"Chapter 120: The Decisive Battle Begins

The French cavalry brigade pierced through the entire Austrian camp, but they did not linger, knowing that the Austrian army outnumbered them. If the Austrians regrouped and surrounded them, their fate would be annihilation.

So, it was better to retreat while ahead.

On this night, the Austrian army suffered an attack from a French cavalry brigade, plunging them into panic. Though the casualties were not substantial—around one to two thousand Austrians—the psychological blow to the morale of the Austrian troops was devastating.

Even Archduke Karl's command post was affected. Perhaps due to Karl's luck or the cover of darkness, the French cavalry turned back just shy of a hundred meters from his command post.

As dawn broke, Karl arrived at the center of the camp with dark circles under his eyes, inquiring about the situation.

"What's the situation? What are our losses?" Karl asked.

"Your Grace, last night we faced two attacks, presumably from the French cavalry. They used the cover of darkness to approach our camp and launched sudden attacks. Caught off guard, we suffered heavy losses," a somber-faced Austrian officer reported.

"Who is in charge of defense tonight?" Karl asked sternly.

"It's Colonel Niederron, Your Grace," replied Merveldt.

"Bring him to a military court and try him for dereliction of duty. Execute him by firing squad!" Karl ordered expressionlessly.

"What? Um... Yes, Your Grace," Merveldt initially expressed surprise at Karl's command, but quickly understood the reasoning. With such significant losses last night, accountability was necessary, and Colonel Niederron, as the officer on duty, bore the primary responsibility.

"What about our losses last night? Did we lose any of the British 20-pound cannons?" Karl continued, these British cannons being the backbone of his attack on Tugnath. They must not suffer any losses.

"Your Grace, although the French attacks were intense last night, their impact on us was not significant. We lost only 500 soldiers, with over 1,800 injured," Merveldt reported.

"And what about the loud noises last night? Were the cannons unharmed?" Karl pressed on.

"Duke, rest assured, those British cannons have been well protected by us. They are located in the center of the camp, out of reach of the French. As for the loud noises last night, the French ignited the gunpowder, and we lost only two 12-pound cannons and six 5-pound howitzers," Merveldt said, his words filled with relief.

"What? You're happy because our losses were not significant? Let me tell you, these losses should not have happened at all! We have a 200,000-strong army, yet we were thrown into confusion by a French cavalry brigade. This is a disgrace to all of Austria!" Karl shouted angrily, his face turning red with emotion.

"Yes... Yes, Your Grace. It was my fault. Such things will never happen again," Merveldt said, bowing his head and remaining silent.

"General Merveldt, from now on, you will personally take charge of the guard duty. Your troops must effectively bear the responsibility of vigilance. We cannot afford any more loopholes for those damned French cavalry. Otherwise, don't blame me for being harsh," Karl angrily ordered.

"Yes, Your Grace. Please rest assured. I, General Merveldt, guarantee that no Frenchman will appear before our troops again," Merveldt said loudly, straightening up.

"Hmph! I hope so," Karl said coldly. Leading a 200,000-strong army and being attacked by a single French cavalry brigade was deeply humiliating for him.

After repeated harassment by the French cavalry, the Austrian army became noticeably more cautious under Archduke Karl's orders. Generals Merveldt and Radetzky were tasked with leading separate cavalry divisions to assume the army's guard duties.

Under Karl's tight defense, the French cavalry had no chance to strike. They were vastly outnumbered—a single brigade against two divisions of cavalry.

Faced with such overwhelming odds, Colonel Pearson, commander of the Central Cavalry Division's 1st Brigade, had no choice but to order the end of operations against the Austrian army and withdraw to Tugnath.

After being relieved of the harassment by the French cavalry, the Austrian army's march towards Tugnath accelerated.

...

"Tugnath, we have finally arrived. This will be the starting point of our counterattack! We will restart from here and reclaim Italy. The glory of Austria will be revived here."

Despite the long hours of devastation, Karl's eye sockets were sunken, his face tired to the point of exhaustion. Yet, his eyes burned brightly with an ambition that drove him forward.

"Order the entire army to set up camp and prepare for any sneak attacks from those Frenchmen. Tomorrow, we launch our attack on Tugnath and take this place!" Karl commanded.

Although Karl was eager to take the city, the soldiers were simply too exhausted. Sending them to attack Tugnath, which was well-defended by the French, would undoubtedly lead to their deaths.

As the commander-in-chief, Karl had witnessed the deaths of many soldiers and understood that many were considered nothing more than cannon fodder in this war. But even cannon fodder had to die with purpose!

Later, Karl, accompanied by several Austrian military leaders, observed the French defensive works. The simple circular fortifications, complemented by trenches and fixed firing points, were already extremely deadly. It was foreseeable that the Austrian army would need to sacrifice many lives to breach these defenses. However, Karl paid no heed to this. They had overwhelming numerical superiority. Even if they had to use human wave tactics, they could definitely break through the French defense.

"Otto, I'm entrusting tomorrow's attack to your troops. I will concentrate the entire artillery to support you. If you manage to break through the French lines, I will personally request honors for you from His Majesty the Emperor," Karl said, patting the shoulder of his subordinate.

"No problem, Your Grace. My troops will definitely tear through those French defenses. General, you just wait for my good news," replied a tall, thin middle-aged officer nonchalantly.

Like Merveldt, he was also a newly promoted officer, having not yet faced the French in battle, and thus unsure of their true strength. However, based on his trust in his own troops, he didn't believe that the French would be their match in a direct confrontation.

"Very well, I look forward to that moment," Archduke Karl nodded.

At the same time, the French troops in the city had also detected the movements of the Austrian army. Immediately, the 1st and 2nd Infantry Divisions of the French army in Tugnath were placed on high alert.

The 2nd Infantry Division under General Morrow had already entered the first line of defense and was responsible for its defense. The remaining infantry divisions were held in reserve behind them.

The 2nd Infantry Division was one of the elite units of the French army, and their deployment in the first battle was a result of careful consideration by Napoleon. The Austrian army before them had marched long distances and was already exhausted. Even a brief rest couldn't fully restore the soldiers. This meant that while the Austrian army would be formidable at the outset of their attack, their combat effectiveness would significantly diminish if their initial assault was repelled.

Therefore, having the 2nd Infantry Division lead the defense was advantageous for holding Tugnath.

"Prime Minister, rest assured. The 2nd Infantry Division is confident that they can make the Austrians bleed. It's impossible for them to break through our defenses," General Morrow said confidently. As the commander of the 2nd Infantry Division, he was well aware of the combat capabilities of his troops.

"Good, then I look forward to seeing your performance," Napoleon smiled.