Chapter 317 317-Supporting Allied Forces
"The influx of paper from Luka has caused the paper prices here to drop. We can use these stable-priced papers for propaganda to promote stability," one of the mayors explained.
Howard nodded in agreement.
Now that the Lagusa region was under his control, and with the support of Luka's paper supply, spreading propaganda had become much easier.
As long as Lagusa remained stable, this duchy would continue to prosper.
Howard instructed the mayors to vigorously support the emigration efforts to the New World.
If there were poor people who wanted to board the ships for free, the mayors needed to facilitate this, ensuring that everyone willing to expand his territories could embark on the transport ships.
Both mayors nodded in agreement, mentioning they had already been supportive of those wishing to move to the New World.
Having conveyed his primary concerns, Howard walked towards the door.
Before leaving the room, he turned to Vettel, "The rest of the conversation, I'll leave to you. I've said what I needed to."
Howard proceeded to his bedroom, where a maid was cleaning the desk.
He passed by without disturbing her and walked down the corridor.
Encountering Golan, who stood with his head bowed, Howard walked past him.
Suddenly, Golan remembered something important and hurriedly informed Howard.
Nora had sent another letter, urging Howard to set off soon.
From the evening, a wartime conscription had begun in the three counties of Nok, Luka, and Lagusa.
This war was a mission to support their allies.
Traveling overnight, the troops from Nok and Luka were advancing towards Savoy.
They planned to observe and scout for a period before deciding whether to launch a direct attack or to head east to meet up with Howard.
The troops from all three counties of Lagusa had successfully convened and were ready to depart.
The next morning, the combined forces of Nok and Luka, led by Resarite with Anna as his deputy, advanced into Milanese territory.
Suddenly, a 2000-strong Bavarian army approached them.
Resarite, mounted on a towering horse and wielding his knight's sword, cried out, "Charge!" The army roared like thunder, their morale sky-high.
A few scattered artillerymen, unable to aim properly in the haste, fired their cannons directly.
Now a duke, Howard had equipped his forces with artillery and musketeers.
Ignoring their formation, the infantry surged forward, firing as they moved.
The cavalry, flanking the enemy, swiftly charged, swiftly annihilating the 2,000 Bavarian troops.
After this victory, Resarite continued his march towards Savoy.
Three days later, upon scouting, Resarite learned that allied forces and Bavarian troops were stationed opposite each other, separated by the fortress of Munich.
Deciding to head directly for Munich, Resarite aimed to reach the location before Howard.
In the ever-changing landscape of the battlefield, any opportunity for combat was not to be missed.
Undeterred, Howard's forces marched steadfastly onward.
Two days later, Resarite met with Emperor Fritz III of the allied nation.
In this war, Emperor Fritz III was leading the army himself.
He instructed Resarite to station his troops in Augsburg and to come to his aid once he saw Fritz III's forces engage with the Bavarians.
Emperor Fritz III employed a tactical strategy centered around the concept of feigning weakness to the enemy.
Consider this: if Resarite's forces were to join with Fritz III's troops, forming a large consolidated army, the Bavarian forces would certainly not foolishly charge head-on into such a formidable alliance, risking their own annihilation.
They would likely consider circumventing the main allied force, potentially introducing unnecessary variables into the war.
However, if the enemy scouts only perceived Fritz III's significant army without the knowledge of Resarite's reinforcements, would they be tempted to make a desperate attempt? Undoubtedly, the likelihood of such a decision would be much greater.
When the Bavarian troops, filled with fervor, charged towards the allied army, and Resarite's forces suddenly arrived, it could severely impact the enemy's morale, inducing panic and potentially leading to the total annihilation of the Bavarian forces.
This strategy would allow Fritz III to take control of the war.
Emperor Fritz III possessed a certain level of tactical acumen.
His objective was not merely to play a game of cat and mouse with the enemy but to lure them into a trap, aiming to completely annihilate their main forces in one fell swoop.
Once the enemy's main forces were obliterated, the rest of the war would simplify to a matter of time, systematically capturing remaining territories.
