He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 81

Montenotte’s Argentau is the First Sacrifice

He was a man who had adorned his life with victories.

He first stepped onto the battlefield at the age of 17 during the Seven Years’ War.

As the son of a distinguished count’s family—his father was Count Florimond Claude d’Argenteau, a diplomat who oversaw Marie Antoinette’s marriage—he always volunteered for the front lines when facing the battlefield, fighting on the eastern border.

His greatest pride was being appointed as a knight by Empress Maria Theresa for fighting against the Turks, whom he considered infidels.

War was always the joy of his life, victory his lover, and the most enjoyable moment the post-victory celebration.

But now, the man faced an opponent unlike any he had encountered before.

Commander of the vanguard of the Austrian Lombardy Corps, Count Eugene Guillaume d’Argenteau, exclaimed in astonishment.

“What nonsense is this? Who’s coming? The French army? Now?”

As the name suggests, Count Argenteau was actually from Liège, close to France.

However, in the late 18th century, before nationalism had fully taken hold,
especially among nobles, one chose their country based on the lord and territory they served.

The Argenteau family had been serving the Holy Roman Empire for over 200 years as a prestigious noble family.

Therefore, the French army was merely an enemy to Argenteau.

Moreover, they were a poor and incompetent peasant army, close to bandits, with no possibility of crossing the Alps.

However, in a completely unexpected turn, he received intelligence of the French army’s discovery.

His adjutant, Brigadier General Karl Sebottendorf, nodded heavily.

“That’s right. A sentry discovered them and reported it urgently.”

“What the hell were the scouts doing! No, forget that! Why are those guys coming this way! Weren’t they supposed to be heading to Genoa?”

“Actually, it’s near the border with Genoa.”

Sebottendorf, older than Argenteau but lower in rank because he was a commoner, retorted curtly.

In fact, Sebottendorf hadn’t expected them to arrive so quickly either.

However, he should have prepared for the possibility that the French army might advance into the Kingdom of Sardinia instead of Genoa.

Even though the main objective of the Argenteau Corps was actually to subdue the Kingdom of Sardinia.

On the other hand, there was a reason why the vanguard commander, Count Argenteau, was also caught off guard.

“What nonsense! This is the territory of the Kingdom of Sardinia. Besides, our main force is behind them! Who maneuvers an army like that!”

It was because of Napoleon’s unconventional advance.

Originally, Napoleon’s Italian Corps was advancing with Masséna’s division at the forefront.

Along the Ligurian coastal road.

A road leading to the Republic of Genoa.

However, they suddenly made a sharp left turn from the Ligurian coastal road.

As if turning counterclockwise, they rapidly struck the Argenteau Corps directly.

The problem with this flanking maneuver was simple.

The main Austrian force was positioned behind, that is, behind the corps.

It was the army of Beaulieu, the commander of Lombardy, who advanced into the Genoa area.

So, Napoleon moved at the risk of being ambushed and annihilated from both sides.

To the 52-year-old veteran and victor, Argenteau, it seemed like madness.

However, Sebottendorf replied calmly.

“It is definitely the French army. The tricolor flag, which they established as their new national flag after the ‘Great Rebellion’ [French Revolution], is flying.”

“Damn it! Those guys who deserve to be cursed by the Virgin Mary! Could it be that only the vanguard came? Check it out, Sebottendorf!”

“I’ve already sent an advance reconnaissance team. The Grenzer Regiment [Austrian light infantry].”

At those words, Argenteau briefly escaped his state of panic.

“Bukasovich went? That guy is reliable. What’s the report?”

“30,000.”

“What?”

Sebottendorf reported the findings brought by the elite Grenzer Regiment.

“It seems that almost the entire French Army of Italy has come. This is no joke. Those guys are aiming for this place!”

In fact, it was a half-wrong report.

First of all, the total strength of the Italian Corps was 48,000 men.

It is true that Napoleon left Sérurier’s division in the rear for defense.

However, the total strength was still 38,000, reaching about 40,000.

However, as soon as they got close, the [Lan]’s Pyrenean cavalry rushed in, and even the elite troops had to retreat for the time being.

That’s why inaccurate information was conveyed.

This report, which was not entirely wrong, ignited a fire in Argenteau’s mind.

“30,000, good! Send a messenger to Commander Beaulieu immediately. Send at least 30 messengers! The French guys have come!”

“What are you going to do? Are you going to retreat?”

“How can I do that! If they’ve come this far, their goal is obvious! Turin!”

Seizing territories, strongholds, and fortresses was the essence of 18th-century warfare.

Of course, there was one general who deviated from this common sense.

