Capítulo 116: Chapter 116: The Army Presses Forward
"Moffelt, how much longer do our troops need to finish preparations?" Inside Venice, Archduke Karl watched as Austrian soldiers poured out of transport wagons and asked.
"Your Grace, we'll need about ten more days. By then, we can launch our attack on Tounaiya," replied Major General Moffelt with a smile.
He was about to command over 100,000 troops in the attack on Tounaiya. He believed he was on the verge of a glorious victory, which would likely promote him directly from Major General to Lieutenant General, just like Philippe.
"And what about our enemy? Have they reinforced?" asked Archduke Karl. According to Austrian intelligence, Tounaiya was occupied by Lannar's 1st Infantry Division, Moro's 2nd Infantry Division, and two heavy artillery regiments, totaling 30,000 men, about a fifth of their forces. However, Archduke Karl believed that if Austria had reinforced, then the French must have as well, as the war's intensity had gradually escalated, and the armies were increasingly inadequate.
"Hmm! As far as I know, the French have also increased their troops to about 90,000 men. They departed from Toulon and Turin, arriving respectively by sea and land. Their reinforcements are expected to arrive a day later than ours," Moffelt said.
"What about General Radetzky? Is he ready?" continued Archduke Karl.
"Of course!" shrugged Moffelt.
"Very well! Then we'll use this timing difference. As our reinforcements arrive and theirs have not, we'll annihilate them in one fell swoop," said Archduke Karl confidently.
"Moffelt, I hope we can achieve victory this time. If so, you can also advance in rank and title with this achievement," Archduke Karl patted Moffelt's shoulder and said.
"Your Grace!" Moffelt felt embarrassed that his thoughts were seen through by Karl.
However, Moffelt quickly regained his composure. Advancing in rank and title hinged on their ability to win. If they failed, it would all be for naught.
"God bless the Holy Roman Empire, this time we will surely knock those French down!" Moffelt silently prayed to God. It could be said that this battle not only wagered their own futures but also the future of Austria.
Once they won this war, Austria would once again become a world power. By firmly occupying Italy and gaining its vast territory and population, even the world powers like Britain and Russia would not dare to dictate terms to Austria. The heroes who pushed for this war would also gain fame and fortune.
However, if they failed, the consequences would be severe. They might all become scapegoats and lose their positions at best. At worst, they might even lose their lives. For Austria, it would be a heavy blow. Austria might lose the opportunity to rule Italy and become a pawn of Britain. Even the Turks to the south might take advantage of the situation.
In short, Austria could not afford to lose this war. The consequences would be unthinkable.
Ten days later, Archduke Karl, the commander of the Austrian Italian Theater who had completed his war preparations, led a total of 200,000 Austrians to advance towards Tounaiya, a key town in northern Italy.
In order to increase their chances of winning against the French, Archduke Karl also recruited nearly 100,000 civilians to handle the logistical supplies.
To guard against a French attack on their logistical supply lines, Archduke Karl deployed Radetsky's cavalry division, the strongest mobile force in his hand, totaling 10,000 men, to protect the logistical supply lines. If the French attempted to attack the Austrian army's logistical supply lines, they would suffer a heavy blow.
However, the only drawback was that the Austrian army still lacked heavy artillery capable of achieving decisive tactical victories.
Perhaps Archduke Karl considered this point, but he did not worry about it. Austria's artillery industry was not strong enough to produce large-caliber heavy artillery.
The accumulation of technology takes time and cannot be accomplished overnight. Even if Karl were to force all the military craftsmen in Austria to death, they still wouldn't be able to produce cannons overnight.
However, fortunately, this time they have come prepared with enough other war materials to ensure a prolonged battle. As for cannons, as long as they can take Tounay, they can obtain heavy artillery from there.
But is Tounay so easy to conquer? Situated amidst mountains, it is easily defensible and hard to attack. If it weren't for Vasili's initial command mistakes, the French would not have taken it so easily. Even so, Napoleon faced considerable challenges in attacking this city.
At the moment of capturing Tounay, around thirty to forty thousand French soldiers and a large number of French civilians spent over a month of hard labor to restore the outer defensive positions.
Although, due to lack of time, the defenses were not fully restored to their original state, and the defensive strength was far from what it used to be.
However, don't the Austrian troops, who rushed a long way, also lack sufficient heavy weapons? It's impossible for them to destroy these defensive fortifications with the 5-pound and 10-pound light howitzers they carry. These fortifications will surely make the Austrians suffer greatly.
The Austrian army, burdened with a large amount of combat supplies and facing difficult terrain throughout their journey, is not marching swiftly. Although the distance from Venice to Tounay is only three hundred kilometers, it still takes at least two weeks for the Austrian army to arrive here. And that's without harassment from the French along the way. If the French were to harass them during their march, it would take them even longer.
Nevertheless, the large-scale counterattack of the 200,000-strong Austrian army has attracted attention from countries worldwide. Many military experts believe that this time France and Austria will end the confrontation phase and enter into a decisive battle. The key to victory lies in this battle.
At the same time, Karl's 200,000-strong army pressing into French territory has placed immense pressure on the French government and military.
In response, the French government immediately deployed all its propaganda efforts to reassure the domestic population. Despite their efforts to portray French victories in the war, news of the 200,000 Austrian troops invading still worries the French people. They understand that this battle directly affects their lives. If the French fail in this battle, they will face enormous reparations, and even their hard-won revolution may be destroyed by the Austrians. Only a French victory can ensure their continued peaceful lives.
Outside Rome, inside the French military headquarters, Napoleon is in discussion with the Minister of War, Malin.
"Prime Minister, the Austrians have launched a counteroffensive with over 200,000 troops, and the people are concerned that we might lose the war. Furthermore, the Austrians, the British, and even domestic counterrevolutionaries are all claiming that we are bound to lose this war. This is causing even more anxiety among the people," Malin said seriously.
"Hmm! It's alright. Our intelligence forces are already working together to deal with those spies and traitors," nodded Napoleon.
"That's just a temporary measure. The fundamental solution lies in defeating the Austrians. Only by defeating them can we ease the people's concerns," Napoleon added.
"That's certain. However, more than 200,000 Austrian troops are advancing towards Tounay. Tounay only has 30,000 troops from the infantry divisions of Larna and Moro, less than a fifth of the Austrian army. So, Prime Minister, I'm a bit worried," Malin expressed his concern.
"We also have 90,000 reinforcements, right? We'll be on the defensive at the start of the battle, but victory will surely be ours in the end. There's no doubt about that," Napoleon replied confidently, believing strongly in defeating the Austrians and achieving victory.
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