He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 393

(393) High-Speed Maneuver to the Doorstep of Berlin

At this moment, French soldiers are speeding along the well-maintained roads of Germany.

-Thud, thud, thud!

Since the start of the Great Revolution, France has primarily fought in Western Europe.

The Spanish border, the Dutch border, the Rhine area, and Italy.

Among these, the area with the best road network is the former Holy Roman Empire, historical Germany.

However, the German territories are divided among numerous feudal lords.

Therefore, the one actually using these roads is someone else.

The French Imperial Army, with Eugene’s Viceroy Army’s 2nd Corps at the vanguard.

Eugene is taking full advantage of a fact that the German lords, caught up in their own conflicts, are largely unaware of.

Junot was newly impressed, looking at the road conditions that were not muddy.

“Wow, the roads are definitely better than in Italy.”
“That’s because each principality is diligent in its governance.”

“The Rhine Confederation forces seem to have prepared well in advance. Heh heh!”

Junot smirked ominously and looked around.

“Thanks to this, the invasion, or rather, [liberation], will be easier.”

Farmland that appears poorer compared to France is scattered throughout the area.

However, this land is also part of the Rhine River basin, making it flat and facilitating troop movement.

Eugene’s 2nd Corps, filled with new recruits, numbering 30,000, is capable of rapid marching.

Furthermore, with the harvest season approaching, supplies can be obtained through so-called [requisitioning – the practice of seizing goods for military use].

However, even when everything seems smooth, war is inherently unsettling.

“But, is it really okay to just keep advancing without any precautions?”

“Is there a problem?”

“Well, even though the Rhine Confederation has friendly relations with the French Empire, that’s just official. We were at war with them just five years ago.”

Junot, who had been intently watching the front, clicked his tongue.

“How do we know they won’t ambush us?”

Strictly speaking, Eugene is not traversing enemy territory right now.

He is enjoying the benefits of Talleyrand’s achievements with the Rhine Confederation [a French satellite state composed of German principalities].

The Rhine area, the border that separated France and the old Holy Roman Empire, has long been considered part of the French cultural sphere.

Therefore, communication with the residents during the advance is quite smooth, and obtaining supplies in the form of ‘requisitioning’ rather than looting is easy, sometimes even possible through purchase.

However, the fact that they are not obtaining permission from each Rhine Confederation lord individually shows that this is not a simple march.

This is what Junot is concerned about.

If the Rhine Confederation lords they have passed were to disrupt the rear supply lines or block them from the front, it would hinder the advance.

Nevertheless, Eugene calmly moved his horse and replied.

“If only our army were deployed, that might be the case.”

“Huh? Did another army go ahead?”

“Did you forget? Moreau moved from Helvetia [modern Switzerland] to Bohemia [modern Czech Republic]. And Oudinot moved to Helvetia in Moreau’s place.”

Eugene lightly counted on his fingers and shrugged.

“Of course, Moreau will be stalled by Hungary, and Oudinot by Austria, but the Rhine Confederation doesn’t know that yet.”

At first glance, the Third Coalition War may seem like all of Europe fighting against Napoleon.

However, from Napoleon’s perspective, it is a war to reap the seeds he sowed in Europe after the Second Coalition War.

The dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the establishment of satellite republics in Helvetia and Batavia [modern Netherlands], and Spain, which was weakened by political chaos, are examples of this.

Moreau, who is lurking in the east, was actually driven out, but from the outside, it looks like a famous general dominating Eastern Europe.

Therefore, the Rhine Confederation lords adjacent to France cannot move carelessly.

On the other hand, Prussia and Hungary, which know the true state of the Bohemian Corps, are actually moving more actively, which is also a problem.

In any case, the forces actually commanded by Moreau are only corps in name, but in reality, they are only division-level forces like Eugene’s.

At that moment, a group of cavalrymen were seen rushing over the hill.

-Thud, thud, thud!

Eugene’s Viceroy Guard was slightly tense, but if they were enemies, it would have been reported by the skirmishers who were out on patrol.

Indeed, the unit that appeared with a white flag was virtually unarmed.

