Several years earlier, East Francia had discovered rich silver deposits in the Harz Mountains and begun investing manpower and resources into developing the mining district.
At present, the combined annual output of the mines was roughly one metric ton of silver, equivalent to about £3,000 worth of bullion.
In addition, the region produced lead, zinc, copper, and gold.
Taken together, these minerals were worth another £1,000 annually.
According to Vig's plans, the Harz Mountains and surrounding lands would become part of the royal domains.
In the future, large numbers of prisoners of war would be assigned to the mines, while Britannian technologies—such as rail-mounted mine carts and water-powered ore crushers—would be introduced.
The result, he estimated, would at least double production.
In August, Vig ordered the Third Field Division to remain in East Francia and continue reducing settlements in the south.
Before long, the Fourth Field Division would complete its training.
Working together, the two divisions would be more than capable of crushing the remaining East Frankish resistance.
With those matters settled, Vig led 30,000 field troops back into West Francia to complete the final phase of the war.
After two years of continuous conflict, the West Frankish nobility had been devastated.
The entire south had fallen into a political vacuum.
Although the region still contained more than two million inhabitants, no one could organize a credible army.
Vig outlined his strategy:
"The Second Field Division and three Breton Garrison Regiments will advance into Aquitaine in the southwest."
"Another two thousand Eastern European mercenaries will arrive next month. That should be sufficient."
"I will lead the remaining forces from Lyon and march south along the Rhône, capturing Marseille and Montpellier."
"With luck, the war will be over within six months."
Down the Rhône
In September, twenty thousand Viking soldiers assembled at Lyon.
Nearly a year of reconnaissance and infiltration had yielded extensive intelligence on southern Francia.
In addition, one hundred rowing longships had been constructed.
More than a hundred kilometers south of Lyon, the Rhône flowed through a broad and fertile valley.
The land was rich enough to support the army's food requirements.
Five days later, the expedition reached Montélimar.
From there to Avignon, the terrain narrowed dramatically.
Steep cliffs lined both banks of the river.
The remnants of the Frankish army had concentrated their defenses in this region, hoping to block the Viking advance.
The gorge stretched roughly sixty kilometers.
The river was swift.
The terrain prevented large armies from deploying effectively.
As a result, the Viking advance slowed drastically.
The burden of fighting fell primarily upon the four mountain infantry battalions.
To delay the enemy as much as possible, the Franks constructed fortified camps on key heights and deployed trebuchets overlooking the river, forcing the Vikings to assault elevated defensive positions.
The expeditionary army had little choice but to advance step by step.
Mountain infantry cleared small enemy detachments.
Engineers then hauled dismantled light ballista components to the heights, reassembled them, and used them to launch fire-oil jars that burned the Frankish wooden fortifications.
Not until early October, as temperatures began to fall, did the Vikings finally emerge from the gorge.
Their average rate of advance had been a mere 2.5 kilometers per day.
Upon reaching the outskirts of Avignon, Vig conducted another methodical siege.
After securing the city, he marched southeast toward Marseille.
The Last Frankish Gamble
October 28.
Two days' march from Marseille.
Mountain infantry scouting ahead discovered Frankish troops concealed within a nearby forest.
Fierce fighting erupted immediately.
The report reached headquarters.
Vig instantly ordered the army to halt and prepare for action.
Within minutes, infantry companies and battalions formed hollow squares on both sides of the road.
From Vig's position, the southeastern hills rolled endlessly toward the horizon.
Two columns of black smoke twisted upward into the sky.
Autumn winds rustled through the forest.
Dead leaves drifted down like rain.
The sounds of battle echoed through the trees.
The smoke was a distress signal from the mountain infantry, marking their location.
Vig dispatched one mountain infantry battalion and one infantry regiment to reinforce them.
Before long, the fighting intensified.
A third column of black smoke rose above the forest.
The reinforcements had been attacked as well.
"It seems the remnants of the Frankish main army are all here."
Recognizing the changing situation, Vig moved the army into a vast wheat field west of the road.
The terrain was flat and open.
He reorganized his defenses, replacing battalion- and company-sized squares with regimental squares.
More than a dozen such formations formed a loose circle.
Inside stood:
3,000 cavalry
large numbers of noncombatants
Once the formation was complete, the Viking army occupied a secure position.
Vig began discussing further plans with his commanders.
Suddenly, another wave of fighting erupted from the eastern woods.
Two hundred mountain infantrymen emerged from the trees, fighting a disciplined retreat into the open.
Soon afterward, scattered Frankish soldiers began appearing from the forest.
Their formation was disorganized.
They wore nasal helmets and chainmail.
At a rough estimate, there were perhaps three thousand men.
What exactly were they trying to do?
Unable to determine their intentions, Vig ordered the longbowmen to suppress them with ranged fire.
Several minutes later, a loud horn sounded from the forest.
The Frankish troops withdrew back among the trees.
Vig sent forces in pursuit and captured dozens of prisoners.
Their testimony revealed the truth.
More than ten thousand Frankish soldiers had been hidden in the forests to the southeast.
Their original plan had been to ambush the Viking marching column.
However, before the main Viking force entered the trap, mountain infantry patrols had already detected signs of enemy activity.
Unwilling to let the opportunity slip away, Charles the Bald ordered his army to abandon the ambush position and launch a direct assault on Vig's headquarters before the Vikings could react.
The result was disastrous.
Ten thousand men attempted to race north through difficult forest terrain.
The brave surged ahead.
The timid lagged behind.
Others became lost entirely among the hills and woods.
The distance from the ambush site to the Viking army was approximately four kilometers.
After the chaotic march, Charles discovered to his horror that only about one-third of his soldiers had actually reached the battlefield.
The grand ambush had become a farce.
With that, the Franks' final opportunity to reverse the war disappeared.
Vig took a sip from his pewter flask and shook his head.
"A long-distance assault through mountain forests?"
"That kind of operation requires highly capable junior officers."
"What exactly was your king thinking?"
One captured knight replied:
"After fleeing to northern Italy, His Majesty devoted himself to studying Roman military texts."
"He was particularly fascinated by the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest."
(Note: In AD 9, during the reign of Augustus, Germanic tribes ambushed and nearly annihilated three Roman legions under Varus, killing more than twenty thousand Roman soldiers.)
Pffft!
Vig sprayed water from his mouth and burst into laughter.
"So after studying for half a year, his conclusion was to treat me like Varus—the greatest fool in Roman history?"
At the very beginning of the war, Vig had assigned:
two mountain infantry battalions
one ranger battalion
to every field division.
During marches:
Rangers reconnoitered open terrain.
Mountain infantry searched forests ahead and on both flanks.
Whenever enemy activity was detected, the main army could form defensive squares within a short time.
Looking at the dejected prisoners, Vig explained:
"Classic battles like Teutoburg Forest are taught at the Army Academy."
"Even company and platoon officers know those case studies."
"Don't expect us to make such elementary mistakes."
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