He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 138

(138) Napoleon and Eugene Dismantle the Empire

The gates finally opened.

-Creeak!

The five-pointed star-shaped fortress walls that had steadfastly protected Vienna, its main gate opened.

Archduke Karl’s army had vanished from before Vienna.

Most had surrendered, many had died, and a few had fled.

It was an unusual sight in Napoleon’s campaign that not many bodies of commanders were found.

However, there was a reason why Napoleon did not pursue the Archduke and other commanders with fervor.

This time, the capture of the capital was more important than defeating the main force of the enemy.

In a political sense.

Watching the gates open, Napoleon chuckled from atop his horse.

“To think it would open so easily. If the Rhine Army had come, we wouldn’t have had to struggle so much.”

“If that were the case, you wouldn’t have been able to monopolize the glory, Father.”

“Hmm? Father, huh. Heh heh.”

At the words of his chief adjutant, Eugene, who was accompanying him, Napoleon’s eyes sparkled, and he laughed comfortably.

“Yes, son. Let’s go in.”

He was very pleased with Eugene’s attitude of now calling him Father on his own.

Together, the adoptive father and son rode their horses through the gates.

The Dalmann Cuirassiers [heavy cavalry] and Eugene’s Grenadier Cavalry surrounded them on the left and right.

-Thud, thud, thud.

Entering Vienna were 2,000 carefully selected cavalry and 5,000 elite infantry.

The remaining troops set up camp in front of Vienna after the battle.

It was a chance to take a break instead of camping for once.

Division Commander Massena, who was entering Vienna together, glanced at Augereau and said.

“There’s no welcoming crowd. Certainly.”

“If cheers erupt, wouldn’t that mean another Austrian army has arrived, Massena?”

“The troops that entered first said there were no armed forces, right? Austria certainly let its guard down.”

Looking at Napoleon, who was boldly leading the vanguard into the enemy’s capital, Massena grinned.

“It’s amazing how our commander caught them off guard.”

The imperial capital, Vienna, was truly silent.

There were no welcoming crowds to greet the conquerors, nor were there any protesters opposing the oppressors.

All the citizens were holding their breath, watching the soldiers from inside their homes.

The shock of the Battle of Pressbaum, which unfolded before Vienna, was that great.

They had heard that the Imperial Army had repeatedly been defeated in Italy.

Some citizens had relatives who were conscripted and died.

But no one knew that even Archduke Karl, who was said to be the last hope of the empire, would be defeated so unilaterally.

In fact, it was only natural, since even the French army did not expect to win so easily.

The self-proclaimed Hussar [light cavalry] trio, who were allowed to enter at the rear of the column, chattered.

Lasalle, Championnet, and Joubert.

“Hahaha! Wow, it’s definitely the capital of Austria! There are blond beauties everywhere!”

“How can you see them when they’re all hiding? And I prefer Italian beauties.”

“Championnet, you always get rejected. Just find one here.”

While the cavalrymen were chattering, Tournay, who was walking in the ranks of the Grenadier Cavalry, muttered.

“We’ve finally come this far.”

Ippolito, who was following Eugene and Napoleon’s footsteps, glanced at Tournay.

“What is it? Are you deeply moved, Captain Tournay?”

“Isn’t it obvious, Colonel Charles? Remember when we met. Wasn’t it the day the Bastille burned and we were leaving Bordeaux forlornly? Back then, even General Hoche and General Marceau were just ordinary soldiers.”

“That’s true, but… Isn’t it a bit much to be this moved?”

That was already six years ago, when the revolution began.

Since then, Ippolito and Tournay had embarked on adventures they could never have imagined.

Although they say it simply to others, even traveling back and forth across the Atlantic was not easy.

Nevertheless, Tournay had the most moved expression today.

“It’s definitely something to be moved about. I, who was just a mere soldier, saw the monarchy collapse, and I saw the crisis of France collapsing. But now, I am here at the scene of overthrowing the emperor.”

Suddenly, Tournay’s gaze turned to the soldiers following behind.

“All the soldiers who have come to this place today will have the same thought: that they are participating in the scene of protecting the country and changing the era.”

The most elite group of the Italian Army Corps, who were allowed to enter.

Napoleon’s Guards, Eugene’s Mounted Grenadier Brigade, and the directly controlled regiment troops of Massena and Augereau.

It cannot be said that all of them are supporters of the revolution.

Among them are royalists from the Vendée and anti-revolutionaries from Toulon.

Nevertheless, everyone’s faces are agitated, as if they are of one mind at this moment.

With the thought that they have overthrown the empire, protected France, and changed the era.

Looking back at the soldiers, Ippolito chuckled.

“You can’t be this surprised, Tournay.”

