The sun never sets in America

Chapter 364 European War: Blitz on Italy

In the Palace of Versailles, there were gathered a large number of senior generals of the French army, senior officials of the cabinet, and His Majesty the Emperor! !

"Your Majesty, our army will mobilize at least thirty divisions and twenty local garrison regiments as soon as possible to participate in this war against Austria."

"As soon as the war begins, our army will break through the border area near Italy, and within two weeks at the earliest, we will eliminate the 150,000 Austrian troops gathered in northern Italy--"

"After controlling northern Italy, the Mediterranean Fleet will land in the south and control the coastal areas. As for the remaining Austrian troops in the southern mountains, at this time, the only option left is the avatar!!"

The deputy commander-in-chief of the French Army, Argesson, reported to Napoleon III their so-called plan to capture Italy in a very "confirming" tone.

People around him were unconvinced. After all, in the eyes of those "arrogant" French military leaders, no country in Europe was France's opponent in a land war. As for the hundreds of thousands of Austrians in Italy, they are just an appetizer.

Napoleon III looked at the "confident" expressions of the people around him, frowned, and then said: "But what if you can't finish it, or the time is delayed??"

No one really dares to answer this sentence. After all, it is easy to be used as a scapegoat if you don't say it well.

Napoleon III had an ugly expression and wanted to take this opportunity to organize a group of people, but considering that the war was approaching, he gave it up and said directly: "What did the Prussians say??"

After finishing speaking, he looked at the recently appointed Foreign Minister Mitlang.

"The Prussians agreed to join the unification war against the surrounding German princes one month after we launched the war."

Europe is a place with many ethnic groups and countries. Even Christianity is divided into Protestantism, Catholicism, and even Orthodox Christianity, which is outside the mainstream.

“God bless France!!”

Of course, among them, the so-called "taking the initiative" is naturally indispensable, but the suggestions of such people often receive no response, and may even be ignored and ridiculed.

Europe is different from other places in the world. In other places, the larger the territory, the stronger the strength. But in Europe, it is just the opposite, or "compromise".

"Long live France——"

Basically, it means "easing down if you can" and "not fighting if you can't fight".

"Long live the Emperor!!"

The reason is that since the "assassination case", the whole Austria has a "shrinking turtle" mentality.

At the border in the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly. Rory stood motionless, but it could be seen from his slightly moved left hand and the turned-up watch that he was very nervous. As time passed by, Rory felt more and more When it was impossible to start a war today, a voice suddenly came from behind:

“Captain, there’s an urgent call from behind!!”

After reading it, Rory's face lit up, and then he subconsciously looked at the time on his hand and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there were at least twenty-five minutes left.

Napoleon III added another sentence later.

Rory turned around like a "revolving door" and took a short message from the telegraph soldier. There were only a few dozen French words in the message. The general meaning was that the war would start at three o'clock in the afternoon. According to the original Make plans.

The Minister of Economy is actually very reluctant to do such a thing, but there is no way. This war is simply too important for France. Let alone 500 million francs, even one billion francs must be given now.

Such a domestic situation has led to the fact that while other European powers are ready to launch wars to rob other countries of their resources, Austria is thinking about how to protect itself.

“But because of Prussia’s financial difficulties, we need a loan of at least 500 million francs——”

"However, you can't be too polite. You can charge as much interest as you should. France, it's not time to give money to others and pray for victory!!"

In the Austrian border station opposite, a dozen staff officers were discussing how to "effectively defend" the French.

"Yes, Your Majesty!!"

Then he ordered:

"Tell the soldiers, get ready guys, we're leaving!!"

The fundamental reason is still due to the domestic situation in Austria at this time. The territory under Austria's jurisdiction is absolutely the most on the European continent, even more than France, and second only to the Ottomans.

Thinking of this, this forty-seven-year-old veteran seemed to be full of the energy of a young man, as if he had seen himself promoted and promoted after a successful breakthrough.

It is also because of these two reasons that if European countries expand too much and it is difficult to fully digest it, it will be a "disaster."

The Austrians actually spread their troops horizontally in a bluff, but little did they know that this would only give them a moment of breakthrough and create the best conditions.

"Quick, give it to me!!"

In a hurry, Luo Li wanted to ask someone several times, but in the end he continued to pick up the binoculars and looked at the military situation on the opposite side, because the order from above was that no matter whether there was a fight today or not, these people had to keep an eye on them. Literally, staring like an owl.

"Everyone, I hope to spend Christmas in Rome this year!!"

In the Palace of Versailles, shouts one after another, like drums urging war, resounded throughout Paris.

"Long live France——"

Napoleon III looked at these "imperial ministers" below. Although these people have "different ideas," they are the only ones who can be relied on now.

Looking at the Austrian border guards across the telescope, Rory, the commander of the 17th Infantry Regiment under the French Third Army, showed "sarcasm" on his lips.

