Pacific Ocean, West Coast

Suddenly intensified by the war, the actual number of Austrian troops stationed in California has exceeded 30,000, and with John Sina's mobilization during this period, more than half of his 200,000 immigrants have expressed their willingness to join the army.

As a new frontier for immigrants, California's population is predominantly young and middle-aged, and there is almost no aging problem.

However, with sea routes blocked, the transportation of weapons has become a thorny problem, and sending so many untrained young people into battle will only waste valuable human resources.

In the end, the authorities recruited only about 7,000 veterans and 20,000 laborers, whose main duties were to build fortifications and deliver supplies.

Indigenous Hispanics, Mexicans, Indians, and Central American refugees are also enthusiastic about joining the military.

But Archduke Carl Ferdinand chose to ignore these requests, and even felt that they were not even qualified to work as laborers.

The reason for this is simple, the risks outweigh the benefits. (Please note: this is his personal opinion and does not represent the author's opinion.) ）

This ally, who has always been over-alert, firmly believes that he is unreliable and could stab him in the back at any moment, is more dangerous than his enemy.

In essence, of course, it was the so-called Greater German Ideology that was at work, after all, the entire top of the administration, including Johann Sina, was more or less influenced by this ideology.

Archduke Carl Ferdinand did not choose to fight in the agricultural area of San Pascual, as the historical Mexican army did, but chose to retreat to the fortress of the San Gabriel Mountains.

(These are Mexican place names, and Fort San Gabriel is near Los Angeles and belongs to the outpost fortress.) ）

However, this proposal was actually made by Franz several years ago, and then conveyed on behalf of the representative who traveled across the ocean to California.

If you choose to defend St. Pascual, if the other side does not have a plan to attack and plans to make a detour, then this fortress in the center of the valley will obviously lose its existence.

Moreover, the Americans in history have adopted the method of attacking from two sides, and if it is only a land war, it may not be impossible to lose an inch of land.

But if they choose to fight harassment or raid warfare from the sea, it is impossible for the coastal defense forces in California to keep the enemy out.

There is no need to repeat the power of naval guns, it is not difficult to solve the coastal defense batteries of this era by relying on them, and it is possible to paralyze a coastal fortress built with a lot of money with just two volleys.

This is still taking into account the accuracy of the artillery at that time, and if a salvo can hit the target in its entirety, it is not surprising that it will collapse.

Therefore, to deal with the naval offensive of the Americans, the only way to deal with it is to shrink the defense and lure the enemy into depth. If the other side is not fooled, it will turn into a long war of attrition.

Obviously, this mode of operation is extremely unfavorable to the Austrian side, after all, the coastline of the entire Nikko State is more than 5,000 kilometers, and it is extremely difficult to carry out a comprehensive defense.

Because the opponent does not need to take the initiative to attack at all, as long as he walks along the coastal area twice a day, he can exhaust the Austrian side to death.

Just like the 800,000 Qing troops of that year were just a number for the British, the latter often had more numbers in local wars, not to mention standing on the advantage of firepower, and if they wanted to win, they either took the initiative to attack, or actively defended, or consumed the other side to death.

(At that time, the Qing Dynasty had about 200,000 soldiers in the Eight Banners and about 600,000 soldiers in the Green Battalion, with a total strength of 800,000.) ）

For Austria at this time, it is better to commit suicide than to use those 100-200 ton boats to fight a naval battle with the Americans, even if it can use the one-for-one tactic of kamikaze attack, the Americans can afford it.

It is now unclear to Franz how negatively the U.S. blockade of the coastline would have on the morale and mentality of the defenders in California.

So in the worst-case scenario, John Sina had direct access to the British, as it was essential for the senior officials of the overseas colonies to have flexible decision-making power.

Although it would be very costly to implement it, it would prevent the United States from becoming a dominant power on the North American continent, and Britain would certainly do its best to defend this anointed land.

Of course, that was only the worst-case scenario, but in fact the Land of Sunshine was rich in products and completely self-sufficient, even if the enemy imposed a total lockdown policy, the stored supplies would be enough for several years.

John Taylor was indeed a remarkable politician, and even when the Austrian authorities were in California to suppress seditions of American immigrants, he pulled out a rebel army there.

Attacking from both sides, the center blossoms, and similar tactics can completely kill the vast majority of people at the moment. Thankfully, Franz did not belong to this era. Later generations of experience made him extremely interested in every move of the Americans.

At this time in San Diego, a middle-aged man in a trench coat and a cowboy hat is announcing to the residents of the city:

"From now on, California is a territory of the United States of America, and you are all citizens of the United States! Rejoice, brothers! Together, we will bask in the sunshine of democracy and freedom!

There is no form of oppression or exploitation, and everyone is free to express his or her opinions and opinions, and enjoys equal rights and opportunities.

There, legal fairness and transparency are the cornerstones of guaranteeing people's rights, and the government's duty is to serve the people and protect their interests.

There, people are free to choose their own lifestyle and beliefs without any form of discrimination and persecution. Long live America! ”

"Long live America!."

I have to say that there were really many heroes with the spirit of exploration and pioneering spirit in the United States during the westward expansion, and his incendiary rhetoric successfully aroused the emotions of the people around him.

Of course, there are a lot of "trusts" in it, but in any case, it was a very successful speech.

"But democracy and freedom are not achieved overnight, we must constantly overcome difficulties and defeat our enemies! Now the Austrian Empire, they are still on our land!

We must use our guns and bayonets in our hands to let them know who is the master here! Now grab your guns and come with me, go and destroy those Austrians, do not be afraid of sacrifice, God is with us! ”

"God is with us!."

The crowd was stirred up with enthusiasm, and the man in the hat kicked open the box at his feet, which was full of weapons and bullets, and several of his men began to dispense weapons to the people when suddenly there was a discordant dissent.

"Your speech is indeed demagogic, sir, and I almost believed it. But I'm sorry, we're Californians and Mexicans, and we don't have anything to do with the United States of America.

You can't be here to invade us, are you? I've lived here for more than ten years, how come I've never seen you? ”

The local aborigines asked a question, which made the man in the trench coat feel embarrassed and had to shoot directly, and explained.

"He's a lackey of the tyrant Tasan Anna! The enemy of democracy and freedom! Let's now go and fight the tyrant of Mexico and his accomplices, the Austrians! ”

After witnessing the transformation of the "apostle on a mission of justice" into a perpetrator, some local residents began to hesitate, after all, the cruel behavior of the man in the trench coat made him look more like a tyrant.

The man in the trench coat had no choice but to yell at the sky.

"Whoever is not with us is our enemy, the enemy of the United States of America!"

Spurred on by the sound of gunfire, the crowd finally got into action, and the instigator was John Charlie Fremont, one of the greatest explorers in American history and the spearhead of the invasion of Mexico.

(End of chapter)