Chapter 836: Chapter 744: Total War

(The rest is incomplete; please check back in 20 minutes for updates. Truly sorry.)

Diego Meier also rose with a bewildered expression and stood at attention, saying, “Yes, Your Highness! But…”

Joseph did not give him the chance to decline and turned to Bertier, saying, “General Bertier, you are appointed as the combat advisor for the Rhine Army.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Additionally, please have the General Staff issue orders: appoint Lieutenant Colonel Jean Victor Marie Moreau as the second-in-command of the Rhine Army, and Major Andre Massena as the commander of the right flank of the Rhine Army.”

Bertier, equally surprised, nodded and said, “Yes, Your Highness. I will notify them immediately.”

Joseph sighed inwardly. These brilliant commanders had not gone through the chaos of the Great Revolution, so their military ranks were still very low. Old officers like Diego Meier were needed to hold the fort on the front stage.

Currently, Moreau is the commander of the Tunisian Legion, while Massena is merely the second regiment leader in the Alpine Corps.

But Joseph recognized that both had the ability to command battles at an army level.

Of course, they needed battle experience to accumulate further skill, especially Moreau. The Rhine frontline would be the main battlefield between France and the Anti-French Alliance, providing rapid growth opportunities for them.

Figures like Duke of Brunswick of Prussia and Wilmze of Austria couldn’t even come close to comparing with Massena and his peers.

Even if mistakes were made, Bertier, a seasoned Chief of Staff, could provide fallback solutions to ensure foolproof execution.

Joseph continued:

“The Rhine Army will include the Royal First, Second, and Third Infantry Divisions, the Imperial Long Sword Grenadier Corps, the Royal First and Second Cavalry Artillery Camps…”

He listed out more than a dozen units, mostly the newly raised corps under the General Staff, along with two high-quality old-style corps–Alpine Corps and Champagne Corps.

The total forces reached 110,000 men!

Additionally, it encompassed 80% of the cavalry and all of the mounted artillery regiments of the direct corps, making it France’s most elite force at present.

They would face off against nearly 200,000 main forces from Prussia, Austria, Hanover, and other nations.

But Joseph was confident that, in terms of troop quality, weaponry, and the abilities of the commanders, the French Rhine Army outclassed its opponents.

Thus, this would be the “straight punch” delivering a decisive blow to the Anti-French Alliance!

Joseph quietly instructed Bertier again, “Assign Massena to handle overall deployment, while Moreau leads the main offensive and resolves impasses as needed.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I will keep your orders in mind.”

Actually, Massena was already 36 years old and had served for more than 20 years, qualifying him as a relatively experienced officer.

Joseph knew that this man was arguably the second-greatest tactical master in France, next only to Napoleon. Although history didn’t fully showcase his talent due to various reasons, Joseph was now presenting him with an immense stage to perform on.

Once Bertier finished recording the orders, Joseph pointed to the map showing the position of Southern Netherlands: “I will personally command the Southern Netherlands Army.”

This was the least surprising announcement so far for the gathered officers.

After all, the Crown Prince had participated in numerous battles from Tunisia to the Southern Netherlands and even Silesia.

Although they believed His Highness was better suited for overseeing general command at the General Staff, his tendency to be on the front lines aligned with his customary style, leaving little room for objection.

In reality, with the Sharp Signal Machine connecting the major strategic junctions across France, the General Staff’s specific location scarcely mattered anymore.

Transmitting military intelligence from the easternmost to the westernmost part of France took less than 50 minutes.

The most time-consuming aspect was the weekly process of distributing encryption handbooks to all signal towers.

Joseph continued outlining plans he had already conceived: “Lieutenant Colonel Francois Lefebvre and Major Jourdan will join me in the campaign.”

“The Southern Netherlands Army will include: the Royal Fourth Infantry Division, the Royal 1st to 5th Light Infantry Regiments, the Royal First and Second Cavalry Artillery Camps…”

“As well as the Atuwa Corps, Lance Corps, and Rettel Corps…”

After he finished, Bertier quickly calculated. The total size of the Southern Netherlands Army numbered just over 20,000 men, of which 40% were old-style troops.

He immediately advised, “Your Highness, although Southern Netherlands is not the enemy’s primary focal point, it’s estimated their forces will exceed 60,000 troops.

“The troops under your command seem insufficient…”

Joseph simply gave a faint smile and replied, “No matter. I only need to delay them for up to two months; there’s no need to worry.

“If the situation becomes dire, I will dispatch the Paris Legion or even the Swiss Guard northward.”

The Paris Legion, tasked with defending Paris, consisted of over 5,000 soldiers. Meanwhile, the Swiss Guard, responsible for the security of the Palace of Versailles, numbered close to 2,000.

The Paris Police were Joseph’s absolute loyalists. Even if all the garrison troops in Paris were redeployed, the capital’s order wouldn’t falter as long as Joseph issued commands to the police force.

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In 1791, appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the Self-Defense Corps; in May 1793, promoted to Brigadier; in July, promoted to Major General; on September 13, replaced General Jean Nicolas Houchard–executed for defeat–to lead the Northern Army. On October 15-16, achieved dazzling and crucial victories at Wattignies, breaking the Anti-French Alliance’s siege on Maubeuge Fortress. Shortly thereafter, suspicions arose due to his political views and unease over upcoming wars, making him a “suspect” by the Committee of Public Safety. Warned by friends Lazar Cano and Bertrand Barere, he avoided arrest, returning to Limoges to resume work as a silk merchant. Soon, however, his military career resumed. In 1794, appointed commander of the Sambre-et-Meuse Army and Moselle Army, he defeated the Austro-Dutch Army at the Battle of Fleurus under General Saxe-Coburg, forcing their retreat. France occupied the Netherlands, setting the Rhine River as the border of the French Republic. Defeated at Wurzburg by Austrian Grand Duke Charles in 1796, he abandoned the military for politics, twice elected Speaker of the Council of Five Hundred in 1797 and 1798. By late 1798, he returned to the military as commander of the Danube Army. In March 1799, he resigned, succeeded by General Andre Massena. On November 9, during the Coup of 18 Brumaire, he opposed Napoleon. Pardoned later, he was appointed as Inspector-General of Infantry and Artillery. In 1800, appointed Governor of Piedmont; in 1802, commander of the Italian Army; in 1804, made Marshal of France; in 1806, served as Chief of Staff for Joseph Bonaparte, King of Naples. In 1811, appointed Governor of Madrid. Following Napoleon’s abdication, supported Louis XVIII; upon Napoleon’s return, supported Napoleon again, alternating loyalties. In July 1830, appointed Foreign Minister, passing away on November 23, 1833, in Paris.