I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 1129 Why are things always so bad in Spain?

In the vast Rif Mountains, the Spanish army, without even guides, naturally could not find the natives who had lived there for hundreds of years.

So, after a torrential rain, the mountain was covered in mud. The Wozan and Rif tribes immediately launched their long-planned surprise attack.

The tribal warriors used the trees for cover and continued their attacks, while the Spanish were stuck in the mud and unable to move.

In just four days, the Western Army suffered more than 4 casualties, and abandoned almost all of its cannons and supplies, yet still failed to escape Rif Mountain.

Yes, at this point, more than 7 Spanish soldiers were still trapped in the mountains.

The report indicates that the recent continuous rain in the mountains means that the troops may drown or starve to death in the mountains even without the Moroccan tribes launching any further attacks!
Berthier, glancing at the Crown Prince's gloomy face, inwardly cursed his Spanish counterparts before cautiously saying, "Your Highness, Madrid hopes we can send reinforcements..."

"Currently, the Menil Legion, which is attacking Gibraltar, is very close to Morocco. If we use Spanish Navy transport ships, it will only take two days to send them ashore."

Joseph immediately shook his head: "We cannot get involved in the war in Morocco."

He slammed his hand on the report on the table: "The Spanish didn't even greet us."

"They could have easily exploited the conflict between the northern tribes of Morocco and Marrakech, getting the Moroccan Sultan to send troops to occupy Meknes and Fez, cutting off the tribal supplies. Then they could have simply sent a few thousand men to clean up the mess."

"But now that His Majesty Charles IV has declared war on Morocco, Sultan Suleiman is unlikely to help him deal with the northern tribes, and may even send troops to attack the Spanish army."

Even if Soldano wins one or two victories, it won't make much difference.

"The Wozan tribe only needs to withdraw from the Rif Mountains and go into the Atlas Mountains to the east—there are many mountain tribes there that will certainly provide support in the face of external enemies."

"This is a war fought in mud; if we send troops there, they'll get stuck in it too."

He had another concern. If the war dragged on too long, Britain might support Morocco, prompting Suleiman to join the fight. France now had absolutely no reason to expend its forces in Morocco.

Berthier nodded silently, then hesitated for a long while before saying, "Your Highness, so we should advise Madrid to withdraw its troops?"

Joseph shook his head again, somewhat annoyed: "That would seriously affect the morale of the Spanish army and could very likely cause problems on the Portuguese battlefield."

"Moreover, the ministers in Madrid will most likely not agree to the retreat."

Fighting was not an option, nor was retreating; Berthier could only lower his head and remain silent.

Joseph turned his head and looked at the map beside him, pondering to himself.

First, the French army must not be bogged down in the Moroccan campaign. Second, the Spanish must be helped to achieve some degree of victory, at least allowing them to withdraw with dignity.

Therefore, we must not confine ourselves to fighting in the mountainous areas of northern Morocco, but should choose a battlefield that is advantageous to the main force.

What about the soldiers?
There were not many troops left to spare on the Portuguese front—there were many resistance groups near Lisbon, tying down more than 20,000 Spanish troops.

Just then, Berthier whispered a suggestion: "Your Highness, perhaps we could use mercenaries to rescue the Soldano Legion. They could depart from Switzerland, board ships in Toulon, and reach Morocco in as little as 20 days."

Joseph nodded: "That is indeed a good idea."

Spain earned a considerable amount of money from the California gold mines. Although its fiscal deficit was still severe, it should still be able to afford to hire five or six thousand Swiss mercenaries.

Meanwhile, the Swiss mercenaries were quite capable, at least better than the Spanish soldiers. He was about to instruct Berthier to send someone to contact the Swiss when a thought suddenly struck him.

Since we're going to spend money to hire mercenaries anyway, why do we have to hire Swiss people?

They could easily hire people locally in Portugal.

Despite the resistance fighters' seemingly relentless attitude, if the Spanish government offered them several times the usual pay, many would be willing to go to Morocco.

If that's not enough, recruit soldiers in the northwestern mountains of Algiers.

For example, in places like Tremson—where tribes also live in the Atlas Mountains—being sent to fight in the Rif Mountains is practically like playing on home ground.

Moreover, the tribal warriors of Algiers charge much less than the Swiss – the price of hiring one Swiss mercenary is enough to hire three Algiers.

Once the war is over, it can be suggested that Madrid "settle" these people in place to strengthen the defenses of the Rif Mountains area—the Spanish are unwilling to stay in such a dreadful place.

In this way, Spain resolved the war in Morocco with a small investment, while simultaneously weakening the tribal power in the remote mountains of Algiers without having to do anything itself. A win-win situation.

As for the battle plan, Joseph narrowed his eyes. Who said that just because the Wozan tribe provoked trouble, the Spanish army could only fight them?

Ultimately, the Wozaan tribe was also under the rule of the Moroccan Sultan.

When subordinates make mistakes, superiors should take the blame.

He immediately looked at Berthier and said, "Have the Spanish recruit mercenaries from Portugal and the northwestern mountains of Algiers right now."

He briefly explained why he didn't use the Swiss, and then gave the following instructions:
"Also, we need to send a commander, otherwise General Soldano could hand over all our troops to the enemy."

The Chief of the General Staff immediately said, "Colonel Soult is very suitable, Your Highness. He is very skilled in mountain warfare and has excellent organizational abilities, enabling him to command troops from various sources very well."

"Of course, Major Saint-Cyr is also a good candidate, he..."

Joseph nodded: "Let Colonel Soult go."

Historically, Soult had achieved considerable success in the Iberian mountains. Moreover, this general, who was among Napoleon's top five commanders, had not had many opportunities to demonstrate his abilities in the previous Rhine campaigns, so this was a good opportunity for him to command more battles and gain experience.

Two hours later, Soult arrived at the Crown Prince's study.

Joseph immediately stood before the map and gave him instructions: "The line from Melilla to Mount Rif will be defended by the Soldano Legion. You will lead the mercenaries to land at Anfa, and then..."

Anfa is the now-famous Casablanca, located on the west coast of Morocco, only 180 kilometers from the capital Marrakech.

After finishing talking about cleaning up the mess left by his Spanish teammates, it was already dusk.

Joseph was just about to have a cup of tea before going to dinner when Lavallet appeared at the door.

The latter stepped forward and bowed: "Your Highness, news has just come from Italy that a serious riot has broken out in Lucca. Our caravan was attacked and lost a large amount of goods."

(End of this chapter)