Holy Roman Empire-Chapter 901 - 164: Battle for the Canal

Although General Molex had seized the upper hand on the battlefield, he was in no hurry at all.

Apart from symbolic offensives that continually put pressure on the French Army, the Austrian army made almost no significant moves, allowing the French to maneuver their troops freely.

As the chances for victory slipped away day by day and the Austrian army remained inactive, Victor Emmanuel III watched with urgency in his heart and helplessness in his eyes.

Despite being a top graduate of Sandhurst Royal Military Academy and having never led troops, Victor Emmanuel III was not lacking basic military competence.

Yet, as king, his dignified title bore no real power.

After several unsuccessful attempts to persuade General Molex to launch a full-scale attack, Victor Emmanuel III even protested to the Vienna Government, demanding a change of command.

Without a doubt, such a request naturally went unsupported. On the southern front, it seemed as though Austria had the upper hand, but that was not necessarily the case if they really went into battle.

The French were not as easy to bully as the Kingdom of Sardinia, and couldn’t simply be pushed over. The complex terrain and poor infrastructure of the Italian Area posed challenges for the Austrian army.

Should the battlefront advance a few hundred kilometers, the Austrian’s advantage in firepower would no longer exist. It wasn’t that Austria was short on weapons and ammunition, but that their transportation couldn’t keep up.

Without the advantage in firepower, facing a French Army that held the favorable terrain, the Austrians would undoubtedly suffer heavy losses.

This was already proven in the original timeline. After World War I broke out, the Austro-Hungarian Empire could easily trounce Italy with a small force; but as the frontline moved forward, they quickly lost to terrain and logistics, facing a tragic reversal after initial victories.

The conservative offensive strategy on the southern line was, of course, orchestrated by Franz. In his view, it was more valuable to keep the French Italian Legion intact than to annihilate them.

Countless examples had shown that more troops did not necessarily lead to better outcomes, as a larger army also meant greater consumption. Despite France’s robust strength, sustaining millions of soldiers was a formidable challenge.

The more troops France sent to the Italian Area, the happier Franz was.

Large forces were needed on the Central European Battlefield, in Egypt, on the southern front, and in Africa...

Where could the French government find so many armies? Based on their population of just over thirty million, it was impossible to form so many troops.

To address the shortage of soldiers, the French government had to either arm colonial natives or recruit vast numbers of Italians to enlist.

Either scenario would lead to a decline in French fighting capability, and the more they expanded their forces, the more significantly their combat strength would fall.

In comparison, the Anti-French Alliance had a much greater advantage in this respect. Even though expanding armies would decrease troop quality, their personnel were highly skilled!

It could be said that with each expansion of their forces, the scales of victory tilted a bit more toward the Anti-French Alliance.

The European Continent was not made up of just France and Austria as the major powers. If the war situation suddenly became clear, it would instantly lead to international interventions.

No country would stand idly by and watch Austria dismantle France. Otherwise, France would have been torn apart back in 1815 and wouldn’t have had to wait until now.

A quick and decisive victory might look impressive, but it was impossible to truly cripple France, leaving endless troubles behind.

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Apart from a nominal victory, Austria could hardly gain any significant benefits. Not even the unification of the Germany Region was certain.

Unless absolutely necessary, nobody wanted to have a new boss over them.

Franz desired a Shinra Empire that everyone would cry out to join, not one forcibly united by military power, fraught with internal conflicts and perpetually on the brink of splintering.

As for driving out the French and liberating Italy, that was just a political slogan shouted out for the Italians to hear. It was never the Vienna Government’s intention from the start to the end.

All in all, Victor Emmanuel III’s hopes were in vain, considering the war had been started merely to draw French forces.

...

Suez Canal

A glance at the map reveals that whoever controls this Golden Waterway holds the initiative in this war.

Since the outbreak of hostilities, Austria had launched attacks on French Egypt from various regions such as Austrian Sudan, Libya, and the Sinai Peninsula.

The sounds of thunderous cannon fire continued, and the once busy Suez Canal lay silent for the moment.

With no ships passing through, the port naturally fell into a slump. Coupled with the war, a large exodus of civilians fleeing the chaos left Suez Port mostly occupied by French soldiers.

Unlike others, the astute John did not flee but instead expanded his small tavern.

Soldiers, like everyone else, needed relaxation, especially in times of war. A place to vent was essential, and alcohol was indispensable.

