Chapter 743: The Right Hook Plan
Joseph turned to Dumouriez. "Although they speak French and are willing to cooperate with us, if we rashly send troops into the Southern Netherlands, it will easily incite their resistance."
Wallonia was still nominally Austrian territory and had its own autonomous government. In an era where nationalism was gradually awakening, forcibly deploying troops to control a foreign region would inevitably lead to various problems.
Back then, Emperor Napoleon had completely disregarded the will of the local populace, preferring to rule harshly with his army, which ultimately led to Europe simmering with resentment and uniting against France.
Dumouriez frowned. "Your Highness, are we to surrender Wallonia to the Austrians?"
"Of course not," Joseph replied calmly, leaning back in his chair. "We will wait for the Walloon Chamber of Commerce to plead with us to send troops. They don't like our army, but they detest the Austrian army even more."
The Walloon Chamber of Commerce was the local governing body.
Mirabeau tilted his head and asked, "Are you saying we should wait until the Austrian army invades Wallonia before we act?"
"You could say that."
Mirabeau exclaimed, "But in that case, the Austrian army will cause severe damage to our factories there!"
He then looked at Fouché. "The Intelligence Bureau needs to send people there to assist the Walloon Chamber of Commerce in dealing with any sudden developments. Next, let's discuss contingency plans for possible scenarios..."
Around three in the afternoon, after extensive brainstorming by the General Staff, the operational plan for the Southern Netherlands had largely taken shape.
Berthier then began to outline the enemy's possible strategic deployments in other directions. "Geldern has currently amassed over 50,000 enemy troops, primarily Prussians, with some British Cavalry.
"Clearly, we will deploy multiple layers of defense along the Luxembourg-Verdun line, which will be the main battlefield. Initially, four divisions will be needed for defense.
"And in Eastern Switzerland, the Austrian army might choose to attack our Strasbourg via the Saint Bernard Pass or the Simplon Pass. There's also a possibility they target Salins."
Strasbourg was in northeastern France, while Salins was in the east-central region, over a hundred kilometers away.
"Therefore, our army must deploy at least three divisions on the eastern front," Berthier stated. "Once the enemy's attack direction is confirmed, the Lorraine Legion and the Lyon Legion will be mobilized for reinforcement.
"With the aid of the Chappe Telegraph, the troops should be able to arrive in time.
"According to the General Staff Headquarters' preliminary plan, a total of 130,000 troops will be deployed on the northern and eastern fronts. An additional two divisions will be kept as reserves...
"Furthermore, at least two new divisions must be raised domestically within six months..."
Under France's current military structure, an infantry division comprised approximately 10,000 soldiers.
Berthier had essentially committed all available forces to the front lines, leaving fewer than 10,000 men in reserve.
Lieutenant Colonel Napoleon, seated in the back row, couldn't help but frown slightly, sensing that there was something amiss with the operational plan.
He was about to voice his opinion when the Crown Prince suddenly rose, interrupting the Chief of Staff. "General Berthier, frankly, while your plan is relatively sound, it completely buries our army's advantages.
"We shouldn't, and cannot, place ourselves in a purely defensive position."
The officers in the conference room exchanged dismayed glances.
'We have 160,000 men facing 400,000. It's a victory if we can even hold them off, let alone launch an offensive, isn't it?'
Only Napoleon stared at the Crown Prince in surprise, because he had just been thinking the exact same thing.
The Duke of Broglie hurriedly interjected, "Your Highness, but our forces are at an absolute disadvantage..."
Joseph nodded. "You're right, which is precisely why we cannot fight a defensive war."
"Defending strategic strongpoints would make our army lose its mobility, leading us into a war of attrition. We cannot outlast the enemy, neither in terms of manpower nor finances."
Napoleon nodded repeatedly. Defensive forces couldn't abandon their positions and withdraw, and the enemy would continuously commit troops to tie them down, which would be like shackling their own legs.
Joseph continued, "We must concentrate our forces to utterly defeat the enemy in one direction, then use our superior mobility to swiftly move to the next point and launch an assault there.
"We must strive to eliminate them or strike at their vital supply lines before the enemy can fully deploy and besiege our crucial strategic nodes!
"By pushing our defensive lines into enemy territory, we will forever be safe.
"This is how the French army fights!"
Once the officers had accepted his line of reasoning, Joseph approached the map and began to elaborate on the operational plan he had conceived on his journey back from Madrid to Paris. "The terrain in Switzerland is rugged, making logistics and supply difficult. Therefore, the enemy's advance speed here won't be too fast.
"Our first point of attack will be in the direction of Geldern..."
He spoke with great confidence, as this closely mirrored the French army's counter-offensive during the First Anti-French Coalition in history.
At that time, the French army still had a large number of new recruits, yet they fought all the way to the west bank of the Rhine River.
Later, it was due to political infighting within the Directory, leading to domestic turmoil, that Prussia and Austria seized the opportunity to push back and reclaim lost territories.
The French army had now been preparing for years, and its combat effectiveness was significantly higher than the new recruit legions of the Revolution era. Even with slightly fewer numbers, replicating historical achievements should not be difficult.
Just then, an officer strode in, quietly handing a report to Fouché.
The latter opened and read it, then rose and addressed Joseph. "Your Highness, news just arrived from Italy: Austria has likely secured military transit rights from Sardinia."
Hearing this, everyone's expressions immediately turned grave.
Berthier looked at the map on the table and frowned. "This gives the enemy another point of attack in the southeast."
Lefebvre added, "And after May, the snow in the Alpine passes will melt, making passage through there very easy. The enemy forces in the south are likely to invade our country even sooner than those in the north."
As the officers anxiously discussed the new developments in the war, Joseph, however, smiled, muttering in a voice only he could hear, 'This brings us even closer.'
He was, of course, referring to the First Anti-French Coalition in history.
Sardinia had ultimately capitulated to Austria, taking a stand against France. This was understandable, given Austria's very strong control over the Italian peninsula at the time.
Joseph cast a meaningful glance at Napoleon, seated in the back row, then tapped the location of Sardinia on the map with a thin stick. "It seems we need to adjust our operational sequence.
"First, we'll deliver a right hook to Austria."
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