The Hungarian army that invaded Austria numbered 18,000, including about 4,000 cavalry. A nation that had, until recently, only been warily watching the Habsburgs had mobilized a considerable force.
The Hungarian army’s offensive was remarkably fierce. The biggest factor fueling their fighting spirit was Frederick III of Habsburg’s past claim to their throne during the last succession crisis. The Hungarians, feeling the injustice of Frederick III’s interference, had all united as one.
Their advance seemed to go very smoothly. From their very origins, the Hungarians were a people skilled in battle. Although they had been devastated by the Mongol invasion, that martial temperament had not disappeared. On top of that, Matthias I, who pursued absolute monarchy, had actively imported advanced culture, greatly improving Hungary’s economic power.
This belligerent nature, combined with the nation’s improved strength and the realistic threat posed by the Habsburgs, led to the decision to invade Austria.
The Hungarian army, which launched a surprise invasion of Austria, occupied the domains of the Austrian nobles in the border region and then turned their path to the northwest.
Their destination was Vienna.
With the battle progressing more smoothly than expected, Matthias I slowly began to get greedy.
“If the capture of Vienna succeeds, let us take the rest of Austria.”
However, as the main body of the Hungarian army began to advance on Vienna, Frederick III also began to make his move. To be more precise, the army that Frederick III had painstakingly nurtured began to move.
***
The Habsburg army mobilized by Frederick III numbered about 15,000, including 2,000 cavalry and 3,000 Swiss mercenaries. It was about 30% of the total force that Frederick III had cultivated.
“If I could have my way, I would have wanted to mobilize all of them…”
Frederick trailed off, unable to hide his regret. However, there was no shortage of Austrian nobles who still held a rebellious attitude, and the movements of France and Italy also tied his hands. Lastly, the poorly maintained state of Austria’s internal roads and its weak supply system made a large-scale mobilization difficult.
In the end, 30% was the maximum force he could muster at that moment.
“Can we truly win? Isn’t this too few?”
Unlike the anxious Frederick III, his son Maximilian I replied with a confident face.
“We can certainly win! Trust in Your Majesty’s army!”
“I will trust them.”
“Then I shall be on my way! I will offer victory to Your Majesty!”
Maximilian I, guaranteeing victory, led his generals and left the royal palace.
A few days later, the Habsburg and Hungarian armies finally faced each other.
***
The two armies met near Pottendorf.
“This is a perfect place to fight!”
The Hungarian commander, after surveying the surrounding terrain, smiled triumphantly. The Pottendorf area was the widest plain in the vicinity. A wide-open plain was the best place for cavalry to maneuver. On top of that, Vienna was just a stone’s throw away. If they crushed the Habsburg army here, Vienna would be right before them.
Pottendorf was so close that his cavalry could reach Vienna in half a day at a trot.
“Vienna was too close to the border in the first place.”
Thinking of Vienna to the north, the Hungarian commander turned to his subordinate commanders.
“Are you ready to send His Majesty another victory report?”
“Yes, sir!”
Hearing the confident replies of his subordinates, the commander raised his command baton.
“Then let us begin!”
“Sir!”
After shouting their reply, the subordinate commanders returned to their units. A moment later, cannons began to spew fire toward the trenches where the Habsburg army was dug in.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the cannons positioned at the very front of the Hungarian formation fired in unison, pillars of dirt erupted from various points along the Habsburg trench line.
“Advance!”
As soon as the commander’s order fell, the battle lines of the Hungarian infantry, clutching their Type-Gap long guns, began to move forward. And behind them, a line of infantry armed with Type-Eul breech-loading single-shot rifles stood in reserve.
***
To ensure their survival, Hungary had no choice but to join the arms race.
“The most important things are guns and cannons!”
“Matchlocks are not the answer!”
The Hungarian commanders were well aware that guns and cannons were now the dominant force on the battlefield. However, Hungary did not have many skilled gunsmiths capable of making breech-loading long guns. With them alone, they could not keep up with the production and development speed of other nations.
Faced with this, Matthias I had to pursue a plan of simultaneous domestic production and foreign importation. However, importing from abroad was no easy task either.
“Importing those made in the ‘Land of Flowers’ would be the best, but…”
Importing long guns made in the empire was next to impossible. The empire was strict about exporting the weapons it used. Furthermore, their superior performance was matched by a terrifyingly high price.
If they couldn’t obtain imperial weapons, there was the option of acquiring weapons from France or other great powers, but this too had many difficulties. The great powers were already struggling to supply their own armies. Moreover, even if they managed to acquire them, bringing them into the country was another problem. Both land and sea routes were blocked by the Habsburgs.
“Come to think of it, if we can’t solve this problem, we’d have trouble even if we did get our hands on weapons from the ‘Land of Flowers’.”
In the end, to solve this problem, the Hungarian army and Matthias I chose smuggling. And the place they set their sights on was one of Hungary’s most powerful enemies: the Ottoman Empire.
***
Hungary and the Ottoman Empire were not originally on good terms. It was only after Mehmed II, who had swallowed the great prize of Constantinople, adopted a pro-European policy that the relationship between the Ottomans and Hungary had softened slightly.
