Chapter 1216: Sardinia Returns to Being a Remote, Minor State
On the training grounds to the south of the Mantua Fortress, Moreau and over a dozen officers stood at the vanguard. Behind them were representatives of nearly a thousand soldiers who had participated in the deep raid into Venice.
To their left, representatives of the towering Guard Grenadier Battalion stood with their heads held high, brimming with pride and vigor.
True, they had indeed participated in the harassment campaign. Though they hadn't fired a single shot the entire time, they were still eligible to receive the Crown Prince's commendation.
Joseph walked past every officer and soldier, pinning medals of various ranks onto them based on their performance on the battlefield.
Moreau’s raid might have seemed modest in terms of raw numbers—only ten to fifteen thousand enemies killed and another twenty thousand routed—but its contribution to the overall campaign was undeniable.
Their actions had significantly hindered the tempo of the Austrian advance, helping the Mantua Fortress weather its most perilous stage.
Currently, the Coalition’s Swiss strategy had crumbled entirely, and the "time bomb" known as Sardinia, lurking in the shadows, had been defused. This allowed France to concentrate its entire army at Mantua for defense.
The entire Fifth Army had suffered almost no losses. With the addition of the 12th Infantry Division and the forces from Spain and the Italian states, the garrison at Mantua now exceeded eighty-five thousand men.
While the Austrian forces numbered nearly one hundred and sixty thousand, their morale had plummeted following the attacks on their rear. They had essentially lost any realistic hope of launching a successful assault on such a formidable fortress.
Furthermore, the lion's share of France's gains lay in Switzerland. Masséna currently had nearly seventy thousand enemy troops surrounded, ready to be swallowed up at any moment.
Thus, Moreau’s receipt of a Golden Fleur-de-lis Medal was absolutely well-deserved.
Joseph toiled for over two hours, finally finishing the distribution of more than three hundred and forty medals. Even with Berthier assisting him, his arms felt as though they might cramp.
Once the ceremony concluded, Berthier, Moreau, and the other generals discussed the upcoming operations with Joseph as they headed back to headquarters.
As the group arrived at the headquarters building, they saw two carriages pulling into the courtyard. Count Segur, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, stepped out of the lead carriage accompanied by an officer.
Spotting the Crown Prince, Segur hurried forward to pay his respects. "Your Highness, I have brought the draft of the armistice agreement with Sardinia prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for your review."
Joseph nodded to him and motioned for him to follow into the office.
Segur respectfully placed a stack of documents before Joseph. "Your Highness, Sardinia was our enemy in the last war and has conspired with hostile nations to launch a sneak attack this time. They must be severely punished."
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggests relocating the Sardinian royal family to the island of Sardinia. Their territories in Lombardy should be partitioned between Milan and Parma."
"The remaining regions shall be reconstituted as the Duchy of Piedmont."
Just over ten days ago, Joubert’s legion had taken full control of Turin. Currently, Victor Emmanuel IV and the Sardinian royal family were under house arrest in the palace.
Indeed, Sardinia had sent almost its entire domestic army to the Gotthard Pass, leaving fewer than five hundred soldiers in Turin.
Consequently, after Pilo's legion was crushed, Joubert had encountered no resistance. It took him only four days to occupy the Sardinian capital. ʀäνοβéś
Joseph found the Foreign Ministry’s proposal quite appropriate and was about to nod in agreement when a sudden thought struck him.
Sardinia was a member of the Mediterranean Security Organization. Even if Victor Emmanuel IV had been the first to betray them, dismantling Sardinia solely through a French decree would inevitably cause anxiety among the other North Italian states.
Joseph recalled the political maneuvers used in similar situations in his past life. A smile soon touched his lips as he instructed Segur. "Please immediately summon all member states of the Mediterranean Security Organization in my name to hold a 'Sardinian Question' summit. Let them vote on the punishment for Sardinia."
Segur’s eyes widened in surprise. This was an era where Great Powers decided the fate of small nations at a whim. For instance, regarding the dismantling of Sardinia, at most, they might give Parma—which had participated in the war—a small say. Yet, His Highness wanted a collective vote?
He hesitated. "Your Highness, but what if the other nations do not agree...?"
Joseph tapped the documents on the desk. "You can allocate the eastern part of Montferrat to Genoa."
"That way, three nations will benefit from the partition of Sardinia. You should meet with 'Madame Aunt' in advance to secure Modena's support."
"The remaining states, Lucca and Florence, are far from Sardinia. They certainly won't want to defy our country over this matter."
"Venice is currently occupied by Austria and cannot attend the meeting."
"Do you really believe this proposal will fail to pass?"
Segur was a veteran diplomat himself; hearing this, he couldn't help but nod repeatedly in admiration.
The Crown Prince's method effortlessly transformed France's will into the collective will of all Northern Italy. Not only would no nation harbor grievances over the dismantling of Sardinia, but in the future, even if Sardinia gained the backing of a Great Power and sought to return to the Apennine Peninsula, other nations would rise in opposition without France having to say a word.
This was the pinnacle of diplomatic finesse—it solved the Sardinian problem once and for all.
Joseph signed the partition plan and handed it back to Segur. "See to it as quickly as possible."
His main reason for organizing this summit was to alleviate the wariness the North Italian states felt toward France. The dismantling of Sardinia would be their collective decision; the blame could not be laid solely at France's door.
After Segur departed, Joseph returned to the war room, only to find Berthier and the others discussing something with somber expressions.
Seeing the Crown Prince enter, the Chief of Staff hurriedly handed him an intelligence report. "Your Highness, we've just received news. Suvorov arrived in Vienna three days ago leading sixty thousand Russian troops, and they are continuing their march south."
"From the current situation, it appears Russia is about to enter the war."
Joseph's gaze instantly turned icy.
It seemed Alexander I saw the strength of the Anti-French Coalition and immediately cast aside the Franco-Russian alliance through marriage, ready to swoop in for a share of the spoils.
By comparison, although Paul I was eccentric and prone to folly, he was a true friend to France.
If Russia entered the fray, the military pressure on France would increase significantly...
Berthier continued, "The Austrian Duke of Castellanza is also heading toward Klagenfurt with seventy thousand newly conscripted recruits."
"One hundred and thirty thousand enemy troops will soon be added to our front."
Joseph nodded. No wonder his generals looked as if they were facing a formidable foe.
But today's France was no longer the France of ten years ago, a nation to be toyed with at will. Previously, he had held back from mobilizing the country's full potential to avoid hindering its development.
Now that someone was seeking their own death, he would have to play for real.
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