Chapter 80
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Chapter 80
13. Golden War – 4
Asphyxia. This word was the best to express the terrible feelings that the members of the Spanish resistance were feeling now.
The French army’s strategy and movement were so different from the past. They were no longer launching reckless offensives against the coalition forces, nor were they robbed and defeated by the resistance. They took over the Spanish territory and simply sat there.
They cracked down the inside and stabilized it, instigated the people to divide them, and ruthlessly wiped out the hidden insurgents.
The more pressure the French were putting, the more difficult it was for the resistance to find the supplies to use for guerrilla operations.
In the past, they could have been obtained from the Spanish people or the Allied forces, but with the vicious divisions and spread of the revolutionary spirit that France had conducted, the resistance could no longer trust the ‘contaminated’ locals.
Eventually, they had to get supplies from the Allies, and the French could not ignore it.
As if stable supplies were unacceptable, the French were very persistently harassing the resistance, attacking and crushing their supply lines.
“If we go on like this, we’re going to sit down and die!”
Spanish Resistance Commander Juan Martín Díez wrote directly to the Allies to overcome the situation.
‘If you want us to hold our breath even if it’s a weak one, we desperately need you to send us war supplies as soon as possible.’
The Allies, who knew the value of the Spanish resistance, did not turn a blind eye to his demand.
Francisco da Silveira, Count of Amarante and Commander of Portugal’s Royal Army, volunteered to take on the heavy duty of providing supplies to the resistance.
“Our goal is not to fight the French, but to give hope and courage to our comrades.”
Of course, to provide supplies to the resistance forces in the territories occupied by the French, they had to contact them and infiltrate the enemy’s lines, which was a considerable risk.
The Count of Amarante, daring to take risks anyway, had prepared a surprise infiltration through the plains of La Mancha.
Who would dare to openly cross the plains of La Mancha, the heart of the Iberian Peninsula? Therefore, there was no bolder operation to pierce the enemy’s lines than this.
Count of Amarante led a corps of about 12,000 troops to the north. Right behind them were carts and wagons carrying wheat, rice, corn, salted beef, beans, oats, and war supplies such as muskets, rifles, ammunition, lightweight cannons, shells, gunpowder, etc.
The French did not even dream of the Allies passing through the plains of La Mancha, instead of going by sea through ports such as Almería and Murcia.
The troops of the Count of Amarante were able to quickly run to their target areas, simply defeating their enemies along the way, who were greatly surprised. In fact, this operation was on the verge of success.
It would be over as long as they could deliver a new spark to the dying Spanish resistance and then go back. It would have been possible, if it was not for the intrusion of the ‘Spanish Fox’, Louis-Gabriel Suchet.
“Africa’s vulgar dishwashers and coachmen of Estrela’s countryside have gathered here! Give a gift of rest to those who want to meet Philip II and João IV in the underworld!”
The Spanish Resistance Army and the Count of Amarante’s troops responded well to the sudden appearance of Suchet’s Corps, showing their skills.
From the beginning, however, it was impossible for the resistance and coalition forces to overcome Suchet’s troops, which had artillery on the high ground and were fully prepared.
Count of Amarante and Brigadier General Alberio (of the resistance forces) were able to save many soldiers by quickly ordering them to step down, but could not protect the supplies that the Allies had been struggling to bring.
“You’ve done a great job bringing these all the way here! We’ll keep your tribute safe and use it well for the next battle! Hahahaha!”
At the taunt of Louis-Gabriel Suchet, officers of the Allies and resistance forces had to hold back. And this incident became a fatal blow to the resistance who was already in a tight spot.
===
France had fostered and utilized a large number of spies composed of locals to gain intelligence and divide the enemy forces.
Because of them, the Spanish resistance was facing a great threat that it had never experienced before, and had now to worry about its own survival without receiving supplies from the Allies. However, the same possibility also existed on their side.
Couldn’t they use the same cards as the French against them? The number of Spanish people who were hostile to France was still, and far greater than the pro-French.
They were willing at any time to sell information about the French movement to the coalition or the resistance.
If France had made locals become spies, the Allies could also run intelligence units of citizens in the occupied territories.
