He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 47

(46) Creating a Stage in the Vendée for Napoleon

So, how was this order delivered?

Naturally, through military mail.

A non-commissioned officer from the Postal Special Regiment, dressed in black military uniform, brought the [Order] from Paris. Rossignol read it and screamed.

“This can’t be! Why me! What did I do wrong!”

Nantes, the location of the Vendée suppression army headquarters.

Having lost La Rochelle and suffered an unexpected blow, the Vendée suppression army was in full retreat from Cholet.

But as soon as they retreated, this order arrived.

-〈The Committee of Public Safety, entrusted with the authority of the people, commands: Commander Rossignol of the Vendée suppression army is hereby dismissed. Brigadier General Jean-Baptiste Kléber is appointed as his successor, and Kléber is urgently promoted to Major General.〉

Rossignol trembled and looked around.

But no one voiced support for Rossignol.

It was inevitable.

Not many soldiers support a defeated commander.

Moreover, Rossignol made a blunder by taking an unreasonable offensive, which led to the loss of La Rochelle, a perfectly safe occupied territory.

Now, even if the British Royal Navy supports the royalists, it will be difficult to stop them for the time being.

Even Brigadier General Westermann, who had participated in the massacre with Rossignol, was turning a blind eye.

Rossignol hurriedly grabbed Westermann.

“Westermann, you’re close to Danton, aren’t you? Help me!”

“What are you doing? I’m just following the orders of the National Convention.”

“Is this how it is! Was I the only one who killed the Vendéans! You killed them too! Do you think you’ll be safe?”

At that moment, Westermann shook off Rossignol.

“What are you talking about! I only carried out the orders of the commander, or rather, General Rossignol!”

Westermann was originally a member of Danton’s faction.

In other words, he was a man who rose to the rank of general through Danton’s recommendation.

Therefore, before the order arrived from Paris, Westermann had already received a letter from Danton.

Never stand on the same side as Rossignol.

Just as Rossignol was bewildered and didn’t know what to do in a situation where even his fellow generals were turning away, the door of the Nantes Vendée Corps headquarters opened.

-Step, step, step!

At the forefront was Deputy Carrier.

Behind him, guards escorting Carrier entered together.

Rossignol rushed towards Carrier with a delighted expression.

“Deputy Carrier! You’ve come just in time! This issue is not just my problem, right?”

But Rossignol noticed something strange.

“What? General Kléber?”

Kléber, the newly appointed commander, was next to Carrier.

Moreover, there were other soldiers behind Kléber.

Furthermore, Carrier, who should be discussing how to resolve the situation immediately, was ignoring Rossignol.

The situation was unusual.

Just as Rossignol was about to step back, Kléber said in a cold voice.

“Since Deputy Carrier seems unable to speak, I will speak on his behalf. As of this moment, the general is relieved of his position and will be imprisoned.”

“What! Why me!”

“Because the order didn’t just come to you.”

The moment Rossignol saw the document Kléber presented, he was shocked.

“An order from the Committee of Public Safety. Just like Commander Biron’s case, you will also be imprisoned. Of course, you will be transferred to Paris.”

Rossignol almost collapsed.

In fact, his legs had long lost their strength.

Soldiers had already grabbed both arms to restrain him.

Rossignol trembled and shouted at Kléber.

“I was just following the orders from Paris, no. As Deputy Carrier ordered!”

At that moment, Carrier, who had been ignoring him, glared and scolded.

“I hope you don’t drag me into this, General Rossignol. If you keep doing that, I can’t protect you either!”

Carrier had also abandoned Rossignol.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Carrier can evade responsibility.

But right now, he’s desperately trying to put everything on Rossignol.

Rossignol was dragged out by the soldiers, shouting.

“Ugh! Let go of me! I’m innocent! I was just following the revolutionary spirit, argh!”

Watching that scene, Westermann saluted.

“Congratulations, Brigadier General Kléber, or rather, Major General.”

Brigadier Generals Le Comte and Lequille, who had been silently watching the situation, also saluted Kléber.

The Paris order specified Kléber’s promotion.

Moreover, Carrier’s authority had collapsed.

So, the government forces in the Vendée civil war zone were virtually in Kléber’s hands.

The new commander, Kléber, nodded.

“Then I’ll issue the first order. The Marseille Postal Special Company will be incorporated into the Vendée suppression army as an official unit. The operational meeting will begin after that.”

It was the first order showing who had planned all of this.

***

Then, how would the planner, Eugene, react to the order?

“Yes! The commander has been replaced!”

Eugene jumped up and hugged Tournai.

Louis Tournai, Eugene’s bodyguard and the company’s non-commissioned officer, holding the rank of sergeant.

He was senior to Gomina and Ellie.

He had traveled through the Vendée, where rebels were popping up everywhere, and returned from Paris.

To this place, Nantes.

At that time, Marceau asked with a worried look.

