He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 174

Became Napoleon’s Genius Son – Episode 174

(174) The Marksman Plans the Four-Way Expedition

In the middle of the desert, a place that feels hotter just imagining it.

“Hey, why are you going to Egypt alone!”

All military expeditions are naturally confidential.

So, Marina and Josephine, who would have been the first to protest Eugene’s expedition to Egypt, didn’t even show up.

Instead, Adjutant Ipolite was furious.

Until now, he seemed to think that even if an expedition to Egypt took place, it was Napoleon’s problem.

But Eugene was going himself, without Napoleon, which shocked him.

The expeditionary force’s temporary operations office was located in a corner of the Paris Public Safety Command.

Eugene shrugged, looking at a map on one of the desks.

“First of all, I’m the one going, not you. Why are you making such a fuss, Ipolite?”

“It’s the same thing! Where else would an adjutant go if not where the commander goes!”

“Even if that’s the case, I’m not the commander.”

Eugene replied, unfolding the operation plan.

“It’s Hoche.”

Hoche was a soldier who, until last year, was known as one of the three great generals of the French Revolutionary Army.

He was also the one who successfully conquered the Netherlands.

Of course, from Eugene’s point of view, what was important was that he was Josephine’s ex-lover and had a special relationship with Eugene.

If Napoleon hadn’t been around, Hoche would be the national hero by now.

In that respect, Eugene had made a pretty ingenious choice.

The Egyptian expedition was bound to be a war of national interest.

No matter how outstanding Eugene’s achievements were in the Italian expedition, it was difficult for him to become commander at the young age of 16.

Furthermore, if other generals became commanders of the expeditionary force, they could easily become Napoleon’s rivals.

In the original history of the war, Napoleon was most concerned about generals who became rivals.

But with Hoche, Napoleon could rest assured; the people would recognize him as a commander, and, above all, Eugene could easily control him.

Of course, Ipolite shook his head for other reasons.

“Isn’t that too much? Are you planning not to die alone? Hoche is just about to enjoy his newlywed life, and you’re taking him to the desert?”

“Egypt is the perfect place for a honeymoon.”

“Can you say that in front of Hoche?”

The desert itself is a very difficult battlefield.

Would Hoche really welcome it?

Just then, a cheerful voice came from outside the office.

“So, why did you recommend me as the commander of the Egyptian expeditionary force, Eugene?”

Hoche was smiling brightly.

He had certainly come to Paris briefly during the Pichegru coup [a royalist conspiracy] last year.

But wasn’t he busy commanding the Flanders Army and had returned?

Eugene happily ran out to greet Hoche.

“What is it, have you completely returned to Paris now? There hasn’t even been a triumphal return ceremony yet?”

“I’m not obsessed with that. Besides, Danton sent a letter asking me to come.”

“Why?”

Hoche shrugged.

“He said I might go to Ireland. It was something to be decided after the presidential election, though.”

So, Danton was originally preparing for the Irish expedition in two ways.

In case Napoleon refused, he would entrust it to Hoche.

This actually happens in the original history.

Napoleon refused the Irish expedition, and Hoche’s turn came.

And Hoche fails miserably.

Eugene nodded with a bitter smile.

“I see, you were also a target of checks and balances. By the former presidents and congressmen.”

“Me? I don’t have any particular ambition, and I haven’t achieved any particularly amazing feats, have I? Nor have I squeezed a lot of funds from the Netherlands, or rather, the Batavian Republic [a French client state established in the Netherlands].”

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is whether there are soldiers who follow orders.”

Eugene pointed to the map and smiled.

“Let’s use that military fame in Egypt.”

Unstable political situation, famous general, loyal soldiers.

Commonly, in modern times, this would be said:

A general with a high risk of a coup.

Hoche is a man who doesn’t have that risk.

But what would Danton or other congressmen know?

Rather, they might be even more anxious than Napoleon, given that his troops are close to Paris.

Hoche is a good person, but not a fool.

Hoche, who understood Eugene’s words, laughed heartily and asked.

“Hahaha! Good. Then, what will Commander Bonaparte do? There’s still a problem left. He’ll have an uncomfortable cohabitation with the Directory [the French Revolutionary government]?”

“Well, I’ll leave the main force of the Italian expeditionary force behind, so you and the generals can defend it well. However, the nominal duty of the commander-in-chief is to oversee all of France’s foreign expeditions.”

