He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 134

(134) Now, Let’s Go to Vienna

There is a man for whom someone’s wedding is the most heartbreaking scene in life.

-Bang!

Hearing the sound of the cannon firing, Hoche thought it sounded just like his own heart.

Come to think of it, it was already six years ago.

The events of loving Josephine, sending her to the New World, and parting ways.

Hoche was already married and living happily.

Yet, it seemed Josephine still lingered in a corner of his heart.

Hoche nodded to Brigadier General Trabot, who had brought the letter.

“Send a reply congratulating them. Also, send a letter to my brother-in-law, Joseph Bonaparte, congratulating him as well.”

“Understood, Commander. Congressman Joseph will be pleased.”

“By the way, there was also a message to intensify the offensive?”

Trabot rummaged through the military mail that had arrived urgently via Milan and replied.

“Yes, the letter states that now is the time to launch an all-out offensive.”

The military mail Hoche had just seen was a personal letter written by Napoleon through Myron.

A simple greeting, news of the marriage to Josephine, and a request for an all-out offensive.

The letter was written in extremely concise terms.

It didn’t even state why the offensive should be launched.

Of course, Hoche realized it was to avoid revealing military secrets.

Nevertheless, he needed to know the reason to move the troops.

“That’s strange. Paris seems to think the Italian campaign is in its final stages.”

“I heard they were planning to send the main force back to the Rhine. Could that be it?”

“Then they would have sent that message only to Moreau. They wouldn’t send me a letter urging me to intensify the offensive.”

Hoche’s hand, which had been pushing the heartbreaking letter away, stopped as he didn’t want to see it again.

“Wait.”

Hoche stared intently at the letter again and looked back at the map of the headquarters barracks.

“Where is the Alpine Army going?”

“Excuse me? Well, wouldn’t they be guarding the Swiss border? Switzerland is not yet allied with us.”

“But the offensive is relatively slow there. If we could pull out reserves and send them to another battlefield, it would only be the Alpine front.”

Currently, the Alpine Army is commanded by General Kellermann.

Some troops were urgently dispatched to Italy as reserves after the Italian Army conquered Milan.

However, the main force is still guarding the French defense line in the Alpine region.

With no special engagements, it is the only corps the Republic government can use as reserves.

Where will this corps head?

“Check it out. If Kellermann and Bernadotte of the Alps go to the Rhine, it’s fine. But if they go to Italy…”

Hoche said with conviction.

“It means General Napoleon is directly striking Vienna.”

If the Alpine Army heads to northern Italy, the reason is simple.

Either to support the attack on Vienna or to defend northern Italy.

Since the Austrian troops that had advanced into Italy were annihilated, it might be a natural course of action.

Nevertheless, Trabot was shocked and stammered.

“T, that’s very reckless. W, what will happen then? W, won’t our army be affected?”

“Yes, there will be an impact.”

“What is it?”

In fact, it was a natural thing for Napoleon, but it was by no means a natural operation for others.

The Holy Roman Empire still had hundreds of thousands of military resources.

They just lacked the time to gather the army, and if given a little gap, they would immediately mobilize troops.

Attacking the imperial capital with only about 50,000 Italian troops is clearly a reckless operation.

But what would happen to the Flanders Army when this operation unfolds?

“Have you ever played a domino game?”

“Yes? Ah, I’ve seen it before, Commander.”

“Austria’s forces will withdraw from Flanders. And they will withdraw from the Rhine as well. Just like a ‘domino’ game.”

Immediately, the Austrian army will withdraw from the Flanders front, which was formerly Austrian territory.

From the beginning, the first war after the revolution did not break out in Italy or the Rhine.

It occurred in Flanders, where Hoche was stationed.

Because Flanders had been the territory of the Habsburg family since the 16th century.

However, if Vienna is in danger, there is no room to defend Flanders.

Trabot exclaimed in admiration.

“Indeed! Then, the road to Amsterdam will be open!”

Hoche smiled triumphantly and ordered.

“Tell Jourdan and Pichegru to advance to Antwerp. Our army will advance directly to Amsterdam via Utrecht!”

The Netherlands alone cannot defeat the French Revolutionary Army.

Even if Prussian troops join, it’s the same.

Hoche was confident of winning.

At that moment.

“Are you going to the battlefield, Hoche?”

Suddenly, his wife, who had followed him to the battlefield, approached with a worried look.

Hoche looked at his wife quietly and took her hand.

There was one more person who would be heartbroken by the news of Napoleon’s marriage.

“I’ll be back safely, Désirée.”

Hiding the letter, Hoche smiled.

Now, it was time to put aside the pain of marriage and begin the Flanders Grand Offensive.

***

There is also a man who has no interest in someone’s wedding.

-Bang!

At the Mainz conquest headquarters on the Rhine front, Moreau, unusually agitated, slammed the table.

“Indeed, that’s why the enemy’s offensive has weakened!”

The letter that came to Moreau was no different from Hoche’s.

However, unlike Hoche, Moreau viewed this letter very coldly.

Because he didn’t care about the marriage to the widow of the incompetent General Beauharnais.

That’s why he grasped the meaning of the letter faster than Hoche.

Major General Souham and Major General Gouvion Saint-Cyr, the deputy commanders, nodded beside him.

