Medieval: Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Chapter 161 Defensive Operations

Life is like a long journey, full of unknowns and challenges. We cannot predict the future, but we can choose our own path and determine our own destiny.

Just like Peter chose to launch an offensive invasion, but then chose to defend on the spot.

Geographical advantage is a natural war multiplier.

The defender's most significant advantage lies in their control of the terrain.

They can choose the most suitable terrain for defense to build their positions—hillsides, rivers, and swamps can all become nightmares for attackers. This understanding has been consistent throughout the history of human warfare, from the Greek coalition at Thermopylae to the Sun-Liu alliance at Chibi, both in ancient and modern times, in China and abroad.

During the Hundred Years' War between England and France, English generals took the principle of "defense wins victory" to its extreme. They preferred to occupy advantageous terrain, construct fortifications, and then patiently await the French attack. The Battle of Crécy in 1346 and the Battle of 1415 exemplify this strategy.

The same applies to the Battle of Aginkur in 1948.

Peter is now emulating this very British tactic.

He dug a two-meter-deep trench on a high slope outside the village and buried a row of sharpened wooden stakes in it. This simple yet effective obstacle was known in the Middle Ages as a "hedgehog formation," which could effectively stop cavalry charges and slow down the infantry, providing more opportunities for archers in the rear to fire their arrows. He also ordered his soldiers to scatter barbed wire and dig countless small pits in front of the position; these inconspicuous little traps were enough to cause charging warhorses to stumble.

On medieval battlefields, the better the armor of a knight or soldier, the heavier the armor, and the faster their stamina would be depleted. A complete set of plate armor weighed 20-25 kilograms, and marching in such gear under the scorching sun was tantamount to a continuous torture.

The defenders can wait in comfort, but the attackers must move around the battlefield, which accelerates the depletion of their precious stamina. The stamina a knight in full plate armor would expend marching one kilometer under the scorching sun would be enough to make him sluggish in the ensuing battle.

Meanwhile, the defenders could rest and rotate behind their fortifications, maintaining peak condition at all times. Peter understood this well; he ordered his soldiers to take turns on guard duty, spending most of their time resting in the shade, leaving only necessary sentries to observe enemy activity.

Chinese military strategy also provides a concise summary of this, which can be summarized in four words: "Form ranks before engaging in battle!"

As for how to lure Turnov out of the castle for a battle, Peter devised a brilliant psychological warfare plan, consisting of five moves:

The first tactic: direct invasion and provocation. When territory is invaded and villages are occupied, lords must retaliate to save face, otherwise they will be seen as cowards. This tactic has always worked in medieval lordly warfare.

Peter sent small detachments deep into the heart of Turnov, deliberately plundering a few outlying villages without capturing the castle. This "hit and run" tactic was most likely to infuriate the proud nobles.

The second tactic: humiliate and enrage the enemy. If the other side insists on being a coward, one can emulate King Edward III of England, who instigated the Hundred Years' War. Not only should one send a letter of challenge, but one should also send women's clothing, spindles, and fox furs on special holidays.

They openly declared, "Since you are as timid as a woman, you might as well wear a skirt and stay in your boudoir!" Such public humiliation was intolerable in the medieval culture of honor.

The third tactic: to tarnish his reputation. If the opponent refuses to fight, he will be humiliated. Peter plans to send bards and merchants to spread rumors within the territory of Turnov, portraying the count as a coward.

In the Middle Ages, reputation was more important than life. A lord who lost his reputation would find his vassals disloyal, his peasants secretly mocking him, and the very foundation of his rule would be shaken.

The fourth tactic: Attack where the enemy must defend. Directly besiege the enemy's economic lifeline or symbolic location, and then surround and attack the reinforcements.

Count Turnov faces a dilemma: sending troops to rescue him might lead to an ambush, while not sending troops would cut off his economic lifeline and shake the loyalty of his vassals and soldiers due to unpaid wages.

Fifth tactic: Cannon siege. As a last resort, the bronze cannon "Finger of God" has been brought to the front lines by Peter.

Although the cannon was cumbersome and had a slow rate of fire, its psychological deterrent effect far outweighed its actual destructive power. Peter planned to demonstrate the cannon's power when necessary—not to actually breach the city walls, but to conduct a demonstrative firing in front of the castle, letting the defenders witness firsthand how stone projectiles shattered rocks.

Peter prioritized luring the enemy out of the city for a decisive battle in the open field, leaving the attack on the castle for last, because he was keenly aware of his strategic predicament.

The Turnov Countate was no easy opponent. Unlike the Ichin and Rovin Countates, which consisted of only one castle and five or six surrounding villages—where capturing a single castle could end the war—the Turnov Countate was three times the size of Trostsky, with complex karst topography, rugged terrain, and as many as seven castles. Its large population, including six churches for prayer, meant a stronger economic base and greater manpower reserves.

