"Lawrence...you just want to wait for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to succeed to the throne. Why do you have to do this..."
Carlo Bonaparte was still a little unwilling to give up. In his opinion, as long as Lawrence, a confidant of Crown Prince Louis, waited patiently until the crown prince succeeded to the throne, he would naturally reach the pinnacle of power in France.
But once their conspiracy in Provence was exposed by the court of Versailles, Carlo Bonaparte simply could not imagine the abyss into which the entire family would fall.
Lawrence sighed softly. He knew that his brother was not a stupid person, but the situation in Paris and Versailles was really not something that an outsider like him could understand, so he just sighed softly:
"Indeed, Carlo, but if you were a dying king, would you allow another Duke of Choiseul to serve as your heir's confidant?"
"You mean...!"
Carlo Bonaparte's eyes widened even more, his expression was one of astonishment, and he immediately understood the implications of Lawrence's words.
The reason why Louis XV felt confident in placing Laurence Bonaparte beside His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was that, in addition to Laurence's ability and loyalty shown in several incidents, the most important factor was that this young man was just an insignificant person.
Just the governor of a remote island.
Prior to this, Louis XV was not worried at all that Laurence Bonaparte would pose any threat to the French monarchy. After all, it was the pinnacle of a Corsican to become a valet of the future French king.
But now, Carlo Bonaparte looked at Lawrence blankly, and suddenly realized that his brother's status in the Kingdom of France was no longer what it was before, and he might have reached a point where he could not match him.
He holds the military and political power of Sardinia and Corsica, directs the internal affairs of the Golden Iris faction, controls the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has good relations with the regent, and is deeply trusted by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince...
Any one of these powers is enough to make a person a very important official in the center of French political power.
And Laurence Bonaparte actually held all this power in one body. Such a terrifying influence was probably only slightly inferior to that of the once powerful Duke of Choiseul.
Not to mention that the Kingdom of Corsica is still in control of the great situation in the Italian War. No one can be sure what heights the young Prime Minister Bonaparte will reach after the war is over.
And Lawrence is naturally very aware of his current situation.
Although Versailles has not yet made any response to the Kingdom of Corsica's annexation of Sardinia, Lawrence could fully predict that the old king on the sickbed would most likely have already begun his plot.
Moreover, as the Kingdom of Corsica continues to grow during the Italian War, Louis XV will most likely be more wary of him, and it is inevitable that he will not be able to continue to serve as Crown Prince Louis' confidant after he ascends the throne, as he originally planned.
By then, when the smoke clears in Italy, no matter what the outcome of this war is, what awaits Lawrence in Paris will not be a triumphal feast, but a trap intertwined with intrigues and intrigues.
At that time, Lawrence could not tell how chaotic the political situation in France would become.
But no matter what the future situation is, Lawrence, who came to power through a coup, is very clear - he must hold the gun tightly in his hands.
In addition to increasing military investment in the Kingdom of Corsica, Lawrence knew that he must also maintain an armed force within France.
After all, if the worst happens, mobilizing troops within France and mobilizing Corsican troops into France have completely different political implications.
This is why Lawrence deliberately asked his brother to establish a large standing army in the name of militia in the province of Provence.
"Are you saying that the king no longer trusts you? This, this surprises me."
Carlo Bonaparte's expression still had not returned to calm. Although he had understood Lawrence's hint, he was still somewhat unwilling to accept this reality.
"From a personal point of view, I think His Majesty still trusts me, but he is a king, and any king will become indifferent and ruthless when it comes to such a major event as the succession of the throne."
Lawrence shook his head. He did not doubt Louis XV's trust in him, but as a ruler, he knew very well what choices an old king like Louis XV would make.
Putting political interests above personal emotions was what Lawrence had always done. He did not doubt or resent that Louis XV would do the same thing.
Carlo Bonaparte nodded heavily. At this point, he no longer had any reason to refuse.
His position as a second-level governor was given by Lawrence. Carlo Bonaparte knew that he could not break away from Lawrence and the Kingdom of Corsica and continue to maintain his position in France. Their fates were tightly tied together.