“Certainly, the enemy’s power to defend Mainz is weakening. At this rate, the fall of Mainz is possible, Commander!”

“No, it’s more than that.”

“Yes?”

Moreau’s eyes shone with unprecedented passion.

“Souham, Saint-Cyr. The time has come to save Desaix.”

Desaix, the core of Moreau’s corps, who had been captured during the defeat in the Battle of Bavaria.

It was Desaix who defended Moreau’s rear, allowing the army to retreat.

Moreau, who had been feeling guilty, had a chance for revenge.

“Bonaparte has demanded an all-out offensive from us. Not Paris! That means Bonaparte is going directly to Vienna!”

Major General Souham’s mouth dropped open.

“That’s very reckless.”

“But, if Bonaparte goes to Vienna, where will the damned Archduke go?”

“That’s, ah! To Vienna!”

Currently, there are not many outstanding generals in the Austrian army.

The only one who has achieved some results is Archduke Karl, who defeated Moreau.

That’s why the Emperor has no choice but to call Karl.

But will Archduke Karl stop Napoleon’s corps alone?

“He won’t go alone. He’ll take at least 50,000 with him. That means Austria is virtually withdrawing from this Rhine front!”

Eventually, a hole will be created in the Rhine front.

“Prussia is not desperate to defend the Rhine. It’s Austria who is desperate.”

“Can we go back to Munich again?”

“Exactly, that’s it. Major General Saint-Cyr!”

Moreau was overjoyed and issued orders.

“Launch an all-out offensive. I don’t like following Bonaparte’s words, but I can’t miss this opportunity. Contact Paris too! The Rhine, Flanders, and Italy will give the Holy Roman Empire and the anti-French alliance a ‘surprise’ with all their might!”

Just as Saint-Cyr and Souham were rushing out, Moreau cocked his head.

“But, which way is that damned Bonaparte going?”

After all, he has to cross the Alps to get to Vienna.

***

There is also a man who chose war despite his marriage.

“Now, let’s go! To Vienna!”

Napoleon was shouting from the cavalry ranks.

Napoleon did not choose Munich or Tyrol [region in the Alps].

Yet, he wants Vienna.

“Then, where are we going?”

Masséna tilted his head, busily packing his bags.

The cavalry of Napoleon’s corps was preparing to march out like a bolt of lightning.

Strictly speaking, it’s not combat preparation, but literally preparation for a forced march.

The goal of this expedition is to reach Padua at the fastest speed.

Augereau also nodded, packing his bags directly.

“If it’s not Brenner or Tyrol, there doesn’t seem to be a direct route to Vienna? Do you know anything, Chief of Staff Berthier?”

“We’ll talk about it after we arrive in Padua, but the supply situation could change completely. Especially the scale of the artillery we’ll bring is a problem. I’ve told Sérurier to transport gunpowder and shells from Milan.”

“What about the problem that our maximum strength is reduced to 50,000 if Laharpe is excluded? Are we going to occupy Vienna with this force? The capital of the Empire?”

Augereau’s question is very common sense, natural, and orthodox.

That’s why Napoleon requested the Alpine Army to be pulled out and supported Italy.

Of course, in reality, it will be used to defend the rear when it gathers in Milan.

Then, how can we attack the capital of the Holy Roman Empire with only 50,000?

At that moment, Eugene shouted, passing by the division commanders on horseback.

“It’s possible if we don’t give them time! Austria doesn’t have conscription!”

Masséna, Augereau, and Berthier looked at each other and widened their eyes, as they were smart generals who understood what Eugene meant.

The Habsburg dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire operates the army with a volunteer system.

However, the Habsburg family sent as many as 150,000 troops to Italy.

Where did these soldiers come from?

Northern Italy, Tyrol, and Friuli [region in northeastern Italy].

Originally, they were soldiers who should have defended Vienna.

All those soldiers were annihilated during Napoleon’s Italian campaign.

It takes time to recruit volunteers again.

Napoleon’s [Blitzkrieg – lightning war] aims at this gap.

At that time, one horse followed Eugene’s side.

Lannes, the commander of the entire light cavalry brigade that came to Rome, now promoted to Major General.

“You didn’t even say goodbye to your mother. You unfilial Freischütz [marksman; here, implying someone who acts independently].”

“Lannes, are you a filial son?”

“Puhahaha! Originally, soldiers can’t care about their families. Instead, I left my wife, Paulette, at home!”

Eugene raised his eyebrows and gave a simple piece of advice.

“Move out when you get back.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“There are no young women who like living with their mother-in-law. Our mother is not young and just got married, but she was already ready to fight.”

Lannes smiled at Eugene’s words and retorted.

“I’ll keep your advice in mind. So, where are we going?”

Of course, Eugene didn’t just say it.

Just as Josephine and Letizia fight, Lannes’ wife, Paulette, also fights with her mother-in-law in the original history.

Then Paulette eventually cheats, and Lannes, shocked, divorces.

Thinking that he should look into the family affairs of the generals when he returns to France, Eugene smiled back.

Now that he’s become close to Lannes like this, he doesn’t want to see Lannes get divorced.

“Friuli, the place where Alvinczy recruited troops. There is not a single soldier there.”

Right at the eastern end of the Republic of Venice.

It was the moment when Napoleon began a deceptive blitzkrieg towards Vienna.