He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 108

(108) Let’s Cross the Rubicon, or Rather, the Mincio River

Perhaps the most famous river in Italy is the Rubicon.

The river where the renowned Caesar decided his fate.

The river that separated ancient French Gaul from the Roman Republic of Italy.

The river without which the Roman Empire might never have existed.

However, this river is quite far south in Lombardy.

Yet, the river before us is no less significant than the Rubicon in terms of destiny.

“Here, the Mincio can be called our very own Rubicon! Hahaha!”

Massena exclaimed spiritedly as he stood before the river.

– Swish!

The river flowing south from Lake Garda surged powerfully.

After the summer’s heavy rains, both the flow and velocity were rapid.

Perhaps Massena was reminded of the Rubicon because it marked the passage from Lombardy to the Republic of Venice.

But for Eugene, the river held a more personal meaning.

“Not a very pleasant river, is it?”

Eugene grimaced slightly, twisting his lips.

In the original timeline, there were a series of battles fought on the Mincio River.

Among them was a battle that Eugene himself experienced.

The Battle of the Mincio River.

In that battle, fought in 1814, Eugene did not achieve a complete victory.

If he had won decisively, he might have been able to reverse the tide of the war.

So, it was only natural that he felt uneasy looking at the river.

Just then, Lannes clapped him heartily on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry, young cadet. You’re not alone. Did you think we’d leave it all to a boy?”

Eugene chuckled and nodded.

If Lannes had been alive at the Mincio River, perhaps a reversal of fortune would have been possible.

Or even if Massena, who was excitedly looking at the river ahead, had been there.

In other words, Eugene was now with the strongest “one-two punch” Napoleon possessed.

Two commanders capable of independent operations and strategic victories.

Massena, seemingly blessed by the goddess of victory, and Lannes, the Achilles of the French Grande Armée.

Therefore, there was no way they could lose this battle.

Suddenly, Lannes tilted his head, looking at the river.

“Traditionally, it’s the border between Veneto and Lombardy, but I don’t see any border guards.”

“There aren’t many bridges either. We don’t have many engineers in our division, do we, General Lannes?”

“Well, Marshal Chasseloup remained with the main force, so it can’t be helped. Tsk!”

Lannes said impatiently, as if ready to lead the cavalry and cross the river immediately.

Massena was also checking on the engineers, ready to build a pontoon bridge.

Only then did Eugene recall another fact.

Massena, the master of speed, and Lannes, the master of advance, were both men of impetuous character.

It seemed Eugene might have to restrain them this time.

Eugene turned lightly to his aide, Hippolyte.

“List the bridges on the Mincio River, Hippolyte.”

Massena and Lannes turned with puzzled expressions.

How could he know that?

The Mincio River was a full 75 kilometers long.

Yet, surprisingly, Hippolyte replied succinctly.

“Peschiera, Borghetto, Goito, and Rivalta. Just four places.”

“What’s the terrain like?”

“There’s quite a gorge between Peschiera and Borghetto. South of Goito is flat.”

Peschiera, located at the southern end of Lake Garda.

Below it, the river flowed and narrowed at Borghetto.

Then, the river widened again, situated on the alluvial plain of Goito and near Mantua in Rivalta.

There were only four bridges on this long river.

Lannes, marveling at Hippolyte reciting information as if he were a local, asked.

“How do you know that, Sharpshooter?”

“You don’t know what company I founded first in Milan, do you?”

“Wasn’t it a canning factory? Even then, it seemed the princess was the owner.”

Eugene glanced at Massena and smiled.

“No. Marshal Massena, who entrusted me with money, knows. It’s the Financial Postal Office. A place full of armed postmen who also conduct financial business. Oh, and former postal regiment soldiers who fought in the Vendée [a counter-revolution in France during the French Revolution].”

The Milan Marseille Bank, the first company founded by calling Pierre Colot, the director of the Marseille Bank.

Of course, it was faster than the canning factory.

Massena, who had entrusted investments to this place, knew that much.

