Chapter 599

In the Papal Army's command center, the power struggle within the Papal Kingdom had already affected the frontline troops.

"Commander, His Highness the Great Pope has ordered us to stop advancing and return to Rome to suppress the rebels!" a middle-aged officer said with a frown.

They had no choice. Before receiving the order from His Highness the Pope, the cabinet had also given them a military order, ordering them to cooperate with the Kingdom of Sardinia's army to capture Venice as soon as possible.

Borkin had a headache. Should he listen to the Pope or the cabinet? This was a terrible choice. In a political struggle, one wrong step would lead to eternal damnation.

Although the democrats seemed to have the upper hand, and Pope Pius IX was exiled in Naples, this power struggle had only just begun.

As the leader of Europe's religion, the Pope also knew how to summon people. Although he could not win against the bourgeoisie at home, he could call for help. In history, it was the Fao and FAO who sent troops to help him regain his power.

"Commander, what should we do now? Who should we listen to?" an officer asked hesitantly.

Borkin shook his head helplessly. He really did not know what to do. Deep down, he was inclined to support the Pope, but the problem was that he could not guarantee the Pope's victory in this political struggle.

This question did not last long. A young officer rushed in and broke the tense atmosphere. "Commander, we have been ambushed by the enemy's main force. Requesting reinforcements!"

Borkin ordered without hesitation, "Order the second regiment to reinforce immediately. Pass down the order for the third regiment of the rear to speed up."

Since the enemy had already attacked, there was no need to think too much. Let's fight first!

Unfortunately, the Papal Kingdom's army had long been corrupted. Even the Papal Guards did not dare to use them.

What had happened in the country had long spread throughout the military camp. The Papal Army, which did not have much desire to fight, had completely let go of themselves.

With the morale gone, it was not easy to lead the troops. If this had happened on the battlefield, the consequences would have been quite touching.

When the second regiment caught up, the vanguard troops had already been routed. In the era of gunfire, courage was what everyone fought for. Unfortunately, the Papal Army also lacked courage.

Seeing the defeated soldiers running away, no one knew who took the lead, but everyone else followed suit. The second regiment that had just arrived as reinforcements immediately collapsed without a fight. The battle hadn't even started, and they had lost in such a muddle-headed manner.

…

The sky gradually darkened after running for 20 miles. After confirming that the Austrian army had not chased them, the Papal Army finally calmed down. Borkin was still in a daze.

Why had they lost so carelessly when the battle had only just begun? There was nothing he could do about it. He was a muddled general fighting a muddled battle.

Borkin's rise to power was due to his noble birth and astute political mind. As for his military ability, since when did the Papal State's selection of a general need to test his military ability?

Looking at the chaotic camp, Borkin frowned and asked, "Has Narson's losses been accounted for?"

"Commander, 3,300 soldiers have returned, and there should be more coming. We're helping them regroup!" Narson replied mechanically.

Don't think that he's a famous European general just because he's also called Nelson. In fact, it's just a coincidence. There are thousands of people with the same name.

"Oh, God, what a battle this is! Summon all officers above the rank of Lieutenant Colonel for a meeting immediately! "Polkin roared.

Forgive him. As a noble generation N, it was his first time commanding so many people on the battlefield. After suffering such a huge defeat, it was already good enough that he didn't immediately collapse.

The Papal Army did not suffer many losses in this battle. Apart from the vanguard being ambushed by the Austrian army, the troops at the back had not exchanged fire with the enemy.

On the third day, the number of soldiers who returned one after another reached more than 6,300. For an army of 7,000, the loss was less than 10%.

After a defeat, Borkin became more conservative. He stayed where he was, waiting for supplies while gathering the routed troops and observing the situation on the battlefield.

A middle-aged officer said in a low voice, "Commander, Marshal Badolio has ordered us to attack the Austrian army immediately and help the Sardinians outflank them!"

Borkin sneered. "Order us? Who does Badolio think he is? Since when can the marshal of Sardinia command the troops of the Papal Army?

Do they really think that I'm an idiot like Maherder, foolishly running over to be their cannon fodder?

Paul, tell the Sardinians that our army is fighting the enemy's main force and is unable to support our brothers. I believe that the brave Sardinians will defeat the enemy and win the war! "

On the issue of fighting Austria, the four Italian states had reached a verbal agreement. Marshal Badolio was the commander of the allied forces in name.

However, the actual effectiveness of this commander would be known by whoever used him.

They were all competitors, and this was not a verbal agreement that could eliminate the estrangement between them.

The Sardinians could watch the Tuscans lose, but Borkin could also watch the Sardinians and the Austrians fight bitterly.

"Yes, Commander!" Paul replied.

"Order the troops to pack up. We will retreat the day after tomorrow and leave the battlefield to the Sardinians," Borkin added.

Who was afraid of screwing over his teammates?

Borkin had never treated the Kingdom of Sardinia as an ally. In his opinion, the Kingdom of Sardinia was ambitious and wanted to unify Italy. They were a far greater threat to the Papal Army than Austria.

Not betraying him on the battlefield was already a worthy "ally".

On the surface, Borkin had lost this battle. If he could not wash away the shame of his defeat, he would definitely be in trouble when he returned.

However, from a political point of view, this defeat was a timely rain that allowed Borkin to tide over the political crisis.

After fighting the Austrians, he could explain to the cabinet government that he had already carried out the order.

It was normal that they could not win. This was completely a "non-war crime." They just had to increase the strength of the enemy and be done with it. In any case, no one thought that the Papal Army could win against Austria, so they did not have high expectations.

Of course, the Papal Army would have to change their story. For example, because they were attacked by the Austrian army, there were a lot of casualties, so the speed of their retreat would naturally be slow.

By the time they slowly retreated, the political struggle in the country would almost be over.

History was always full of surprising coincidences. Due to necessity, Borkin made the same choice. After fighting a defeat, he withdrew from this war.