Holy Roman Empire

Governor's Office of East Africa, the spirited Governor Friedrich:

"You are all the finest graduates of the Austrian Military Academy, with some of you even breaking the school records with your outstanding academic achievements.

However, that is not enough, as the finest generals are forged on the battlefield. The Empire loves peace, so there aren't many wars for you to gain real combat experience.

Now, there is an opportunity for you to get a taste of the harsh realities of war ahead of time. It does come with some risks, and participation is entirely voluntary.

If you are afraid, you can choose to withdraw now."

Being here is already proof enough. If one were afraid, they wouldn't have joined in the first place.

Pleased with everyone's demeanor, Governor Friedrich softened his tone: "Very well, since you've chosen to join this mission, once you leave this room, you will no longer be active military personnel of Austria.

Should anything unforeseen occur during this trial, it will have no relation to the Austrian Government. Only those who return alive will have their military status reinstated.

As your senior, I warn you: First learn how to survive on the battlefield before you even think of making a name for yourself.

Securing one's own safety on the battlefield is also an essential skill for a competent commander.

The Empire has not trained you to be disposable Death Squads. Bravery and foolhardiness are not one and the same.

I will now begin roll call."

"Oscar Von Hutier."

A young officer stepped forward and answered, "Present!"

Governor Friedrich: "Colonel Hutile, you are the commanding officer of this operation, and I hope you can bring all these young men back unharmed."

"Yes, sir!" answered Oscar Von Hutier.

Governor Friedrich nodded: "Your mission this time is to create trouble for the French using the Mahidi Rebel Army."

Gazing at the confused crowd, Friedrich smiled: "Don't be surprised; even with our and the British support, the rebels cannot possibly defeat the French.

The gap in strength between the two sides is vast, and the outcome of the war was determined from the start. We're sending you there for experience, not to die.

You don't need to feel pressured in this war; you are free to use any tactics you want. Victory or loss has no bearing on us. What achievements you can make depends entirely on your abilities.

Of course, the precondition is that you can cheat the locals into listening to your advice.

If anyone among you has the capability to raise a rebel army of their own to fight the French, I have no objections either.

Your battlefield achievements will decide how much material aid you get, increasing your influence with the rebel forces.

Initially, each of you will only have the equipment of an infantry battalion. Whether to supply or when to supply the rebel forces is up to your discretion."

Training high-ranking officers is entirely different from training rank-and-file ones. Rank-and-file officers need only to follow orders and be willing to fight bravely.

It's different for high-ranking officers, who need to learn much more, such as organizational management, tactical command, and the ability to adapt on the battlefield.

They don't just learn more, but also face the most ruthless competition, with assessments at every stage. Only the best can move on to the next phase of training.

Leaders who are trained at such a high cost are naturally not meant to be used as mere shock troops. How to preserve one's life on the battlefield becomes a compulsory subject.

This war between the Sudanese Rebels and the French serves as a practical test. No matter how skilled one is in theorizing about war, it can't compare to the reality of fighting on the battlefield.

The Austrian military clearly has high hopes for these men, as they would otherwise dispatch officers with extensive combat experience.

Having said that, Governor Friedrich continued with the roll call.

"Erich von Fa Jinhan, Botiolayek, Schtausenburg..."

One by one, individuals destined to be renowned in later generations appeared here.

Through Franz's decades of effort, the scope of recruitment for the Austrian Army had long since extended beyond Austria's own borders.

Anyone from the Shinra Empire was eligible to enlist, including those from Northern Germany.

Especially after the Prusso-Russian War, under financial pressure, the Berlin Government abandoned its previous militaristic path. The Army downsized its forces, and naturally, its investment in military academies diminished.

In fact, far-sighted members of the Junker aristocracy had started hedging their bets a long time ago. The older generation served in the Prussian Army, while the younger studied in Austria.

Now that Prussia was in decline, these military exchange students no longer needed to return; there were simply no positions for them, so serving in the Austrian army became the best choice.

For Franz, who aspired to unify the German Region, these officers from Northern Germany were naturally not an issue, as it was a case of survival of the fittest.

The spirited Friedrich, born in 1856, was not much older than these men in actual age.

He had simply been lucky enough to participate in the Near East war, easily soaring through the Ottoman levels before emerging as a standout.

Of course, being born into a good family played an even bigger role. As the son of Carl, the Grand Duke Ferdinand, he was born with a golden key in his mouth.

Without ability, one could still do well; with ability, there was even less to say. He originally intended to go to the Near East war just to gain some luster, but he forged real gold instead.

It's not easy for someone capable to emerge from the royal family, so naturally, such a person had to be cultivated. The young Friedrich, who should have been enjoying banquets and wine, was kicked by Franz from Vienna to East Africa.
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Young people are always restless, and Friedrich was not one to sit idle and wait for death; he had ambitions too.

In the original timeline, having lived so many years in the decadent Vienna, he was still able to command troops on the battlefield; now, even more so.

In the butterfly effect initiated by Franz, the atmosphere in Vienna was significantly stronger than the historical same period.

Facing an Emperor who disliked revelry, below him, bureaucrats and nobles were naturally influenced.

A shift in social atmosphere has the most intense impact on the next generation. Nobles born after the great revolution are generally stronger than their predecessors.

As the Colonial Governor, Friedrich's authority was vast; as long as the government had no explicit prohibition, he could act.

Causing trouble for the French naturally was not within prohibited activities. As long as no evidence was caught by the others, there would be no problem.

Having just taken office and eager to achieve merits and establish his legacy, Friedrich directly planned this operation.

For this, he visited several major governors of Austria in Africa, collecting a pile of junk from everyone's hands.

Without the Vienna Government's involvement, the resources Friedrich could mobilize were limited, and these junk items were the chips to interfere in the Mahidi Rebellion.

Increasing investment was naturally out of the question, but it wasn't really cheating anyone either; as long as results were seen, it would be easier to ask the government to pay.

"Franco-Austrian friendship" is even less reliable than "Anglo-Austrian friendship." Flipping through a history book would show that the last few hundred years of European history are a story of rivalry between the Habsburg dynasty and France.

Now, with France precisely being the one impeding the unification of the German Region, the majority of Austrians believe that France is the greatest enemy, without a parallel.

Undermining France, Friedrich felt no pressure at all. Not dispatching active soldiers was a gesture of giving face to the Paris Government.

It was just a few students who had recently graduated from the military academy; even if they were discovered by the French, Friedrich could handle it.

...