He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 76

Became Napoleon’s Genius Son – Episode 76 (76/547)

(76) Murat Becomes Eugene’s Subordinate

It is said that the cavalry can cover 100 kilometers a day.

“Wow, is this the Alps! Hey, you there! Tell them the cavalry from the Pyrenees has arrived!”

Three days after the Pyrenees cavalry left the west and rushed to the Eastern Italian Command.

The first to arrive was, of course, ‘Joachim.’

It was thanks to his reckless driving, not caring whether the horses died or not.

Because he arrived so loudly, the entire Italian Command knew of the cavalry’s arrival.

The first to greet the cavalry was Augereau’s direct regiment, which was on patrol.

Augereau, who hurriedly sent a messenger to the Command, narrowed his brow as he led the regimental forces to meet them.

“The cavalry has joined us? Amazing.”

“What is so amazing, Division Commander?”

“Think about it, Colonel Verdier. Until now, our army hasn’t had a single reinforcement. But suddenly, reinforcements are pouring in, aren’t they?”

Augereau replied bluntly to his adjutant, Colonel Jean Verdier’s question.

“And just because the commander changed, the cavalry arrives like this. It’s astonishing.”

Clearly, this is an era where gunpowder weapons dominate the battlefield.

The cavalry is an auxiliary force.

However, it is still certain that cavalry is an expensive troop.

First, you have to raise horses, train soldiers to ride them, and feed both the horses and riders.

Even with simple arithmetic, the food consumption doubles.

This expensive cavalry suddenly arrived.

Even if Commander Dugommier is friendly with Napoleon, it is still surprising.

Verdier replied with a bitter smile.

“He’s not a political soldier for nothing. You have to admit he’s resourceful. Don’t you know, General? How picky Commander Dugommier is.”

“They fought together in Toulon, right? I’ve never seen him, so I have nothing to say.”

“Trust Commander Dugommier’s judgment.”

Augereau, who once fought in the Pyrenees Command, frowned and replied bluntly.

“I don’t know about anything else, but he must be excellent at attacking fortresses, right? The battle in the Alps is ultimately about capturing fortresses, so he’ll be very good at that.”

Of course, this was only based on his achievements in Toulon.

Moreover, Napoleon has no intention of using passive tactics like attacking fortresses.

However, Napoleon’s strategic plans have not yet been communicated to the division commanders, and Augereau doesn’t know Napoleon at all.

So, he evaluated him according to common sense.

At that moment, Verdier tilted his head.

“That’s a bit strange, though. Then why do we need cavalry?”

Augereau also paused and widened his eyes.

If a fortress siege is underway, the need for cavalry is relatively reduced.

But so far, the battles Napoleon has been active in have mainly utilized artillery and line infantry fire.

Cavalry tactics did not exist in Napoleon’s career.

Besides, the Alps are not a battlefield where cavalry can be active.

What on earth is he thinking?

Just then.

“Hehe, are you Italian friends? Nice to meet you!”

Suddenly, the cavalry captain, Joachim, who had arrived first, waved his hand and ran over with his company.

The number is about 100.

The main force seems to be yet to arrive.

Augereau glanced up at Joachim.

Even though they were both on horseback, the opponent was taller, so he looked bigger.

“What is it, a cavalry captain?”

“That’s right. Where is the Italian Command?”

“Wait, you have to state your rank and name. I am Division Commander Augereau of the Italian Command. What is your name?”

Augereau is by no means short.

There are records in the original history that he looked down on Napoleon for being short.

But Joachim was not just tall, he was truly a giant.

At that moment, Joachim snorted and spurred his horse.

“Ha! A division commander like you can’t possibly know my name! Let’s go, hyah!”

As 100 horses ran at once, a cloud of dust kicked up.

-Whee!-

Augereau, Verdier, and Augereau’s direct regiment coughed, covered in dust.

“Cough, cough! What the hell is that crazy bastard?”

“I, I don’t know? Was there a guy like that in the Pyrenees Legion? I don’t think he was there when I was.”

“I’ve never seen him before either! What did Commander Dugommier see in him to send him?”

Just then, the main force began to rush in from afar.

“Division Commander Augereau! I’m sorry. Are you hurt!”

Seeing the real cavalry commander, Jean Lannes, Augereau smiled brightly.

“Lannes? Are you the cavalry commander!”

“Yes. That crazy bastard was rude just now.”

“What the hell is that guy? I want to beat him up later?”

Augereau, who has a temper like Massena, gritted his teeth.

Lannes, who once served with Augereau and knew his temper, smiled bitterly.

In fact, Lannes is also quite hot-tempered, but the ‘Joachim’ who just passed by was very difficult to control.

“It’s better not to, Division Commander Augereau. That guy, Murat, is uncontrollable even in our unit. He does achieve quite a bit, though.”

Even if you hit him, he resists even more.

Of course, he only listens to the orders he wants to hear.

But why is he still holding on?

He has an amazing sense.

A sense for battle.

At that moment, Augereau threw his hat on the ground in frustration.

