Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 378 Tactical Leadership
To defend against the Viking Empire's attack, the remnants of the Frankish army maintained an army of over 26,000 men and conscripted tens of thousands of laborers to build fortresses, bringing their finances to the brink of collapse.

"Never mind, Sardinia hasn't paid taxes for fifty years. I don't believe Basil would break with us over a territory that doesn't pay taxes!"

The Count of Orléans resolutely led his army across the strait, landed in the north of Sardinia, and headed along the coast to Torres on the northwest side of the island.

Since the 7th century AD, the Eastern Roman Empire's control over the western Mediterranean has gradually declined, and Sardinia has gradually developed four local powers: Torres, Gallura, Alboreia, and Cagliari, with a total population of about 180,000.

On August 25, five thousand Frankish soldiers entered the fertile northwestern plains. The local king sent envoys to negotiate, and they received a list of supplies that was incredibly valuable.

Negotiations broke down, and Torres hastily organized a defense. However, the Franks and the Viking Empire had clashed many times and their tactical level had greatly improved, far exceeding the capabilities of the local forces.

Upon discovering that Torres intended to resist, the Count of Orléans led three hundred cavalry and five hundred mounted infantry to make a swift raid on Adam, a major inland town. Taking advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness, he easily defeated two thousand soldiers who were on their way.

Then came the siege warfare. As usual, the French army used tunnel warfare tactics to burn down the walls of the two main towns and seize the large amounts of grain and wool stored inside.

"Sardinia is rich in resources, but its army is weak and feeble. Why didn't we come sooner?"

The Count of Orléans was pleased with himself, and then wrote to Charles the Bald in Pisa, requesting that more reinforcements be sent.

With things having come to this, Charles the Bald had no choice but to send out his remaining four thousand mobile troops and pay a large bribe to a eunuch in Constantinople, hoping that this nobleman could put in a good word for him.

With his forces expanded to nine thousand, the Count of Orléans decided to divide his troops, leading five thousand south to attack Gallilus and Carrilla, the southernmost city.

Alfred's unit was ordered to attack Gallura in eastern Sardinia, a kingdom with rugged terrain, sparse population, and a fiercely independent people.

In mid-September, Alfred invaded the interior and along the way, he discovered some abandoned ancient stone towers scattered across the island.

These stone towers are cylindrical, typically 10 meters high, and are constructed from square stones. Surprisingly, there is no concrete or mortar between the stones; they are formed solely by the weight of the stones and their neat, aligned joints.

"Incredible! How did the ancients do that?"

Alfred learned from documents in a monastery that these stone towers, known as "Nuragi," had already stood in the interior of Sardinia long before the Roman Empire, suggesting that the towers existed for more than 1,500 years.

Occasionally, the locals would use these ancient ruins to put up a desperate resistance, blocking the entrances to the stone towers and shooting arrows and spears from high places, causing great trouble for the Franks.

Alfred's solution was to build shield wagons to cover the advance of his soldiers to the base of the stone tower. The soldiers then used pickaxes to break open the entrance to the tower, and burned firewood to smoke out the enemies hiding on the upper levels of the tower.

Using this tactic, the French army gradually advanced, eventually reaching Civita, the capital of Gallura, where they began digging tunnels and building catapults. During the siege, the king repeatedly sent priests out of the city to negotiate, questioning the French commanders, "Why are you invading Sardinia instead of attacking the Vikings and Moors?"

The French commander remained silent on this topic, for a simple reason: they couldn't defeat the Vikings and Moors, so they had to find ways to obtain resources from other regions.

In October, the French army on the eastern front captured Civita, and then advanced south along the coastline, capturing Cagliari in southern Sardinia. At the same time, the French army on the western front, led by the Count of Orléans, was also advancing south.

Upon hearing of the plight of the other three kingdoms, Cagliari immediately requested reinforcements from the Eastern Roman army in Sicily. At the same time, he also sent envoys to Rome to ask the Papacy for help in mediating the conflict.

Faced with external pressure, the French high command began to consider retreating, but Alfred insisted on continuing the fight.

"My lords, we have thoroughly offended Sardinia this time. If we let Cagliari go, it is very likely that it will annex the remaining forces of the three kingdoms and become the Franks' nemesis. This war must be fought. The Eastern Roman Empire is still hesitating, so there is still time."

At Alfred's urging, the French army accelerated their siege and produced a pile of dubious evidence, accusing the King of Cagliari of having secret dealings with the Moors and Vikings, and of being a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

On October 25th, the Eastern Roman fleet departed Sicily, and by the time they arrived in Cagliari, the port had already fallen. A large hole had been breached in its eastern wall, the city was in ruins, and numerous bloated corpses floated near the harbor.

"Such a fast siege speed."

The commander dispatched a small boat to gather intelligence. The Franks did not mistreat their allies, but warmly welcomed them and showed them the palace, displaying the places where the king and nobles held heretical ceremonies, as well as numerous letters exchanged with the Moors and Vikings.

Half an hour later, the two sides' high-level officials were negotiating on the beach. The Franks were willing to return Sardinia for two reasons:
First, Sardinia nominally belonged to the Eastern Roman Empire. The Franks attacked on the grounds that they suspected the island's forces of colluding with the Moors and Vikings. Now that these rebels had been eliminated, it was only right that the island be returned to their allies.

Secondly, the French army's exploitation of Sardinia was excessive. They plundered enough grain and livestock to feed 80,000 people for a year, along with 30,000 pounds worth of valuables, practically draining the entire island. Famine and rebellion were inevitable sooner or later, so it was better to extricate themselves and leave this mess to their allies.

Fleet Commander: "Sweeping away traitors? You've done me a huge favor, shouldn't I thank you?"

After venting his anger, he turned grim and ordered his troops to take over the defense of Carrillia, which was tantamount to acquiescing to the Franks' claim.

Not long ago, the commander received a decree from Constantinople with a clear demand: the matter would end as long as the Franks surrendered Sardinia.

From Emperor Basil's perspective, Sardinia's long-standing tax aversion meant that even if it were completely plundered, the Eastern Roman Empire would suffer no loss. On the contrary, the Eastern Roman Empire's takeover of the island without any casualties was actually a good thing.

Moreover, the Franks were a bulwark against the eastward expansion of the Viking Empire, and Basil had to maintain the alliance to keep these Franks in the Alps. Once the Vikings broke into Italy, they could cross the sea through Naples to attack Greece, plunging the Eastern Roman Empire into a desperate situation of being attacked from both the east and the west.

(End of this chapter)