18th century total war

Chapter 262 The Last Resistant Country in the Italian Peninsula
When the Vienna government was distressed by the self-destruct tactics because of a letter written by Marshal Pauliu, Karl was leading the main force of the First Army and rampaging across the Italian peninsula.

One by one, the Italian states, under the powerful force of the French Defense Forces that defeated the Austrians, voluntarily opened the city gates and surrendered, only asking the French army to be "gentle" to the residents in the city.

Of course, the residents in the eyes of the Italian state government are mainly the aristocratic class.

The generals under Karl also strictly followed Karl's orders. As long as they opened the door to welcome surrender, they would not make any mistakes. The surrendering countries and cities only needed to provide necessary military supplies.

Of course, everything in the arsenal must be in hand, and the Italian state army has also been disarmed and disarmed, leaving only the basic police force to assist in maintaining law and order.

After all, there are only one or two companies of the French Defense Forces in a city. Such a small number of people cannot manage the city and its surrounding areas, and auxiliary police are still needed.

The French army occupying the city is not responsible for maintaining law and order on weekdays. It mainly guards the armory and other military supplies warehouses and supervises the state governments.

Yes, the government of the Italian state that surrendered was not banned by the French Defense Forces, and the original government team was still retained. It seems that after the French army came, except for taking away a batch of war materials and leaving a small number of garrisons, nothing else changed.

This innocent behavior of the French army was naturally warmly welcomed by many Italian states. Many dignitaries who were planning to flee, seeing how enlightened the French army was, stayed.

After all, the supplies requested by the French army were nothing more than a drop in the bucket for them. After all, most of the supplies were "provided by the country", not by nobles.

Carl's French Defense Forces did this to stabilize the nobles and wealthy groups in the Italian peninsula. These people are fat sheep. If they are all scared away, how will they do anything to them in the future?
It is obvious that the French Defense Forces, whose military discipline is so strict that they are not human, have eliminated even basic disturbing behaviors, not to mention robbery of wealth.

It was the first time for the Italians to see an army that was so strict with themselves, it treated civilians better than the previous national army!

Naturally, with the appearance of role models in various state cities, the Italians gradually calmed down in the face of the French invasion, and the Italian nobles even gathered publicly to discuss the purpose of the French army this time.

The dignitaries in Italy generally believe that the Li Wei government should not have enough money to support a long-term war, so they used this kind of gentle method to quickly pacify the Italian peninsula, and the purpose of retaining everyone's power is to let them help the French army Hold your ground.

In a sense, the speculations of these Italian dignitaries are very correct!
It's just that they didn't expect that the Li Wei government was infinitely more ruthless than they speculated!
After the actions of the French Defense Forces were introduced to the Papal States, His Majesty Pope Pius VI, who was frightened and angry at the behavior of the Papal Army who fled back without firing a shot, immediately gave up his plan to escape from the city of Rome.

The reason is simple, Pius VI is too old, he is worried that he will die on the way before fleeing to Vienna...

Being forced to run away by the enemy's army is completely different from a normal outing!
The Papal Army was naturally a member of the Italian Confederate Army that disbanded and fled before. The influence of the Papal State in the north-central region of Italy at this time was much higher than that of later generations.

To be precise, the two sides are completely two regimes.

The states in north-central Italy, except for Genoa and Venice, where money is paramount, are obedient to the Pope.

Even Genoa and Venice are willing to obey the Pope's orders if no one pays a large price to buy them.

This is why the former Italian Allied Forces did not have any disputes over command, and the Papal State was behind it.

It's a pity that the political and religious diplomacy of the Papal State is very good, but the army is as stretched as the armies of other Italian states, which is quite "Italian".

The fundamental reason is naturally that most of the soldiers of the Papal Army come from the Papal State, and the Papal State is also a rich country in the world in central and northern Italy!

In this era without nationalism, the combat effectiveness of the army basically cannot escape a law.

