Chapter 1067
"Your Majesty." Ancitanos, who had been silent all this while, was the first to speak. "The kingdom's order in central Italy isn't very stable yet. The Etrurian Alliance is the largest force that has allied with us, and they have been friendly to us for the past few years. When they are in trouble, we should, of course, lend them a helping hand.
Moreover, the Gauls have always been the nightmare of the various forces in central Italy, and the threat they pose to the central region is growing by the day. As the leader of the central region, Diónia's confrontation with the Gauls is inevitable, and we are the main force that the other forces trust.
The northern part of the Etrurian Alliance is now very weak. If we wait for the Gauls to invade the south before we send our troops, I'm afraid that by the time the army is assembled, half of the Etrurian territory would have already fallen. By then, not only would the kingdom suffer the resentment of the Etrurians, but the other forces' trust in us would also be reduced. It would also seriously affect our construction in Latin territory, and our military operations would not be as smooth.
Now that the Etrurian Alliance has volunteered to provide such good conditions, we can help them keep the Gauls out of the mountains, stifle their attempt to invade the south in advance, and ensure the safety of central Italy. Moreover, we can also gain more land and bring the Etrurians into the kingdom's protection circle, speeding up the kingdom's influence on them. This is a good thing, we shouldn't reject it! "
"Sir Ancitanos, we understand what you're saying," Rafias, the Minister of Household Registration, objected. "But you should also understand that the Etruscans have given us part of their land in the hope that the people living there will fight the Gauls with them in the future. However, they will have to face the harassment of the Gauls at all times, and there is a risk of losing their lives at any time. Which citizen would be willing to move there?"
"What about the prospective citizens and the registered freedmen?" Ancitanos asked solemnly.
Rafias shook his head. "Since the end of the last war until now, there is still a lot of empty land in the kingdom that hasn't been distributed. This is something that everyone knows. We don't give priority to the distribution of land in the kingdom. Instead, we ask these people who have accumulated enough merits and are about to become new citizens to go to Etruria to face the terrifying Gauls. This is not only unfair, but it will also seriously damage the kingdom's reputation and affect the immigration operation that we have been carrying out for a long time. "
There was a moment of silence in the palace after Rafias finished speaking.
After a while, Sesta said, "Why don't we send an army to attack the Gaul's territory and completely conquer them? We can solve this big problem once and for all."
The treasurer, Archipedes, immediately said loudly, "The treasury is tight now, and we don't have enough gold and silver to support a major war."
Alexis continued, "According to the information we have, more than half of the northern part of Italy is occupied by the Gauls. Because there is a very long river in their territory, the terrain is flat, and the soil is fertile. Because of this, the Gauls are semi-farming and semi-grazing, and they are able to support a large population. It is said that because of this large population, they want to move south to occupy more land.
To the north of where the Gauls lived were mountains, and to the north of the mountains were even more Gauls. If our army crossed the Etruscan region and marched north, it would inevitably lead to a long and drawn-out war. Now that the kingdom has just slowly recovered from the last war, it is not suitable to start another big war in a short period of time. "
"Since the northern part of Etruria is very dangerous, there is no need for us to build a town on the land they have given us. We can build a military fortress similar to the Turií barracks, but the area can be smaller. Then, we can send the legions to guard it in turns, just like the La River Fortress." Heraclide, the Minister of Construction, who rarely spoke on other fields, rarely made his own suggestions. This was because several of the renovations of the Tuliyi Barracks were designed by him, and he personally supervised the completion of them. He believed that the military fortress, which was a combination of defense, town facilities, and daily labor, could play a greater role in the Etruscan border.
