Chapter 835: Chapter 743: It’s Decided, It’s You! Napoleon!

All the officers instinctively looked toward the map, their faces reflecting deep thought.

Bertier furrowed his brow in confusion and asked, “Your Highness, what did you mean by the right hook?”

Before Joseph could answer, Napoleon, sitting in the back row, suddenly lit up, stepped forward excitedly, and blurted out without hesitation, “Italy! Yes, this will be the ideal breakthrough point! Like a fierce right hook, striking Austria’s jaw with full force…”

The Duke of Broglie, visibly displeased, cast a sidelong glance at the young officer and said sternly, “Silence, Lieutenant Colonel Buonaparte, your behavior is far too impudent.”

Joseph, however, smiled indifferently and looked at Napoleon. “Go ahead. Why do you think Italy is the best breakthrough point?”

He understood clearly that Napoleon’s decisive rise to fame was from leading a group of recruits and relying on his extraordinary military talent to swiftly navigate Italy, providing the imperiled Directory with a much-needed lifeline at the time.

Perhaps it was the inertia of history that now, in the face of the Anti-French Alliance, Napoleon once again exhibited a keen interest in Italy.

Napoleon nervously glanced at the Duke of Broglie, organized his wording, and bowed toward Joseph. “Your Highness, your earlier remarks enlightened me.

“We’ve previously focused on the north. While that is the main battlefield and strategically vital, it is heavily concentrated with enemy forces. Prussia, Austria, Hanover, and Holland’s combined armies exceed 200,000 troops, making it extremely difficult to implement your proactive offensive plan there.

“However, the Italian front only faces Austria as its main enemy, with possible support from Sardinia and the British fleet, but overall, the forces are much weaker than those in the north.

“Yet Italy connects directly to Austria’s underbelly!

“If we can capture Milan, we can advance toward Venice, where the merchants pose virtually no resistance, and ultimately press on to Campofelmo.

“After that, between our army and Vienna, there will be only one barrier – the Sava River!”

Joseph cast a highly approving glance at Napoleon. “Your military insight is remarkably sharp. The Austrians are focused on attacking our southern regions via Sardinia, yet they’ve overlooked that it’s also their weakest point.”

The officers in the meeting room were visibly surprised.

It seemed the Crown Prince’s advocacy for a proactive offensive wasn’t just hollow rhetoric.

Soon, however, everyone realized that if the Austrian Army in Italy could truly be defeated, the tide of the war would indeed shift favorably for France, just as Napoleon had described.

Bertier looked at Napoleon and then at Joseph, hesitatingly said, “Your Highness, isn’t this plan a bit too risky? I mean, if we encounter setbacks in Italy, it would be very difficult to retreat our troops back home…”

His concern was not unwarranted.

The towering Alps between France and Italy posed a significant obstacle. Though there were many passes with low altitudes, the climate there is harsh, and it is snow-covered nearly year-round, except for summer. In winter, the passes are even blocked by heavy snow.

Attempting to retreat troops via the Alps could easily result in bottlenecking at the passes, making them vulnerable to pursuing enemy forces.

Joseph’s tone was exceptionally confident: “I’m certain the soldiers of France will secure a decisive victory in Italy.

“Moreover, we will launch a counteroffensive from the Swiss direction, providing mutual support with the Italian Front Army.

“Even if unexpected challenges arise in Italy, the Swiss Legion’s reinforcements will quickly stabilize the situation.

“You don’t believe the Austrians could win on both fronts, do you?”

Despite lingering concerns, Bertier watched the Crown Prince’s resolute expression and clearly inhaled deeply before shaking his head. “No, Your Highness, we will defeat them on both fronts!”

“Excellent.”

Joseph nodded and turned to the senior General Pierre de Demobin, seated in the front row. Solemnly, he said, “General Demobin, I hereby appoint you as Commander-in-Chief of the Italian Front Army.

“Under your command will be Joubert’s Legion, the Corsican Legion, Murat’s Corps, and the Lyon, Montpellier, and Toulouse Armies. You are to gather the troops in Savoy at the fastest speed and then launch an assault on Milan.”

Milan is Austria’s political and military center in Italy. Capturing Milan would eliminate more than half of Austria’s influence over the Apennine Peninsula.

However, after Joseph gave the order, the officers in the General Staff all revealed puzzled expressions and exchanged glances in private.

General Demobin, after all, was nearing 60 years old and not in the best physical condition. Although he held a certain level of prestige in the army, appointing him to lead such a dangerous and complex offensive against Italy was still somewhat inappropriate.

Moreover, the Crown Prince assigned him a force…

Although totaling approximately 35,000 troops, they were all part of the “Traditional Army,” or as the Crown Prince referred to them, the “Old Army.” Aside from Murat’s Corps, known for its superior combat capability, most other units were rather mediocre.

General Demobin was noticeably surprised too. He initially thought his role would be limited to allocating logistics and supplies within the General Staff but didn’t expect to be appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Front Army.

Nevertheless, he promptly stood erect and declared: “Yes, Your Highness!”

Joseph nodded at him and then turned to Napoleon, acting commander of the Corsican Legion: “Lieutenant Colonel Buonaparte, I hereby appoint you as Deputy Commander of the Italian Front Army, assisting General Demobin in managing the campaign in Italy.”

Napoleon widened his eyes in astonishment.

He had just heard that the Corsican Legion would be part of the expeditionary forces to Italy, assuming he would at most lead a divisional command. Yet, the Crown Prince had directly promoted him to the position of Deputy Commander of the entire Front Army!

He froze momentarily before standing upright with haste and shouting, “Yes, Your Highness! I will not let you down!”

Joseph smiled warmly, “Go with confidence; I trust you will achieve outstanding results.”

This was his true intention.

Indeed, Napoleon’s rank and seniority were far too low, and many officers with higher ranks would likely refuse to take orders from him.

Thus, Joseph positioned Demobin to stabilize the army.

Given Demobin’s physical state, even crossing the Alps would be a challenge, let alone commanding the battle afterward.

It was clear Napoleon would become the de facto Commander-in-Chief.

Once Napoleon gained authority through tangible victories, he wouldn’t need to operate under a borrowed banner anymore.

Regarding the quality of the troops he led, that presented even less concern for Napoleon.

Historically, Napoleon triumphed in the Italian campaign with a group of raw recruits. The forces he had now were part of the Old Army, but not a single one of them was a green rookie.

Furthermore, they included elite units like Murat’s Corps.

With plans for Italy finalized, Joseph turned his attention to another senior officer sitting in the front row: “General Digomier, I appoint you as Commander-in-Chief of the Rhine Army.”