Chapter 0959: A Botched Scheme Backfires
"Mr. President, what on earth has happened? Has some unexpected upheaval occurred in Austria-Hungary?" Secretary of State Bryan inquired.
After all, for a head of state to so brazenly insult the emperor of another nation was highly improper. Even if such words would never be publicly disclosed, they would nonetheless inflict considerable damage on America's reputation.
"A crisis has indeed befallen Austria-Hungary. Following the commencement of the German offensive, the Grand Duke of Bohemia issued an order commanding all Bohemian troops to lay down their arms and surrender to the Germans. The German forces encountered virtually no resistance as they swept through the Kingdom of Bohemia. At this very moment, they are advancing rapidly towards Austria!" President Woodrow Wilson declared.
"The Germans must have reached a clandestine agreement with the Grand Duke of Bohemia. The most plausible explanation is that they have promised to support Bohemia's independence once Austria-Hungary is defeated. Only under such circumstances would the Grand Duke dare to betray the empire," Bryan analyzed.
President Wilson nodded in agreement. "That is certainly a strong possibility. But at this point, speculating on the cause is futile. The betrayal of Bohemia has dealt a severe blow to Austria-Hungary's strength. I fear they will find this war increasingly difficult to sustain."
"Mr. President, while Bohemia is a significant part of Austria-Hungary, it does not constitute the bulk of its military power. Even with Bohemia removed from the equation, the empire still retains around eighty percent of its strength. If they fight resolutely, they might still manage to withstand the German onslaught," Secretary of War Garrison remarked.
"My concern is that if Bohemia has already fallen into disarray, then the other constituent states of Austria-Hungary may soon follow. If the Germans sought to buy allegiance, they would not have limited their efforts to Bohemia alone. The Kingdom of Hungary, along with other states within the empire, would also be prime targets for German persuasion. Should they, too, turn their backs on Vienna, then Austria-Hungary will unravel completely. In that case, their defeat would be inevitable—and swift!" President Wilson warned.
"Surely not all of the constituent states will defect? Austria-Hungary has stood for half a century, after all. Even if Emperor Charles I is inept, he must at least understand the necessity of maintaining control over them," Garrison responded skeptically.
"That is far from certain. In any case, Austria-Hungary now stands on precarious ground. It appears that our entire strategy is on the verge of collapse," President Wilson sighed.
The high-ranking officials in the U.S. cabinet exchanged grave looks. They had invested two hundred million dollars into this operation—an enormous sum of real money. If Austria-Hungary fell, that investment would be utterly squandered. Worse still, if the empire crumbled too quickly, their losses would be even more unbearable.
Treasury Secretary McAdoo, however, felt a rare sense of relief. Fortunately, the ten-billion-dollar interest-free loan promised to Austria-Hungary had yet to be disbursed. Had the funds already been transferred, the financial damage would have been catastrophic.
Moments later, the secretary reentered the room.
"More bad news?" President Wilson asked.
The secretary nodded. "Yes, Mr. President."
"Well, it seems today is destined to be a dreadful day," Wilson muttered.
"The Kingdom of Hungary has declared strict neutrality in this war. The Hungarian Prime Minister has openly stated that Hungary will not pay for Charles I's folly. Furthermore, Baron Toberes, the Hungarian Chief of the General Staff, has ordered all Hungarian forces to remain within their barracks until the war concludes," the secretary reported.
"Damn it! Hungary is no mere Bohemia. Their military strength is far greater, accounting for nearly one-third of Austria-Hungary's total power. With Hungary withdrawing, Austria-Hungary has no reason to continue fighting. Their struggle is now utterly meaningless. The combined defections of Bohemia and Hungary have cost them half their strength—there is no way they can withstand the German advance," Garrison said, shaking his head.
"The Germans must have orchestrated this for quite some time. Otherwise, they could not have managed to turn both Bohemia and Hungary in such a short span," Bryan observed.
"I have a growing suspicion that Germany had long been planning to dismantle Austria-Hungary. They were merely waiting for the right pretext. And now, by pressuring Austria-Hungary to break away from the alliance, we may have unwittingly handed them exactly that," Wilson said grimly.
A heavy silence fell over the cabinet. If Wilson's assessment was accurate, then Germany's machinations were far more sinister than they had imagined.
"Gentlemen, Austria-Hungary will not last much longer. Once again, we have been outmaneuvered by the Germans. With Austria-Hungary defeated, Germany will eliminate a major threat at its doorstep and emerge even stronger. The adversary we must contend with in the future will be more formidable than ever," Wilson declared.
The cabinet members nodded, each acknowledging the grim reality before them. Overcoming Germany now seemed an increasingly arduous task.
"Mr. President, another telegram from Austria-Hungary," the secretary announced as he returned.
"Read it," Wilson said, though his expectations had dwindled to nothing.
"The Kingdom of Dalmatia, the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, and other constituent states have all declared neutrality. Their armies now refuse to heed orders from the imperial government. Meanwhile, Austrian troops on the front lines are disbanding without a fight," the secretary read aloud.
"So, Austria-Hungary was nothing but a hollow giant after all. We were all deceived," Bryan remarked.
"Indeed! For a nation counted among the great powers of the world—a victor of the last global war—its collapse has been nothing short of pathetic," Garrison added.
The U.S. cabinet members could not hide their deep disappointment. They had once envisioned a fierce struggle between Austria-Hungary and Germany. Now, it was clear that such hopes had been nothing more than a delusion.
"Mr. President, what should we do about the fleet?" Secretary Daniels asked.
"Have the fleet patrol the eastern Atlantic for now. Avoid unnecessary conflict with the Germans," Wilson ordered.