Chapter 7
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Chapter 7: The Prince Regent Is Working Hard
A great politician’s actions in diplomatic settings always have a purpose.
For example, like Khrushchev’s worn-out leather shoes, Trump’s dumb show, and Anna’s arrogance, behind their attention-grabbing seemingly brainless actions, lies a hidden true intention.
Apart from such wild and unrestrained politicians, most people still maintain a gentle and refined image, also shaped to achieve their goals.
In other words, politicians need a persona.
First, make you think I am an arrogant and crazy fool, then use cunning schemes to trap you.
First, make you think I am an elegant and kind gentleman, then find the right moment to stab you viciously.
Before the Third Reich annexed Czechoslovakia, the majority thought Hitler was a pacifist, foreign diplomats and politicians believed he never wanted war, he portrayed himself as a man of his word and polite, capable of resolving all conflicts at the negotiation table, that’s how Hitler successfully gained profit from his constructed persona.
How do people perceive Anna now? Arrogant, crazy, barbaric, rude, with strong political tactics, a supporter of violence, a war profiteer, a war maniac, a dragon rider from the village.
Anyone who crosses Anna will face immediate retaliation, Austria has repeatedly asserted dominance in diplomatic situations before, trying to show that Austria is in charge of German affairs and belittling and humiliating other princes, Anna’s response is a fierce counterattack, succeeding every time and ensuring that Prussia can walk away unscathed after humiliating the opponent.
But this time, something was off, Austria used their usual tactics, but Anna didn’t react, she remained calm, showing no emotion, she endured it and even allowed the Austrians to flaunt their status.
This made other people very curious, huh? Huh! Bismarck, the wild dragon knight from the village, suddenly changed his attitude today.
Austria felt both joyful and worried. Joyful because Prussia backed down and admitted to being the leader, and the arrogant Bismarck bowed down to them, which felt very fulfilling.
Worried because they didn’t know what Bismarck, this rascal, was up to. They thought, "I know you’re skilled. Are you plotting against me?"
Your Highness the Regent heard about the situation at the German Confederation Congress and felt curious. He immediately summoned Anna after she returned to Berlin.
Hey, Anna was meek and obedient in front of the Austrians, but she looked displeased in front of Leader One.
Anna had just returned from Frankfurt, worn out from the journey, when she was summoned. Leader One was holding their child, Friedrich·Redel·冯·Bittenfeld, when they were called.
Of course, Anna looked displeased… and she wasn’t pregnant.
Leader One wasn’t a very good father. He only took care of and spent time with his eldest son once a month, which happened to be the same time Miss Anna crossed paths with them.
The prince regent gently rocked the baby carriage and without looking away, asked Anna about the German Confederation Congress.
"Prussia is currently focusing on various international matters, and in terms of German affairs, it is not suitable to conflict with Austria again. By easing relations and showing restraint, Prussia can ensure that it is not held back by more issues hindering its development," Anna explained.
Leader One, "Is it that simple? I feel like you are laying the groundwork for the distant future. A war between Prussia and Austria is inevitable, but isn’t it too early for you to prepare now?"
Anna was pleased that Leader One understood her intentions. They shared common ideas and walked the same path. Moreover, Leader One was an excellent strategist, the kind of monarch Prussia needed and Anna desired.
"If I want to build my own house, I would spend five years in advance selecting a site, preparing blueprints, analyzing and comparing different construction methods and building materials, raising funds, waiting for all preparations to be completed. I would then take a month to build the house," Anna confidently raised her head.
Leader One hesitated for a moment, then placed the baby carriage in the corner and sat back in the prince regent’s chair.
"Five years? Did you say five years?"
Anna, "Yes."
Leader One’s plan was not as quick as Anna’s. He intended to embark on the path to German unification around 1850, which was a decade away.
Prussia’s current rapid development momentum could be sustained for a long time. By 1850, the total economic output and government revenue would be more than four times that of 1833, and the overall national strength would have greatly increased. Transitioning from a feudal agricultural state to a modern industrial country, initiating a unification war at that time would be relatively effortless.
That afternoon in the prince regent’s office, Anna talked a lot and completely rejected the prince regent’s ten-year plan.
"Germany wants to unify, but others should not think we are weak, when in fact, we are not weak."
"If we wait ten years, and Prussia is no longer able to pretend to be weak, then if we hide our strength, it will be like an ant with an elephant behind it. Countries like England, France, Russia, and Austria will not allow Prussia to expand."
"And as other countries are progressing rapidly, when Prussia becomes very strong, other countries will not stand still. Starting a unification war in 1850 would be too late."
"I think around five years is the best timing. Find a suitable opportunity, wait for the international situation to change, and then start the unification war immediately."
Leader One said, "Around 1845… our military reforms are not fully completed, the industrial system is not fully established, the country has not transformed yet. We are not ready."
Anna said, "There is nothing in this world that you wait to be ready for before doing it."
Leader One replied, "But you just said you will wait until everything is ready before taking action."
Anna, "…"
When to start the German unification war is actually a subjective question. People think it can start at any time. In this changing era, there are countless international opportunities for Prussia to start the war, and the evaluation of its own strength and military power is also subjective. Some people think they are strong enough now.
