A CHILL WIND
Feb 18-23, 1800
ITALIAN FRONT
Following the Battle of Soave, the French retreated but did not concede the initiative. With both armies very bloodied, the two have been tentatively feeling one another out. Following his retreat to Arcola, Bonaparte quickly moved to Verona to resume the siege but the defenders would have none of it and immediately surrendered. The French have cautiously been advancing from there. Bonaparte, upon returning with his army to Soave, is said to have wept to see the debris of the two armies that had fought so fiercely there.
The peace treaty that Archduke Charles proposed was rejected by Consul of Bonaparte. The Consul's counter-proposal cannot be ratified before the 5th of March so it will be spring before there is peace.
Massena and Bonaparte are moving east and Archduke Charles seems to slowly be giving up ground to them. Another great conflict is certain to come within days in northern Italy. Every soldier feels it in his bones.
GERMAN FRONT
There is a similar sense of impending conflict in Bavaria. General Hiller has been in regular conflict with the forces of Bavaria, engaging them repeatedly at Pfaffenhofen, but has made little progress in establishing Austrian control of the upstart nation. To aid the General, Vienna has ordered Archduke Louis to commit some of his forces to the northern front.
Louis has a vast front to cover with his troops. While watching for French attempts to retake Zurich, he must also be conscious of threats from Bonaparte in the south to take Trent. If Joubert were to advance down the Stuttgart-Munich road, that puts the French within 2-3 days of Innsbruck. That possibility also requires defences from the Archduke's scattered armies. The Emperor will not be refused though. Transferring Czarak's column to Charles, Louis hurried north to take command of a new column at Salzburg under Alvinzi and that has since marched on Munich.
Joubert has been advancing decisively through western Germany. Baden and Wurtemberg were overrun within days and the Austrians are making estimated timetables for his advance into Bavaria. He might be in Ulm by now with at least 10 divisions, given the road capabilities in that region but he might also be massing to march south to retake Zurich.