After the two reached a consensus, they only briefly discussed some details, and then Carlo Bonaparte said goodbye and left. After receiving two commissions from Lawrence, he had no time to travel.
...
After Carlo Bonaparte left, three officers who had been waiting outside walked into Lawrence's room.
Berthier, the chief of staff, André Davout, who had made great achievements in the conquest of the Kingdom of Sardinia, and Serurier, who had just been transferred from Corsica yesterday, stood in front of Lawrence's table, neatly arranged.
A military salute was given.
"Sit wherever you like. This is a private occasion. We are fellow knights, so don't be constrained."
Lawrence greeted the three of them to sit down casually, and also personally poured them each a cup of black tea.
Berthier and Sélulier, who had known Lawrence for a long time, took the tea cup naturally. As a newcomer, Andre Davuton felt flattered and stood up quickly to salute and thank him, but was gently pressed by Lawrence.
Returned to the seat.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! After putting down the teapot, Lawrence also took the lead to look at Andre Davout, a general who had only recently entered his field of vision:
"By the way, Andre, I have considered the proposal you told me last time..."
During the campaign against the Kingdom of Sardinia, Andre Davout, who was stationed in Valdolidore, deliberately recruited all the strong men around the town and organized them into the army to confuse the enemy and make Vettori
Prince Ao misjudged the number of enemy troops.
Although they were only temporarily recruited peasants, Andre Davout gave them basic training according to the standards of a professional army while he was stationed in the army. Later, he led this army to Nice and resisted Prince Vittorio.
Weeks of offense.
After the battle, although Andre Davout paid military salaries to these conscripts and allowed them to return to their hometowns, a large number of soldiers still expressed their willingness to stay in the army.
After all, these conscripts were poor farmers in the countryside. The military uniforms many of them wore were even their first complete set of clothes in their lives. Andre Davout's salary when he recruited them was very generous.
A month's military pay is worth half a year's hard work.
For this reason, Andre Davout also made a suggestion to Lawrence after careful consideration, requesting to retain the establishment of this force.
A major weakness of today's Corsican army is that it has too few troops.
Although these soldiers have not been in the army for a long time, they have also undergone complete training and actual combat experience. Even if their combat qualities are not strong, they are at least qualified.
In addition, the current Corsican army has logistical support from the Kingdom of France, and is very rich in armed equipment and supplies, and can fully support an army several times its current size.
Of course, Andre Davout is still a little unsure about whether this proposal can be passed.
After all, what he requested was to retain the establishment of his own army, which meant retaining his position and title as commander. He was very worried that Bonaparte would misunderstand him as a villain who was greedy for power and status.
While Andre Davout was holding the teacup and feeling uneasy about this, Lawrence smiled and nodded:
"I discussed this matter with Berthier and I decided to accept your proposal and you will still serve as the commander of this force."
As soon as he finished speaking, Andre Davout's face flashed with joy. He was so excited that he didn't know what to say.
When Bonaparte was previously granted the position of battalion commander to lead more than 500 soldiers, Andre Davout had already felt great trust. Now he was directly authorized to lead an army of thousands of people. This is even more...
It made him feel unbelievable.
Lawrence didn't say much. He believed that Andre Davout would repay his trust with his ability, and then turned to look at Major Serurier:
"Have all the recruits arrived in Genoa?"
After deciding to accept Andre Davout's proposal to expand the army, Lawrence also issued conscription orders to Corsica and Sardinia, and dispatched Major Serurier, who was responsible for local defense, to Genoa with the new recruits.
The recruitment work also went extremely smoothly on the mainland, especially in Sardinia. Thanks to the national carnival brought by the news of the defeat of the Kingdom of Sardinia, Prime Minister Bonaparte's prestige in Sardinia was also pushed to a new level.
At the climax, the excited young men rushed to put on their military uniforms after learning that they were going to fight alongside Laurence Bonaparte.
Major Serurier nodded and replied:
"Seven thousand three hundred and twenty-one people, many of them. All of them have received varying degrees of military training. As new recruits, their quality is very good."
