Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 54: Chapter 54, The Picked-Up Marshal Title

The President Kazari, feeling deceived, naturally had no intention of tolerating the Sardinians’ impertinent clamor. Even if he were willing to provide aid, where could he possibly find food now?

The common people had only a little bit of food left, and it wouldn’t be long before they turned to the provisional government for help. Only a portion of the nobility and capitalists still had food supplies, and even theirs were not abundant.

After all, who stockpiles a heap of grain at home when they are not in the business of dealing with food?

If there had been any, the Austrian army would have already come knocking to requisition it. Since the Austrians were unpopular here anyway, they didn’t need to worry about adverse effects.

In any case, these food supplies were beyond President Kazari’s reach, and frankly, the provisional government was nothing more than a makeshift troupe, hardly recognized as legitimate by anyone.

Once the Sardinian Army entered the city, these high-ranking officers started cozying up to the local nobility and capitalists, paying no attention to this provisional government of ours.

The intention of the Kingdom of Sardinia to annex Lombardy was anything but a secret among the upper echelons. Once they struck a deal with the local powers, the provisional government might as well close its doors for good.

Without the sight of food and no other recourse, Manstu could only keep the troops pacified while sending someone to seek resolution from the leaders who had been at the banquet.

The joy of victory that had filled them upon their arrival had now vanished without a trace. Were it not for patriotic fervor, the Sardinian Army would have given a lesson in what is known as a soldier’s wrath.

If hunger was the cost, so be it; after all, one could not starve from missing a single evening meal. Soldiers in those days were accustomed to privation. In many places, it was common to have just two meals a day, so going to bed hungry was no rarity.

The first night passed in this way, and at the break of the next day, officers who returned from the banquet confronted the provisional government.

They had been looking for an excuse to disband the provisional government all along, to advance their strategic aim of swallowing Lombardy. Now, a perfect pretext had come knocking at their door.

History reached a turning point because Marshal Radetzky was well prepared. Kazari and his associates were imprisoned early, unable to reach an agreement with the Kingdom of Sardinia in time.

By the time they were released, the Sardinian Army had already arrived outside Milan City, and negotiations were just beginning.

With events having unfolded in such a manner, the Kingdom of Sardinia was not going to let things slide and proceeded to negotiate with guns literally pointed at Kazari’s neck.

Under such circumstances, one has no choice but to bow.

Unquestionably, at this point, Kazari lacked the courage to refuse and had to accept all of the Kingdom of Sardinia’s demands.

If it weren’t for previous instances of cooperation and the Kingdom of Sardinia’s need to stabilize the Lombardy Region with the support of local power brokers, perhaps there wouldn’t even have been a negotiation.

Once terms were agreed upon, General Bardorio promptly took control of the provisional government’s arms, namely the local militia forces.

Everything went smoothly; local nobles and capitalists also contributed, providing some food to address the urgent crisis.

However, General Bardorio could find no joy in this success. Milan City was out of food, and even the entire Lombardy Region was experiencing a food shortage.

The locals spoke confidently, declaring they had burned the granaries and driven the Austrian army away, now expecting the Kingdom of Sardinia to supply them with food.

Bardorio could swear on the name of God that he never ordered the burning of those granaries, a claim he himself didn’t believe.

In war, burning the enemy’s food supply is a sound strategy; if one could take Milan City without shedding blood, how could it be said that what he did was wrong?

Grinding his teeth, Bardolio claimed the military honors for himself, considering his own future. After all, the Austrians claimed it was their agents who had set the fire, and the public within Milan City had sworn without doubt, so there was no fear of being exposed.

If it were said that the Austrian Army had abandoned the Lombardy Region and he led troops to take over these places, there would be no military feats to speak of.

Now, changing the story, he said that he had sent spies to burn the Austrian army’s supply depots and had defeated Marshal Radetsky without shedding a drop of blood. That was surely the mark of a distinguished general!

Bardolio, together with several generals in the army, discussed the matter and distributed the military honors among themselves, thereby solidifying the deed. Another great general had risen on the European Continent.

Although the benefits were now in hand, the aftermath was troublesome. If not for the poor reputation of the Austrian Government in the area and the lack of trust from the people, who had hidden part of their food when the Austrian army was collecting supplies, they would be facing an immediate food shortage.

Even though the capitalists had guaranteed that they would procure grain from abroad as quickly as possible, such distant relief could not alleviate the immediate thirst!

Worried but not overly concerned, Bardolio had already reported the situation back home in a written report. All that was needed now was to stabilize the situation; someone else would worry about the food issue later.

“Trouble comes from where we least expect it.”

This was the sentiment of King Charles Albert. The Kingdom of Sardinia was not prepared for this, and he would never have attacked Austria at this time if it weren’t for the pressure of domestic public opinion.

He was well aware of the domestic situation of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Only now, taking advantage of the Austrians being off their game, had he dared to send troops to test the waters.

Unexpectedly, General Bardolio turned out to be so fierce that with just one deadly strategy, he had driven the Austrian army out. Occupying Milan City was a good thing, but solving the food problem for the hundreds of thousands of people within the city was a major hassle.

The Kingdom of Sardinia was not wealthy; it was not a grain-producing area at all, whereas the Milan plains were Italy’s main grain-producing area.

Since they had to do it, they had to do it thoroughly. The Austrian army forcibly took over the local capitalists’ grain stores and warehouses, not sparing even the related food processing factories, which were now destroyed in a great fire.

Milan City had been occupied, but there was no returning the acquired territory. They could not possibly give up Milan, as the unification of Italy was Sardinia’s utmost aspiration.

“Castanto, immediately gather a shipment of grain to be sent to Milan City, the more the better, and quickly!”

King Charles Albert was still capable and had made the right decision instantly. Now that it was a done deal, regardless of the circumstances, he had to feed the local population first.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Your Majesty, about the commendation of the frontline generals, what do you think should be done?”

Castanto’s words instantly improved King Charles’s mood a great deal. This time, they had indeed defeated Marshal Radetsky, a renowned Austrian general.

It didn’t matter whether they had fought or not; a win was a win, and they had won quite spectacularly, which greatly honored him.

The media of the Kingdom of Sardinia had already praised Bardolio to the skies as if he were the world’s foremost general. Charles naturally could not shortchange such a meritorious officer.

“Promote all the officers who have merited honors up one rank, and confer the title of Marshal of the Kingdom of Sardinia to General Bardolio. After the war is over, I will personally bestow his insignia!”

(Remark: Marshal Radetsky became famous during the anti-Napoleonic wars, rising in prominence through the battle of Aspern-Essling, stepping over Napoleon’s shoulders, and later planning the Battle of Leipzig. However, his role was not that of a commander but that of a chief of staff, and he is not notably prominent in history books..)

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