Chapter 760: The Traitor
Lefebvre hastily urged:
"Your Royal Highness, if we are delayed near Brussels, even for just half a month, Austrian and Prussian reinforcements will arrive. Furthermore, Britain has recently landed 20,000 soldiers in Utrecht."
Utrecht is a province in the central Netherlands, only 140 kilometers from Brussels.
Meanwhile, Geldern, a crucial Prussian stronghold on the west bank of the Rhine River, harbored between seventy and eighty thousand troops. From there, it was little more than 170 kilometers to Brussels. Further afield, even more Coalition Forces were stationed.
If Brussels came under French attack, the Coalition Forces would likely mobilize a large number of troops to encircle and annihilate the French Southern Netherlands Army.
In such a scenario, the over 20,000 French soldiers stationed here would surely be unable to withstand them.
Therefore, forming a standoff with the enemy between Brussels and Wavre was the strategy that best aligned with the General Staff Headquarters' initial deployment plan.
Joseph nodded. "You're absolutely right. However, have you considered where the British troops in Utrecht would go if they didn't reinforce Brussels?"
"Uh... probably Geldern," Lefebvre responded.
Lefebvre's eyes lit up. "I understand, Your Royal Highness! So the Army of the Rhine should launch the first offensive. That way, they can tie down the enemy and prevent reinforcements from reaching Brussels."
Joseph shook his head. "No, quite the opposite. Brussels is where we will pin down the enemy.
"We must create an opportunity for General Berthier to push the front line to the west bank of the Rhine River. This is how our army will gain the greatest strategic advantage."
Lefebvre continued to strongly urge caution. "Your Royal Highness, if the Southern Netherlands front falls, the enemy could march south along Lille, and then directly threaten Paris...
"Perhaps you could first transfer some troops from the Army of the Rhine to assist in defending the Southern Netherlands."
His worries were not unfounded.
The lands along the Rhine River were dotted with small German states. Even if the French army occupied the west bank of the Rhine, it would be considered an acceptable loss for Austria and Prussia, the main forces of the Anti-French Coalition.
However, if the Coalition Forces breached Lille, Paris would be gravely threatened.
"If we recall troops from General Berthier, it will weaken our offensive along the Rhine, and neither side will gain an advantage."
Joseph gestured towards the ground. "You've probably forgotten that we can raise forces locally in Wallonia.
"The population here is numerous, but there hasn't been a large-scale conscription yet, so recruiting 10,000 soldiers shouldn't be too difficult. Coupled with the Walloon Police forces, our total strength here will reach around 40,000."
Lefebvre sighed. "Your Royal Highness, even 40,000 soldiers may still not be enough. Furthermore, the fighting capability of raw recruits can hardly be relied upon."
Joseph nodded. "If the enemy mobilizes over 60,000 troops, I will consider drawing forces from Berthier for the Southern Netherlands.
"As for new recruits, if used properly, they can still play a significant role."
Lefebvre stated, "Your Royal Highness, begging your pardon, defending against 60,000 enemy troops with 40,000 is still far too risky..."
Joseph, however, smiled. "Are you familiar with the 'Reverse Slope Tactic'?"
Lefebvre recalled every military lesson he had ever taken, then shook his head. "Your Royal Highness, I confess I haven't heard that term before."
"It's a tactic that can help us hold the Southern Netherlands."
The "Reverse Slope Tactic" Joseph spoke of was precisely the famous "masterstroke" of Duke Wellington in history.
At Waterloo, Wellington relied on this tactic to use an outnumbered force to fend off wave after wave of fierce assaults from Emperor Napoleon's Old Imperial Guard and cavalry, ultimately helping the British win the war.
Currently, Duke Wellington was still young and had not yet conceived of the renowned Reverse Slope Tactic.
Joseph, therefore, didn't hesitate to "patent" it a step ahead.
He believed that as long as the right battlefield was found, tying down 60,000 Prussian and British Coalition Forces with 40,000 soldiers would be absolutely no problem.
It was crucial to remember that currently, neither the British nor the Prussian armies possessed offensive capabilities comparable to Emperor Napoleon's Old Imperial Guard.
If even the Old Imperial Guard couldn't break through such a defense, it would be even more impossible for them.
Moreover, Joseph also commanded two of France's most elite Royal Artillery Battalions.
If positioned on high ground, their defensive efficacy could even surpass that of 10,000 infantrymen.
That night, Joseph's orders were dispatched to Lille, from where they would be transmitted via Chappe Telegraph to Berthier, who was stationed in Luxembourg.
The orders were simple: Berthier was to temporarily slow the pace of his offensive, giving the enemy the illusion that the French army was no longer capable of continuing its advance along the Rhine River.
Once the enemy relocated their forces to the Southern Netherlands, Berthier was to seize the opportunity to concentrate his strength, capture Trier, and then encircle the strategically crucial fortress of Koblenz in the middle Rhine.
At that point, the entire European continental war would be turned upside down!
The following day, at noon.
Joseph headed to the Artillery Battalion, intending to have lunch with the soldiers.
As he passed several heavily guarded tents, escorted by his personal guard, the flap of one tent was suddenly pulled open from within. A middle-aged man with sparse eyebrows, small eyes, and slightly drooping jowls emerged.
Ignoring the admonishments of the surrounding soldiers, the man bowed deeply to Joseph and declared loudly in accented French:
"Thank God, that I should meet you here! Your Royal Highness, the noble and valiant Crown Prince!"
"Hey, hey, don't push me! I just want to say a few words!" He desperately fended off the soldiers with his hands, continuing to address Joseph. "Your Royal Highness, I am a Lieutenant Colonel of the Peren Infantry Regiment. I have always held you in the highest esteem, and I hope you will grant me an opportunity to serve you..."
Joseph frowned, looking at his clothes; they were an Austrian military uniform.
And since he claimed to be from the Peren Infantry Regiment, he must be Flemish.
Joseph suddenly realized something, reined in his horse, and turned his head.
"What is your name?"
"Thoen Frans van Scheyck, Your Royal Highness, that is my name."
Joseph nodded. "Lieutenant Colonel Scheyck, can you persuade the captured Austrian soldiers to follow my command?"
"Of course, of course I can!" Scheyck's eyes glinted with just the right amount of flattery. "They will be even more loyal than your own troops."
Joseph smiled and said to Lefebvre beside him:
"Please escort him to the prisoner-of-war camp. Perhaps we can gain some Flemish soldiers..."
Just then, a man with gaunt cheeks, a very tall build, and seemingly around 50 years old, emerged from an adjacent tent. Seizing a moment when the soldiers weren't looking, he stepped forward and delivered a kick to Scheyck, simultaneously roaring:
"You damned bastard! To shamelessly betray the Southern Netherlands!"
Joseph had the soldiers restrain the man, then dismounted and looked at him. "And who are you?"
"I am Willem Wiegel van Thien, commander of the Antwerp Legion."
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