On a bigger scale, this would help to amplify the volume and accuracy of information coming to the Allies.
The Spanish resistance was also still alive, although it was struggling for survival, which allowed the Allies to maintain their front lines without retreating even further.
However, knowing information about the enemy in advance did not always have a positive effect.
“Last time, we received a letter of protest from 10 Downing Street (the British Prime Minister’s residence), but this time, it’s the Provisional Government of Seville?”
“It is true that the delegation from Seville has arrived… Coincidentally, people on the Westminster side arrived around the same time.”
“The army’s life is very eventful!”
“This is the one… whether we want to go to war or not. Tsk tsk…”
Thanks to this, Commander Arthur Wellesley was forced to leave his post urgently during a military meeting. This was why the officers who were attending the meeting clicked their tongues and looked displeased. The crisis had subsided across the peninsula, so there was a lot of fuss here and there.
“Well, I understand that Seville is nervous, too. We didn’t know that Nabot was inciting the Spanish people in such a heinous way.”
“There’s no equal to this reincarnation of the true devil! In the entire history! I will never forget that damn Corsican slayer!”
“Haa!…”
Each of the Allied generals vented their anger or sighed to clear their minds. The news that France had established its own administrative entities and was ‘ruling’ the occupied Spanish territories had left the Provisional Government of Seville dumbfounded.
The story of King Fernando VII, the king of Spain, running wild and smashing all kinds of furniture was already a widespread rumor among the Allied forces.
Fernando VII and other members of the Spanish cabinet were much more angry and afraid of France encroaching on the empty Spanish administrative vacuum than hundreds of thousands of their people being slaughtered.
It was because they knew. The Spanish territories that were now under French control were thoughtfully polluted by the ideas of revolution and freedom, and even if the war ended and they were returned to Spain, they would never return to their former state.
“Don’t we have to stop the demise of the resistance by any means necessary? When we were with them, we used to call them ‘a bunch of elephants sucking money and gunpowder’, but to be honest, only the resistance forces could sway the French’s rear.”
“The reason why we can maintain the front line despite the lack of coalition troops is because there are insurgents and militias in the territories occupied by the French. We can’t lose them. We need to make sure to provide them with supplies.”
Officers from Spain and Portugal wanted to protect the resistance by all means. British officers, on the other hand, were skeptical.
“…There is no clear way to help them. Right now, we’re in a hurry to maintain the front line of the peninsula.”
“The French bastards are not usually sneaky people. But they’re cutting all the connections between us and the resistance.”
“To break this crisis, the Count of Amarante himself led the corps and marched into the plains of La Mancha… Of course, as we all know, the Count’s majestic operation failed.”
The operation led by the Count of Amarante was carried out with thorough information control. The fact that the enemy was preparing for it in advance was evidence that there were French spies inside the coalition and resistance forces.
All the Allied officers at the meeting looked dark. A lot of supplies from the coalition had been sent to feed and support the Spanish resistance.
Nevertheless, Arthur Wellesley and the other British, Portuguese, Spanish generals, and even the British politicians were not questioning support for the resistance, because they admitted that its existence was necessary.
When the situation turned unfavorable, the Allies gave up their occupied territories and retreated behind the Lines of Torres Vedras, as they always did.
Their move was aimed at preventing the French from attacking, including Napoleon, through this defensive front while they were catching their breath.
However, the French army, which was marching as if to wipe out the entire Iberian Peninsula, stopped advancing. And then it started to conciliate and stabilize its control over the occupied territories.
It was as if the French were not interested in any other area of the peninsula other than the one they were currently occupying. They were using all sorts of tactics to exterminate the Spanish resistance and militias.
Their strategy succeeded in making the members of the Provisional Government of Seville, British, Portuguese politicians and the media beyond the strait more hasty and anxious than the soldiers on the peninsula. All that led to the present day.
“At times like this, I just want to go out and fight hard.”
“An impatient commander fights a hundred times and loses a hundred times. Don’t say stupid things, kid.”
“Bullshit! But isn’t it true! As time goes by, the enemy is only getting stronger and less vulnerable! The French have dispersed their forces to rule over that vast occupied area. This may be our last chance!”
