He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 233

Napoleon Decides to Destroy the Empire

There are men in the world who see a national crisis as an opportunity.

“Indeed, I must seize full power! Not those incompetent Directors! I can’t even do anything without having to watch their faces!”

Île de la Cité [Island of the City], an island in the heart of the Seine.

Once, it was home to a prison where counter-revolutionaries were confined and lamented their fate.

Here lies the headquarters of the French National Guard.

It is where Napoleon, the current Commander-in-Chief of the French Army, uses as his temporary headquarters.

It’s been almost two years, even though it’s called temporary.

It also means that Eugene left for the Egyptian expedition around that time.

Conversely, for two years, Napoleon was unable to go to the battlefield.

Why?

Because of the anxiety, jealousy, and fear of high-ranking French politicians.

They fear that if Napoleon goes out and gains achievements, he will become the undisputed leader.

Conversely, they are also afraid that if he goes out and is defeated, there will be no alternative.

In the end, they dissuaded him from going to the battlefield in various ways and kept him in Paris.

From Napoleon’s point of view, it was easier to maintain influence if he stayed in Paris, so it was difficult to choose to go to war easily.

But now the situation has changed.

The Directors are running to him, asking for countermeasures.

As Napoleon excitedly shouted, Chief of Staff Berthier pointed out the problem.

“Commander-in-Chief, the Directors are also here.”

“Shut up, Goose. Are you mocking my ‘Corsican’ accent in French? Of course, those incompetent Directors are like Danton and Lafayette! [Figures known for their revolutionary fervor and leadership, respectively] Why can’t you understand?”

“I apologize, Commander-in-Chief. I hope there are no misunderstandings.”

However, there was a man who smiled and agreed with Napoleon’s rude words.

“Hahaha, even if you call us incompetent, we have nothing to say. General Bonaparte. Frankly, everyone would agree if you ruled this country now.”

Auguste Robespierre is a huge fan, even more than a follower of Napoleon.

But Auguste’s words are somewhat excessive.

Even Napoleon, who was listening, was wide-eyed.

“Are you Monsieur Robespierre? Did someone else dress up and come here?”

“I have always been on your side, General. Since Toulon [a key early victory for Napoleon].”

“Isn’t it Auguste’s belief that soldiers should not interfere in politics?”

Auguste replied to Napoleon with a serious face.

“My belief is that someone competent, honest, and prioritizing the public interest should lead France. If that person is only a soldier, it can’t be helped.”

Desmoulins and Salicetti looked at each other and rolled their eyes.

Auguste’s words are terrifying.

It means that even if Napoleon takes a similar path to Pichegru [a general who betrayed France], he will not stop him.

In fact, if Napoleon had not existed, France would have suffered from numerous coups.

Napoleon stroked his well-shaved chin and smiled.

“Okay, first, brief the Directors on the current situation. Goose.”

“Don’t they already know to some extent?”

“They haven’t heard the military information accurately, have they? Briefly and in detail.”

At Napoleon’s words to satisfy conflicting demands at the same time, Berthier replied expressionlessly.

“Let’s begin. Honorable Directors.”

Suddenly, rolled-up leaflets were unfolded in front of the Directors.

-Swish!

In an era without presentation programs, explanations are written on paper like this.

Judging from the fact that it was made in considerable detail, it is clear that it was made by the General Headquarters a long time ago.

It must be explanatory material made after repeated internal review of the operation.

Berthier unfolded the map.

“Currently, France has four enemies: England, Prussia, Russia, and Austria.”

“Wait, Austria? Wasn’t it still neutral?”

“They have already opened the way for the Russian army and are helping with supplies, Director Auguste. Furthermore, they are said to be summoning the Eastern Border Guard under the pretext of the Ottoman Empire’s unrest.”

Berthier explained coldly, pointing to Austria on the map with his baton.

“The military scale is a total of 300,000. It is comparable to the army during the previous First [War of the Anti-Revolution] [also known as the War of the First Coalition]. Of course, the army that can be sent to the west will be around 200,000. They have to protect the capital.”

In Western Europe, only Austria has the mobilization power to match France.

200,000 soldiers.

The maximum number of troops that France could mobilize was 750,000 during the First Coalition War, or the War of the Anti-Revolution.

Excluding the defense forces, about 500,000 troops were mobilized on the front lines.

If 200,000 soldiers rush in from one front, it is likely to be breached.

However, there is a problem with this assumption.

Desmoulins stared at the map and said without stuttering.

“That’s strange. It sounds like they don’t care about the eastern border.”

“That’s right, Director Desmoulins.”

“What’s the reason? I heard that General Eugene Freischütz Bonaparte overthrew the Ottomans.”

At that moment, Napoleon frowned slightly, and Berthier quickly replied.

“That’s why Austria doesn’t worry about the eastern border. The Ottoman Empire is in a state of [anomie] [a state of societal breakdown or normlessness] where it cannot use its own power.”

Anomie is a Greek word that means the state where the law has collapsed.

In later history, it was adopted into sociology and changed into a term referring to a state of anarchy.

However, currently, it is simply used to mean that the Ottoman Empire has no system.

Desmoulins, who was pondering the meaning of the word, clicked his tongue.

“All they have to worry about in the east is about 20,000 French troops?”

“Of course, they are labeled as elite. But the limitations of numbers are clear.”

“General Eugene Freischütz will have difficulty returning in this battle, right?”

At that moment, Napoleon finally couldn’t stand it and stepped forward.

“I guess so. Our ‘son’ will be busy with the Ottoman Empire alone. Anyway, unless the entire army returns, about 10,000 returning won’t be of much use in the war.”

He says it as if he’s sorry, but his eyes are burning.