"Lord Heraclides's suggestion to build a military fortress in the northern part of Etruria is indeed a good idea." Alexis first praised Heraclides, and then cautiously said, "But, to send the legions there and have them guard it in turns is worth discussing. The La River Fortress is located in the heart of the kingdom, and there is no danger. There are not many soldiers to be sent there, and the rotation time is very short. The supply of rations is also very convenient. The Ministry of Military Affairs has made it a necessary experience for the legions' reserve soldiers to go through before they become regular soldiers, so the citizens do not have any objections to this. But if we let the legions guard the northern border of Etruria, the situation will be completely different. "
Alexis cleared her throat and slowly analyzed, "First of all, the number of soldiers stationed at every military fortress on the Etrurian border is definitely not a small number. Because they will be facing the ferocious Gauls, the soldiers must not only defend the fortress, but also repel the small Gallic troops that are harassing the Etruscans. At the same time, if the Gauls suddenly invade the south, the weak Etruscan army can't be relied on. Moreover, they are far away from the kingdom, so they can't get immediate support. They must hold on for at least half a month before the kingdom's army arrives. Therefore, the number of soldiers in each fortress must be no less than a thousand to ensure the safety of the troops.
Furthermore, the border between Etruria and the Gauls was very long. Perhaps three to five of these fortresses would be needed to defend against Gaul's invasion. This meant that we would have to send at least 3000 to 5000 Legion soldiers, which was equivalent to 3/5 of the entire Legion. This was no small number, and the military rations and resources that would be consumed would not be a small number either. Even if the Etrurians agreed to provide free aid, it was still a question whether they would be able to persist in the long run. If we supply them ourselves, we will have to pay even more, because we also have to take into account the consumption during the journey …
Secondly, the reinforcements going to Etruria cannot be rotated frequently. This is because our army will be stationed in the northern part of Etruria. For our army, be it the opponents or the environment, they are all completely unfamiliar to us. To familiarize themselves with an unfamiliar battlefield environment, understand the situation of the enemy, understand the situation of the allies, and let the soldiers adapt to the battlefield life there … and so on, it will take a long time. Only when the generals and soldiers are familiar with the place will they be able to fully unleash their combat power. Otherwise, if the troops are rotated frequently and the soldiers are not familiar with the surrounding environment, it may increase the casualties during the battle, or even lead to failure. This is strictly prohibited by the Military Law of Diónia! "
Alexis paused and glanced at the Devers.
The Devers held their chin and nodded slightly.
Alexis' expression did not change as she continued, "Therefore, the time needed for our army to be stationed there cannot be too short, at least half a year. And for the soldiers to be stationed in an unfamiliar place for such a long period of time, even the soldiers of the Fourteenth Legion who are closest to the place (the legion that was just formed a few years ago, the military camp is near Rome, the source of the soldiers are from the Latin region and parts of southern Etruria, mainly Casrella and Wei 'ai) will inevitably miss home, which will lead to low morale.
Moreover, these soldiers are the main laborers in their families, taking care of the fields, herding cattle, or doing other labor to earn money for their families. Although the Kingdom may give them some rewards for making them serve for a long period of time, they will not be able to fulfill other rights and obligations as citizens of Diónia. I'm afraid that it will still cause them and their families to complain — "
"During the war in the Western Mediterranean, the soldiers have been fighting outside for more than a year. I see that their performance is also quite good, and they have no complaints," Anorthis said disapprovingly.
"That's because His Majesty personally led the army and has always paid attention to adjusting the soldiers' war-weariness." Alexis did not say this to flatter the Devers. He explained with a serious expression, "Back then, after our army fought a fierce battle with Rome, His Majesty held several competitions and banquets to liven up the atmosphere in the military camp. When we went south to Sicily to fight with Carthage's people, the main force had always avoided direct battles with them. They mainly trained, reorganized, and defended in the camp and the city. In addition, with the great honor of defeating the original ruler of the Western Mediterranean, Carthage, they were able to persist until the end.
But if we let them go to the northern border of Etruria, the commanders of the various fortresses will not have enough prestige and charisma to keep the soldiers in high morale. We can also recognize the importance of helping the Etrurian Alliance to maintain the security of the Kingdom, but I'm afraid the soldiers will not think so deeply. On the contrary, they will think that it is meaningless to fight for a force that has little to do with them for a long period of time. This will cause them to lose any desire to fight. "
At this point, he coughed and said in a more serious tone, "Moreover, if we are not ready to conquer the Gauls in the north, then helping the Etrurian Alliance and defending the northern border may be a long-term mission. One year, two years, three years … If this continues, I'm afraid that the soldiers of the various legions of Diónia will complain and even refuse to obey orders to go to Etruria …"
Alexis made the situation so serious that it caused a commotion in the surrounding people.
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