He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 61

(60) Revolution Needs a Scapegoat

Every appointment causes a backlash.

“Why on earth did you appoint Bonaparte as the commander of the National Guard!”

The Committee of Public Safety isn’t in the Tuileries Palace but in the Fleurie House in front of it.

It used to be a billiard room for nobles.

Ordinary committee members attend only when there is a meeting.

However, the chairman naturally has a permanent office here.

The sole occupant of an office in the Fleurie House, Chairman Robespierre, turned his gaze coldly.

The young man who suddenly burst in, Saint-Just, was panting.

“It’s strange that you ask me that question, Deputy Saint-Just.”

“Chairman! Bonaparte is a dangerous man. He moved the army to the Vendée before the order even arrived, and he’s related to Hoche by marriage!”

“Is he more dangerous than Dumouriez?”

At that, the youngest member of the Committee of Public Safety, Saint-Just, shut his mouth.

It has been a month since Napoleon was appointed as the commander of the National Guard.

Public order is still unstable, but one thing has changed.

The Paris National Guard has begun to conduct regular patrols.

Before, the discipline was a mess, and the number of troops wasn’t even filled.

What has changed?

In fact, the answer is simple.

The Recamier Bank, one of the leading banks in Paris, provided a huge loan.

In the end, materials can only move if there is money, and the army can only operate if materials are supplied.

On the other hand, Saint-Just, a member of the Committee of Public Safety, became uneasy watching this activity.

He was worried about Napoleon’s ability to attract huge funds and mobilize the National Guard.

However, Robespierre coldly urged.

“Saint-Just, you know better because you experienced it directly. The commander of the military rebelled. He kidnapped the Minister of War and tried to capture the members of the Committee of Public Safety, but failed.”

“Y-Yes! Moreover, he even defected to Austria! It’s a serious situation!”

“Do you really not know what a serious situation means? The very person who imprisoned Hoche?”

Robespierre frowned and retorted coldly.

“It means a storm of purges will blow through the military again.”

The chairman’s office was filled with heavy silence.

Purge, an act of severely removing corrupt individuals to establish discipline.

Usually, removing someone from their position is also called a purge or [purification].

However, since the revolution began, [purification] has effectively become the act of killing people to wash away the filth with blood.

Already, the former commander of the Northern Army, Philippe de Custine, has been executed.

The former commander of the Vendée, Armand Louis de Gontaut, Duke of Biron, was also eventually beheaded.

At that time, the aristocratic officers connected to the two were also executed en masse.

In fact, if the opposition leader, Lafayette, had not taken the risk to step forward, all French aristocratic officers might have been imprisoned.

However, a situation arose in which Dumouriez committed treason.

Now, even Lafayette cannot stop it.

Of course, Robespierre is not happy with this situation either.

What political leader would like to change commanders during a war?

For reasons unrelated to victory or defeat.

At that moment, Saint-Just widened his eyes again and shouted.

“Then it’s even more dangerous! Bonaparte has a problematic person, Eugene de Beauharnais, as his adjutant!”

But this time, it was not Robespierre but another member who stepped forward.

This place is the chairman’s office.

A place where Robespierre’s faction members share secret talks.

Among them was Robespierre’s younger brother, Auguste.

Napoleon’s fan, Auguste, defended him, recalling the battle of Toulon.

“I don’t understand that. Major Eugene, no, Colonel, is an excellent soldier. I saw him in Toulon.”

“What achievements did that kid make to exaggerate like that! Knight of the Princess, Boy Standard Bearer! It’s all exaggerated articles in the media!”

“That’s too much!”

At that moment, even the stuttering Desmoulins jumped up.

“Exaggerated articles in the media! The Boy Standard Bearer was reported in the newspaper I run! I clearly confirmed it from my sources!”

Saint-Just snorted at Desmoulins’s protest, who spoke well when he was angry.

“Ha, I wondered who was spreading such nonsense; it was you, Desmoulins?”

“What? Nonsense! It’s accurate reporting!”

“Even if it’s true, you shouldn’t have reported it!”

Saint-Just arrogantly shouted, looking down on Desmoulins, who was older than him.

“He’s a former aristocrat, a royal page, and even rescued the Queen on his own. Eugene de Beauharnais is an enemy of the revolution! He’s someone who should be sent to the guillotine right away!”

At those words, the gourmet Cambacérès and the crippled lawyer Couthon looked at Saint-Just in disbelief.

When was that?

It was at least a year ago.

Eugene had already been forcibly enlisted to atone for his sins and had even made achievements on the battlefield.

The good-natured Cambacérès gave him a look, and the principled Couthon rebuked him.

“That doesn’t seem right.”

