She changed Europe

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On the machine gun emplacements, soldiers pulled the triggers, desperately spitting out scorching and deadly flames. Piles of spent cartridges lay at the feet of each gunner, and to cool the weapons, some soldiers voluntarily placed buckets of water beside them, ready for use as coolant. At this moment, every machine gun had become a highly efficient killing machine. A classic scene from World War I was unfolding prematurely in this subtle way, and the victims were the Prussian soldiers lying haphazardly on the ground, rolling down the hillside.

On the Austrian side, some reserve soldiers had already assembled in the open space behind them, and then, under the command of their officers, fixed their bayonets, waiting to follow the magic armored forces after they advanced.

The Prussian offensive had never been as ridiculous as it was today, because this time they couldn't even get close to the Austrians before being wiped out by their opponent's terrible weapons.

This feeling of powerlessness is unprecedented...

Meanwhile, Ludendorff struggled to crawl on the ground, moving back in the direction he had started from. He didn't care about glory; all he wanted now was to survive.

In contrast, the new Prussian reserves in the rear, having received no orders to retreat, were still preparing to launch another attack. Even though the attack was hopeless, their inherent instinct for obedience compelled them to carry out their orders.

Just then, the Austrian machine guns suddenly stopped firing. Some soldiers optimistically assumed that the enemy had run out of bullets and slowly raised their heads from the ground. But then a sharp, piercing whistle rang out, followed by deafening shouts of battle.

And because they were both Germans, they could clearly understand what the other was saying.

"Attack? Long live His Highness Gisela? Long live His Majesty the Emperor?" Such slogans were shouted, and the ground shook violently in response. Some Prussian soldiers who were on the hillside and had survived by lying under the bodies of their comrades, but were already terrified, seemed to realize something, and then stood up with fear on their faces and ran back to their rear.

"Retreat! The enemy is about to counterattack!" They waved their hands, trying to warn their comrades, but faced with soldiers who were routing without orders, the soldiers in the rear raised their guns at their commander's command. Their General Heinrich hated deserters above all else, so he ordered his officers to execute deserters if necessary to maintain morale. Although this conflicted with Prussian military regulations, Heinrich was now a confidant of Crown Prince Frederick, who effectively controlled Prussia, and even General Moltke could not easily punish him.

"Fire! Don't let any deserter escape!"

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 456 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Captain 75 The Discipline of the Austrian Army (Seeking Votes)

As the officer waved his hand, whistling bullets flew in visible trajectories toward the fleeing Prussian soldiers. These soldiers, who had narrowly escaped enemy fire, ultimately fell victim to the guns of their own comrades.

Ludendorff, who had initially wanted to stand up, fell back to his feet upon witnessing the scene, clutching the photograph to his chest with his right hand. He was not a hero, nor a good soldier, but he still hoped to be a good father, at least in his daughter's eyes.

Just then, the Austrian magic armor appeared from the central area. Its light gray paint made it look like a terrifying black wall in the dim light of the night. The Prussian soldiers panicked and fired wildly at the magic armor, but the bullets were easily deflected by the shields.

In the chaos, an experienced veteran tried to ignite the explosives in his hand to take down the enemy's magical armor, but the modified light magical armor cut him in half the moment he was about to ignite the explosives.

The Prussian formation was completely disrupted by the magic armor, and the Austrian infantry quickly followed. The two sides then engaged in hand-to-hand combat, and the Prussians, whose attack had been thwarted and who were now being counterattacked, began to waver and collapse. Ludendorff straightened up, knelt on the ground, and then raised his hands, becoming the first Prussian soldier to surrender to the Austrians.

An angry Austrian soldier kicked him to the ground and was about to plunge his bayonet into the chest of the helpless Prussian soldier when his comrade stopped him in time.

“Rozenar! Her Highness the Princess instructed me to treat the prisoners well!” a tall but somewhat clumsy-looking comrade called out to him.

“Shut up! Švejk, these damned invaders don’t deserve any sympathy.” The man named Rozenal stepped on Ludendorff’s stomach and held a bayonet to his neck.

“Her Highness the Princess is right!” Švejk threw down his gun and hugged Rozenal’s waist, preventing him from stabbing him with his bayonet.

"Get rid of me, you idiot! I want revenge for my sister who died in Dresden!" Rozenal's sister was a maid in Dresden and died because the Prussians broke their promise and bombarded the city prematurely.