This approach would almost certainly lead to victory.
Emperor Fritz III's forces besieged Munich, while the retreating Bavarian army to the west of Munich decided to take a gamble and launch a night-time surprise attack on the allied army.
Resarite's timely arrival, accompanied by roaring cannon fire, nearly caused the Bavarian troops to lose their grip on their weapons in terror.
The battle was swift and decisive, with the allied forces completely annihilating the Bavarian army.
Following this victory, Resarite's troops joined in the siege of Munich.
A day later, Duke Saxton of Saxony, learning about the current situation, felt a wave of panic.
As the war leader, Bavaria had depleted its troops so early in the conflict, leaving those who came to fulfill their alliance treaty obligations in a dire situation.
Fortunately, the Brandenburg troops of Bavaria had won a significant victory the day before, capturing a fortress of the allied forces and seemingly heading towards Pomerania.
This news brought some relief to Duke Saxton.
Howard's army arrived in Munich, joining forces with Resarite and meeting the emperor.
The emperor, stroking his beard, greeted Howard with a smile, "Howard, this vassal of yours, Resarite, he's quite something. He helped us win a crucial battle yesterday!"
Howard, adhering to etiquette, responded, "This is all thanks to Your Majesty's foresight and wisdom."
Two days later, the allied forces breached Munich.
The emperor and Howard methodically captured the surrounding territories without fortresses.
Areas without fortresses were as if they had their doors wide open for occupation.
Only fortresses could block an enemy's march, stalling them in front of the fortress and buying precious time for the troops behind it.
Pomerania, having been fully occupied by Bohemia's army, unilaterally surrendered.
They ceded the County of Danzig and broke their alliance with Brandenburg, offering over five hundred gold coins as a loan to the allied forces.
The Brandenburg troops intercepted Bohemia's army, leading to a battle.
Trained and disciplined, Brandenburg's forces routed the Bohemians, forcing them to retreat.
Subsequently, Brandenburg's army advanced towards Bohemian territory, intending to occupy it and force Bohemia out of the war prematurely.
Duke Saxton's forces, after some hesitation, believed they had found a good opportunity and attacked Howard's seemingly isolated army.
However, this was yet another application of the feign weakness strategy; Emperor Fritz III's forces, hidden behind the mountains, joined the battle and swiftly defeated Duke Saxton's troops, even capturing the Duke himself.
With Duke Saxton captured, Saxony was compelled to seek an early peace.
Under the demands of the allies, a defeated and disheartened Saxton reluctantly signed the treaty.
The Duchy of Saxony ceded the Upper Saxony region to its ally Bohemia and agreed to pay the allied nations 300 gold coins over five years.
The Bavarian state, now reduced to Brandenburg alone, refused to surrender.
After capturing a Bohemian outpost, they marched directly towards the Bohemian capital.
Howard suggested to Emperor Fritz III that it was essential to rescue Bohemia by marching towards its capital and lifting the siege.
Emperor Fritz III agreed to the plan.
The troops advanced towards Bohemia, where the remaining unoccupied provinces had hired numerous mercenaries, assembling a special attack force of 8,769 soldiers.
This squad was primarily composed of musketeers, interspersed with many seasoned mercenary assassins.
These battle-hardened professionals were the aces of the era of cold weapons.
Clad in finely crafted, sturdy bright chain mail or highly defensive full plate armor, these armors bore the distinct insignias of their respective mercenary groups, making them highly conspicuous and impressive on the battlefield.
Unlike chain mail, which is composed of interlinked metal rings, plate armor is formed as a single, solid piece.
It's akin to a slab or chunk of metal, seamless and impenetrable.
The cost of crafting plate armor was exorbitantly high, representing the pinnacle of aristocratic military gear.
They wore helmets resembling iron buckets, entirely enclosing the head unlike typical helmets that have a hat-like appearance.
These bucket helmets were wraparound in design, covering everything except the eyes, which were left open for combat visibility.
No part of the skin was exposed, ensuring maximum protection.
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