He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 220

(220) Launching a Maritime Assault on Anatolia, the Heart of the Empire

Anatolia, the land where the world’s oldest civilizations once thrived.

“Really? Not Egypt?”

“That’s what the Bible says, I suppose. Though, we’ll have to dig around to know for sure.”

“Once this conquest is over, I’ll have to take a look!”

Watching Giuno clench his fist, Eugene chuckled.

What Eugene had just mentioned was the Göbekli Tepe archaeological site.

Created over 10,000 years ago, it’s a famous place in the original history’s modern era.

But right now, it’s still an era far from its discovery.

Seeing Giuno’s continued desire for historical sites ever since Egypt, Eugene unfolded a map and asked,

“Now, who was the conqueror who conquered this land the fastest?”

At that moment, Pauline, who was standing on one side of the ship’s cabin, raised her hand.

“Correct, Alexander!”

This is the Horus, the flagship cabin of the French expeditionary fleet setting out for a maritime advance.

Eugene gathered all the leaders of the expeditionary force for a briefing on the operation.

That’s why Pauline, the second-in-command of the nursing unit, was accompanying them.

Looking around at the commanders who would now be known as the [Turk Empire Expeditionary Force], not the Syrian Expeditionary Force, Eugene shrugged.

“Pauline, how do you know that? Did you study?”

“No? I’ve always lived without studying. I just remembered the title of the book my brother always read. Was it Plutarch’s Lives?”

“Hmm, right. [Father] was originally a Plutarch’s Lives enthusiast.”

Nodding lightly, Eugene marked a spot on the map.

“However, Alexander’s method of conquering Anatolia was a blitzkrieg [a swift, overwhelming military attack designed to achieve a quick victory].”

“Similar to Commander-in-Chief Bonaparte.”

“He lured the enemy out and annihilated them, Marceau. Thus making all defenses meaningless. Just like in Italy.”

Furthermore, all the wars Napoleon would wage in the future would be like that.

Except for one, the Battle of Moscow.

Briefly savoring that fact, Eugene pointed to the map of the Ottoman Empire and explained.

“We also need to do that to conquer Constantinople, the invincible fortress.”

Of course, it’s now early October 1798, a time when the 19th century is approaching.

Constantinople, once famous for its triple walls, cannot be called an impregnable fortress in the age dominated by siege cannons.

Rather, Toulon, where the Vauban-style fortress [a type of fortification designed by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban] was built, is more difficult to capture than Constantinople.

However, it is still clear that it is difficult for a small army to capture.

Even when the British fleet or the Russian Imperial Army attacked in the original history’s future, they ultimately failed to occupy Constantinople.

Therefore, Eugene cannot recklessly lead the fleet and wage a siege.

Marceau asked for confirmation.

“The Greeks we met a while ago said they would start a rebellion, right?”

“There’s no way that will go as we wish. Although they both went back in high spirits, we’ll have to stir them up in the end to make it happen.”

“How?”

Eugene’s gaze turned to Desaix.

“Let’s check the readiness first. What’s the situation with our army?”

“20,000 infantry, 3,000 cavalry. About 9,000 navy sailors. In addition, there are 2,000 Mamluks [slave soldiers, often of Turkic or Circassian origin, who formed a powerful military class in Egypt and other parts of the Islamic world] who agreed to come with us from Acre.”

“Are you leaving out the artillery? I’m disappointed.”

When artillery commander Dommartin suddenly interjected, Desaix smiled and nodded.

“Ah, we also have 30 cannons from the horse artillery we originally brought, and 50 heavy cannons. Besides that, there are 10 ships of the line and 12 frigates. In addition, there’s Colonel Conte’s balloon unit.”

Although it was abbreviated for a brief report, the composition is as follows.

Desaix’s division, Marceau’s division, and Giuno’s cavalry brigade.

In addition, there are Eugene’s guard and headquarters direct forces, including the balloon unit.

It includes navy sailors, Mamluks, and Bedouin auxiliary cavalry.

They are elite soldiers who have won in Egypt and conquered Syria so far, but they are a minority compared to the entire Turk Empire.

To conquer the empire with these few elite soldiers, there must be no waste of troops.

Also, there must be no disruption in the supply of the most important items, gunpowder and ammunition.

There is only one way to meet all these conditions.

“Okay. The core of this expedition is this.”

The chalk in Eugene’s hand swept across the map as if stirring it.

“Maritime interception. Focusing on the frigate fleet, we will attack all the coastlines of Anatolia. Then, when the enemy gathers its forces and approaches on land.”

The entire southern coast of the Anatolian Peninsula was covered with Eugene’s chalk marks.

Ships of the line are slow, but frigates are relatively fast.

Focusing on highly mobile frigates, they will raid the entire southern coast of Anatolia.