"You Prussians arm yourselves and call yourselves defenders of Germany! But you're just throwing yourselves around! What's the difference between what Spartacus did and what those great powers who once preyed on us on this land did!" The man didn't care who the prisoner at his feet was, nor whether he could understand his words. He simply wanted to vent his dissatisfaction and seek revenge.

"Why aren't you attacking yet?" Bella, riding her warhorse and escorted by her guards, noticed two of her soldiers arguing over a Prussian prisoner.

"Sir, he wants to kill the prisoners to avenge his sister," Švejk said to Bella while hugging his friend.

“Captured? Revenge?” Bella frowned slightly, then dismounted and came to the three of them.

"Name!" Bella asked seriously.

"Schweik!"

"Rozenal".

“Joshua von Ludendorff.” This Prussian was clearly different from the two Austrian soldiers, as the former was obviously a nobleman, but judging from his status as a rank-and-file soldier, he was clearly just a son of a fallen noble family.

"Schweik repeated our army's regulations."

"No indiscriminate killing, no looting, no coercion, treat prisoners of war and ordinary people who deal with the army well." Even the not-so-bright Švejk remembered the princess's words clearly. After all, the princess who shook hands with him at the Prague train station was the woman who had influenced Švejk the most besides his mother.

Gisela's new regulations primarily targeted military operations throughout Germany, as she viewed all the states as her subjects and would certainly treat them well, even her arch-enemy Prussia. Gisela attempted to rectify the disciplinary problems within the Austrian Imperial Army, particularly pronounced during the Thirty Years' War. Wallenstein, a military leader loyal to the Habsburgs, had a complex image in Germany. While renowned for his military talent, his army earned the nickname "Wallenstein's Locusts" for its conduct during the war, reflecting the lax discipline and its influence on the populace at the time.

"Do you know what to do?" Bella squinted at the two soldiers.

"But?" Rozenal seemed still unwilling to give up.

“What kind of revenge is it to kill an unarmed prisoner? If you want revenge, then keep charging! Use your gleaming bayonets to plunge into the chests of those armed enemies!” Bella roared angrily, hands on her hips. She could have completely ignored this trivial matter, but who told her to witness it? As someone who fiercely defended Gisela, she couldn't tolerate anything that went against Gisela's original intentions, within her knowledge.

"I'm sorry, sir, I understand." Ronazel gripped his weapon tightly and walked forward without looking back.

"Schweik, you'll be in charge of guarding the prisoners." With that, Bella leaped onto her warhorse and casually tidied her brown hair, which had been ruffled by the breeze.

Our attention shifts to the Prussian command post—

As new battlefield intelligence was handed to him, an enraged Heinrich slammed his pen to the ground. Before the battle, he had received a message from who-knows-where claiming that the Austrian defenses were sparsely manned, presenting him with an excellent opportunity to make a name for himself. He had hoped to seize this chance to achieve military merit and silence those arrogant "old guys" who looked down on him.

As it turned out, the enemy in front of them was not only strong, but also showed a strong tendency to encircle them. Originally, he wanted to use the cover of night to break through, but now the cover of night made him lose control of the various units and the overall situation.

"Quickly send a telegram to His Highness Frederick! Tell him we've been surrounded by the enemy and ask him to send reinforcements!" The battle situation is critical, and there's no time for him to protect his insignificant pride.

At that moment, gunshots rang out outside his tent. Heinrich was so frightened that he immediately hid under the table. Meanwhile, his men skillfully extinguished the kerosene lamps in the room.

The sporadic gunfire quickly ceased, and all the torches in the camp were extinguished. Because Heinrich's command post needed to be concealed, not many guards were left around it.

"Shh! Sir, let's go this way!" His adjutant pointed to the side of the tent, then took out his dagger, preparing to cut open the tent at that spot and crawl out.

PS1: Some people say the remake didn't fix many of the flaws, and those who did say it was disjointed. Anyway, I wasn't expecting this book to be a huge success; it was just a way to give my previous readers a proper ending. Right now, I'm busy revising my new book.

Chapter 457 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter76's Impotent Fury (Seeking Votes)

The disheveled Heinrich nodded, then crawled out through the cut.

Just as General Heinrich thought he had successfully escaped and was about to breathe a sigh of relief, his cautiously reaching hand unexpectedly touched a cold and hard object. The object was solid and heavy, which made his heart tighten and he froze on the spot.

