Chapter 160: Holding the Line
Napoleon's army encountered some minor Austrian strongholds as they crossed the Alps. However, in the grand scheme of things, these strongholds didn't pose much of a threat.
Considering the rugged terrain, these strongholds could have held out if they were determined. The Archduke Charles even made an effort to transport some small cannons to these positions. However, "the city is not unattainable, the moat is not too deep, the soldiers are not exceptionally fierce, and there's plenty of provisions..."
Most of these strongholds simply fulfilled their most critical duty once they spotted the French armysending a warning. To ensure a successful message delivery and avoid having their messengers intercepted by cunning French allies, everyone rushed to perform their most vital task: delivering the message safely.
And because they were in such a hurry to deliver the message, many of them hadn't even had the chance to destroy their supplies. After all, they weren't retreating; they were returning to send a message, and once that was done, they'd return to defend. Why would they burn their storerooms?
As a result, Napoleon unexpectedly acquired a bit of extra supplies.
Soon, Napoleon led his army out of the Alps. He knew that by this time, the Austrians had received word and were preparing for a serious showdown with him. Napoleon hoped for a grand battle with the Austrians, with the intention of dismantling their entire empire.
Therefore, Napoleon quickly dispatched a group of reconnaissance cavalry to survey the area and expand their understanding of the battlefield.
A few hours later, the scouts returned with ever-evolving information, now represented by new icons on the map.
"Is this really happening?" Napoleon was quite surprised as he studied the map.
On both sides of the road leading to Vienna, they discovered numerous strongholds. Due to the presence of Austrian cavalry and the fatigue from crossing the mountains, Napoleon's reconnaissance couldn't venture too far. As for the conditions further ahead, they remained uncertain.
Before the departure, Napoleon had inquired about the situation from the traders who traveled between Austria and Italy. Strangely, none of them mentioned such fortifications in Austria.
"How could they complete such extensive works in such a short time?" Napoleon decided to inspect the situation in person.
So, Napoleon personally led a group of cavalry to the nearest stronghold.
"What kind of shoddy construction is this!" Napoleon exclaimed as he saw the so-called stronghold in front of him. Its outer walls were not made of well-placed bricks and stones but simply stacked wicker baskets filled with stones. The interior of the walls was likely not well-packed earth but more of these wicker baskets filled with soil.
This kind of construction could even bypass the need for foundations. While it was undoubtedly a quicker process, it resulted in flimsy structures.
Through his telescope, he noted that the French cannons were indeed scarce and mostly three-pounders. There weren't many six-pounders, which relieved some of the Archduke's anxiety. However, the confident expressions of the French soldiers revealed their high morale. Such high spirits hinted that this wouldn't be an easy fight.
Nonetheless, the French army didn't immediately launch an attack but halted near the strongholds. Archduke Charles observed this with growing apprehension. They seemed to be building temporary quarters not far from the strongholds.
"What are they up to?" Archduke Charles wondered.
His quick thinking led him to a possible answer. "They must be trying to loot our farms, to seize our wheat! They are keeping us under surveillance here to make it difficult for us to act, while they have certainly sent their cavalry to plunder."
He climbed a high watchtower and scrutinized the French force's composition. There appeared to be a relatively small proportion of cavalry.
"It seems they did indeed send their cavalry to raid. But at least, I've prepared for that," Archduke Charles thought.
By evening, General Oudinot, who had led the cavalry, returned to the newly established French camp with disheartening news. "General, these Austrians are truly ruthless! They set fire to villages within dozens of miles around us!"
"What about further away?" Napoleon inquired.
"We don't know yet, but I doubt they would set the entire country ablaze."
"Move farther tomorrow," Napoleon instructed.
The next day, General Oudinot led his cavalry brigade almost forty kilometers north and finally came across a relatively untouched estate. The estate's owners had long fled, leaving behind burned granaries. However, extensive unharvested fields of wheat still remained.
General Oudinot gathered the local peasants and had them inspect the burnt granaries. He then delivered a speech, explaining that the nobles' lackeys had set fire to the granaries to force the French into looting them. He organized the peasants to harvest the fields, agreeing to a distribution of 70% for the locals and 30% for the French.
"We might not be here for long," General Oudinot told them. "After we leave, hide the grain, and when the Austrians come, tell them that the French took all your crops. This way, you'll have enough to eat during the winter."
The peasants nodded in agreement.
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