As the saying goes, "There are more than ten thousand soldiers and endless." How amazing is the power of the 40,000 troops as they march? Not to mention that Archbishop Uli of Mainz was shocked when he saw it, even Marin himself was shocked.
The Beihai Kingdom army learned the most standard PLA queue in later generations and had very high requirements for discipline. Basically, when the army was marching, the order of left and right legs of each team was similar.
If a few people left like this, it would be nothing. But 40,000 people were in a uniform manner, and everyone would be shocked when they saw it. Not to mention fighting, they could scare people.
What's more, Malin brought more than 20,000 people and soldiers to help transport food and ammunition supplies. The team of wheelbarrows transporting supplies was beyond the limit at a glance.
After leaving Mainz, Marin led a large army southward and headed straight for Wolms. Wolms is the meeting place of the Imperial Parliament, 40 kilometers south of Mainz, and also on the west bank of the Rhine River.
After the temporary meeting of the Imperial Parliament was held, Marin would definitely come here too. However, the reason why he went south along the Rhine was mainly concerned with the issue of supply. Because transporting supplies by boat through the Rhine is much more convenient than transporting supplies on land. Therefore, Marin only brought 20,000 people this time, which was enough.
Moreover, the destination of Marin's army this time is also on the banks of the Rhine River, but on the banks of the upper reaches of the Rhine River in the south. Marin led the army to upstream along the west bank of the Rhine River and would definitely reach Basel. Moreover, the terrain along the route is relatively flat. Even the Rhine River in Basel is also a navigable section. If you go a little further upstream from Basel and reach Rhine Felden east of Basel, you will reach the boundary point where the Rhine River is navigable.
Therefore, this march was very pleasant for the Beihai Army. Because the heavier artillery and other supplies were mainly transported on the ship. Only when the grain was afraid of being damp was mainly transported on land. After all, although the Rhine River south of Mainz can be navigated, it cannot take a large ship with a deep draft. If the boat has too shallow draft, it is easy to get into the water and get damp. If the grain is damp, it will easily become moldy.
Of course, the reason why Malin brought 20,000 people to join the army was that in addition to transporting food and supplies, it also meant to act as an engineering team. After all, the construction of military camps cannot be done by the combat troops. If the combat troops consume too much physical strength because building military camps, they will not be safe to face the enemy.
...
The words were divided into two ends. After Emperor Maximilian I returned to Innsbruck, he also ordered Frenzberg to dispatch 20,000 troops to face Basel and acted as an attacking gesture, which surprised the coalition forces of the princes.
Today, Basel is still under the control of the coalition of the princes. However, Frenzberg had completed the reorganization of the 15,000 surrendered mercenaries. Later, according to Kohler's suggestion, Maximilian I quietly seized food from the coalition of the princes and forced seven or eight thousand veteran mercenaries to jump to 35,000.
Moreover, in terms of combat effectiveness, Frenzberg's 35,000 army was actually capable of defeating the 37,000 people of the coalition forces of the princes. However, because the "Swiss Resistance Army" mainly composed of the French had more than 20,000 elite soldiers staring at them, Frenzberg did not dare to act rashly.
Therefore, this time, Frenzberg dispatched 20,000 troops from Arau in the north. As for the 15,000 troops from Lucerne in the south, they remained silent to guard against the Swiss and French coalition forces.
Of course, it is not safe to fight 20,000 people alone with 35,000 people. After all, the 20,000 people under Frenzberg are not ten-year veterans like the First and Second Legions of the Beihai Kingdom.
Therefore, after Frenzberg personally led an army of 20,000 to the city of Basel, the first thing he did was not to attack the city, but to build a solid earth city immediately. Moreover, several trenches were dug outside the earth city, and the trenches were filled with pinnies...
Frenzberg followed Marin for a long time, and he learned a lot of Marin's methods. For example, when building camps, Marin prefers to use rammed earth to build earth walls. Because earth walls are much stronger than wooden fences. The earth walls with thatch as "stubble and bone" are added, and the firmness is still very good, some are like weakened concrete. Although it is difficult to withstand heavy artillery, the general European army in this era did not have heavy artillery, and light cannons such as three-pound cannons cannot be used to bomb the earth walls with thatched muscles and bones added.
Moreover, soldiers can stand on earth walls to guard the barracks like guarding the city. This is much easier and safer than guarding wooden fences. Because there are also simple battlements on earth walls that can withstand bows and arrows and bullets.
...
As for the coalition of princes in Basel, they did not dare to go out to attack Frenzberg's army. Why? Although the coalition of princes had a total force of 37,000, there were only 20,000 people left in Basel at this time. Another 17,000 people were scattered in Bezonsson, the capital of Francheconte, and Badenbaden, the capital of Badenbo (Karlsruhe mentioned above was wrong, and the capital of Badenbo was moved to Karlsruhe in 1715).
Why? Because the coalition of princes sent troops to Francheconte and Badenberg to collect grain...
At present, it happens to be the end of the autumn harvest, and it is also the best time for the monarchs and princes to collect grain. The general of the coalition forces of the princes reached 37,000, and the 40,000 people were strong, and the food consumption was amazing.
It is difficult to maintain the financial support of the various vassal states and the private subsidies of the church princes. Therefore, as soon as the autumn harvest ended, the coalition of princes divided their troops to Francheconte and Badenbe to collect grain.
Of course, it is actually similar to the Japanese going to the countryside to grab grain. The coalition of princes is an invading army for Francheconte and Badenbe under the Habsburg family. Therefore, the coalition of princes will not care about the lives and death of the locals. They can conquer as much as they can. If soldiers see chickens, ducks, geese, etc. raised in the manor, they will catch the chickens, ducks, geese, like Japanese, and tie them to their spears with ropes...
Therefore, at this time, there were only 20,000 defenders in Basel. Flengzberg's army, which also had 20,000 people, they had no chance of winning and did not dare to go out to fight. Of course, they had the walls of Basel as their support and would not be afraid of Flengzberg's troops.
As for Frenzberg, he was also very clear that siege was not worth it, and the emperor did not ask him to siege the city. And when another 17,000 enemy troops arrived, he might not be able to fight...
Therefore, when the enemy's troops were dispersed, building a solid camp in the style of a dirt city became the best choice...
...
The coalition of princes was indeed frightened by the inexplicable actions of the Habsburg family. Then, the army that was originally "collecting grain" in the countryside of Francheconte and Badenberg was urgently recalled, and then gathered in Basel to guard against further actions of the Habsburg family army.
Chapter completed!