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Chapter 219: Swift Victory

The officers watched, perplexed, as the luxurious conference table was carried away, replaced by a simple wooden one.

Joseph then gestured around the room, its pillars and ceiling adorned with intricate geometric patterns, its walls hung with tapestries, and addressed the assembled men:

"I hope that all future operational meetings will take place in army tents. Please remember that our objective is to wage war and win it. Therefore, every action you take, and every item around you, must be related to combat. Leave luxury and ostentation for after the war is won, when we return to Paris."

Currently, officers across all European armies were steeped in aristocratic indulgence. For instance, they might host soirées and banquets on smoke-filled frontlines, or even bring mistresses with them to command battles.

Even the Crown Prince's Guards Corps, while already quite restrained in this regard, still retained some old habits. Joseph had to remind them daily, in small ways, to completely eradicate these detrimental practices.

This not only ensured the officers' minds remained focused on operations but also worked to eliminate the gap between soldiers and officers, fostering complete trust and admiration for their commanders.

The officers who had trained at the Paris Police Academy weren't surprised by the Crown Prince's demands; these were the very standards expected of them during their training.

The men of the Moulins Legion were naturally the least accustomed to this, but they still followed behind Berthier and the academy officers, bowing slightly as they responded loudly, "Yes, Your Highness."

Immediately, more than a dozen senior officers each brought over a simple wooden chair and gathered around the sand table in the center of the room.

Joseph nodded to Berthier, then took a seat at the very edge. He was well aware of his own capabilities; having only undergone a crash course in military studies at the Paris Police Academy for less than a year, true operational command still relied on genuine experts like Berthier. His primary purpose here was to boost morale and maintain unity among officers from diverse backgrounds.

Berthier stepped to the front, first reiterating the situation in Algiers, then continued:

"According to intelligence, the British and Ottomans are clearly behind this incident. Therefore, their goal is not merely to restore Janissary rule but to expel us from Tunisia while our foothold here is still tenuous." He cast a serious gaze around the room. "Overall, the situation is highly unfavorable for us. First, the Algerians began preparing for war at least six days ago, putting us at a significant disadvantage."

"Second, their combat forces number 23,000, while we only have just over 7,000 soldiers here. Even with Gemile's native legions, we can at most muster 12,000 men. We are still at a disadvantage in terms of troop strength. And I believe you all know that the fighting capability of native troops is not something to rely on."

The officers all nodded slightly at this. After the rebel army captured Tunis City, many units disbanded on the spot, especially the troops from native tribes. After all, they were just farmers; following along to plunder the Janissaries' property was one thing, but once the fighting was over, they had to return home to farm. Currently, only just over 15,000 men remained, and many of these had to be allocated to maintain order throughout Tunisia.

"As for the enemy's combat capability," Berthier continued, "Albanian mercenaries are a trusted core force within the Ottoman army. Although those who have come to Algiers cannot compare to the elite Ottoman units, and are mixed with some Bosnians, they are clearly not to be underestimated."

He then gestured to the guards by the door: "Regarding the strength of the Algiers Janissaries, I believe these Tunisian Janissaries will know best. Please bring them in."

Soldiers immediately escorted three Tunisian Janissary officers into the meeting room.

Berthier looked at them and asked, "In your opinion, how does the fighting capability of the Algiers Janissaries compare to yours?"

The oldest Janissary officer nervously surveyed his surroundings before cautiously replying, "Pasha, they are far superior to us. They frequently recruit soldiers from Anatolia and maintain five days of drills each week."

Another Janissary added, "Some of their weapons are even more advanced than those of the Sultan's own army."

The French officers' expressions grew solemn upon hearing this. Clearly, this opponent would not be as easily defeated as the Tunisian Janissaries.

Joseph, however, was not surprised. Algiers was a much larger nation than Tunisia, and with three factions vying for power, its Janissaries would have long since been absorbed by the other two if they hadn't constantly strived for improvement.

