Chapter 645: The Calm Wallonia District of Southern Netherlands
As Franz II opened the financial report, his brows suddenly furrowed.
He raised his eyes and looked at Baron Turgut: "Our debt has reached 110 million florins?"
According to Austria's propaganda, the total debt is only 7,000 florins. Thousands of florins. Although Francis II had access to real data when he was crown prince, he did not care about it.
Baron Turgut nodded helplessly and said: "I'm afraid that's the case, Your Majesty. You know, the reforms of His Majesty Joseph II were met by the nobles... cough, which made the finances a little tight. After that, we were in Sili again. A lot of military expenditures were invested in the war in West Asia, followed by the Serbian rebellion last year..."
Franz II answered angrily: "Then our trade encountered competition from the French."
"Indeed. Last year, our country's trade revenue dropped by more than 7 million florins."
Franz II looked at the long series of zeros after the debt figure on the report, and suddenly felt guilty and said: "Given our country's poor financial situation, shouldn't we be too tough on the outside world? I mean, if If we really want to go to war, our military expenditure may be unsustainable."
Baron Turgut recalled the emperor's arrogant attitude at the meeting just now, and couldn't help but shake his head secretly.
He took a deep breath and said:
"Your Majesty, the French's finances are even worse. Their debt can reach 800 million florins."
Franz immediately showed a confident smile again: "You are right, so we will never It’s time to show weakness to the French!”
Baron Turgut took the opportunity and said: “Your Majesty, our country has been experimenting with banknotes for several years. If it can be fully promoted, it will play a great role in improving the finances.”
"Paper money? Well, I know, the British and the French are doing it." Franz II waved his hand, "I will be busy with the coronation in the past few months, let's wait until the coronation is over. "
He turned to the third page of the financial report and suddenly said with some surprise: "Why should the Poles be paid so much for the military expenses to suppress the Serbian rebellion? "
Military expenditures for counterinsurgency totaled 9 million florins, of which more than 6.5 million were spent on the Poles.
Baron Turgut said: "Your Majesty, you know that the Hungarian nobles do not care about Slavonia. Therefore, the Polish army led by General Kosciuszko is actually the main force in suppressing the rebels. "
He coughed dryly: "Well, actually, we still owe 1.5 million florins in unpaid soldiers' wages."
"To the Polish soldiers?"
< br>“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Francis II seemed a little unhappy: "Let these Poles go back and mobilize the Royal German Legion to Slavonia to counter the rebellion."
Baron Thugut was startled and mobilized troops from Vienna. The cost of counterinsurgency is much higher than that of the Poles, otherwise the Polish army would not have been hired in the first place.
But he immediately thought that the rebellion had been compressed to a very small scale and should be over soon, so he leaned forward and said: "Yes, Your Majesty. I will convey your will to the Military Council."
Francz II added: "As for the salaries of those soldiers, we have been protecting Poland from being annexed by the Russians, so they are also obliged to eliminate the rebels for our country."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Turgut didn't think it was anything. After all, for a weak country like Poland, what can we do if we owe them a little payment?
……
Southern Netherlands, Wallonia region.
Several carriages with carriages covered with black cloth stopped in the northern suburbs of Mons.
The driver glanced at the setting sun and was about to call the people in the car to unload the goods when he heard a whistle sounding around him. More than 30 police officers poured out from the dilapidated farmhouses and bushes, blocking all roads.
The coachman and the dozen or so people who got off the car looked at each other, quickly drew out the flintlock rifle in the carriage, hid behind the car and shot at the police.
But the policemen were obviously well-trained and did not panic at all. Instead, they gathered together and launched several rounds of volleys under the command of their superiors.
Sawdust flew from the carriage. Less than half of the people in the car were killed immediately.
Then, the policemen rushed forward with bayonet-mounted guns.
The battle ended in just a few minutes. Except for three people who knelt down and surrendered, all the people in the carriage were shot to death.
A policeman stepped forward and lifted the black cloth on the carriage, and saw neat wooden boxes inside. Several of the boxes had holes made by bullets, revealing the black flintlock guns inside.
Not long after, two police officers reported to the commanding officer: "Sir, there are a total of 120 British Brown Bess flintlock guns. No gunpowder and bullets were found."
The police officer trembled in his heart. Fortunately, there was no gunpowder, otherwise the shooting might have caused an explosion.
He waved: "Take it back for questioning, and be sure to find the ammunition."
At the same time, in a small town south of Gant, the police raided a meeting that was taking place. From the secret stronghold, more than 40 people were arrested - these people were plotting to carry out armed riots.
Outside the city of Namur, the police intercepted an armed squad of more than 80 people who were sneaking into the city. After a fierce battle, they all were shot dead or arrested.
Similar situations unfolded across the Wallonia region. A large number of militants armed with flintlock rifles intended to cause chaos, but were beaten by the fierce Wallonia police and were unable to fight back.
Southern Netherlands.
Middelburg.
A British intelligence officer placed the damage report on George Kevin's desk with a livid face, and said solemnly: "Almost all of the more than 200 people were lost. The plan can only be temporarily suspended. "
The assistant to the British Foreign Secretary frowned: "Captain Pickering, you have been making arrangements for half a year, but nothing can cause chaos as planned?"
The intelligence officer lowered his head and said: "The Walloon police are not only extremely large in number, but their combat capabilities are not inferior to the army. We had more than 80 people fighting 50 police in Namur, and they were defeated in just ten minutes. "
Kevin's frown deepened.
According to Lord Grenville's plan, the British intelligence service recruited armed thugs in the Flanders region of the Southern Netherlands - there were many remnants of the Brabant riots there, and they could easily recruit people. ——Then, sneak into Wallonia and attack the Dutch-speaking residents there.
Yes, although Wallonia is dominated by French-speaking people, there are still many Dutch-speaking people.
If the plan is successfully implemented, they will then publicize in the Flemish region that "thugs in Wallonia are persecuting Dutch-speaking residents". Under their instigation, the Dutch-speaking Flemish region will inevitably flock to Wallonia for revenge.
With the British secretly providing weapons and equipment, this conflict will be extremely tragic and plunge the entire Southern Netherlands into chaos.
However, what the British intelligence agency did not expect was that the police in the "undefended" trading area of Wallonia would be so difficult to deal with.
(End of this chapter)