Frederick the Great, the man who turned the small country of Prussia into one of the great powers.

But Frederick was almost killed several times, and the common sense of the battlefield remained the same.

He who conquers the strongholds wins.

So, Count Argenteau’s judgment did not deviate from the norm.

Genoa is not the goal?

Then, of course, the Kingdom of Sardinia, the capital Turin, would be the target.

“Send a messenger to General Colli in Turin as well. Request reinforcements! We will hold out here!”

The place where the Alps and the coastal plains meet.

He decided to fight the enemy in Montenotte, a rural village shadowed by the foothills.

But there was a problem.

Sebottendorf coldly pointed out the problems of his allies.

It’s the numbers.

“We have 10,500 men, and the enemy has 30,000.”

“So?”

“No, I mean, the numbers are at least three times as many.”

Count Argenteau sneered.

“How many years have we fought against the French in the Italian region?”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden? Roughly, has it been about 5 years?”

“It’s been four and a half years. During that time, even when we couldn’t pay attention to this side, they couldn’t cross the Alps. Why?”

Count Argenteau poured out his experience of fighting against the Italian army several times.

“Gunpowder, weapons, and military provisions. They’re all lacking! Those guys are running here with their last remaining strength!”

“Indeed, that may be the case.”

“Besides, the total strength of our Lombardy Corps is 50,000. Not like those forcibly conscripted soldiers, but all volunteers. And Turin has a garrison of 17,000 men!”

So, if you combine the Austrian Lombardy Corps and the Sardinian Royal Army, the total is 67,000.

You can win easily enough.

If they only gather in one place.

A man with abundant combat experience, the hero of the Turkish-Austrian War, Count Argenteau, declared.

“In short, it’s a problem that will be easily solved when General Beaulieu’s reinforcements arrive! Besides, isn’t the opponent a 26-year-old brat?”

All they had to do was hold out until then.

Sebottendorf thought for a moment and nodded.

Because he remembered fighting in the Flanders front in the past.

The French army that Sebottendorf fought in the early days of the revolution was truly terrible.

They showed even more lacking military discipline, manpower, and command skills than the old royal army.

Perhaps the new Italian commander who is attacking now will be the same.

He’s just a brat who got promoted thanks to good luck in a time of upheaval.

The vanguard commander of the Lombardy Corps, Count Argenteau, shone his eyes.

“I’ll feed those guys who take these Alps mountains lightly with imperial bullets!”

But both Argenteau and Sebottendorf didn’t know one thing.

That is the marching speed of the French Revolutionary Army in this era.

***

In the late 18th century, the main force on the battlefield was undoubtedly the infantry.

However, the strongest destructive power came not from the infantry’s musket but from the artillery fire.

Curved guns, mortars, and cannons.

Even if it is not the main force, the Austrian army, which values tradition, knows well that it cannot win without artillery fire.

That’s why they are installing cannons on the hills of Montenotte.

– Rumble.

Count Argenteau clicked his tongue as he looked at the splendid pattern of the cannon made in the imperial armory.

“There are not enough cannons.”

“There are a total of 12. Instead, we brought the latest cannons.”

“Hmm, the French army will have more cannons, right? Maybe? We need to prepare.”

In this era, France was by far the leader in artillery.

Of course, it could not match England in terms of gunpowder quantity.

However, after Jean-Baptiste de Gribeauval’s [Artillery Reform], the French artillery had the most innovative cannons.

They standardized the cannon specifications, divided the cannons into field guns, siege guns, and naval guns, and made lighter and farther-reaching guns.

Of particular note was the cannon transport wagon.

In short, the French army was able to move cannons quickly even on the battlefield.

Count Argenteau also knew that much, so he paid special attention to the deployment of artillery.

“Artillery! Move to the highlands! Quickly!”

Count Argenteau smiled with satisfaction as he watched the artillerymen drag the cannons with their bodies.

If it were France, they would have moved them on transport wagons.

The next is the deployment of the infantry, the main force of the Austrian army.

Count Argenteau ordered Colonel Lukavina, the commander of the direct regiment he was carrying out.

“Good. Artillery in the rear, line infantry in the front. Send skirmishers here to prepare for cover fire!”

“What about the military band? We’ll have to clash once.”

“Yes. They need to taste our abundant firepower once, so they can come to their senses and stop, right?”

As expected, marching with the music of the military band was the traditional battlefield of the 18th century.

Count Argenteau still believed, based on his past experience and information, that the French army would suffer from a shortage of gunpowder.

If that guess was correct, the enemy would eventually charge with bayonets.

So, he would show them a three-row volley fire along with the exciting music of the military band.

