He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 234

(235) The Second Italian Campaign Begins

Nevertheless, [adherence to protocol] is clearly important in the world of power.

“The Directors are unable to reach an agreement, Commander-in-Chief.”

A very elegant man visited the French military police headquarters on the Île de la Cité.

Suddenly, the commander’s office felt like it was awaiting a serving of foie gras [a delicacy often associated with formality and luxury].

Napoleon, not being a gourmet, naturally doesn’t have much affinity for the man.

However, there is something about that elegant demeanor that is appealing.

Taking note of the [customary] etiquette, Napoleon asked,

“Why are you coming to report this to me? Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs?”

“Strictly speaking, are you aware that the position of Commander-in-Chief is ceremonially below me?”

“Don’t tell me you’re going to start standing on ceremony now? Shall I widely publicize that you almost conspired with Pichegru [a French general who betrayed the Republic]?”

The Foreign Minister, Talleyrand, smiled and offered a suggestion.

“Instead of threatening like that, how about having the practical [authority to appoint positions] now?”

Instantly, Napoleon narrowed his brows.

Is this sly old fox setting a trap?

It doesn’t seem like it.

But revealing one’s inner thoughts here is, in any case, giving away a weakness.

“Are you telling me to stage a coup?”

“There’s no reason not to. Even someone like Pichegru attempted it.”

“Look here, Monsieur Talleyrand. Stop talking nonsense. If I were going to stage a coup, I would have turned this country upside down back in Fructidor [referring to the Coup of 18 Fructidor, Year V].”

Napoleon replied arrogantly, pretending to be the embodiment of law.

“I value [the rule of law]. If I become the top leader, it will be through legitimate means.”

But surprisingly, Napoleon genuinely values the law.

Even apart from the historical Napoleonic Code, the path to becoming Consul and Emperor involved the legitimate procedure of [popular vote].

Although criticized as a mere formality by later generations, procedural legitimacy was one of Napoleon’s justifications.

Then, Talleyrand stared at Napoleon with eyes that seemed to see right through him.

“In that case, I would be even more useful.”

“How so?”

“First, I will persuade Danton and Lafayette for you.”

A very direct proposal.

Currently, Napoleon has established a grand strategy but is unable to set out.

This is because the five Directors of the Directory have not reached an agreement.

It is meaningless that three Directors are close to Napoleon in terms of numbers.

The two influential Directors who control the majority of the deputies, namely Danton and Lafayette, are the real power.

Naturally, if direct pressure is applied, eventually the two will raise their hands in surrender and grant permission.

However, Napoleon cannot resort to coercion every time.

Talleyrand’s proposal is quite tempting.

Commander-in-Chief Napoleon stared at Talleyrand and asked,

“What’s the price?”

There’s no way this guy would work for free.

There are even rumors that he took a hefty sum as a price when he came as a British envoy while being an exile.

What does he want from Napoleon?

“After you return victorious, I want a place in the government that the Commander-in-Chief will create.”

At Talleyrand’s very blatant demand, Napoleon feigned ignorance.

“I’m a soldier. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“What are you saying now? It’s just a matter of method; everyone knows that the general will eventually seize power.”

“Ha! Don’t try to sound me out, Talleyrand.”

Instantly, Napoleon glared at Talleyrand with blazing eyes.

“If I don’t win this war, aren’t you the one who will hand me over to the enemy first?”

Talleyrand simply smiled mysteriously without answering.

He only stands on the side of the victor.

He is not particularly loyal to Napoleon.

Also, his ultimate goal is to simultaneously satisfy national and personal interests.

Napoleon pondered his intentions and twisted his lips.

“Alright. Anyway, to make a good deal, you have to show results, right? First, get permission for me to set out.”

Only then did Talleyrand subtly take a deep breath and bowed his head.

“I will gladly obtain it.”

With this, Talleyrand has become one of Napoleon’s pawns.

***

In the Tuileries Palace, the five Directors gathered in the conference room.

“Now, instead of just sitting here silently, let’s talk a bit. What are we going to do in the end?”

In fact, it’s not just Danton and Lafayette who are opposing.

Looking closely, the pro-Napoleon faction Directors, Auguste, Saliceti, and Desmoulins, are also unable to speak.

If Napoleon’s grand plan succeeds, there will be no problem.

But what if it fails?

The Italian front will be breached, and enemy forces will invade the French mainland.

No Director wants to take responsibility for that.

Not even Saliceti, who is considered a complete Napoleon loyalist due to his alignment with Napoleon.

“Ah, this is frustrating. Say something!”

In the end, the only one speaking is, unexpectedly, Danton.

From Danton’s perspective, it’s a very frustrating situation.

In reality, Danton was thinking of sending Napoleon to the front if he wanted to go.

It’s a logical conclusion in a situation where there are no other alternatives.

However, Danton cannot be the one to suggest sending Napoleon to the front.

There’s the issue of responsibility, but more than that, the failure of the Irish expedition will come to the forefront.

This expedition was originally planned by Danton with the intention of entrusting it to Napoleon from the initial planning stages.

Therefore, now that it has failed, there is a high risk that anyone will hold Danton accountable.

At that moment, the door burst open.

“Are you still in a meeting, Directors?”

All the Directors turned their gaze.

The Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Council of Five Hundred, Talleyrand, is standing with Fouché.

They are not enemies of any of the Directors, but at the same time, they cannot be said to be on anyone’s side.

Why have they come here?

Danton asked, wondering.

“What brings you here? This is a time to discuss war, not diplomacy. Unless the Chairman of the War Committee has come.”