“If there’s a problem, it should be judged by law. It’s difficult to slander him as a traitor like that.”

Of course, Saint-Just instead scolded the other members.

“Ha! That’s why rebellions happen when you’re so slow, everyone!”

It was then.

“Saint-Just. I, Robespierre, appointed Eugene as a lieutenant.”

The moment Saint-Just’s face turned pale, Robespierre solemnly said.

“Even if they are former aristocrats, if they participate in the revolutionary spirit, they can gladly become citizens. That is the cause of our revolution.”

“That man is dangerous, Chairman!”

“I know. But the danger is because of his ability, not because that boy is a counter-revolutionary.”

Suddenly, Robespierre stood up and handed over the document he had been writing on his desk.

“We must purge the military and renew it with revolutionary loyalists. Otherwise, another situation like Dumouriez will happen again. Take it.”

Saint-Just, who received the document, widened his eyes.

“What is this?”

“As you can see, it’s an order. There is no resolution from the Committee of Public Safety, but since six members are gathered here, your signature alone will have the effect of a majority resolution.”

“This, Chairman. Are you releasing Hoche?”

It was an order for Hoche, whom Saint-Just had imprisoned in the headquarters of the Northern Army in Flanders, to return.

It was an order that Saint-Just could not accept.

If this was not an order from Robespierre, the man Saint-Just admired.

“Hoche is a talent needed in the Rhine. Moreover, unlike Jourdan, whose loyalty has not yet been verified, he is a soldier loyal to the revolution.”

“But, he tried to appoint a commander without permission!”

“He was just reacting to the emergency. Sign the next order as well.”

At Robespierre’s next order, Saint-Just’s eyes narrowed this time.

“You have chosen Carrier.”

Robespierre turned his gaze out the window.

“Yes. First of all, we need someone to take responsibility for the Vendée. So that the military, the parliament, and Paris do not have time to waver. In a short time.”

Outside the window, the winter in Paris was still full of cold snow.

But that snow may melt away in an instant.

With the flames of revolt that the citizens of Paris, this hot city, will unleash.

The revolutionary period is a time when even the highest authority is truly unstable.

***

Of course, even the former highest authority in the Vendée is no exception.

“Rossignol, it’s been a while. Seeing you still walking around unharmed, Mara must have protected you well, right?”

Carrier greeted an unexpected guest at his home in Paris.

It was General Rossignol, who had fought in the Vendée under Carrier’s command.

Now, he seemed to be wandering around without a position in the military, and no adjutant followed him.

He was in a situation not much different from Carrier, who had been temporarily suspended from the convention.

Rossignol, as if thirsty, gulped down the water brought by the servant and glared at Carrier.

“What are you going to do, Deputy?”

“About what?”

“The Vendée royalist prisoners have been placed under house arrest. They didn’t go to prison. There are only 12 of them, but they are all ringleaders.”

Carrier frowned.

They were the ones Carrier had brought to Paris under the pretext of escorting them, along with Napoleon.

They were the leaders of the royalist army, including Rochejacquelein.

He tried to kill them in the Vendée but failed.

Because Kleber, who held the power, and Napoleon, the top meritorious person, stopped him.

With an unwilling face, Carrier replied.

“Bonaparte is taking responsibility. He says they won’t run away.”

“That’s not the problem! Haven’t you thought about why they ended up under simple house arrest instead of prison?”

“What?”

Rossignol, who had been dragged to Paris earlier and knew the situation a little better, shouted with a pale face.

“Maybe it’s because of the testimony of the massacres in the Vendée!”

In an instant, Carrier kicked his seat and shouted.

“Where are you saying such things! I don’t know anything about it! Neither do you!”

It was a very possible thing.

Already at the time of the commander change, Paris was aware of the massacres in the Vendée.

Even if it was from loyalty to protect the revolution, Paris does not take responsibility.

No commander has ever explicitly ordered the massacre of citizens.

But that goes for Carrier as well.

At least, no documented evidence exists.

Rossignol trembled and shouted.

“Are you really going to do this? Are you going to live alone? I did what you ordered me to do!”

“What are you talking about? I told you to deal with the bandits; I didn’t order anything!”

“You!”

Just as the two were about to get up and point fingers at each other, the door outside the drawing room was smashed.

-Bang!

Soldiers entered, breaking down the door.

They were French regular army soldiers wearing blue uniforms.

The commander at the head was none other than the commander of the National Guard, Napoleon.

Napoleon coldly looked at Carrier and sneered.

“I thought you were talking about me, so I was just listening. It’s getting more and more ridiculous.”

“G-General Bonaparte? What’s going on?”

“Well, I have to carry out my first mission as the commander of the National Guard.”

