He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 505

(505) Napoleon Gets Caught Up in the Berlin Uprising

Originally, diplomacy is mostly a dependent variable of war.

“But not as of today, Your Majesty,” the former Hungarian Chancellor and former Ambassador to France, Metternich, stated, addressing Empress Louise.

The scene unfolded at Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, southwest of Berlin. Frederick the Great had dedicated himself to its construction, and it was once renowned as a palace forbidden to women.

Now, however, it was a palace where a woman held the highest authority. In the imperial palace without an emperor, Empress Louise responded with a weary expression.

“Prussia is essentially collapsed already. Are you suggesting we shouldn’t surrender?”

“If you wish to be stripped of your throne and exiled, you are welcome to do so.”

“What did you just say?”

Louise glared at him. Even though their army was scattered and the country teetered on the brink of ruin, she hadn’t expected such blatant disrespect from a foreign diplomat.

The Prussian officials gathered in the hall of Sanssouci Palace were equally incensed, their glares fixed on Metternich.

However, Metternich, himself a former chancellor of a defeated nation, remained unfazed. He understood how quickly the anger of a defeated people could dissipate.

“Your Majesty, this is not an insult, but a statement of reality. Consider the fate of Franz, the Emperor of Habsburg. He was exiled not even to somewhere in Europe, but to the New World!”

The mention of the former Emperor Franz sent a ripple of unease through Sanssouci Palace.

The Habsburg family was an imperial dynasty that had endured for six centuries since the 13th century. Yet, after being repeatedly crushed by the French Revolutionary Army, the Imperial Army, and Napoleon himself, it had ultimately collapsed and vanished without a trace.

Now, it was nearly impossible to find any Austrian citizens who still considered Franz their emperor.

Perhaps things would have been different twenty years prior.

The Austrian Empire had been dismantled less than a decade ago.

But hardly anyone remembered the Austrian Empire, let alone Franz. It was no coincidence that Karl had bestowed the title of Kaiser upon Prussia and initiated plans for a new Germany.

However, there was a subtle trap hidden within Metternich’s words.

Empress Louise, still possessing a sharp intellect, identified it.

“If we fight Napoleon here, wouldn’t the outcome be the same?”

“No. We can strategize for the future.”

“How?”

Metternich replied without hesitation, “Exile to England, Your Majesty.”

Empress Louise was so taken aback that she couldn’t immediately respond. How could exile possibly be the answer?

But with a tongue as smooth as a serpent’s, Metternich began to weave a tapestry of persuasive words.

“Currently, all the royal families in Europe, with the exception of Portugal and Sicily, are under French control.”

“I am aware. That is why the Kaiser and I ultimately turned against the French.”

“But if France triumphs, who will stand against them? Only England.”

Up to this point, his statement was largely accurate, save for a few minor inaccuracies. Hungary had not yet fallen to France; only the king had died. Additionally, Sardinia was still resisting French dominance.

In fact, anti-Napoleon forces had even temporarily seized control of northern France itself.

Nevertheless, given Napoleon’s victory at Leipzig, it seemed inevitable that all of Europe would eventually fall under his control.

It was an unavoidable reality in Europe. Even the proud Bavarians had surrendered, hadn’t they?

Metternich embellished this objective reality with further persuasive arguments.

“But you cannot seek exile in England without demonstrating some value. Again, consider the former emperor. Emperor Franz was never accepted by England.”

“Isn’t that because Emperor Franz was captured?”

“No. Had England strongly advocated for it, he could have lived in exile in London and sought opportunities.”

Again, Metternich spoke truthfully.

“England abandoned him because they believed Franz offered no hope, even with their support.”

Of course, even if Franz had attempted a futile revolt, England likely wouldn’t have considered him a worthwhile investment.

However, it was also true that England hadn’t bothered to bring Franz to their shores because they deemed him useless.

The Empress was slowly succumbing to Metternich’s influence.

“So, we must demonstrate that Prussia is not easily subdued?”

“Precisely.”

“But the people could suffer greatly and die?”

As Empress Louise hesitated, Metternich erupted in laughter.

“Oh, Your Majesty! If you wage war against France, will people not die? People will die regardless! Therefore, it is better that they sacrifice their lives for their country!”

The Empress’s face flushed with indignation.

But it was undeniable that war inevitably claimed the lives of the people. Furthermore, the wars of this era still retained elements of medieval chivalry, and the concept of sacrificing one’s life for honor remained prevalent.

At this point, Metternich turned to address the hall, further stoking the flames of patriotism.

“Prussian subjects, listen! Do you wish to kneel before France? To abandon our language? To face an era where children speak only French? Do you want to see a world where only the French live as masters and Germans as servants!”

It wasn’t yet the full-fledged age of nationalism. In fact, most educated individuals could speak French. However, a nascent sense of national identity was undeniably present.

Metternich seized upon this sentiment.

“The world that awaits you if you simply surrender to Napoleon is such a world!”

Even so, the Empress remained undecided, as did the Prussian officials and remaining generals.

Then, Prime Minister Stein hurried back into the hall, having just returned from outside.

“Your Majesty, a communiqué has arrived.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a message from Napoleon.”

Prime Minister Stein stammered as he read the communiqué.