If this attack is repeated, the opponent will have no choice but to send a serious army.

-Thud!

In an instant, Eugene’s chalk was stuck in the center of Anatolia.

“We will defeat them in one fell swoop. In a single battle. This is the alpha and omega of this expedition.”

In short, a decisive battle, a single match must be made.

Because the Eugene Turk Expeditionary Force is absolutely a minority.

***

The Ottoman Turk Empire is vast, and it is not yet a country where shockwaves are transmitted quickly.

“Syria has been conquered? Well, who’s in charge there? The governor of Sidon?”

Karaman, a southeastern region of Anatolia.

Once an independent state, it was eventually absorbed as the Ottoman Empire prospered, one of the old Turkic chiefdoms.

The governor who defends this place, Alemdar Mustafa Pasha, asked as if dumbfounded.

Chapanoğlu Suleiman Bey, who was sitting in the opposite chair drinking coffee, wore a bitter smile.

Alemdar, located in the center of Anatolia, does not yet seem to feel the threat of [France].

Of course, Suleiman, as the lord of Yozgat north of Karaman, has never seen it directly.

However, he heard rumors because he supported some troops to the Grand Vizier’s army to recover Egypt.

That a truly powerful army came from [France].

However, not wanting to rebuke his close friend Alemdar, Suleiman turned the conversation and replied.

“It’s Cezzar. He was famous for being cruel.”

“Tsk, we should have gotten rid of him sooner. He was incompetent, so Syria was eventually taken away. Chapanoğlu Bey.”

“Well, there is such a point, Alemdar Pasha. By the way.”

Suleiman told Alemdar the reason for his visit today in a low voice.

“I heard that those French guys occupied Cyprus and then Rhodes. Have you heard?”

Alemdar frowned.

He realized why Suleiman, the head of the prestigious Chapanoğlu family who ruled the heart of the inland, came all the way here.

He seemed to have heard rumors that the French threat was targeting various places on the southern coast.

However, Alemdar’s ruling area has never seen the French tricolor flag even once.

Even though Rhodes, quite close to Kash, fell into French hands.

“Yes, it’s embarrassing, but they must have passed the sea off Kash here, but I didn’t even see them.”

“Hahaha! It’s the land guarded by the empire’s best Janissary [an elite infantry corps in the Ottoman army], Alemdar Pasha! It’s natural for them to avoid it!”

“This man, now is the era of the [New Army]. We must adapt according to the will of the Padishah [Ottoman Sultan].”

Alemdar burst into a hearty laugh and looked back at the soldiers lined up outside the window.

“The troops in this area are all receiving Nizam-ı Cedid’s [New Order] formal training. It’s a bit lacking, but it will help in this battle.”

Alemdar is a confidant of the current Sultan Selim III.

In particular, Alemdar was a enlightened figure who, despite being a Janissary, felt the need for a new army.

Later, in the original history, Alemdar is the general who rushes to Selim III’s aid first when he is in crisis.

But in the end, Alemdar also failed to prevent Selim III’s death.

Suleiman, who was sitting across from him, was also a supporter of Selim III, so he was talking comfortably.

Then Suleiman smacked his lips and asked.

“I heard that the Grand Sultan of Constantinople called Pazvantoğlu?”

“Yes, the Janissary forces gathered in Vidin are very large. And the real problem is that Pazvantoğlu is gathering the hearts of the Janissaries.”

“That’s a pity. Haji Mustafa Pasha must be jumping up and down. He was making a fuss about beheading Pazvantoğlu.”

To the two confidants of Selim III, a former traitor would not look good.

However, even if he said it lightly, the fall of Syria is clearly a serious situation.

Frowning, Alemdar shook his head.

“Well, I don’t really like it either, but for now······.”

At that time.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

Startled by the sudden artillery fire, Alemdar shouted out the door.

“What’s going on! Artillery fire, what’s going on!”

At that moment, a guard Janissary ran in and reported.

“Pasha, you must take refuge!”

“Why!”

“From the sea, a line of huge battleships is rushing in! Franks, invaders!”

In disbelief, Alemdar jumped up and looked out the window again.

“This is, what nonsense······.”

But the guard’s words were true.

Kash, a naval port city located in the central southern part of Anatolia.

Now, only one fleet was visible there, not the Ottoman Turk Empire’s fleet.

It is the frigate fleet waving the tricolor flag.

It is the fleet of the French Turk Expeditionary Force.

“Hurry, take refuge. Alemdar Pasha!”

“We have to fight, Chapanoğlu! Do you run away when the enemy invades?”

“This is, cannon fire. Do you have a battleship to fight against? What if the enemies even land? There are no Rumelia defense forces or Nizam-ı Cedid here!”

The Rumelia defense forces that fought against Austria and Russia.

