Tyranny of Steel

In the City of Geneva on the other side of the Swiss Confederation from where the Royal Austrian Army currently occupied, various high-ranking noblemen were gathered to discuss the reality of the war they were facing.

These men in their entirety spoke the German language and were considerably closer to the Austrians ethnically than they were to their Italian masters. As vassals of the Holy Roman Empire, they held a high degree of autonomy. With this in mind, they decided to exercise their right to negotiate their surrender to the Kingdom of Austria.

Adelbrand von Salzburg, General of the Austrian Army, tasked with invading the Swiss Confederation, had sent his demands to the remaining leaders of the Swiss Confederation. The terms that Adelbrand had made were simple; the Austrian Army would only yield their conquest if the Swiss Confederation in its entirety agreed to annexation by the Austrian Crown, where it would be reformed as the Grand Duchy of Switzerland.

The Grand Duchy of Switzerland would effectively become a Vassal State of the Kingdom of Austria and would be subject to all laws as established in the Austrian Constitution. To the Lords of the Swiss Confederation, this was not an appealing prospect. They would be giving up the degree of autonomy they had maintained under the Holy Roman Emperor in favor of a strong centralized government under the authority of a single Monarch.

Not only that, but they would be forced to usher in the military, political, economic, agricultural, and industrial reforms that Berengar had established in Austria; thus, these men would be losing a significant degree of political and military power. This thought specifically caused one of the more prominent noblemen. They had gathered for this meeting to be quite irritated as he presented his case against surrendering to the Austrian Crown.

"The upstart Berengar von Kufstein has gone too far with his demands! He expects us to kneel before him and beg him for mercy!?! Never! We should fight until our last breaths against this annexation; it is a humiliation to the Swiss people!"

This Count was not the only one who felt this way, as several members of the nobility immediately expressed support for this viewpoint.

"Hear, hear!"

"Aye, fuck Austria and their young King!"

"Death before dishonor!"

However, a few of the noblemen present were not entirely against the idea of annexation. These men were reformists, or at the very least, the population they ruled over was primarily comprised of reformists. As such, they had a responsibility to hold up the other side of the argument.

One of these men was a Count, the Count of Fribourg, and he was close personal friends with Count Rayner von Chur, who had surrendered to the Austrian Crown during the initial invasion. He understood better than anyone the reasons for doing so; as such, he presented an alternative to the more boisterous members of the Swiss High Nobility.

"It is in my opinion that these demands are not unreasonable; while Austria will hold more control over our lands than the Empire, it has become increasingly apparent that we are witnessing the rise of a new power with the Kingdom of Austria, one that might unify the German world into a single cohesive Empire! Before long, Florence will fall, and with it, the dignity of the Imperial Crown!

Under Austrian reign, we will become as wealthy and prosperous as they have become! The age of Feudalism and Knights is coming to an end; if we do not embrace this new era, we will be left behind in the darkness plaguing our lands! If we refuse the Austrians terms, they will conquer us, and when they do, they will replace every one of us with an Austrian Noblemen of their choosing!

We share many ethnic and cultural aspects with the Austrians, far more than the Italians. It is in the best interest of the Swiss People and its nobility to kneel before the Austrian Crown!"

When the men gathered heard this, they fell silent; what the Count said made sense; they did not have the military capacity to continue a war with the Austrians for much longer. If they chose to do so, they would only invoke the ire of the Austrian Crown, which would surely result in them losing all of their power and authority over their lands, if not their lives altogether.

Despite this reality, many men were reluctant to hand over their long-held power to the Kingdom of Austria and its centralized government. As such, they began proposing new ideas to maintain their autonomy.

"Could we not negotiate with the Austrians about receiving the same degree of autonomy that we have under the Empire? After all, their demands of total surrender are a bit insulting. Surely the Austrian King can understand our grievances?

However, those in favor of surrendering knew this was not likely and immediately dismissed this idea.

"With what power can we make such demands of King Berengar? The Austrians respect nothing other than the power of one's military might. They have made it clear that they want to incorporate us into their Kingdom, under their laws.

I can understand why, to them, we are backward and primitive people! With their advanced agricultural systems, they can feed their people a minimum of three meals a day, while ours are severely malnourished.

Such a thing has a significant impact on prosperity, productivity, and population growth. As noblemen, if we surrender, we might be losing a substantial degree of power, but we would be making up for it in the fortune our houses will gain!

This is the reality we are facing, a new era is upon us, and we can either submit to the winds of change or be blown away by them! If any of you wish to decline the terms presented to us, then so be it! However, I know that I will personally surrender to the Austrians, guaranteeing my family's future in the process! This is an unwinnable war, and you all know it!"

The words spoken by this man had a significant effect on the other noblemen present; they quickly began to realize that even if a few of them resisted until the end, others among their ranks would surrender on their terms. This caused all confidence in a united resistance against the Austrian incursion to collapse instantly.

Those members of the Swiss Nobility who moments prior were yelling to resist Austria at all costs now had downcast expressions as they gazed at their compatriots who were ready to kneel before the Austrian Crown as their new master.

The Swiss confederation had become a hotbed of the German Reformation. They knew that the people they presided over were already sick and tired of fighting a war with the homeland of their faith on behalf of the Catholic Emperor.

With this in mind, a vote was now held between the various Swiss Noblemen who had gathered in this meeting. An older nobleman who had remained silent until now was the first to speak up.

"All in favor of surrendering to the Austrian Crown under the terms they have presented?"

Over three fourth's of the nobility within the room voted in favor of this agreement. The older man immediately noticed that a few men remained utterly silent in response to this vote. As such, he once more spoke up by proposing the second option.

"All in favor of resisting the Austrian Crown until our last dying breath?"

Despite the unwillingness of one-fourth of the noblemen to surrender, there was complete and utter silence regarding this vote. Those who once wished to resist were now abstaining. With this in mind, the older man sighed before making the decision known.

"Three-fourths are in favor of surrendering, and one-fourth are abstaining, the decision is final, we will surrender to the Austrian Crown under the terms they have presented, and allow the full annexation of the Swiss Confederation. From henceforth, we shall be known as the Grand Duchy of Switzerland, with the Grand Duke to be chosen by our liege, the King of Austria, his majesty Berengar von Kufstein!"

The moment these words were spoken, only silence filled the air. Even those ready to surrender were not entirely eager to see the changes that would come to Switzerland in the coming years. After all, to give up the degree of autonomy they had, to become a State of the Kingdom of Austria was not something to be taken lightly.

However, despite their reluctance, one thing was certain, the Swiss theater of the Austrian war for independence was over, and aside from a small occupying force left behind with the intent to establish control over the newly formed Grand Duchy of Switzerland, the remaining troops would be pouring into the Italian theater to support the main Army in their attempt to lay siege Florence.

With the Emperor's last stand on the horizon, Berengar would need every soldier he could muster in his attempt to siege a city filled with belligerents. It was bound to be a brutal and bloody conflict, and the 20,000 soldiers who would be arriving from the land formerly known as the Swiss Confederation was sure to aid in Austria's chances of victory.