Chapter 753: Reinforcements from the Heavens
Ségur solemnly declared, "Austria must bear full responsibility for any consequences in Wallonia."
As the Hessian nobles murmured among themselves, Ségur concluded his speech and left Marburg, heading toward Würzburg.
That very day, newspapers across Upper Hesse published headlines such as "Vienna Violates the Demilitarized Zone Agreement—Walloon Chamber of Commerce Requests French Intervention."
Before arriving in Upper Hesse, Ségur had traveled tirelessly across most of the German states, delivering over twenty speeches, making sure that every nation knew: Austria had unjustly provoked the war, and France would resist to the very end.
The day after the French government publicly announced its acceptance of Wallonia's request and its decision to send troops, Austria officially declared war on France.
That same day, Britain also declared war on France, citing "France's malicious disruption of the sugar market."
Shortly after, Prussia, Hanover, and the Netherlands followed suit, openly declaring war on France.
Prussia and the Netherlands were bound by treaties to support Britain, while Thuringia, Lower Hesse, and Tuscany joined the war at the request of Prussia and Austria.
Three days later, the diplomatic representatives of these nations signed an agreement in Potsdam, formally establishing the "Anti-French Coalition" and pledging to "jointly defend the existing order of the European continent."
France immediately responded by declaring war on all Anti-French Coalition members.
In an instant, Europe was engulfed in the flames of total war.
Wavre
The sound of artillery fire had echoed through the northern part of the city since dawn.
It had been only three days since the Walloon Chamber of Commerce had requested French intervention, but the Walloon police force was already on the brink of collapse.
By now, Austrian troops had completely surrounded the northern part of the city. The police had retreated to an iron ore warehouse in the central district, making a desperate last stand.
In truth, had Count Radetzky not been concerned about damaging Wavre's factories, he might have already taken full control of the city.
Chief Superintendent Gaillard listened to the casualty reports from his officers, his brow furrowing deeply.
After three days of intense fighting, nearly 500 police officers had been killed or wounded. For a non-military organization, holding out this long without breaking ranks was already remarkable.
But things had taken a turn for the worse—earlier that morning, a squad of Austrian hussars had launched a surprise attack on the police artillery position, destroying all their cannons.
Now, the Austrian artillery was free to fire at close range without fear of retaliation. The police defensive lines were being pushed back rapidly, and casualties were rising sharply.
Gaillard knew that the Walloon police had reached their limit.
After discussing the situation with his senior officers, he turned to his deputy and said, "Order an evacuation from Wavre. The officers from the Four Police Department will cover the retreat—everyone else, head for Namur immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
Gaillard then looked up at the city he had fought for over the past few days and sighed.
"Let's hope the French army reaches Namur in time."
At around 3 p.m., a large group of police officers withdrew from the southern side of Wavre. With the sound of artillery still rumbling behind them, they trudged toward Namur, their faces filled with exhaustion and defeat.
However, they had barely made it two kilometers when the faint sound of galloping horses echoed ahead.
The police had little combat experience, and their morale was already low—so they had completely neglected reconnaissance.
By the time Gaillard raised his binoculars and saw the banner of the Austrian Dörna Cavalry Regiment appearing to the south, he realized they were being ambushed.
Moments later, another report came in—Austrian infantry had been spotted on the eastern and western flanks.
Since the scouts had only just gone out, the enemy was now less than 600 paces away.
Gaillard's heart tightened. He was about to order a defensive formation when he noticed the exhaustion on his officers' faces.
Shaking his head, he turned to his deputy and said, **"That's enough. These young men have done all they can.
"Raise the white flag—they shouldn't have to suffer any more losses."**
Just as he was about to order the surrender, something strange happened.
The sound of the Austrian cavalry's galloping suddenly became chaotic—then it began to fade, as if something had forced them to halt.
A moment later, a police scout came galloping toward him.
"Sir! The Austrian infantry on the west flank is shifting westward!"
Gaillard was stunned.
He was retreating south—why would the enemy move west? Weren't they clearing the way for him?
He quickly gave orders: "Keep scouting! Go farther and find out what's happening!"
"Yes, sir!"
Before the scout could return, another sound of hooves thundered from the south.
Gaillard stood up in his saddle and peered through his binoculars—what he saw left him in shock.
Hundreds of Austrian hussars were turning westward, leaving the road to Namur completely open!
He had no idea what was happening, but this was a golden opportunity to escape the Austrian encirclement.
Then, suddenly, he noticed something else—the hoofbeats in the distance were getting louder, far louder than before.
Could it be that the Austrians had brought reinforcements?
Just as he began to panic, the scout from before came galloping back at full speed, whipping his horse furiously as he shouted:
"The French! It's the French cavalry! They're attacking the Austrians!"
Gaillard's eyes widened in disbelief.
Impossible!
Even if the French had been waiting at the Walloon border and had set out the moment they received the Chamber of Commerce's request, it should have taken at least a week for them to arrive.
Yet only three days had passed—how could they already be here?
Maybe it was just a small force of cavalry sent ahead to provide assistance.
Gaillard, overwhelmed with excitement, immediately turned to his men. "Get ready! We're going to support the French cavalry!"
His tactical skills were average at best, but he had paid attention during his Art of Command classes.
He knew that cavalry without infantry support was vulnerable to coordinated enemy attacks.
With over ten thousand Austrian troops near Wavre, including infantry, cavalry, and artillery, the police had to work with the French cavalry to ensure a safe retreat.
However, before the police could even move, distant gunfire and agonized screams erupted from the west.
Gaillard's heart sank. Had the French cavalry already been defeated?
He quickly ordered his men to form up—but the next moment, he saw a dozen ragged cavalrymen galloping past them, heading straight toward Wavre.
He raised his binoculars again.
The riders were covered in blood, their uniforms in tatters—and their gray-green coats were unmistakably Austrian.
Then, from the west, the rhythmic beat of war drums rang out.
More and more Austrian soldiers were fleeing in panic, some even stumbling into the police lines and immediately being taken prisoner.
A few minutes later, Gaillard spotted a mass of white uniforms appearing on the horizon.
On their banners, he saw a golden fleur-de-lis and a dolphin emblem.
The French Royal Infantry!
Thousands of French soldiers advanced in a long, disciplined line, sweeping through the southern outskirts of Wavre.
Gaillard estimated that at least 4,000 to 5,000 French troops had arrived.
On both flanks, large squadrons of French cavalry, their tall bearskin hats standing out, galloped forward, driving the scattered Austrian infantry before them.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10