The British Government was already in a state of panic, and there was even less to be said for the French government. They had long been at their wits' end, completely clueless about how to bring the situation to a close.
As the man at the center of these events, Napoleon IV received even more bad news. Publicly, the French Army gathered its forces for another go after a major defeat, but outsiders were unaware of the heavy price the French Army had paid for this.
Retreating in a rout was no easy task. The enemy was not foolish and would certainly take the opportunity to expand their victories. To retreat successfully, it was essential to sacrifice some forces to cover the retreat.
Moreover, those tasked with acting as the rearguard must be elite troops with high loyalty. If the rearguard was left to the newly formed units with a majority of Italians, they might switch sides as soon as the Austrian army arrived.