“Although we have ignored our Spanish friends, it is undeniable that their assistance allowed us to bring the war here…”
Opinions were also divided among generals and officers within the coalition. It meant that there was no clear answer to overcome the current situation. That was why the Allied command was even more unsettled.
“The Commander is coming in!”
Arthur Wellesley, Marquis of Wellington, walked into the foreign office of Fort Santino, an outpost of the Lines of Torres Vedras, where the meeting was being held. The officers did not know what he had heard, but his poker face remained the same.
“Today the delegation of the Provisional Government of Seville has spoken to us. His Majesty Fernando VII recognizes the hard work of the soldiers and asks us to return to the front line of September 1812 as soon as possible.”
“…”
Wellesley spoke calmly, but the officers who knew about Fernando VII’s personality could imagine how agitated he must have been when asking this.
“Also, a final notice from Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson and Westminster Parliament has arrived, asking us to break through that bloody ‘Santiago-Almería’ line before April and turn to the offensive. So, our troops can’t continue with the defensive strategy.”
Grunts poured out from all over the place. Some generals expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister and the Parliament, who did not respect the judgment of the field at all. Wellesley calmed them down with his quiet charisma.
“The new war with the United States has added to the kingdom’s financial burden. The leaders of both parties in Westminster and His Majesty agreed to send fleets and troops to protect the kingdom’s territory in the New World and approved additional budget spending. And so the opposite action is…”
“A cut in the budget for the Allied forces in the Peninsular War.”
“Oh, my God, damn it! Are they really going to hand over the whole Iberia to Nabot!?”
Disappointed soldiers spat out curses. They could no longer be compensated for all the hard work they had had in their service here for nearly five years.
Now it was completely in vain. But the Portuguese and Spanish officers were even more shocked. Without the help of the British, how could they survive against those ferocious French?
In fact, it was like telling them to surrender. All kinds of negative emotions spring up, but among them Arthur Wellesley smiled.
“You have to listen to people until the end. The Westminster Parliament has clearly passed a budget cut for the troops currently operating in Europe. But it is not our Army that is included in the cuts.”
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“S-Sir! Well, then!…”
“That’s right. The target being cut is the kingdom’s naval strength. And a big part of the support that was put into it… will be redirected to form an additional army force that will join us here.”
“!!…”
A wave of silence swept the military meeting. Soon after, the officers who came to their senses let out harsh cheers.
That was right. Britain had declared that it would abandon its current strategy and more aggressively engage in the war against France.
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Chapter 80
13. Golden War – 4
Asphyxia. This word was the best to express the terrible feelings that the members of the Spanish resistance were feeling now.
The French army’s strategy and movement were so different from the past. They were no longer launching reckless offensives against the coalition forces, nor were they robbed and defeated by the resistance. They took over the Spanish territory and simply sat there.
They cracked down the inside and stabilized it, instigated the people to divide them, and ruthlessly wiped out the hidden insurgents.
The more pressure the French were putting, the more difficult it was for the resistance to find the supplies to use for guerrilla operations.
In the past, they could have been obtained from the Spanish people or the Allied forces, but with the vicious divisions and spread of the revolutionary spirit that France had conducted, the resistance could no longer trust the ‘contaminated’ locals.
Eventually, they had to get supplies from the Allies, and the French could not ignore it.
As if stable supplies were unacceptable, the French were very persistently harassing the resistance, attacking and crushing their supply lines.
“If we go on like this, we’re going to sit down and die!”
Spanish Resistance Commander Juan Martín Díez wrote directly to the Allies to overcome the situation.
‘If you want us to hold our breath even if it’s a weak one, we desperately need you to send us war supplies as soon as possible.’
The Allies, who knew the value of the Spanish resistance, did not turn a blind eye to his demand.
Francisco da Silveira, Count of Amarante and Commander of Portugal’s Royal Army, volunteered to take on the heavy duty of providing supplies to the resistance.
“Our goal is not to fight the French, but to give hope and courage to our comrades.”
Of course, to provide supplies to the resistance forces in the territories occupied by the French, they had to contact them and infiltrate the enemy’s lines, which was a considerable risk.
The Count of Amarante, daring to take risks anyway, had prepared a surprise infiltration through the plains of La Mancha.