“The position is vacant, isn’t it? Instead, I have come to offer advice to the Directors.”

“What?”

Suddenly, Lafayette and Talleyrand exchanged glances.

“The Eastern front of the Four-Way Grand Expedition is succeeding, while the other three fronts are on the verge of failure. However, since the eastern border is in a dangerous situation, it is impossible to deal with them one by one.”

“Who doesn’t know that? So?”

“We must overturn the situation. Send Commander-in-Chief Napoleon to defeat all the enemy forces.”

A very grand statement.

However, war cannot be waged with words alone.

Danton frowned and began to speak.

“So, specifically, what are you suggesting?”

“Didn’t the Commander-in-Chief submit an operational plan? To advance into Italy and win the battle.”

“Isn’t that what we’re gathered here to discuss? Although no one is answering.”

Then, Talleyrand pointed to Lafayette and said.

“Isn’t Director Lafayette the most skilled in military matters among you? I believe this person will also agree with me. The only alternative is General Napoleon Bonaparte.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Lafayette at once.

Lafayette wore a bitter smile.

To make up for his position by achieving success in the new western continent.

That is the strategy Talleyrand has put forward.

But will it go as well as he thinks?

Conversely, if left as it is, there is a high possibility that the country will be ruined by defeat in the war anyway.

So, he has no choice but to take a gamble.

“Let’s send General Bonaparte. And let’s send our navy to the New World.”

Desmoulins, startled, stuttered and stood up.

“W-wait a minute. I-I agree with the first half since it can’t be helped. But sending the navy to the New World? What about our Atlantic defense?”

“We will respond with port coastal artillery and give up. All trade will be suspended for the time being.”

“Why such a gambling operation!”

Lafayette calmly retorted to the enraged Desmoulins.

“Right now, England has been deprived of an important route to India by us.”

“T-t-that’s a l-land route, isn’t it?”

“We have lost at least one-tenth of the trade volume. In that state, if our fleet heads to the New World, what choice will they make? They will disperse their navy to avoid losing the Caribbean.”

Of course, this statement is a mixture of truth and falsehood.

First of all, England has enormous interests in the Caribbean.

It’s the same reason why France once dominated the European continental market with sugar and cotton from Saint-Domingue [now Haiti].

It is a method of selling agricultural products produced in Jamaica through the slave trade to the home country and Europe.

However, now that they are fighting France, there is no reason, room, or cause to dispatch the main force of the navy to the Caribbean because of Florida.

Rather, they may have to summon even the existing fleet to Europe.

Naturally, Lafayette and Talleyrand were aiming for that very point.

Because it will become certain that Florida will be saved.

“Wait, what happens if General Bonaparte loses?”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Saliceti.

Naturally, everyone has a dumbfounded expression.

This is because Saliceti, whom everyone considers to be Napoleon’s man, mentioned defeat.

However, Saliceti, while blushing, protested.

“C-can’t anyone lose? Is there a countermeasure then? Everyone?”

At that moment, Talleyrand smiled mysteriously.

“You’re all forgetting. If that happens, shouldn’t General Bonaparte just become a scapegoat?”

No one knew, but that is what actually happened in the original history.

After Napoleon’s downfall, Talleyrand uses Napoleon as a sacrifice to negotiate.

As a result, France regains its territory before the Revolutionary Wars, but Napoleon is never released.

However, at this point, the Directors did not think that far.

Rather, in an uneasy situation, they had faces that had found a kind of psychological escape.

“That’s good. Alright, let’s have Commander-in-Chief Bonaparte take responsibility and send him out!”

While the Directors kept their mouths shut, Danton struck the gavel.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

In the meantime, Treville’s fleet was also approved to set out for Florida.

The New French garrison in Florida has been rescued without anyone knowing.

***

In later original history, Napoleon compared himself to a [powerful and dominant predator].

-Thump, thump!

Like a lion leaping out of its cage, Napoleon ran bravely.

In fact, it is said that the name Napoleon itself means a lion of the wilderness.

Suddenly, his adjutant Marmont, who was running next to him, grumbled.

“To finally be able to set out, are the Directors incompetent? Or is Talleyrand competent?”

Napoleon scoffed and asked back.

“It doesn’t matter which. Now, our time has come. Who was it decided would go with Moreau to the Rhine?”

“It’s Bernadotte. And Macdonald is supposed to support him from behind.”

“Hmm, the combination is a mess. Oh, the friend we decided to send to Naples. Who was it?”

The Chief of Staff, Berthier, hurriedly rode his horse and answered.

“Are you talking about Louis Nicolas Davout?”

Davout, originally a friend of Desaix, was supposed to accompany him on the Egyptian expedition.

However, as Eugene formed the Egyptian expeditionary force, Davout was pushed aside and included in the Irish expeditionary force.

Recently, he was to be sent to Naples as Laharpe’s replacement.

Napoleon nodded.

“Tell that friend to wait in Milan. Even if it’s not Eugene, he can sufficiently replace Junot.”

Of course, he is more than sufficient.

Because Davout is a top-tier member among the 26 Marshals of Napoleon in the original history.

However, Napoleon, who does not yet know that fact, began to whip his horse.

“Now. Let’s go to Italy! Masséna and Augereau are waiting for us!”

The headquarters should be as light as possible, and troops and supplies have already crossed the Alps.

It had been prepared so that the operation could begin as soon as the Directors’ permission was granted.

June 6, 1799.

Napoleon finally moved to Italy.

The Second Italian Campaign had begun.