Chapter 780: The New "Battle of Marengo"
Historically, it wasn't until the 1830s that European nations began establishing General Staff organizations to manage logistics, topographical surveys, training, and battle planning.
Even in France, where Joseph had already initiated military reforms, Napoleon still found himself struggling against the inefficiencies of the old army's bureaucracy.
He pulled on his reins and motioned for his staff officer to take out a map. After frowning in deep thought for a while, he sighed and shook his head.
—"I believe the Murat Corps' cavalry battalion is still in Nice, correct?"
The officer nodded.
—"Yes, Commander. During the battle at Vence, their horses were heavily fatigued, so we had them cross the pass last to give them a few extra days of rest."
—"Alright, let them recover for a bit longer. No need to call them here for now."
As he spoke, Napoleon signaled for an aide to bring him pen and paper. Resting against his saddle, he shivered as he began drafting his report to the Crown Prince.
He carefully considered his wording, occasionally blowing warm air onto his freezing hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a sharp-eyed middle-aged man standing near a rock, holding a sketchpad and glancing at him from time to time before making strokes on the paper.
Napoleon waved and called out to him:
—"Monsieur David, how is your work coming along?"
—"Thanks to you, I finally found my inspiration just a moment ago," the man replied, still focused on his painting. "So, in no more than a week, you'll see your heroic figure on my canvas."
This man was none other than Jacques-Louis David, the famed neoclassical painter who would later create The Death of Marat.
However, since Marat was still alive and there had been no revolutionary turmoil, David was far less renowned than in our history.
Originally, he had planned to sail to North Africa from Marseille in search of new opportunities. But the Prince of Monaco, eager to thank Napoleon for driving out the Austrians, had commissioned him to paint a portrait capturing "Buonaparte's heroic presence."
So, he had followed the army into the Alps.
Napoleon smiled and nodded before returning to his writing.
Half an hour later, he finally finished his draft and handed it to his staff officer to check for grammatical errors. Then, he dismounted his mule and walked over to David to take a look at the canvas.
The moment he saw the painting, his brow furrowed.
David had depicted him riding a tired mule, his uniform covered in dust, while a red-cheeked aide desperately clung to the reins, afraid the animal might slip in the snow.
This didn't look like the victorious march into Italy—it looked like a defeated general fleeing home in disgrace.
Napoleon patted David on the shoulder and sighed helplessly.
—"Perhaps… we need to have a little talk about your masterpiece."
Southern Netherlands, Outskirts of Brussels
Joseph handed Napoleon's battle plan to Lefebvre.
—"Colonel Buonaparte's strategies always defy expectations. What once seemed like a problem, he turns into an opportunity."
Lefebvre quickly skimmed through the report but hesitated.
—"Your Highness, Turin is Sardinia's capital—it will not fall easily. If the Montpellier Corps is left fighting alone in northern Sardinia, they could be surrounded by Austrian reinforcements."
He paused before adding:
—"Austria has a large force stationed in northeastern Switzerland—it's not far from there."
Joseph smiled.
—"You misunderstand Colonel Buonaparte's intentions. His flanking maneuver via the Great St. Bernard Pass isn't necessarily about attacking Turin."
—"Then what is it for?"
—"The main goal of this operation is to disrupt the Austrian deployments.
"If necessary, he can pivot eastward toward Milan or move southward to coordinate with General Dimoigne in a pincer attack.
"As long as the Montpellier Corps successfully passes through Fort Bard, we will gain a significant strategic advantage."
Lefebvre frowned, pointing to Napoleon's report.
—"Your Highness, Colonel Buonaparte only mentions the possibility of a surprise attack on Turin. He doesn't say anything about Milan or a pincer maneuver."
Joseph chuckled.
—"Perhaps he hasn't considered those options yet. But trust me—if the conditions are right, he will instinctively recognize every possible move and choose the best one."
Joseph could say this with confidence because Napoleon's plan closely resembled the real-life Battle of Marengo.
Just as in history:
The French were advancing from the southern Alps into Sardinian territory.The Austrian-Sardinian forces were retreating into northern Italy.Napoleon chose to execute a flanking maneuver through the Great St. Bernard Pass.
Faced with similar battlefield conditions, Napoleon had independently arrived at the same strategy he had used in real history.
Of course, there were some differences.
This time, the French Navy was actively challenging the British in the Mediterranean.
Unlike in history, where French forces in Genoa had run out of supplies and been forced to surrender, Napoleon's army could now be resupplied by sea.
Lefebvre, still cautious, pointed out two major obstacles.
—"Your Highness, there are two serious challenges with this plan.
"First, the route passes through Geneva, in southern Switzerland. The Swiss government will surely object.
"Second, Fort Bard is a natural fortress—extremely difficult to breach. Even with just a few hundred defenders, it could delay the Montpellier Corps for over a month. That's more than enough time for Beaulieu to send reinforcements."
Joseph nodded.
—"You raise valid concerns."
But his tone remained relaxed.
—"However, neither of these problems is insurmountable.
"Geneva has no Swiss garrison stationed there. The Swiss Parliament will simply turn a blind eye to our passage—just as they did for the Austrians assembling forces near Schwyz.
"As long as we don't fight inside Switzerland, they won't interfere.
"Historically, when France occupied western Switzerland, the Swiss government never dared to resist.
"Now, we're just passing through. They'll know what to do."
Lefebvre slowly nodded.
—"And Fort Bard?"
Joseph's voice lowered conspiratorially.
—"I happen to know a small hidden path that allows troops to bypass it."
Lefebvre's eyes widened in shock.
—"How… how do you know that? You've never been there, have you?"
Joseph smirked.
Of course, he knew it—from watching documentaries on the Battle of Marengo.
But instead of explaining, he simply gave Lefebvre a mysterious smile.
—"Perhaps… it was divine inspiration."
As Lefebvre nervously crossed himself, Joseph turned away, picked up his pen, and signed his approval for Napoleon's bold yet brilliant plan.
A Revolution in Military Communication
Thanks to the new optical telegraph towers built in Wallonia over the past month, Napoleon's report reached Brussels in just two days:
The courier took a day and a half to descend from the Alps.The final leg from Mons to Joseph's headquarters took only half a day.The optical telegraph itself had transmitted the message in just one hour.
With this new speed of communication, France's military decision-making was more efficient than ever before.
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