Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont, Throne Room of the Royal Palace of Turin
"Everyone, tell me what you think."
The old man sitting on the throne threw a report on the long table. His sharp sword-like eyes swept over the ministers and generals in front of him one by one. His tone was very calm, but he was not angry or intimidating, which made the whole court excited.
The ministers and generals lowered their heads subconsciously:
"An urgent report came from the south this morning. The Corsican army has launched an invasion towards Valdolidore. As expected, that group of Corsicans has now set foot on our territory."
The old man who spoke was none other than the seventy-year-old Carlo Emanuele III, the owner of the Turin Palace, the Duke of Savoy and Piedmont, and the ruler of the Kingdom of Sardinia.
Although this old king is not yet a famous and divine king, compared with other European monarchs of the same era, he is indeed an out-and-out wise monarch.
Even Frederick the Great of Prussia once declared:
"In all the European monarchs, I, Queen Maria Theresa of Austria, and King Carlo Emanuele III of Sardinia are the only three who can be called wise geniuses. The others are all stupid pigs who have been misled by bad education.
Trapped in it.”
In the past forty years of rule, this old king has used extremely excellent diplomatic and military means to obtain valuable development opportunities for the Kingdom of Sardinia on the European continent, which is surrounded by powerful enemies.
He was on the victor's side in both the War of Polish Succession and the War of Austrian Succession, and personally led the army during the war, showing great military talent and winning a large amount of land after the war.
Later, he very wisely refused to join the Seven Years' War, saving the Kingdom of Sardinia from the catastrophe of the largest war of the same period.
It can be said that Carlo Emanuele III was definitely indispensable for the later Savoy dynasty to unify the Italian countries.
However, since the Kingdom of Sardinia joined the Italian War under the British's inducement, this old and famous king seemed to be in danger.
Under the original assumptions of the Kingdom of Sardinia, it should be easy for an army of nearly ten thousand people to capture Ajaccio and occupy all of Corsica with the cooperation of the British fleet.
But the reality is that one-third of the entire kingdom's standing army was wiped out on the island of Corsica. Even Sardinia, which Carlo Emanuele III had painstakingly managed for more than thirty years, was destroyed by Corsica.
The Kingdom of Sica claims it as its own province.
Although the Kingdom of Corsica has not yet formally established sovereignty over Sardinia, and the overall national strength of the Kingdom of Sardinia is still superior to that of the Kingdom of Corsica, the current war situation has already made the old king feel completely angry.
Ever since he learned the news of the annihilation of Colonel Bartland's army, Carlo Emanuele III was furious with the Minister of War more than once, reprimanding why that waste Bartland was allowed to lead the army, and said that even if he was seventy years old,
Even with his own personal conquest, he could easily occupy the entire territory of Corsica.
In the Throne Hall, facing His Majesty the King's plain inquiry, the civil and military ministers all bowed their heads tightly and were speechless. Especially the Minister of War and the generals were as silent as walking on thin ice. No one dared to speak like this.
This time it added fuel to His Majesty's anger.
After all, the Kingdom of Sardinia was invaded by the Corsicans, whom they considered to be weak, barbaric and backward. This incident, needless to say, was considered a great shame by His Majesty the King.
Seeing that the atmosphere was getting increasingly tense, the haggard-looking Minister of War spoke cautiously:
"Your Majesty, the enemy is very likely to launch an attack on the cities and towns in our country. The top priority now is to strengthen the defense of each city and town..."
"wrong!"
Before the Minister of War finished speaking, the old king on the throne interrupted unceremoniously:
"The Corsicans will not waste time in those towns. They have only one purpose, which is to attack here and the Turin Palace as quickly as possible before we can regroup!"
The old king's angry voice echoed in the throne room, and no minister dared to raise an objection.
Carlo Emanuele III was an outstanding leader and diplomatic expert when he was young. At this moment, he judged extremely correctly that the Corsican army would not give the Kingdom of Sardinia more support.
Taking a breather, their goal will be to go straight to the Turin Palace.
Once Turin is lost, it will undoubtedly become a foregone conclusion that the Kingdom of Sardinia will be forced to withdraw from the Italian War, or even be forced to cede Sardinia.