"What's wrong, sir?" An adjutant behind him also emerged, only to see the general sitting motionless on the ground.

Just then, torches around the camp suddenly lit up, turning the day into daylight and illuminating their figures so clearly that they had nowhere to hide. Before them stood a magnificent and awe-inspiring armored vehicle from the Austrian Empire.

"We surrender, we surrender now..." Heinrich's voice seemed to have all its strength drained away, a low and desperate murmur, like a punctured balloon, all courage and hope vanishing in an instant.

With Heinrich's capture, the Prussian army was quickly and completely annihilated. The advent of machine guns transformed what was previously a battle of attrition into a full-blown war of annihilation. Of the 34,000 men, over 25,000 died in a single night, a casualty rate exceeding 70%. The commander was captured. In less than a week of fighting, Prussia had lost nearly 40,000 men in two battles against Austria. The Austrians' remarkably high combat efficiency also made many countries realize the increased national strength of the Austrian Empire after its reforms.

The situation in Prussia was becoming increasingly turbulent due to the repeated defeats at the front. Although the main military force was still intact, even the most brilliant and resourceful elites in the Prussian General Staff dared not easily predict which way the scales of the war would ultimately tip.

"An army of 30,000 men was wiped out overnight? Even if Heinrich were a pig, he wouldn't be that stupid!" Commanding an army to victory is not an easy task, but being able to lead an army to such a crushing defeat in a short period of time is also no easy task.

“Uncle (referring to Prince Karl) is like this, and so is Heinrich. You self-proclaimed elites who are the pride of war, nurtured by the state with all its might, have turned out to be nothing but incompetent fools?” Frederick slammed his fist on the table, his gaze sweeping over his generals, his mood extremely agitated.

“Sir! According to the General Staff’s original plan, we should have launched the attack from the north first. It was your objective delay that prevented the original plan from being carried out properly. You also bear an unshirkable responsibility for this failure.” A younger officer raised his head and pointed out Frederick’s mistake.

"Hmph? My delay? Does that mean I have to take responsibility for your incompetence?" Frederick frowned slightly and walked heavily toward the young man in front of him.

"August!" An old general beside the young man tugged at his sleeve, signaling him to shut up, but the hot-blooded young man seemed unwilling to give up.

"What's your name!" Frederick slammed his self-made marshal's staff heavily on the table. As the nominal supreme ruler of the Kingdom of Prussia, no one except Bismarck had dared to speak to him like that for a long time.

"August von Mackensen." At present, he is just an unknown major adjutant. No one knows that in the future this young man will become a great general comparable to Hindenburg and Ludendorff, and his mobile warfare will be admired and studied by countless successors.

“Mackensen? I don’t recall having such a soldier in my camp,” Frederick said, hands on his hips, glancing disdainfully at the rank insignia on the young man’s shoulders.

“You are a man of great importance and may have a bad memory. Whether you remember or not is not important. If you want to win the war, you must remember one thing: mobility is our army’s greatest strength. If you want to deal with the Austrians, you must seize the initiative. We should not let them build their fortifications and wait for us to attack, but rather we should force them to defend themselves through our attack.” Mackensen straightened up and continued to explain his thoughts.

"Right now, as the aggressor, we should be in control of the war, but it seems we are being led by the nose by the enemy. If we cannot turn the tide in time, the balance of victory may tip in their favor once enemy reinforcements arrive."

"Gentlemen, does anyone recall having the right to criticize his superior here?" Frederick sneered at the annoying young man.

The generals present all lowered their heads, indicating their own views.

"It seems everyone is well aware of the rules of Prussia." The arrogant and conceited Crown Prince could no longer tolerate any differing opinions. He was unaware that Bismarck had not chosen him precisely because of these incurable flaws for a ruler.

"Guards! Get this arrogant fool out of here immediately!" Frederick's words carried an unquestionable authority. Immediately, two burly soldiers strode into the tent, grabbed Mackensen, and dragged him out without mercy.

“My lord! Please remember the teachings of General Moltke and Lord Bismarck: speaking frankly is the glory of Prussia! If you refuse to admit your own mistakes, how can you shoulder the responsibility for the success or failure of this battle?” Mackensen’s voice resounded throughout the tent, each word firm and powerful.

“Bismarck…” It was that name again. Frederick clenched his right hand as soon as he heard the woman’s name.