Who would dare to openly cross the plains of La Mancha, the heart of the Iberian Peninsula? Therefore, there was no bolder operation to pierce the enemy’s lines than this.
Count of Amarante led a corps of about 12,000 troops to the north. Right behind them were carts and wagons carrying wheat, rice, corn, salted beef, beans, oats, and war supplies such as muskets, rifles, ammunition, lightweight cannons, shells, gunpowder, etc.
The French did not even dream of the Allies passing through the plains of La Mancha, instead of going by sea through ports such as Almería and Murcia.
The troops of the Count of Amarante were able to quickly run to their target areas, simply defeating their enemies along the way, who were greatly surprised. In fact, this operation was on the verge of success.
It would be over as long as they could deliver a new spark to the dying Spanish resistance and then go back. It would have been possible, if it was not for the intrusion of the ‘Spanish Fox’, Louis-Gabriel Suchet.
“Africa’s vulgar dishwashers and coachmen of Estrela’s countryside have gathered here! Give a gift of rest to those who want to meet Philip II and João IV in the underworld!”
The Spanish Resistance Army and the Count of Amarante’s troops responded well to the sudden appearance of Suchet’s Corps, showing their skills.
From the beginning, however, it was impossible for the resistance and coalition forces to overcome Suchet’s troops, which had artillery on the high ground and were fully prepared.
Count of Amarante and Brigadier General Alberio (of the resistance forces) were able to save many soldiers by quickly ordering them to step down, but could not protect the supplies that the Allies had been struggling to bring.
“You’ve done a great job bringing these all the way here! We’ll keep your tribute safe and use it well for the next battle! Hahahaha!”
At the taunt of Louis-Gabriel Suchet, officers of the Allies and resistance forces had to hold back. And this incident became a fatal blow to the resistance who was already in a tight spot.
===
France had fostered and utilized a large number of spies composed of locals to gain intelligence and divide the enemy forces.
Because of them, the Spanish resistance was facing a great threat that it had never experienced before, and had now to worry about its own survival without receiving supplies from the Allies. However, the same possibility also existed on their side.
Couldn’t they use the same cards as the French against them? The number of Spanish people who were hostile to France was still, and far greater than the pro-French.
They were willing at any time to sell information about the French movement to the coalition or the resistance.
If France had made locals become spies, the Allies could also run intelligence units of citizens in the occupied territories.
On a bigger scale, this would help to amplify the volume and accuracy of information coming to the Allies.
The Spanish resistance was also still alive, although it was struggling for survival, which allowed the Allies to maintain their front lines without retreating even further.
However, knowing information about the enemy in advance did not always have a positive effect.
“Last time, we received a letter of protest from 10 Downing Street (the British Prime Minister’s residence), but this time, it’s the Provisional Government of Seville?”
“It is true that the delegation from Seville has arrived… Coincidentally, people on the Westminster side arrived around the same time.”
“The army’s life is very eventful!”
“This is the one… whether we want to go to war or not. Tsk tsk…”
Thanks to this, Commander Arthur Wellesley was forced to leave his post urgently during a military meeting. This was why the officers who were attending the meeting clicked their tongues and looked displeased. The crisis had subsided across the peninsula, so there was a lot of fuss here and there.
“Well, I understand that Seville is nervous, too. We didn’t know that Nabot was inciting the Spanish people in such a heinous way.”
“There’s no equal to this reincarnation of the true devil! In the entire history! I will never forget that damn Corsican slayer!”
“Haa!…”
Each of the Allied generals vented their anger or sighed to clear their minds. The news that France had established its own administrative entities and was ‘ruling’ the occupied Spanish territories had left the Provisional Government of Seville dumbfounded.
The story of King Fernando VII, the king of Spain, running wild and smashing all kinds of furniture was already a widespread rumor among the Allied forces.
Fernando VII and other members of the Spanish cabinet were much more angry and afraid of France encroaching on the empty Spanish administrative vacuum than hundreds of thousands of their people being slaughtered.
It was because they knew. The Spanish territories that were now under French control were thoughtfully polluted by the ideas of revolution and freedom, and even if the war ended and they were returned to Spain, they would never return to their former state.