Carlo Emanuele III glanced gloomily at his ministers, especially the Minister of War and the generals. Ever since Colonel Bartland's army was wiped out in Corsica, the old king had treated these ministers who were lying bare of food.
Arrived very disappointed.
After thinking for a moment, the old king looked at a graceful middle-aged man in front of him:
"Vittorio, I have a task to give you."
"But as you command, father."
The middle-aged man took two steps forward and bowed respectfully. This was Prince Vittorio, the eldest son of Carlo Emanuele III and heir to the Kingdom of Sardinia.
The historical Prince Vittorio inherited the entire Kingdom of Sardinia two years later and continued administrative and military reforms along the path of his father. The ability he displayed was remarkable.
After the outbreak of the French Revolution, Prince Vittorio also led the Kingdom of Sardinia to join the first anti-French alliance and fought tenaciously against the French army for four years.
However, when the army led by Napoleon appeared in northern Italy, the resistance of the Kingdom of Sardinia seemed somewhat futile.
They lost several major battles one after another, so they were forced to surrender, ceded a large core territory of Savoy to France, and were forced to withdraw from the first anti-French alliance. Even Vittorio himself, as the king, also
He died of illness the year he surrendered to Napoleon.
Of course, in the eyes of Carlo Emanuele III at this time, his heir, whom he had cultivated for decades, was extremely excellent in both character and ability. It was for this reason that he dared to confidently block the attack on Kota Kinabalu.
The important task of the Sica Army was placed in the hands of Vittorio:
"You will lead the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th line infantry regiments of the Royal Army and the Royal Cavalry Regiment to intercept the Corsican Army. Since they landed from Valdolidore, they will definitely use the Sol Corridor.
Pass through Liguria and enter the Po River Valley. If you lead the army and set off now, you should be able to block the Corsican army in Liguria in time."
For Carlo Emanuele III, the reason why he sent his heir to the battlefield was based on two factors:
One is because since the successive defeats of Colonel Bartland and Lieutenant General Ethel in the Mediterranean and the rebellion of Governor Bertrand, he has become increasingly disgusted with those incompetent generals and disloyal ministers.
And his successor's abilities are quite useful, and he will never be as disloyal as Governor Bertrand. He is indeed the most suitable candidate at the moment.
Secondly, if Prince Vittorio can lead the army to make meritorious deeds and establish prestige in this war, it will undoubtedly be of great benefit to the prince's succession. After all, the old king is now seventy years old, and this throne
It may be handed over to Prince Vittorio at any time, and he must also consider this.
Prince Vittorio naturally understood the purpose of his father's assignment this time, and there was some obvious excitement in his words:
"Yes, father, give me two weeks, and I will personally carry the captured Corsican battle flag and present it to you as a collection."
Carlo Emanuele III nodded with pleasure, but after a moment of reflection he still ordered:
"But... I don't want you to fight the Corsican army directly. You just need to contain it in Liguria. The Corsicans came with the idea of a quick victory, but we
But it’s different. Since their main force has arrived at Valdolidore, it means that the defenses of Corsica and Sardinia must be empty. We must take the opportunity to take back the two islands first, and then fight the main force of the Corsican army."
It has to be said that as an old king who has been in power for forty years, Carlo Emanuele III is indeed an extremely calm ruler. Even with a huge military advantage, he still chose the lowest-risk approach.
.
After all, even if Prince Vittorio's army far exceeded the Corsican army in quantity and quality, the old king did not dare to assert that he could easily defeat the enemy, and Carlo Emanuele III definitely did not want to let his
There is a slight risk that the heir will be defeated and captured.
Therefore, Carlo Emanuele III's deployment is very clear - put the main force of the Corsican Army in Northern Italy, take the opportunity to take back the defenseless islands of Corsica and Sardinia, and completely cut off the Corsican Army.
retreat, and finally concentrate their forces to annihilate the enemy in Liguria.
A trace of disappointment flashed across Prince Vittorio's face. If he had just defended blindly, his feat would not be as great as directly defeating the entire Corsican army. However, he was still very obedient and kept his father's instructions firmly in mind.
:
"I understand, you can rest assured that I will never let any Corsican enter the Po Valley alive."
