War Palace and Knee Pillow, Austria’s Destiny

Prince Uvarov's sentiments were shared by the Russians. In fact, while the Austrian Empire was too busy to look east, Russia could have continued to advance into the Balkans.

Unfortunately, Russia was also hampered by internal rebellion at this time, and could only miss the opportunity in vain.

June 17, 1849, cloudy to sunny.

Barcelona, ​​Spanish naval base.

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General Joaquin Iglesias sat in front of the nautical chart, unable to calm down for a long time.

"Declaring war on the Austrian Empire is a stupid idea. Her Majesty is crazy! She actually asked us to take the initiative. Now those broken ships in the naval shipping are almost as old as me!

We should be thankful that our fleet did not sink immediately after leaving the port!"

After complaining, General Iglesias returned to his seat and stared at the nautical chart in a daze.

In fact, General Iglesias had considered almost all possibilities, including reefs, shore guns, waves, monsoons, and he even considered feigning surrender.

But the results of the speculation all pointed to defeat without exception. He had to admit that his fleet was not threatening at all.

It was not that the old warships were unusable, but that these old warships were no longer usable.

The old wooden hull was close to decay even before it was launched, just like this ancient empire that could collapse at any time.

Although General Iglesias did not know the details of the Mediterranean naval battle, it was still unclear whether it was the French Navy or the Austrian Navy that defeated the British.

But he had seen the scene of the Austrian Navy bombarding Gibraltar, the terrible fleet, and the overwhelming artillery fire.

As a soldier, Iglesias could not tolerate the two countries fighting in the inland sea of ​​Spain. At that time, many Spanish naval generals could not accept this.

They could not beat the British, but the Austrian navy was not famous, so they wanted to see it.

However, when the Austrian Navy's fleet passed by, even if the flag was lowered to half-mast out of courtesy, the sense of oppression made many Spanish naval generals breathless.

In fact, whether you know the navy or not, cannons and ships can give people the most intuitive shock.

The main fleet of the Austrian Navy undoubtedly meets this requirement. The tonnage of the entire fleet exceeds 3,000 tons, which means that each ship can serve as a main ship or flagship in the Spanish fleet.

The rumbling black smoke is a sign of the gap between the times. The whistle used by the Austrian Navy to salute actually scared the Spanish navy soldiers into the water.

Is this still the invincible Spain? Is this still the invincible fleet?

Obviously not.

The sun has set and the afterglow is fading.

Continuous wars, plagues, floods, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, locusts, greedy and stupid officials, corrupt and incompetent governments, churches that only know how to collect money and seize power, and cruel and licentious monarchs are repeatedly torturing this land.

Joaquin Iglesias was born in a prestigious family. He has seen darkness that ordinary people cannot imagine, so he has been determined to revitalize Spain since he was a child.

After the Anti-French War, Joaquin Iglesias went to Britain, the strongest navy at the time, to learn naval technology. However, when he returned from his studies, he found that the country could not accommodate him at all.

No one wanted to reform the navy. There was no funding, no sponsorship, and even insufficient maintenance costs. Only the salaries of officers and soldiers were not deducted.

In fact, this is not difficult to understand, because no matter who comes to power, they have to win over the army.

And the army has its own logic, that is, making trouble can be exchanged for benefits. Therefore, every time the regime changes, the army will always make some trouble.

Even if there is no trouble, you must report the rebellion to your superiors, because only in this way can you get better treatment and become a useful person in the eyes of the new government.

General Joaquin Iglesias ended his recollection. He opened the door, and the door was already crowded with young officers who came to ask for battle.

After all, Spain was glorious, and even at the end of the dynasty, there were still countless passionate young people.

"General! Give the order! We are not afraid of death!"

"For the dignity of the country! Fight them!"

"Spain will win!"

"No one can stop us from sacrificing our lives for the country!"

Joaquin Iglesias's tears welled up in his eyes. He was once such a passionate young man, so he could empathize with him.

Joaquin Iglesias gritted his teeth and seemed to have decided something. He took a deep breath and said.

"Okay! Spain will not perish with you. But now the gap between us and the Austrian Navy is too big, and taking the initiative to attack is tantamount to hitting a rock with an egg.

We will meet the Austrian Navy in the port, and the shore guns and reefs will become our helpers. Even if the gap between the two sides is large, they will not be able to take the port in a short time.

I need you to leave now."

"Why?" The young officers obviously did not understand the general's approach. They were the backbone of the army. Their superiors either did not understand military affairs or were timid.

Soldiers? What do those farmers and tramps know? What concept of a country do they have in their minds? They are lazy and gluttonous all day long, brave and aggressive on weekdays, but they get diarrhea when fighting.

If these young officers are not here, the army will soon fall apart.

"I need you to go to Cadiz and Valencia to ask for reinforcements. We old guys will stay here to hold back the Austrians.

When the time comes, we will cooperate inside and outside to annihilate the Austrian navy in one fell swoop."

The young officers couldn't help but take a deep breath. It seemed that the general was going to sacrifice his life for his country.

They also felt the heavy mission on their shoulders. They had to immediately notify the friendly forces in Cadiz and Valencia and gather the strength of the entire Spanish Navy to eliminate the vanguard of the Austrian Navy.

The young officers set off by boat without thinking too much. They knew that time was running out and the war situation would be more dangerous if they were late by one second.

After the young officers left, the naval port returned to calm, and a soldier hurried into the command center.

"Commander, the fleet of the Austrian Imperial Navy has arrived!"

Joaquin Iglesias took a deep breath, stood up and said.

"Let everyone gather in the square."

A quarter of an hour later, Barcelona Naval Base Square.

The soldiers who were usually lazy were surprisingly neat today.

Iglesias walked through his army and walked to the rostrum. The senior military officials on the stage had been waiting for a long time, and everyone was dressed very solemnly.

The dark clouds pressing down on the head made people feel depressed, and the square fell into a brief silence.

"Spanish soldiers! The fleet of the Austrian Imperial Navy is parked on the sea five kilometers away. They have the best and largest ships in the world, their army is endless, and their supplies are as high as a mountain.

They can definitely liberate Spain and save our country from the rule of the evil queen!

Long live the Habsburg dynasty!"

"Long live!"

The dark clouds in the sky seemed to be shaken away by the shouts of the soldiers, and the sun shone through the clouds, and everyone seemed to be bathed in the light of peace.

"Raise the double eagle flag!"

Thanks to my book friends Zhan Wuliang and Zhige for the reward.