“Don’t we have to stop the demise of the resistance by any means necessary? When we were with them, we used to call them ‘a bunch of elephants sucking money and gunpowder’, but to be honest, only the resistance forces could sway the French’s rear.”
“The reason why we can maintain the front line despite the lack of coalition troops is because there are insurgents and militias in the territories occupied by the French. We can’t lose them. We need to make sure to provide them with supplies.”
Officers from Spain and Portugal wanted to protect the resistance by all means. British officers, on the other hand, were skeptical.
“…There is no clear way to help them. Right now, we’re in a hurry to maintain the front line of the peninsula.”
“The French bastards are not usually sneaky people. But they’re cutting all the connections between us and the resistance.”
“To break this crisis, the Count of Amarante himself led the corps and marched into the plains of La Mancha… Of course, as we all know, the Count’s majestic operation failed.”
The operation led by the Count of Amarante was carried out with thorough information control. The fact that the enemy was preparing for it in advance was evidence that there were French spies inside the coalition and resistance forces.
All the Allied officers at the meeting looked dark. A lot of supplies from the coalition had been sent to feed and support the Spanish resistance.
Nevertheless, Arthur Wellesley and the other British, Portuguese, Spanish generals, and even the British politicians were not questioning support for the resistance, because they admitted that its existence was necessary.
When the situation turned unfavorable, the Allies gave up their occupied territories and retreated behind the Lines of Torres Vedras, as they always did.
Their move was aimed at preventing the French from attacking, including Napoleon, through this defensive front while they were catching their breath.
However, the French army, which was marching as if to wipe out the entire Iberian Peninsula, stopped advancing. And then it started to conciliate and stabilize its control over the occupied territories.
It was as if the French were not interested in any other area of the peninsula other than the one they were currently occupying. They were using all sorts of tactics to exterminate the Spanish resistance and militias.
Their strategy succeeded in making the members of the Provisional Government of Seville, British, Portuguese politicians and the media beyond the strait more hasty and anxious than the soldiers on the peninsula. All that led to the present day.
“At times like this, I just want to go out and fight hard.”
“An impatient commander fights a hundred times and loses a hundred times. Don’t say stupid things, kid.”
“Bullshit! But isn’t it true! As time goes by, the enemy is only getting stronger and less vulnerable! The French have dispersed their forces to rule over that vast occupied area. This may be our last chance!”
“Although we have ignored our Spanish friends, it is undeniable that their assistance allowed us to bring the war here…”
Opinions were also divided among generals and officers within the coalition. It meant that there was no clear answer to overcome the current situation. That was why the Allied command was even more unsettled.
“The Commander is coming in!”
Arthur Wellesley, Marquis of Wellington, walked into the foreign office of Fort Santino, an outpost of the Lines of Torres Vedras, where the meeting was being held. The officers did not know what he had heard, but his poker face remained the same.
“Today the delegation of the Provisional Government of Seville has spoken to us. His Majesty Fernando VII recognizes the hard work of the soldiers and asks us to return to the front line of September 1812 as soon as possible.”
“…”
Wellesley spoke calmly, but the officers who knew about Fernando VII’s personality could imagine how agitated he must have been when asking this.
“Also, a final notice from Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson and Westminster Parliament has arrived, asking us to break through that bloody ‘Santiago-Almería’ line before April and turn to the offensive. So, our troops can’t continue with the defensive strategy.”
Grunts poured out from all over the place. Some generals expressed strong dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister and the Parliament, who did not respect the judgment of the field at all. Wellesley calmed them down with his quiet charisma.
“The new war with the United States has added to the kingdom’s financial burden. The leaders of both parties in Westminster and His Majesty agreed to send fleets and troops to protect the kingdom’s territory in the New World and approved additional budget spending. And so the opposite action is…”
“A cut in the budget for the Allied forces in the Peninsular War.”
“Oh, my God, damn it! Are they really going to hand over the whole Iberia to Nabot!?”
Disappointed soldiers spat out curses. They could no longer be compensated for all the hard work they had had in their service here for nearly five years.
Now it was completely in vain. But the Portuguese and Spanish officers were even more shocked. Without the help of the British, how could they survive against those ferocious French?
