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Chapter 744: It's Decided! Emperor Napoleon!

All the officers unanimously looked at the map, their expressions thoughtful.

Berthier frowned in confusion.

"Your Highness, what do you mean by a 'right hook'?"

Before Joseph could answer, Napoleon, sitting in the back row, had his eyes light up. He eagerly stepped forward a few paces, declaring impulsively:

"Italy! Yes, this will be the best breakthrough point. Like a powerful right hook, slamming hard into Austria's jaw..."

The Duke of Broglie shot a displeased look at the young officer, saying in a low voice:

"Please calm yourself, Lieutenant Colonel Buonaparte, you are being disrespectful."

Joseph, however, smiled, unfazed, and looked at Napoleon:

"Please tell me, why do you think Italy is the best breakthrough point?"

He knew very well that Napoleon's renowned campaign was leading a group of raw recruits, relying on his astonishing military talent to swiftly conquer Italy, giving the then-precarious Directory a crucial lifeline. Perhaps it was the inertia of history, but now facing the Anti-French Coalition, Emperor Napoleon once again showed keen interest in Italy.

Napoleon nervously glanced at the Duke of Broglie, then collected his thoughts and bowed to Joseph:

"Your Highness, your words just now reminded me.

"Previously, we kept our attention on the north. While it is the main theater of war and strategically vital, it also concentrates a large number of enemy forces. The combined armies of Prussia, Austria, Hanover, and the Netherlands will exceed 200,000 men, so implementing your proactive offense there would be extremely difficult.

"In the Italian direction, the main enemy is only Austria. Oh, perhaps they can also receive support from Sardinia and the British fleet, but their overall strength is much weaker than the northern front.

"However, Italy provides a direct route into Austria's heartland!

"Once we breach Milan, we can advance along Venice—oh, the merchants there offer virtually no resistance—and reach Campoformido directly.

"After that, only the Sava River will stand between our grand army and Vienna!"

Joseph directed an exceedingly approving gaze at Emperor Napoleon:

"Your strategic insight is exceptionally keen. The Austrians are only thinking of attacking our country's south from Sardinia, but they've forgotten that it is also their most vulnerable point."

Surprise rippled through the officers in the conference room.

It seemed the Crown Prince's talk of a proactive offense wasn't mere bluster after all.

But they swiftly realized that if the Austrian forces in Italy could truly be routed, the tide of the war would indeed turn decisively in France's favor, just as Napoleon predicted.

Berthier looked at Napoleon, then at Joseph, and said cautiously:

"Your Highness, wouldn't this be a bit too risky? I mean, if our progress in Italy is unsuccessful, it will be very difficult to retreat the army back home..."

His concerns were not unfounded.

Between France and Italy were the towering Alps. Although there were many mountain passes at lower altitudes that could be traversed, the climate there was extremely harsh. Besides summer, it was perpetually snow-capped. In winter, the mountains could even be sealed off by snow.

If the army wanted to retreat from the Alps, it could easily become congested in front of the mountain passes and be routed by pursuing enemy forces.

Joseph's tone was brimming with confidence:

"I am confident that the soldiers of France will secure a resounding victory in Italy.

"Furthermore, we will launch a counteroffensive from the Swiss direction, coordinating with the Italian front to provide mutual support.

"Even if an unforeseen event occurs in Italy, the Swiss Legion's support will swiftly stabilize the situation.

"You don't believe the Austrians can triumph on both fronts, do you?"

Although Berthier still harbored some concerns, seeing the Crown Prince's resolute gaze, he took a deep breath and shook his head, declaring: "No, Your Highness, we will crush them on both fronts!"

"Excellent."

Joseph nodded, then turned to General Pierre de Dumouriez, seated in the front row, and stated solemnly:

"General Dumouriez, you are hereby appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Italian Front Army.

"Under your command will be the Joubert Legion, the Corsican Legion, the Moulins Legion, as well as the Lyon, Montpellier, and Toulouse Legions. You are to assemble the army in Savoy as quickly as possible, and then launch an attack on Milan."

Milan was Austria's political and military center in Italy. If Milan could be captured, Austria's influence over the Apennine Peninsula would be cut by more than half.

However, after Joseph gave the order, the General Staff officers all showed puzzled expressions and exchanged discreet glances.

General Dumouriez was approaching sixty, and his physical condition was not robust. Although he held a certain prestige in the army, tasking him with such a dangerous and complex mission as commanding the campaign in Italy still seemed somewhat ill-advised.

Furthermore, the forces assigned to the aging general by the Crown Prince...

Although they comprised roughly 35,000 soldiers, they were all "traditional legions," or what the Crown Prince called "old armies." Among them, only the Moulins Legion, known as the "strongest traditional legion," had significant combat strength; the other legions were rather unremarkable.

General Dumouriez was quite taken aback. He had thought he would at most help with allocating logistical supplies at the General Staff Headquarters, but he never expected to be appointed Commander-in-Chief of a front army.

But he immediately stood at attention, head held high, and declared:

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Joseph gestured with a nod, then looked at Napoleon, the acting commander of the Corsican Legion:

"Lieutenant Colonel Buonaparte, you are appointed Second-in-Command of the Italian Front Army, assisting General Dumouriez in commanding the campaign in Italy."

Napoleon's eyes instantly widened in astonishment.

He had just heard that the Corsican Legion would join the campaign in Italy and thought he would at most serve as a detachment commander, but the Crown Prince directly made him the second-in-command of the front army!

He stood frozen for a moment, then hurriedly snapped to attention, and exclaimed excitedly:

"Yes, Your Highness! Thank you for your trust, I will not disappoint you!"

Joseph smiled:

"Go forth and succeed, I am confident you will achieve brilliant results."

This was his underlying objective.

Napoleon's current rank and experience were simply too low; many officers of superior rank might refuse to obey his command. So, Joseph assigned Dumouriez to serve as a deterrent within the army.

Given Dumouriez's stamina, even crossing the Alps would be strenuous, making it almost impossible for him to command the subsequent battles.

Therefore, Napoleon would become the de facto Commander-in-Chief.

Once Emperor Napoleon solidified his prestige with tangible victories, he would no longer need to rely on borrowed authority.

As for the quality of the troops, that posed even less of an issue for Emperor Napoleon.

Historically, Emperor Napoleon had won the Italian campaign with a group of raw recruits. Although he was now being given old armies, there wasn't a single recruit among them.

And among them was an elite unit like the Moulins Legion.

Emperor Napoleon would certainly give the Austrians a tremendous surprise.

Having finalized the Italian deployment, Joseph looked at another veteran general sitting in the front row:

"General Dugommier, you are appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Rhine Front Army."