“Carrier is still there? Is it okay like this?”

“The right to command the battle is important. Marceau, the report you risked your life to send worked.”

“The prior work must have worked. But a condition has been set.”

Marceau frowned as he looked at the order.

“Three months. We have to suppress the Vendée within that time.”

Eugene smiled.

He must be anxious.

Angelique hasn’t been found, and the entire Vendée campaign is sluggish.

So, Marceau’s heart can’t help but burn.

But Eugene, who knows the original history, became calmer.

The Vendée is a remote French border area, so it has been less affected by the historical changes Eugene has been making.

Thanks to this, it has progressed largely without deviating from the original history.

In other words, there is a way to suppress the Vendée campaign within three months.

Eugene said, reassuring Marceau.

“Don’t forget that we’ve also launched another propaganda campaign, Marceau.”

“Then, what difference does that make?”

“The enemy will also become impatient. Time will run out, and they will want a decisive battle.”

At that time, someone strode into the Nantes postal company’s barracks where Eugene was.

It was a fat man with fierce eyes, Kléber.

Kléber stared at Eugene and smiled.

“It went as you wished, Boy General.”

A nickname given to Eugene in Toulon.

Kléber, who hadn’t known much about Eugene until now, had no choice but to know now.

The political maneuvering to elevate Kléber, who had returned from defeat in Mainz and was preparing for revenge, to commander.

It’s not something a boy who is only 13 years old can do.

So, he ended up collecting quite a bit of Toulon’s reputation.

Eugene smiled and replied.

“Congratulations, New Commander.”

“I feel like I’ve drunk poison. Do you perhaps have a plan? We need to make the enemy crawl out.”

“Open the road to Nantes.”

Suddenly, Eugene’s eyes sparkled.

“Help them really unite with England. Then, they will concentrate their forces on Nantes.”

Everyone there was shocked by the operation, which was close to a [gamble].

Nantes.

A major port in northwestern France.

If it’s a sea route to England, it’s by far the closest port after Normandy.

There used to be a direct route from London to Nantes.

It’s been cut off due to the war, but if the British army really lands, Nantes is much easier than La Rochelle.

But Nantes is where the Vendée army headquarters is located and the most important city in northwestern France.

Kléber clicked his tongue and asked.

“I heard you’re a gambling prodigy, so you only ask for gambling-like operations. But they’ve already taken La Rochelle? Do they need another port?”

“The defense there is low. It’s only enough to receive supplies temporarily. Also, it’s a justification. If our army moves towards La Rochelle, the road will be open.”

“You’re going to send them north and finish them off? Hmm.”

It really looks like a gamble.

But gambling is addictive because a ‘jackpot’ awaits when it succeeds.

The operation Eugene is proposing now is clear.

Give a huge bait, lure the enemy out, and end it with a decisive battle.

In fact, this method is also the way the Vendée civil war was originally ended.

In the original history, it wasn’t just intentional, but as they fought, the enemy crawled out of their base and headed to the northern port.

Here, Eugene added one solution that ended the Vendée civil war in the original history.

“Furthermore, there is something you must do.”

“What is it?”

“Declare the suspension of the clergy’s oath of allegiance to the state.”

Suddenly, Eugene’s eyes lit up.

“In the Vendée, which is now in a wartime system, it’s something that can be done with the commander’s authority.”

Since the revolution began, from the time of the National Assembly, Paris has demanded that priests take an [oath of allegiance] to the state. [This oath required clergy to pledge loyalty to the French government rather than the Pope, causing significant conflict in the deeply religious Vendée region.]

This oath is also the reason why priests led the rebellion in the Vendée.

If the suspension of the oath is implemented, the priests will lose their momentum.

But Kléber was speechless at another gamble.

“Will the National Convention allow that?”

“We just need to win within three months.”

“Victory, yes, victory is absolutely necessary. For revolutionary France now.”

Kléber muttered as if persuading himself.

Indeed, France needs victory now.

Eight months have passed since the recapture of Toulon.

But since then, the news that has reached the French people is that they barely stopped the enemy on the Rhine, the fighting continues in the Pyrenees, or that all of Europe is rising up against France.

The economy is getting worse, and a food crisis may resume at the end of this year.

There is only one way to stabilize this unstable situation.

Victory.

And an overwhelming victory is required.

If we win, the priest’s oath will not matter.

Furthermore, if this happens, priests and devout believers among those who have been fighting for a long time will be shaken.

The Vendée army will be driven into a more difficult situation.

“If the priests leave and the believers scatter, the Vendée rebels will have no choice but to come out for a decisive battle.”

Kléber, who was finally convinced by Eugene’s explanation, asked again.

“Okay, then where should we settle the matter?”

At that moment, Eugene’s gaze turned to the map on the temporary war table.

“Machecoul. It’s the most suitable place to annihilate the enemies.”

