Chapter 265 Pre-War Preparation
A few days after the outbreak of the war, Archduke Albrecht was not in a hurry to attack, but he still wanted to make a show of it.
On the front battlefield, Albrecht did not intend to let his troops rush directly, because he himself was afraid that Italy could not withstand a charge, so he ordered the Austrian troops outside the Alpine defense line to launch a feint attack from the north, giving the Italians the illusion that the Austro-Hungarian Empire intended to break through from the north.
This tactic was very effective. The northern defense line was much longer than the southern defense line, but the road was not easy to travel on, and it was not easy for personnel and supplies to pass through.
But behind the northern defense line is not only Venice, but also Lombardy, while the southern defense line is short and only covers a narrow plain area east of Venice. However, Archduke Albrecht’s halo as a famous general forced the Italians to take him seriously. What if Albrecht really wanted to catch Italy off guard from the north?
So when the Austrian army made some moves, Italy began to strengthen its military forces in the north. The northern defense line relies on the Alps. In fact, Italy's strengthening of these areas is also a pressure on its own logistics.
In addition, the advantage of doing so is that it can make Italy's military forces more dispersed, and the Kingdom of Italy will have to draw more troops from the rear.
…
About ten kilometers southwest of the suburbs of Rome in the Papal States is where the Austro-Hungarian army is stationed.
Antonio and other Austro-Hungarian soldiers were taking off the Italian country clothes they had worn for nearly two months.
In order to facilitate the training of the troops, they were all dressed as Italian farmers. Although this place is very remote, if it is discovered by someone with ulterior motives, the news may leak out.
Antonio, the commander of the 3rd Regiment of the 4th Brigade of the 2nd Division of the Austro-Hungarian Expeditionary Force, who had just put on the military uniform smuggled from the sea and fastened the last button, complained to the brigade commander while adjusting his imperial uniform: "Brigade commander, if I don't put on the military uniform, I'm going to wonder if I've really become an old Italian farmer! Look at the calluses on my pistol. The hand that holds the gun has turned into the hand that holds farm tools!"
"Haha, I, the brigade commander, am working in the fields with you. What's there to nag about? Besides, if real farmers see the way you farm, they will probably be so angry that they will chase you and beat you with their shoe soles. You are just an idiot who only knows how to use brute force." The fourth brigade commander said to his subordinates.
"You still have the nerve to talk about me, Brigade Commander? You're not much better. You can't even turn the soil over. Your land is the ugliest among all the fields around here." Antonio retorted.
"Farming is not for show, but for how much fruit we can harvest. Although we are not good at farming, our value is reflected on the battlefield. Whether our efforts in the next two months can bear fruit depends on our results."
It was naturally impossible for the Austro-Hungarian Expeditionary Force to carry out serious military training in Italy. They had not even been issued guns before. In order to prevent these soldiers from becoming useless, General Karl actually drove them and the officers of the Austro-Hungarian Expeditionary Force to work in the fields, mainly to prevent their muscles from relaxing and their spirits from slacking off.
As for gun skills, there is no need to worry too much. These are the best soldiers selected from the Austro-Hungarian army, the group with the highest military literacy. They will not become unfamiliar with guns even if they have not used them for a few months.
Antonio pretended not to hear what the brigade commander said, muttering, "I don't know if the corn I worked so hard to plant will sprout."
"Don't even think about it. Those seeds are just for show. Do you really think you can become a farmer just by planting crops for two days?"
…
The number of Austro-Hungarian troops here currently reaches more than 10,000, twice as many as two months ago.
In order to hide so many troops in the Pope's country, the Austro-Hungarian Empire rented a large farm around here. In the past, this place was the site of a sports center outside Rome, but now it is a large wasteland, so the price is very cheap. As for the owner of the farm, he is a nobleman living in Rome.
The conditions here are actually not too bad. There are some slopes, and the land is much poorer than the surrounding areas. There are no large rivers passing through, and water resources are relatively scarce. Some food can still be grown, but the yield is pitifully low, so it is abandoned most of the time.
The businessman from Austria paid a huge sum of money to rent such a large piece of bad land, which made the land owner very happy.
It was absolutely crazy that someone would invest money in agriculture here, but this did not arouse his suspicion. He speculated that the Austrian businessman might have rented this place without thinking. After all, he was a foreign "friend" and did not know much about the local situation, which was reasonable.
Then the farm owner turned around, took the land rent paid by the Austro-Hungarian Empire and went to Rome to have fun.
"Is everyone here?"
At this time, Lieutenant General Karl, the supreme commander of the Austro-Hungarian Expeditionary Force, appeared in front of everyone. He had not taken off his glasses yet, and his hands were behind his back, holding the map.
"Report to the commander, the troops have assembled!"
"Very good, next we will give the Italians a hard blow in their hearts. This time we are deep behind enemy lines, and the situation is extremely dangerous. Are you afraid?"
"Die for the Empire!"
"Don't say such depressing words. I want you all to be alive. I also hope that you can go to Florence with me to review the troops!"
"Hahaha..." Lieutenant General Carl's words caused everyone to laugh.
After everyone's laughter finally stopped, Lieutenant General Carl immediately changed his face, and said seriously with a face full of experience: "Okay, let's get down to business. According to the intelligence revealed by the Italian high-level officials, more than 30,000 people from the Kingdom of Italy are rushing to the Rome area, led by the Italians' self-proclaimed hero, Garibaldi. Although he is suspected of bragging, his ability is still much stronger than that of a group of Italian officers, so he is an opponent worthy of attention. At present, the areas of the Papal States other than Rome have no serious resistance to the Italian army, so the enemy will soon arrive in Rome, probably tonight, and if we want to go to Florence for the military parade, we must first defeat this Italian army."
"Captain, are we going to enter Rome to change guard?"
"No, we will be responsible for the surprise attack after the Papal Army and the Italian Army led by Garibaldi and others start fighting."
"What if the Papal Army surrenders directly?"
"You don't need to worry about this. The person least likely to surrender in Italy is Pope Pius IX. The Roman army is mainly composed of foreigners from France, Switzerland, etc., so it will not collapse in one blow. Our people will tell Pope Pius IX this to prevent the news from leaking out before the war."
Lieutenant General Karl raised his left hand and looked at the time on his watch. He said, "It's almost afternoon. Let the kitchen staff start cooking. Take out the best supplies we have stored. Let's have some meat today! It's great at night and we can catch the Italians off guard!"
"Yes, Commander!" the subordinates agreed happily.
(End of this chapter)
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