As Joseph continued to rally others into the alliance, he tirelessly pushed his factories to work overtime, producing weapons for Joubert and his troops, all the while updating Napoleon with every piece of vital information.
In the eyes of the two brothers, the French forces equipped with Minie rifles were now a formidable adversary, one that the Austrian army couldn't hope to counter. Even though the Northern Legion was far from matching the Italian forces in terms of funding, leading to a decline in their morale, they were not to be underestimated by the Austrians.
However, the process of re-equipping and transforming the Northern Legion into an effective fighting force wasn't something that could be accomplished overnight. Joseph, who had extensive experience as a staff officer, could gauge the readiness of the Northern Legion just by examining the orders, and he couldn't be fooled, not even by Joubert.
With this knowledge in mind, Napoleon decided that while Joubert initiated the attack, serving as a distraction to the Austrians, he would cross the Alps once more and advance directly towards Vienna, forcing Austria into submission.
But before he could proceed with his plan, he had another task in mind – to extract some wealth from the Holy See.
If anyone in the world despised revolutionary France, it was undoubtedly Pope Pius VI. In 1791, when the new regime demanded that clergymen swear allegiance to the government, Pope Pius VI officially condemned the Civil Constitution of the Clergy, accusing the revolutionary authorities. In 1793, when the anti-French alliance was formed, Pope Pius VI played a significant role in it.
Even after Napoleon's consecutive victories against the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Austrian armies in Italy, the various small states on the Italian Peninsula, which had fallen under French influence, remained apprehensive and cautious. However, the resolute Pope Pius VI maintained his hostility towards the French Republic.
Napoleon dispatched a message to the Papal States similar to those he sent to the Duchy of Parma and the Venetian Republic. But the Pope was not willing to send an envoy to explain the situation to a bandit like Napoleon. Not only did he refuse to offer any bribes to secure his safety, but he also took the drastic step of excommunicating Napoleon and expelling him from the Church.
To be excommunicated or not didn't particularly concern Napoleon. After all, revolutionary France had already been excommunicated in its entirety. However, the Pope's defiant attitude did not sit well with Napoleon.
"Why does the Pope dare to act so arrogantly in front of me? Does he think he can take a nice vacation in Avignon? Does he forget that he only has a few regiments under his command?" Napoleon grumbled.
At that time, the Pope, unlike his successors, was a formidable figure. The Papal States included not only the small Vatican City but also a substantial portion of the Italian Peninsula. The Pope's military force wasn't limited to a hundred Swiss Guards; he possessed a small but competent army.
Yet, compared to Napoleon's grand army, the Pope's forces were truly inconsequential. With a single order, Napoleon's troops swiftly assembled. They vented their outrage at the Pope's actions, cursing him to fall into the same fiery pit that Dante had described. Simultaneously, they speculated on how much plunder they would acquire during this expedition. Their spirits soared.
"Bring the Pope back to Avignon!"
Such cries resonated throughout the army. The soldiers were determined to obliterate the stronghold of reactionaries and raise the banner of the revolution atop the dome of St. Peter's Basilica.
Upon receiving the news that the French army was preparing to march south, the Papal States fell into disarray. Clergymen fervently preached, urging people to fight bravely for their homeland and faith. Pope Pius VI eventually managed to assemble an army of over ten thousand to resist the French demons.
He blessed this army and prophesied that, under God's protection, they would surely annihilate the French devils. However, Pope Pius VI forgot one crucial fact: whenever there was a conflict between France and the Holy See, God unequivocally stood by France! After all, France was God's obedient son, while the Holy See, at best, was the gatekeeper to God's house. Why else did the Papal banner feature two crossed keys?
As expected, as soon as the Papal States learned that the French army was nearing, their people revolted. The army, which had just been formed with great effort, declared its long-standing desire to stand with the revolution. Consequently, the French army approached Rome without any resistance, and Pope Pius VI had to flee the city, sending an envoy to surrender to Napoleon.
If the Pope had surrendered earlier, Napoleon's demands might have been far more reasonable, possibly just a couple of million francs (the currency had replaced the livre). But now, the Pope's intransigence had incurred additional costs, as employing the army required funds. Moreover, military expenditures had to be documented and reported, which meant sharing a portion with the French government.
Hence, Napoleon made a bold demand. He extended five fingers toward the Pope's envoy.