Despite the tight schedule, Major Serurier came to Genoa City with more than 7,000 outstanding recruits.
During the war with Genoa, the Corsicans had already developed the custom of all soldiers being soldiers, and the quality of their soldiers was naturally very good. A considerable number of the recruits from Sardinia had participated in the Battle of Cagliari, and they were there
Lieutenant General Ethel also received systematic training.
Lawrence thought for a moment and then ordered:
"Three thousand new soldiers will be incorporated into the Davout Department, and four thousand of them will be integrated into the main force. In addition, Major Serurier, I hope you will serve as the chief of staff of the Davout Department."
Although Lawrence did not doubt Andre Davout's ability, he was too young after all, which is why Lawrence deliberately transferred the experienced Serurier from his native country to Genoa.
Moreover, after the surrender of the Kingdom of Sardinia, the risk of Corsica being attacked was greatly reduced, and Lawrence did not need to let this outstanding officer stay on the mainland.
"yes!"
There was obviously a bit of excitement in Major Selurie's tone.
Although he had no complaints about Prime Minister Bonaparte's order to stay in his homeland, after hearing the news that the Corsican army had defeated the Kingdom of Sardinia a month later, Major Serurier could not help but feel a little regretful. He wished he had done it at that time.
In that army that returned victoriously.
After receiving the order, Andre Davout and Sélulier stood up in perfect agreement, saluted each other, and then clasped their hands tightly.
This was the first time that the two met, and there was an age difference of more than ten years between them, but they still had great respect for each other.
Major Serurier did not feel it was a shame to serve as the staff adjutant of such a young man. He knew that the Corsican army's strategy of dividing its forces to bypass and attack Turin directly was proposed by this young man, and the opponent was in Valdolidore.
The performance of playing with the main force of the Sardinian army with Nice also amazed Major Serurier.
What's more, every civilian child who can enter the Paris Military Academy is the best in each place. This Andre Davout can still stand out among these elites, and Major Selulier will not underestimate him at all.
ability.
André Davout also heard Selulier's name many times from Lawrence and Berthier, and knew that the other party was the commander-in-chief of the Corsican garrison during the siege of Ajaccio. When he thought of the other party
Having defended Ajaccio at such a huge disadvantage, André Davout also admired Selulier.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! As a result, the Corsican army stationed in Genoa also reached the size of 16,000 people. Andre and Serurier commanded six
Davout's tribe consisted of more than a thousand men, while Lawrence and Berthier commanded the main force of the Corsican army of more than 10,000 men.
After deciding on the distribution of troops, Chief of Staff Berthier also proposed the next action plan of the Corsican Army:
"Then, our next enemies in northern Italy are the Duchy of Milan and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany controlled by Austria..."
The Principality of Milan, located at the foot of the Alps, has been controlled by Spain since the 16th century. It was not until the end of the War of Spanish Succession in 1721 that Austria seized this rich Italian state from the Spanish.
The Grand Duchy of Tuscany, centered in Florence, has been ruled by the legendary Medici family for the past few centuries. However, with the death of the main line of the Medici family, Austria, which is world-famous for its marriage diplomacy,
The Habsburgs also took advantage of this opportunity to acquire this birthplace of the Renaissance.
Currently ruling Tuscany and Milan is Leopold, the third son of Queen Maria Theresa, the first heir to the Austrian Habsburg family, and the biological brother of Crown Princess Mary of France.
A generation.
This twenty-four-year-old ruler was indeed diligent in governing. Since accepting the title of Grand Duke of Tuscany in 1765, he had carried out a series of internal reforms in the country.
He reformed the representative system, balanced taxes, weakened the church, and even made Tuscany the first country in history to abolish the death penalty and torture.
In order to reduce national expenditures to the greatest extent and use fiscal revenue for people's livelihood, he even reduced the entire country's army and navy, placing national defense security completely under the protection of Austria.
Many commentators in history believe that after the death of Carlo Emanuele III, Leopold I became the most enlightened ruler in Italy.
