I Became A Genius Of The French Royal Family [EN]: Chapter 282

282. A Change of Perspective

“But, is this really okay?”

Unlike when he was aggressively commanding the army, Kutuzov was hesitant to make a decision.

“Marshal Paget’s plan is a second-best option, and it’s surprising… but shouldn’t we avoid doing that?”

“Is there anything in this world that can’t be done?”

Kutuzov was speechless at his confident response.

*No, of course, you can do anything if you try, but shouldn’t there be some sense of morality and unwritten rules in the world?*

“Certainly, if we do as the Marshal says, our losses will be minimized, but what about our loyalty to Prussia?”

“Marshal. Did we come here to uphold our loyalty? Strictly speaking, Great Britain and Russia have already shown enough loyalty to Prussia. Didn’t we dispatch allied forces, and didn’t we fight?”

“We did everything…”

“That’s right. Right now, a total of 200,000 troops are gathered here. 200,000 is not child’s play, and how much does it cost to move such a large force? No one can say that we neglected our alliance.”

It sounded like nonsense, but as he listened, it also sounded somewhat reasonable.

Just today, nearly 10,000 of his precious subordinates shed their blood.

The British must have died similarly, so nearly one-tenth of their forces were lost in a single battle.

Frankly, it was a huge loss.

Henry Paget’s eyes were burning with a sense of conviction, completely absorbed in his own thoughts.

“Marshal Kutuzov, more soldiers will die tomorrow. Even more soldiers will lose their lives the day after. As a commander, is it responsible to burn the lives of soldiers in a hopeless battle?”

“…A hopeless battle…”

Henry Paget ended up uttering words that were almost taboo.

The commander-in-chief in charge of the army should never say that there is no hope unless there is absolutely no chance of victory.

The moment the person in charge utters such a word, even the slightest possibility completely disappears.

However, Kutuzov had been thinking similarly.

Since enlisting in the army more than 40 years ago, he had lived his entire life on the battlefield.

But he had never felt this way during the Polish War or the Turkish War.

Of course, that might be because he was in a position of strength back then.

Conversely, now he is undoubtedly in a position of weakness.

*Is that why?*

Fighting against an opponent with overwhelming power made him realize what it felt like to be in complete darkness.

“We must admit what we need to admit. Marshal Kutuzov, to fight a proper battle with France, we need even more preparation and a solid strategy. But we hastily organized and sent soldiers in response to Prussia’s demands, and now we have this result.”

In fact, if you trace the cause, it was because England was focused on strengthening its own defenses and neglecting Prussia, but Paget naturally didn’t even mention that.

Kutuzov didn’t want to make the atmosphere awkward by mentioning that point, as he hadn’t really wanted to dispatch troops either.

“So, does England also believe that it has no chance of winning a full-scale war against the French army right now?”

“At least for now, that’s the case. But we managed to capture a few of their guns this time, and if we mobilize the nation’s full power, we can at least improve from the current situation, even if we can’t be on equal footing. In that respect, this battle wasn’t entirely meaningless. We’ve come to a firm conclusion that we need more time.”

Indeed, there are few ways to develop technology as quickly as war.

France will continue to develop as well, but originally, latecomers have an advantage in this area.

Kutuzov agreed that he could narrow the power gap, even if he couldn’t reduce the difference to zero in the short term.

“I understand. So, this is not simply Russia and Great Britain abandoning their responsibilities, but rather, they did their best, but due to the realistic difference in power, they had no choice but to make this decision.”

Understanding Kutuzov’s intention, Paget nodded with a meaningful and extremely bitter expression.

“That’s right. Continuing to fight here would only result in tens of thousands of our soldiers losing their lives meaninglessly, so we had no choice.”

He didn’t know if giving them more time would really allow them to defeat the French army, but he was confident that he could buy time.

England would never allow the enemy to land on its mainland as long as it wasn’t losing at sea, and Russia could rely on its harsh natural environment to devise a defensive strategy.

“But there is one thing I’m worried about. Didn’t Prussia say that they would surrender to France if necessary? Our Tsar [Czar, the Russian emperor] was also concerned about that point, so he hastily decided to dispatch troops…”

“You don’t have to worry about that. What we were worried about was Prussia surrendering with its forces intact.”

Even though it had been relegated to a second-rate country, Prussia was the country that had gathered 100,000 troops in an instant.

If they had joined France with their forces intact, they could have been used quite effectively.

But the war had already begun, and Prussia was engaged in a fierce battle with the Holy Roman Empire.

“The battle between the Habsburgs [one of the most influential royal houses of Europe] and Prussia started even earlier than this one. The fact that we haven’t heard who has won so far means they must be fighting fiercely, right? Naturally, the Habsburgs must have suffered considerable damage as well.”

“…I see. You’re saying that the Holy Roman Empire, which has suffered quite a bit in this war, will never leave Prussia alone.”

“Yes. A surrender with forces intact is no longer possible. France will also have no choice but to favor the Habsburg royal family over Prussia, so this will not harm us in any way.”

His skill in commanding the army was so-so, but his skill in plotting schemes was unparalleled.

