Chapter 465 - On The March Yet Again

On horseback, Eckhard rode among his Army; behind him were 75,000 Austrians; their purpose was simple, annex the Teutonic State in the name of King Berengar von Kufstein, and repel the Eastern Coalition. The 5th, 7th, and 9th Divisions who were dispatched for this mission were relatively inexperienced in warfare. 

Despite this, they were eager to perform in battle and confident in their training. With the great Field Marshal of Austria at the helm, they believed that there was no conceivable way that they could lose this war. 

At the moment, these Austrians were embarking into Bohemia, where they would regroup with the 1st Division of the Royal Bohemian Army. Though Berengar was also the King of Bohemia, he had seldom spent time within its lands, instead, he had delegated the responsibility of Governance to a personal representative who instituted the King's reforms.

Though there was initially some dissent to Austrian occupation, after the Kingdom of Bohemia was fully repaired from the devastation of the Hussite wars and was on the path to prosperity the people gradually accepted their fate. As he was marching Eckhard gazed upon the fertile fields that were once filled with the blood and corpses of friend and foe alike. 

He had spent several years of his Military Career within this Kingdom, only for it to end up in the hands of his master. A bitter smile formed on the man's face as he gazed upon the reconstruction that had occurred since Berengar seized control of these lands.

Cities were rebuilt with the advanced technologies provided to them by Austria. Plumbing existed and waste treatment plants, much like what was seen in Austria. Vast road networks connected the various cities that sprawled across the Kingdom, and rumors were afloat that Bohemia would be united to Austria via its massive train network one day soon. 

The old buildings and fortifications that had been destroyed in the previous conflict were replaced with German-style structures, which heavily emphasized the ongoing Germanization in the Kingdom. Even the language the Bohemians spoke was replaced with German in the education system that had been implemented. The people walked around in the Austrian dress style and appeared to be well fed due to the agricultural improvements that Berengar had introduced. 

While the world focused on Austria as the most powerful Kingdom in the west, they had wholly neglected the fact that Bohemia was rapidly catching up to its neighbor due to their joint monarch and his exceptional reforms. As the veteran Field Marshal gazed upon the rapid progress, he had conflicted feelings as he could no longer recognize the once distinct culture of the Bohemians. Instead, all he saw was yet another Austria...

Eventually, Eckhard and the soldiers beneath his command found their way to the mustering grounds where 25,000 Bohemians had gathered. Among their ranks were former Hussites and loyalists alike who had all come together underneath the iron fist of Berengar von Kufstein and his current regime. These men who once fought each other over religious differences were now united under the guise of nationalism. 

While many of the soldiers within the Bohemian Army's ranks were Bohemian, the officer class was almost entirely comprised of the Ethnic Germans who lived within the Kingdom. The reason for this was simple, to ensure loyalty to their German King and to allow effective communication between the Austrian and Bohemian Armies.

The uniforms of the Bohemian Army were based upon those used by the Austro-Hungarians during the final days of the Great War from Berengar's past life. The difference was that they also wore the same trench-style armor issued to the Austrian Army, albeit in the color of Steingrau instead of Feldgrau. 

They were equipped with the same Schmidt Needle Rifles that were issued to the Austrian Army, the 1422 Service Revolvers, and the 7.5cm FK 22 field guns. Many of these men were veterans from the conflict in Iberia and proudly displayed the medals that they had earned through gallantry. 

The Field Marshal in command of these forces was none other than Alexej Kaspar, the man who once led the Kasparian Hussites against the Catholic powers of the old Bohemian Crown. By now, the Hussite Reformation and its beliefs were being replaced by the German Reformation.

Thus an old veteran like Alexej had no place in society but to take up the sword once more in the name of the new Bohemian State.  When he gazed upon his old friend Eckhard, the man smiled before greeting the Austrian Field Marshal.

"My friend, I am glad that you have made your way to Bohemia once more; I assure you that my men are ready to fight by your side and claim victory for our King! The Eastern Coalition won't know what hit them!"

Eckhard smiled and nodded his head, with an army of 100,000 men, all armed with the advanced weapons they currently wielded, Eckhard was confident that victory would be achieved so far as the Teutonic State was concerned, as for the conquest of the Baltic and the other regions that Berengar had outlined, it was easier said than done. However, he did not express this concern. Instead, he merely gave his orders to the Bohemian Field Marshal; after all, Eckhard was placed in command of this Campaign.

"Prepare your men; we march at dawn!"

Alexej immediately nodded his head in response and saluted the Austrian Field Marshal.

"Yes, sir!"

Having said this, Eckhard led his 75,000 men to the quarters allotted to them during their brief stay in Prague. He immediately got together with Alexej and a few of the men he had once fought alongside as they reminisced of their past glory.

The group of veterans sat together in a tavern within the city as they discussed their thoughts on the current state of Bohemia. Eckhard was the first to raise his concerns about the changes over the past years.

"I am astonished at how much Bohemia has changed since I left it in ruin. The fields are fertile, roads are constructed, and the cities are rebuilt better than ever. It appears that the people seem to be happy with the changes... However, I want to know your opinions on the current state of Bohemia."

Alexej looked around first to see if there were any listeners nearby before taking a swig from his drink; as he did so, he expressed his actual thoughts on the matter in a hushed tone.

"Life is better than ever, but Bohemia isn't Bohemia anymore... The newest generation is all taught to speak German, our architecture and culture have been overhauled to match Austria's. Despite our economic gains, we are nothing more than a client state of Austria, and many of the members of society are not happy about this."

Eckhard nodded his head in silence as he took a sip from his beer; even the breweries of Bohemia had been changed to mimic the style of drink that was crafted in Austria. While Eckhard knew that Berengar intended to Germanize the Bohemian population, he didn't expect a rapid culture shift. Ultimately he shook his head before making a bold statement. 

"In a hundred years, Bohemia will be just another German State; it is a damn pity that the things that made you all unique will cease to be within our children's lifetime..."

With this said, none of the Hussite Veterans were willing to speak; instead, they gazed at the Austrian-style beer with pity in their hearts. Had they known that this would result from their war efforts, they never would have taken up arms against the previous King of Bohemia. 

With this, Eckhard spent a night of heavy drinking with his former comrades; it would not be until well past midnight that he managed to get any sleep. When he finally woke up early in the morning, he was in a groggy state as he mounted his trusty steed and set forth on the path to Marienburg. 

There were still several days worth of marching before the Austro-Bohemian Army arrived at their destination; during this time, they would keep their morale up by singing various marching songs that Berengar had introduced to his Army. Most of which were from his past life, though talented musicians of the era had created others. 

When the Austro-Bohemian Army finally arrived at their destination, they were greeted with open arms by the current Grandmaster of the Teutonic Order; unfortunately for the men beneath his command, the end of the Teutonic State had come, as the Austrians had agreed to annex their beloved realm. As for the fate of the Teutonic Order, what Berengar had planned for them remained to be seen. Though he certainly would not permit a separate armed force from his Military to exist.

This was Eckhard's last war, and he intended for it to be a flawless victory, forever to imprint his name on the history of the world before he finally retired. Thus Eckhard would go to great lengths to secure the territory that Berengar had requested him to. As for the Austrian King, he would soon be arriving in the New World, a secret mission that very few trusted individuals within the Austrian Government were made aware of.

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