An army composed of people from poor and remote areas often has much higher combat effectiveness than an army composed of people from affluent areas with no worries about food and clothing.

To put it bluntly, those who are barefoot are not afraid of wearing shoes.

Soldiers in rich areas have more than enough money, and being a soldier is just a job, not a necessity.

It is good to get trophies after winning on the battlefield. Even if there are no trophies, they will have enough food and clothing when they return home!

Naturally, soldiers in wealthy areas cherish their lives even more. They still have a great life waiting to be enjoyed!
Even in the 21st century, when nationalism has long been bursting, there are still many countries with such problems. For example, the famous Saudi Arabian army, with a lot of American high-tech weapons and equipment, was used by a group of AK Yemeni rebels with assault rifles and bazookas beat his father so much that his jaw dropped...

Even the U.S. government feels ashamed. The army they have trained with hand-to-hand arms can't beat a group of terrorists!
As a result, the only result of the Saudi Arabian army was to allow the rebel forces in Yemen to use American equipment...

What is the reason?

Saudi Arabia is so rich!

In the same way, in the original US-Vietnam War, the United States used various advanced weapons in turns, saturation bombing and carpet bombing one after another. The North Vietnamese regime, which was small and poor, managed to hold on!

This is how a strong army emerges from poor conditions!
That was an era when nationalism was everywhere. In the 18th century, when nationalism had not yet awakened, the gap between poor mountains and rich cities would only become wider!
In this regard, the ancient eastern powers were very clear about this. Even the dynasty of Da Zang knew that recruiting troops from poor places would be more effective.

If the army is stationed in a rich city for a long time, it will be abolished sooner or later!

In the same way, the Papal State is rich enough, so the fighting power of the Papal Army is bad enough!
Of course, the Italian peninsula in this era is getting poorer as it goes south, so the cities in the central and northern states are relatively rich, especially the Milan area in the north, Venice, Genoa and other states. The Austrians will not always keep an eye on northern Italy, hoping to turn it into their vassal.

The Kingdom of Sardinia is not yet a state in Italy, so the Kingdom of Sardinia is not very rich.

The richness of the states in the north-central part of Italy is naturally due to geographical location and maritime trade, not the benefits of the age of great navigation. In the Middle Ages, this land was very rich, and it can even be said to be the European trade in the Middle Ages. center.

After the opening of the Age of Discovery, the trade status of the north-central region of Italy declined instead.

It is precisely because northern Italy is so rich that the merchants there even have the ability to form a merchant-autonomous city-state government.

This is how Venice and Genoa were born.

The Papal State is rich not because of trade, but because of harvesting the wealth of religious leeks. Even the king is a religious leek in this era!
Of course, the current Papal State has begun to decline with the decline of Catholic power.

It's just that the Papal State is not a lean camel, but a declining dinosaur. Even if it declines, it will only change from a dinosaur to a lion and tiger.

Even in the 21st century, the Vatican has an unparalleled political status in the world.

However, in this era dominated by guns and guns, the so-called religious knights existed like cannon fodder, and the army loyal to the Pope had long lived up to the medieval period that shocked Europe.

After receiving the letter of surrender from Pius VI, Karl looked overjoyed. As long as Pius VI was caught, he would have completed half of the purpose of this expedition to Italy!

Lord Li Wei is still waiting to be crowned emperor in Paris!
In this way, the Pope's army cheered and was disarmed by the French Defense Forces. The reason for their cheering was simple, and they no longer had to fight the terrifying French Defense Forces.

Even if the Pope's Army never fought against the French Defense Forces from the beginning to the end, it was just a hearsay about how the Sardinian Army was beaten by the French Defense Forces and was frightened to collapse...

In any case, not having to fight dead people is a great joy for the soldiers of the Italian state and the Papal State, and the French Defense Forces have not committed any crimes, and they have won the likes and attention of all the Catholics in the Papal State '.

