Continuing the recruitment efforts was something Victor Emmanuel III had no objections to. Only with a strong enough army could they drive out the French and restore the Kingdom of Sardinia. After struggling for so many years, he had finally seen a glimmer of hope. There was no turning back now. To win the final victory, making some sacrifices was entirely worth it. Besides, the war would not be fought for nothing. The Austrian government had long made a promise that all participating countries would share the spoils of war according to their contributions. Thanks to the prestige Franz had built up over the years, that promise was widely trusted. France was a wealthy nation. Even a small portion of its assets would be enough to fully feed the Kingdom of Sardinia. The only condition was that they needed to prove their worth on the battlefield. If the leader was this determined, there was no need to mention the attitude of those under him. Finishing the war quickly and dividing the spoils was the real objective. Everything else was secondary. To hasten the French withdrawal, everyone was especially enthusiastic when it came to conscription. As for the promises made during recruitment, no one paid much attention to those. In the past, to rally the public to rise up against the French, they had offered even more generous terms. Whether those promises could be fulfilled was unclear. Perhaps they had not thought about it, perhaps they deliberately avoided the question, or perhaps they never intended to keep those promises in the first place. None of that really mattered. Effort would lead to rewards. Seeing how cooperative the Italians were, Morkes naturally responded in kind. Aside from retaining supreme command, all other powers were delegated downward. What might happen when a bunch of idealists, opportunists, and smooth talkers were allowed to command an army was no longer his concern. Although there were many states in the Italian region, their national strength varied greatly. The economically strongest, the Kingdom of Sardinia, alone equaled the combined power of several smaller states in the central and southern parts of the peninsula. From a broader perspective, stabilizing the Italian region required balancing the power among its states. Weakening the Kingdom of Sardinia a bit was entirely necessary. Now was the perfect opportunity. With the Sardinian capital about to fall into their hands, it went without saying that the Sardinian army had an unshirkable responsibility in the operation. Recruitment continued, but the war could not stop. Turin was a tough nut to crack, and before the new conscripts were ready, the Austrian army would not use their own men as cannon fodder. While the infantry had to wait, the artillery could still operate freely. With airships and planes hovering in the sky, life for the French forces inside Turin was growing increasingly difficult. Due to the need for air defense, the French command had already moved into a basement bunker. This was a blow to Marshal Adrien’s pride, as he had always held himself in high regard. However, this was no longer about pride. It was now a matter of whether they could hold Turin and keep control of the Italian region. Although Italy lacked both industry and resources and often seemed like a burden to France, it was in fact one of the empire’s main supports, second in importance only to the homeland. Strategically, if France lost Italy, its navy would be stuck near home, and Mediterranean dominance would slip from its grasp. Economically, Italy provided cheap labor and a consumer market. Without it, France’s already struggling manufacturing sector would be on the brink of collapse. The loss would have severe economic and strategic consequences, but the political cost would be even greater. The current situation was already grim, and another major defeat would crush any remaining confidence. Without confidence, there would be no investment. The French government had been trying hard to draw the British into the war. If Italy was lost, no matter how stubborn the British government was, it would never jump into such a disaster. Moreover, with the series of defeats already suffered, the domestic situation in France was becoming unstable. If Italy fell, who could guarantee a revolution wouldn’t break out at home? To prevent the worst from happening, the French government had long ordered that Italy be held at all costs. Turin was the most critical point in that defense. Marshal Adrien asked, “Is everything ready?” The middle-aged officer responded with confidence, “Rest assured, Marshal. We are fully prepared. No matter how powerful the enemy’s armored units are, once they enter the city, they are nothing but meat on the chopping block. Every street, every alley, every building in Turin will become the enemy’s grave.” To defend Turin, the French army made thorough preparations. Not only were numerous troops deployed and comprehensive fortifications constructed, but the French government also provided secret weapons. War has always been the best driver of military innovation. After the outbreak of the continental war, the French were not idle. A variety of new weapons emerged one after another, although they were overshadowed by Austrian tanks and aircraft. Of course, new weapons are not necessarily effective in battle. The vast majority are quickly abandoned after a single day on the battlefield. Only those that pass the test of real combat can be considered true instruments of war. Marshal Adrien was not swayed by his subordinates’ assurances. Holding Turin would only prevent the enemy from achieving a quick victory. If the enemy were willing to endure a long campaign, they could still advance all the way to southern Italy. To win the war, France would ultimately need to go on the offensive. However, launching an attack was not possible at the moment. Without a way to counter the enemy’s armored units, the French army could not afford to send its men to die needlessly. … In London, the sudden reversal on the continental front had left the British government in disarray. Russia was already more than enough of a headache. Before the British government could take any action, Spain and Switzerland had joined the war. And just as they were trying to process that, they suddenly received news that the French army was on the verge of collapse. Reading the intelligence report in his hand, Gladstone could