"Therefore, this is likely to be a tough fight."

André, commander of the Moulins Legion, signaled for the three Janissary officers to be escorted out, then pointed to the Medjerda River, located northwest of Tunis City on the map:

"Given our inferior numbers, our best course of action is to defend along the river. The enemy's objective must be Tunis City; as long as we can hold this position, they will never be able to win."

The Medjerda River traversed all of Tunisia from northeast to southwest. To the south lay the highest point of the Atlas Mountains, Mount Tunisia. To capture Tunis City, this river absolutely had to be crossed.

Defending along the river here was arguably the most prudent strategy.

As soon as André finished speaking, several officers nodded in agreement.

Berthier, however, frowned slightly. "But Bizerte and the northern part of Kairouan are both on the north bank of the Medjerda River. If we set up our defenses along the river, we would effectively be handing these areas over to the enemy."

The officers immediately turned to him, asking, "What is your suggestion?"

Berthier tapped the area west of Bizerte with his finger. "To enter Tunisia from Annaba, they must pass through here—Ferryville, between Lake Ichkeul and Lake Bizerte. We will ambush the Algerians there!"

André frowned. "But, Lieutenant Colonel, that is a plain. If we choose to fight there, we will have to face an enemy several times our size head-on."

His words implied he had already dismissed Gemile's native troops from consideration.

An academy officer immediately countered, "But only this way can we protect Bizerte."

The officer beside him also nodded in agreement. "Losing Bizerte would embolden the remaining forces of the Tunisian Janissaries, causing us even more trouble."

One who opposed loudly asked, "Have you considered that in a decisive battle on a plain, if the situation turns unfavorable, we won't even have a chance to retreat?"

The academy officer remained unyielding:

"If the enemy sweeps through Bizerte, it will suffer severe destruction. If we fail to demonstrate our ability to protect Tunisia, the credibility we've just established among the locals will vanish."

"Perhaps we should ask Paris to allocate more troops."

"That could take one or two months, perhaps even longer. Who knows what changes might occur in the war during that time."

"And the treasury might not even allow for a larger troop deployment."

"Therefore, defending along the Medjerda River is still the most feasible option."

"I believe we can certainly try at Ferryville!"

The two opposing sides argued with increasing ferocity. For a time, neither could convince the other.

At that moment, Joseph suddenly rose, interrupting the fervent debate. "I want to know, where are our logistics coming from?"

Berthier immediately replied, "Your Highness, it is mainly being collected by Monsieur Agathon and the merchants' guild, with a small portion transported by our fleet from Corsica."

"What about transportation to the front lines?"

"That can be handled by the local army. We will assign a battalion to supervise."

Joseph immediately frowned. "Gentlemen, with all due respect, I fear we only have one option: a swift and decisive victory.

"Currently, Tunisia doesn't even have a functional government. The collection of provisions and supplies could run into problems at any moment. Furthermore, the Janissary forces will undoubtedly do everything in their power to disrupt our logistical transport.

"As soon as we get bogged down in a protracted conflict, our logistics will inevitably be our downfall!"

Berthier's face lit up at this. "Your Highness's concern is most pertinent. In that case, we will establish our defenses at Ferryville."

Joseph, however, mused, "If my prediction is correct, the Algerians will also be prepared for a decisive battle against us there."

"That is very likely, Your Highness."

"Then our numerical disadvantage will lead to significant losses." Joseph shook his head slightly. The strength of his Guards Corps was a precious asset he had painstakingly built up; it absolutely could not be heavily depleted in North Africa.

André hesitated. "Your Highness, it seems you agree with my proposal?"

"No." Joseph waved a hand, then gazed at the border between Algiers and Tunisia on the map for a moment before suddenly smiling. "We need to surprise the enemy. For example, we could eliminate them at Annaba!"

Annaba was Algiers' easternmost province. The officers in the meeting room immediately looked at each other in dismay.

...

Paris.

The Petit Trianon.