That was the tactic Count Argenteau was planning now.

“Prepare the military band. Tell them to play Mozart’s [Turkish] March!”

Here, Count Argenteau added his own taste.

Mozart, the best musician in the empire, who was said to be sweeping the Viennese court.

The recent march he heard seemed to fit perfectly.

It also reminded me of the victorious experience of shooting Turkish soldiers in the past, so it’s a win-win.

However, the direct regimental commander, Matthias Lukavina, had a reluctant face.

“That’s a piano piece, Count.”

“What about it! You can vary it! We have to show those guys the overwhelming aspect from the military band first. They must have executed all the military bands, right?”

“Well, they’re oppressing them as servants of the nobles. Hmm.”

Lukavina, a nobleman from Hungary, who also had antipathy towards the revolution, nodded.

Certainly, the enemies will not have the luxury of spending on military bands.

Then, showing off a magnificent military band to break their morale is also a way.

At that time, the commander who was inspecting the line infantry, Colonel Anton Liptai, asked.

“General, what about the new weapons sent from Vienna?”

New weapon.

The name is grand, but it’s actually something that has never been used in actual combat.

Vienna sent it to be used if necessary, but Argenteau naturally had no intention of using it.

Argenteau snorted.

“That Girandoni thing [Girandoni air rifle]? Crazy talk! If I had time to test that, I’d rather have them throw one more grenade. Where are the grenadiers!”

That is, the Girandoni air rifle.

The Austrian Corps did not trust the weapon that the foreign soldier Eugene’s special company used effectively.

But he can’t help it.

It is an inefficient weapon that requires thousands of pumps for just 20 rounds of rapid fire.

There is a problem that it is difficult to use in actual combat without thorough preparation in advance.

That’s why Argenteau was thinking of using grenadiers in the opening battle as a standard.

At Argenteau’s call, an officer with a long oriental-style mustache stepped forward.

“Grenzer Infantry Regiment Commander, Colonel Josef Bukasovich. We will proceed.”

“Good! I can trust you guys. When the enemy appears, go straight and throw grenades. We need to disrupt the enemy lines!”

“I understand.”

Grenzer infantry, a non-regular infantry unit that guarded the areas of eastern Serbia and Croatia in the empire.

They have abundant combat experience from fighting against the Ottoman Turks, who were enemies for a long time.

Their training is high, their shooting skills are excellent, and above all, they are brave troops who are not afraid of bullets.

However, they have only one problem.

They are too impatient and cannot keep the [line] continuously.

This is a fatal weakness on the battlefield in the late 18th century.

This is because it means that it is difficult for the unit to perform a series of processes of loading a musket muzzle-loading gun and shooting it at the enemy again.

It is not for nothing that the infantry of this era fight in [lines].

By maintaining formation in a group and consistently pushing forward, they can win in a shooting battle.

The slow loading speed of muzzle-loading rifles, surprisingly excellent killing power, and tactical methods that make it difficult to cover.

The latest European tactics created by combining all of these is the line infantry.

Instead, there is a top mission that can be entrusted to the Grenzer infantry.

Reconnaissance and vanguard, and even grenadier missions.

It’s a brave tactic that doesn’t require maintaining formation.

The commander of the Grenzer, Colonel Josef von Bukasovich, reported.

“They will probably arrive by tomorrow evening. There is a high possibility that the battle will begin around the day after tomorrow.”

It is a unit that has already returned after the first battle with the vanguard of the French Corps, Masséna’s division.

Argenteau smiled with satisfaction at the very reliable report.

Argenteau, who has a long combat experience, was judging similarly.

“Good. Then let’s form a line! We can’t panic when we enter the battle the day after tomorrow.”

It was then.

– Iiiiiing!

On the foothills, sounds echo and can be heard far away.

This is because sound waves collide with the mountains, but people in this era know it through experience, even if they don’t know about sound waves.

They know that sounds that rang far away can be heard nearby.

Suddenly, Argenteau quickly turned his head towards the side where the horse’s cry was heard.

At that moment, the deputy commander Sebottendorf, who was checking the parade in front, shouted.

“Enemy appearance! Form a line! Beat the drums!”

In the moment when the entire army fell into chaos, Argenteau muttered with his eyes wide open.

“Those crazy bastards! How did they get here so quickly?”

The French Italian Corps was rushing from the south.

***

The cavalry runs through shallow hills without any problem.

– Dududu!

A cavalry unit wearing blue uniforms and riding brown horses came running.

They haven’t even exchanged greetings with the enemy commander yet.

They were not given time to examine each other’s military camps and deploy their formations.

