Early April, 1916... A battle has been fought and won, but at the price of many hundreds of lives... The Alpini, the elite Alpine soldiers of the Italian army, were nearly wiped out... It seems, though, that the Germans have endless men, for now Castiglioni has wiped out four German armies since the initial police actions in Bavaria, and more are coming into sight from the north.
Originally Posted by
King Eugene I
General Castiglioni:
I have received your report, and I am very glad that you have won your battle, despite your heavy losses. However, I also understand your situation about the seemingly endless German military. For that reason I am now sending the Royal Austrian Army under General Gotfriend Uhlenbrock to assist you by taking the German stronghold of Prague, which, if intelligence is correct, is a hotbed of Bavarian Germanist forces and likely a large part of your current problem. I have also ordered the recruitment of eight more Alipini battalions, which are being recruited as I send you this message. They will be ready in one month. I expect you to at least hold your ground until they can be sent to reinforce your army. I am, though, rather concerned at your apparent lack of progress - twice now you have had Munich under siege, and twice now you have beaten German forces outside the city, but so far you have failed to win me the city itself. I expect you to control Munich in two months' time, no more.
King Eugene I de Beauharnais, King of Italy, Austria, Hungary, and Bavaria
Castiglioni read the letter and crumpled it in anger. Yes, he would be getting much-needed soldiers, and another force will be sent in the hope of relieving him of the German army, but two months? Impossible, not until Prague is taken at any rate. Still, though, he sits down to write his report to the King.
Originally Posted by
General Gianni Castiglioni
Your Majesty the King of Italy:
I, General Castiglioni, have due to losses sustained at Munich retreated back to the friendly lands of Austria, where I will hope to recruit more men to fill the ranks while waiting for reinforcements from Italy. I thank Your Highness for Your Highness's generosity in giving me more men, and in sending a relief force to Prague. However, I do not believe that I can take Munich in two months' time, as that gives me hardly two weeks to besiege, assault, and capture Munich. That said, I do intend to march on Bavaria as soon as practicable. Conscripts from Tyrol, cavalrymen from Tunisia, and riflemen from Venetia have been ordered, and I will have forces sufficient to do the job most likely in two weeks. In addition, the ranks of the light infantry are being filled by Bavarian volunteers, who hopefully will fight as well as the Italians they are replacing. Supplies are not plentiful, but we have enough for the next month and more can be shipped in from Austria.
General Gianni Castiglioni