Black Corporation: Joseon [EN]: Chapter 1083

1083. Mutual Consumption (13)

The operation to intercept the Habsburg forces attempting to enter Constantinople could be deemed a success, largely due to the Venetian regiment’s valiant efforts. They charged in with a ferocity that lived up to the term ‘insanity.’ The French units fighting alongside them were similarly emboldened, and fueled by a sense of competition, they launched a fierce attack on the Habsburg forces.

“To charge through that barrage… are they insane?”

The Habsburg commanders watched in astonishment as the Venetian regiment and the French army advanced through the artillery fire. Ultimately, overwhelmed by their relentless momentum, the Habsburg forces were forced to abandon their attempt to enter Constantinople and retreat.

“We won!”

“Hooray!”

The soldiers and officers of the Venetian regiment cheered as they watched the Habsburg forces withdraw. However, the high-ranking commanders of the Italian and French forces, who arrived soon after hearing the news, were less enthusiastic.

“This isn’t a victory, even if we did win!”

The battlefield was littered with the bodies of Venetian and French soldiers, dead or severely wounded. The Venetian regiment, considered ‘annihilated,’ and the accompanying French unit were pulled back, replaced by fresh troops. The surviving officers and commanders of the Venetian regiment faced a stern reprimand from the Italian army commander.

“You’re here to fight a war, not to seek revenge! Can’t you tell the difference?”

“But we drove out the Habsburg forces!”

“What good is driving them out if they just regroup and push back in!”

“……..”

“To recklessly charge into a barrage of shells! What did you learn at the military academy! If you’re going to fight like that, why even bother with guns? You should have just brought gladii [short swords] and shields like the Roman soldiers of old! No! Even Roman soldiers used proper formations and tactics! Seriously!”

“………”

“We don’t have manpower to waste, and you’re causing unnecessary losses! Go back to the garrison and reflect on your actions!”

At the commander’s order, the officers and commanders of the Venetian regiment saluted and left the tent.

“Hoo~.”

The Italian army commander watched the retreating figures of the commanders and officers as they returned to their regiment’s tent, and sighed deeply.

“I see why the Imperial Army always shook their heads whenever they saw the Italian army…”

* * *

The Italian army commander dispatched to the Ottoman Empire was a Florentine who had been hardened by the previous unification war. When the Imperials, who had shared hardships with him during that time, were asked about the Italian army, their answers were remarkably consistent.

“A headache.”

“There’s no average. Absolutely no average…”

-They can’t be controlled.

-When they get truly fired up, they fight like madmen, as if the word ‘hot-blooded’ was coined for them. But when they aren’t, they embody the term ‘disorganized rabble.’

-The problem is that this isn’t limited to a specific unit or origin; most Italians are like that.

– Therefore, it’s impossible to estimate their average performance. In other words, their value as a military force is very low.

“Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

Whenever they heard the Imperials’ assessment, some people would retort, but the Imperials’ answers were always the same.

“That’s a generous assessment.”

And as time went on, he too had to concede that the Imperials were right. After unification, the Italian army had invested significant effort in correcting these flaws. After generations of work, the Italian army had earned the Imperial army’s praise for having transformed almost beyond recognition. However, in this battle, they had reverted to the ‘Italian army of old.’

“Hoo~. It’s a great relief that the Imperials didn’t witness today’s disastrous battle. No, should I say it’s fortunate that they managed to stop the Habsburgs despite fighting so stupidly?”

The Italian army commander’s assessment was a mix of shame and relief. On the other hand, the French army commander was offering a positive assessment, a stark contrast to his initial reaction upon seeing the battlefield.

“We took some losses, but we achieved our goal of stopping the Habsburg forces. This is a success. The command was very faithful to the doctrine. Good work.”

The commanders who had directed the battle bowed their heads slightly at the French army commander’s praise.

“Thank you.”

“Good work. Go back and get some rest.”

“Yes!”

The French army commander watched the retreating commander with a satisfied expression.

“As expected, you win if you follow the doctrine? Is this a wrong doctrine? You fools. That’s why you suffered so much in Lorraine…”

The French army commander firmly believed in the traditional doctrine of the ‘Grande Armée’ [Grand Army], the ‘offensive à outrance’ [attack to the limit].

* * *

This offensive spirit was a doctrine born from observing the recent war between the Habsburgs and Hungary.

-Victory, that is will. (La victoire, c’est la volonté.)

This doctrine, which emphasized the offensive spirit, and the tactics tailored to it, had tasted bitter defeat in the Italian unification war. After that experience in Italy, the opinion that the French army should establish a new doctrine became mainstream, and eventually a doctrine of ‘firepower first’ was established.

However, in the brutal war of attrition against the Habsburgs in Lorraine—the Second Lorraine Dispute—the new doctrine faced heavy criticism.

“Despite consuming enormous military funds, supplies, and soldiers, it’s still sluggish! This is because the doctrine is wrong!”

Soon, a doctrine debate erupted once again in the French army. Meanwhile, the evaluation of the Imperial army officer who participated in the ‘Second Lorraine Dispute’ as a military observer was slightly different.

-Lack of artillery firepower.

