The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1174 Transylvania
If we were to say which place had the most hated the Magyars and which place had the most targeted people by the Magyars before the news of the murder of Grand Duke Stefan spread, then that place would have been the place where the people hated the Magyars the most.

The worst losses were suffered by the various ethnic groups in Transylvania. Among them, the Transylvanians suffered the greatest losses. Since the war began, two-thirds of the Transylvanians have lost their homes, and more than 500,000 people have died tragically.

On average, one in four people died in the war or from hunger and disease brought about by the war.

During this period, due to the existence of the poll tax, it was common for localities to underreport their population numbers, so the actual death toll was much higher than the official statistics of the Austrian Empire.

The Transylvanians suffered such heavy casualties. In addition to the Hungarian massacre policy and the continuous war, the main casualties came from the Transylvanian warlords and bandits.

Many powerful local families in Transylvania were unwilling to join Hungary and become Magyars, nor were they willing to accept the amnesty of the Austrian Imperial government.

Even if they accept it, it is only formal obedience. In reality, they still maintain their own independence and do not respect orders, let alone the law.

These local tyrants are unable to resist foreign aggression, and cannot even protect their territory and people, but they are good at bullying ordinary people.

When they encountered royalists, they executed them and seized their property in the name of the Hungarian government. When they encountered republicans, they used the name of the Austrian Empire. People who were not on either side were simply labeled as such. The main point was a sustainable method of exhausting all resources.

The Saxons (German immigrants) suffered the greatest property losses, and they became the target of almost everyone except the Austrian Empire from the beginning of the war.

Historically, the Austrian Empire treated the Saxons in Transylvania very well, so the latter accumulated a lot of wealth over the centuries.

But it was precisely because of these wealth and lands that their will was not firm, and many people turned to the Hungarians and Transylvanians in order to keep their wealth.

However, it is not easy for a group of fat sheep to seek the skin of a tiger. The result is naturally that they lose both the wife and the army. Except for a few Saxons living near Klossburg, most of the Saxons became refugees.

As a branch of the Magyars, the Szekes joined the Hungarian camp at the first opportunity. They actively participated in the war and paid taxes.

But they are not considered orthodox Magyars within Hungary.

Yes, there is orthodoxy among Republicans, and there are also hierarchies within liberals.

In addition, the war was not going well, so the Szekesh people naturally became cannon fodder, and a large number of young and strong people were sent to fill the most dangerous places on the battlefield.

The elderly, the weak, women and children were sent to the rear, in the name of protection but actually as hostages, and they also had to undertake heavy logistical work. The fate of this nation can be imagined.

Anton von Puchner, as the highest military commander in Transylvania at the time, was actually holding his breath.

He didn't like the feeling of being a coward, and he didn't like those clowns showing off their strength in front of him.

The news of Grand Duke Stefan's death caused panic in the entire Transylvanian war zone. After all, the situation in the war zone was not good at that time.

Arthur Gergey cut off the railway at Kolosberg, and supplies in the war zone continued to decrease, especially the amount of gunpowder and weapons were in serious shortage.

It is hard to imagine that in the 19th century, there would be a mixture of muskets, bows and arrows on the battlefields of major powers. The situation of Artur Gergely's Hungarian army was also very bad.

The main force led by Heinau had been besieging Budapest, and Kossuth had already mobilized all the troops he could to defend the capital in his heart.

Therefore, at this time, the situation of Arthur's army was not as good as that of Puchna, the surrounding areas of Klosberg, and those under the protection of the Austrian army. Most ordinary people were not aware of the situation.

The execution of Grand Duke Stefan by the Hungarians frightened many people, and some originally wavering speculators fled from the royal territory to Hungary. Although the Hungarian government did not make the news public, Arthur got the news of the murder of Grand Duke Stefan and Petofi from his own channels.

The death of his good friend made Arthur feel sad and resentful. He didn't believe that Petofi would betray the revolution, and he didn't believe that such a strong man would commit suicide in prison.

Perhaps Petofi had already prepared for death, but he would not choose to die so cowardly.

The news of the murder of Archduke Stefan's entire family frightened him so much that he almost fell to the ground. If his side had the advantage, such a risky move as executing the royal family would undoubtedly greatly boost their morale.

But at this time, the cut-off of supplies, the ever-decreasing number of troops, and some vague rumors made him feel desperate.

The execution of royal family members at this time completely angered the Austrian Empire and was completely cutting off its own path. After all, as long as things were not taken to the extreme, Austria would usually handle the situation in a very gentle manner.

This approach was completely forcing the Habsburgs to retaliate. If they chose not to retaliate, no one would praise their kindness, but instead they would be despised by all monarchical countries.

"Kossuth has gone mad. We should also consider a way out."

Artur spoke to himself.

A figure emerged from the shadows.

"General Gergei, your command ability is admirable, perhaps you deserve better."

Arthur remained silent. To be honest, he did not want to go this far. He always considered himself a Hungarian nationalist, but now he had to become a running dog of foreigners in order to save his life.

"Give my regards to Duke Lubai."

"I will bring your greetings to you."

The figure retreated back into the shadows.

Anton von Puchner was a mediocre general, but he and Jelačić were indeed worthy of praise for their loyalty to the empire.

So when he received the order for a full-scale counterattack, he did not hesitate at all. Puchner concentrated all the available forces in Transylvania in the shortest possible time to prepare for a decisive battle with Arthur.

After several purifications, most of the people in Transylvania at this time were citizens loyal to the Austrian Empire, as well as some people who were forced into a desperate situation.

In this almost hopeless situation, a strong leader can easily gain everyone's trust. The improvement in combat power brought about by the unity of thought is huge, but it is not enough to make up for the gap between mediocre generals and famous generals.

However, one side planned how to escape, while the other side planned how to kill the other side, which created a gap in the mentality of the two sides' main generals.

Franz had been preparing for this day for many years. It was not that Klosberg was without weapons, but Puchner was unaware of their existence.

When one secret warehouse after another was opened, Puchner knew that the Battle of Transylvania was won.

With these three victories, the Transylvanian Army finally defeated the Hungarian Army outside Kolosberg, and the whereabouts of the Hungarian commander Artur Gergely were unknown.