War is fought with money and provisions, and with Sardinia's national strength, it would be impossible to carry on for long. John Bull’s loans were not easy to obtain, and in Sardinia’s current state, it was almost impossible to borrow again. Furthermore, the Hungarian Republic was on the verge of collapse, and if they waited for the end of the internal conflict in Austria while the Battle of Venice remained unresolved, the consequences would undoubtedly be dire. …… At the frontline in Venice, at the headquarters of the Kingdom of Sardinia’s army, Badoglio was confidently mapping out a strategy, or rather, commanding the army. Putting aside the combat effectiveness of both sides for now, at least in terms of troop numbers, Sardinia had an absolute advantage. The total Austrian force that could be committed to the Venice battlefield was less than 100,000, while Badoglio had 200,000 troops at his disposal. Even if some forces were tied down by the Lombard rebellion, he still had 160,000. “Marshal, there is news from our homeland. The Austrian government has dispatched 50,000 reinforcements to the Venice region and ordered us to capture Venice before the enemy reinforcements arrive!” The intelligence officer’s words gave Badoglio quite a scare. He hurriedly asked, “When will the enemy reinforcements reach Venice?” “The Austrian government has redeployed 50,000 troops from the Austrian army, and they are rushing here from Klagenfurt. At the latest, they will arrive within half a month, but it could be as soon as ten days.” Upon hearing this news, Badoglio turned his gaze to the map and examined it carefully. Launching an offensive in Venice was originally intended to put pressure on the Austrian forces, forcing them to divert their troops and relieve some pressure on the Hungarian Republic. But this plan assumed that Sardinia had already captured Venice. Now, with the two sides still fiercely fighting, if Austria gained an additional 50,000 troops at this point, how could he fight? If it could help save the Hungarian Republic, then the Venice battlefield was insignificant, and strategically, it was feasible. Badoglio, however, didn’t have much confidence in the Hungarian Republic. Even if Austria were to lose 50,000 troops, it wouldn’t change the outcome of the war. Without hesitation, Badoglio decisively ordered’ “We don’t have much time left. Order the troops to prepare. Tomorrow morning at 9:30, we will launch the offensive! General Messer, you will lead the Second and Eighth Divisions. You must capture Trento within three days and then flank the enemy, cutting off their retreat. General Fouqué…” TN: The name of this general is 法克鱿 which, if translated literally, is French-Croatian Squid. It also means F*ck you btw. I just made it into a name that sounds similar to the transliteration of it instead :) You can check the story behind this in this link. It is under Fa Ke You: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baidu_10_Mythical_Creatures The Austrian military headquarters, under Marshal Radetzky, also received news of reinforcements earlier than the Italians. Progress on the Hungarian battlefield had been too smooth — the Bohemian army had already crossed the Danube and surrounded Budapest, and the Croatian army was less than 100 km from Budapest. At this point, the importance of the Austrian army had diminished, as they no longer required as many troops. Therefore, Franz naturally chose to reinforce the Venice front. Marshal Radetzky’s anxious heart finally settled down. Without reinforcements, even if he could win battles relying solely on the troops under his command, he would be unable to capitalize on his victory. “Marshal, should we change our military deployment and wait for the reinforcements to arrive before engaging the enemy in a decisive battle?” General Victor suggested. Marshal Radetzky shook his head and said, “No need. The forces at the front have probably already engaged by now, so it’s too late to change the deployment. I’ve already ordered the reinforcements to travel light without heavy equipment to accelerate their march. Under normal circumstances, they should still make it in time for this war.” There was no doubt that the Kingdom of Sardinia had miscalculated. They had not anticipated that the Austrian reinforcements would march lightly equipped. This is the advantage of conducting operations on home soil. In crucial moments, troops can march with just light equipment, relying on local governments for provisions and replenishing ammunition in Venice. The turning point of the Austro-Sardinian War has arrived, and now it all boils down to timing. If Badoglio can defeat the Austrian forces before the Austrian reinforcements arrive, the Kingdom of Sardinia would temporarily gain a military advantage, offering the possibility of a good end to this war. On the contrary, if Marshal Radetzky and the Austrian forces emerge victorious, the Kingdom of Sardinia must prepare for a defensive war on their own soil. On May 9, 1848, the Battle of Venice erupted, with the fastest-moving Tuscan troops being the first to suffer. Well, Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany was also propped up by Austria, and had no intention of fighting Austria, only dispatching troops due to public pressure. Leopold II exhibited a certain level of political astuteness, particularly doing a good job of killing people with a borrowed knife. For example, he cleverly enticed the nationalists into joining the expeditionary force, exploiting their aspirations for political gain. Not everyone has self-awareness. For example, the Tuscan nationalist leader Mr. Macheld fancied himself a military genius and took the position of commander-in-chief, preparing to use this war for his own political agenda. “Division Commander, the fish entered the net so quickly. Will this be a problem?” Chief of Staff Feslav asked with uncertainty. “A problem? According to intelligence, this enemy force is acting independently, and the other enemy unit nearest to them is 30 km away. By the time their reinforcements arrive, the battle will be long over. Do you really think these 5,000 enemy troops can hold off our Sixth Division for even a day?” Morquez, the commander of the Sixth Division analyzed. “But isn’t the enemy’s behavior too foolish? They dare to venture deep into our territory with such a small force. Do they think they’re Napoleon?” Chief of Staff Feslav furrowed his brows as he spoke. “Why bother with all that? Our task is just to defeat this enemy force that has appeared. No matter what scheme the enemy has, we’ll eat up the bait first. This time, the enemy comes from four different states. There must be major internal contradictions among them. Maybe this Tuscan army was sold out!” Morquez speculated. After thinking briefly, Feslav didn’t find any problems and said, “Alright, let’s attack first and then see. But let’s send out more scouts to be cautious of enemy reinforcements!” Time ticked by second by second. At Morquez’s command, the sound of gunfire and cannon blasts rang out — the Battle of Venice had begun. The surprise enemy attack caught the marching Tuscan troops off guard. Macheld was an excellent orator, possibly even an excellent writer, but he was definitely not a military strategist. Macheld looked down on the corrupt Tuscan aristocratic officers, personally appointing all the officers in this expeditionary force, most of whom were patriotic youths. Everyone was very hot-blooded, dissatisfied with their comrades’ slow marching pace, so they moved a bit faster, accidentally ending up at the very front. Due to extensive propaganda, they held a belief that the Austrian Empire was in decline and its army was weak. The swift occupation of Lombardy by the Kingdom of Sardinia further reinforced this belief. Thus, when confronted with the enemy, their initial response was not panic but rather delight. Without hesitation, they issued orders to counterattack, with the young officers leading the charge at the very front.
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another bug here, clicking next leads to "Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist."
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