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Chapter 1174: Eve of War

"...I will have the secret police stationed outside Gatchina Palace to ensure Paul cannot escape. Count Zubov, you will lead the officers into the palace in the early hours under the guise of reporting urgent military intelligence. You will then proceed through the side door to Paul's bedchamber. Rest assured, our people are positioned all along the route..."

Once Count Pahlen finished outlining the coup's logistics, Zubov immediately furrowed his brow. "Wait, is the Crown Prince not participating in the operation?"

Count Pahlen smiled thinly. "His Highness is merely a terrified youth. He will remain in his chambers, waiting for the abdication decree."

The others recalled Alexander's usual submissive demeanor in front of Paul I and chose not to press further. Allowing him to lead the coup might very well backfire if he retreated at the last moment out of fear.

Shortly after, the dozen or so men in the room began to swear their oaths, pledging to "sacrifice their lives to save the future of Russia."

On the southern side of Gatchina Palace.

Alexander watched the soldiers of the Imperial Guard Cavalry Regiment patrolling back and forth outside his window. His face showed no signs of nervousness; instead, it burned with a cold, sharp excitement.

He turned to a nearby attendant. "Vladislav, keep a close eye on Count Pahlen. He likely has some... unique operations planned for the near future."

"As you command, Your Highness."

He was well aware that Pahlen, Zubov, and the others were only using him as an "inexperienced and weak young man" to regain their lost political standing after his father had blocked their career paths.

But was he not also using them to eliminate the crisis of his own unstable succession?

In a small palace on Nevsky Prospekt in the heart of Saint Petersburg, a middle-aged man dressed as a merchant placed a routine report before Count Bobrinsky. "My Lord, Count Pahlen, Count Zubov, and several others have been in close contact with high-ranking military officers lately."

Count Bobrinsky frowned. "Has there been any unusual activity at Gatchina Palace?"

The "merchant" thought for a moment. "It seems several senior officers of the Guard Cavalry were arrested by the secret police on suspicion of having ties to the Austrian Liberals."

Count Bobrinsky stood up immediately and signaled to his servant. "It seems I must go see the Emperor."

Joseph, concerned for Paul I's safety, had commissioned Count Bobrinsky to remain in Saint Petersburg and monitor the movements of Zubov and his faction.

As the illegitimate son of Catherine the Great, the Count was perhaps the person closest to Paul I in all of Russia.

...

Paris.

The Palace of Versailles.

"I'm afraid it's still not enough..." Joseph murmured, shaking his head as he studied the figures on the map before him.

Those numbers represented the military forces that Britain, Prussia, and Austria had recently massed along the borders.

Although war had not yet been declared, the European continent was clearly experiencing the final moments of silence before the storm.

According to intelligence gathered by the Security Bureau, there were at least 140,000 Prussian troops on the north bank of the Rhine. To the east of Switzerland, nearly 200,000 Austrian soldiers were stationed.

While Britain's 50,000-man army was still on its home soil, the British Navy's transport capabilities meant they could be deployed to Germany within a mere fortnight.

Furthermore, Britain had recruited 60,000 troops from states like Hesse, Thuringia, and Brunswick, in addition to Hanover's 23,000-man army.

Intelligence also suggested that Saxony might soon be forced to contribute troops as well.

In total, the British had managed to assemble a staggering 470,000 soldiers!

Joseph knew that Prussia had not yet tapped its full manpower reserves, and Austria had only just begun implementing its Conscription System; they could likely mobilize at least another 100,000 men. If Saxony joined the fray, that would add another 50,000.

In the worst-case scenario, France would face an onslaught from over 600,000 enemy troops.

Currently, the French regular army consisted of only four field armies plus one independent infantry division, totaling 160,000 men. Even including local garrison forces, the number barely exceeded 210,000.

While French soldiers were far superior in combat capability, Joseph lived by the principle of erring on the side of caution when estimating the enemy's strength. France could not afford to be at such a numerical disadvantage.

Unlike Britain, which could lose and then take a breath to try again, a single defeat in a total war would plunge France into an abyss of ruin.

Of course, France had its own allies.

Spain and the North Italian states could likely provide sixty to seventy thousand reinforcements, but Joseph was well aware of their fighting quality. They were only fit for support roles behind the main French lines.

He had no intention of letting other nations decide his country's fate.

Berthier, standing beside him, nodded. "Your Highness, the General Staff also believes we should recruit at least one more field army and expand the 9th Infantry Division to a full army level."

Moreau added, "Local forces also need strengthening, especially along the line from Alsace to Switzerland. We need to ensure that even if the enemy attempts to force their way across the Alps, we can delay them significantly."

Following Joseph's Second Military Reform, France had completely abolished the private armies of local nobles. All soldiers were now managed centrally by the General Staff Headquarters. The term "Regular Legions" had become the standard designation for the standing field forces.

Thus, while the local garrisons were slightly inferior in equipment and combat experience, their training model was identical to that of the field armies, albeit with lower intensity.

These units served as a reserve pool that could be integrated into the field armies at any time.

Berthier pulled a stack of documents from the table and handed them to Joseph. "Your Highness, this is the conscription plan formulated by the General Staff. We estimate that within three months, we can increase our total strength to approximately 270,000."

The enthusiasm of the French people for military service was undoubtedly the highest in Europe. If necessary, mobilizing 350,000 troops would be no issue at all.

Joseph flipped through the proposal and nodded. "Then let us proceed with this."

"Training must be rigorous. I would rather have slightly fewer troops than throw poorly trained soldiers onto the battlefield."

"And keep a close watch on weapon production. What is the current daily output of Minié balls?"

Berthier quickly checked his notes. "It is currently 30,000 rounds per day, Your Highness. However, the 'precision equipment' from the Engineering Design Institute has arrived. The Royal Armory will soon be able to mass-produce molds. Mr. Garman expects that by next month, we will reach a daily output of 70,000 rounds."

He was referring to Louis XVI's Christmas gift—the High-Precision Milling Machine—which was the second of its kind in all of France. Even someone at Berthier's level didn't know exactly what it was.

With its arrival, the development of forging machinery had accelerated significantly. Small-scale forging presses used for stamping molds were already entering mass production.

Joseph turned back to Berthier. "And what does the General Staff believe the enemy's strategy will be this time?"

"There are several possibilities," the Chief of Staff said, stepping toward the map. "First, an offensive from Württemberg toward Baden..."