In fact, it was like telling them to surrender. All kinds of negative emotions spring up, but among them Arthur Wellesley smiled.
“You have to listen to people until the end. The Westminster Parliament has clearly passed a budget cut for the troops currently operating in Europe. But it is not our Army that is included in the cuts.”
Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only
“S-Sir! Well, then!…”
“That’s right. The target being cut is the kingdom’s naval strength. And a big part of the support that was put into it… will be redirected to form an additional army force that will join us here.”
“!!…”
A wave of silence swept the military meeting. Soon after, the officers who came to their senses let out harsh cheers.
That was right. Britain had declared that it would abandon its current strategy and more aggressively engage in the war against France.
Chapter 8013. Golden War 4Asphyxia. Thisword wasthe besttoexpress theterriblefeelingsthat themembers of theSpanish resistance werefeeling now.TheFrench army's strategy andmovementwere so differentfrom thepast. They were no longer launchingrecklessoffensives against the coalitionforces, norwere they robbed anddefeatedbythe resistance. Theytook over the Spanish territory andsimply sat there.Theycracked down the insideand stabilizedit, instigatedthe people to dividethem, and ruthlesslywipedout the hiddeninsurgents.The more pressure the Frenchwere putting, themore difficultitwas for theresistance to find the supplies to usefor guerrilla operations.Inthe past, theycouldhave been obtained fromthe Spanishpeople or the Alliedforces, butwith thevicious divisionsand spread of therevolutionary spiritthat Francehad conducted, the resistancecouldnolonger trust the contaminated' locals.Eventually, they had to getsuppliesfrom theAllies, andthe French could notignore it.Asifstable supplies wereunacceptable, theFrench werevery persistentlyharassing the resistance, attackingand crushing their supply lines.If we go on like this, we're going to sit down and die!Spanish Resistance Commander Juan MartnDezwrotedirectlytothe Allies to overcome thesituation.If you want us to holdour breath even if it'sa weak one, wedesperatelyneed youtosend us warsuppliesassoon as possible.'TheAllies, whoknew thevalueofthe Spanishresistance, did not turn ablindeye to his demand.FranciscodaSilveira, Count of Amarante and CommanderofPortugal's Royal Army, volunteered to take on the heavy duty of providing supplies to theresistance.Ourgoal is nottofightthe French, but to givehope andcourage to ourcomrades.Ofcourse, to provide supplies to the resistance forces in theterritoriesoccupiedbythe French, they hadtocontact them and infiltrate the enemy's lines, which wasa considerablerisk.The Count of Amarante, daring to takerisksanyway, hadprepareda surprise infiltrationthrough theplains of La Mancha.Who would dare to openly cross theplains of La Mancha, the heart of the Iberian Peninsula? Therefore, there wasnobolder operation to piercethe enemy'slinesthan this.CountofAmaranteled acorpsofabout12,000 troops to thenorth. Right behind them werecartsand wagons carrying wheat, rice, corn, salted beef, beans, oats, andwar supplies suchasmuskets, rifles, ammunition, lightweight cannons, shells, gunpowder, etc.The French didnot evendreamofthe Allies passing throughthe plains of La Mancha, insteadofgoingbysea throughportssuch as Almera andMurcia.The troops of theCountofAmarantewere able to quicklyrun to their target areas, simply defeating their enemies along the way, who were greatlysurprised. In fact, this operation wasonthe verge of success.It would be over as longasthey could deliver anew spark to the dying Spanish resistanceand thengoback. Itwouldhave been possible, if it wasnot for theintrusion of the Spanish Fox', Louis-Gabriel Suchet.Africa's vulgardishwashersand coachmen of Estrela's countryside have gathered here! Givea gift of resttothosewho wanttomeet PhilipII and Joo IV in the underworld!The Spanish ResistanceArmy andthe Count of Amarante'stroops responded well to the suddenappearance of Suchet's Corps, showing their skills.From the beginning, however, it was impossible for theresistance andcoalition forces to overcome Suchet's troops, which had artilleryonthe highground and were fully prepared.CountofAmaranteand Brigadier General Alberioof the resistance forces were able to savemany soldiers by quickly ordering themtostep down, butcouldnot protectthe supplies thatthe Allies hadbeen struggling to bring.You've done agreatjob bringing these all theway here! We'll keepyour tribute safeand use it well for thenext battle! Hahahaha!At the taunt of Louis-Gabriel Suchet, officersofthe Allies andresistance forceshad to holdback. And thisincidentbecame afatalblow to theresistance whowas alreadyina tight spot.