He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 208

(208) Becoming the Sultan of the Empire

Napoleon once said at Saint Helena, as history recalls:

“I could have been the Sultan of the Empire.”

It was pure megalomania, but not entirely without merit.

If Napoleon’s navy hadn’t been utterly destroyed by Nelson.

Or if he hadn’t encountered the plague in Syria.

Or if he had won at Acre, the famous Crusader fortress.

Had any of those things happened, Napoleon could have gained power and advanced north.

Through Anatolia, across the Bosphorus, and finally to Constantinople.

But Napoleon’s advance never reached that far in reality.

Now, the operation Eugene is attempting mirrors Napoleon’s unrealized [megalomania: an obsession with grandiose or extravagant things].

So, it’s understandable that Ippolito would question it.

“Isn’t this megalomania?”

Even in the Mediterranean, the winter sea can be treacherous.

Consequently, the French Mediterranean Fleet is proceeding cautiously, hugging the coastline.

Watching the troops marching on land, visible through a telescope, Eugene replied.

“Is that why I’m revealing it at the division commanders’ meeting, Brigadier General Ippolito?”

“Oh, Commander. Forgive me for not recognizing you. But can’t you see that all the division commanders look utterly dumbfounded?”

“Was it any different when we first announced the Egyptian expedition?”

Eugene scanned the deck of the Horus, repeating his question.

The Horus, remarkably, had survived the fierce Battle of the Nile.

It’s a curious thought, the myth of Horus, the originating god, surviving the death of Osiris and Set to become the ruler of Egypt.

Generals who had survived unscathed were also assembled on the deck.

Senior Commander Marceau, Commander of the Guard Junot, Commander of the Cavalry Division Desaix.

Alongside them were Artillery Brigade Commander Domartin, Medical Brigade Commander Larrey, and Balloon Regiment Commander Conte.

Even Pauline was present, acting as a dispatch from the Hospitaller nursing unit, and Commander Tommasi, dispatched directly from the Hospitallers [The Knights Hospitaller, a medieval Catholic military order].

Of course, Lasalle, Joubert, and Champot, the cavalry brigade commanders, were also scratching their heads.

All the generals wore similar expressions of bewilderment.

They had just heard something incredibly ambitious.

Suddenly, Junot, never one to mince words, blurted out.

“But isn’t this turning the entire Ottoman Empire into a battlefield? It’s far too reckless, young commander.”

All because of the [plan] Eugene had revealed on the deck of the Horus.

Originally, in history, Napoleon, after his defeat by Nelson, conceived a daring plan to return to Europe.

A route through Syria, Anatolia, and Greece.

Of course, after fierce battles, he eventually returned to Egypt, only for Napoleon to flee alone.

Eugene’s proposed return route mirrored that very plan, leaving everyone speechless.

Then, unexpectedly, someone raised his hand.

It was Desaix.

“I agree.”

“Desaix? You should be the one trying to dissuade him! Marceau and I can’t do anything with our young commander! If we mess up, we’ll get a scolding from his dad!”

“General Junot, let’s try to be a little more serious. The rest of us, at least.”

Desaix, a relative newcomer and not a member of the so-called Napoleon Club, spoke calmly, looking directly at Junot.

“I don’t claim to know much about politics. But when it comes to war, I know a thing or two.”

“Isn’t that true for everyone here?”

“No, not entirely. General Junot is the conqueror of Venice. And General Marceau is the guardian of Paris.”

In fact, Junot had achieved significant independent success immediately after the Italian campaign.

He suppressed the Venetian rebellion.

A historical event that led to the destruction of the thousand-year-old republic, replacing it with a French satellite republic.

However, Venice was no longer strategically vital.

That’s why his accomplishment isn’t widely recognized.

Still, Junot was promoted to division commander in recognition of his contribution to the conquest of a country.

However, Junot, like Marceau, shared a similar weakness in terms of extensive war experience.

Desaix pointed this out.

“But neither of you has ever properly commanded a wide-ranging battlefield. Isn’t that right?”

Junot was rendered speechless, and Marceau offered a wry smile.

Somehow, it was a polite yet pointed observation.

Junot, having primarily fought under Napoleon, or rather, under Eugene, lacked experience in strategic judgment.

Marceau, while possessing a keen eye, had mainly defended the Vendée and Paris.

