He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 40

(39) Eugene’s Special Postal Unit Sets Out

No commander readily approves the deployment of their direct unit.

“What? Not only is the long leave an issue, but you’re asking to form a unit? And you, Ensign, are going too?”

Brigadier General Napoleon, stationed in Marseille, frowned.

Originally, Napoleon’s main task in Marseille was to monitor the Republic of Genoa.

His secondary task was to form conscripted units to support the Italian border guards if problems arose at the border.

From Napoleon’s perspective, this was also a position to aim for command of the Italian campaign.

However, Eugene’s proposal for a special postal unit slightly changed his mind.

Currently, it only handles military postal services in southern France, centered around Marseille.

But what if this postal system were expanded to military units nationwide?

The postal service for the entire French Revolutionary Army would be in Napoleon’s hands.

He had been planning to push this project forward while in Marseille.

Yet, Eugene, the very person who conceived the plan, was now saying he would go to the Vendée [a region in western France known for its counter-revolutionary uprisings].

It was unbelievable.

“No, what am I supposed to do if you leave? What’s the justification?”

Napoleon openly rebuked him, but Eugene simply smiled and replied.

“There is justification. Isn’t the postal service likely to be a mess in a war zone? Checking and normalizing the postal situation would be justification enough.”

“Who’s going to cover the military expenses? Surely not you personally?”

“That’s what I’m planning to do, if you allow it.”

An aide-de-camp is like a ‘secretary’ who assists the general in his work.

But now the aide-de-camp was saying he would directly command an operation.

It was an extremely presumptuous statement, but Napoleon thought differently.

Neither by age, nor by position, nor by his words and actions was Eugene a rival to Napoleon.

Perhaps they might truly become ‘family’.

Besides, though still young, he wasn’t a boy who made decisions based on mere bravado.

What was this presumptuous aide-de-camp, who could be called a prodigy, thinking?

Napoleon stared at Eugene and said.

“As soon as the Marseille postal unit is formed, it looks like two people in charge will be absent, huh.”

“Does that mean you’re allowing it?”

“After hearing the reason. Surely it’s not just about rescuing Marceau’s lover? I certainly can’t allow that if it is.”

If it were to rescue Marceau, then maybe.

In fact, she wasn’t even his fiancée, but a childhood friend, he said.

Marceau going to a civil war battlefield just to save a friend was already unbelievable.

But now his aide-de-camp was following, and even sending a unit?

Simply normalizing the postal service wasn’t a sufficient reason.

Napoleon himself needed a reason to be convinced.

Indeed, Eugene had a reason.

Eugene smiled and unfolded a map.

“Currently, the Revolutionary Army is fighting in three locations: the Rhine, Flanders, and the Vendée.”

“Yes. The Rhine and Flanders fronts are practically one and the same. And whether it’s the Rhine or the Vendée, they’re both quagmires. I still don’t understand why you want to go.”

“Broadly, to protect the revolution, and narrowly, to create allies for the General within the Vendée army.”

Napoleon, who had been looking at the map, raised his eyebrows.

“What do you mean by that, Ensign?”

Eugene looked at Napoleon and suddenly asked.

“What are your plans for the future, General?”

“You’re asking me instead? Plans, huh. Soldiers want to achieve merit, after all. Great achievements, glorious victories, the pinnacle of status. Something like that, right? There’s the example of Prince Eugene, from whom you take your name.”

“In the past, that was easy. You just had to please the royal family. The Prince of Condé, Marshal Villars, and Louvois all reached the pinnacle, the position of [Marshal], by gaining the favor of the Sun King. But it’s different now.”

Marshal, or Maréchal de France [Marshal of France], commander-in-chief of the entire army.

The pinnacle of the military.

A position that any French soldier would want to reach.

Napoleon, who had dreamed of being a soldier since his days at military school, also had that as his goal for now.

But unlike later, the position of Marshal of the entire army was unique in that era.

A position that only one soldier trusted by the king could reach.

But now there was no king.

Eugene pointed out exactly that.

“The revolution changed everything. Do you know what the highest rank in the military is now? Major General. There isn’t even a Lieutenant General.”

“Well, to become a Lieutenant General, you had to be someone specially trusted by the king. The revolutionary government doesn’t have such a soldier.”

“It will continue to be that way. But how many soldiers are there now?”

At that moment, Eugene mentioned a number that made Napoleon doubt his ears.

“750,000.”

“What? Aren’t you mistaken?”

“Have you forgotten the 300,000 conscription order? And we’re going to increase that to a maximum of 1.2 million in the future. That’s the plan that was established in Paris.”

Originally, the French army had a standing army of 300,000, and even that wasn’t fully staffed.

Even that was too much, and more than half of the finances went to military spending during the Old Regime.

But now the revolutionary government, which was experiencing economic difficulties, was increasing the army by four times that amount?