Only at the moment of discovering the enemy, they are rushing in recklessly.

It is truly an offensive that completely violates the [rules] of war in the late 18th century.

While grinding his teeth in disbelief, the veteran Sebottendorf did his best to command the army.

“They’re coming! Enemy cavalry appearance! Those guys started the opening battle with cavalry!”

Even if Count Argenteau makes the strategic decisions, Sebottendorf is in charge of the actual military command.

This is not because Sebottendorf is particularly better than Argenteau.

This is because of the characteristics of the Austrian army, or rather, the army belonging to the Holy Roman Empire.

Sebottendorf shouted to the unit commanders.

“Stay calm, prepare for the hussar sortie! The 1st Guard Regiment defends the position. The rest—Archduke Antonio Regiment, Count Stein Regiment, and Count Pellegrini Regiment—form a line and step forward. In three rows!”

However, Sebottendorf repeated these words three times.

Even in completely different languages.

This is because of the complex composition of the Austrian army.

The units Sebottendorf just called are all private regiments of nobles.

The Austrian army is composed of volunteers, but the nobles are responsible for the soldiers’ salaries.

The tradition of the old medieval feudal nobles forming armies has been passed down as it is.

Of course, those nobles are not all here now.

They only provided the money, and the command is carried out not by the regiment owner (Inhaber) but by the colonels who are administrative officers.

This is where Sebottendorf’s problem arises.

These units were all created and organized in completely different regions.

In Austria, a different region means a different ethnic group and a place where different languages are spoken.

So now Sebottendorf ordered one unit in High German, one unit in Hungarian, and one unit in Croatian.

A multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-origin army.

It is the weakness of the Austrian army.

But so far, it hasn’t been a big problem.

There is a reason.

Count Argenteau, the commander-in-chief who does not speak foreign languages well, stood next to Sebottendorf and laughed.

“Ha, they’re beggars. Those guys.”

“They may not have money in the first place, but it looks like they’ve been marching hard. They’re completely covered in dust, right?”

“As soon as they get close, we’ll give them a blow!”

That’s because the French army has been weak so far.

Until now, the French army has been slow.

Skilled commanders were purged by the revolution, weapons and gunpowder were lacking, and there was no consistent strategy.

So, it could not be an opponent of the Austrian army, which has an abundance of skilled commanders, more gunpowder than France, and a unified strategy to overthrow France.

Then what about now?

– Iiiiiing!

Suddenly, a horse ran forward outside the firing range, where the hussar cavalry had not yet been dispatched.

On that horse was a man with a lion’s mane-like hair flying in the wind.

The man shouted as if roaring.

“Here, Junot, the Lion of Toulon, has come!”

It was the moment when Argenteau, who knew the language of the enemy country, French, was about to open his eyes wide.

– Hwirik, Kwang!

A grenade hit the center of the line infantry.

An unexpected blow.

The center of the three rows was broken and the soldiers staggered.

Those who were in the center and hit by a bolt from the blue fell down covered in blood.

The soldiers shouted in three languages as they hurriedly tried to reorganize their ranks.

“What, what is it!”

“Ex, explosion? Gr, grenade? At that distance?”

“Th, th, that, isn’t it a catapult?”

The lion-headed man who doesn’t know German, Hungarian, or Croatian.

Junot laughed as he swung a [sling], that is, a slingshot, in his hand.

The problem was that the sling was loaded with a grenade.

“Now, look at the power of this [fronde] grenade! Hahaha!”

Fronde, that is, the French word for slingshot.

At that moment, the cavalry rushed in all at once from behind Junot.

The total number is 300.

This time, the cavalrymen started throwing [grenades] by hand.

– Hwirik, Kwang! Hwirik, Kwang! Hwirik, Kwang!

The front line infantry, who were embarrassed by Junot’s attack, could not cope.

300 grenades fell and the Argenteau Corps’ ranks were completely in chaos.

Lukavina, Liptai, and Bukasovich screamed from their respective positions.

“Cr, crazy bastards! They’re making the precious cavalry throw grenades!”

“Th, that, isn’t that a [slingshot]? They’re throwing grenades with something that catches birds? Oh my god.”

“It’s one guy! The rest are just coming and throwing! Form a line!”

Argenteau also shouted at his direct regiment, the Lukavina Regiment.

“It’s within 50 steps! It’s within range! Shoot!”

But grenades were flying towards them.

– Kwang!

The first battle between the Austrian elite corps and the French rabble.

The Battle of Montenotte was started with the sound of grenades exploding.

With the grenades of the [Mounted Grenadier Company] organized by Eugene.