Leader One is more cautious and hopes to start in ten years, while Anna believes it can start in about five years.
After a whole afternoon of discussion, the Prince Regent and the Minister of Foreign Affairs did not reach a consensus. In general, Your Highness the Regent still insists on his own ideas, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs did not persuade further.
Anna went back to rest because she will be visiting London in a few days. With the end of the Great Revolution, the First Schleswig War has also ended. The proxy war between Prussia and Austria failed, and the local Germans in Schleswig could not resist the Danish army.
Regarding the post-war negotiations of the First Schleswig War, the six countries of Britain, France, Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Denmark are to hold a meeting in London. However, the impact of this proxy war is not significant.
Prussia never thought they could win this proxy war from the beginning. They just want to bleed Denmark and annoy them for a few years.
The results of the post-war negotiations are already predetermined. No country will allow Denmark’s excessive expansion. This treaty will not allow Denmark to annex Schleswig and Holstein.
Anna tilted her head, made a decision, and chose to support the King of Denmark, allowing the current king to rule over Schleswig and Holstein, but not the next king.
First, she wants to ease the relationship between Prussia and Denmark. Secondly, she wants the current King of Denmark to stabilize his rule. When the next king realizes he cannot inherit Schleswig and Holstein, he will not accept it. That will be the beginning of the German unification war.
In 1840, the London Agreement ended the first Schleswig War. Most people in the Blue Star didn’t care about it. They were more interested in the Far East War. People wanted to see the mysterious Great Ming Empire and some were focused on the chaotic battle between the United States, Mexico, and The Republic of Texas.
The people in Schleswig-Holstein were very concerned. The local Germans were angry but couldn’t do anything about it. This deepened their hatred towards Denmark and strengthened their desire for a unified Germany.
Prince Regent Redel put Anna in charge of the negotiations in London. He, on the other hand, was deeply into military matters recently.
Leader One was not a very good father, and Catherine was a totally irresponsible mother. She gave birth to the child, rested for a week, then immediately went back to the military, keeping busy with military duties, and didn’t see the child for over two months.
Catherine was always very indifferent to family affection, she didn’t really care even about her own child. To be honest… she kind of disliked children, finding it annoying to take care of babies and troublemakers. She felt more comfortable training soldiers in her own elite cavalry.
The elite cavalry went through the Ron Army Reform, dividing into light cavalry and heavy cavalry.
The light cavalry included the Skeleton Cavalry brigade and two Dragon Cavalry-Artillery brigades.
The heavy cavalry consisted of the Armored Horse Cavalry brigade and two Armored Infantry Cavalry brigades.
When Catherine returned to the military after giving birth, she found that Ron had made significant changes to the organization, logistics, and training system of officers and non-commissioned officers, bringing about revolutionary reforms.
But the equipment is still the same as before, this won’t do, the cavalry needs better pistols and long rifles for immediate use.
Catherine rode directly to the Cabinet Office to find Minister of National Defense Ron for equipment.
Ron, "I will solve the problem as soon as possible."
Catherine ran to the Prussian military complex.
Military complex, "We are working on it, we are working on it."
No one could give her a definite answer about when the cavalry’s weapons could be replaced. Catherine went straight to her husband (mistake), found the prince regent.
Your Highness the Regent, with some free time on his hands, and a strong interest in military equipment, decided to personally intervene in this matter.
Leader One inspected the different units of the cavalry, and with Catherine accompanying him, watched their training for several days.
The fully armed cavalry unit is considered the descendant of the Polish winged hussars. They wear three-quarters plate armor, fight with classical lances over four meters long, excel at frontal assaults on enemy formations, easily slaughtering infantry in field encounters. However, due to heavy equipment, they lack speed, making them vulnerable to artillery and vulnerable to light cavalry ambushes.
The Dragon Cavalry and Artillery Mixed Troops of Prussia were like the motorized infantry of World War II. They relied heavily on horses to move soldiers and cannons, and focused mainly on cavalry combat.
The Skeleton Cavalry unit was Prussia’s top cavalry force, known for their black uniforms with white skull buttons. Their emblem, a skull, was highly valued by Prussians. They were very fast and light, using only swords and pistols, but had weak defense and were not effective against organized infantry.
The Armored Cavalry unit wore heavy chest plate armor that could withstand bullets from 50 meters away. They used pistols for long-range attacks and charged with short spears in battle.
Catherine complained that the pistols and cavalry rifles were not good enough. The Mauser lever-action rifles used by the Dragon Cavalry were not suitable for immediate combat due to sealing and reliability issues. The pistols used by the Armored Cavalry were outdated, causing difficulties when reloading.
Leader One ordered several sets of equipment and brought out his own warhorse.
The Regent personally tested the pistols and found them to be inaccurate and difficult to reload at a distance of 50 meters.
Imagine the Armored Cavalry running 50 meters to shoot at the enemy, missing, then retreating hundreds of meters to reload. In the chaos of battle, it could take minutes to reload, from taking out the gunpowder flask from the horse’s pouch to ramming in the steel ball…
"Hey, where is Colt? Have you heard of the Colt revolver?" asked the Prince Regent to the surrounding officers.