Right below Savenay, the site of the final battle of the First Vendée War in the original history, a village west of Nantes where the Loire River flows.

Annihilate the enemy here and save the Vendée instead.

This is half of the grand strategy that Eugene planned.

Suddenly, Kléber shouted.

“Okay! Then, under this strategy, I will start the operation in my own way!”

Eugene smiled.

The other half has not yet been told to Kléber.

There is still one puzzle left in the real grand strategy.

***

When the commander changes, the way the war is conducted also changes completely.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bombardment poured down noisily.

The defending camp was destroyed by the shells, and enemy soldiers screamed and scattered.

But, the allied forces can secure safety and advance.

In short, the bombardment became the center of the tactics.

First of all, the tactic of ‘deceptive maneuver’ of the army to the vicinity of Cholet.

It was the result of Kléber choosing a method of shaking the enemy’s defense line with bombardment.

Watching the scene from one side of the column, Ippolito whistled.

“The offensive has definitely changed. First, they start with bombardment and then enter.”

Eugene, riding on a pony, watched the battle situation and replied.

“It’s not that surprising. Kléber’s Mainz Division originally fought in the Rhine region. There, there is a separate artillery unit.”

“Why? Ah, the Austrian army would be like that?”

“That’s right. The Austrian army is all made up of professional soldiers. There are many soldiers who are very familiar with bombardment.”

After the smoke cleared, the Mainz Division advanced triumphantly.

“The Mainz Division is an elite unit that fought against them. They are very familiar with bombardment.”

First of all, ordinary soldiers often have difficulty even coming to their senses due to the sound of artillery.

On the other hand, Kléber’s direct unit, the Mainz Division, which had fought in the Rhine region, was very familiar with bombardment.

Therefore, the speed of advancing after the bombardment was also very fast.

Of course, there is a reason why this tactic is a [deceptive attack].

Ippolito pointed out the reason.

“Oh, but hasn’t anything changed? Rather, it’s easier for the enemies to secure gunpowder than us.”

“That’s true too. They’re using up all the remaining gunpowder now, right?”

“Huh? Is that okay?”

Bombardment, assault, suppression.

Rossignol didn’t know that this tactic was effective either.

He has tried it even at the cost of the soldiers’ sacrifice or confusion.

But in the end, Rossignol couldn’t push this tactic through.

Why?

As Carnot reported to the Committee of Public Safety, the French army as a whole was short of gunpowder.

Eugene reversed this idea and told Kléber.

“This war has to be over in three months anyway. Is there a need to save gunpowder?”

That’s why Kléber chose the bombardment.

Then, is the Postal Special Company doing nothing?

Not at all.

-Fluttering!

Suddenly, postal unit members in black clothes rushed out as if shooting.

In their hands were one-page pamphlets.

Because they were scattering them so fiercely, one fell on Ippolito’s horse.

Ippolito picked up the pamphlet with a funny face.

“Wow, now they’re making this and scattering it directly from Nantes?”

“There are more printers than in La Rochelle, and there is more paper. So is the ink.”

“Let’s see. Huh?”

Suddenly, Ippolito’s eyes widened.

-〈Announcing in the name of the Revolutionary Army. As of today, the priest’s oath of allegiance is suspended in the Vendée region. Declaring freedom of religion!〉

It was definitely what Eugene had told Kléber.

But Ippolito didn’t know that Eugene would spread it in the form of propaganda.

Kléber may also be embarrassed to see this propaganda.

In the first place, Rossignol was dismissed as a result of Julian, a surveillance agent, seeing the propaganda.

Wouldn’t the suspicious Robespierre be watching Kléber?

There is also the fear that Carrier will accuse him.

Swallowing dry saliva, Ippolito asked.

“Is this okay?”

“Yes, if we win.”

“Can we win? We’ve been fighting sluggishly for almost a year, but we’ve never won.”

Eugene quietly glanced at Kléber, who was leading the way, with binoculars and replied.

“Kléber is a good general. Of course, he won’t use gambling tactics enough to win a short-term battle.”

“Then it won’t work?”

“But that’s why a real [hero] will come and create a good stage to solve the situation.”

Ippolito, who was blinking blankly, widened his eyes.

“Ah, you mean!”

Eugene smiled.

Kléber is definitely an excellent general and implements measures that can be won steadily.

However, wars in the revolutionary period are difficult to carry out with steady tactics alone.

Sometimes, only gamblers who bet on the entire army and take gambling numbers win the war in the revolutionary period.

Gambler, the best of the gamblers Eugene knows on the battlefield is different.

Napoleon.

“Yes, General Napoleon is coming. To this Vendée.”

This is the other half of the grand strategy that Eugene planned.

The real reason Eugene came to the Vendée, which he had not yet told anyone.

Making the Vendée Napoleon’s stage.

The gambling board that Eugene made in the Vendée was raising its curtain.