===France hadfosteredand utilized alargenumber of spies composed of locals to gain intelligence anddivide the enemy forces.Because of them, the Spanish resistancewas facing a great threat that it had never experienced before, and hadnow to worry about its ownsurvivalwithout receivingsuppliesfrom theAllies. However, thesame possibility also existedontheirside.Couldn't theyuse the same cards as the Frenchagainst them? Thenumber of Spanishpeople who were hostiletoFrance was still, and far greater thanthe pro-French.They werewilling at anytime to sell information about the Frenchmovementtothe coalition or theresistance.If France hadmade localsbecome spies, theAllies could alsorun intelligence units of citizens in theoccupiedterritories.On a bigger scale, this would help to amplifythe volume andaccuracyofinformationcoming to the Allies.TheSpanish resistance was also still alive, although it wasstruggling forsurvival, which allowedthe Allies to maintain their front lines without retreatingeven further.However, knowing information about theenemyinadvance didnot always have apositiveeffect.Lasttime, wereceiveda letterofprotest from 10 DowningStreet theBritish Prime Minister's residence, but this time, it'sthe Provisional GovernmentofSeville?Itistrue that the delegation fromSeville hasarrived Coincidentally, people on the Westminster side arrivedaround the same time.The army'slife is very eventful!This is the one whether we want to go to war or not. Tsk tskThankstothis, Commander Arthur Wellesleywas forced to leave hispost urgently duringa military meeting. This was whythe officers who were attending themeeting clicked their tonguesand looked displeased. Thecrisis had subsided acrossthe peninsula, sotherewas alot of fusshere andthere.Well, I understand thatSeville is nervous, too. We didn't know thatNabotwas inciting the Spanish people in such aheinous way.There'snoequaltothis reincarnation of the true devil! In theentire history! I will never forgetthat damn Corsican slayer!Haa!Eachofthe Allied generals ventedtheirangerorsighed to clear their minds. Thenews that France hadestablishedits own administrative entities andwas ruling' the occupied Spanish territories had left the Provisional Government of Sevilledumbfounded.ThestoryofKing Fernando VII, the king of Spain, running wildand smashing all kinds of furniturewas alreadya widespread rumor among the Alliedforces.FernandoVII and other members of the Spanish cabinetwere much moreangryand afraid of Franceencroachingonthe empty Spanishadministrativevacuum thanhundredsofthousands of their people being slaughtered.It was because theyknew. The Spanishterritoriesthat were now under Frenchcontrol were thoughtfully polluted by theideasofrevolution andfreedom, and evenifthe war ended andthey were returned to Spain, they would never return to their formerstate.Don'twehave to stop the demiseofthe resistancebyany means necessary? When we were withthem, weused to call themabunchofelephants suckingmoneyand gunpowder', but to be honest, onlythe resistanceforces could swaythe French's rear.The reasonwhy we can maintain thefrontline despite the lack of coalition troopsisbecause there areinsurgents andmilitiasinthe territories occupied by the French. We can't losethem. Weneed to make suretoprovide them withsupplies.Officersfrom Spain andPortugalwanted to protectthe resistancebyall means. British officers, on theotherhand, were skeptical.Thereisnoclearway to helpthem. Rightnow, we're in a hurry to maintain the front line of the peninsula.The Frenchbastardsare not usually sneaky people. But they're cuttingall the connections between us and theresistance.Tobreakthis crisis, the Count of Amarante himself led thecorpsand marchedinto theplains of La Mancha Of course, as we all know, theCount's majestic operationfailed.The operationled by the Count of Amarante wascarried outwith thorough information control. Thefact that the enemy waspreparing for it in advance was evidence that there wereFrench spies inside thecoalition and resistance forces.All theAllied officers at the meeting looked dark. A lot of supplies from the coalitionhad