Napoleon, who knew the army of the Old Regime, shouted in disbelief.

“That’s impossible! The French army wasn’t originally at full strength. But to fill all the positions and then increase it by four times?”

“You’ve been so focused on the Italian army that you haven’t considered the other front lines. There are 300,000 troops deployed on the Rhine alone. If you include Flanders, it’s 400,000.”

“Good heavens.”

It was surprising, but actually possible.

Why?

Because they fought by not paying and forcibly conscripting soldiers, and acquiring supplies locally.

But in return, the treatment of the military became even worse.

To solve this problem, more victories and spoils were needed.

Just like the armies of the conquering dynasties of the Middle Ages.

They needed a conqueror.

Looking at the potential conqueror in front of him, Eugene said.

“But there’s another area where forces are concentrated. That’s the Vendée.”

Eugene’s finger pointed to the Vendée on the map.

“The Vendée is definitely a quagmire, but it’s a place where soldiers are gathered. At least 100,000, maybe even 200,000, will be dispatched there. I will create a pro-Bonaparte faction in this civil war battlefield, the Vendée.”

The western part of France.

Far from Paris, Marseille, or other major cities, it was an agricultural area.

A hotbed of royalists, where devout churchgoers were rebelling.

At least 100,000 had risen up, and 100,000 revolutionary troops were gathering to suppress them.

The battlefield itself was a quagmire, but there were also capable generals and officers there.

He would create a pro-Bonaparte faction among them.

This was the purpose Eugene was showing Napoleon.

Napoleon frowned and asked Eugene again.

“You’ve answered my question, but I haven’t answered yours. What does my plan have to do with it?”

How would all of this benefit Eugene?

Napoleon was curious about that.

Eugene chuckled.

“It’s related. If you truly want to reach the pinnacle, you need people in the [military] who are loyal to you in this era of war. Of course, all of that is predicated on you achieving brilliant feats of arms.”

In fact, if you knew the original history, Eugene’s choice was easy to understand.

Napoleon would reach the pinnacle.

He would reach the top even without Eugene’s efforts.

Moreover, Eugene was very likely to become a member of Napoleon’s ‘royal family’ without much effort.

However, to stand at the center of the so-called [Napoleon Cartel] at that time, marriage or mere connections would not be enough.

Outstanding achievements, freely available funds, and, if possible, military force were needed.

Eugene was trying to get his hands on that now.

But all of that had a prerequisite.

Napoleon always had to win.

Napoleon, who still didn’t know the future, stared intently at Eugene and opened his mouth.

“I’ve heard of it. The gambling prodigy of Paris always has a plan.”

“Who told you that? Hippolyte? Or Marceau?”

“I also gather rumors separately, Ensign. Anyway, good.”

Suddenly, Napoleon smiled.

“I allow it. I’ll get the deployment order soon. How many do you need?”

Eugene took a deep breath and replied.

“100, a company-sized force will be enough.”

He had succeeded in gaining a little more of Napoleon’s trust.

***

However, the soldiers weren’t the only ones who opposed Eugene’s departure.

“No, what are we supposed to do if you leave for the battlefield after expanding the business like this?”

The Boarnais Cartel, which was just expanding its business in Marseille, was also a problem.

In any case, even in modern times with developed communication, a company is in danger if the owner is absent.

Not to mention in an era when news was barely transmitted over long distances by mail.

Naturally, no employee would be happy to have the [owner] go to a battlefield where he could die.

Eugene chuckled as he looked at Antoine de Damas, who was the most agitated.

“Why are you pretending not to know? Damas, you’re the representative of our Boarnais [Cartel].”

“Ah, I’m just a figurehead! Isn’t it common knowledge here that you, or Monsieur Boarnais, make the decisions? Besides, the business situation here isn’t as easy as in Paris or Bordeaux!”

“Just hold on for a year. We’ll be returning the headquarters to Paris within that time.”

Leaving the surprised Damas behind, Eugene turned his gaze.

“Conversely, the triad of banking, military production, and trade must be completed here within a year. Monsieur Collot.”

Even if Damas oversaw the cartel, Collot managed the bank at its center.

Therefore, Collot needed to know the future plans accurately.

Collot glanced at Eugene and chuckled.

“You’re telling me to take responsibility for making money. And this friend, Damas, is the supervisor.”

“I don’t remember saying it that rudely, Monsieur Collot.”

“It’s the same thing. Hmm, a triangular alliance.”

Suddenly, Pierre Collot’s eyes flashed.

“It’s difficult to come up with the initial concept, but once it’s in place, it can be run. I’ll do it. But you know what’s most important here, right?”

Even in the original history, Collot created a decent bank without Eugene’s help.

There was no way he couldn’t do it, especially since he was given initial capital and cash flow.

However, Eugene’s business plan, the so-called establishment of a [large corporation] group, required a huge amount of capital.

