Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 53:
Chapter 53: Chapter 53: The Scapegoat that Fell from the Sky
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
On April 1, 1848, after the Austrian Army abandoned the Lombardy Region, the swiftly mobilizing army of the Kingdom of Sardinia quickly filled the void.
Amid the cheering crowds, the Sardinian troops entered the Lombardy Region without shedding a drop of blood, as if the good days they had been anticipating were upon them.
Before his departure, Marshal Radetsky did a favor for their propaganda, and in everyone’s hearts, it seemed that the Kingdom of Sardinia could satisfy everyone’s interests, including the Republicans.
The tricolor flag flapped in the wind as people in the streets and alleys congratulated each other.
“Long live the Republic!”
This cry spread throughout the entire Lombardy Region, and a temporary government led by Kazari was established.
It seemed that the Austrian Army had left in such a hurry that they had no time to take the political prisoners with them, and these individuals became members of the temporary government.
If anyone had paid attention, they would have noticed that the granaries in
Milan City were empty. After Sardinia and Austria declared war, Marshal Radetsky had gathered the food supplies in Lombardy Region under the guise of centralized distribution.
Owing to the constraints of time, rural areas had not yet implemented this, but the food supplies of Milan City were indeed centralized.
A portion of these supplies were secretly transported out of the city by the Austrian Army, and the remainder had simply been doused in fuel and set ablaze.
Without food, the people weren’t panicked at all; the Sardinian troops were already in the city, weren’t they?
What’s that?
Before the previous retreat of the Austrian Army, rumors had circulated that King Charles wanted everyone to burn the city’s food supplies to pressure the Austrians into withdrawing to save Milan City from being destroyed by war.
Thus, two days in advance, Marshal Radetsky had people burn most of the food supplies; the Austrian Soldiers even called upon the citizens to help put out the fire.
The Milanese people, longing for independence, naturally wouldn’t succumb. They bravely chose to refuse, and even if they were brutally beaten, they still wouldn’t submit.
In the end, they achieved victory, successfully burning the granary, forcing the Austrian Army to retreat, and saving Milan City.
The triumphantly elated President Kazari had just attended a rather unfriendly meeting with General Bardolio from the Kingdom of Sardinia, which completely spoilt his good mood.
The faint-hearted Sardinian Army had actually dared not to pursue the Austrian Army; it was a downright disgrace to the great Italian nation.
This time was different from history; the Austrian Army withdrew of their own accord, not being driven out by them, and the rebel factions within the city had been wiped out long ago.
The army in the hands of Kazari’s temporary government was still being formed, and even Kazari himself had just come out of prison.
One must bow their head under someone else’s roof.
The temporary government didn’t have the leverage to negotiate with the Kingdom of Sardinia. If they didn’t pursue the enemy, Kazari was helpless; after all, the temporary government had no troops to dispatch in pursuit of the enemy.
Zillah, the newly appointed Minister of Interior, rushed over and said, “Your Excellency the President, the city is out of grain. We have no capability to provide provisions for our allies!”
This was an embarrassing predicament; they should have realized these issues much earlier, but regrettably, when the granaries were set ablaze, they were all imprisoned.
Moreover, with no experience in governance, everyone was busy celebrating the hard-won victory. Who would remember to worry about grain supplies?
Kazari absurdly asked, “What should we do then? I’ve just made them a promise to provide the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia with supplies. Is it possible to collect some emergency grain from the civilians?”
Zillah explained, “Mr. President, that’s impossible. To hold Milan City, the Austrians collected all the grain in the city, and everyone is rationed, receiving only enough grain for two days at a time.
“To defeat the Austrians, the Kingdom of Sardinia sent spies to burn down the grain stores in Milan City, and our people even collaborated with them.
“In fact, the Austrian army in Milan City wasn’t without the strength to fight; it was precisely because we burned the granaries that they fled in disarray!”
Feeling duped, Kazari could no longer contain his anger and cursed, “Damn it! The People of Sardinian did it on purpose. They didn’t mention anything about burning grain earlier, and just now I agreed to provide supplies for the troops entering the city!
“They’re deliberately mocking us! No, it’s not that simple. In the conversation earlier, the People of Sardinian expressed their intention to annex Lombardy. This is their conspiracy!”
Hearing this, Zillah turned pale with fright. Now the provisional government had no bargaining chips left. If the People of Sardinian used grain as leverage, they would have no choice but to comply.
Hurriedly, Zillah said, “Mr. President, we must take action. They had promised to provide us with grain when the fires were set, or else our people wouldn’t have cooperated with them!”
Kazari came back to his senses, realizing that cursing wouldn’t solve the problem. Even if they were to be incorporated into the Kingdom of Sardinia, they had to sell themselves at a good price; it could not be so simple for the Kingdom of Sardinia to pick up a bargain.
“You’re right. Spread the word immediately, cautioning our people to be vigilant. I’m worried that the People of Sardinian will act out in frustration and strike against us!”
At this time, King Charles Albert of Sardinia was still immersed in the joy of having conquered Lombardy without a drop of blood being shed.
The upper echelons of the Kingdom of Sardinia were also celebrating, or they were considering ways to annex the Lombardy Region. Either way, everyone was very optimistic at the moment.
They were completely oblivious to the scapegoat descending from the sky; all of them were politicians, and their perspectives on issues naturally differed.
Deliberately giving up Lombardy wasn’t something a politician would conceive of. Given the current situation in Austria, the normal approach would be to concentrate efforts on suppressing the rebellion and executing a few to deter the careerists.
In the military camp of the Kingdom of Sardinia in Milan City, it was now mealtime, but the grains promised by President Kazari had still not arrived.
The senior officers were indifferent; they had already been invited to dine with social celebrities in the city. No matter the shortage of grain, these dignitaries would not go hungry.
The European nobility was one and the same; this was entirely true. The nobility of the Milan Area and the Kingdom of Sardinia was close-knit, with unseverable ties of blood and kinship.
Colonel Manstu, who was left in charge, felt a headache brewing. It was mealtime, and the soldiers were looking to him. If not for the fact that they were all starving together, the soldiers might have rioted by now.
Even so, Colonel Manstu was having a tough time: on one hand, he was trying to soothe the soldiers and keep them patient; on the other, he was sending people to urge the provisional government to hurry up with the grain delivery.
The Austrians had retreated so hastily that they advanced into the city ill-prepared. Their supplies were left twenty miles outside in the camp, so naturally, they had to turn to the provisional government for help now..
