Benedek knew the defenses of Northern Italy like the back of his hand, and he knew every weak point in them. He could even name the commander of every fortress.
He also understood that even if the French really had three hundred thousand men, the two sides would simply be back at the same starting line.
Northern Italy was already heavily garrisoned. Add the wartime buildup and the large numbers of new recruits Austria had enlisted after the Great Restoration War to deal with refugees and unemployment, and the Austrian Empire now had three hundred thousand troops in its Italian theater.
Strictly speaking, the enemy commander, Bellevue, was no traditional general. He was even less qualified than those aristocratic generals who had never seen a battlefield.
In the French Army, Bellevue had mostly played the role of a clerk. If the February Revolution hadn't broken out, he would never have commanded a large army on his own.
Only someone like him would come up with the reckless strategy of advancing along five routes at once and be willing to concentrate the main force for an attack from the Kingdom of Sardinia.
If Carlo Alberto hadn't rejected the Austrian Empire's offer of assistance at the start of the war, the French would still be lingering along the border between the two countries.
Of course, Carlo Alberto's rejection was understandable. After all, no ruler wanted another country's troops marching onto his soil.
Besides their overwhelming numbers, Bellevue's army also had a staff of advisers recruited from Saint-Cyr Military Academy. There was no doubt they would cause a great deal of trouble.
Benedek spoke with equal confidence about weapons, equipment, and other matters, yet Marshal Radetzky still felt deeply disappointed.
In every respect, Benedek was indeed one of the finest officers in Northern