Far from declining due to the conflict, business at the tavern thrived even more, bringing John an irrepressible smile.

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I truly hope this war can continue on, preferably lasting forever, just like the Hundred Years’ War...

The only downside is that many French Soldiers have no tolerance for alcohol, often losing themselves after just a few drinks and frequently getting into brawls.

Injuries are inevitable, and while people may dodge, the tavern’s tableware and furniture are not so fortunate.

Just now, John had to deal with another brawl. To say he dealt with it is to say he did nothing but notify an officer to come and collect the people involved.

Unfortunately, the person in question was a pauper; he had been searched all over and still not a single franc was found on him.

With no money, there’s no choice but to chalk it up to bad luck and reluctantly agree to deferred compensation, as John really couldn’t do anything about it.

This is the front line, after all; any day now, these unlucky sods could be collecting their last meal. The dead don’t need to pay debts.

If these were the only losses, John could have written them off. After all, prices at the Suez Port had already skyrocketed due to war.

What truly worried John was the situation on the battlefield. He didn’t even need to go out to gather information; he could analyze a good deal just by listening to the conversations of his patrons.

Such-and-such unit suffered heavy casualties, such-and-such person narrowly escaped death, such-and-such unlucky sod...

Whether secrecy was needed or not, all was revealed after a few drinks.

The speaker may be careless, but the listener is not.

The battle for the Suez Canal continues, and John couldn’t predict the final outcome, but heavy losses on the French side were an undeniable fact.

Suez Port is also the front line, and if the Austrian army chooses this place as a breakthrough point, the tavern’s business couldn’t possibly continue.

Although John loved money, he valued his life even more. On the battlefield, guns and shells show no mercy, and one careless moment could mean a meeting with God.

The Paris Government had already issued a conscription order for all citizens. In times of crisis, the Governor of Egypt had the power to draft all Frenchmen within its territory.

A week ago, the Governor of Egypt had already issued a conscription order. By the rules, John should have already reported to the barracks.

However, there are always exceptions, and privileges exist everywhere. With the help of some francs, John feigned illness and successfully dodged the draft.

But avoiding the draft on the first day doesn’t guarantee safety on the fifteenth. Based on his years of life experience, John was certain that if the situation on the battlefield worsened, the colonial government’s conscription efforts would only intensify.

Perhaps by that time, they’d skip even the medical examination; as long as one isn’t missing limbs, they’d be sent to the front line.

This was the reason why the wealthy were leaving Suez Port. They were people of standing, how could they go to the battlefield to risk their lives?

Even though everyone had confidence in France, that was confidence in the homeland and not in the Egyptian Colonial Government.

Without John making up his mind, the war had already spread to Suez Port. The Suez Canal was indeed too narrow, mere hundreds of meters apart, which simply couldn’t escape the range of artillery fire.

As the booming sounds continued to echo, cannonballs raining from the sky began to rampage through this emerging city like a meteor shower.

Without any hesitation, John joined the throng of refugees. From tonight onwards, this city had officially become a military port.

...

Experience tales with novelbuddy

"Fick, you fool. I told you to prepare the boats, and all you got are these pieces of junk, which might sink on their own once put in water, what use are they?"

A middle-aged officer roared at his subordinate, clearly infuriated. The plan was to secretly attack Suez Port, but when they arrived, there were simply no ships.

Fick, the young officer, hurriedly explained, "Colonel, you can’t blame me for this. The Suez Canal is too narrow, and the enemy’s artillery can cover it entirely.

From a mere couple of hundred meters away, any gunner can score a hit. Large ships simply can’t hide, so we could only make do with some rafts.

But rest assured, we destroyed the French’s large ships on the other side, so there’s no need to worry they’ll launch a surprise attack."

Hearing this explanation, the complexion of the middle-aged officer grew even worse. Without enough boats, just relying on a bunch of rafts to cross the river was unthinkable.

The Sinai Peninsula is not a kind place, unlike other regions. If the Vienna Government hadn’t implemented fallowing and relocated populations early to curb desertification, local sources wouldn’t even be able to provide water for the troops.

Apart from a few garrisons, the Sinai Peninsula was virtually a no man’s land. With no people around, the idea of improvising local solutions for boats was simply impossible.

Supplying ships from the homeland might be easy, but they would be destroyed by enemy fire before even entering the canal.

Hitting a ship across a distance of two to three hundred meters is far too easy. In this light, crossing the river wouldn’t be smooth sailing even if they had ships.

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