Make France Great Again-Chapter 121 Expedition

June 1, 1849, outskirts near the capital Rome of the Pope State/Roman Republic.

The outskirts of Rome, shrouded in overnight heavy rain, exuded a stench of decay and mildew.

This was the fourteenth day since Rome was besieged. Since May 17, when the "bandit army" of the French Republic (a derogatory term by the Roman Republic Volunteer Army for the French Republic) occupied the rural areas around Rome, the war had been centered around the outskirts of Rome.

With over 14,000 French soldiers under his command, the Commander-in-Chief of the Roman Expeditionary Army, General Renio, methodically planned, relying on the powerful navy transport capability to move nearly 20 heavy cannons, while feigning sincerity in writing secretly to Mazzini, claiming that he had come to Rome to protect the Roman Republic.

The executive authorities of the Roman Republic, led by Mazzini, naturally did not wish to believe Renio’s words.

After all, Renio had heavily damaged their painstakingly organized National Guard in the suburban areas near Rome on the 16th. How could one declare to protect the other while heavily damaging their army at the same time?

Even though Mazzini did not want to believe Renio’s nonsense, at present, the French soldiers were already at the gates, and the Republican army urgently needed reorganization.

Mazzini could only feign compliance with Renio while reorganizing the army and writing to comrades in France, hoping they could prevent the military invasion of the Republic.

Republics should not fight each other; this was Mazzini’s demand.

Of course, this was also due to Mazzini’s subconscious belief that the Roman Republic’s army was inferior to the French army.

As for Renio, he also understood Mazzini’s intentions and needed time to transfer some of the troops stranded in Civitavecchia.

In the first round of suburban skirmishes near Rome, Renio realized that his force of over 14,000 vanguard troops could not completely wipe out the Roman Republic and had to call for the remaining troops stationed in Civitavecchia to join.

On May 28, a letter from Jerome Bonaparte was delivered into General Renio’s hands.

Having made comprehensive preparations, General Renio decided to follow the president’s order to execute a decisive annihilation battle.

On the night of May 28, with an order from General Renio, the French war machine, which had rested for nearly ten days, resumed operation.

Cannons loaded with solid balls were arranged into a cannon array overnight and were completely set up by around three in the morning.

In the meantime, the Roman Republic also noticed Renio’s actions. Under the command of Garibaldi, the remaining troops attempted to form a suicide squad to break into the cannon array and destroy the cannons.

This action was thwarted by the French army, and both sides slaughtered each other on the suburban streets, with blood splattered on the streets and walls.

Originally, the two sides had no acquaintance, and even no major hatred, but under government guidance, they became life-and-death adversaries.

The French army, owning the best forces in Europe, quickly cornered the Roman Republic’s army into a few strategic strongholds.

With General Renio’s command, all the cannons aimed at several strategic points and the city walls of the Roman urban area.

The cannons roared loudly, awakening the residents of the Roman Republic. The first round of uncalibrated missiles launched, with some solid cannonballs "just happening" to miss their trajectory and crash into their apartments past the inner city walls.

The cannon with its immense impact hadn’t waited for the room’s owner to react before crashing down beside him. The room owner, only holding onto thoughts of "where am I? who am I?" was instantly smashed to pieces by the solid cannonball, leaving nothing but a crimson mist and a smudge of bloody, blurred flesh on the wall.

Such a scene was common in Rome on the night of the 28th, under the near-simultaneous firing of over 40 cannons, not to mention them, even the executive Mazzini of the Roman Republic nearly met his death.

Ascending the Roman Republic’s city walls, Mazzini ordered soldiers to counterattack, but they awkwardly replied that their artillery and range could not surpass the French Republic’s—it would be better to conserve their strength for when the French Republic approached for assault.

Mazzini had no choice but to abandon the plan of counterattack. The cannon fire did not cease for almost an hour.

At this point, Rome resembled a goddess with her face scarred, only leaving behind ruins and the occasional wail.

"They will surely pay for this!" Mazzini cursed through gritted teeth as he looked at the ruins and black smoke inside and outside the city walls.

Perhaps heaven did not wish to see the Roman Republic fall so quickly.

On the morning of May 29, under the surprise attack of the French Republic soldiers, the key front defenses of the Roman Republic—Corni Villa, Panfili Villa, and the barricades near Mount Janiculum were lost.

On the evening of the 29th, under Renio’s orders, the cannon array moved to Mount Janiculum. Anyone with some military knowledge would know that General Renio was about to launch a full-scale assault on the Roman Republic.

Just as General Renio was about to continue his assault to crush the forces outside and storm into the inner city, a large mass of dark clouds appeared over Rome, enveloping Rome and the nearby suburbs. Lightning and the rumble of thunder pervaded the clouds.

