Descending On France 1780
Chapter 161 - 154 Start the war

Chapter 161: 154 Start the war

February 1792, Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace.

Exiled Louis XVI was pacing back and forth in a side hall of Schönbrunn Palace.

Queen Mary: "You are the second in line to the Holy Roman Emperor! If, if something happens to Franz... you would be the Emperor of both France and the Holy Roman Empire!"

Locksmith hushed: "Don’t speak so loudly! People might think we’re plotting against Franz!"

Mary rolled her eyes: "You! I’ve been active all over Vienna these days, it’s not impossible..."

Louis XVI: "Stop talking! I would never do such a thing, never! Absolutely not!"

Queen Mary bit her lip and finally closed her mouth.

**

At the same moment, Franz II, who was about to ascend to the throne, paced back and forth in his father’s study: "My aunt has been very active in Vienna lately, what is she up to?"

Franz II’s brother, Carl Ludwig Johann Lorenz, dressed in military uniform, stood erect: "Don’t worry, brother, the security of the Imperial Palace is foolproof; they couldn’t possibly succeed in assassinating you."

Franz sighed deeply: "Let it be, too many dreams in a long night. My aunt... anyway, I think she’s up to no good. We should just declare war quickly and restore him to the French throne! My father has always wanted a larger piece of Poland, so he keeps your legion in Hungary, but I think... I think we don’t need your legion just to fight France!"

Grand Duke Carl: "I’m ready to follow your orders at any time, I am your sword, brother."

Franz gently patted his brother’s shoulder: "We shouldn’t need you this time."

Grand Duke Carl had always been sickly, so Franz never really thought of his brother as a formidable general.

One could only say, he was quite mistaken.

However, it wasn’t really his fault. Perhaps the whole of Europe, only Andy Frost knew how outstanding a general Grand Duke Carl was.

Franz took a deep breath, then said to his brother: "I’ve made up my mind, right after the coronation, I will immediately declare war on France and send our aunt and her locksmith husband back to Paris!

"Although it is said everywhere that France has produced an unparalleled general, Andy Frost, I believe that our Marshal Von Wumze will not lose to this greenhorn!"

**

In Paris, that very morning, the Jacobin Club was gathering a large group of gentlemen.

Robespierre was delivering a speech: "This is not the time to wage war! In war, the expansion of executive power, the inflation of military generals’ authority, people’s focus on external matters and admiration for military leaders, the obedience of the soldiers, all this could lead to the emergence of a Caesar or Cromwell-like figure!

"We are fortunate because in the previous wars, Andy Frost, who performed excellently, is someone without power lust and entirely selfless for France! He once had the chance to become France’s Cromwell!

"Imagine what it would be like if he had pushed into Paris right after defeating Lafayette! He would definitely become a factious Duke of the Country!

"Then no power could stop him!

"But he chose to settle down in Conte! How noble that is! He surely knew that revolutionary Paris would not fall easily, and that General Boliue would not succeed! That’s why he did not move north!

"Now, if we launch a war against the monarchs of Europe, it’s very possible that Frost’s painstaking efforts will not be in vain! Perhaps he might even have to battle with that new Cromwell, just like he defeated the traitorous Lafayette!"

As Robespierre was passionately making his case, suddenly the door burst open, Marat rushed in hurriedly: "Gentlemen! Parliament has just passed a resolution with an overwhelming majority of 710 to 7 votes to declare war on Austria and the Holy Roman Empire!"

Robespierre exclaimed, shocked: "What?"

Marat continued sternly: "Moreover, they’ve also passed a resolution to appoint Andy Frost as the Commander of the Italian Legion!"

Dan Dong slammed his fist on the table fiercely: "Damn! They think Frost is too much of an eyesore domestically, they want to send him abroad!"

Robespierre: "That’s it, our Jacobin Club’s influence over the army is gone. No one can stop the war now."

He collapsed into his chair, deeply sighing.

**

Conte.

Upon receiving the orders from Paris, Anning was overjoyed and ordered a feast for the entire army.

Originally, he was mentally prepared for the entire year of 1792, working on the production line in Conte, planning to increase the output of the rear-loading rifles to a level that could arm a portion of scattered troops within three to five years.

By then, all of Europe would tremble under the fierce firepower of scattered soldiers.

Of course, this would not immediately change the form of warfare; in fact, during the American Civil War period, troops began to equip themselves with firearms like the Henry gun, yet battles were still fought in lined executions.

A new type of weapon alone could not change the form of warfare.

However, the rear-loading rifles would definitely give Anning’s troops a significant advantage.

Using technological gaps to outsmart others is also a joy of traversing times.

So Anning was ready to focus on this matter for the next few years, but then the orders came down.

And the appointment given was exactly what he most desired: the command of the Italian Legion.

France currently had a small piece of territory in Italy, mainly starting from Nice, along a small stretch on the Mediterranean coast.

The legion stationed here was entirely assigned to Anning’s command.

However, unlike when Napoleon took over the command of the Italian Legion later on, this legion was not very strong.

When Napoleon took over the command of the Italian Legion, it was already 1796, and the French Army had been fighting in Italy for many years.

That was why Napoleon took over such a large Italian Legion—even though the legion’s supplies were terrible, the soldiers didn’t even have shoes, and the military salary had not been properly disbursed for a long time.

But the legion indeed had a considerable number of people, still numbering several tens of thousands after several years of fighting.

Anning didn’t have that condition; currently, the French forces in Northern Italy were just over ten thousand strong, and the area they occupied was not large.

Anning had to lead his troops from Nice to Italy.

In this way, Anning’s original troops, along with the newly assigned troops, totaled forty thousand.

And the enemies Anning might face included thirty thousand from the Sardinian Kingdom and fifty thousand from the Austrian Northern Italian Legion.

Again, double the difference in the number of troops!

But Anning was full of confidence.

This is how he spoke to his subordinate officers.

"Don’t get a headache when you see the enemy has eighty thousand men. The enemy’s eighty thousand are dispersed everywhere and belong to two different countries, so their coordination will be very poor. We have the advantage of concentrated forces; we can adopt a strategy of defeating them in detail, using rapid maneuvers to annihilate the enemy!"

Anning’s officers looked at each other.

Then Davout represented everyone and asked Anning, "How can you be sure that the Sardinian Kingdom will join the war?"

Anning was stunned for a moment, then he remembered, the original Napoleon had fought the coalition of the Sardinian Kingdom and Austria because at that time the First Anti-France Alliance had been established.

But the First Anti-France Alliance was formed only after Louis XVI was beheaded in 1793.

It hasn’t formed yet! The King’s head hasn’t fallen yet!

Anning slapped his head, "Wait a minute! If the Sardinian Kingdom does not participate in the war... do we just have to conquer Milan then? No, wait, liberate Milan?"

Bertier: "Did you also plan to snatch Turin from the Sardinian Kingdom?"

That was indeed my plan, is that not possible?

Anning waved his hand: "Never mind, Milan is also good. So, we are facing Boliue’s fifty thousand Austrian troops. Gentlemen, we have won with fifteen thousand against forty thousand before, there’s no reason we can’t beat fifty thousand, right?"

The officers all laughed.

Lasalle: "I even find it too few, with fifty thousand men, just deploying my cavalry brigade could capture them all!"

Anning: "You just brag!"

Thus, on April 14, 1792, France declared war on the Holy Roman Empire.