As the Ottomans implemented a policy of appeasement and relations thawed, the emissaries of Matthias I and Hungarian army officers, disguised as merchants, infiltrated the Ottoman Empire. They co-opted suitable Ottoman merchants and attempted to smuggle firearms.
After several attempts, the Hungarians succeeded in their smuggling efforts and were able to bring a large quantity of Type-Gap and Type-Eul long guns into Hungary. Of course, they had to spend a great deal of money to acquire the ammunition and maintenance parts as well. But the Hungarians’ faces were bright.
“We have bought time! In the current situation, time is more precious than gold!”
What was interesting was that the Ottoman merchants they thought they had co-opted were also loyal servants of Mehmed II, disguised as merchants.
***
Mehmed II, observing Europe’s arms race, could not smile.
“There is no guarantee that those bastards won’t start that crazy business called a crusade again!”
Thus, the Ottoman Empire had no choice but to join the arms race. The problems, as expected, were funding and the empire’s strictness.
“The Ottoman Empire is a staunch ally of our empire, so it would be our principle to sell you weapons. However, the current political climate in Europe is the problem. If we are not careful, our empire could be accused of instigating an arms race.”
The Ottoman envoy protested the imperial official’s response as unfair.
“That is precisely why you should sell to us! As they grow stronger, we must also grow stronger! Only then will the scales be balanced!”
“Well now…”
After long and persistent negotiations, the empire decided to sell them the standard-issue hwacha. Of course, the quantity was much smaller than what the Ottomans wanted.
“This is too few!”
“It is a sufficient quantity for defensive purposes.”
“Setting that aside! Why will you not sell the long guns!”
“If we were to sell the long guns as well, the empire would face all sorts of condemnation. Instead…”
The imperial official whispered to the Ottoman envoy in a small voice.
“You are well aware that Florence has begun producing a new long gun on behalf of our empire, are you not? How about acquiring that one?”
“A new long gun from Florence?”
“It is an item called the Florentine Long Gun. Would you like to have a look?”
And so, after inspecting the ‘Florentine Long Gun,’ the Ottomans immediately sent an envoy to Florence. After several rounds of negotiations, Florence decided to sell to the Ottomans.
Upon hearing this report, both Hyang and Hyeon smiled triumphantly.
“With this, we have managed to fasten another chain.”
“And we can gain wealth as well.”
If it were only supplying the Florentine army, the Florentine Long Gun would have operated at a loss. However, with a big customer like the Ottoman army also purchasing it, the ‘economies of scale’ would be realized, turning it into a profitable venture. For both Florence and the empire. And Florence, with more funds at its disposal, would be able to strengthen its military more faithfully, which in turn would reduce the empire’s burden.
And here, another of Hyang’s traps would be sprung.
The Florentine Long Gun was created under the premise that it ‘would definitely be leaked.’ According to the reports from the Imperial Army’s intelligence network and the Secret Guard, attempts to leak it were steadily increasing. It was certain to be leaked soon, and before long, the long guns of the European great powers would follow the ‘Florentine Long Gun’s’ design.
The same was true for the Ottomans. The Ottomans were also researching firearms to supply their own army. Once the Florentine Long Gun was introduced, it was certain that the Ottomans would follow the path of the European great powers before long. And the Ming and Japan would also join that path. Although the Ming’s ruler was walking a pro-empire path, the same could not be said for national defense. Japan, though known to be an ‘empire-lover,’ was beginning to attempt to stand on its own as time passed.
In the end, both the Ming and Japan would develop weapons based on a long gun similar to the ‘Florentine Long Gun.’ As that happened, the Florentine Long Gun would become a kind of standard. Including its quality, which was a step below that of imperial-made firearms. It would become a kind of ‘downward leveling’ operation targeting all of the empire’s military competitors.
This was Hyang’s trap.
***
While the Ottomans were a big customer, they were not a nation overflowing with money.
“Purchasing the Florentine Long Gun is good, but the funds…”
As Mehmed II was worrying over funding, he received a report that Hungarian spies disguised as merchants were trying to smuggle long guns and shouted for joy.
“It is the protection of Allah!”
Mehmed II immediately had his loyal servants disguise themselves as corrupt merchants and make contact with the Hungarians. He then sold the obsolete firearms being decommissioned from his own army to the Hungarians at an inflated price.
And it was with those very guns that the Hungarian army now faced the Habsburg army.
***
The Hungarian army, armed with the Type-Gap long gun, a muzzle-loading single-shot percussion cap rifle, and the Type-Eul long gun, a breech-loading single-shot rifle using paper cartridges, was facing a Habsburg army armed with their own breech-loading long guns modeled after the Type-Eul. For support weaponry, they had about twenty hwachas modeled after the Type-Eul hwacha. However, they were inferior to the Hungarian army in terms of cannons.
In conclusion, the overall military strength of both sides was roughly equal. Now, victory would be decided by who had better luck.
“The Hungarians are swarming in!”
“Fire the cannons!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the Hungarian battle line advanced toward the trenches, the Habsburg army’s cannons began to spew fire.