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Chapter 367 - Chapter 367: The Battle of Brussels

Chapter 367: The Battle of Brussels

The Marquis of Wellesley sat down in the chair opposite, recalling the information he had heard in Parliament:

"According to Fox, nearly two months ago, Mysore sent 6,000 troops to invade Cannanore. The East India Company's soldiers defending it resisted for only three days before being completely defeated."

Cannanore was a crucial stronghold for the East India Company in the southwestern part of the Indian subcontinent. Losing it would severely impact trade in southwestern India. While the East India Company was technically a private company, it essentially functioned as Britain's administrative body in India. Almost everyone in Britain, from government officials to members of Parliament to merchants, held shares in the East India Company. Any harm to this company's interests would have an even greater impact on Britain than a significant government financial loss.

Prime Minister Pitt furrowed his brow deeply.

"Are you saying that these Indian natives only needed 5,000 men to..."

The East India Company had less than 600 soldiers stationed in Cannanore, but most of them had regular army experience, giving them a significant combat advantage over the Indian natives. Additionally, there were several thousand locally recruited auxiliary troops. Based on past experience, they should have been able to withstand an assault of at least 10,000 Mysore soldiers for a month or two.

But this time, they fell in just three days.

The Marquis of Wellesley spoke with a grave expression:

"Yes, it's said that this Mysore force is extremely powerful, fully equipped with European-made flintlock muskets and over a dozen well-crafted cannons. They even managed to breach the East India Company's fortifications with artillery fire."

These high-quality weapons were, of course, provided by Lafayette to Mysore.

Moreover, Princess Amira of Tunisia had already arrived in Mysore and secretly gotten engaged to Tipu Sultan's son, Nawaz. Although the marriage was not yet formalized, her dowry had already been sent to India. It included an entire set of artillery production equipment, 30 cannon-making technicians, and enough raw materials to produce 50 cannons. This meant that Tipu Sultan would soon have a steady supply of cannons.

While the British Navy controlled the Indian Ocean's shipping routes, they couldn't do much about smugglers. And the cannon-making technicians could safely arrive on French merchant ships. France still maintained a small colony in Pondicherry, India, allowing them to conduct minor trade activities.

Most importantly, Mysore now had Lafayette—a general skilled at leading inexperienced troops into battle.

For a country like India, still in the middle stages of feudalism, military power was only partly determined by weapons and equipment. The more significant factors were outdated systems and the quality of the soldiers.

As Princess Amira's protector and holding the rank of Umda, Lafayette spearheaded military reforms in Mysore. He regulated everything from military pay distribution to officer appointments, from discipline to coordination among soldiers of different faiths, down to details like how to arrange tents during encampment and the exact path and number of rounds for patrols.

After nearly three months of strict training, which included plenty of whippings and beatings, this Indian army, which had already adopted some European military practices, was transformed. Though they were still far from being a match for the British army, they were no longer the pushovers who could be easily overwhelmed ten to one.

Of course, Lafayette, despite his boundless energy and only five hours of sleep per day, managed to train just 4,000 Mysore soldiers to this level. The rest had to be trained by Tunisian officers he had brought along.

In the surprise attack on Cannanore, he personally led 3,000 newly trained troops, supported by 3,000 regular Indian soldiers, and easily overran the East India Company's camp.

However, the British had also been caught off guard. At the time, only half of the soldiers—about 300—were on duty in the fort, while the others were in nearby towns, either doing business or seeking entertainment. The auxiliary troops hadn't even been fully assembled.

When Lafayette launched his attack, the East India Company's auxiliary forces, which had no real loyalty, saw the ferocity of the Mysore forces—Tipu Sultan's nickname, "The Tiger of Mysore," also played a significant role—and quickly defected. These defectors, who were well-acquainted with the defenses of Cannanore, hastened the British collapse.

The Marquis of Wellesley continued:

"The last report we received from India said that over 10,000 Mysore soldiers are now approaching North Canara."

Pitt's expression turned grim. North Canara was another critical stronghold for the East India Company in western India, home to the important port of Malabar. If Mysore were to capture this as well, the British would lose all their trading posts along the west coast of India.

And with India so far from Britain, this news was likely already a month and a half old.

Pitt pondered this and looked at the Marquis of Wellesley:

"It seems the Royal Navy must fully support our operations in India."

"We'll also need to send several thousand troops on an expedition," Wellesley agreed, suddenly recalling something. He added, "Prime Minister, Governor-General Cornwallis mentioned that a group of Frenchmen has been active in Mysore recently.

"There's been a surge of anti-British sentiment in Mysore lately, and it's likely the work of the French. The weapons in the Indians' hands probably came from them as well."

Pitt was greatly surprised—he had assumed that France's financial situation was dire, yet they still managed to find the funds to aid the Indians!

Little did he know, France had only sent Lafayette and a Tunisian princess. The rest of the investment had already been recouped through Tipu Sultan's bridal gift, and France had even made a small profit.

Pitt silently sighed. He had already spent a fortune on North Africa, and yet the French hadn't withdrawn from Tunisia. Then, Hanover's army had suffered a crushing defeat in the Low Countries. Now, India required a substantial financial commitment.

Moreover, British textile exports in Europe had been declining recently, as the French were flooding the German and Spanish markets with cheap fabrics. If the unfavorable situation wasn't reversed, the Whigs would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to attack him, and even the King might begin to question his capabilities.

After calculating the costs of supporting India and the complex situation of a potential war with Mysore, Pitt wearily gestured to the Marquis of Wellesley:

"Please head to Paris as soon as possible. We can't afford any more losses in India."

...

Southern Netherlands.

Brussels.

King Charles II glared angrily at the officers before him, shouting:

"What exactly are you doing? The French only have 3,000 men in Ruisbroek! How could you fail to take it with nearly three times that number?"

The Hanoverian officers hung their heads in silence, but inwardly they were frustrated.

Those French troops were terrifying. Before they could even approach Ruisbroek, the outnumbered French forces had come out to attack them first, splitting their ranks in two.

Had they not reacted quickly and retreated in time, they would have lost far more than 300 men.

In reality, Joseph had strictly ordered his troops not to wipe out the enemy entirely. Otherwise, there was no way these Hanoverians could have escaped the grip of the French Imperial Guard.

The front line south of Brussels had been in a standoff for over a month. Although Charles II had brought in over 7,000 reinforcements from Hanover, they had made no impact on the French forces. Instead, they had suffered repeated losses themselves.

(End of Chapter)

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