Capítulo 170: Chapter 170: Defeat
Moreover, this would severely impact troop morale, making a comeback nearly impossible. However, would committing more troops really hold the line? That seemed overly optimistic. If the additional forces failed again, they would suffer even greater casualties.
"Ruler Braggi, we have no other options now. We can only continue to attack. Today, it's a matter of life and death with the French; there's no other path to choose. Although we've suffered heavy losses, I believe the French have also faced tremendous pressure. If we give it our all, we can definitely block their attack and turn the tide," a determined general said to Braggi.
"Alright, then we will fight them with everything we've got. Launch a full-scale attack! Any retreaters will be dealt with according to military law," Braggi hesitated briefly but finally made up his mind. After all, this battle concerned his rule over the Netherlands. They had no choice but to fight desperately.
If they could stake everything and defeat the French in one decisive blow, the Netherlands might still have a chance to survive. But if they failed, their fate wouldn't be much better than that of the Duke of Burgundy.
"Attack, attack! Charge!" Braggi roared. This time, the Netherlands was clearly going all out. Except for Braggi's personal guard, the rest of the troops were all committed to the attack.
Under the orders of the messengers, the remaining thirty thousand cavalry of the Netherlands re-entered the battle. However, this time, their morale was fundamentally different from before. Previously, the Netherlands troops were unscathed by harsh realities, high-spirited and fearless.
But now, the horrific fate of the previous defensive wave had greatly shocked and frightened them, making them hesitant in battle.
"Oh, the Netherlands army is actually counterattacking. Are they desperate? Very well, have all units prepare to hold off the Netherlands attack. I just received news that the 3rd Brigade has successfully destroyed the Netherlands artillery positions. They will soon coordinate with us for a pincer attack. In this battle, we will annihilate the main force of the Netherlands here," Murat commanded.
"Kill!" With the fierce assault of the French cavalry, the Netherlands troops also staked everything in a counterattack. However, faced with overwhelming power, their attack was more of a suicidal charge.
The battle was extremely brutal. Especially with Braggi's desperate gamble, countless Netherlands soldiers were driven from the rear to attack the French, attempting to reclaim the lost positions.
But no matter how these soldiers attacked, in the face of the powerful French cavalry, it was all in vain. Despite the fierce onslaught of the Netherlands army, they were crushed by the formidable firepower of the French cavalry.
Seeing the increasingly heavy casualties of his troops and the prolonged attack yielding no results, Braggi's heart sank deeper and deeper. Although he was unwilling to accept such an outcome, the reality was undeniable.
Suddenly, Braggi noticed that his artillery, which he heavily relied on, had ceased firing.
"What's going on? Where are my artillery units? Why aren't they firing?" Braggi shouted.
"Ruler, our artillery positions have been... destroyed by the French cavalry. Our artillery is finished," a disheveled officer reported to Braggi. Upon seeing Braggi, he collapsed to the ground, his eyes vacant.
"What? How is this possible? How could my artillery positions... What do we do now?" Braggi felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He couldn't believe that his once-proud force of fifty thousand had fallen to this state.
At this moment, Braggi kept questioning himself. He had committed all of the Netherlands' forces to this battle. If they lost, there would be no chance of a comeback.
The other Netherlands commanders shared Braggi's despair. They had bet everything on this battle. If they failed, the Netherlands would be forced to surrender to the French government, as stipulated in the treaty.
"Boom!"
At that moment, a series of rumbling noises erupted from behind the Netherlands lines. Braggi frowned. The weather today didn't seem like it was going to rain.
Soon, a blue and white line appeared on the horizon. As it drew closer, the line turned into a tide.
"Cavalry, more French cavalry. Damn it, how did they get behind us?" The sight of the approaching tide caused the Netherlands commanders' faces to pale.
"We're surrounded! Run! The imperial cavalry has encircled us. How did they get here?" It took a moment for the Netherlands commanders to react. They immediately ordered a retreat, not caring about anything else.
However, retreating was easier said than done. From the outset, the French had been determined to annihilate the fifty thousand Netherlands troops. Now, there was no way they would let them escape.
Upon noticing signs of the Netherlands army attempting to retreat, Murat immediately ordered his main cavalry force to pin down the fleeing Netherlands soldiers.
"Kill!"
Under Murat's orders, the French cavalry intensified their assault. The first and second brigades continuously attacked the Netherlands army, while the third brigade coordinated with the main French cavalry forces to launch the final assault on the Netherlands troops.
"Run!"
"Quick, if we don't run now, it'll be too late."
The heavily battered Netherlands soldiers were already terrified and had no courage left to continue fighting. As a result, the Netherlands army inevitably collapsed in a rout.
The ensuing events were predictable. To maximize their victory, the French cavalry began pursuing the remaining Netherlands soldiers. Many Netherlands soldiers were intercepted, and they faced two options: surrender or be killed.
Braggi and his entourage fled desperately. Their prominent status made them an obvious target, and Murat had been keeping a close eye on them. Finally, as Braggi and his group neared Brussels, French cavalry intercepted them. This marked the final act of the battle.
The Battle of Namur lasted for half a day, ending only when night fell. The French cavalry's pursuit of the Netherlands troops came to a halt. Out of the fifty thousand Netherlands soldiers, only a handful managed to escape the French cavalry. The rest were either killed or surrendered.
In this battle, over twenty thousand Netherlands soldiers were killed. Of the remaining thirty thousand, all but a few thousand who escaped were captured. The once-mighty Netherlands army, which had defeated Austrian forces, was completely annihilated in this battle.
With the victory at Namur, the French cavalry had decisively secured the overall victory in the conflict. The remaining forces in the Netherlands were no longer a match for the French army. Soon, the entire Netherlands would be under French control.
As a result, France's territory would expand further, and Napoleon would be hailed as the wisest ruler in the history of the French government.
"Report, General. The frontline soldiers have captured Braggi, the Netherlands ruler," a soldier reported to Murat in the French command center.
"Oh! Where did our soldiers capture him?" Murat asked.
"Near Brussels. When our soldiers caught him, he was less than half a day's journey from Brussels," the deputy reported to Murat.
"Braggi is quite the runner, isn't he? To think he almost reached Brussels despite my cavalry's pursuit. I underestimated him. Bring him here, but be careful not to harm him. I want to present him as a gift to Consul Napoleon," Murat said with a smile. Braggi might not excel in much, but he sure was good at running.
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