Judging by the density of the clouds, a heavy rain was inevitable, and a rainy day was not conducive to launching a full assault.

Renio had to abandon the attack on Rome and ordered to protect the cannons.

The rain drizzled for almost two days, finally clearing on the night of June 1.

A bright moon hung in the sky, making the deep night exceptionally serene, and the storm from France began its operation amidst this silence.

At 8 p.m. on June 1, General Renio issued the order for the expeditionary army to march on Rome.

The cannons in the cannon array started again, and this time their aim was not the inner city of Rome, but the city walls surrounding Rome.

Over 40 cannons loaded with solid balls fired simultaneously at the city walls.

After a round of volleys, the Roman city walls quickly had a gap blown open.

Edgar Ney, the commander of the assault forces, drew his command saber and shouted, "March on Rome, hang Mazzini!"

The sharp and cold saber flickered under the moonlight, sending a chill into the hearts of those who saw it.

The surrounding commanders also raised their sabers and shouted with effort, "March on Rome, hang Mazzini!"

Thousands of soldiers wielding MTL1842 muzzle-loading rifles formed ranks under the leadership of their commanders, charging toward the breach like a swarm of locusts.

Inside Rome, the National Guard and volunteers, holding "international-made" rifles, gathered at the breach led by Garibaldi. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

Garibaldi was delivering his final motivational speech, "Soldiers, you fight for the Republic! For millions of Italians, France has betrayed their faith. Their army has fallen into a crowd full of ’bandits’ and ’ambitious schemers’!

I see the vitality of a newborn army in you. Though our weapons are inferior, I believe these fallen ’bandit armies’ cannot defeat an army with ideals and vigor! Their failure is inevitable, and in this battle, I will fight by your side at the forefront!"

After finishing his speech, Garibaldi clenched his fists and shouted, "Long live Italy, long live the Roman Republic!"

The National Guard and volunteers present were a spirited army, eager to give their all for Italian unification.

Inspired by Garibaldi, they also shouted loudly, "Long live Italy, long live the Roman Republic! Down with the French bandit army!"

This resounding voice seemed to contain a force that could shake the heavens and the earth, it passed through the Roman walls to the ears of the French army.

A minor disturbance arose within the marching French army, and some new recruits began to doubt the justice of this war.

However, under the "friendly" boots of the veterans and the saber of their officers, they dared not think too much and attacked straight towards the breach.

General Renio, using the cannon array as his command post, frowned slightly at the sight, pointed at the breach, and gave a command to the Cannon Corps Commander beside him, "Fire all cannons at that spot, I want to see how they plan to defeat our army!"

"Yes!" The commander responsible for directing the artillery array swiftly took action.

Another volley fired, this time loaded not with solid shells, but with shrapnel.

Upon entering the inner city through the breach, the shrapnel exploded upon landing, scattering countless fragments everywhere.

"Watch out!" A soldier beside Garibaldi instantly tackled him to the ground.

"Ah!"

Garibaldi, pressed close to the ground, only heard countless wails coming from around him.

Realizing what had happened, Garibaldi wanted the soldier to get up so he could continue the battle.

Only then did he discover that the soldier who had tackled him was already dead.

The blood and the soldier’s red uniform merged, a sorrowful Garibaldi gently pushed away the deceased soldier and stood up again.

The spearhead soldiers countering the French vanguard suffered heavy casualties under Renio’s artillery strike.

These were all troops he had trained personally, some had fought with Rui alongside him in Lombardy against the Austrians, surviving under feudal monarchy rule only to die at the hands of their ’Republican’ ’brethren’.

Thinking about this, Garibaldi’s heart felt as if it were bleeding.

"Hang Mazzini!"

A hoarse shout pulled Garibaldi out of his grief and indignation, and with a renewed mindset, Garibaldi wanted to gather the remaining forces to block the French troops.

"General, let’s go! We can no longer hold them!" His adjutant, face covered in blood, grabbed Garibaldi’s arm and shouted earnestly.

"I..." Garibaldi glanced at the few soldiers remaining by his side, knowing that even if he fought to the death here, it would be hard to stop the French soldiers effectively. Retreating gradually into the inner city and relying on the streets and residents of Rome to fight against France would be the most effective strategy.

"Alas!"

Though Garibaldi’s heart held countless unwillingness, he could only let out a helpless sigh at the moment.

"Retreat!"

The remnants of the Roman Republic army had no choice but to abandon the effort to hold the breach under Garibaldi’s orders.

The French army, like a tide, occupied the breach with Edgar Ney leading at the forefront.

"Tell the Commander-in-Chief we have opened the way to the inner city and need the next instructions!"

Edgar Ney wiped the sweat off his forehead and ordered the soldier beside him.

"Yes!"

The soldier receiving Edgar Ney’s order quickly moved to General Renio.

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