However, he never imagined that the postal workers would act as ‘informants’ exploring the terrain.

Massena raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

“Well, there must have been a lot of letters to send this way.”

“They took a bit of a wrong turn, Marshal.”

“Good. Then, where did our great Sharpshooter find the terrain to plant that bullet?”

The nicknames they used for Eugene differed.

Lannes still called Eugene a young cadet and tried to take the lead.

On the other hand, Massena used black humor to call him Sharpshooter, but he was ready to utilize Eugene.

This didn’t mean Lannes looked down on Eugene.

It was the difference between Lannes, who preferred to engage in direct combat, and Massena, who liked to utilize others.

Both were impetuous, but there was a clear difference in their tendencies.

Eugene shrugged slightly and replied.

“If we just rush in, the enemy will notice. It’s called deception.”

“That’s right. But we can’t be late either, can we? If we’re too late, the enemy will notice again.”

“So, we need to show that we’re serious.”

Eugene spread out the map, his eyes gleaming.

“By defeating the Kingdom of Naples’ army, which is mobilizing to save Venice, a nominal ally.”

The map depicted the area around the Mincio River.

That level of detail could be found in the Paris National Guard headquarters, in the Terrain Department.

However, this map had a special aspect.

The movements of the French Italian Corps, the Holy Roman Empire’s Tyrol Army, and other armies were drawn on it.

In particular, Massena, Lannes, and even Junot, the deputy commander of the Horse Grenadier Regiment who was watching, were surprised by the appearance of the Southern Army, which they had never seen before.

Junot hurriedly asked.

“Wait, the Kingdom of Naples? Did they also join this war?”

“Were you dozing during the staff meeting? The Kingdom of Naples is also part of the anti-French alliance, Junot. Of course, Naples only provides money, and the actual troops are moved by an Austrian general. It’s similar to the Kingdom of Sardinia.”

“Ah, you’re talking about Michelangelo. But who is it this time? Has he come near here yet?”

He was referring to Michelangelo Colli, the former commander of the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Colli was originally an Austrian soldier dispatched to the Kingdom of Sardinia.

A measure by the Holy Roman Empire to protect Sardinia, whose army was relatively weak.

The same was true for the Kingdom of Naples, which was advancing from the south this time.

A country ruled by the Bourbon dynasty, but whose economy was controlled by England and whose military depended on Austria.

A satellite state that had only provided soldiers alongside England during the Toulon rebellion.

That was the reality of the Kingdom of Naples.

Eugene held up a note with information recently delivered by former postal worker Jacob Elly.

“Anton Lipthay von Kisfalud. The man we crushed at Montenotte. He fled south and is now moving north.”

He was the direct regimental commander under Count Argenteau at Montenotte.

Unlike Rosselmini, who fled north, Lipthay fled south.

As a result, Lipthay was able to receive assistance from the Kingdom of Naples.

Now, he was leading soldiers replenished from the Kingdom of Naples and moving north.

To help the allied Republic of Venice.

Eugene pointed to a red spot on the map.

“Let’s defeat him. Here, at Borghetto. And then we’ll go to Verona.”

The four major bridges of the Mincio River.

Among them, the best place to launch a surprise attack.

***

Anton Lipthay von Kisfalud, a young general from Hungary.

“This time, our regiment must achieve merit. Otherwise, we’ll have no face to return to the Empire!”

He had participated in the War of the Bavarian Succession and mainly fought against the Turks, earning merit.

A man who had fought in numerous engagements and considered war a daily occurrence.

When he was assigned to Italy, he came with the feeling of taking a break.

Lipthay’s original schedule was to rest and then go to the Rhine front.

However, here, Lipthay had to experience a war more astonishing than any other battlefield.

Three months after fleeing to Naples, leaving behind the nightmarish battlefield of Montenotte.

Now, he had to earn merit and return to his homeland.

The total number of troops he was leading was 5,000.

The officers were survivors of Montenotte, but the soldiers were from the Kingdom of Naples.