-Insufficient artillery preparation, very poor execution.

“If it were the Empire, they would have mobilized at least twice the artillery. That’s the basics.”

“Why is there a saying that ‘If the situation is sluggish, check if there is a shortage of artillery first’?”

* * *

As the Habsburg forces’ entry into Constantinople failed, the Ottoman civil war fell into a stalemate. In Volos, the three competitors’ main bases were locked in a stalemate, and in Constantinople, the French and Italians were facing off against the Habsburgs and Janissaries [elite Ottoman infantry], unable to gain ground.

“If we fall into a stalemate like this, it will become a war of attrition.”

All the commanders participating in the civil war were worried about a war of attrition, but a large-scale war of attrition did not occur. This was because the commanders refrained from engaging in one. Even the French commander, who believed in the ‘offensive spirit,’ did his best to avoid a war of attrition.

The reason for this situation was that the sea had become a mess.

* * *

In the early stages of the civil war, thanks to the ‘gentleman’s agreement on the sea,’ all the forces that had intervened in the civil war did not experience major difficulties in supplying their troops. However, as the war situation stagnated, the command departments directing the ground war began to denounce the navies in charge of supplies.

“Shouldn’t you be blocking the supply lines of the other guys!”

“We’re bleeding and fighting to the death here, and you guys are just exchanging greetings with enemy ships when you meet them!”

In response to the protests from the command departments in charge of the ground war, the naval commanders issued orders.

“It’s an order.”

“Damn it!”

In the end, the ground force commanders, as angry as they could be, began to write and send letters of protest to their home countries.

“This is definitely a problem.”

The high-ranking officials of the great powers, who received the letters of protest from the ground war commanders, pondered how to find a solution.

-As the ground force commanders said, blocking the enemies’ supplies is the key to victory.

-However, fighting against the opposing navy is not easy.

-All the battleships currently deployed on the front lines are state-of-the-art ironclad steamships. We have not yet built a sufficient number. If we lose even one ship by mistake, the human and material losses will be enormous.

While struggling to find a solution to these conflicting problems, the great powers found a solution: ‘blocking sea lanes.’

-Unlike riding a horse, it is difficult for a ship to make sudden changes in direction and stops. The bigger it is, the more so.

-Then, let’s use our ships to block the enemy ships’ path. That way, the enemy ships will have to detour a long distance, making it difficult to supply them.

-If done properly, we can block the enemy’s supplies without fighting.

-What if the enemy fires to break through this?

-Consider it a declaration of war and deploy all forces.

-The other side knows this, so they won’t be able to fire recklessly.

The great powers that had intervened in the civil war all came to similar conclusions and conveyed orders to their fleets in the theater. And the sea became a mess. When they discovered a fleet heading to a candidate supported by their country’s competitor, each fleet began to block it with all its might.

The fleet whose path was blocked had to make a detour while sending all sorts of curses using flashing communicators. However, even this detour was not easy. When the French, Italian, and Portuguese fleets moved, the Habsburg and English fleets joined forces to block them, and when the Habsburg fleet moved, the remaining four countries’ fleets joined forces to block them. The same was true for England.

This chaos was no accident. In the end, the Aegean Sea, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosphorus Strait became a complete mess as they nipped and harassed each other. And the captains, who were the main players in this mess, all shared the same thought.

‘Now it’s a battle of patience! The moment you pull the trigger first, a catastrophe begins!’

* * *

As the sea became a mess, the stalemate on the ground became even more entrenched. As the stock of ammunition and shells dwindled, all the commanders switched their tactics from offense-oriented to defense-oriented. As the situation became like this, all three competitors were at a crossroads.

-There are two options. Either bet everything on a single attack and charge in, or wait for them to charge in like that and then counterattack.

-Both are dangerous. In the former case, the rear is vulnerable, and in the latter case, you can wither away while waiting.

“Hmm… Isn’t my case desperate either way right now?”

“……..”

At Ahmad’s question, not only Ahmad’s aides and strategists but also the English army’s staff members remained silent. As Ahmad himself said, he was in the worst situation among the three competitors.

As the sea became a mess and supplies were not being properly delivered, everything was becoming scarce. In addition, unlike the other competitors, he had not even set foot in Constantinople. Those who were fighting in the streets of Constantinople were all holding the flags of Selim or Korkud. Looking at the results, Ahmad was in last place in the competition.

“Hmm… Since it’s come to this, should I just charge out? In the East, do they call this ‘gyokusai’ (honorable death)?”

At Ahmad’s words, the English army staff cautiously suggested.

“How about making a proposal to Korkud?”

“A proposal? What proposal?”

“To give Constantinople to Selim in exchange for taking a position in the south.”

“Huh?”

“It would be impossible for Ahmad alone, but if Korkud is with you, Selim will not be able to move recklessly.”

Ahmad fell into contemplation at the English army staff’s suggestion. After a moment, Ahmad asked the English army staff.

“Will Korkud agree?”

“He will agree. Objectively speaking, it is certain that Selim has the most powerful force. If it’s Selim, he will definitely launch an attack, and he knows very well that he will be next if Ahmad collapses.”