The leader, a man who could only be described as obese, approached with a flustered expression.

“Ah, no. When did you get here? Viceroy Eugene de Beauharnais?”

Eugene recognized the man and greeted him with a smile.

“It’s been a while, Your Highness Elector Frederick of Württemberg.”

“Ahem! Y-yes, it has been a while. Anyway, if you had given me some notice, I would have prepared better…”

“It will be enough for you to supply our corps’ soldiers with food and fodder. We will take care of lodging by camping out.”

Eugene greeted the lord he had seen at the Rhine Confederation signing ceremony and subtly gave him a dig.

“Of course, you wouldn’t do anything that would embarrass your father-in-law, King George of England. Our target is not the Kingdom of Hanover.”

The Elector of Württemberg, Frederick, is the son-in-law of the King of England.

Originally, in the original history, he sided with France despite this, rising to the throne as king after being an elector.

After that, he quickly switched sides during Napoleon’s downfall and lived out his life comfortably.

On the surface, he is known as the fattest king in Europe, but he is quite cunning.

This time too, when Eugene said a word, he rolled his eyes and quickly instructed his subordinates.

“What are you doing! Immediately proceed with supplying food to His Highness the Viceroy’s army! Hurry!”

Eugene, who had finished supplying with a single word, turned to Junot as the elector disappeared.

“See? They don’t have the guts to attack our army.”

“Wow, we could be wiped out if we were ambushed; you’re really bold.”

“It would be troubling if you said I was only that bold. The important thing is after we enter Prussian territory.”

Eugene narrowed his eyes and looked east.

“Once we get near Hanover, it’s no exaggeration to say that the Prussian intelligence network is spread out. We need to bypass that and advance.”

Early September 1806.

Two weeks after the Third Coalition War was declared in each country.

Eugene was steadily marching with the line infantry.

At this rate, it would be a long time before they even reached Frankfurt, let alone Kassel.

***

So, the forces that broke through Kassel are separate.

-Doo-doo-doo!

Eugene’s chief adjutant, Hippolyte Charles, staggered on the running horse and shouted.

“Hey, Ney! Slow down a little! I’m going to fall off the horse!”

“Unfortunately, I can’t do that. General Hippolyte! To meet His Highness the Viceroy’s expectations, we must hurry!”

“That’s your problem; I just came along as an observer!”

Originally, it is a European military doctrine established since the 18th century that infantry, cavalry, and artillery move as a single tactical unit.

In particular, Napoleon had condensed this doctrine into the corps system.

However, Eugene’s Viceroy Army is currently advancing with the cavalry as a single mass.

It was truly a military maneuver that would have been seen in the Middle Ages.

Suddenly, Lasalle, who was passing by Hippolyte, chuckled, showing off his feathered shako [a tall, cylindrical military cap].

“Heh heh! Chief Adjutant Charles, you should have learned to ride a horse earlier, shouldn’t you?”

“Lasalle, I’m clearly your superior, you know? Don’t be disrespectful!”

“I know, but if you wanted to show off so much, you should have stuck by His Highness’s side!”

Lasalle spurred his horse and replied.

“Now is the time for our hussars, giddy-up!”

An entire light cavalry group, commonly referred to as hussars [light cavalry known for their flamboyant uniforms] and carabiniers [heavy cavalry armed with carbines], a full 5,000 riders.

In fact, Napoleon’s instruction is to fill 20% of the corps with cavalry, but not all corps fulfill this.

Even the Imperial Guard has a cavalry ratio of only 10%.

However, the Eugene Viceroy Army cavalry, which is currently operating independently, has 5,000 out of a total of 35,000, which is close to 15%.

The reason this is possible is that Eugene sacrificed the quality of the troops and thoroughly demanded cavalry.

Above all, during the dissolution of the Austrian Empire, France thoroughly plundered horses.

Thanks to that, Eugene was able to thoroughly expand only the cavalry, unlike the infantry.

Of course, most of them were new recruits, but there were few forces blocking them.

It’s because they advanced too quickly.