He would lead these troops and nominally defend the Republic of Venice.

Then, his goal was to return to his homeland.

If he had to fight, it was a number that could make a show of force.

Just then, Colonel Matthias Rukavina, who was marching on horseback with him, asked.

“Wouldn’t it be fastest to go to Mantua?”

“What are you talking about! Bonaparte sent troops there! Do you want to be crushed by Bonaparte again! Matthias Rukavina!”

“N-no, that’s not it. I saw enough at Montenotte.”

Rukavina, a survivor of Montenotte, trembled.

“The military power of those devilish bastards.”

Montenotte, that nightmarish battlefield.

Close combat and annihilation warfare that completely ignored the common sense of 18th-century engagements.

It was a miracle that he had survived there.

Lipthay shook his head.

He didn’t want to fight the French army again.

If possible, Lipthay’s goal was to return without fighting even in Venice.

Just then.

Rukavina suddenly widened his eyes.

“Colonel! Look ahead!”

“What are you talking about? Ahead? There are no troops around here! I deliberately avoided the Mantua area!”

“That’s not true! That’s definitely!”

Matthias Rukavina von Boynograd, a veteran who had fought since the Seven Years’ War, glared.

“It’s the French army’s tricolor flag!”

At that moment, a roar began to sound.

– Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound of hooves pounding the earth.

The sight of dust rising clearly indicated a cavalry charge.

It was common sense on the battlefield that cavalry could not break through infantry, but neither Rukavina nor Lipthay could react.

Hundreds of riders were rushing towards them.

In an instant.

Just as Lipthay was about to scream, Eugene, who was at the head, shouted.

“Eugene Grenades, throw them all at once!”

Instantly, Eugene Grenades [a type of hand grenade named after Eugene] with tails flew in unison.

– Bang! Bang! Bang!

Borghetto, a place where the Mincio River flowed and suddenly narrowed.

A place with many gorges and hills, perfect for hiding troops and launching a surprise attack.

In fact, in the original history, Beaulieu retreated here and clashed with Napoleon.

However, with Beaulieu dead, his remnants were caught by Eugene while moving north.

“Form ranks, form ranks! G-grenades are single-shot!”

“No! They’re throwing them again now!”

“Damn it, form a square! Prepare to fire!”

It was when Lipthay and Rukavina were in a panic.

– Whizz!

The 1,000 riders of the Eugene Horse Grenadier Brigade scattered to the left and right.

Lipthay blinked as he watched the cavalry evade so unpredictably.

It was difficult for the cavalry to face the infantry square, but Lipthay’s 5,000 troops had not even formed a proper formation.

Why were they only attacking once and then evading?

“What is it?”

At that moment, gunshots rang out behind the dust.

– Bang!

The cavalry had not finished with that.

Like waves crashing in, this time, three times as many riders were rushing in.

Thanks to his experience, Rukavina identified the enemy even through the dust and shouted.

“It’s the gun cavalry! We must stop them! Into a square!”

However, there was no time for the infantry to form a square.

The gun barrels were all aimed at Lipthay’s army.

Three thousand bullets began to be fired.

Among them, the 1,000 riders at the head fired quickly from horseback, like rapid-fire.

– Bang! Click, click. Bang! Click, click. Bang!

As at least five shots per minute poured down, Lipthay screamed.

“This isn’t real! It can’t be real! Those, those devils!”

At that moment, the Horse Grenadier Brigade struck Lipthay’s 5,000 Neapolitan infantry from behind again.

– Thud!

Now was the time for the formation to break and the army to scatter.

The collapse of the army was literally taking place.

***

The last remaining infantryman died without even uttering a death cry, stabbed by a bayonet.

– Thwack!

Eugene clicked his tongue, splattered with blood.

The Horse Grenadier’s strike, Pirete’s cavalry charge, and Massena’s division’s column advance.

The cycle continued as if gears were meshing together.

Considering that the commanders moved completely independently with three people, it was amazing.

However, thanks to this, the innocent Neapolitan soldiers were almost annihilated, with not a single prisoner left.