So, how was Desaix different?

“I was responsible for half of the Rhine battlefield.”

“Ahem, I also participated in the Italian expedition.”

“General Moreau couldn’t handle all the fronts alone because he commanded a large army. It’s not because I’m particularly talented. It’s just…”

Desaix looked around and asserted.

“Thanks to that, my perspective has broadened. If the Turkish army is anything like the ones I fought in Damietta, we have a good chance of winning.”

This was a key difference from Napoleon’s reckless campaign.

Napoleon advanced into Syria with the Turkish Empire’s elite forces still intact.

But Eugene had annihilated the Turkish Empire’s elite in Damietta.

Of course, the Turkish Empire had a population of 20 million, and there were still many regions from which to draw soldiers.

However, its borders were as vast as its territory, and, crucially, the Turkish Empire’s primary front lines were elsewhere.

Namely, against Russia and Austria.

There was even a history of conflict during the revolution.

So, the 20,000 elite troops led by Eugene posed a significant crisis for the Turkish Empire.

Junot rolled his eyes, attempting to argue.

“Oh, but war requires attention to supplies, and what about… We have to consider the local residents!”

“We brought a transport ship. So…”

“So, are we supposed to occupy all those vast areas? Almost the size of France, or even bigger?”

Suddenly, looking at the map spread out on the desk on the deck, Eugene shrugged.

“It’s about three times the size of France if you combine the Greek region, Anatolia, and Syria. But the population isn’t that large. Around 20 million.”

“That’s still a big country!”

“Which means it’s not fully developed. Besides, the army isn’t [modernized: equipped with up-to-date technology, training, and tactics].”

From the perspective of someone with knowledge of future history, it was certainly not [modernized].

The Sultan of the Empire, Selim III, was trying to modernize the army, but the results were still lacking.

The only significant achievement, the Nizam-i Cedid [New Order Army], had been annihilated in Damietta.

So, among the enemies Eugene would face, the Turks were not the primary threat.

“You’ll see the evidence of that today. That’s why I called you all together.”

Suddenly, from afar, Sheila, the admiral of the fleet on the [Hercules: a French 74-gun ship of the line], shouted.

“All ships, prepare to attack! There, [El Arish: a town in the Sinai Peninsula] is visible!”

Now, the Egyptian Expeditionary Force’s Ground Homecoming Corps, commonly known as the [Eugene Corps], was about to face its first opponent.

***

The reason Egypt had historically been a formidable fortress since ancient times was the desert.

That meant that leaving Egypt required crossing the desert.

Whether heading to southern Sudan, western Libya, or eastern Syria.

That’s why Napoleon had also failed in his Syrian campaign.

So, what was the key to succeeding in this expedition where Napoleon had faltered?

-Doo doo doo!

Suddenly, Ippolito, watching the 3,000 camels running in the distance, asked, dumbfounded.

“Is the answer camels?”

“No, the people riding them are the answer.”

“Who? Bedouin?”

Eugene nodded solemnly.

“Yes. Our land partners.”

El Arish, the largest fortress in the [Sinai Peninsula: a peninsula in Egypt], stood tall in the middle of the desert.

-Oh oh oh!

The oasis in the Sinai Desert, old enough to be mentioned in the Bible.

The Ottoman Empire had built a fortress here in the 16th century, controlling passage through Egypt.

However, after Egypt had slipped from Ottoman control, this fortress was now little more than a formality.

But it was still guarded by an Ottoman Pasha [a high-ranking official in the Ottoman Empire].

Sheikh Hassan Tubar, a Bedouin sheikh, soon to be a chieftain, was leading his men towards that place.

Originally, in history, he was the man who led the Cairo Rebellion.

However, now that the French expeditionary force had reached an understanding with the Grand Imam, Hassan had also joined forces with the French.

Under the pretext of driving the Ottomans out of Egypt.

“Run! Let’s put a bullet in Ibrahim’s head!”

“Wahahaha! Sheikh, can you even shoot a gun!”

“Shut up, or I’ll blow you away with my Kilij [a type of Turkish sword]!”

However, El Arish was still a fortress with walls.

It wasn’t a particularly difficult terrain to capture, but it was difficult for Bedouin cavalry to break through easily.