“What? You’re not just going to Egypt?”

Eugene, who had been writing the plan, smiled and held up the document.

“Not at all. Egypt is just the beginning. I have a four-way foreign expedition plan.”

The Four-Way Foreign Expedition Plan.

– Whack!

In an era without computers or typewriters, the plan had to be written painfully by hand with a pen.

Eugene had to spend days in the office to create this plan.

Just as it was completed, Hoche arrived.

“First, the east, Egypt. If successful, it’s a grand plan to head to India.”

“I’m going with you on this. I’m going to be baked to death.”

“Next, the west, the New World. We’ll eventually fight England, and to protect our new territory, Florida, we’ll send an Atlantic expeditionary force.”

So far, Hoche understood.

England instigated the Pichegru coup.

By attacking Egypt, they would disrupt Indian trade, and they would protect the newly acquired territory in the New World.

Anyone in the French Revolutionary government could understand that.

But why did he say [Four-Way]?

Eugene spread out a map of the Mediterranean next to the plan and said.

“This time, it’s the south.”

“Surely, you’re not planning to attack Spain?”

“Close. The target is Gibraltar, called [Gibraltar] in Spanish.”

Instantly, Hoche, who saw [Gibraltar] pointed out by Eugene, exclaimed in surprise.

“Good heavens, that’s a more reckless place than Ireland. England always stations a garrison there, and it’s the forefront of British Mediterranean trade! Besides, you know that, don’t you? France and Spain both failed 15 years ago!”

Gibraltar is the name of the strait between the Iberian Peninsula and the African continent, and the name of the [cape].

Since the old Spanish War of Succession [early 18th century], England has occupied this cape.

They had seized the strait leading from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic.

Since then, countries with ports only in the Mediterranean have had great difficulty accessing the Atlantic.

It is an important stronghold that allowed England to seize maritime hegemony.

Naturally, Spain has made tremendous efforts to regain it.

Even 15 years ago, during the American Revolutionary War, Spain besieged and attacked it.

But in the end, England succeeded in defending Gibraltar and built it into a fortress at great expense.

Furthermore, even if Spain blockades it, they can receive supplies from the Sultanate of Morocco across the street, so they don’t suffer any damage.

But Eugene replied with a calm smile.

“That’s why it’s meaningful. Besides, we need a fight in Gibraltar to get to Egypt safely.”

In other words, it’s a diversionary tactic.

If a battle breaks out in Gibraltar, the British Navy will have to pay attention to Gibraltar.

Naturally, they will not be able to stop the French fleet heading to Egypt.

Hoche, who had been staring intently at the plan, said heavily.

“Then, the north is Ireland.”

That’s the expedition that Eugene also assessed would obviously fail.

“That’s right. We have no choice but to try it once. Because there will be a rebellion in Ireland.”

Even if it failed in the original history, that’s why France has no choice but to try.

***

Napoleon also called his direct generals to the Paris Public Safety Command.

“If we’re going to wage war on such a large scale, there’s no choice. As commander-in-chief, I can’t focus on a single campaign.”

The current commander of the Paris Public Safety Command is Marceau.

However, Marceau was a member of the Napoleon Club [a political faction supporting Napoleon] and was considered one of Napoleon’s closest aides.

Above all, he has not yet been formally appointed as the commander-in-chief of the French army.

So, Napoleon is using his private residence or the Public Safety Command when discussing military operations in Paris.

But Marceau, who was listening to Napoleon’s explanation, raised an objection.

“Are you really going to follow Eugene’s ideas, Commander?”

“What’s wrong, Marceau? You were the first to say you’d go to Egypt with our son, weren’t you?”

“That’s because I owe your son a personal favor. Also, I thought we were only attacking Egypt. But this is such a massive war.”

But Napoleon burst into laughter.

“Oh, did you get fooled too? Wrong. In reality, only the Egyptian expeditionary force is actually moving. The rest will use external resources. Berthier!”

Chief of Staff Berthier stepped forward and held up the operation plan.

In the original history, only four people in the military knew exactly about the Egyptian expedition.

Commander Napoleon, scholar Monge who was an advisor to Egypt, General Cafferelli who served as Napoleon’s adjutant, and Chief of Staff Berthier.