In contrast, the entire Trostsky region consisted only of the main city and Nebakov, which could be considered castles, and only one small church. This disparity in strength meant that if Peter were to attack castle by castle, even if he ultimately won, it would result in enormous losses that would take a long time to recover from. He did not have the time or resources to wage a war of attrition.

Moreover, time was of the essence, and the threat from the Rosenberg family in the south hung like the sword of Damocles over their heads. This ambitious family had been waiting for an opportunity, and once Peter became bogged down in a protracted war at Turnov, they would surely stab him in the back.

Therefore, Peter must act quickly and retreat to defend.

While waiting for Count Turnov's response, Peter did not remain idle.

He personally inspected every defensive fortification, ate with the soldiers, and listened to their concerns.

A militiaman said worriedly, "Sir, what if the Earl just won't come out?"

Peter laughed and replied, "Then let him watch his village fall into our hands, watch his reputation be trampled upon. In the Middle Ages, a lord could lose a battle, but not his honor and wealth. He will come out."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Sir George, looking out from his horse, shouted, "Peter, look at the dust in the distance! Turnov's army is coming!"

"Very good, I've been waiting for them for a long time. All sides prepare to meet the enemy!"

At Peter's command, troops from all sides on the high ground outside the village quickly moved into their defensive positions.

The militias of Lion Village, Semi Village, Shidir Village, Apolonia Village, Trossky Village, and Zheleyov Village, led by Company Commander Monchi, deployed behind the first-line trenches and barricades, holding up four-meter-long rifles and two-meter-long flails in formation.

Behind them were eighty heavily armored Lion Guard warriors led by Ace the Hound, Klaus, Carter the Tomcat, and Conrad the Lone Wolf. They were equipped with longswords, hammers, axes, crossbows, and gunpowder canisters, and lined up behind the militia.

In the center of the formation sat Peter, riding a horse and gazing into the distance, and the standard-bearer, Black Battosh.

Behind the hillside, Uncle George led twenty Seidleitz cavalrymen, keeping their plans secret and waiting for the final opportunity to reap the rewards.

Half an hour later, as the enemy drew near, Count Turnov arrived with 120 well-trained castle guards equipped with chainmail or patchwork armor; six knights with fiefs, armed to the teeth, and their squires; 60 experienced, heavily armored infantrymen; and 30 cavalrymen, along with three mercenary groups.

Battle is imminent.

Count Turnov's army halted and arrayed themselves before the high ground. The count, head held high, spurred his horse forward, his black bear cloak trimmed with sable fluttering in the wind. He reined in his horse, his eyes beneath his helmet scanning the heavily fortified defensive positions, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips.

"That laughable redhead Peter thinks he can stop my elite troops with this little hill that's only a few meters high?"

He spurred his horse forward and, like every nobleman who values ​​honor, shouted up the slope, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!"

The count's voice, like a battle horn, resounded throughout the surroundings: "Peter Griffin, you despicable thief! How dare you trample on the land God gave me, defiling the glory that nurtured eight generations of Turnov ancestors!"

Peter also rode out of the battleground, the sunlight shining on his polished silver plate armor, making the lion emblem carved on his breastplate gleam.

"Magnificent Count Turnov," Peter's equally resounding voice echoed across the battlefield, "if we're talking about thieves, weren't you the one who conspired with Barons Persson and Rowan to divide my territory? Right now, they're visiting my castle to repent and have confessed to your plot."

A commotion spread through Turnov's army; soldiers whispered among themselves, their chainmail rustling softly.

"Lies!" The count's expression changed drastically, his right hand unconsciously tightening its grip on the sword hilt. "This is slander!"

"Then explain," Peter said, pulling a roll of parchment from his robes, "why is your seal on this letter dividing the Trotsky territory? As a count, do you intend to continue this vile lie before God and all men?"

Count Turnov's lips trembled slightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He glanced around and noticed that even his own knights cast suspicious glances his way. On the distant hillside, Peter's soldiers erupted in laughter, and the loud-voiced tomcat cried out, "Look! This noble count wouldn't even dare to speak the truth before God!"

"Hahaha~"

Peter continued, "Your Excellency, with the evidence before us, can you swear on the honor of your family that you have never coveted my territory?"

"Impossible! Everyone knows I'm illiterate. How dare you use a forged letter to slander an illiterate person like me!"

"Hahaha!"

The laughter grew even louder on the hillside.

Count Turnov stood frozen in place, his face beneath his visor flushed crimson. He abruptly drew his sword, the tip pointing directly at Peter: "Enough! I will use my sword to prove your lies!"