He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 227

Napoleon’s Genius Son – Episode 227 (227/547)

(227) Eugene Conquers Constantinople

The famous triple walls still stood strong.

“We didn’t bring any siege cannons. Besides, the Russian navy is still intact. It’s difficult to attack from the sea.”

In November 1798, the French Revolutionary Army finally stood before Constantinople.

The problem was that the famous walls still stood in their way.

Looking at the barrier presented by the triple walls, the French soldiers clicked their tongues in frustration.

Marceau, an expert in street fighting but not confident in siege warfare, merely smacked his lips.

Suddenly, Eugene turned his head.

“General Desaix, what do you think? You’re the only one among us who has experience with sieges.”

Desaix had participated in the Siege and Defense of Mainz.

It was the most important battle on the Rhine front.

Of course, it wasn’t a fortress made up of such old-fashioned ramparts.

Looking at the medieval walls standing tall in a straight line, Desaix shrugged.

“Normally, they would have fallen quickly… if we had siege cannons.”

“So you’re saying we need to bring heavy cannons from the navy?”

“Can they even get here?”

Eugene scratched his head lightly and shook it.

“It’ll be difficult, right? Conversely, Ushakov won’t be able to re-enter the Bosphorus either. Our fleet has already entered the Dardanelles.”

“You’re not thinking of a head-on clash, are you? Ushakov’s victories were all against the Turks. General Caffarelli, what do you think?”

“Hmph, compared to the British fleet, the Russian fleet is child’s play.”

Caffarelli, the one-legged general and naval expert, stated firmly in response to Marceau’s question.

“If a battle breaks out in the straits, victory will be ours.”

Looking at the walls, which were at least 7 meters high, Junot turned and asked.

“Then, is there a way to break through this? Commander Eugene Freiherr von Bonaparte?”

Eugene glanced at Junot and chuckled.

“Why so serious all of a sudden?”

“It’s amazing that we’ve come this far. We’ve crossed the empire and defeated the Ottoman military. We’ve even defeated the Russian Imperial Army, which hasn’t even fought the French mainland yet.”

“It was a half-baked army. Thanks for the compliment, though.”

Junot responded with both arms raised to Eugene’s slightly sarcastic remark.

“Then, the next problem is what to do? If we can’t get past that castle, the empire is still intact. But we can’t just leave that castle and return to Europe, can we?”

Eugene looked at the walls again.

Originally, it was a barrier built by Emperor Theodosius, who established the Eastern Roman Empire [Byzantine Empire].

But now, it’s the end of the 18th century, more than 1400 years later.

The walls of Constantinople are now modified in the Turkish style.

The seven towers guarding the highest point of the triple barrier are its defining feature.

Turkish infantrymen were heavily guarding this place with muskets and cannons.

If the French army approached, they would unleash a storm of firepower.

Currently, Eugene’s expeditionary force, though elite, is quite exhausted from several battles.

There are also quite a few wounded.

The medical unit and nursing unit are rushing around, treating the wounded soldiers.

“Hey, bring the stretcher!”

“Bandages, we’re short on bandages!”

“It’s no good! Get ready for surgery!”

Even with a victory, casualties are inevitable.

Especially among the Mamluk cavalry or Kurdish auxiliary cavalry, who directly charged.

If they charged towards the walls with this force, they would likely suffer heavy losses.

Eugene nodded.

“That’s a fixed idea – that we *have* to conquer the castle.”

“Oh, don’t tell me you’re really going to leave it behind, Eugene?”

“Of course not, Marceau. If we did, we’d face a more serious problem.”

Eugene said to Marceau, who seemed to want to abandon the siege.

“The Banque Boharne will go bankrupt.”

Marceau, who was once the vice president of Banque Boharne, was surprised and asked back.

“What are you talking about?”

“Half of the invested money, 40 million francs, was recovered with Suez bonds. But the cost of advancing here, the initial supply of weapons and gunpowder, is all in the red.”