Eugene, watching the situation through a telescope from the deck of the Horus, gestured.

Robert Surcouf, the captain of the Horus, who was standing nearby, approached Eugene.

“Surcouf, send a signal to Admiral Sheila.”

“Yes, sir. What should I send?”

“Barrage.”

Robert Surcouf relayed the instructions, waving the signal flag himself.

“Now, fire! Show those savages the horror of bursting shells!”

At the same time, the Horus unleashed its firepower.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Boarneau-style cannon, a bursting shell cannon, began to fire.

These were the shells that Polly had acquired gunpowder for in Egypt, and Lavoisier had enhanced with fulminate of mercury.

They struck the walls of Jaffa with devastating effect.

They couldn’t fire too many, as they needed to conserve them for future battles.

However, it was enough to surprise the soldiers on the wall and send them scattering.

Ippolito, watching the battle unfold through a telescope, clicked his tongue.

“Wow, that actually works?”

“Because the wall is right next to the sea. The reason I insisted on bringing the battleship fleet was for naval bombardment.”

“That’s true, but if you call them savages, won’t there be a problem with local relations later?”

Eugene glanced at Robert Surcouf, known for his rough language, and smiled.

“Of course, we’ll take the lead in contacting the locals. Everyone will receive thorough prior education. Professor Volney didn’t come along for nothing.”

On one side of the Horus, civilian Volney, not in military uniform, was watching the war with rapt attention.

Perhaps this was the first time Volney had witnessed such a one-sided battle.

At least the Battle of the Pyramids had involved some degree of engagement.

At that moment, another unit commander asked Eugene a question.

“General, does that mean our balloon unit has nothing to do?”

Eugene shrugged, glancing at Conte, who looked extremely dissatisfied.

“Colonel Conte, there will be a specific time for the balloon unit to move.”

“When is that?”

“When the best opponent is waiting.”

After all, balloons in this era had limited uses.

They didn’t have [hydrogen: a highly flammable gas] or [helium: a non-flammable gas] yet.

Therefore, it was difficult to reach high altitudes, and preparation took a long time because they had to be floated with heated air.

Nevertheless, Eugene hadn’t brought the balloon unit as mere decoration.

“We will face Sydney Smith, whom we missed. Soon.”

Sydney Smith, who had escaped from the Damietta engagement, was still in the Eastern Mediterranean.

He might have already fled to the Bosphorus, but Eugene suspected otherwise.

In history, the person who had thwarted Napoleon’s grand ambition was Sydney Smith.

At that moment, a loud shout rang out from the land.

-Allah Hu Akbar!

The Bedouin cavalry was seen breaking through the gates of El Arish.

It was the moment when the battle was virtually won by the French.

***

The combination of naval battleship bombardment and land auxiliary troops’ assault.

In fact, the French main army hadn’t even moved.

For some reason, the division commanders, including Marceau, Junot, and Desaix, just looked at each other awkwardly, feeling like they hadn’t participated in the fight.

But it was clearly a fierce battle.

Immediately, the Bedouin commander Hassan Tubar brought the head of El Arish’s fortress commander, Ibrahim.

“Here, it’s a neck! How many of these are alumina or aluminum?”

Eugene smiled and gestured to Ippolito.

“Let’s make it 100 coins.”

“Huh, that’s too cheap?”

“Isn’t the next engagement the real game? Get more then. Don’t forget to take your supplies.”

Despite his words, Hassan happily headed back to the Bedouin camp with 100 aluminum silver coins.

Seeing them pitching tents outside, leaving the intact fortress of El Arish, it was clear they were nomads.

Marceau, clicking his tongue as he watched the [beheading: the act of cutting off someone’s head] scene that would never be seen on the European battlefield, asked.

“So, where is the next engagement?”

Eugene didn’t feel very good either, so he turned his gaze away, averting his eyes.

“Commander Tommasi knows this better than I do. Would you like to explain?”

Giovanni Battista Tommasi, the second-in-command of the Hospitallers and the expeditionary force dispatch commander, nodded.

“Yes, Commander. The city you are going to is Jaffa, the oldest port in the world. It also appears in the Bible.”

Jaffa, the largest port city in southern Palestine.

Now officially Turkish territory.

February 1798.

It was the day Eugene’s French Homecoming Corps won its first victory.