Watching the continuously rising number of casualties, Franz also felt a headache coming on, just as Carlo Ferrigno had predicted; Austria too needed to save face.
If it could be revealed that they were fighting the French, then a loss of thousands would mean nothing, but the problem was that Austria was not at all prepared for a showdown with France.
Once the veil was pierced, it was destined to escalate into total war. There could be no localized conflict; neither side could accept defeat, and once the battle began, it would escalate to a matter of life or death.
The proud French would not concede, and with Napoleon III at the helm, they would have to fight to the bitter end; Austria had the advantage of a larger population and consequently held the upper hand in war potential, so Franz was even less likely to give in.
This meant that even if a winner emerged from a localized war, it would be pointless since no one was willing to step back, and the war would continue.