“Oh, wait, so…”

Marceau made a strange expression.

“You mean we have to conquer that city to make up for the deficit?”

It’s a very absurd reason for war.

However, in war, the issue of funds is as crucial as supply.

Because in the end, what motivates the soldiers is [money].

Eugene shrugged and replied.

“It’s the most important reason. Don’t you know that Louis XIV went bankrupt and lost the war?”

“Damn it. I know that a revolution broke out due to bankruptcy. Then we need to conquer that place even more. How are you going to do it?”

“There is a way.”

Eugene smiled as he watched Marceau swear for the first time in a while, then turned his head.

“Our ambassador needs to go back in again, right? You have a route, right?”

Only then did a bald man who had been listening to the story step forward.

Dubayet, the French ambassador to Constantinople.

Dubayet smacked his lips, scratching his beard.

“I feel like I’ll die if I get caught.”

“If you don’t want to, I’ll look for someone else. Instead, that person will be the first meritorious person in the conquest of Constantinople, right?”

“A commander who only throws out irresistible proposals.”

Dubayet laughed and nodded.

“Okay. Who should I meet and what should I tell them?”

The siege is difficult.

Calling a diplomat at this time means wanting negotiations or a conspiracy.

What does the young general, who has so far defeated the Egyptian Mamluks, Syrian Albanian mercenaries, and Turkish Janissaries, want?

In an instant, Eugene’s eyes flashed.

“Grand Admiral Hussein, or his wife, Princess Esma.”

Originally, in the original history, the two people who eventually launched a coup became Eugene’s targets.

***

Princess Esma is a royal family member who is remembered as a [fashion icon] of Hussein and the Ottoman Empire.

“The gatekeepers of Constantinople must be in a mess if you’re coming back here, Ambassador.”

She loves French fashion, lives openly, and is familiar with Western culture.

Of course, she also speaks French very well.

However, it is quite dangerous for a woman to meet a man alone like this, even for an open-minded royal family member.

According to Turkish culture here, even if a husband kills his wife, he has little recourse.

Dubayet, a fairly bold military diplomat, also smiled, sweating slightly.

“Admiral Hussein is not here?”

“Why, are you reluctant to talk because I’m young?”

“Of course not. Your judgment is superior to that of the Grand Admiral. However, it’s not really Turkish custom for a man to meet a woman alone.”

At that moment, Esma laughed out loud and replied.

“Pfft! I’m not interested in old men like you. Maybe if Sebastiani came.”

But suddenly, young officer Sebastiani poked his head out from behind Dubayet.

“Did you call me?”

“Oh my! Sebastiani! You’re alive?”

“I’ve only participated in battles that I’ve won so far. It would be stranger to die.”

Dubayet is just a bald old man, but Sebastiani is different.

He is one of the few people who is described as [handsome] in contemporary records, and he even captivates the Sultan with his beauty.

Originally, it was Selim III, who would be on the throne without incident until 1808.

So, even though France invaded Egypt, Sebastiani came as an ambassador and controlled the Ottoman Empire.

In fact, there is even a story that Selim III’s coup was due to Sebastiani’s abuse of power.

Anyway, Esma, who is still 20 years old, was fascinated by Sebastiani’s beauty.

Esma nodded, her eyes sparkling.

“I feel like I’ve received a new gift. Now, Ambassador. I guarantee you’ll return safely.”

“If you hear the proposal I’m about to make, you won’t want to let me go back.”

“What is it? The proposal?”

Dubayet smiled.

“Replace the Sultan, Princess Esma.”

Esma frowned and replied.

“That’s too much of a suggestion.”

“The current Sultan has taken away the vested interests of the nobles and Janissaries [elite Ottoman infantry] under the guise of reform. So, if good results had come out, I wouldn’t say anything, but only bad results have come out. Look at Egypt and Syria.”

“Does changing the Sultan solve the problem? I don’t think you’ll give back the land you conquered.”

In an instant, Dubayet’s smile deepened.