However, now that they have entered deep into the former imperial territory, the time has come when they can no longer advance into completely uninhabited areas.

Suddenly, Champot, who had gone out as a scout, returned and shouted.

“Forward scout! Seems to be Prussian scouts! What should we do!”

At Champot’s report, Ney ran and asked Lasalle.

“General Champot’s report has come in. Major General Lasalle, what do you think? Can you handle it!”

“Well, it’s simple, but where will we meet up?”

“His Highness the Viceroy has given us a plan in advance!”

Ney recalled the plan he had been instructed in advance and shouted.

“If we disperse here, the meeting point is one place: Jena!”

Lasalle laughed and gestured to his direct subordinate cavalrymen.

“Okay. Then, don’t fall off your horses. Chief Adjutant Charles! Let’s go. Boys!”

The soldiers are all new recruits.

However, on the contrary, the commanding officers are all veterans themselves.

Members who participated in the New World, the Orient, and above all, the Italian campaign.

Those who broke through the Austrian Corps’ ranks with 26 riders at the Battle of Rivoli are running with Lasalle.

Lasalle shouted with a fierce smile.

“Boys, the prey is coming!”

“Hey, Captain. It looks a bit fierce to be prey.”

“Prepare for rifle fire!”

Suddenly, Lasalle held a long rifle in his hand.

“It’s time to show off the new weapon that has been honed in the New World!”

Commonly known as the Beauharnais rifle, a breech-loading cavalry percussion rifle [an early type of repeating rifle].

Since it is fired with percussion caps, there is no need to preheat it like a matchlock, and it can be fired repeatedly on horseback because the ammunition is loaded from the rear.

The only problem is the number of bullets, but Eugene solved that problem with [spare horses – extra horses to carry ammunition and supplies].

Lasalle, who was running with two spare horses, fired his gun.

-Squeak, bang!

The soldiers stationed near Leipzig were surprised and fell over.

“Enemies! Oh my god, it’s the French army!”

“When, where?”

“T-t-they’re shooting guns from horseback!”

Lasalle chuckled and quickly changed ammunition and poured fire.

“Now, this is the skill of Lasalle’s carabiniers from the New World! Annihilate them all!”

Soon after, Lasalle’s rifle cavalry fired their bullets all at once.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

Of course, most of them were also new recruits, so the accuracy was low.

***

However, the shockwave alone created a result that no veteran could have achieved.

“Ney has advanced to 10 kilometers ahead, right in front of Leipzig!”

Kassel, the capital of the Electorate of Hesse-Kassel, is a so-called [neutral country].

However, now is the time when the Third Coalition War has begun.

Eugene ignored neutrality and occupied Kassel.

Although it was only a force of about 30,000, they could not stand against Eugene’s 4th Corps, which had the French Empire behind it.

In the outskirts of Hesse-Kassel, a general reporting the situation to Eugene smiled.

“I want to tell them to plunder the Potsdam Palace? What do you think?”

“Dabou, you know that’s not our operation, right?”

“I know, Your Highness.”

General Dabou, who was Dezaix’s assistant in the New World, asked Eugene.

“I will advance the army to the battlefield you desire. Where is it?”

Originally, if there were only Eugene or Junot, it would have been difficult for the 4th Corps, which was mostly new recruits, to get this far.

However, thanks to entrusting the operation of the army to Dabou, Eugene came here without any worries about marching and supply.

In fact, in the original history, Dabou shows military operation skills comparable to Massena or Lannes.

However, from now on, the things they will face cannot be solved with that alone.

Looking intently at the map, Eugene raised his head.

“Marmont, you know that your role is the most important, right?”

“I already know because I’ve heard it. Where is it?”

“Jena.”

Eugene commanded with a glint in his eyes.

“Advance to this place. Let them know that the era of artillery warfare has begun. To the line infantry that Prussia boasts.”

Infantry, cavalry, artillery.

A truly medieval blitzkrieg was unfolding, with the three major arms advancing completely separately.

It was in September 1806, two weeks after Eugene’s vanguard had penetrated the former imperial territory.