“As expected, nothing normal ever comes to this forsaken battlefield! Damn it!”

Indeed, it was the first day Augereau, who would become an enemy of Murat in the original history, saw Murat.

Of course, it would be more difficult to find someone who wouldn’t become an enemy of Murat in history.

***

The area in front of the Italian Corps, Nice Command was noisy with the sound of horses neighing.

-Neigh! Neigh! Neigh!

Amidst the 6,000 horses exhaling, Commander Jean Lannes gave a salute.

“Reporting. I am Colonel Jean Lannes, commander of the 13th Chasseur Regiment of the Pyrenees Army. I have received orders to be assigned to the Italian Army with Deputy Commander Bessières and Captain Murat!”

Napoleon nodded solemnly.

Napoleon himself has no experience in commanding cavalry yet.

But the Italian campaign that is about to begin definitely needs cavalry.

Especially to realize the operation that Napoleon has been planning.

However, the Italian Army was severely lacking in cavalry, and they had to find cavalry elsewhere.

Fortunately, the cavalry was vacant in the Spanish front, where the battle lines had calmed down.

Besides, southwestern France is famous as a cavalry hub.

So, he asked Dugommier just in case, and he readily sent the cavalry.

Even with his favorite officers.

Just then.

-Heeheeheeing!

Suddenly, a horse rushed in, kicking up dust.

“Ugh, dust!”

“What’s wrong with that guy? Why is he driving the horse like that?”

“No, it’s not an attack, it’s a march, but why is he driving the horse at [full speed] now? Not even a trot or a walk.”

It was the moment when Hippolyte, Junot, and Marmont were grumbling.

A curly-haired man who had ridden in with great fanfare stood before Napoleon.

A giant at least 180 centimeters tall.

He looks even bigger on horseback.

Napoleon, who is just over 170 centimeters tall, looked relatively much smaller.

The giant curly-haired cavalryman, Joachim, laughed heartily and looked down at Napoleon.

“Hahaha! I’m Joachim Murat. Italian comrades, how do you do!”

Of course, this is wrong.

First of all, these people are not Italians, this land is French, and in fact, Joachim is not yet a ‘comrade’ of the Italian Corps.

Also, it is extremely rude to run up like this in front of the commander.

Just as Jean Lannes turned pale and was about to get angry, Napoleon swung the riding crop he was holding.

-Thwack!

The horse was startled and raised its hooves, and Joachim, who had been so dignified, hurriedly grabbed the reins.

It was the moment when Joachim, who almost fell off his horse, was about to get angry.

Napoleon looked at the horse’s condition and nodded heavily.

“The horse seems to be broken.”

“Huh? No, it’s just because this guy hasn’t been eating properly.”

“I once wanted to be a cavalryman too. Originally, all cadets dream of being cavalrymen. I ended up becoming an artillery officer, but I know quite a bit about horses.”

Napoleon, who once dreamed of being a dragoon officer, stroked the horse and smiled coldly.

“You can’t use cavalry if you drive a horse like this. You’ll have to learn again from the beginning.”

Eugene laughed as he watched Joachim, that is, Joachim Murat, being overwhelmed by Napoleon.

Joachim Murat, Napoleon’s greatest cavalry commander.

Jean Lannes and Baptiste Bessières behind him are also excellent commanders, but no one can match Murat’s cavalry charge.

Of course, Murat is not the most important person among those who joined from the Pyrenees Legion today.

It is the commander standing in the front with wide eyes, Jean Lannes.

Napoleon turned to look at Jean Lannes.

“Did you say Jean Lannes?”

“Yes? Ah, yes.”

“I received a letter from the commander before you came. He’s the same age as me. I look forward to working with you on the battlefield. This campaign will need a lot of capable officers.”

Suddenly, Napoleon looked at Lannes as if shooting him.

“Because we have to surprise, divide, and annihilate more enemies than us.”

The knight of knights of the later [Grande Armée, the main army commanded by Napoleon], the one who will be called [Roland, a legendary heroic figure], the one who will break through any adversity and be called the second-in-command of Napoleon’s army. One of the 26 who achieved the myth of rising from a mere private to a marshal, Jean Lannes replied with enthusiasm.

“Good, Commander. I want to see the blitzkrieg of Toulon that General Dugommier praised!”

“Did the commander say that? Hehe, good. I’ll keep an eye on your skills too.”

“Just leave it to me. I’ll break through any battlefield!”

Then Murat also jumped off his horse in a hurry and shouted.

“M-me too!”

Originally, Murat was one of Napoleon’s closest aides in the original history.

But there was no place for Murat in the already formed Napoleon Club.

Even if there was, it would be difficult to gain trust with this first meeting.

Napoleon, who was looking at Murat coldly, shook his head.

“You didn’t listen to me properly, Captain Murat. You have to learn from the beginning. Now, boy jockey?”

Eugene blinked and stepped forward.

“Did you call me, Commander?”

“You’ve been handling horses since you were a child, right? You may not know cavalry, but you know horses well. Teach this reckless man how to ride a horse.”