“That’s right. Rather, we will demand a greater division. However, if a new Sultan is enthroned, there is a condition that our French Revolutionary Government will have to present. It’s protection from the Russian invasion.”

That’s it.

From the beginning, it’s a good sign that they don’t immediately reject such a coup proposal.

Dubayet actually came in prepared to die.

But they’re listening to the coup proposal?

That means that Princess Esma or Grand Admiral Hussein’s heart has turned against Selim.

It can’t be helped.

Even if Muhammad were on the throne, if he continued to suffer such defeats, he would want to be overthrown.

Moreover, what France is proposing is unusual.

They do not return the territory, but guarantee the independence of the Ottoman Empire.

They also presented a new alliance.

“France will help us fight Russia?”

“It’s a very simple principle. The enemy of my enemy can be a friend, right? Russia is now aiming for France and advancing.”

“Does our imperial army, which has been so miserably defeated, suddenly become stronger? Just by changing the Sultan?”

Dubayet pushed the adjutant next to him towards Esma, who was trying to back away.

“Here, Sebastiani will comprehensively strengthen the Sultan’s army. He will create a new [New Army] [Nizam-i Cedid].”

Sebastiani approached the princess with a very bright smile.

The princess blushed, unable to take her eyes off him.

Suddenly, the princess, regaining her senses, frowned and asked.

“Give Sebastiani military power? Are you crazy?”

“Of course, Grand Admiral Hussein should hold all military power, right? Sebastiani will be the working-level commander and channel under him.”

“Whose channel?”

Dubayet said clearly in fluent Turkish.

“The real conqueror of Syria and Egypt, the nightmare of the Russian army, now the boy who will become the conqueror of [Constantinople].”

Esma, savoring those words, closed her eyes.

Anyway, the French army will not retreat like this.

They just came to negotiate to reduce the loss rate.

Esma also heard from her husband that there were 10 battleships lurking on the sea.

Then, we must join hands while we can still negotiate.

“Bonaparte, then. Okay, let’s bet on the conqueror once. My brother is over anyway.”

Finally, the Sultan’s sister and the French boy commander joined hands.

***

The Sultan stood on the ramparts of the seven towers, originally the seven-cornered fortress that should protect Constantinople.

“What is this! Are you not Janissaries! How dare you rebel against me!”

The Janissaries surrounded the Sultan.

The Sultan, Selim III, could not come to his senses.

He had clearly come out on patrol to observe the defense status of the walls.

Although the enemy army is strong, there are still more than 30,000 defenders in the capital.

If the people are conscripted here, he believed that they could fight back sufficiently.

But suddenly, why are the Janissaries, who are the bodyguards, holding swords to him?

A man wearing a turban stepped forward at the head.

“Padishah [Ottoman Sultan], please give up.”

“Hussein? No, how could you? A man who is practically my brother-in-law!”

“That’s why I’m here to prevent Your Majesty from being harmed.”

Grand Admiral Hussein sighed deeply and said.

“The French are outside the gates. Syria and Misr [Egypt] have fallen. The Greeks are rebelling. What would Your Majesty do?”

Selim III trembled and hurriedly grabbed Hussein.

“I, I can fix it all. Hussein. Just wait a little longer!”

“Do you trust the British? Ambassador Smith has already run away.”

“What?”

At that moment, someone pointed a gun at Selim III’s head.

-Click.

Listening to the sound of the sight being adjusted, Selim III asked in a trembling voice.

“Nakshidil, why are you?”

The blue-eyed, black-haired beauty looked at the Sultan quietly and shook her head.

“Your Majesty, it’s over. The next throne belongs to Prince Mustafa.”

At that moment, Selim finally burst into a hollow laugh and slumped down.

“Ha! I filled the court with traitors!”

November 11, 1798.

The day Selim was captured and removed from the Sultan’s throne.

Constantinople opened its doors.

It was the moment Eugene became the conqueror of Constantinople.