The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 807: Charles’ first pot of gold
Nationalism can send those German monarchs over, but whether they are willing to contribute depends on Franz's ability.
Switzerland, Canton of Lucerne.

Dufour's troops were replenished and reached 13 people. At the same time, he heard good news that the Orthodox Alliance had disbanded tens of thousands of troops for unknown reasons.

According to intelligence coming from Lucerne and other places, Dufour estimated that the total strength of the Orthodox Alliance should be between 6 and 7, so now it should be less than 5.

The Orthodox Alliance's disbandment of troops also revealed the message that their material reserves were insufficient.

In addition, although the Orthodox Alliance opened up channels to Ticeno State, reinforcements from the Kingdom of Sardinia and Austria did not arrive, and the volunteers promoted by the French seemed to have stopped taking action after conquering Ticeno State.

There is also good news, that is, the surface of the Royce River has been completely frozen, and soldiers and war horses can pass on it. He can finally launch a full-scale attack.

The same news looks like a disaster for the Orthodox Alliance.

"Why are there so many people?"

Marshal Ulrich Sallis couldn't believe the information, and then turned to the state representative who strongly advocated the disbandment of the new recruits.

"Sigwart! Look at the good thing you have done! The opponent's main attack force is more than three times ours, and there are more than 4 people in Zug! How can we win this war!"

Constantin Sigvort was also wronged. There had been no large-scale fighting for several weeks, and there were tens of thousands of mouths to eat.

Moreover, Archduke Karl either trained the new soldiers or used them as civilian laborers. It seemed that they were not needed on the front line.

Instead of using those recruits as combatants, it is better to use them as logistics. As for the extra people, they can return to their place of origin and let them pay more taxes and use taxes in lieu of labor.

"Sixty thousand people! That's 6 mouths! They are not needed on the battlefield! Do you know how much it has cost since the war started?"

Ulrich Salis asked indifferently.

"How do I know? At worst, if everyone in Switzerland donates one franc, wouldn't the problem be solved?"

Konstantin Sigvort was speechless for a moment. This was not because he could not refute the former's words, but because as a professional, this sentence was full of flaws and he didn't know where to start.

One million francs as a personal property is undoubtedly very amazing in this era, but when it comes to the country, it seems a bit insignificant.

In fact, before Constantin Sigvort said a word, Carlo Alberto gave him a bribe of 1000 million lire.

At that time, the coinage technology of the Kingdom of Sardinia was very poor, and its actual circulation range was not large, especially after Austria formed the Apennine Commercial League, which was equivalent to 750 million francs.

However, the money did not reach the hands of the former, because Ticeno State suddenly rebelled, but Konstantin Sigvort never dared to say anything about it.

In fact, he didn't know whether he really had the money, and Carlo Alberto also didn't dare to make too much noise, because if this transaction was exposed, it would definitely cause dissatisfaction and even hostility from the Austrian side.

As a small country sandwiched between two powerful powers, the monarchs in the history of the Kingdom of Sardinia all lacked the wisdom to survive, so they could only break their teeth and swallow blood.

Closer to home, Konstantin Sigvort and Ulrich Sallis were at loggerheads, and they soon moved from war and political affairs to personal attacks.

"Sigwart! Don't think I don't know. Since you became a state representative, not to mention your relatives and friends, even your neighbor's children have become officials!
The fact that money is spent so quickly must have something to do with you! "

Ulrich Sallis was the first to break the news, and Konstantin Sigvort was not to be outdone. "What about you? Marshal Salis! How many generals in the army are your students and colleagues now?"

The two sides went back and forth for a while, and Archduke Karl had no choice but to come out to help smooth things over.

“The current military strength is sufficient to defend against external enemies, but strong fortresses are often breached from within.

We must unite and resist the invasion of the Free States, for the sake of the Orthodox Union."

"For the Orthodox Alliance!"

Slogans always make people feel uplifting, but Archduke Karl is a little helpless. It is difficult for him to imagine that the top leaders of a country are actually such people.

Afterwards, Archduke Karl gave a few special instructions. The battle can be left to the soldiers on the front line, but the supplies must be kept up, and the soldiers who were killed or injured must also be provided with pensions. Otherwise, if there is a problem inside the fortress, it will not be possible for him as a warrior. Solved.

Konstantin Sigwart and Ulrich Salis still admired the "Military God" of the Austrian Empire very much.

Not only did he lead the Orthodox Alliance to a series of victories, but more importantly, Austria's attitude after the victory in the war will greatly affect the affiliation of the new Prime Minister of the Swiss Confederation.

At least they thought so. Archduke Karl felt very tired because he had a premonition that something bad might happen.

Before the second round of confrontation between Archduke Karl and General Dufour began, there was still a small episode.

Charles Duchardt's army invaded Ticeno State almost effortlessly. The so-called tens of thousands of troops were distributed in more than a dozen fortresses of various sizes.

These defenders were not interested in war and were unprepared, and the news was horribly blocked.

The French army quickly captured several occupation nodes, but at this time Charles Duchardt discovered a problem, that is, the defenders of Ticeno State still stood still.

He brought more than 1000 people with him to Switzerland this time, and it was impossible to occupy the territory he had conquered.

But this is not a problem for the French Army, which has been fighting all year round. According to past practice, they rob, burn, and kill what they can.

Seeing how ferocious the French army was, the Swiss handed over a lot of important information in order to survive.

Charles Duchardt finally understood why Ticeno State's troops were concentrated in several fortresses in remote locations.

Before the war started, the Kingdom of Sardinia had sent a batch of supplies to the Orthodox Alliance. This batch of supplies included weapons and equipment for 5000 people, a hundred carts of food, and 1000 million lire.

At that time, Ticeno State was preparing to rebel, so the money, goods, and weapons were naturally withheld.

For 1000 million liras, several conflicts broke out among the top officials of Ticeno State. In the end, the governor of the state won. He was afraid that others would get access to the money, so he concentrated heavy troops in his hometown to guard it at all times.

That's why Ticeno State's defense was so poor, but the officer who told the secret did not survive, and the governor and the currency he cherished all became spoils of war for the French.

Charles Duchardt had been involved in French military affairs for several years. He knew that power was money and that money could be turned into power.

And the 1000 million lire in front of him can help him climb to a high position that is impossible to climb in his life. The fathers and villagers of Lyon are still waiting for him.
(End of this chapter)