This time too, Berthier knew everything about the operation plan.

Even what Marceau didn’t know yet.

“First, I will explain the operation plan. General Hoche and General Eugene Freischutz will go to the Egyptian expedition.”

“Is the Flanders expeditionary force the main force?”

“That’s right, General Augereau. However, Eugene’s direct troops from the Vendée suppression force and the Italian expeditionary force are included.”

Berthier, who briefly summarized the expeditionary force’s organization in response to Augereau’s question, explained the next expedition.

“Next, this is important. In the New World, Florida uses local troops.”

“Wait a minute. Weren’t we sending Pichegru and the Northern Army?”

“Only the commander and some of the rebels are going, General Massena. The actual troops will use the Vendée rebel army and Toussaint Louverture’s black slave corps that have already been dispatched locally.”

This part was something that even Napoleon’s generals had not predicted.

“Good heavens, aren’t they rebels?”

Lannes asked in surprise.

Toussaint, the former rebel commander of Saint-Domingue [Haiti] and the current warlord.

Although the Revolutionary government recognized Toussaint, no one in Paris really considered Toussaint a French soldier.

They just see him as a former black slave who is difficult to suppress.

Napoleon snorted.

“Do you think I like using rebels, even black slaves, Lannes?”

“No, the slave emancipation decree has been proclaimed. General Lannes. And Commander.”

“Augereau, there’s no need to recite the law. The reason is simple, there are no people! People! Who would be a soldier who would go there!”

Augereau, a passionate Republican who also supports slave emancipation, intervened, but Napoleon waved his hand.

Napoleon basically has no interest in slave emancipation.

In fact, he has no interest in the island of Hispaniola, let alone Florida in the New World.

However, Napoleon’s way is to use all the cards he can.

In the original history, after Napoleon took power as Consul, he simply excluded Toussaint and tried to attack the New World directly, but failed.

But now, France and Napoleon cannot afford to do that.

As a result, the conclusion was reached to formally appoint Toussaint as [Commander] and employ him.

“Of course, the commander-in-chief is neither Toussaint nor Pichegru.”

“Then, is it Thurot? That guy has a history of massacres.”

“That’s not it either, General Lannes. Here, General Rochejacquelein recommended him. General Lescure will be appointed.”

Rochejacquelein, the head of the Surété [French secret police], who was standing quietly next to Chief of Staff Berthier, bowed his head.

“Yes, he is a master of defense. You can trust that.”

Lescure, a former marquis who served as Rochejacquelein’s chief of staff.

In the original history, he would have already died in the Vendée, but he survived thanks to Eugene’s intervention and went to Florida.

Now, he will become the commander of the Florida expeditionary force and be given operational control.

Napoleon nodded and joined in.

“Now, next is here. Gibraltar. Here, of course, Spain is the main force.”

At that time, Rochejacquelein narrowed his brows and tilted his head.

“The British fleet will seriously rush in. Our navy is like that, but the Spanish navy is insufficient. I’ve seen them lose several times in the New World.”

“Yes, General Rochejacquelein. Your judgment is correct. But that’s not important.”

“What do you mean?”

Now, Spain can no longer maintain neutrality.

They are allied with France, and France is about to fight England.

Spain eventually fights England at the request of France even in the original history.

In particular, Godoy [Spanish Prime Minister] is weak-hearted and tends to give in to French pressure quite easily.

Besides, Gibraltar is the land of long-cherished desire that Spain has been deprived of by England for nearly a hundred years.

For example, if modern Korea in the original history were to be deprived of Dokdo by Japan, it would be exactly the same situation as Gibraltar.

In the end, Godoy and Spain have no choice but to get caught up in this war.

But there is a problem that Rochejacquelein pointed out.

Spain, which currently has the third largest fleet in the world in terms of quantity, is surprisingly weak.

They will be defeated by the British fleet literally every time.

That’s what happened in the New World, that’s what happened in the original history, and that’s what everyone predicts will happen in the future war.

Napoleon doesn’t know about naval battles, but he knows that much.

However, from the beginning, Napoleon’s purpose is not to win, but to attack Gibraltar.

“Our goal is to tie the British fleet to Gibraltar. That way, the Egyptian expeditionary force can advance safely and block the British trade route to India again.”

