Chapter 60 Italy is such a great place
Chapter 60 Italy is such a great place
After Krei defeated the unlucky General Scherer, the Russian and Austrian armies are now in the process of converging.
During these few days, the Russian infantry columns moved very quickly. They continued their forced march on April 4 because they did not know the situation in Verona. The troops moved very quickly, and two days later the Austrian and French armies fought in the same area.
By April 4, the weather had obviously improved, and the horse-drawn and ox-drawn carts that the Austrians had brought picked up the lagging Russian infantry and brought them to Vicenza.
When Suvorov arrived here, he first received the news of victory from General Krei that night, and then the next morning, when the Russian column was about to enter Verona, he met Solovyov who came back to report.
Verona is a nice place. It is one of the wealthier cities in northeastern Italy. In fact, it was already a big city in the Roman era.
Suvorov's base was located in the city hall. He didn't need much space to set up his headquarters, and even laying a blanket on the ground was not a problem.
After arriving here today, the soldiers from the two Russian columns finally found a place where they could have a good rest.
In the marching plan for the next few days, the coalition forces would not move as quickly as before the reunion. After the forced march, Suvorov also believed that the troops could now slow down their advance.
As for the reason, it is probably because the French army's corps on the Italian peninsula, mainly in two directions, had already been defeated by the main force of the Italian corps in front of them. The coalition forces had a great advantage in manpower and had formed a strategic advantage. They should not consume the soldiers' physical strength in this way.
Even with 25 years of military service, there are still many long-serving veterans in the Russian army. Slowing down the marching speed will help maintain the physical strength of these experienced veterans. When a war really needs to be fought in the future, physical strength also needs to be allocated.
But the old soldiers got a chance to rest and feasted on the food. After all, the enthusiastic local citizens had prepared the same food for the Russian army as they had used to entertain the Austrian army.
"Let's give them a good time today while we visit the remains of the Roman theater."
Solovyov also left the men of the Jager Company behind to guard the area, and he rode to the ruins of the theater on horseback, accompanied by several officers.
“When was this theater built?”
"It is said that during the time of Nero, before the era of the 'Five Good Emperors', plays were performed here."
A lot of weeds have grown on the theater, and no one has come to clean it up, and it has become seriously weathered.
Of course, if the part buried underground is dug out, it looks very complete, which is very different from these exposed parts.
"These stones are quite old, but..."
Solovyov also saw some stone carvings with crosses on them but the original statues had been destroyed. He learned that in the early days of Christianity, it was probably during the reign of Emperor Theodosius that an edict prohibiting paganism was issued. Coupled with the complete division of the Roman Empire, the church took a dominant position during this period.
It also caused many places to enter the "Dark Ages". When the Roman Empire was still dominated by polytheism, and during the period of religious tolerance during the reign of Constantine, science and culture were still prosperous, and the sculpture art of this period was still very developed. When the Eastern Roman Empire began to dominate Christianity, and there were several religious conferences that led to the Great Schism of the Eastern and Western Churches, there were very few statues left from this stage, and even the Roman emperors could only use mosaics to show their faces.
Things got even worse at one point, with some emperors' faces looking like cartoons by the Middle Ages. It was not until the Renaissance that the art of sculpture was revived.
However, it is obviously not okay to say this in front of a group of devout Orthodox generals. When he marries a wife in the future, she will probably be a noble lady who is a devout Orthodox believer. There are some things that cannot be said casually.
While the generals were still visiting the historical sites, Solovyov met Marshal Suvorov's son Arkady, who also had no entourage and was walking on the street by himself.
"Arcasha, you are out to visit this Italian city, too?"
"Yes, Misha, are you coming back from the theater?"
Solovyov nodded and said, "The generals are still there. I went back to the street to see that Italy's handicraft industry is still very developed. Do you want to buy some and bring them back as souvenirs for your family in the future?"
"I thought so, but you know my father, Alexander Vasilyevich, always lived a simple life. I just wanted to show my sister if there was anything she might like."
In fact, he was receiving a salary as an attendant, and his sister and brother-in-law often gave him pocket money. The old marshal's temper was caused by his son-in-law embezzling family funds without his knowledge.
"I would like to change my leather boots. I have worn this pair for a whole winter. It is only because I ride horses frequently that they have not worn out. If I continue to stand guard at the gate of the Little Winter Palace as before, I am afraid I will have to change several pairs of boots just by walking back and forth."
The two of them walked together and saw the developed handicraft industries in the cities in northern Italy. In Verona alone, there were many workshops, and craftsmen making leather shoes and blankets could be seen on the streets.
Moreover, they were very enthusiastic about the arrival of Russian soldiers. When the French were here before, although the officers had to pay for their meals, the soldiers had to pay for a few pizzas from you?
This kind of thing also happened among the Austrian army. On the contrary, the Russian army, which has always been considered barbaric, even though it has always had a bad reputation and had suppressed many Polish Cossacks in the Braga district of Warsaw, or the rough peasant soldiers from remote villages, would definitely pay as long as a price was given to them.
One good thing about Italians is that you can seal their mouths, and they may not understand what you are saying, but as long as they can move their hands, they will definitely be able to gesture to you.
"These two young masters look respectable. Come and see, the finest silks!"
"You, the boss, are you still selling silk here?"
"Before the war, we stockpiled a lot of goods. When the Austrian master was here, our business was pretty good. We have been at war for the past few years, and our business is almost going out of business. In the past, we could still collect some thaler, but now the banknotes made by these French guys are almost like waste paper!"