After Mittrand finished speaking, the entire hall exploded. The Prussians were simply a naked threat, trying to use the war to "stuck oil."

[As for Tsarist Russia, European countries actually look down on Eastern Europe]

French soldiers wearing French flying saucer helmets were moving artillery shells. Because they had dug a troop transport tunnel, it was not visible on the surface.

And "defense" is often beaten, and the French are the first.
-

Rory looked at the blazing red sun in the sky, looked down at the two o'clock time, and looked a little anxious. At this time, he had not yet waited for the "military order" to start the war.

Napoleon III was also not very happy, but he still endured it and said directly to the Minister of Economy: "You must handle this matter well and don't let the Prussians find anything wrong!!"

"God bless France, God bless our soldiers and generals, the French Empire will surely regain its glory!!"

Napoleon took the champagne from the attendant and said the "congratulations" before the war to the ministers and generals who were also receiving the champagne.

War is inevitable! !
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Franco-Austrian border, Italian section! !

Because most of Austria's domestic forces are used to "maintain stability", Italy is a typical case.

[The flying saucer helmet of the French army is actually the early version of the Han Dynasty. After Napoleon III came to power, he thought it was good and made a French version of the flying saucer helmet]

Austria is a typical example. Its internal regional federal states, such as Hungary and Croatia, seem to submit to Vienna, but in fact they are essentially "attached" to the entire Austrian Empire and seek "security" guarantees.

"Keep your voice down, we are going to Italy!!"

After Rory finished speaking, he felt much "younger".

Soon, the 17th Regiment was spreading the news that it was going to "Italy", and some soldiers even fantasized about going to "Rome".

In this era of low-educated people, it is almost impossible for many people to go abroad, let alone go to Italy, a place with great reputation in Europe.

Of course, it is not an exception. War is the best "travel abroad".

The French obviously want to "travel" too.

Although twenty-five minutes was not a long time, for the 17th Regiment, which had been preparing for a week, it was just a "tinkering" job. In less than ten minutes, everything was ready.

In the words of the artillery battalion commander:

"We are ready to use cannons to let those Austrians know what justice is!!"

Along the entire border, not only the 17th Regiment was like this, but in fact, hundreds of thousands of French troops across the entire border were preparing for war, just waiting for the moment the clock hand fell! !

"nail!!"

Countless wristwatches and pocket watches all sounded the cry of three o'clock. The cry penetrated the entire border and finally turned into one sentence:

"fire!!"

"Crack!!"

The ropes of the artillery were pulled down one by one, and a thousand artillery pieces of various calibers appeared in the sky like "meteors".

At the Austrian border guard, the soldiers looked up at the "fireball" in the sky, as if it was "dark", and screamed like "beavers".

Boom boom! ! !

Military depots, grain depots, arsenals, and all targets on the front line that can be hit are the highest priority targets for French artillery. Even if some of the artillery pieces were smoking, they just poured a bucket of cold water on them and then continued to load them, regardless of the fact that the artillery pieces had reached their end of life.

Although the howitzer is expensive to build, the order from above is "fast", and they have no second option.

If the artillery is broken, you can rebuild it or buy it again, but if time is lost, then it is really gone! !

Boom boom! ! !

The artillery covers at least five kilometers of the entire border, almost reaching the range of most artillery.

The 30,000 Austrian troops within these five kilometers are like roasted "ducks" that can no longer fly away. Even if they want to counterattack, and even some of the Austrian troops in the bunkers have to use hidden artillery to counterattack, but those numbers It is difficult for the limited artillery to compete with the huge artillery group in the French army.

The artillery bombardment continued from three o'clock to three-twenty. Had it not been for the news of Austrian reinforcements from behind, the bombing might have continued.

But even so, when the smoke dissipated, there was no living thing in the entire five-kilometer radius. There was only charcoal all over the ground, and even the grass was burned.

Artillery, the king of war, was once again defended.

As the most proficient artillery country in Europe, even though they lost Napoleon, a genius "artillery expert", the French still used 20 minutes to defeat 30,000 Austrian troops to tell the whole of Europe that "France is back"! !

When the Austrian army "belatedly arrived" from behind, looking at the friendly troops running over in tatters, black clothes, and gray faces, they were even more confused and hesitated to move forward.

The entire 30,000-strong frontline Austrian army had been reduced by at least half in the artillery fire just now, and the remaining half had also been greatly reduced in combat strength.

And this so-called big reduction is something the Austrians themselves "boast" about.

The real situation is that the remaining fifteen thousand people have completely lost their combat effectiveness.

The French army, which had occupied the position where the Austrian army had just been, continued to advance without any hesitation. For the French, "breakthrough" and "breakthrough" were the fighting methods of the entire war.

When the two sides' combined armies of more than 300,000 people collided with each other in northern Italy, the war was destined to be "Mars hitting the Earth". As for who is the Earth, it is self-evident.

And within the earth, there are all living beings.