Napoleon cleared his throat and announced the new order of the revolutionary government.

“Deputy Carrier, I am arresting you on charges of massacring residents of the Vendée.”

This time, Carrier protested with a face that had turned black.

“Why me! I did what the Committee of Public Safety ordered! Arrest Rossignol instead! No, if you’re going to arrest me, you have to hold the Committee of Public Safety responsible first! Ugh!”

At that moment, an officer kicked Carrier in the stomach.

A man with hair like a mane, Junot.

Junot leaned down to Carrier’s ear and said loudly.

“You must be mistaken, the National Guard is a unit that protects the safety and peace of citizens. Not murderers like you!”

It was literally violence.

However, this is not an era where human rights are respected for suspects who refuse to be arrested.

Especially if they are former powerful figures who committed massacres and are now about to fall.

The former Marseille postal unit, now National Guard soldiers, held down the fallen Carrier.

Soon after, Napoleon glared at Rossignol, who was trembling next to him.

“Rossignol, you’re going to prison too.”

“W-What?”

“You will be going to the [Conciergerie – a notorious prison] on the Île de la Cité. It’s ‘paid,’ so it would be good to have your family prepare a deposit. Marmont!”

Marmont said with a friendly smile but with ruthless words.

“Now, everyone. Let’s go quietly. Or, our Captain Junot might beat you up with excitement?”

In the end, Carrier and Rossignol, succumbing to violence, had no choice but to be forcibly dragged away.

To the Conciergerie, the infamous prison of the revolutionary government.

***

In times of revolution, rampage stops only in front of blood.

“Starting strong from the beginning? Arresting Carrier.”

Eugene’s office was established in the Paris National Guard headquarters on the Île de la Cité [an island in the Seine River, the historical heart of Paris].

Napoleon’s adjutant, Colonel Eugene Beauharnais.

Eugene scanned the letters engraved on the nameplate and turned his head.

Marceau, who had now become a lieutenant colonel and risen to acting regimental commander, was smiling at Eugene.

In fact, if his life had flowed as it originally did in the original history, Marceau should have already been a brigadier general.

Instead, Angelique would have died.

Which life would be better for Marceau?

Eugene can be sure.

If it were Marceau, he would have definitely chosen to save Angelique.

Shrugging lightly, Eugene replied.

“Why, are you feeling sorry for him?”

“Why would I? I’m just worried. Carrier is a Mara faction member, right? The Mara people will be furious, right? Maybe even Hébert. That guy is also a hardliner.”

“Of course, they’ll want to attack us. Moreover, their specialty is inciting citizen riots, so they might mobilize the [Commune – a radical, self-governing body].”

Commune.

A French word meaning a small village.

In later original history, it became famous as the leftist liberation provisional government of Paris during the Franco-Prussian War.

But in fact, its origin came from the ‘citizen autonomous organization’ created during the revolutionary period.

Marceau widened his eyes.

“You mean the sans-culottes’ [common people] autonomous organization that replaces the militia?”

“Looks like you’ve heard of it? It seems like you haven’t been back to Paris for long.”

“I have no choice but to know. There’s a commune office in my neighborhood too.”

After the revolution, Paris was reorganized into autonomous units called [Communes].

Although it is not a government organization, a political organization has been created where citizens make decisions autonomously.

The problem is that since the entire revolution was an armed conflict, these organizations are also armed.

The ‘National Guard,’ which is still a militia, still remains, but Lafayette’s influence is strong here.

For that reason, the Jacobin faction, which is hostile to Lafayette, chose to leave the Commune’s autonomous forces alone.

Instead, these Communes play a role in supporting the Jacobins with demonstrations outside the National Convention.

Until now, the armed citizens of the Commune, the sans-culottes, have not invaded the Convention.

The reason is simple.

Unlike the original history, the Jacobin Montagnards seized the initiative a year earlier.

So, the Girondins were not virtually suppressed by the Jacobins through armed revolt.

But still, the sans-culottes of the Commune are armed.

The 42 Communes that control 42 districts of Paris, 600,000 citizens, can be swept up in revolt at any time.

Hébert and Mara have the position and ability to incite them.

However, Eugene calmly tapped the desk in his office and replied.

“If the citizens riot, we have no choice but to suppress them by force. Then, General Napoleon will take all the responsibility.”

“We shouldn’t give them an excuse to riot. How?”

“We have to impose strong punishments. On the royalists too.”

Suddenly, Eugene’s eyes lit up as he looked at the [globe] on his desk.

“We’ll banish them to a world so far away from this Paris that they can’t even imagine. To the New World.”

Where Eugene’s gaze stopped.

Across the Atlantic, the French colony of Martinique.