As soon as the boss saw the two young Russian officers, he started to complain that his silk fabrics from Como, Italy, could not be sold because of the war. "If the war was over, wouldn't your stuff be sold? Silk is different from other fabrics. There are always masters willing to buy it. You can also wait until the war is over and take all the goods in your hands to Venice or other cities to sell. Do you think I am right, boss?"
"You are right, but I have almost lost all my capital. Where can I pay for the shipping?"
"Didn't they issue a notice when the French were here? Look at the wall, it's all in French. We still speak French to each other. This is to stabilize prices and ensure market supply. All shops are not allowed to close, otherwise we will collect a closure tax."
"This is the rule set by the tax farmer. You don't know those French and Austrian soldiers. They don't have much interest in my silk shop. This is not the time when mercenaries made flowery clothes for themselves. Officials also come to buy some fabrics for their wives, children and lovers, but how many high-ranking officials can come to Verona? This business is getting worse day by day. The money earned in the early years is almost lost now. This tax farmer..."
"Why are you still talking like a thief?"
"You two young masters are from Russia. People say that all Russians are barbarians, but I don't think so. Aren't you doing well? Just now, two officials bought fabrics from my shop for their wives."
"Just those two? Are ordinary troops so generous these days?"
Even though the military pay given by Tsar Paul increased a lot on the original basis, officials and soldiers alike could not afford it without some financial resources.
Perhaps Paul's reforms could suppress the vampires who drank the blood of soldiers, but corruption in supplies is a traditional skill of the European armies.
Of course, during the expedition, such matters were not his responsibility and he could not find out.
Arkady wanted to go back and find his servant to buy some fabric for his sister, and he urged Solovyov to do the same.
Solovyov was very rich, and he could even write a check and have his boss cash it in Vienna or Venice. When there was no telegram for cashing, he had to rely on the communication between banks, but it was still a bit difficult to connect them into a network.
Even if telegrams can be sent in the future, banks everywhere will still have to have reserves. In any case, the way currency circulates will still be very different.
"You want to buy some nice stuff for your sister, but why do you want me to pay for it with you?"
"I got this from a special channel, Misha. You're famous in the palace!"
As soon as Solovyov heard it, he knew that something was wrong. One of those royal ladies was too talkative, or their maids and servants gossiped about him wearing women's clothes in the studio.
He wanted to draw a line between himself and Alexander Golitsyn. There were some issues with their orientation, but that was quite funny.
But it’s better this way. No one will spread the “gossip” about him and the ladies. He didn’t do anything anyway, so nothing will happen if it spreads.
Of course, it was necessary to buy some silk fabrics for his stepmother and sister. His luggage was all placed together with Marshal Suvorov's.
The old marshal would not care about his subordinates' behavior as long as it did not cross the line.
Because these materials are close to their place of origin, their quality is even better than what we see in St. Petersburg.
If I go to Milan later, I will probably meet someone better.
It was indeed a wealthy place. Since they had a good chat with the boss, they each bought some.
Of course, Solovyov actually had an idea whether this man was a profiteer or not. When a tax farmer becomes cruel, he can be even more ruthless than the Americans who will collect taxes in the future. If you meet a tax farmer with bad intentions, he will not stop until he has squeezed every last bit of money out of you.
Fortunately, this boss accepts money from Austria and France, and the commodity economy in these places is indeed very developed.
It is no wonder that Tsar Paul, when he was still the crown prince, took advantage of the travel reward given by the empress when he gave birth to his heir, and later secretly visited many places in Europe in the name of "Count of the North", and he highly praised the urban management and various administrative methods of Western Europe.
Of course, he didn't see the tax farmers either. They were the same all over Europe, just like the cunning bankers and loan sharks, they were all ruthless people, and snobbery and evil flowed from every pore.
Since the commodity economy is so developed and has even touched the door to the Industrial Revolution, who would still be willing to stay in the snowy Russia and implement feudal serfdom?
Russians who go abroad all have this idea when they come back. No wonder there are so many French experts among them, and they have an absolute advantage in all kinds of foreign blowing.
After returning to the town hall, Suvorov also summoned these officers and said that he would leave a small number of troops here for support. After a day of rest, the main force would march towards Brescia at a slow pace. They were going to complete the march within three days together with the Austrian troops.
It shouldn't be difficult. General Rosenberg did raise some other questions: "Marshal, the road ahead is easier to walk on. We are marching on the main road. We just need to give the soldiers one night to get used to the new boots. Some of these boots were bought with our own money, and some were issued by our Austrian allies. They must fit their feet when we travel tomorrow."
"No problem. We will set out an hour later tomorrow morning, but we have to hurry on the road, as this section of the road is six versts. If a group arrives late, it won't be like today, where we can still stay in an apartment. There are small towns along the way, and there won't be so many guest rooms to provide you. When you get to Monte Carlo, you will have to set up tents there. Brescia is in the hands of the French."
"Your Excellency, the weather is getting better now. Let's take Brescia back from the French. Won't we have an apartment to live in?"
After Miloradovich said this, everyone nodded. After all, in every Italian city they passed through, the Italians always provided them with good supplies, including bread, salt, red wine, meat and cheese, without the Austrian government having to say anything.
This is the wonderful experience of Russians in Italy. Some people think that life here is pretty good, and it even dilutes their homesickness.
It would be great if I could settle down in Italy in the future!
After arriving in Verona, Solovyov wrote a letter to his family, reporting his safety and mentioning what he had seen in Italy. However, he did not know how long it would take the courier to deliver the letter.
(End of this chapter)