“Louise, who claims to be the Empress, must immediately divorce her husband. Furthermore, she must greet me unarmed at Sanssouci Palace. No one but the Empress should be present in the palace.”

Louise turned pale. The insult of being referred to as merely ‘claiming’ to be the Empress was a secondary concern.

To greet Napoleon alone in the palace? That was tantamount to saying that the Emperor intended to humiliate Empress Louise in the most egregious way.

At that moment, the Prussian officials erupted in outrage.

“This, this, this Corsican upstart!”

“I can’t stand it anymore! This man is openly insulting us!”

“I can’t take it anymore!”

The Empress, her face ashen, attempted to calm the officials.

“If I can save the country by sacrificing my body, I will gladly do so.”

Then, even Prime Minister Stein, usually a man of moderation, could no longer contain his anger.

“Absolutely not, Your Majesty! Rise up, people!”

In the end, the citizens of Berlin revolted, driven by a desire to protect the Empress’s honor and the nation’s pride.

***

The distance from Leipzig to Berlin is only 78 kilometers [approximately 48 miles].

“England occupied Batavia [modern-day Jakarta, Indonesia]? Then it is important to strengthen the rear. That’s why I’m going to conquer Prussia.”

Strategically, it wasn’t entirely illogical for Napoleon to head to Berlin.

However, it deviated from his usual tactics, which emphasized rapid movement.

Eugene frowned as he rode his horse behind Napoleon.

“Wouldn’t it be better to hurry and retake Paris?”

“Come now, Eugene. You still haven’t grasped the essence of strategy. The capital is not the key. The army is. Look at Prussia now. The capital remains intact, but the kingdom has disintegrated, correct?”

“That’s because Prussia is such a small country, Your Majesty.”

Napoleon then erupted in a hearty laugh, something he rarely did.

“Then, because it’s a small country, we can conquer it in an instant! Hahaha!”

Eugene found his behavior suspicious. There was an unusual look of anticipation in his eyes.

If Eugene were in command, he would have occupied Berlin first. That was the most direct way to dismantle the Prussian army.

Therefore, Eugene followed Napoleon without much objection, despite his suspicions.

That was the case until they were 20 kilometers [approximately 12 miles] outside of Potsdam.

Even until Chief of Staff Berthier, who always deployed dozens of scouts, rushed up to them.

Berthier reported with a flustered expression.

“Your Majesty, I believe we should halt our advance.”

“What’s going on, Berthier?”

“It’s an urgent report from Archduke Oudinot, who went ahead.”

Napoleon frowned. Even after the Battle of Leipzig, he was still displeased with Oudinot, who had nearly lost the battle by overlooking the Hanoverian army.

It seemed as though Oudinot was about to dampen his expectations once again, which annoyed him.

However, Berthier’s report exceeded Napoleon’s wildest expectations.

“A civil uprising has broken out in Berlin, and they are preparing for war.”

Napoleon asked in disbelief, “Why? I thought the king himself had fled to London?”

“It’s because of the communiqué you sent, Your Majesty.”

“Communiqué?”

Berthier handed over the report, seemingly embarrassed to even speak the words.

Napoleon’s eyes widened as he read the report that Oudinot had meticulously written and sent.

Soon after, Napoleon screamed.

“What is this? I may have entertained such thoughts, but I never sent it! Who sent it!”

Eugene, who quickly grabbed the report, wore a dumbfounded expression.

“You entertained such thoughts?”

“No, Empress Louise, I mean, the Prussian Queen is said to be a beauty. I never even saw her after defeating Prussia at Austerlitz! Because the reorganization of Eastern Europe was urgent.”

“Isn’t it just because you were busy playing with Madame Walewska?” [Napoleon’s mistress]

Now that Eugene understood why Napoleon was heading to Berlin, he sneered. Napoleon jumped.

“Anyway! I never sent it! I’m being framed! I’m not a rapist!”

It was the cry of Emperor Napoleon, who enjoyed the company of women but insisted he wasn’t a lecher.

***

There are times when fake letters change the course of the world.

“So, who sent the communiqué?”

At the port of Bremen in the Kingdom of Hanover, which the French army had yet to reach, Lord Castlereagh inquired.

“I wrote it. I had a difficult time imitating Napoleon’s poor handwriting.”

“Truly a terrifying trick. Well, a lecher like Napoleon could have actually done that, right?”

“That’s right. It’s based on the information our Hungarian spies uncovered.”

In fact, in the original timeline, a fake telegram had triggered a war. It was the Ems Dispatch incident orchestrated by Bismarck, the chancellor of Prussia.

At the time, Bismarck manipulated the emperor’s words to incite the emotions of the Prussian people. Of course, the fact that the French media falsely fabricated the story further fueled the flames.

In this instance, Metternich had used a fake notice even more effectively.

But Metternich’s face didn’t reflect satisfaction. Because nothing had truly been resolved.

“But this is merely a delay. The real issue is the war itself, after all. Lord Castlereagh.”

Metternich had also realized something at the Battle of Leipzig: all the circumstances were overwhelmingly unfavorable to Napoleon. However, if Napoleon won the battle, the situation would be completely reversed.

Lord Castlereagh smiled as he sipped his steaming black tea.

“Trust our British General Wellesley [Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington]. He is the best card England can offer.”

Late June 1810.

It was the moment when the stage was set for Wellesley to make his move.