"Get out! We Prussian army wouldn't dare presume to associate with a pillar of the state like you!" Frederick's words were full of sarcasm and disdain. With a wave of his hand, Mackensen was driven out of the tent like a stray dog. Seeing the young man being dragged away, Frederick threw his marshal's baton, the jewel-encrusted baton slamming heavily to the ground with a dull thud.

"That concludes today's meeting. You can await further instructions from the General Staff." With that, Frederick left the tent indignantly, leaving the group of generals looking at each other in bewilderment.

Of course, Frederick didn't go far after leaving. He went straight to his tent, and when he opened it, a dark-haired woman who was very familiar to him was sitting on his bed.

"Why are you here?" The black-haired woman was crossing her legs and applying nail polish. Her voice was casual, as if the Prussian army's victories and defeats had nothing to do with her recently. Of course, that was indeed the case, since for her, the country was merely a partner, not a source of loyalty.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 458 The Rebirth of the Double-Headed Eagle: Capter 77 Prussian Tactical Adjustments

"I could hear your roar from far away, it's so noisy..." The woman's voice was somewhat languid.

"What, did you get into a fight with those generals?" The woman asked, wiping her fingers, which were overflowing with sweat, as she looked up at Frederick.

"Who does he think he is, some nobody who thinks his judgment is more correct?" Frederick felt inexplicably displeased as he recalled the words of the young man named Mackensen.

"In his view, a ruler should never admit his mistakes in such a public setting, even if he knows he is wrong. Because maintaining one's dignity and authority is often more important than simply doing the right thing." The woman gently blew on her fingers, trying to make the nail polish dry faster.

“But you did very poorly today because you got angry.” Getting angry is the worst thing a competent ruler can do.

"Then how do you want me to deal with this? Am I just supposed to let him slander me and embarrass me in public?" Frederick picked up a chair and sat down in front of the woman.

"What I want to say is that in the Middle Ages, royal families and nobles would deliberately prepare a court jester to entertain everyone at banquets. Such a frank person was the best candidate for a court jester. If you didn't like him, you could easily find an excuse to get rid of him. But unfortunately, this is no longer the era in which our church is in charge. So what you have to do is get used to them."

“You are clearly a clergyman, yet you understand the ways of emperors better than others. Sometimes I wonder why you chose me, and why you chose Prussia.”

"I don't value any particular person or faction; I simply want to find the most effective path to revenge." She and Gisela, and her empire, are two absolutely incompatible entities. She spared no effort in using poison, setting traps, and assassination, exhausting all her resources and connections, yet her opponent seemed to be divinely protected, miraculously escaping from the brink of death time and time again.

The threat facing the Jesuits extends beyond Gisela; it also includes the Thirteen Courts, which now control the Papacy. The man who once groveled before her now stands in stark opposition with unprecedented force, taking away nearly half of the Papacy's elite forces. Even Cecilia Shariat, whose power is comparable to hers, has been won over by him.

The thought of the president, codenamed "Black Saint," caused her elegant and beautiful face to furrow slightly.

"How about next time I lead the magic users and you lead the troops for a 'fair and square' contest with the Austrians?"

Frederick seemed somewhat surprised to hear this, since the woman in front of him had never promised to help him before. If they provided him with assistance, Goben's disadvantage of being captured would be compensated for by their deployment.

"I should be able to gather at least 150,000 men in a few days." Part of the First Army Corps withdrew to Dresden, while another part joined up with the Second Army Corps. In short, the tasks that Goben had temporarily assigned were carried out very well.

"That would be perfect..."

Turning our attention back to the Prussian Elbe Legion—

Helwath and Bismarck's forces had successfully captured Brunswick and were now advancing towards Hanover. The King of Hanover, having suffered another defeat, fled south with his remaining main force, surrendering his capital, Hanover, to the Prussians. After all, the King himself did not want his capital to suffer the same fate as Dresden.

Lord Bismarck and Lord Karl's troops were attacked by the Austrian army's magical armored forces in the northwest and have retreated towards Dresden and the Second Army. The vanguard of the Second Army has also suffered heavy losses again, with almost all of its 32,000 troops wiped out.

Lord Karl was wounded, and Miss Goben fell into the hands of the Austrian army. General Helwath's expression turned grave at the mention of the two.

"Is Karl's injury serious?" Bismarck calmly picked up the report and began to read it, appearing remarkably composed.

"How is Miss Goben safe?" Helwath asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, Herwat, the Austrian prince won't do anything to her." With that, Bismarck picked up the glass on the table and took a sip of absinthe.

