Chapter 148: Liberation of Italy (Part 3)

 Over a thousand Sardinian cavalrymen rapidly prepared to charge the French skirmishers.

However, there were always signs when cavalry prepared to charge. If it were a dry, sunny day, they'd kick up dust, but with the recent rain, the ground remained moist. Nevertheless, coordinating such a large cavalry unit required clearing a path through the other troops, and this sign couldn't be concealed. Napoleon, ever watchful, noticed this signal before the Sardinian cavalry even advanced.

"Where's the shepherd? Where's the shepherd?" Napoleon shouted. "Take your cavalry and support the skirmishers!"

"The Shepherd" was Napoleon's nickname for Joseph. Joseph was proud of this nickname since not everyone had the chance to capture over three hundred Peppino Giorgio with a whip.

"Understood!" Joseph replied enthusiastically. He checked his four revolvers hanging from his belt and his trusty sword. He mounted his horse and headed toward the cavalry.

Napoleon stood there, one foot on a rock, raising his spyglass to scan the opposite side.

By this point, the Sardinian cavalry was ready. Since they weren't aware of the French skirmishers' rifle range, they had stayed behind their main formation. Their orders were to charge the French skirmishers, but no one had informed them that the French rifles had a range of three to four hundred yards. As the Sardinian cavalry advanced, they maintained a relatively tight formation, as was common practice. A close formation was better for maintaining discipline. Besides, they weren't too close to the enemy yet, so there was time to spread out.

As for moving at a slow pace, it was because their horses couldn't maintain their top speed continuously. To avoid entering the enemy's rifle range too quickly, they advanced at a walk and then gradually increased their speed, reaching their top speed when approaching the enemy's rifle range. This minimized the impact of the skirmishers' "Little Melons."

As Daniel, the skirmisher, finished loading his bullets, Captain Amy's voice rang out, "Prepare, aim at the enemy cavalry..."

Everyone raised their rifles. Captain Amy seemed to be showcasing his incredible lung capacity, dragging out his words deliberately. He had become a captain because Colonel Lanna appreciated his booming voice, even on noisy battlefields. A big voice was necessary but not enough to reach every skirmisher. At this point, his enormous lung capacity came into play. He stretched out his words to give other captains time to follow his lead and maintain consistency when giving the final command.

Amy finally finished his melodramatic "cavalry" command, took a deep breath, mentally counted, and then shouted, "Fire!"

The other captains gave their fire commands within a similar timeframe. Over two thousand skirmishers fired a synchronized volley at the still-distant Sardinian cavalry.

Despite the long distance, almost reaching the limit of Minié rifles, this volley was surprisingly effective. The Sardinian cavalry fell from their horses, like leaves falling in the autumn breeze.

"What the hell! How far can their guns reach?" General Colli started contemplating how to explain this defeat to the king and shift the blame to incompetent arms manufacturers.

This unexpected blow left the Italians disoriented. Many of them were not aware of the French skirmishers' superior rifle range. They charged forward, keeping their formation tight, which was the typical practice. Maintaining a tight formation helped preserve discipline, and they believed that they could spread out closer to the enemy. After the widespread use of the "Little Melons," there were no cavalry units in any nation that still used the old, tight formation charge.

As they approached the skirmishers, they faced another volley. However, since they were moving faster, the casualties were lower than in the previous volleys.

Count Vivaldi, the cavalry division's commander, struggled to maintain order. He yelled orders, trying to keep the formation intact and commanding a full-speed charge. But at this moment, the second synchronized volley resounded.

This second volley caused even more chaos among the Italians. They realized the skirmishers were too far to be so effective, yet they couldn't grasp the full extent of the French rifles' range. Some tried to rein in their horses and stop, while others spurred their horses to run faster. Some remained oblivious and continued with their previous formation.

People wanting to stop collided with those who wanted to charge ahead, leading to chaos. Those who wanted to charge took a few steps before abruptly pulling back, while others tried to turn their horses to the side. The entire cavalry force was in disarray.

The skirmisher captain, Jean Lanna, watched the cavalry chase with anticipation. When he saw that the Italians didn't break through their formation as he had hoped, he shouted in delight, "Brothers, I told you, don't be deceived by appearances! To win battles, you have to rely on our skirmishers! Now, forward, let's crush their infantry!"

Skirmishers equipped with Minié rifles against Italian infantry was a lopsided contest. With their greater range, they systematically picked off the Italian infantry like peeling layers of an onion. The Italians were taking a beating, and they couldn't effectively retaliate.

Furthermore, the cannons abandoned by the Italians were now under French control. When the Italians had abandoned the cannons, they had neglected to destroy them. The French quickly turned them around, ready to fire. However, the Italians broke into complete disarray before the French could shoot. Soldiers ignored their officers' commands, scattered, and the officers soon joined the rout. They ran faster than the soldiers.

Over fifty thousand Italians scattered, and catching them proved difficult. The Italians were more familiar with the terrain and could disappear into the countryside, so Napoleon didn't capture many prisoners. On the other hand, General Colli, retreating to Turin, also failed to gather many stragglers. About half of the soldiers didn't die or get captured but simply went their separate ways.

After gaining over a hundred cannons, the French army advanced toward Turin. In Turin, the city experienced three shocking events in one night. The people of the city spread various rumors, saying that the French would behead all the nobles if they entered Turin. Others narrated tales of the French "robbing the rich to help the poor." Some were terrified of the French and shook with fear, while others hoped the French would enter the city so they could share in the spoils.

At the nobles' unanimous request, the king declared his withdrawal from the war and sent envoys to negotiate with the French. Facing the Sardinian envoys, Napoleon initially displayed indifference, followed by various threats. Finally, under the threat of the French army, Sardinia had to accept the following terms:

Sardinia would withdraw from the anti-French alliance and promise not to allow anyone to use its territory for actions against France. The Sardinian army had to hand over the forts of Coni, Ceva, and Tortona. They temporarily surrendered Alessandria before giving it to the French. The people in the French-controlled area would have complete autonomy and the right to establish a self-governing body to implement revolutionary policies. Sardinia couldn't interfere. The French army could move freely within Piedmont and had the right to cross the Po River at Valenza. All local police in Piedmont were to be disbanded. France would help administer the region. French agents would have the right to travel freely within Piedmont. The French army had the right to confiscate all Sardinian army property. Sardinia had to pay one hundred million gold francs in indemnities to the French army.

In the Italian War of 1796-97, the French won yet another victory without shedding much blood. They captured Turin and acquired another one hundred million gold francs. They also held several Sardinian generals and officers. As for the citizens of Turin, they rejoiced at the French arrival, as they no longer had to worry about the war's destruction.

The Sardinian King Charles Emmanuel IV led his family and fled Turin, moving south. The Holy Roman Empire declared war on France, Britain continued to wage war, but on the European continent, things became calmer.