However, although Leopold I did his best in domestic affairs and people's livelihood, he still did not gain the support of the local Italian people.
The people at the bottom did not gain much from the political reforms, and they naturally had no particular favorable impression of the German Archduke.
As for the local nobles and dignitaries in Tuscany, due to Leopold I’s very tough repressive attitude towards local Italian dignitaries and the fact that the Medici family still has considerable influence in Tuscany, the locals
The nobles will also not stand on the same side as this Shinra prince.
The title of Duke of Milan was originally held by Maria Theresa. It was not until the eve of the Italian War that Maria Theresa awarded the Duchy of Milan to Leopold in order to show her support for the war.
De I, this young archduke had not yet established formal rule in Milan.
After briefly introducing the situation of Austrian forces, Berthier distributed his plan to several people and quickly elaborated:
"Current intelligence shows that Tuscany and Milan under Leopold are weak in military strength and will hardly organize any effective resistance to our offensive. I propose that Davout and Serrurier attack Milan and Milan to the north.
Mantua, the main force of our army will go south to take the Florence region. If everything goes well, we can pacify northern Italy before the cold winter arrives."
Major Serurier read the plan meticulously and asked seriously:
"Didn't Austria provide military aid to Tuscany and Milan?"
Even Great Britain, which signed a treaty declaring not to interfere in the Italian war, secretly provided naval assistance to the Kingdom of Savoy. Serurier did not believe that Queen Maria Theresa would be honest in not providing any assistance to her son.
What's more, under Leopold's disarmament, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany had almost no standing army.
"It can be confirmed that Austria secretly sent an army into Tuscany..." Berthier explained:
"But that army marched south together with the Milan army a few weeks ago. They planned to cross the Papal State and directly attack the northern mainland of the Kingdom of Naples. Therefore, Tuscany and Milan are almost undefended."
André Davout also pointedly added:
"They probably didn't expect that the Corsican army's battle in Piedmont would go so smoothly, so they completely emptied the mainland."
The Austrian generals did not believe that the Corsican army could achieve any results at the hands of Carlo Emanuele III. The most likely thing was that this group of stupid Corsicans would be annihilated in Piet.
On the battlefield of Monte.
Even if there is a one percent chance that the Corsican army will gain an advantage over the Sardinian army, their war in the Kingdom of Sardinia will never end in a year and a half.
After coming to this conclusion, the Austrian generals and Leopold I did not regard the Corsican army in the west as a threat at all, and directly concentrated their main military forces on the battle in the Kingdom of Naples, trying to capture Naples.
Directly end the Italian War.
I am afraid that after learning the news of the Corsican army's great victory in Turin, the one who was most panicked was Prince Leopold at the Pitti Palace in Florence.
"What is the possibility of the Austrian and Milanese armies abandoning Naples and returning to defend their homeland?" Major Serurier discussed cautiously.
"The probability is very low." Berthier obviously took these situations into consideration:
"The biggest goal of the Austrians is to capture Naples and end the Italian war. The fall of Milan and Tuscany is not important to them, not to mention the size of the enemy army is more than 10,000 people, even if they really abandon Naples and return to defend their homeland
, our army can also try to engage in battle with it."
For an independent country like the Kingdom of Sardinia, the loss of the capital Turin means the defeat of the country, but for Austrian dependent countries like Milan and Tuscany, even if the mainland falls, it will only leave the Corsican people
It's just to take advantage of the post-war treaty.
What the Austrians are more concerned about is whether they can take advantage of the opportunity of this war to extend their sphere of influence to southern Italy.
...
After asking for other details of the plan, Andre Davout and Major Serurier saluted and left, immediately preparing to lead the army to attack Milan.
Only Lawrence and Chief of Staff Berthier were left in the huge room.
Lawrence looked at the map solemnly. During the discussion just now, he had remained silent and looked very worried.
Berthier also quickly noticed something strange about Lawrence:
"What's wrong, Charles? There shouldn't be any obstacles to the war in Tuscany."