...
While the Turin court was discussing countermeasures, the Corsican army also took over the seaport town of Valdolidore after a brief battle.
As expected, the Kingdom of Sardinia did not expect that the Corsicans would dare to take the initiative to attack, or even if they were prepared, they did not know which port the Corsican army would choose to land at, so Valdore Dore
There are only some weak militiamen stationed inside.
After successfully landing in the Kingdom of Sardinia, Lawrence and his officers immediately began to discuss the implementation of the follow-up plan.
The overall plan has not changed much. It is still based on the strategy proposed by Andre Davout, the captain of the Army Staff. The troops were divided at Valdolidore, and a small group of troops marched directly north to confuse and involve Sardinia.
The main army of the kingdom, the main force of the Corsican army, bypassed Genoa eastward and then directly attacked Turin via the Po River plain.
However, there is still an extremely important question before Lawrence and the officers - how to divide the troops.
The strength of the Corsican Army was only about half that of the Sardinian Army. Moreover, Lawrence did not order Major Serulier and his Corsican garrison to participate in this operation. Instead, he ordered Major Serulier and his garrison to participate in this operation.
The troops are responsible for homeland defense.
Historically, Marshal Serurier came into Napoleon's sight for his ability in administrative management and rear stability maintenance. His indispensable performance in the siege of Ajaccio also proved his defensive command ability.
Therefore, Lawrence was relieved to leave the entire defense of the homeland to Serulière. At the same time, he was also able to monitor and contain Governor Bertrand who had just surrendered, as well as other local factions on Sardinia.
But in this way, the Corsican army that followed Lawrence to land at Valdolidore was only three regiments of the Wehrmacht Chasseurs equipped with rifled rifles.
In this case, if the number of feint troops is too small, it will not be able to contain and confuse them at all. If the number of feint troops is too large, the main force attacking Turin will be in danger.
How to allocate the troops has become a core problem in the command post. More than a dozen senior officers and personal staff have been arguing about this issue. There is no conclusion for a whole morning. Even Lawrence himself is still analyzing and weighing this issue in detail.
question.
Seeing that the endless debate in the command post was still continuing, Lawrence suddenly looked at Berthier and ordered:
"What does Andre Davout, the man who proposed the division of troops plan, think of it? I would like to hear his opinion."
Berthier looked slightly hesitant. Although Andre Davout's resume as a Paris Military Academy cadet was flawless, and the division of troops plan he proposed was fully recognized by all the officers, Berthier
Aike didn't think that his peer could have any insightful opinions on how to divide the troops.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! After all, the Corsican army that landed at Valdolidore originally had a huge disadvantage in terms of military strength. This is a hurdle that no one can get around.
But now that Lawrence had spoken, Berthier nodded and immediately stood up to summon Andre Davout to arrive. The quarrels and discussions in the command post quickly subsided.
After a while, a man wearing the uniform of a Corsican Army Staff Officer followed Berthier back to the command post.
He is very tall and can definitely be selected as a forward in the Grenadier Regiment; his skin is bronze, and if you look closely, you can find countless small scars left by hard training; the muscles all over his body are not exaggerated, but they look as hard as
Iron, extremely strong.
Even without looking at the military uniform on his body, just by the tall and straight posture of the opponent and the majestic and killing temperament, anyone can instantly guess that this is definitely a soldier among soldiers. Such a person should appear in the royal family.
The Guards Corps is the right one.
He took two steps forward, and instead of bowing to Lawrence, he gave a standard military salute. His words of greeting were also decisive, without any unnecessary words:
"Your Excellency, I am Andre Davout, Captain of the Army Staff."
Lawrence nodded with great satisfaction. He had also met countless officers and soldiers. It was extremely rare to be able to impress him as deeply as Andre Davout at the first meeting.
"I heard that you were going to graduate from the Paris Military Academy this year and go directly to serve in the Royal Cavalry of the Isle of France."
Lawrence did not ask directly about the troop division plan, but greeted casually:
"What made you give up such a good job in Paris and come with me to this remote battlefield in Italy?"