It doesn’t matter whether they win or lose.

All that matters is that the British Royal Navy is tied to Gibraltar.

Then the Egyptian expedition can be carried out without interference.

Just as everyone was nodding, Napoleon pointed to one side of the map.

“Finally, the Irish expedition uses the Rhine Army.”

“What do you mean?”

“That’s right. He’s the least trustworthy guy. Also, he’ll listen if the Republican government orders him to.”

The most worrisome ‘Moreau’ is sent to the battlefield where failure is most obvious.

It’s Napoleon’s malicious scheme.

But in fact, from the Revolutionary government’s point of view, if there are no Napoleon and Hoche, there is no card other than Moreau.

But next to the enemy country, England, a rebellion is almost certain to break out in Ireland.

In this situation, how can they not send an expeditionary force?

Therefore, the Irish expedition has no choice but to proceed despite the risks.

Napoleon finally looked back at his generals and finished the operation briefing.

“Finally, our Italian Corps will be stationed in the center and Italy, intercepting the enemy in case of emergency and preventing internal rebellions. That’s all!”

The generals scattered, looking at each other.

It’s such a grand expedition plan that they can’t even say anything.

In fact, the Russian expedition in the original history is exactly like this.

It seems like something is not going to work out, but it is so huge that none of the generals who later became [Marshals] could object.

At that time, among the scattering generals, Napoleon’s adjutant Marmont grabbed Marceau.

“Major General Marceau.”

“What is it, Brigadier General Marmont?”

“I think one thing is missing. This is something that cannot be discussed with Berthier, Massena, or Lannes.”

Marmont, a direct [Club] member of Napoleon and adjutant, asked Marceau, the commander of the Public Safety Command.

“What will the Commander become in Paris in the future? Our [Club] needs to know, doesn’t it?”

Marmont knows that war is not just about fighting.

He knows even better that the commander he serves is no ordinary person.

Then, there must be a real purpose behind this grand and risky expedition.

What will Napoleon become in Paris after this?

Marceau looked at Marmont and smiled.

“Have you ever read Plutarch’s Lives, General Marmont?”

“Yes? I haven’t read it.”

“Then, read it. Who was the man who went on expeditions to Spain, Egypt, and England?”

Marceau, a man who still has affection for the Republic, said with a slightly bitter face.

“That person was also a hero of the Republic.”

Nevertheless, Marceau is also a loyal man who does not betray the [superior] he believes in.

Just like in the original history.

***

The son and father who were in the same Public Safety Command met in the middle of the night.

“I shared your operation plan with the core members of the Italian expedition, Eugene.”

At night, Napoleon told Eugene in the office of the commander of the Public Safety Command.

Marceau, the original owner of this place, had already returned home.

Eugene stared at Napoleon and asked.

“Why don’t you ask what’s next?”

Eugene is the one who knows best in the world that Napoleon is not just a simple soldier.

Even better than Napoleon.

Because Eugene already knows everything that Napoleon eventually achieved.

Then, wouldn’t Napoleon also be curious about the plan after this expedition is carried out?

Napoleon shook his head and replied.

“What’s the point? All wars are gambling, and if you don’t win in gambling, there’s no next. Don’t you know that best, you who were a gambler?”

Eugene looked at Napoleon and just laughed.

Napoleon already knows.

What will happen after the expedition.

Events will wait that will kill you if you lose and make you the best if you win.

“I understand. I will make the expedition a success and open the next for my father.”

Suddenly, Eugene took a deep breath and said what he had been holding in his heart.

“The path of Caesar.”

The man who went on expeditions to Spain, Egypt, and England.

The terminator of the Roman Republic.

And the de facto founder of the Roman Empire.

Caesar.

From the beginning, Napoleon thought of Egypt not because of Alexander.

It’s because of Caesar.

Instantly, Napoleon stared at Eugene and twisted his lips.

“Our son, you’re arrogant.”

“Yes?”

“I’m the one who opens that path, even if you open it. You just have to do one thing.”

Instantly, Napoleon grabbed Eugene’s face and shook it.

“It’s okay if you don’t win. Be sure to come back safely. Or I’ll have Hoche or anyone else shot.”

Eugene felt like he was suffocating and smiled brightly.

“Yes, Father.”

At that moment, Eugene made a decision.

To really make Napoleon emperor.