beensent to feed and support the Spanish resistance.Nevertheless, Arthur Wellesleyand the other British, Portuguese, Spanish generals, andeven theBritish politicians were not questioning support for theresistance, because they admitted thatits existence wasnecessary.When thesituation turned unfavorable, the Allies gave up their occupied territories and retreatedbehind the Lines of TorresVedras, as they always did.Their move was aimed at preventing the Frenchfrom attacking, including Napoleon, through this defensive front while they werecatchingtheirbreath.However, the French army, which wasmarchingasiftowipe outthe entire Iberian Peninsula, stopped advancing. And then it startedtoconciliate andstabilize its control overthe occupied territories.Itwas as if the Frenchwere notinterested in anyotherarea of thepeninsula other thanthe one they werecurrently occupying. They were using all sorts of tactics to exterminate the Spanish resistanceand militias.Theirstrategysucceeded in making themembers of theProvisionalGovernment of Seville, British, Portuguese politicians and themediabeyond the straitmore hasty andanxious than the soldiers on thepeninsula. Allthat ledtothe presentday.At times likethis, I just wanttogoout and fight hard.An impatientcommander fights a hundredtimesand loses ahundred times. Don'tsay stupid things, kid.Bullshit! Butisn'tittrue! Astime goes by, theenemyisonly getting stronger and less vulnerable! The Frenchhave dispersedtheirforces to ruleover that vastoccupiedarea. This maybeour lastchance!Although we have ignoredour Spanishfriends, itisundeniable that their assistanceallowed us to bring thewar hereOpinions were alsodivided among generals andofficerswithin the coalition. It meant thattherewas no clear answer to overcome thecurrent situation. Thatwas why theAllied commandwas evenmore unsettled.The Commander is comingin!Arthur Wellesley, Marquis of Wellington, walkedinto theforeign officeofFort Santino, an outpost of the Lines of TorresVedras, where themeeting wasbeingheld. The officers did notknow what he had heard, but his poker face remained the same.Today the delegation of the Provisional Government of Sevillehas spoken to us. His MajestyFernandoVII recognizesthe hardwork of thesoldiersand asksustoreturn to the front line of September 1812 as soonaspossible.Wellesley spoke calmly, but theofficerswho knewaboutFernandoVII'spersonalitycouldimagine howagitatedhemust have beenwhen askingthis.Also, a final notice from Prime Minister Robert Jenkinsonand Westminster Parliamenthas arrived, asking us to break through thatbloody Santiago-Almera' line beforeApriland turntothe offensive. So, our troopscan'tcontinuewith thedefensive strategy.Grunts pouredout fromall overthe place. Some generals expressed strongdissatisfaction withthe Prime Minister and theParliament, who did notrespect thejudgmentofthe field at all. Wellesley calmed them downwith hisquietcharisma.The new warwith theUnited States hasaddedtothe kingdom's financialburden. Theleaders of both partiesinWestminsterand His Majesty agreed to send fleets andtroops to protectthe kingdom's territoryinthe New World andapprovedadditional budgetspending. And so theoppositeaction isA cut in the budgetfor the Alliedforces in the Peninsular War.Oh, my God, damn it! Are theyreally going to handover thewholeIberia to Nabot!?Disappointedsoldiersspat outcurses. They could no longer be compensated forall the hard workthey hadhad in their servicehere fornearly fiveyears.Nowitwas completelyinvain. But the Portuguese and Spanish officers wereeven more shocked. Withoutthe helpofthe British, how could they surviveagainst those ferociousFrench?Infact, itwas liketelling them to surrender. All kinds of negative emotions spring up, but among themArthur Wellesley smiled.You havetolisten to people until theend. TheWestminsterParliament hasclearly passeda budgetcut for thetroops currently operatinginEurope. Butitisnot our Army thatisincludedinthe cuts.Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site OnlyS-Sir! Well, then!That'sright. The targetbeingcut is the kingdom'snavalstrength. And a big part of the support thatwas put into it willberedirected to form an additionalarmy force that willjoin us here.!!A wave of silence swept the military meeting. Soon after, theofficerswho cametotheirsenses let outharshcheers.That wasright. Britainhad declared thatitwouldabandon itscurrent strategy andmore aggressivelyengage in the waragainst France.