It’s as if he’s jealous of his ‘son’s’ achievements.

But the three Directors did not notice, pretended not to know, or thought it wasn’t true.

Because Napoleon was the one who planned the unprecedented Egyptian expedition.

No matter who carried it out, the achievement is officially Napoleon’s.

Above all, the core of the expeditionary force is Eugene, Napoleon’s closest aide, so what could be the problem?

Before the Directors reached other thoughts, Berthier quickly continued the explanation with a cold attitude.

“Here, the conquest of Holland by Prussia in the north has begun. Prussia has marched with 80,000 line infantry, 20,000 cavalry, and 10,000 artillery.”

“Considering the population of Prussia, they have desperately dragged them out. Was it about 5 million?”

“Including the population of the former Polish territory and the occupied territory, it is about 9 million. Of course, the army is a mixture of conscription and mercenaries. Still…”

The largest population country in Europe at this time is Russia.

It has a population of about 40 million.

However, France is not far behind, and it is about to exceed 30 million based on its home country.

Austria has about 21 million, England has 18.5 million including Ireland, and Spain has 11 million, so you can see how small the population of Prussia is.

In particular, the newly formed United States has 6.5 million, Batavia [Dutch Republic] has 6.2 million, and the former Kingdom of Naples has 5 million.

Moreover, Prussia still maintains a conscription system and a mercenary system, not universal conscription.

As a result, it was almost impossible to mobilize a large army.

In the original history battlefield, it maintains neutrality at this time due to this.

But now is the era when the Holy Roman Empire has disappeared.

In this situation, the Prussian elites felt a stronger sense of crisis.

Of course, Napoleon, Berthier, and the Directors do not know these historical problems.

But one thing is certain.

Prussia has been a traditional military power since Frederick II [Frederick the Great] and is an opponent that can never be underestimated.

Of course, everyone didn’t know that there was a flaw in this.

Just as Berthier was about to finish his explanation with tension, having never seen the Prussian army in person, Napoleon jumped up.

“Everyone knows about England, right? Currently, a total of 100 battleships are gathering from all over the world. In addition, there are more than 30 battleships captured from Spain and us.”

This time, it is the problem of the British Navy, which is centered on 130 battleships.

Only about half of them have gathered in the Mediterranean and mainland England.

However, the main fleet is coming from the Indian Ocean and the New World.

Although the navy cannot occupy land in this era, it can at least attack close to a naval blockade.

This is because they can attack and paralyze all ports.

Just as the Directors were about to get nervous, Napoleon shook his head.

“But! All those enemies are the ones we’ve faced before. We can respond enough. The problem is on the other side.”

“It’s Russia.”

“That’s right, Director Salicetti. The [Ivans] [a common, somewhat derogatory term for Russian soldiers] from the east are coming, as many as 80,000!”

Napoleon snatched the baton from Berthier and shouted, waving it with all his might.

“That itself is a terrifying army, added to the previous enemies. How about it, aren’t you scared?”

In fact, Napoleon doesn’t look very scared.

Because of that, the Directors were even more frightened.

If even Napoleon didn’t exist, it was certain that they would not be able to cope with the situation.

Suddenly, Desmoulins plucked up his courage and asked.

“Commander-in-Chief, what’s the countermeasure? I think you have one.”

“I do have one. Their strategy will be a [war of attrition] [a prolonged conflict where each side seeks to gradually wear down the other].”

“A war of attrition?”

Napoleon nodded and stared at the map.

“Yes, Prussia’s traditional tactics. Russia has also adopted Prussian military doctrine. On the other hand, our tactics are [annihilation warfare] [a military strategy that seeks to completely destroy the enemy’s fighting force]. No, it’s my tactics.”

So this battle is a fight between the doctrine of attrition warfare, which breaks the enemy’s forces, and the doctrine of annihilation warfare, which destroys the enemy’s forces.

Currently, France’s enemy countries have studied the French army that won the last war.

They may have experimented with the British breech-loading rifle, the Ferguson rifle, and there will be those who study grenades, and above all, there will be those who study Napoleon’s strategy.

But the enemies cannot change two things.

The first is the weapons that Eugene experimented with in Egypt.

Fulminate rifles, aerial warfare using balloon units, and bursting shells.

In fact, Napoleon doesn’t know anything about fulminate rifles except for fulminate rifles, but he still has the advantage of being able to equip them to some extent.

The second is Napoleon’s military doctrine.

Bold breakthroughs, column marches, and surprise attacks from the rear can be studied and followed.

However, the military doctrine of annihilation warfare is difficult to introduce recklessly.

Because this requires changing the foundation of how the army moves.

Philosophy, officers, and soldiers all.

Without explaining this far, Napoleon smiled and asked.

“Lure the enemy in and annihilate them at once to change the situation. That’s my countermeasure. Honorable Directors. How about it?”

“Where are you going? Surely not mainland France?”

“Ha! Surely not! Salicetti, that’s a surefire way to lose! Supply and conscription become impossible, which means giving up the war. Unless we’re completely cornered.”

In fact, Napoleon smiled leisurely, unaware that he had done it himself in the original history.

“Italy, the battlefield of victory.”

Northern Italy.

The place where Napoleon became the hero of the First Revolutionary War.

This time, he will tie up the enemy in the Rhine and Flanders.

After that, he lures the enemy’s main force into Italy.

Here, he defeats the enemy and celebrates victory.

“But will the enemies come to Italy?”

This time, even Auguste, who is usually a big fan, seemed curious.

The enemies are not fools, so why would they come to Italy instead of France?

But Napoleon answered very confidently.

“They will lure me in by using me as [bait] [something used to entice someone into a trap]. And so.”