In this way, none of the state cities in the north-central region of the Italian peninsula showed signs of resistance. The French Defense Forces occupied the north-central region of Italy without dying, and their troops reached the Kingdom of Naples in the Kingdom of Two Sicilies...

The kingdom can be sandwiched, which is indeed a European political tradition!
Anyway, Li Wei didn't understand how the king of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies put on the Naples crown for himself, then the Sicilian crown for himself, and finally merged to wear the Two Sicily crown...

Is this nesting doll interesting?

Or is it to extend his crown title when he declares it to the outside world?
At this time, the capital of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies was Naples, and it was also the capital of the Kingdom of Naples...

The impoverished Kingdom of Two Sicilies has few large cities in total, and Naples is considered the richest city.

The Kingdom of Sicily is just a large island very close to the Italian Peninsula.

In fact, the army of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies had lost their fighting spirit long ago. There were deserters in the army every day, and many officers even took the initiative to resign.

It can be said that even the beggars in Naples know that the army of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies has lost its combat effectiveness.

Not only the army of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies, but the people of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies did not want to continue the war after hearing that the neighboring city of the central Italian state had not been abused or looted by the French.

Even the Austrians have been defeated, and everyone is still struggling!

Fighting kills people!
Moreover, the French Defense Forces also openly threatened that whoever dares to resist to the end will kill his whole family!
If the city does not surrender, it will be looted after the city is broken!
Since it's obvious that they can't fight, who has nothing to do to fight against the French Defense Forces?
However, the biggest force hindering the Kingdom of Two Sicilies is the Bourbon royal family of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies.

Yes, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and Louis XVIII who was driven away by Li Wei are relatives of the same family and surname!

The king of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies did not surrender, but it was not because he wanted to avenge Louis XVI and help the Bourbon family restore power in France.

Maybe the King of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies thought so when he joined the Anti-French Alliance, but now...

The king of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies worried that the troops of the Li Wei government would kill the Bourbon family!
As for Karl's promise, the king of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies didn't believe a single word. Back then, the French Revolutionary Party said that they would not kill Louis XVI and that they would implement a constitutional monarchy!
The results of it?
Louis XVI and his wife were killed!

The king of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, who was born in the Bourbon family, could not believe a word of the promise of the French.

But believe it or not, the king of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies is willing to resist. Anyway, he can evacuate early during the war. If Naples falls, he will run to Sicily. With the protection of the British Royal Fleet, the king of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies is still quite safe.

The whole of Europe knows that the French navy is blocked by the British Royal Navy and dare not leave the port!

Even the maintenance costs of the French Navy's warships are insufficient, and the militaristic Li Wei government has invested most of its military expenditures in the army and war maintenance.

Therefore, the hegemony of the Mediterranean Sea now belonged to the British.

This is the confidence of the king of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies to fight.

However, the king of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies pessimistically discovered that even if he was willing to fight, the people and army of the Kingdom of Naples would not want to continue fighting...

If he himself stayed in the city of Naples, he would naturally allow the Naples defenders to rely on the city defense and try the artillery and offensive of the French Defense Forces.

But how could the king of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies run away when the city fell?
How could members of the Bourbon royal family have this awareness of putting themselves in danger in order to fight against the French Defense Forces?
If Louis XVI had been so strong, there would have been no French Revolution at all!
However, in the current atmosphere in Naples, King Ferdinand I of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies knew very well that once he left, the Naples would surely surrender under the French Defense Forces!

In this way, what losses can I cause to the French Defense Forces?
What if the British boss behind it is dissatisfied?
Ferdinando I did not hesitate for too long. In January 1797, the French Defense Forces, which had trudged through the poor official roads in the southern part of the Italian Peninsula, officially entered the Kingdom of Naples.

Unsurprisingly, all the Neapolitan troops who encountered the French Defense Forces either ran away or surrendered collectively...

Seeing that the situation was over, Ferdinand I hurriedly fled from Naples to Sicily.

(End of this chapter)