.............................................

London, Buckingham Palace.

"What, the French are starting a war!!"

“Over there, Italy!!”

In the afternoon, Queen Victoria, as usual, enjoyed the rare sunshine and "all kinds of fancy" afternoon tea.

But when the palace attendant hurriedly came over with the report, she no longer had the "grace and elegance" she had before, but only the panic of a woman in the face of a "crisis".

If Prince Albert hadn't comforted her in time, Her Majesty the Queen might have really "made a fool of herself".

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."

"This is the news just sent from France!!"

The attendant ran in in a panic, squatted half-crouched, and handed the documents to Queen Victoria who was lying on the sofa while breathing heavily.

Prince Albert took it, looked at it a few times, and then said with a reluctant smile:

"Napoleon III is like a child. It was just an assassination by a mental patient, and he started a war. So many people were killed and injured. He is really a sinner!!"

Prince Albert avoided the news of France's declaration of war on Austria, but instead reminded him sideways and scolded Napoleon III.

Queen Victoria understood that this was her husband relieving her inner pressure, but she still expressed angrily:

"Sooner or later, this damn Louis must die on the island like his uncle!!"

After a few curses, Queen Victoria continued:

"Notify the cabinet, I want to know where the French have been!!"

"Also, how about the Americas??"

Yes, Queen Victoria was actually very wary of the Han Kingdom. So when she learned that France was going to war, her first reaction was not only horror, but also wondering whether Han Dynasty would go to war at the same time. After knowing that the Han Kingdom was still stable, , and then he breathed a sigh of relief.

But he soon became "vigilant" again. After all, Han's actions were nothing more than watching the situation in Europe.

As for the situation in Europe, do you still need to look at it? Of course it is "chaos."

After the news of war in France spread throughout Europe, everyone was worried that their own country would be the second country to be declared war.

This is especially true for small countries.

Queen Victoria leaned on the sofa, frowning, and then said:

“Dear, I have to write letters, lots of them!!”

Prince Albert was stunned, and finally nodded in agreement.

Queen Victoria wrote very quickly, which was very different from her "sick" appearance just now.

After all, in the study room, there is no need to show one's "concern for the country and the people" to outsiders.

Queen Victoria's first letter was written to the Dutch royal family. It was a letter recalling the past. It basically reiterated the friendship between the British Empire and the Low Countries, appeased the Netherlands, and implicitly proposed an appropriate "transfer of troops" from the Netherlands.

He also once again guaranteed the rights of the Netherlands in the East Indies, and also guaranteed that the Han Dynasty had no idea about the remaining East Indies. Even if it did, the British Empire would stand up and stop it.

Normally, Victoria would never have written so "sincerely", but it was because of the war and that "damn Louis".

Then he wrote a few words to curse Napoleon III, both internally and externally. He scolded Napoleon III so much that he wished he could be hanged like the last Louis.

Finally added:

“The British Empire and the Kingdom of the Netherlands stand together!!”

Yes, the British guy who has been causing trouble for so many years also knows about "being together".

The second letter was written to Prussia, and the first sentence at the beginning was "Dear German Leader."

This is the British, and it is said that it is the first time that the Queen of England has used such an "honorific title" to describe the Prussians.

It can be seen that the situation in Europe at this time has forced the British to put down their "arrogant heads" and start to play a more "pragmatic" diplomacy.

Among them, Victoria described the situation in Europe as "bad", understood Prussia's possible "following", and hoped that Prussia could succeed.

But he quickly changed the subject and said:

"Although Napoleon III is very polite, all of us know what he really wants. My dear William, Prussia will definitely be the next target!!"

When Queen Victoria called King William of Prussia, she used the word "dear", which not only meant to win over, but also sounded a warning.

Finally, it means:

"I personally congratulate your country on the success of the unification war, but don't be too careless!!"

After Queen Victoria wrote the letter to Prussia, she went on to write letters to Spain, Portugal, Denmark, and other countries, which basically meant the same thing, "union."

Unite and fight against the French! !

After writing this, Victoria seemed to remember something and wrote the last letter:

"Han Kingdom!!"

"Dear Your Majesty the Emperor, as the Emperor of the East, I feel envious of your achievements in the past few decades, just like a child who is jealous of another child who has better grades!!"

(The throne of the British royal family is the Emperor of India)

"We must admit that even though the British Empire and the Han Dynasty have differences in many places, we still have areas for cooperation. America is not an obstacle!!"

"Some time ago, the treaty between our two countries fully demonstrated that we can cooperate with each other. There may be countless obstacles and difficulties, but I believe that we are both willing to work hard for global peace. …”

"The war launched by the French in Europe will not end successfully. They will be nailed to the pillar of shame by the Europeans, just like the uncle of that crappy emperor..."

"Cooperation is our only choice!!"

The United Kingdom of Great Britain, Emperor of India, salutes you.

(End of this chapter)