“Yes? Sir. That’s.”

Now Napoleon is trying to break the spirit of the [wild horse].

Otherwise, he won’t even be able to ride him.

On the other hand, it was an absurd story from Murat’s point of view.

The charging man Murat roared, looking at Napoleon, Eugene, and the sky.

“Tell me to be a subordinate of that brat! No way!”

But no matter how he wanted, Murat could not disobey the commander’s words.

***

Murat, the one who remained in the original history as the synonym for the cavalry commander of Napoleon’s army.

His charge was unparalleled.

His sense of battle was also excellent, and once he caught a sense, he broke through the opponent’s weaknesses in an instant.

However, he did not know how to cherish horses, he naturally did not know the big picture of the war, and he lacked both proper conduct and loyalty.

In the original history, he was also one of the marshals who betrayed Napoleon.

It is no exaggeration to say that he is a wild horse.

The problem is that Eugene is not a skilled enough rider to tame a wild horse.

“Sir, do you know that I’ve only ever ridden ponies, if you know what I mean?”

Napoleon rummaged through the documents and glanced at Eugene.

“Was that so? Ride a proper horse from now on. You’re 14 years old and you seem to be a bit taller.”

“I sleep well. Shouldn’t you get a good night’s sleep in the evening, sir? It’s good for your health.”

“Geez, nagging. Even my mother didn’t nag me like that.”

Only then did Napoleon throw the operational documents he was looking at on the table and smiled.

“I’ll think about it if Josephine tells me later. Anyway, is there anything you want?”

Usually, Napoleon does not explain his intentions in detail.

In Toulon, in Vendée, and in Paris, he only told them what to do.

However, Eugene always grasped Napoleon’s intentions well.

Even if he is not Josephine’s son, there is a reason why Napoleon cherishes him as an adjutant.

But Eugene, who already knows Napoleon’s intentions, takes an attitude of wanting to refuse.

It means there is something he wants.

Eugene, who was staring at Napoleon, asked.

“Do you want to tame the wild horse?”

“He’s an arrogant guy. But looking at his horse-riding skills, he seemed to be great at one thing, even if he was rough.”

“What is it?”

Napoleon narrowed his eyes and whispered.

“Breakthrough.”

This time, it is an answer that Eugene did not predict.

“That’s not something you can teach. When I was riding horses at the military academy, I was told that I was quite good. But recklessness is hard to come by.”

“After gunpowder weapons appeared on the battlefield, cavalry is basically an auxiliary to infantry or artillery.”

“Absolutely not.”

Napoleon shook his head firmly and said.

“Still, the breakthrough power of cavalry is valid. Especially the horses of southern France are very excellent charging horses.”

In fact, Eugene has the experience of living in the modern era of the original history where cavalry had already retired from the battlefield.

Rather, he had forgotten it because of that experience.

The last era when cavalry could return to the forefront of the battlefield.

The early 19th century, the so-called [Napoleonic Wars] is about to come.

The destructive power of gunpowder weapons is ambiguous, there are no other vehicles, and the cavalry has also flexibly adapted to firearms, that is now.

Perhaps that is why the reckless ‘Murat’ was so active in the original history.

Eugene nodded.

“Good. Instead, give me Junot after I tame Murat.”

“What?”

“You won’t be able to use Junot properly other than as a errand boy anyway. Frankly, he’s not artillery-specialized like Marmont, and he’s not the type who’s good at everything like Duroc.”

Suddenly, Eugene looked at Napoleon intently and said.

“But if you leave Junot alone, he’ll run around on the battlefield and die.”

There may be a big accident in the Italian campaign right away.

Junot, who is full of courage and rushes ahead, is shot in the head.

Some scholars believe that this injury is the cause of Junot’s mental illness in the later original history.

Junot is the first colleague Eugene met in Toulon.

It is natural that he does not want to make him fail miserably.

Napoleon, who knows Junot’s recklessness even if he doesn’t know history, tapped his head and asked.

“What are you going to make him do?”

“Commander of the Grenadier Cavalry Regiment.”

“What? Are you going to put grenadiers on horseback?”

Eugene replied with force to Napoleon, who was surprised by the unexpected idea.

“That’s right. It’s the reserve and special unit that you told me to create.”

It will be a unit that literally throws unexpected punches.

Napoleon rolled his eyes and smiled contentedly.

Okay.

“Good. I’ll allow it if you make Murat docile.”

Eugene, who had obtained the right to create the desired unit, came out excitedly.

Of course, not everyone was excited.

Hippolyte followed Eugene from behind, scratching his head and asking.

“How are you going to catch that Murat guy? He’s a guy who can’t be controlled at all? He was running around very vigorously, as if he had syphilis.”

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Strength for strength.”

“What?”

Eugene turned to look at Hippolyte and smiled brightly.

“To catch a wild horse, you have to show even rougher strength. You have to roll him when he has no experience yet.”

The day the Pyrenees cavalry joined the Italian Army.

Eugene took Murat as his subordinate.

On the condition of creating the Grenadier Cavalry Brigade.