issues like population congestion or communication breakdowns?
It could utterly shatter Laudon and Prince Heinrich's plan to highlight the mercenaries' criminal incompetence.
"Very well, then release those 20,000 prisoners at least. On humanitarian grounds."
Even the 20,000 reemployed by France posed a problem. If the 300,000 caused major issues, they could claim, "These 20,000 are the ones France personally vetted—reliable workers unlike the incompetent 300,000 logs." But if no big problems arose, it would mean those 20,000 were competent talents selected by France.
Moreover, regardless of France letting the 300,000 slip away, back home the public would surely interpret it as "France has no need to bother capturing those 300,000 commoners." No matter what Laudon and Heinrich said, that's how it would be taken.
"We'd like to hand them over humanely, but they've already been transferred to job placement agencies. They're set to be reemployed as printers, self-farming laborers, and the like, matched to their aptitudes and experience."
"Hmm. A pity."
As Lafayette firmly refused the prisoner release, Laudon and Prince Heinrich retreated a step. If no problems arose, it would be a political hit, but one they could manage. They could always retroactively erase the employment records by pinning crimes on them. It would be messy cleanup, but not an impossible bomb.
For them, the most crucial point was the next clause.
"Moving on to the next. This is beyond my authority to judge, but I can guess His Majesty's response without even reporting it. Clauses 2 and 3 are absolutely unacceptable. Reviving the Duchy of Lorraine and incorporating occupied territories into it? That's a demand a victor makes of the vanquished. Territory is sovereignty. We cannot yield on this."
"Those terms are a compromise considering our 280,000-strong army. Yesterday's battle was a crushing defeat due to frontline commanders' incompetence, but if we keep fighting with 280,000 against you, the outcome becomes unpredictable, wouldn't you agree? Let's think of our soldiers' lives."
Laudon's words sounded reasonable but were sophistry through and through. France was the defender, the anti-French forces the invaders—and France had repelled them completely so far. Not a single city lost, and though self-inflicted, they'd shattered a 700,000-strong army into pieces. Factoring in yesterday's dead and wounded, it was effectively reducing 700,000 to 200,000.
For such a defeated force to now demand territorial concessions—it made Lafayette's common sense crumble.
"You speak of sparing lives? After battles where 50,000 of yours fall for every 100 French soldiers—now you talk of humanity?"
Even the romantic Lafayette had no choice but to harden his stance against such rude and offensive demands.
"That defeat was due to frontline commanders' incompetence."
"Wasn't it the incompetence of staff officers and sector commanders on full display? What era do you think this is, charging infantry without artillery support like brutes? And firing from beyond effective range—what was that? If they weren't line infantry, you wouldn't have hit a single shot. The cavalry too—did you come to supply us with horse meat? Why charge bayonet-equipped infantry? Do you think sallying in line formation breaks their bayonets?"
"All judgment errors by frontline commanders. But the next battle will be different. Our 280,000 outnumber and outquality your 20,000."
"Spare me the comedy. You're here to surrender, negotiating. You're not in a position to force us to sign your document. You're the ones surrendering."
"Even this won't fly? A true shame. We'll resolve it in time."
Laudon backed off on clauses 2 and 3 as well. They'd expected these wouldn't be accepted outright. Multiple rounds of talks would follow, but it would serve to claim that without frontline incompetence, they could have settled this. In any case, with the Lorraine ironworks—responsible for 60% of French steel production—in anti-French hands and holding firm, France's steel industry would suffer. Judging the foundries as Metz-like fortresses, Laudon and Heinrich decided to wait out Lafayette's side, betting the besiegers would yield first if they dug in.
"Let's move to clause 4. It's the most reasonable in this document—but only within it. In reality, no. Why set reparations like this? If it's 100 million gold francs, say 100 million. If 100 livres of gold, say 100 livres. Be precise. Can you even explain 'height of a child, width of an arm' here? And even if you could, why allow promissory notes?"
"Read carefully. Issued in the name of a Holy Roman Empire prince. A solid guarantee with imperial backing."
"Even the Bible warns against rash sureties! Have you forgotten the 1778 Great Qing trade note scandal?!"
"That was ghost capital with no real entity. The Holy Roman Empire exists, doesn't it?"
"In the end, it'll just saddle some indebted Free City or prince with the debt under Austrian and Prussian pressure. With the first four clauses like this, shall we even reach the fifth about opening roads?"
As Lafayette rejected every clause, Laudon and Prince Heinrich withdrew without further argument.
"A difference in perspectives, it seems. For an honorable negotiation, we'll adjust and return. Until then."
Laudon and Prince Heinrich left the table and headed back to the ironworks. Though displeased, Lafayette saw them off courteously.
"Your Excellency, why send away such insolent fools? Seize them as hostages now and smash their army completely. Morale in their shrunken 30% force is obvious without looking!"
Some officers urged Lafayette to capture them, but he dismissed it.
"Attacking envoys under a white flag is dishonorable. We're not barbarians. Besides, the demolition operation isn't ready. How much longer for preparations?"
"Two days left."
"Then we wait two days. I'm personally curious what terms they'll offer next, and we need to buy time anyway."
But as Lafayette watched the delegation departing for the ironworks, the structure collapsed before his eyes.
It happened in an instant. Like a boulder tumbling from a mountain, the southwest stockyard wall of the ironworks crumbled. Visible even from the French field fort with the naked eye—a massive collapse.
It was right where the Italian mercenaries were billeted.
Seeing it, Laudon and Prince Heinrich—
"Full speed back! The French collapsed the stockyard while we were away from the ironworks!"
—pinned all blame on France and rushed back.
France was innocent but couldn't refute it. They'd planned a collapse operation, just not now.
With the situation thus, the French had no retreat.
"Self-sabotage! They're razing our ironworks to cripple our steel industry—scorched earth! We must retake the seized foundry before they demolish it all!"