“Yes?”

“Our [Patron] is going to go even further. Together with Patron’s ‘Father’.”

Ippolito looked at Eugene and Napoleon’s backs.

“I’m just a mere cavalry officer, but I know at least one thing: that if you are with a giant, you can see a greater world. We are walking with giants.”

Not everyone can become a giant.

But if you have a little luck, you can walk the path with a giant.

If you climb on the shoulders of a giant, you will see a bigger world even if you are not a giant.

Ippolito realized that fact while being with Eugene.

It was then.

“Commander! Here, Murat has prepared the way! Hah ha!”

In the distance, the cavalry that had entered as the vanguard came running.

At the head were Murat, the assault commander of the Mounted Grenadier Brigade, and Lannes, the commander of Napoleon’s army corps cavalry.

Napoleon looked back at the cavalry he had sent in first with a satisfied expression.

“Good. Lannes, report. Is the Emperor inside?”

This was the Hofburg Palace.

The Habsburg family’s winter palace in the center of Vienna.

Lannes, who had just entered and made a declaration of notification to the empire’s soldiers and officials, responded cheerfully.

“Yes, Commander. The Holy Roman Emperor has just accepted the declaration of surrender. The palace will open!”

At that moment, the main gate of the palace opened.

-Rumble!

The Imperial Guard appeared with a heavy roar.

Although there were virtually no armed forces, at least a minimal guard remained.

Just as Napoleon’s Guards were about to become tense again, a middle-aged man at the head of the guard shouted.

“I am Thugut, the Emperor’s Foreign Minister and State Chancellor. On behalf of His Majesty, I welcome the commander of the French army.”

At that moment, Napoleon pushed past the Cuirassiers and stepped forward.

“Where is the Emperor? Is he not coming out?”

“His Majesty has collapsed from shock. He has also delegated all authority to me.”

“That’s ridiculous. When our [Italian Army Corps] advanced, even the Pope greeted us in person. How can the Emperor not come out?”

Eugene and the Grenadiers were surprised and tried to surround Napoleon.

But Napoleon stared at the Austrian guards and the Chancellor with a face that showed no fear.

In an instant, Napoleon issued an [order] that no one could refuse.

“Tell him to come out in person. Otherwise, our army corps may not observe the etiquette of a ‘gentleman’.”

In short, it was a warning that the 5,000 direct troops that Napoleon had brought could destroy the Imperial Palace.

***

What is more frightening than overwhelming military power is that the opponent is a revolutionary army.

“It seems there was a misunderstanding in the Chancellor’s message. I beg your pardon, Commander.”

Emperor Franz II greeted the French army in the hall with a pale face.

In fact, European wars in the 18th century were often not aimed at annihilating the enemy country.

Of course, there were exceptional cases such as the partition of Poland, but most wars aimed to seize part of the territory or colonies overseas.

However, the opponent was the monster of the revolutionary army that had killed the king.

Moreover, he broke the rules of war and killed countless Austrian soldiers in Italy.

He was an opponent that could not be predicted at all.

Therefore, Emperor Franz had no choice but to take seriously the threat that Napoleon might plunder the palace.

Fortunately, the Emperor was fluent in French, so no translation was necessary.

Napoleon paid his respects to the Emperor very politely.

“On behalf of the people’s representatives of France, I greet His Imperial Majesty, the Holy Roman Emperor. My name is Napoleon Bonaparte.”

Emperor Franz stared at Napoleon and clicked his tongue.

“I know. How could I not? You are the one who destroyed half of my army, no, even the last hope.”

“If Your Majesty had not declared war on France, this commander would not have had to come here.”

“Ha! What can the loser say? I can only hope for the victor’s generosity.”

The great nobles lined up in the hall watched Napoleon and Franz with bated breath.

Behind Napoleon, as if symbolizing the French army, 100 line infantrymen with bayonets and 100 dismounted light cavalrymen were lined up.

Perhaps he would give the order to kill the Emperor.

Then Napoleon’s mouth opened.

“Dissolve the Holy Roman Empire, Your Imperial Majesty.”

At the completely unexpected words, Count Wallis, the chairman of the Austrian War Committee, shouted.

“What is that! Absolutely not! How dare you, do you know where you are!”

“The space of the defeated. Old Austrian general.”

“What! H, how dare you!”

Napoleon glared at Count Wallis and coldly retorted in French with a Corsican accent.

“I think you’re misunderstanding something, but I didn’t call the Emperor here to negotiate. I called the Emperor here for notification.”

He said he called the Emperor for notification, not negotiation.

Everyone held their breath at the very blatant threat.

Not only the Austrian nobles, but also the military generals of the French occupation forces.

