I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 197

Old Era

It’s a given that England and France don’t trust each other.

They agreed to divide the land and sea, but each remained ready to betray the other at any moment.

France provided the navy, while England supplied the army.

Still, France retained overall command on land, and England’s naval strategy would be followed at sea.

It seemed a clumsy alliance, but in another sense, it was a firm commitment to each doing what they did best and avoiding interference as much as possible.

England readily accepted the proposal and provided surprisingly faithful support.

The two countries, having decided to defeat the Ottomans and the Egyptian Mamluk forces separately, declared war and simultaneously attacked and occupied Alexandria.

Egypt, caught off guard, hurriedly gathered its forces after losing Alexandria.

For the Allied forces, who wanted a swift end to the war, this was a welcome development.

“We are not here to occupy Egypt,” Napoleon declared.

He brought 60,000 men in three corps commanded by Lannes, Davout, and Murat.

This was a smaller force than he used to conquer Prussia, but having crossed the sea to Egypt, more attention had to be paid to supply lines and the soldiers’ health.

“Our biggest goal is to crush the enemy’s will to resist. Thankfully, they seem willing to fight, so if we annihilate their main force, that’ll be the end of it.”

The real power in Egypt was held by Mamluks named Murad Bey and Ibrahim Bey.

The Mamluk army had excellent cavalry, with a history of defeating the Mongol army long ago.

In fact, cavalry was central to their identity.

Murad Bey, immensely proud of his cavalry, was gathering large numbers of horsemen near Cairo.

Joachim Murat, the best cavalry commander in the French army, pointed to an area on the map with anticipation.

“So, we’re going to fight the enemy near Cairo?”

“We’ll have to. They have no reason to come all the way here.”

“They seem pretty confident, judging by their willingness to fight. They must have heard the rumors about our army.”

“The Mamluks are proud of having defeated even the Mongols. They probably don’t think France is as scary as the old Mongols, no matter how strong we are.”

In the first place, the Mamluks, whose main force was cavalry, were not skilled in siege warfare.

Choosing a path that would leverage their strengths rather than barricading themselves in the city was a logical decision.

“Actually, we almost suffered a setback. According to my investigation, there was a canal that supplied water from the Nile to Alexandria. I assumed there would be no problem supplying water if we used the canal, but that wasn’t the case.”

Napoleon, understanding the importance of information and supply better than anyone, had read every book about Egypt as soon as the expedition was decided.

The expedition was starting in July.

Considering Egypt’s hot climate, he knew the most important thing was the water supply, and the canal seemed to solve that problem.

If he had confidently dispatched the army relying on that canal, the French army would have suffered a major setback.

“It’s not Marshal Napoleon’s fault. Who would have imagined that the canal would be dry when it seemed perfectly functional?”

“Isn’t it something we should reflect on that the Prime Minister [referring to Christian] did imagine that?”

Originally, Christian didn’t interfere much in war preparations.

However, this time he actively gave Napoleon several pieces of advice.

“Before August, the Nile River does not flood, so there is a high possibility that the canal will be dry.”

Napoleon was shocked, as if struck by a blunt instrument.

If he had proceeded without this knowledge, more soldiers would have died of dehydration and exhaustion than in actual battle.

Lannes and Davout had assumed the canal would be flowing, but when they saw it dry with their own eyes, they were speechless.

They realized the vast difference between the Egypt they read about and the Egypt they were experiencing.

“How did the Prime Minister know all this? I don’t think he’s ever been to Egypt himself…”

“If you’re surprised by everything like that, you can’t work under the Prime Minister. You just have to accept it.”

It was so true that Lannes smiled and nodded.

“Come to think of it, the new bullets used in this war were developed by researchers in New France [French colonies in North America], but the person who directed the development was the Prime Minister.”

“Now that you mention it, that’s right. But is this bullet really that great?”

Davout asked, examining the new bullet with a curious expression.

Before Napoleon could speak, Lannes and Murat asked back in puzzled voices.

“What? Didn’t you attend the demonstration of the new bullets? There was a presentation explaining the new detonator for bullets and muskets.”

“I had another event scheduled at that time…”

“Ah, this is being put into actual combat right after its introduction, so you might not know if you didn’t see it then. It’s amazing. The power and accuracy of the gun are on a different level just by changing the bullet, you know?”

“Is it that great?”

“I’m not kidding. Unlike ordinary bullets, it tears up the inside when it hits the target. In that sense, it’s a terrifying weapon… Even glancing blows can become fatal wounds.”

Lannes smiled grimly, recalling the power of the new bullet he had witnessed at the demonstration.

The enemy’s front ranks, showered with these bullets, would suffer enormous casualties.

Of course, even the old bullets could kill if they hit properly.

But these new weapons would tear up the inside of the body upon impact.

In addition, the range had also increased significantly.

The new detonator was just as amazing.

It was called the percussion method [a firing mechanism].