The nearby cavalry lieutenants were clueless, but Catherine had heard of Colt, an American who tried to sell weapons to her a couple of years ago.
"That thing is worse than what we’re using now, who would buy that kind of gun? Colt’s company is almost going bankrupt," Catherine said contemptuously.
Leader One (happily), "Well, that’s good. The military-industrial complex is going to acquire Colt’s company and let Colt continue to improve the revolver."
Colt, a young man, invented the revolver and established a company in 1836, applying for a patent. He traveled the world promoting his masterpiece, but only a few gun collectors bought it. The initial sales of the revolver did not exceed two digits, and military institutions around the world labeled it as ‘industrial waste.’
Colt’s company currently relies on manufacturing gun parts to survive. If he focused on running the manufacturing plant, profits would be substantial. However, Colt invested a large amount of money in developing revolvers, pouring money into the marketing department. As a result, the products did not sell, the reputation did not build up, and the company is on the verge of bankruptcy.
Prussia’s military-industrial complex easily acquired such a struggling company. Colt’s company is small and unknown, and the public perception of the revolver is ‘industrial waste,’ so the United States will not stop such an acquisition.
Solving the future pistol problem of Prussian cavalry is easy, but what about the rifle problem?
"Your Highness the Regent, our dragoon cavalry uses the Mauser lever-action rifle. It’s extremely expensive, prone to malfunctions after a dozen shots, and cannot be operated with one hand, making it inconvenient for immediate use," reported a cavalry officer.
Leader One tried it, um… he had no problem with it, although using the lever-action rifle on horseback was a bit awkward, it was not a big issue for him.
The officers first praised the prince regent’s superb horsemanship, then said, "Not every dragoon has your horsemanship skills. If they were skilled riders, they would have transferred to other units long ago."
The horse skills of the Dragon Cavalry troops are not very good. They are soldiers who have only been trained for one or two years and have never had contact with horses before. They can only handle a gun with one hand, unable to let go of the reins with both hands, so using a lever-action rifle is a problem.
Skilled horse riders have no interest in joining the Dragon Cavalry troops. Children who have been riding horses since they were young will choose to serve in the Valiant Cavalry. Those with a knightly spirit will join the Gun Cavalry, those with a love for the Napoleonic Wars will join the Armored Cavalry, and the true Magic Energy Knights will be in the Teutonic Knights or the Royal Guard.
Catherine and some officers feel that the Dragon Cavalry troops need a gun that can be operated with one hand for easy use in mounted combat and to avoid being at a disadvantage in dismounted combat. A carbine rifle would be suitable, the Mauser lever-action rifle may not be the best choice.
Suddenly, Leader One had a bright idea. He remembered the classic scene from Terminator 2 where Schwarzenegger operated a lever-action rifle with one hand. With some modifications like enlarging the lever guard, reducing the damping force, and shortening the barrel…
The prince regent made some gestures to the cavalry officers, and they quickly understood.
Catherine thought to herself, "I’m not sure if it will be effective, but it sure is fancy. And I’m sure the malfunction rate will increase even more."
The prince regent said, "Those who want to improve the lever-action rifle can go ahead, or I can start a bidding process now. You can wait for three to five years for those arms companies to design a reliable product."
Catherine suggested, "Maybe it’s better to improve the existing rifles… If Mauser can solve the reliability and cost issues, the lever-action rifle could still be a good option."
In the Blue Star dimension, Mauser accidentally developed the lever-action rifle, but his talent in this field was lacking. The prince regent thought they should recruit experts from America where there are many lever-action rifle experts.
Let the passionate fans of lever-action rifles from America improve the Mauser lever-action rifle, is this considered cheating on someone?
When Mauser, who was left to play around, Leader One decided to order Mauser company to develop bolt-action rifles.
At this point, all the basic things have been invented. Louis Schuler improved steam engines and transmission structures, invented a large number of new metal processing machines, and von Dreiser invented the world’s first rotary bolt-action rifle. The ancestor of bolt-action rifles has been born.
Firearms, paper cartridge bullets, rifled barrels, and fixed metal bullets have all matured. With the advancement of production machinery and metal processing techniques, it was gradually becoming possible to realize them.
Mauser is definitely talented in the field of bolt-action rifles, but the young Mauser enjoys playing with all sorts of novelties and didn’t focus energy on this aspect. Now, the prince regent wants to force him to engage in bolt-action rifles, otherwise… the Mauser company will merge with Dreiser company, and Mauser will have to assist Dreiser.
The state-owned company Mauser, the private company Dreiser, could be considered the rising stars in the Prussia firearms industry. Only a few people saw their potential at this time, but most people thought that these two companies would only produce precise and delicate luxury toys. Both of their lever-action rifles and firing pin rifles were poorly received in the army.
As time passed, Mauser would gradually rise to the top, creating a flourishing era for bolt-action rifles, while Dreiser would fade into obscurity, even though he was the ancestor of bolt-action rifles. Many future generations mistakenly believed Mauser was the originator of this technology.
