Chapter 296: Capturing Venice
"Apologies, gentlemen. We in Mozambique are highly sensitive about this matter and will not open any ports. It concerns Mozambique's security."
"So there's no room for discussion? We're merely hoping your side can provide a port for economic development. All personnel would operate under your supervision, so there's no risk to your security."
The Mozambican official shook his head. "Please head back. This is the governor's decision."
Exchanging glances, the East African diplomats realized the new Mozambican governor wasn't easy to deal with. With no alternative, they had to return and report. In truth, the East African government wasn't surprised that Mozambique refused to rent out a port – it had never expected them to agree and was simply giving it a try.
From another perspective, if a foreign country asked East Africa to open its market, East Africa would refuse too. Renting a port and opening a market aren't identical, but the same logic applies. East Africa fully understood the Portuguese, who'd once been cornered by the British in a similar manner – of course they wouldn't lower their guard.
…
December arrived.
At last, Archduke Albrecht, the Austro-Hungarian supreme commander, launched his final offensive against the Kingdom of Italy. Letting the conflict drag on further wasn't an option. Venice had been under siege for months and lost more than half its population – many fled to East Africa, some to South America, others to surrounding areas. Now that the monarchy's main objectives were essentially met, they had to end the war to avoid complications.
"Attack on all fronts!"
At that order, Italy once again erupted in nonstop artillery fire. Heavy cannons summoned from the Austro-Hungarian rear pummeled Venice's fortifications, piling pressure on the Venetian defenders.
That same day, the Austro-Hungarian coalition in Lombardy launched a large-scale assault, while their expeditionary force – having looped around and recuperated in the Papal States – advanced steadily on Florence for the second time, along with Papal troops.
Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Naples did not join in large-scale operations, busy guarding itself against Sicily. Sicilians weren't keen on Naples restoring the old Two Sicilies for "cohabitation." Internal unrest also plagued Naples, so they opted out of the fighting, an arrangement approved by Austria-Hungary.
Although Sicily was technically still under Italian rule, with Naples and the Papal States restored, its only link to the rest of Italy lay across the Mediterranean. Even if Sicily never formally broke away, it would likely demand autonomy in the future.
During the months Austria-Hungary paused its offensive, Italy prepared what it could. Aside from the annoying "expeditionary force" that roamed around, Italy overall maintained order. Taking advantage of this lull, Victor Emmanuel II again sought British help. This time the British did not refuse, sending Italy a large quantity of military aid. Britain wasn't happy seeing Austria-Hungary easily defeat Italy. With the Franco-Prussian War basically settled, unless another Napoleon emerged to rescue France, the odds were slim, so Britain had leeway to curb Austrian expansion.
During all that, in the Kingdom of Italy:
"Austria-Hungary isn't as scary as we imagined," declared the Italian Minister of War. "They only succeeded early on because they'd long been preparing, and they caught us off guard, causing our massive early losses. But over the last few months of clashes, we can plainly see our troops' progress."
Indeed, Italy's army had improved, though Austria-Hungary hadn't put forth its full strength those months. That created a curious outcome: in the Venetian region, Italy lost men daily, ceding ground, yet at the same time, the military kept reporting 'victories.' Especially after Venice was besieged, its army assured the government, "Austria-Hungary is nearing exhaustion; with Venice's fortifications, we can hold this bridgehead, no problem."
The reason Italian officers sounded so confident was they hadn't truly "felt the pain." After the initial onslaught, Austria-Hungary's offensive seemed to weaken, letting Italy withdraw slowly until tens of thousands of troops were crammed into cramped Venice. Meanwhile, Italy used British aid to form another 100,000-man force in the rear. Observers thought Austria-Hungary might not triumph so easily. Even though Austria-Hungary had the stronger overall power, perhaps with British backing Italy might counterattack.
However, this Austria-Hungary was not the same empire that struggled in World War I of another timeline. Its generals were not incompetent, but recognized worldwide as top-tier: Archduke Albrecht and Wilhelm von Tegetthoff. So their army was by no means weak among the great powers, not to the point of laboring just to beat Serbia. On land, Albrecht would show Italy's forces what heavy pressure felt like, while Austria-Hungary's navy harassed Sicily, Sardinia, and Italy's mainland. With Naples restored, Austria-Hungary also had a place to moor and resupply on Italy's western seaboard.
From the outset of Archduke Albrecht's final offensive, Italy felt the strain. Multiple lines faced crisis, and Venice's sturdy "bridgehead" was far less secure than Italians believed. Repeated shelling punched through Venice's defensive lines, letting Austria-Hungarian troops advance into the city for street-to-street fighting.
Normally, the defending side in an urban fight on home soil would have the advantage. But this time it was different. The Italians not only faced Austria-Hungary's troops but also Venice's local populace. As soon as Austria-Hungary entered the city, Venice's citizens supported them wholeheartedly—leading the way, aiding their attacks, and even shooting the Italian army from behind.
Why? Because Venetians had already had enough of the so-called Kingdom of Italy. The local aristocrats, capitalizing on the crisis, had profited immensely in Venice's darkest months, messing around unchecked yet blaming the Italian troops for everything. Meanwhile, nearly ten thousand Italian soldiers jammed into Venice ate through enormous supplies, while the government's extortion crushed the people.
At first, with Austrian troops still outside, there wasn't much the populace could do. But once Austria-Hungary entered Venice, their pent-up anger of several months exploded. With that citizen assistance, Austria-Hungary actually gained the upper hand in the street fighting. The morale of Italy's forces, already low, broke instantly under betrayal from behind. On just the first day, Venice fell.
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