Chapter 1601 Politics (Ⅱ)

The reputation of General Cornwallis is completely different from that of young Winthrop. He is known as the "gentleman on horseback". He is known for his generosity and benevolence. won a good name.

At the same time when General Cornwallis took office, the spies bought by Fidelity began to create public opinion in the city of Midgard, advocating that Cornwallis replaced Winthrop Jr. as the commander of the Fizhen Corps, which symbolized peace instead of massacre. Gade should seize this opportunity and actively seek an armistice and peace talks.

It has to be said that the "public opinion war" launched by the Fizen military has achieved remarkable results. Many residents of Midgard believe this rhetoric, and the argument of advocating surrender under the banner of seeking peace is rampant.

In this context, it is only logical that the municipal council was coerced by public opinion and concocted a so-called "Bill of Civil Protection in Extraordinary Times".

In order to prevent the promulgation of this surrender bill, Governor Nichols must do the work of a member of parliament on the one hand, and on the other hand urge Sir Laval to race against time to prepare for war. He must pass a victory as soon as possible to revive morale and motivate the people to get rid of the capitulation faction. He was bewitched and actively invested in the camp of defending the country.

In private, Baron Laval disapproved of the Governor's order.

In his view, under the current situation, relying on the strong fortifications of Midgard City, it is safer to mobilize the people to organize a defensive battle, give up the advantage of the city defense, take the initiative to attack, and fight against the enemy with superior forces In a head-to-head field battle, this is like throwing away the shield in your hand and actively bumping into the enemy's spear point, it is too stupid.

However, Sir Laval has to admit that military rationality is sometimes not the same thing as political rationality.

When it comes to "mobilizing the people to defend their homeland", this is mainly a political mobilization rather than a simple military order.

In the situation where the "surrender faction" dominates the parliament, and the citizens of Midgard are generally pessimistic about the prospect of war, are the people mobilized if you want to?

The reality is just as Governor Nichols pointed out, if you want to call on the people to actively resist the invaders, you must first show the people the hope of winning this war, otherwise why would they follow you to work hard?

No one would be willing to break their own pots and pans unless they had to. If you do not give hope to the people and cannot prove that the aggressors are not invincible on the battlefield, then of course the terms of peace talks proposed by the "surrender faction" are more attractive to the petty bourgeoisie who generally advocate self-interest.

The military is an extension of politics, and after all, it has to obey the needs of politics. Sir Laval had to bite the bullet and pull the team out of the city, preparing to fight a tough battle with General Cornwallis.

Eager to open up the situation, Baron Laval and his generals, under tremendous pressure, hastily come up with a battle plan, planning to meet General Cornwallis' troops on the plains northwest of Midgard City.

The proposed battlefield is about 300 miles away from Midgard City, near the east bank of Lake Aosta.

Fighting in such an open area is conducive to the charge of the elite cavalry on the Midgard side, but it is also conducive to the firepower of the Fizhen line infantry equipped with a large number of magic crystal muskets. When Sir Laval submitted the combat plan, Had to confide the truth to Governor Nichols...

"This battle contains a lot of gambling elements, and the chance of winning is only 50%."

Governor Nichols was not surprised by Sir Laval's prediction, and even thought that even a 50% chance of winning was an overly optimistic estimate.

In the Battle of Profound Fort, the Midgard army not only lost a strategic fortress, but also lost more than a thousand officers and soldiers. The blow was so severe that it has yet to recover.

Reinforcements from the mother country were nowhere in sight, and the villages and towns around the capital were generally attacked by monsters or indigenous horse thieves. The militiamen from all over the country couldn't even take care of defending their homes, let alone call to the colonial capital for help.

In such a difficult situation, Baron Laval only had 3,000 men at his disposal, while General Cornwallis on the opposite side commanded 4,000 troops plus 300 hill giant mercenaries from Calydon Island. It is very different.

Even Baron Laval, the supreme commander, is not sure of winning. How can the officers and soldiers under his command be optimistic about the prospects of this war?

In fact, as soon as the plan to fight outside the city was put forward, it encountered strong opposition within the headquarters.

Sir Laval can't even think about how to defeat a strong enemy now, how to prevent desertion from getting worse is the top priority.

"If we start a war like this, we will drive officers and soldiers to commit suicide. This is absolutely impossible!"

"Ben, I know you won't like my next suggestion, but this is the only possible way to save Midgard."

"Yes, we need support, support from Aboriginal people."

"I sympathize with your personal experience, and I can understand your deep-rooted hatred for the Asa natives, but as an imperial soldier, it is your duty to take care of the overall situation."

"Whether you want it or not, we must do everything we can to get assistance from Stone Pillar Town. The warriors of the Volsung family are our last hope!"

"Ben, I'm not asking for your opinion, this is an order."

Governor Nichols is an impeccable gentleman. Even when he is in a rage, he seldom treats his subordinates in a tough tone, especially when dealing with a proud officer like Baron Laval. .

But this time, he had no choice but to take the toughest stance when it came to the survival of the empire's Midgard colony, without showing any sympathy.

Facing His Excellency the Governor's stern stare, Baron Laval's cold face twitched slightly, and after a long silence, he finally spoke.

"I fully obey your orders, sir, but please don't force me to bow my knees to the Volsung family. This will only have the opposite effect. They hate me even more than I hate them."

"So who do you think is better suited to win the support of Aboriginal people?"

"Of course it is Sir Custis, Your Excellency. If Stone Pillar Town finally agrees to lend a helping hand to us, it can only be attributed to the deep personal friendship between Dandridge Custis and the Walsung family."

Baron Laval stated the facts without the slightest emotion.

"When the alliance meeting was held this spring, you proposed to establish a military alliance with Shizhu Town on behalf of the Midgard government, but it was flatly rejected by Zigmund Volsong until Lord Custis came forward to mediate. It takes a bunch of savage natives to change their attitude."

"I don't want to comment on Lord Custis's dealings with the natives, but I have to admit that the Walsong family only trusts Lord Custis, and they don't buy into anyone else, including you, Your Excellency. .”