"Five million?" the envoy exclaimed in shock. "General, isn't that too much?"
"Five million?" Joubert chimed in. "Only five million? We've brought a hundred thousand soldiers all the way from Paris. Are you suggesting we settle for fifty francs per soldier? You must be dreaming!"
Of course, the French army didn't have a hundred thousand troops, even when including the Italian auxiliaries and the newly "converted" troops. They couldn't field such a vast force.
"But, Your Excellency, the Holy See doesn't have that much money at the moment."
"That's your problem."
"No money? Valuable items, then?"
"Paintings, sculptures, precious metals, and various relics – we'll accept them. But don't try to deceive us with fakes!"
The French officers enthusiastically aided the envoy in calculating how to raise the five million francs, acting as helpful individuals.
Finally, the Holy See agreed to pay three million francs in cash (all in gold and silver coins of equivalent value) and provided numerous artworks. A peace agreement was reached with Napoleon, and the French army departed from the Papal States satisfied.
The soldiers sent back any surplus funds they received from the expedition to their families. This sparked tales in their hometowns, where they were lauded for following General Napoleon, fighting in foreign lands, and returning home to purchase houses and land and marry.
Some soldiers, having made enough money, left the army to return to their hometowns. However, more soldiers, motivated by the victory and the prospect of plunder, flocked to join Napoleon's forces. When Napoleon crossed the Alps for the first time, he had around forty thousand troops, but now, considering only the expedition-ready combat troops, he had amassed an army of fifty thousand.
Based on the information provided in Joseph's letters, Napoleon assessed that Joubert's offensive was about to commence. He initiated his own preparations.
In September 1796, with the autumn winds whispering through the barren landscape, Napoleon's grand army left Lombardy and embarked on an assault toward Vienna, the capital of Austria.
In the Battle of Castiglione, with less than twenty thousand soldiers and fewer than two thousand casualties, Napoleon annihilated four times as many Austrian troops within half a day. Following this extraordinary victory, Archduke Charles was transferred from the Rhine front to Lombardy to prepare for a possible invasion.
After hearing firsthand reports from officers and soldiers who had retreated in defeat, Archduke Charles couldn't sleep, stricken by anxiety. The information he had received was no longer regarded as mere hearsay; it was now undeniable. If this intelligence was accurate, then the French forces, when confronting him, wouldn't need any sophisticated tactics – a direct assault would be nearly insurmountable.
"Even the ancient sages' strategy cannot withstand this French army. What use are castles when facing the unstoppable?" Archduke Charles mused.
With the belief that the "wild field battles are absolutely hopeless," his only alternative was "infant city defense." Fortunately, the route from Lombardy to Vienna also involved crossing the Alps. This meant that Napoleon couldn't transport heavy artillery with him, which limited the magnitude of his assault. Thus, "infant city defense" appeared to be a reasonable strategy.
Of course, Archduke Charles couldn't completely brick up the city gates. He knew that this would be self-destructive, rendering his counterattack capability useless. If the enemy could easily bypass the city, it wouldn't have significant repercussions.
Instead, he set up strongholds along the mountain paths, although these were no match for Napoleon's army. The steep terrain made it difficult for the Austrians to move their cannons to these positions, and they could only store limited supplies, which wouldn't last long.
Additionally, Napoleon had experienced guides, willing Italians, and even some Austrians eager for a "share of the land," all of whom helped navigate the treacherous terrain. French skirmishers excelled in such landscapes, causing the Austrian forces to scatter.
"These strongholds may delay the French, granting the Austrian forces more time," Archduke Charles thought.
Once out of the mountains and onto the road leading to Vienna, the Austrians had done their utmost to construct a series of fortifications, big and small.
In Archduke Charles's opinion, if Napoleon attempted to conquer each fortification one by one, it would be costly. However, if Napoleon dared to bypass them, the cavalry stationed at these forts could harass the French army continuously, possibly even cutting their supply lines.
Capitalizing on the wealth Napoleon had acquired during his Italian campaigns, the Austrians barely managed to construct this network of fortifications, although their quality was subpar. Yet, these structures did provide Archduke Charles with some confidence to thwart Napoleon.
"I hope that these fortifications can delay the French, and together with our mounted troops, they may give us a chance to prevail," Archduke Charles pondered.