Chapter 81: Battle of Venice

A war is all about money and food. With the national strength of the Sardinian Kingdom, it is impossible to fight for a long time. A loan from England was not easy to obtain.[1] It is almost impossible to borrow again with the current situation of the Sardinian Kingdom.

Now the Hungarian Republic is at stake. If the Austrian Civil War is over and the Venetian War is not over, the consequences will be known.

...

On the front line of Venice, the general headquarters of the Sardinian Kingdom's army, Bardorio is in high spirits guiding the country, not commanding the army.

Regardless of the combat effectiveness of the two sides, at least in terms of the number of troops, the Kingdom of Sardinia has an absolute advantage.

The total number of troops that Austria can put into the Venice battlefield is only less than 100,000, and Badorio can have 200,000 troops in his hands.

"Marshal, there is news from within the country that the Vienna government sent 50,000 reinforcements to the Venice theater, ordering us to conquer Venice before the enemy reinforcements arrive!"

The words of the intelligence staff scared Bardorio to death, and hurriedly asked: "When will the enemy reinforcements arrive to Venice?"

"The Vienna government has drawn 50,000 troops from the Austrian Legion and is rushing over from Kaop Fort. It will not be more than half a month at the latest, and it will take ten days at the earliest."

Hearing this news, Bardolio turned his attention to the map and looked at it carefully.

The launch of the Venice Offensive meant that the Austrian army would be forced to return to help and relieve the pressure on the Hungarian Republic.

But this is based on the premise that the Kingdom of Sardinia has conquered Venice. Now the two sides are still fighting fiercely. If Austria sends an army of 50,000 to reinforce at this time, will he even stand a chance?

If the Hungarian Republic is saved, then the Venetian battlefield does nothing and is strategically feasible.

Bardorio was not optimistic about the Hungarian Republic. Even if Austria lost 50,000 troops, it would still not change the outcome of the war.

Without hesitation, Bardorio ordered decisively: "We are running out of time, order the troops, get ready, and start the attack at 9:30 tomorrow morning!

General Messi, you lead the 2nd and 8th Divisions, and you must capture Trento within 3 days, then intercept the enemy's rear and cut off the enemy's rear.

General Frederick[2]...."

The Austrian army commander, Marshal Radetzky, also received news of reinforcements, earlier than the Italians.

The advance on the Hungarian battlefield was too smooth. The Bohemian Army had passed the Danube and surrounded Budapest. The Croatian Army was less than 100 kilometers away from Budapest.

At this time, the importance of the Austrian Legion had declined, and Franz naturally chose to reinforce the Venice theater that have the least amount of troops.

Marshal Radetzky's heart has already fallen. If there is no reinforcements, and relying on his strength to fight the enemy, even if he can win, he will not be able to create better results.

"Marshal, do we want to change our military deployment and wait for the reinforcements to arrive before we fight the enemy?" General Victor suggested.

Marshal Radetzky shook his head and said: "No, now the troops on the front line are estimated to have exchanged fire, and it is too late to change the military deployment. I have ordered the reinforcements to abandon the baggage and speed up their march. Under normal circumstances, they can still be able to make it in time."

There is no doubt that the Sardinian kingdom made a mistake, and they did not expect that the Austrian reinforcements would go into battle lightly.

This is the advantage of local combat. When necessary, you can march with only light weapons, food can be provided by local governments along the way, and ammunition can be replenished in Venice.

The turning point of the Ossa War has come, and now the focus is on time.

If Bardorio can defeat the Austrian army before the arrival of Austrian reinforcements, the Kingdom of Sardinia will temporarily gain a military advantage, and the war may end with negotiation.

On the other hand, if the Austrian army Marshal Radetzky wins, then the Kingdom of Sardinia will prepare for the defending their homeland.

On May 9, 1848, the Battle of Venice broke out, and the first outcome to came out was the Tuscan army.

Leopoldo II, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, was also supported by Austria, and he didn't want to fight against Austria at all, he was forced to send troops out due to public opinion.

Leopold II's ability to maneuver is still qualified. At least he did a good job of killing people with a knife. For example, this time he fooled the nationalists into the expeditionary army.

Not everyone has self-awareness. For example, Mr. Maherd, the Tuscan nationalist leader, believed that he can use his troops like a god without care of the consequences, took over the position of commander, and was ready to rely on this war to gain political capital.

"Master, the fish has entered the net so quickly, will there be a problem?" Chief of Staff Feslav asked uncertainly.

"Is there a problem? According to the information, this our opponent is acting alone, and the closest troops of the enemy ally is thirty kilometers away.

By the time their reinforcements arrive, the battle will already be over. Could it be that with only these five thousand enemy troops, they are able to stop our Sixth Division today?" The Sixth Division commander Morquez analyzed.

"The enemy commanding officer's behavior feels like an idiot, with only so few people charging forward. Do they think they are Napoleon?" Chief of Staff Feslav frowned and said.

"No matter what, our mission is to destroy this emerging enemy army. No matter what the enemy has, we will eat the bait first. The enemies this time are from four different backgrounds. They have large amounts internal conflicts. Maybe this Tuscan army has been sent out to be killed off" Morquez guessed.

After thinking about it, Feslav didn't find the problem, so he said: "Well, let's fight first, but send more spies, be careful of enemy has reinforcements!"

Time passed by minute by minute, and with the order of Morquez, the sound of guns crackled, and the Battle of Venice started.

The sudden enemy attack stunned the Tuscan army which was in their marching state.

Maherd was a good speaker and possibly a good writer, but he was by no means a military strategist.

Maherd looked down on the decadent Tuscan noble officers. The officers in this expedition were all appointed by him, and most of them were patriotic youths.

Everyone was very hot-blooded, and they were dissatisfied with the marching speed of their fellow soldiers, so they all ran a little faster, and accidentally ran to the front.

Thanks to the usual propaganda, in their minds, the Austrian Empire is rotten, the army is vulnerable, and the Sardinian kingdom occupied Lombardy without blood, which made them believe they are invisible.

Therefore, after encountering the enemy, their first reaction was not panic, but surprise, and then ordered a counterattack without hesitation. The young officers led by example and rushed to the forefront.

[1] The translation of this was John Bull which is a personification of UK mainly England. I felt John Bull's loan didn't sound right and some people may not know about this reference, (I clearly didn't because when I read it, I was like wtf). Tell me what you think? John Bull's loan sound better or what I have?

[2] Direct translation was General Fake Squid.