Kutuzov inwardly clicked his tongue and continued to listen to Paget’s lecture.

*Is it because British soldiers tend to be deeply involved in politics?*

Whatever the reason, it was a night that made him once again realize that he should not show his back to these guys.

※※※

Encouraged by the heroic victory of the 4th Corps, the French army planned to resume its offensive the next day after observing the enemy’s movements.

They had already confirmed their absolute superiority in strength.

They were confident that they would never lose as long as they fought in a way that blocked variables.

The enemy must know that too, so they will try to make changes in some way.

But Masséna had already put his head together with Berthier and other corps commanders and considered many possibilities.

It is impossible to catch them off guard, no matter what unconventional strategy they use.

But had they underestimated their opponent too much?

Around dawn, Masséna and Berthier received intelligence that a significant number of enemy troops seemed to be moving southeast.

“What is it? I have no idea what they’re aiming for.”

“…I know. I didn’t expect this development.”

Moving southeast offered no strategic advantage to the Anglo-Russian Allied Forces.

Rather, it was like leaving the direction of the capital empty.

“The enemy commander is not an easy person, so this movement cannot be without any thought…”

He didn’t know about the British commander since he hadn’t been verified yet, but Masséna was familiar with the famous Russian general Kutuzov.

There was no way such a person would suddenly become senile, so there must be some deep meaning….

“Are they trying to break out to the southeast and bypass us?”

“10,000 or 20,000 is one thing, but a large army of 200,000 showing such agile movement? Impossible.”

“Of course, that’s right. But if that’s not the case, I don’t really know what their intention is.”

“Or… could they be thinking of joining the Prussian army?”

Berthier cautiously pointed to one side of the map.

“Look at this. The southeast is where Prussia is holding off the Holy Roman Empire’s forces. Could it be that they don’t have the confidence to defeat us on their own, so they are trying to bypass some of their forces to help Prussia? After defeating the Holy Roman Empire’s army, they will try to strike our flank with the remaining Prussian army.”

“It sounds plausible, but isn’t it an unrealistic strategy?”

It would be one thing if the Anglo-Russian Allied Forces were all composed of cavalry, but most wars in this era are composed of infantry.

Their firepower is enormous, but their mobility does not match it.

Of course, there is a railroad to compensate for that, but in the current situation, they cannot use the railroad.

“Even so, doesn’t the other side still have tens of thousands of cavalry? What if they block our path and send the cavalry corps first? If the situation over there is balanced, that alone could tip the scales significantly.”

“If that’s really their intention, I’m disappointed. Is the famous Russian Kutuzov only capable of that much?”

From a cold perspective, it is true that the Allied Forces have no other special measures.

So, he may have thrown a desperate move with the feeling of knocking down his own king [a chess term for a risky move].

Masséna immediately summoned the cavalry commanders, Murat and Bessières.

“You must have heard the intelligence that the Allied Forces are turning around, right? I’ll leave the response to that to you. I won’t give you any special instructions since you’re going there yourselves, so judge the situation on the ground and take the best action.”

“I understand. Finally, we can have some fun.”

“That’s what I’m saying. It would be fun if we arrived first and wiped out the Prussian army.”

The two laughed gleefully and immediately issued orders to their corps to move out.

After that, Masséna continued to monitor the enemy’s movements, feeling like he was tapping a stepping stone to check its stability.

But as Berthier had predicted, the enemy showed no signs of fighting them and only gradually shifted the center of gravity of their main force towards the Prussian army.

He heard that the enemy’s cavalry had already disappeared to the southeast.

“Are these guys really planning to join the Prussian army? I can’t understand it.”

“What should we do? Should we continue to strike the rear of the enemy?”

“No. There’s no need for us to cling to them when they’re willingly going to their death. Rather, it seems like we should block their retreat and solidify a firm encirclement?”

“I think that’s the best strategy too. We think alike.”

Even if the Allied Forces send their cavalry, their cavalry will reach the front lines faster anyway.

In addition, a significant number of the enemy’s cavalry suffered serious damage from the 4th Corps on the first day, so their forces were overwhelmingly advantageous.

So, no matter how hard they try, it is impossible for them to let Prussia win.

Rather, if things continue like this, only the Prussian army will suffer severe damage, and the Allied Forces will be surrounded by the large armies of France and the Holy Roman Empire.

“Has their impatience narrowed their vision… I was expecting a worthwhile battle of wits, but I’m disappointed.”

“Well, isn’t the important thing winning?”

“That’s right. No matter how we win, the important thing is that we are recorded as the victors in history.”

Masséna laughed confidently and called the officers together.

If they slowly form an encirclement, the British and Russians will never be able to escape.

If they pretend to go southeast and then bypass to the northeast, they can only save themselves, but then the Prussian army will be completely annihilated.

*‘Surely, they’re not thinking of throwing their allies as bait from the beginning.’*

Suddenly, that possibility flashed through his mind, but Masséna shook his head with a bitter smile.

No matter what, how could there be such people in the world?

It would be one thing if it was just England, but this time they are moving with the Russian army.

In the first place, no one would actually act on such thoughts if they were human.

That was the common sense that Masséna had.

End of