In particular, the military business, which was difficult to generate cash in the short term, was a problem.

To solve this problem, constant cash generation was needed.

Eugene’s gaze turned to the sea dogs standing on one side.

“Breaking through the naval blockade. Captain Bruix, Captain Surcouf. Is it possible?”

Bruix smiled and replied.

“We have to do it. We have the knack of surviving Toulon.”

Nicolas Surcouf confidently added.

“Patron, I originally traded in the East Indies. Besides, my brother will be joining us soon. He’s better than me.”

“Brother? Robert Surcouf, perhaps?”

“Huh? Do you know him? He should be returning from the Indian Ocean soon.”

Eugene’s eyes widened for a moment.

Robert Surcouf.

The best privateer captain of the French Revolution.

In short, a genius at smuggling.

Robert Surcouf was the one who roamed the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, raiding the British fleet.

He had originally recruited Nicolas, remembering that reputation, but now Robert was joining?

The British fleet’s formal Mediterranean blockade could be easily broken through.

Eugene smiled and nodded.

“I’ve heard rumors. He’s said to be a very talented sailor. Good. I trust you with it.”

Then, a man in the far corner opened his mouth.

“Hey, boss. We haven’t succeeded in our mission yet. Is that okay?”

It was Samuel Pauley, who was in charge of military factory manufacturing.

Pauley had not yet succeeded in making the improved breech-loading rifle that Eugene wanted.

He had only succeeded in replicating existing rifles, including the Ferguson rifle.

But Eugene just smiled calmly.

After all, it was something that Dreyse only barely succeeded in the 1830s even in the original history.

He didn’t think it would be easy from the start.

“It doesn’t matter. Just make a prototype by the time I get back from finishing my work in the Vendée. That alone will be a great help.”

“Then, what are you going to take to this battlefield?”

“Well, of course, expensive things.”

Eugene pointed to the Ferguson rifle that Hippolyte was holding.

“Ferguson rifles. We have enough, 100 of them.”

It was Eugene’s secret weapon to break through the difficulties of the Vendée battlefield.

***

Of course, the most important thing on the battlefield is ultimately the soldiers.

“Good. Then hurry up with the formation. We’ll set out within 10 days.”

Eugene ordered, looking at the soldiers gathered in the drill ground.

The soldiers glanced at Eugene but moved according to the commander’s orders.

They were in a very disciplined state, unlike newly recruited soldiers.

-Step, step, step!

At the head of them, the real commander, Duroc, saluted.

“Captain Duroc, reporting. Boarnais Special Company, belonging to the Postal Regiment. Formation complete.”

One hundred men were separately formed into a company from the Postal Regiment, that is, 1,000 postal soldiers.

With them, Eugene now had to break through the battlefield of the Vendée.

Somehow, there were quite a few familiar faces, and it seemed that there were also those who had fought together in Toulon.

“Perfect. From equipment to food. What about transportation?”

“20 newly purchased postal carriages. I understand that Pauley is modifying them now. However, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

“What is it?”

Duroc asked Eugene.

“What is the objective of this operation?”

The Vendée was already a place where the war had begun.

It might be as difficult as Toulon, or even more difficult than Toulon.

Going there was a matter of risking one’s life.

What was the reason for these soldiers to risk their lives?

Eugene looked back at Marceau and said loudly.

“Our goal is simple. Our acting commander of the Postal Regiment, Major Marceau, left his fiancée there.”

“Wait, what are you talking about?”

“Shut up, Marceau. It’s not something to hide shyly.”

Ignoring the embarrassed Marceau, Eugene shouted.

“So, we’re going to rescue Major Marceau’s lover!”

To create a Bonaparte faction in the Vendée.

To promote the normalization of the postal service in the civil war zone.

To build a foundation for reaching the pinnacle of the future Napoleon faction by achieving merit.

All good things.

But it wasn’t a reason to go to the Vendée.

The real reason Eugene was going now was one thing.

Because someone Marceau knew, a woman he loved, was said to be dying there.

Because that might be Eugene’s responsibility.

The soldiers, who had been silent for a moment, burst into laughter all at once.

“Wahahaha!”

“This is really exhilarating! Good! The romance of the revolution!”

“Let’s go, to rescue Major Marceau’s fiancée!”

Marceau grabbed Eugene in embarrassment.

“Eugene, you can’t risk their lives, your life, for such a thing.”

“What if we can save 300,000 people?”

“What?”

Of course, that wasn’t the only thing.

Eugene knew.

What was really going to happen in the Vendée.

Sparks flew from Eugene’s eyes.

“Right now, we’re going to save not only Angélique, but also 300,000 people who might be massacred, Marceau.”

The site of the revolutionary genocide where 300,000, or perhaps 600,000, would die, the Vendée.

If he could save 300,000 people there, he could change history.

Because the 300,000 who survived would become strong supporters of Napoleon and Eugene.