"Why do you trust that princess so much, sir?" Helwart asked, somewhat puzzled, as he looked at Bismarck's calm expression.

“I had some dealings with her when she visited Berlin before, and I know her character.” If Gisela were here now, she would definitely complain that this was indeed dealing with her, almost like they were rolling around together… Of course, the fox doesn’t think he was at a disadvantage.

In any case, for her now, she has always benefited from being with girls. Since getting married, Gisela has become more open-minded, and her former weak self is a thing of the past.

"Since it is the adults' judgment, we naturally trust it. So what should we do next? Support the Second Army or head south to Bavaria?" The Elbe Army has successfully achieved its pre-war objectives and is currently awaiting new instructions from the General Staff, remaining on standby.

“Let’s not go to southern Germany. We’re going too far into enemy territory and our supplies will be cut off. We should launch another attack on the Austrians from the northwest,” Bismarck said, tossing his golden hair.

"Isn't the northwest where the main Austrian force is located?" Helwath asked, puzzled.

"General, although I am not good at military affairs, I know the principle of feinting to the east while attacking in the west. The Austrians mobilized the magic users so early, which seemed to catch us off guard, but in my opinion, it was actually to cover up the weakness of their forces on the defensive line."

"Our staff's military plans do not include this possible assumption."

“That’s right, we’re going to take them by surprise this time.” With that, Bismarck stood up, put on his black military uniform, and looked toward the northwestern part of the Sudetenland Line.

Because war, in essence, is a psychological game, testing the strategies and psychological qualities of the highest decision-makers on both sides. Just like in the Battle of Waterloo, Polina sent Grouchy to pursue Prussian Field Marshal Blücher's mobile forces, aiming to tie down the enemy troops and prevent them from returning to the main battlefield. However, Grouchy and Blücher's execution and understanding of the tactical intentions produced a stark contrast: one returned, while the other chose to obey, which ultimately dashed Polina's hopes of victory.

She was not averse to Gisela's victory, but as a former prime minister of Prussia, she could not let her past efforts go to waste. Therefore, she was determined to make the Austrians understand her resolve and was also willing to be a whetstone to hone Gisela's character and crisis management skills.

PS1: This week has been a bit tiring.

Chapter 459 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 78 Battle Recap (Vote Requested)

"The machine gun performed exceptionally well in actual combat, but its ammunition consumption and continuous firing capability were somewhat lacking, and its failure rate was relatively high. In short, its shortcomings were quite obvious. The new rifle performed very well, with a faster firing rate and higher accuracy compared to the old Skoda rifle, and its shortcomings were not yet very noticeable. In the battle against the magic armor, it seems that the enemy also used a similar new lightweight magic armor to ours."

"Our army is still inferior to the enemy in terms of individual soldier quality, especially in long-range shooting. However, in close combat, the two armies are evenly matched." This is similar to the situation in magic-armored combat; ranged weapons mostly only serve to wear down the enemy, while close-quarters combat is often the deciding factor. This era hasn't truly entered a new age of firepower superiority; most soldiers still need to pull heavy bolts, so close-quarters combat is still necessary for victory in offensive operations.

"What about the casualties?" Gisela asked, flipping through the lengthy report in her hands, reflecting on the current problems alongside the girl named Bella.

"Our army suffered a total of 2432 dead and 4321 wounded, for a total of 6753 casualties. Losses of horses and magical armor are still being tallied." Eliminating over 30,000 Prussian troops at the cost of 6,000 men can be considered a resounding victory. Adding to this the previous success of the surprise attack on the Prussian Second Army headquarters in the northwest, a conservative estimate puts the Prussian losses at at least 40,000.

Even so, the number of enemies on the front lines of the battlefield still exceeded 150,000 and was still increasing. Fortunately, as the elite troops stationed in Italy by the Empire gradually arrived in Bohemia, Gisela's options improved considerably, and at least the number of troops under his command exceeded 100,000.

"Bella, you did a wonderful job. You truly are the woman I value." Gisela looked at the brown-haired girl before her with tenderness, her admiration evident in her words.

“Your Highness, it is my honor to serve you.” Bella’s face was flushed; receiving Gisela’s praise was a great honor for her.

“Let’s talk about the war in the German region.” Gisela stood up from her seat, and Bella glanced at the cushion Gisela was sitting on before looking at the map.