For most French officers, the job of the Royal Cavalry is undoubtedly a good job, with generous remuneration and a bright future. They may not even have to risk their lives to go to the battlefield for the rest of their lives, but only need to stay in the peaceful and prosperous Isle of France to serve the royal family.
Especially a military academy cadet with an excellent background and perfect resume like Andre Davout, there is no doubt that he will be reused and promoted among them.
André Davout seems to be taciturn and inarticulate, but there is no hint of flattery or falsehood in his words:
"My father and brother previously served in the Royal Cavalry, but they were framed by political opponents, convicted of treason, and both were executed. I gave up this position because I was worried about being implicated."
Andre's tone was calm and resolute, as if he was telling someone else's story, but his subconsciously clenched right fist undoubtedly showed that this blood feud related to family honor has been engraved in his bones.
Lawrence's face became more serious. Although Andre Davout came from a long-standing military family, his family was essentially just a small aristocratic family in the countryside of Anox Province. If his father and brother really offended
It is not surprising that Andrei chose to join the Charles Gang at that time, hiding his identity while finding another way.
I am afraid that Andre himself did not realize how correct his decision was at that time. After all, even when the Duke of Choiseul was the Minister of War, he would never dare to show his face to the members of the officer corps directly under the Crown Prince.
Make a killing move.
In addition, Lawrence also knew that for a martial arts family like Davout, honor was even put above life. The young Andre Davout would definitely not accept that his father and brother were slandered as traitors.
was executed.
"I will write to Paris asking about your father and brother."
Lawrence solemnly promised:
"I think the Duke of Orleans will investigate all the ins and outs, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will also pay personal attention to this matter."
With the friendship between Lawrence and Duke Charles, it is not difficult to ask Duke Charlie to ask his father to investigate the Davout family case. Including His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, this innocent and hateful boy will probably be very concerned about this.
Hearing this, Andre Davout instantly raised his head, and there was obvious emotion on his face as strong as a knife:
"I...! Your Excellency, I am very grateful!"
Andre is just arrogant, but that doesn't mean he's a dull, stupid, incomprehensible person.
With Lawrence's words, Andre knew in his heart that it was only a matter of time before the Davout family's reputation was restored. After all, the so-called powerful man with powerful eyes and hands that his father offended was actually just a minister of state under the Ministry of War.
That's all.
Without the help of His Excellency Bonaparte, Andre Davout himself does not know which year or month it will take for him to have the opportunity to wash away the injustice and shame of his family, and which year and month he will have the opportunity to bring the mastermind behind the scenes to justice.
By law.
Although he did not have the eloquence to express this kindness, Andre Davout still deeply remembered this favor in his heart.
Berthier on the side also nodded slightly when he saw this, secretly sighing that his commander was indeed very clever, and he gained a loyal subordinate with just a little effort.
"There is no need to say thank you. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would never allow his followers to suffer such injustice."
Lawrence waved his hand and then turned the topic back to the original discussion:
"The main reason for inviting you here this time is another question. Andre, since you have proposed a plan to divide the troops to contain the enemy's main force, what do you think should be the ratio of force distribution between the feint attack force and the main force?"
Everyone's eyes were fixed on Andre Davout, although they did not feel that they could hear any inspiration from this young man. After all, not everyone is as young and successful as Sir Laurence Bonaparte.
.
After hearing Lawrence's question, Andre Davout instantly regained his composure from the excitement just now.
He looked around at the crowd and seemed to have been prepared for this question. His voice was loud and brief:
"two hundred."
"two hundred?"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Everyone was confused by this random number.
"Two hundred soldiers."
André Davout added in a sonorous voice:
"If it were under my command, the feint attack force would only need two hundred soldiers."
There was an awkward silence in the command post, as if someone had just told a very vulgar joke.
Even Lawrence did not expect such a whimsical answer, and looked at André Davout in surprise.
"What a nonsense!"
A senior Wehrmacht officer who spoke French yelled out unbearably. He could not tolerate this French boy in his early twenties continuing to talk nonsense here:
"Two hundred soldiers? The Sardinian army that came to intercept and block the attack is conservatively estimated to be four regiments in size. Your two hundred soldiers are not even enough to fill someone's teeth!"