They said it used a compound first synthesized by the genius chemist Lavoisier [Antoine Lavoisier, a prominent French chemist], but no one there remembered the exact name.

With this invention, the gunpowder dish disappeared from French guns, misfires became less frequent, and the reaction speed to firing became much faster.

Lannes, Murat, and Napoleon were soldiers, not scientists, so they didn’t understand the principles behind these new inventions.

The scientists had been excited and explained a lot, but they had forgotten everything.

Still, the important thing was that the weapons they would use had a longer range and much stronger killing power than the enemy’s guns.

They had clearly memorized the exact performance differences from the existing weapons.

Not even considering the possibility of defeat was not arrogance, but confidence.

“By the way, why did the Prime Minister develop such amazing weapons and still hint that even newer weapons could come out?”

“Well… I heard that future guns will be breech-loading [loaded from the rear of the barrel] rather than muzzle-loading [loaded from the front of the barrel]?”

“Breech-loading? Putting the bullet in the back? Isn’t that what the British used and failed miserably with in the American Revolutionary War and then abandoned?”

“That’s what I know too… I guess the Prime Minister thinks differently.”

Could a gun that was no different from a musket before it was equipped with a new detonator and bullet really become the trend in the future?

As the marshals were about to discuss the topic, Napoleon tapped the table with his baton to draw attention.

“Let’s stop talking about things unrelated to this war and get back to the original topic. What we need to worry about is not whether the new gun is good or not, but how to use this gun to annihilate the enemy.”

“Ah, that’s right. I’m sorry.”

Tension returned to the eyes of the marshals who had been having a leisurely conversation.

That’s right. No matter how inevitable the war, there will always be casualties on our side.

The problem with this war is not winning, but minimizing the damage to our troops.

There’s no need to argue about how good the new weapon is.

Anyway, the war has already begun.

Only the results will prove everything.

※※※

Embabeh, near Cairo, Egypt.

The Mamluk army and the French army met head-on on this plain, where the famous Giza pyramids were faintly visible.

The French army had 60,000 men in three corps and 5,000 British support troops.

The Mamluk army led by Murad Bey also had more than 60,000 men, making them similar in number.

What tactics would the Mamluk army, mainly composed of cavalry, employ?

Napoleon scanned Murad Bey’s formation with a telescope, with half expectation and half vigilance.

There had been several small-scale skirmishes on the way, but the French army had easily driven off the enemy.

So far, the enemy’s cavalry had not posed a significant threat.

But he couldn’t afford to be careless.

Underestimating the Mamluk cavalry that had defeated the Mongol cavalry in the past could lead to unexpected losses.

Napoleon called Murat, who had a better understanding of cavalry tactics, to his side.

After taking all possible precautions, examining the enemy’s formation, and receiving reports from scouts…

“…Are you kidding me?”

An absurd sigh and a sense of self-reproach escaped his throat.

“Was I so worried about these guys…”

Napoleon subtly avoided Murat’s gaze, embarrassed that he had urged the marshals not to be careless or they might be defeated.

But Murat was even angrier than Napoleon and stomped his feet.

“Do those bastards think war is a joke? What era is it to deploy cavalry like that!”

Murat, who still romanticized cavalry in an era dominated by guns and cannons, pointed at the enemy as if insulted.

“Your Excellency, do those bastards still think it’s the 16th or 17th century?”

“…Isn’t there some kind of trap?”

The Mamluk army’s goal was clear from their deployment.

They intended to crush the French infantry with their superior cavalry.

The Mamluk cavalry, armed with British-made new cavalry guns, were preparing to charge proudly in that direction.

Of course, they had no idea it would be a charge into hell.

“In this era, the organic harmony of artillery and infantry is essential for cavalry… Is this what cultural shock is?”

“As the commander of the cavalry corps, I have mixed feelings.”

The era when cavalry could dominate the battlefield alone was long gone.

Perhaps this scene was the destiny of the Mamluks, who had ruled Egypt on horseback for nearly 500 years.

All the power and privileges they had achieved came from the strength of their superior cavalry.

If they admitted that times had changed, wouldn’t the very foundation of Mamluk society collapse?

Even if that wasn’t the case, the psychological impact would be significant.

Napoleon suddenly remembered a phrase Christian had muttered at the banquet before their departure.

‘He who is intoxicated with the glory of the past is dead…’ Was that referring to those they would face in the future?

If so, their task was to nail the coffin shut.

While he was lost in thought, the sound of a trumpet announcing the charge blared from the enemy camp.

“Waaaaaa!”

Thud thud thud.

With a sound that shook the earth, the Mamluk cavalry began to rush forward like a wave.

“All troops! Form ranks!”

At Napoleon’s command, the French army formed ranks in an orderly manner.

Cavalry versus infantry.

The battle structure that had been repeated countless times for thousands of years was being replayed on the Egyptian desert, where 4,000 years of history lay dormant.

Old Era End