Chapter 109: Rome

Upon learning of the battle situation, the Austrian government immediately chose to block the news, but the shadow of defeat still hung over Vienna.

Every Austrian official's face was filled with worry, especially Prince Windischgrätz, who would soon face the wrath of Austrian Emperor Franz II.

"Fools, a bunch of fools. Useless!" Inside the Schönbrunn Palace, Austrian Emperor Franz II was raging, smashing everything he could see in front of him to vent his anger.

"Where is Windischgrätz? Where is he? Quickly, get him over here to see me!" Franz angrily demanded. The continuous defeats of the Austrian army in Italy had nearly exhausted his patience, and the loss of the Hungarian Hussars in Florence was the last straw.

"Your Majesty, Prince Windischgrätz is waiting outside the palace gates," a trembling servant reported.

"Bring him in! Immediately! Right now!" Franz shouted furiously, his face red with anger.

"Your Majesty." Outside the door, Prince Windischgrätz pushed the door open gently and walked in. His face looked extremely grim, clearly knowing he would soon face an enraged emperor.

"Windischgrätz, do you remember what you assured me of? You told me that the previous failures were inconsequential, and that with enough support, Karl would immediately retake Milan and defeat Napoleon. But now? Not only has Milan not been retaken, but we have lost Tuscany, which we had managed for so long. And even worse, the honor of the Empire—our Hungarian Hussars have been completely annihilated by a division in Florence. Windischgrätz, today you must give me an explanation." Franz II stared at Windischgrätz intensely, his eyes showing a fierce glare. If Windischgrätz could not give him an explanation this time, Franz would not easily forgive him, even if he was the prince of Austria.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty, please give me a chance to explain. At this moment, there are tens of thousands of Karl's troops still in Venice. As long as Venice remains in our hands, we have not failed. Meanwhile, Philip still commands at least thirty thousand troops, and Rome is adequately defended. I believe Philip can hold Rome, and when Napoleon's army is tied down there, the troops from Venice can strike. They will attack from both sides and break Napoleon's forces in one fell swoop," Prince Windischgrätz assured Emperor Franz II of Austria.

"Windsichgrätz, you should understand that this is your last chance. I do not wish to hear any more news of Austrian army defeats. Do you understand what I mean?" Emperor Franz II of Austria said coldly.

"Yes!" Prince Windischgrätz bowed to Franz II and then slowly withdrew.

"Whew~" Outside the door, Prince Windischgrätz let out a heavy sigh. He touched his back and found it damp with cold sweat. Only now did he realize how afraid he had been when faced with Franz II's anger. He had almost thought he would be held accountable. Though he was a prince of Austria, Prince Windischgrätz believed that if Franz II were determined to deal with him, his princely title would not protect him.

"Ah? Ultimately, the root of it all lies in the Italian battlefield. If we don't resolve the issues there, Italy will sooner or later become a bomb that explodes and harms itself," Prince Windischgrätz thought to himself.

But thinking was one thing; doing was another. On the current Italian battlefield, the French army was dominating, unstoppable. The Austrian troops, after consecutive defeats, had already lost morale. In such a situation, even defense was not easy, let alone mounting an offensive.

"At this point, we can only hope in Archduke Karl, hope that he can find Napoleon's weakness and bring Austria a victory. Even a small victory would be good," Prince Windischgrätz prayed in his heart.

...

On the Italian battlefield, after the French captured Terni, the entire northern Italy was under their control. At this point, the French army was in an advantageous position, able to attack and defend as they pleased.

Napoleon intended to press on and directly attack Venice, the southern stronghold of Austria and its only port. Capturing Venice would effectively lock down Austria, forcing them to surrender. However, reality proved more challenging than his aspirations. In the midst of his advance, Napoleon did not achieve the anticipated victory. Under the fierce resistance of Archduke Karl, Napoleon's army suffered heavy casualties and ultimately abandoned the idea of continuing the assault on Venice.

Yet, this temporary setback did not diminish Napoleon's confidence. Although he had failed at Venice, Napoleon quickly turned his attention elsewhere: Rome, the last and largest city occupied by Austrian forces in Italy.

Rome is Italy's largest city and the political, economic, cultural, and transport hub of the country. It is a world-renowned historic and cultural city, known as the "Eternal City" due to its ancient history as the birthplace of the Roman Empire. Located in the western part of the Italian Peninsula on the Tiber River, Rome sits atop seven hills in a plain. The city center covers an area of over 1200 square kilometers and is filled with historical landmarks spanning from ancient Rome to the Middle Ages, the Renaissance to the Baroque, and onward to Neoclassicism and modern times.

After encountering setbacks in Venice, Napoleon immediately set his sights on this historic city, this cradle of civilization that he must secure in his grasp. Napoleon ordered Marshal Murat and General Lannes to lead an infantry division and heavy artillery, totaling over 60,000 troops, stationed in Terni, to guard against Archduke Karl's forces in Venice.

As for Napoleon himself, he led 30,000 main French forces to rendezvous with Mura and integrate forces to attack Italy's major town of Rome!

On July 14th, under the protection of guards, French Commander Napoleon, along with General Murat of the Central Cavalry Division, General Davout of the Northern Cavalry Division, and General Roland, arrived just six to seven kilometers from the Austrian defensive lines to assess the situation.

In the distance, the Austrian army's positions were built into the hills. Large fortresses and artillery batteries were constructed halfway up and at the foot of the mountains. Continuous defensive works made the entire city seem like a fortress. Similarly, this made it much more difficult for the French to capture Rome.

"What do you all think? These Austrian fortresses have astonishing defenses. If we're going to take Rome, it's going to be quite challenging," Napoleon said, his brow furrowed in seriousness.

"Commander, there's no other way. Just like in Terni, we'll have to use heavy artillery to open the way, first demolishing their fortresses, and then advancing step by step," said artillery commander General Berthier.

"Yes, now that the 3rd Heavy Artillery Brigade has been formed and deployed, combined with the artillery from the 2nd Brigade, we have ample firepower," General Dessalines added.

Rome was Austria's last and most important stronghold in Italy. If the French could capture Rome, Austria would have no foothold left in Italy. However, achieving this strategic objective would be extremely challenging.