These veterans of the Wehrmacht had complained repeatedly about the sudden establishment of the Army Staff and the airborne members of the Privy Knights. After all, many of them had served in this force since the establishment of the Wehrmacht, but now there is a group of
Young boys who had never even been on the battlefield came to share decision-making and command power with them.
However, due to the prestige of Prime Minister Bonaparte, the senior officials of the National Defense Forces also obediently accepted the participation of members of the Privy Knights in the Corsican Army.
But after hearing Andre Davout's nonsense today, not to mention the Wehrmacht officers, even the members of the Knights in the Army Staff looked at each other, not knowing what this colleague was talking about.
"You only want two hundred people?" Lawrence didn't get angry, but confirmed with interest:
"You yourself also estimated when you proposed the plan that the Sardinian Army will send eight to ten thousand people to block the attack in Liguria, and the remaining troops will be used to maneuver or defend Turin."
"As long as there are two hundred loyal, brave and obedient soldiers, plus a large amount of baggage and supplies, I am sure to contain the enemy in Liguria."
Andre Davout nodded without hesitation. There was no hint of timidity in his words, even in the face of the suspicion of the entire command post:
"If there is anything else I need, it is only one thing - your trust."
"A lot of baggage and supplies...this is easy to handle."
Lawrence gently rubbed his chin and looked at André Davout, who stood like an iron man, unhurriedly, as if he had guessed what the opponent's plan was.
The Kingdom of France was already responsible for all the logistical needs of the Corsican Army during the war, and not far to the west of Valdolidore was the French province of Provence. Supply lines, both land and sea, were easily accessible. Andre Davout
This request is not difficult for Lawrence.
"Monsieur Bonaparte! Please do not tell me that you are considering this ridiculous proposal."
The furious Wehrmacht officer just now spoke again:
"Once the Kingdom of Sardinia invades Liguria and discovers our plan, the main force deep into the Po River Plain will be in danger of being attacked from two sides, and there may be a risk of the entire army being annihilated!"
His speech immediately won a response from the command post. Even many members of the Army Staff joined the opposition. The loss of two hundred soldiers was small. If it ruined the entire situation, no one could bear it.
consequences.
In the midst of this attacking wave, even the extremely determined Andre Davout could not help but feel a little shaken and lowered his head slightly.
"enough."
Lawrence's voice was very soft, but it immediately silenced the chaotic temporary command post. He then looked at Andre Davout with a solemn expression:
"You just said that the last thing you need is my trust. Out of respect for the surname Davout, I will give you all my trust."
"Monsieur Bonaparte!"
"Your Majesty Prime Minister!"
"Absolutely not!"
The other officers in the command post couldn't sit still at all, and many of them even screamed out in surprise.
But the trace of displeasure and determination on Lawrence's face instantly made these objections completely disappear:
"This is my final order. I will promote Army Staff Captain Andre Davout to Major Battalion Commander, with full authority to command the 4th Battalion of the 1st Chasseur Regiment of the National Defense Force. The rest of the troops will rest in place for three hours, and then launch a forced march to Genoa City.
"Andre, do you accept this appointment?"
Upon hearing this order, all the Wehrmacht officers present were extremely shocked.
This is not just because Prime Minister Bonaparte assigned an extra battalion of troops to this French boy.
This is especially because the 4th Battalion of the 1st Chasseur Regiment was the 4th Battalion of the Northern Army of the Former Wehrmacht. It was the unit commanded by Prime Minister Bonaparte when he was the major battalion commander. This unit can be said to be Prime Minister Bonaparte’s most important force in the army.
The direct line within the direct line.
No one could have imagined in advance that Prime Minister Bonaparte would give such deep trust to Andre Davout.
Andre Davout, who was as resolute and powerful as an iron man, had quietly moistened the corners of his eyes at this moment. With a plop, this iron-like strong man knelt down on one knee wholeheartedly:
"My subordinates would rather die than betray His Excellency Bonaparte's trust!"
As the saying goes, a scholar will die for a confidant.
For a professional soldier like Andre Davout, to be able to meet such a superior who placed unlimited trust in him, he had already made the most sincere oath in his heart at this moment:
"Following Bonaparte's left and right will lead to ruin and death."