Eugene complained to Massena.

“You didn’t necessarily have to do a bayonet charge, did you?”

“Hey, we have to practice at times like this. To use it when it’s really dangerous.”

“Thanks to you, we almost killed everyone, Marshal Massena.”

At Eugene’s words, Massena winked.

“Still, we sent Lipthay away, didn’t we? Hehe!”

Lipthay was nowhere to be seen among the thousands of corpses and casualties.

Just as he had fled the tragedy of Montenotte, he had fled here in Borghetto as well.

Having crossed the Mincio River and fled, he was likely to flee to the fortress of Brescia.

Lannes, who had achieved his operational goal, asked nonchalantly amidst the bloodshed.

“So, are we going to Verona now?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Good. The entire army rests today, and we prepare to march from tomorrow!”

However, Eugene shook his head.

“No, the cavalry will not rest.”

Lannes, who had been catching his breath, Massena, who had been laughing cheerfully until just now, and even Murat, who was on horseback, widened their eyes.

They were going to ride horses right after the battle had ended.

Raising his hand and pointing east, Eugene said.

“The Horse Grenadier Brigade and the 13th Pyrenees Cavalry Regiment will continue to run as they are.”

“No, why? It’s dangerous to operate only the cavalry and encounter the enemy’s fully manned unit!”

“No. Marshal Massena. There are no more enemies of significant size in this area. If there are, it’s the Venetian militia.”

Despite Massena’s dissuasion, Eugene shook his head vigorously.

“We must run to Venice as it is and let the enemies know that Venice is really the target of the attack. Then Wurmser will send scouts and realize one thing.”

“Realize what!”

“That General Napoleon is staying near Lonato with only one division of troops!”

Only then did everyone, who had been intoxicated with victory, suddenly realize.

Why were Massena, Lannes, and Eugene advancing east like this?

Why were Augereau, Laharpe, and Sérurier all scattered?

To lure the enemy, Wurmser.

To do that, an even more intense gamble was needed.

The cavalry’s solo advance was a suitable advance to show as a performance.

It would make the enemy mistake the French army’s strategic goals, while also making it easy to retreat the infantry.

Suddenly, Lannes bared his teeth and stared at Eugene, asking.

“Bold. Even if we only collide with an enemy infantry unit of the size we just clashed with, it’s over. You know that, right?”

“I know. For now, I’ll only take as much gunpowder and ammunition as I can carry.”

“Are you still going to go?”

The biggest problem was gunpowder after all.

The cavalry bet everything on mobility.

The supply wagons didn’t come with them either.

In the end, they could only carry gunpowder and ammunition for portable use.

That meant all firepower would be lost after one initial battle.

It was a situation that should be avoided at all costs in modern warfare.

Nevertheless, Eugene smiled and replied.

“I have a plan. A plan to bring Verona.”

Lannes, who had been staring intently at Eugene, turned to Massena.

“I’ll bet on this gambler. Massena? You follow behind.”

Massena was the superior in this position.

Even if Lannes or Eugene commanded independent units, they could be suppressed by rank.

Moreover, a solo cavalry operation was an extremely avoided operation after gunpowder became the main player in the war.

However, Massena pondered and then wore a strange smile.

He had calculated it.

Even if they failed to occupy Verona, there was a high possibility that they would retreat again.

“Alright. I hope you occupy Verona before we arrive. Otherwise, you won’t even get to see Verona and will have to retreat! Hahaha!”

Eugene nodded and turned to his subordinates.

“Then, let’s go to Verona!”

Junot, Murat, and Hippolyte got back on their horses.

“Ah, I can’t even rest! I’ll disobey if I don’t see the beauties of Verona!”

“Crap, I hope I can earn some merit this time. I’m tired of decoy operations now!”

“Hah, hah, hah! Oh, I’m going to die!”

Again, Eugene and Lannes began to run.

Beyond the river of fate, the Mincio, this time Verona became the new goal.

Wurmser had not yet crawled out of Brescia.