Queen Mary, almost forgetting her usual decorum, clenched her fists and exclaimed loudly to Archbishop Brienne before her, "Meaning the army bound for North Africa hasn't even departed yet?!"

"That, I'm afraid, is correct, Your Majesty." Brienne replied, head bowed. "You are aware of the current financial situation. The 4 million livres required by Marquis de Saint-Véran cannot be immediately disbursed..."

He quickly added, "The funds have been prepared, but the sum is quite large. The French Reserve Bank wishes to pay in paper currency, but the army insists on silver coins. The exchange requires some time."

The Queen took a deep breath, clearly suppressing her anger. "It has been five days, and he still hasn't left camp. The Algerians could harm Joseph at any moment!"

Brienne cautiously stated, "Your Majesty, large-scale troop movements require a considerable amount of preparation time. The Algerians are no different; they should not have left their own borders yet either."

Queen Mary practically hissed through gritted teeth, "Go tell Marquis Saint-Priest that Marquis de Saint-Véran's army must reach Tunisia before the Algerians do. I will sincerely appreciate his diligent efforts."

...

Algiers.

Eastern Annaba.

An army of over ten thousand men, fully clad in Ottoman uniforms, was slowly advancing.

In the middle of the formation, Kehler, the overall commander of the Algiers Intervention Force, looked at the newly delivered intelligence report, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. He tossed the paper to his aide-de-camp, who was also his deputy:

"The British clearly overestimate the French army. They were still resupplying in Tunis City four days ago; I estimate they'll only set out in the next few days."

This information had been sent by the remaining Janissary factions within Tunisia. Its content was highly reliable.

The latter took the report, read it, then turned and said:

"General, judging by their movements, they are likely to establish a defensive line along the Medjerda River."

"Are you suggesting that area won't be easy to attack?" Kehler snorted lightly. "It doesn't matter how long the fight takes; the British are paying for it. Bizerte is incredibly wealthy. During that time, we'll have ample opportunity to transport all its riches back to Mitidja."

However, a tall officer on Kehler's other side spoke with a solemn expression:

"General, according to reconnaissance from the day before yesterday, the Tunisians appear to be preparing to cross the Medjerda River north of Kairouan. This might be a prelude to engaging our army at Bizerte."

"Those despicable ruffians have no idea how to fight," the aide-de-camp sneered disdainfully. "On the plains of Bizerte, we can easily tear them apart. Those Tunisian Janissaries were truly useless, to be defeated by such commoners."

Kehler, however, instructed:

"We must also be wary of Tunisian ambushes. Issue an order to double the number of scouts and locate the main force of the Tunisian rebels as quickly as possible."

The tall officer turned, a hint of confusion in his expression, and said:

"General, I find it somewhat peculiar. Why aren't those rebels combining forces with the French? Their dispersion clearly leaves both unable to confront us head-on."

Kehler corrected him, "Even if they combined forces, they wouldn't have the capability to face us in battle. Those rebels were farming just a few months ago; they probably can't even stand in proper formation. I suspect the French don't want to engage in a protracted conflict with us, which is why they've chosen to defend along the river."

The tall officer then asked, "Are the French waiting for reinforcements?"

"The British say that France's financial situation does not permit a large-scale increase in troops. They also promised that if France sends reinforcements, they will provide us with even more assistance."

As Kehler was speaking, a scout rode up, reining in his horse a short distance away, and called out loudly:

"Report, General! The Albanians have sent word that their scouts have spotted signs of Tunisians near Nefza. Requesting your orders!"

Nefza was in the easternmost part of Annaba, almost crossing the Algerian border. The Albanian mercenaries, acting as the vanguard, had already reached that location.

Kehler narrowed his eyes, mused for a moment, then stated with certainty:

"It must be tribal militias from Bizerte, reconnoitering our army's movements. Have Semiz intensify reconnaissance and continue advancing."

Semiz was the Janissary officer in charge of commanding the Albanian mercenaries.