Dissolution of the Empire.

It was truly a huge event.

Of course, the Holy Roman Empire had already been ridiculed since the early 18th century for being neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire.

Nevertheless, it is also true that the loose imperial system has been maintained for over a thousand years.

Moreover, dissolving the empire could mean asking the Emperor to step down.

But Napoleon still added a strange remark with a blunt attitude.

“Furthermore, I have not demanded the abdication of the Emperor or the complete dissolution of the Habsburg family. I am only demanding the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire system. Do you not understand what I am saying?”

Count Wallis hesitated.

Chancellor Thugut, who was about to shout in succession, also widened his eyes.

He is not demanding abdication.

He is not asking for the Habsburg family to give up its territories, such as Hungary or Bohemia.

He is only demanding that he step down from the position of Emperor and no longer elect a new Emperor.

However, even that was not a demand that could be easily accepted.

Then suddenly, Eugene stepped forward.

“This condition is very generous, Chancellor Thugut. And His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Franz.”

This time, even the nobles who did not know French understood.

It was High German, the dialect of southern Germany.

***

This Austrian Empire is composed of complex races, social classes, and languages.

Immediately, the Emperor’s homeland is the highlands of the Alps, southern Germany.

Count Wallis is actually from an Irish immigrant family, a noble who settled in Austria.

Chancellor and Foreign Minister Thugut is a Bohemian nobleman.

Therefore, even the great nobles who gather in the royal family often do not understand each other’s languages.

However, everyone could understand ‘Low German’.

It was the same for the Emperor that ‘German’ was comfortable, so he clearly focused on Eugene.

He was still just a boy, but his appearance in a general’s uniform was clearly striking.

“Generous? What do you mean, boy?”

“Your Majesty, if General Moreau had come here instead of General Napoleon, there is only one thing he would ask of Your Majesty: Your head.”

“Wh, wh, what did you say?”

Just as the Emperor was about to be startled, Eugene’s gaze swept around the entire hall.

“The French exiled nobles hiding in this place will all know who I am. I was a page of the French Bourbon royal family, a knight who protected Queen Marie Antoinette, and a Freischütz [sharpshooter] who killed the commanders of His Imperial Majesty.”

Not only the nobles of the Holy Roman Empire are in this hall.

Exiled nobles who fled from France are also present.

Although they are in exile, they could not overcome their curiosity because they heard that a French soldier had overthrown the empire.

Moreover, they were also curious about what their fate would be in the future.

Most of them know Eugene.

The gambling prodigy who made a name for himself just before the revolution with gambling.

The knight of the princess who protected the Queen in the trial of the century.

Above all, he is the marksman who killed Argentau, Beaulieu, and Wurmser in this Italian campaign.

Freischütz Eugene declared loudly.

“Therefore, I have no choice but to tell you the truth, as someone who protected the royal family, and as a soldier loyal to the republic.”

“What truth, boy? No, Freischütz?”

“The French Republic can kill kings. Also, it wants to eliminate enemies who hinder the revolution. The easiest thing to do is to kill the king of the enemy country and establish a new republic here. Do you want that?”

Eugene gave a sharp answer to the Emperor’s question.

That the easiest way for the revolutionary army is to kill the monarch and establish a republic.

It has already been done in Paris.

Emperor Franz swallowed hard.

Suddenly, Eugene smiled brightly as if to reassure the Emperor.

“Therefore, General Napoleon’s demand to only dissolve the imperial system is very generous. At least it will maintain Your Majesty’s life and position as monarch.”

Of course, there is a trick in Eugene’s words now.

The Austrian army is still in the Rhine.

Also, there are troop resources and supplies in Hungary and Bohemia.

Above all, there are troops stationed in newly divided and occupied Poland.

So, if he buys time, the Emperor has a chance to counterattack.

The Emperor stammered with an anxious face.

“Ti, time to think.”

“No. There is no time for that.”

“I, I am also the head of a family and a monarch that has been around for a thousand years. Can’t you show that much courtesy?”

However, there was also a point that Eugene did not deceive.

That this empire may have time, but the Emperor himself does not have time.

Eugene looked at the Emperor with cold eyes and retorted.

“Your Majesty, we are a revolutionary army. If His Majesty Louis XVI had not killed himself, we would have killed him. Shall I convey Your Majesty’s words to the soldiers as they are?”

Silence filled the hall.

But the Emperor also knew that he could not buy time without answering.

With everyone watching, after a long time, the Emperor’s mouth finally opened again.

“…I agree to the dissolution of the Empire.”

Sighs and cheers filled the hall.

December 12, 1795.

It was the day Napoleon, together with Eugene, dissolved the Holy Roman Empire.