"Indeed, there is a high probability that we can capture Florence and most of Tuscany within three months..."
His fingertips lightly traced the map, and Lawrence said in a deep voice:
"If the Principality of Milan and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany can be brought into the Corsicans' sphere of influence... it will only be a matter of time before they take over all of Northern Italy."
The countries that currently have influence in the entire northern Italy are the Kingdom of Savoy occupying Piedmont in the west, Milan and Tuscany controlled by Austria in the center, and the Republic of Venice in the northeast.
As for others, such as the Republic of Genoa, the Principality of Modena, the Republic of Lucca and the Principality of Parma, they are just small countries that adapt to the changing circumstances.
Now that the Kingdom of Savoy has been defeated by the Kingdom of Corsica, the island of Sardinia and the country's financial monopoly have been handed over to others. In addition, the wise Carlo Emanuele III is about to pass away.
Prince Torrio's ability and prestige are far less than those of his father, and the decline of the entire kingdom is inevitable.
The decline of the Republic of Venice has been irreversible since the last century. The repeated suppression by the Ottomans and Austria caused the Republic to lose a large area of territory. Even by the end of the 18th century, only four ships of the once powerful Venetian Navy were left.
Line ships and seven oars, and even the merchant fleet only had about 300 small ships left.
If Milan and Tuscany are really brought into the sphere of influence, then the Kingdom of Corsica will definitely become a very important presence in Northern Italy even without the influence of France.
"This...! But!"
However, Berthier was shocked when he heard this. Of course he knew how rich Tuscany and Milan were, but he still hurriedly dissuaded him:
"Charle, Corsica has already obtained Sardinia in this war. Regardless of the outcome of the war, it is almost impossible for us to make territorial claims to the Apennine Peninsula."
If the Sicilian rebels successfully win independence from the Kingdom of Naples, then the defeated Kingdom of Corsica will naturally be unable to make any demands on Tuscany and Milan.
And even if the Kingdom of Naples successfully suppresses the Sicilian rebels, the Corsicans, who have already won a lot of money from the Kingdom of Savoy, are unlikely to win more in the peace treaty. After all, it is just an island of Sardinia.
This more than doubled the population and size of the Kingdom of Corsica.
"It doesn't have to be annexing the two countries directly." Lawrence shook his head.
"You mean...establish a puppet regime first?"
Berthier immediately understood what Lawrence meant, but his expression was still ugly:
"But Austria will never tolerate our illegal seizure of Tuscany and Milan. In the worst case scenario, we will go to war with an empire."
"What if France provides protection for that puppet regime?"
"If so..."
Berthier bit his lip tightly and thought for a moment before reluctantly nodding:
"The Austrians may not act rashly, but..."
Before the current Spanish King Carlos III succeeded to the throne, he took advantage of Austria's involvement in the War of Succession and directly sent troops to seize the Kingdom of Naples. Austria, which was hampered by Spain's national power, had no choice but to swallow this humiliation.
If France really comes forward to recognize the puppet regime established by the Kingdom of Corsica and provide it with asylum, Austria will naturally not be able to directly go to war, but there is no doubt that the relationship between the two countries will be greatly damaged by this, and may even cause harm to the country.
There are hidden dangers for the next war.
This was definitely something Louis XV did not want to see on his sick bed. This would even lead to the British accusing France of breaking its promise not to interfere in the Italian war.
"The only question is, will France really provide asylum?"
Berthier also realized this problem instantly:
"I know that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Vergenin, is your friend. Charles, Charles can also persuade his father to lean towards you, but this is not enough for the Kingdom of France to issue that crucial statement. After all, Vergen
Count Regan did not have complete control over foreign affairs."
Although Lawrence did help Count Vergenin to the chair of Foreign Minister, it was less than half a year since Count Vergenin took over this position. It was impossible for him to eliminate the Duke of Choiseul in such a short period of time.
With great influence, such a huge department is all in its own hands.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide them with all their support, after all..."
Faced with this question, Lawrence's expression remained unchanged and he just said softly:
"I think my old friend will be happy to help me with this."