The new army Nizam-ı Cedid that the Sultan has put his heart and soul into raising.

Only those two armies can fight against European armies head-on.

It’s not for nothing that Grand Admiral Hussein bowed his head to the rebel Pazvantoğlu.

Vidin, where Pazvantoğlu is located, is right in front of the European border.

The troops refined there have a wealth of experience fighting European-style armies.

On the other hand, the Karaman army on the Anatolian coast has no experience fighting European armies, no necessary armaments, and no training experience at all.

In the end, shedding tears of blood, Alemdar shouted.

“First, retreat to Konya. Move the entire army to Konya!”

However, until the retreat was carried out, countless soldiers had to die from the artillery fire.

***

Bad news always comes strangely fast.

“I heard that Milas was attacked!”

“The Alemdar Pasha army in Kash was annihilated!”

“The southern coast of Anatolia is being attacked on all sides!”

Edirne, a city formerly called Adrianople in the old Eastern Roman Empire.

It was also the place where Pazvantoğlu, who came from Vidin, the old capital of Bulgaria, met Grand Admiral Hussein.

But as soon as he arrived, the messengers who came running gave only pessimistic news.

Only information that the empire’s southern coast has become a wasteland.

Pazvantoğlu straightened his turban and sneered.

“Ha, the empire’s defense posture is terrible. Grand Admiral. Where on earth is the navy?”

Hussein gritted his teeth and replied to Pazvantoğlu.

“It’s embarrassing, but the Russian navy is supposed to come.”

“Huh, Russia? Hey, Grand Admiral. Isn’t Russia our enemy?”

“Syria and Misr [Egypt] have fallen into the hands of the Franks. Is there any other way?”

Suddenly, Grand Admiral Hussein glared at Pazvantoğlu and said.

“The Grand Sultan wants your army to move quickly.”

It is as if he has placed all his hopes on a former traitor.

It is possible to know how desperate the Sultan is.

Perhaps he fell into despair when Nizam-ı Cedid was annihilated in Damietta.

Pazvantoğlu, who had a sly smile for a moment, asked back.

“Well, that’s good. Besides, you wouldn’t want our army to go to [Constantiniye], would you?”

“That’s right. I’m worried that the hearts of the people will be shaken. Also, the Porte [Ottoman government] does not want you.”

“Well, the Janissaries will want to see me. Hehe.”

Constantiniye is the Turkish word for Constantinople.

Originally, to be appointed as the commander-in-chief of the army, a ceremony was required to receive the appointment from the [Padishah].

However, because the situation was so urgent, all of this was omitted.

Also, the Sultan would not want to see Pazvantoğlu’s direct forces, 20,000 Vidin mercenaries or 30,000 local Janissaries.

Besides, there is no need to go to Constantinople right now.

In the end, if you win, Constantinople will open its gates to the victor.

Pazvantoğlu twisted his lips.

“Okay. The governor of Karaman, Alemdar Pasha, said he fled, right?”

Rumelia Commander-in-Chief Haji Mustafa retorted gruffly.

“It’s not a flight, it’s a tactical retreat.”

“That’s the same thing, Mustafa.”

“Eek! Use, use honorifics! Even if I am a subordinate, I am the commander of Rumelia in the empire!”

Pazvantoğlu snorted.

“Then, go and kill the Franks alone. I don’t know which of the Janissaries will follow you.”

Haji Mustafa trembled with humiliation.

However, Pazvantoğlu’s words are accurate.

Above all, as he became the [Commander-in-Chief] of the anti-French defense corps, the Janissaries’ admiration for Pazvantoğlu increased even more.

He muttered to himself that the Sultan seemed to have made a mistake no matter how he thought about it.

But the fact is that there is no other alternative.

Then Pazvantoğlu suddenly gave an order.

“Since he fled anyway, tell him to lure the enemies. To Alemdar.”

“Where are you talking about?”

“Konya.”

Pazvantoğlu’s eyes flashed.

“It’s close to the sea but far from the coast, and there are many plains, so it’s good for operating the Kapıkulu cavalry [Ottoman household troops]. The enemies will be mainly infantry, right?”

Konya, the key point of Anatolia.

He is talking about making a decision at once there.

It is what Eugene wants, but at the same time, Pazvantoğlu wants the same thing.

Why?

No monarch will entrust a large army to a former traitor for a long time.

Furthermore, the still pre-modern Ottoman Empire lacks a military system that can maintain a large army for a long time.

It takes a long time to gather a large army, and the time it can be maintained is short.

That’s why Pazvantoğlu wants it too.

A single match.

“Let’s show off our cavalry’s shooting skills to the fullest.”

Early October 1798.

Pazvantoğlu’s 50,000 troops crossed the Dardanelles Strait and began to rush into Anatolia.