not help but voice a soul-searching question from the depths of his heart: “Is this what the French are capable of?” It must be remembered that France was reputed to have the strongest land army in the world, a reputation that was internationally recognized. Before the war broke out, the French military boasted boldly with slogans like, “We’ll hold a victory parade in Vienna within six months” and “The continental war will end in three months.” Judging from the current situation, what the French seem to have meant was not parading in Vienna, but going there to watch someone else’s parade. Secretary of War Edward Stanhope said, “I’m sorry, Prime Minister. As unbelievable as it sounds, it is indeed the truth. The French have performed like utter chaos on the battlefield. Aside from catching the anti-French coalition off guard at the very start of the war, they have produced no results worth mentioning. According to the analysis of the military intelligence observers, after the outbreak of the war and the rapid expansion of the armed forces, the French army’s combat effectiveness declined steadily. What was once an advantage has gradually turned into a disadvantage. In contrast, Austria’s situation is much better. They possess a massive reserve force and a large pool of reserve officers who can be mobilized quickly into combat-ready units. Aside from their backward mobilization system, the French have also fallen behind in weapons development. Aircraft, tanks, and new machine guns were all innovations created by their enemies. Given that they are lagging behind across the board, the fact that the French military has managed to perform as it has is already commendable. The reality is clear. In modern warfare, bravery alone no longer guarantees victory. Comprehensive military development is essential.” That was a sincere statement. While Edward might appear to be making excuses for the French army, his comments were largely factual. The French failures on the battlefield were indeed the result of structural problems and technological inferiority. His motive was also transparent. Beyond pushing for a larger military budget, there was little else that would compel the Secretary of War to speak with such urgency. Times have changed. Now Britain must also confront threats on land. Austria’s threat to the Cape of Good Hope could still be considered marginal, not enough to drive the Austrian government to extremes. But the Russian threat to India was something entirely different. If the Tsar had a chance to strike, he would not hesitate. With France as a cautionary tale, the British government could no longer afford to ignore strengthening the army. Otherwise, they would suffer heavily in the next Anglo-Russian war. Gladstone frowned. He was in no mood to argue over military funding now. Even though Russia posed a significant threat, it was not something that would erupt in the short term. On the other hand, the situation on the European continent could change drastically at any moment. “The issue of military development can be discussed later. The French government has repeatedly asked us for help, which suggests they can no longer hold out. For the sake of balance and stability on the European continent, we must bring this war to an end quickly and preserve what remains of France’s strength.” Talking about a “ceasefire” is easy, but making it happen is another matter entirely. The anti-French coalition already has the upper hand, and asking them to let France off the hook is clearly unrealistic. If it had been before Russia, Spain, and Switzerland entered the war, and the coalition had not yet secured a decisive advantage, then perhaps a forceful British intervention through international mediation might have been feasible. But now things are different. With three of the five great powers in Europe having already declared war on France, even if Britain wants to step in and mediate, it can no longer put together a respectable enough coalition to do so. Great power conflicts are not something to meddle in lightly. Smaller nations that try to get involved often end up as collateral damage. Apart from Britain, there is no second nation in Europe that still holds the legitimacy to mediate. Even looking beyond Europe to the world at large, the situation is the same. Without the status of a major power, any effort to intervene will simply be ignored. Foreign Secretary George shrugged and said, “That will be very difficult. The anti-French coalition holds too much of an advantage, and the Austrians will certainly not pass up the opportunity to weaken one of their rivals. The most troublesome part is that the Habsburgs are incredibly effective at forging alliances. Nearly all the major continental powers have now joined the anti-French coalition. And that’s just the beginning. From what I know, they are still trying to bring Portugal, the Netherlands, and the Nordic Federation into their camp. Given how the French have performed on the battlefield, no one can say for sure whether those fence-sitters will stay neutral or switch sides. If we want to preserve France’s national strength, the only viable path may be for the French government to surrender immediately, and try to negotiate some benefits with whatever bargaining chips they have left. But we all know how proud the French are. Even if the French government were willing to compromise, the people might not accept it. With a string of failures coming from the front lines, Napoleon IV’s grip on power is already weakening. If he tries to compromise with the anti-French coalition now, there is a real risk of a revolution breaking out in France.” This was not mere alarmism. France’s internal situation was indeed perilous. After the outbreak of the continental war, Austria had banned grain exports while simultaneously inflating prices on the international market. As global prices surged, France, which relied heavily on imports, saw domestic prices skyrocket. Capitalists seized the opportunity to profit from the crisis, and ordinary citizens suffered the most. Had the French military continued winning, those internal tensions might have remained suppressed. But with repeated defeats, those problems could no longer be held back.
*** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH) Support the translation and read more chapters at https://ko-fi.com/dragonlegion
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