Chapter 805: What Cannot Be Won on the Battlefield Can Be Secured Early at the Negotiating Table
The officers took a moment to carefully digest the Crown Prince's strategy, nodding in agreement as the implications sank in.
It was easy to imagine the scenario. If General Latour's army attempted to storm Basel, the news would reach Luxembourg before his soldiers even finished crossing the river. Masséna could immediately halt his advance and redeploy reinforcements to support Moreau. Conversely, if Napoleon confirmed that the enemy had no reinforcements coming his way, he would be free to launch an all-out assault on Mantua.
On the other hand, if Latour split his forces to head for Italy, Napoleon would transition to a defensive posture the moment he received word. Masséna and Moreau would then seize the opportunity to launch their own offensive.
Of course, the battlefield was full of variables, but as the Crown Prince had noted, the French army—aided by the Chappe telegraph—could certainly make corresponding deployments well ahead of their enemies.
One had to consider that whether moving from northern to southern Rhine, or from the southern Rhine to Italy, a standard march would take at least half a month.
This meant the French army would have at least ten additional days to prepare.
The longer the front lines stretched and the more legions were involved, the more pronounced this information advantage became.
Davout suddenly noticed a potential flaw and turned to Joseph. "Your Highness, if Lieutenant Colonel Bonaparte fails to gain the upper hand at Mantua, our entire front line will be thrown into a passive state..."
Joseph offered a confident smile. "I have faith in him. Just as I have faith in the brave soldiers of France."
With the reinforcements, Napoleon would have over 60,000 troops at his disposal, roughly equal to the Austrian strength in Italy.
For a commander like Napoleon, parity in numbers was effectively an overwhelming advantage.
Perhaps the most strained person on the entire front would be Moreau, who would constantly find himself operating with insufficient manpower.
Joseph continued, "Furthermore, Mr. Talleyrand and the Count of Provence should have arrived in Turin by now."
"What? Turin?" The officers looked at each other in surprise. Sardinia was, after all, an enemy nation.
...
Turin, Sardinia.
The Count of Provence and Talleyrand, dressed in long robes with their hat brims pulled low to obscure their faces, avoided everyone as they followed the palace chamberlain into King Amedeo III's private study.
Talleyrand glanced at the Count of Provence, whose plump face was slick with nervous sweat, and whispered a word of comfort. "You have come here as a victor. It is His Majesty the King who should be nervous."
The Count nodded, though his heart remained in his throat.
Sardinia and France were currently at war. If the Sardinians decided to seize him as a bargaining chip, things would end miserably.
However, he feared the demands of his powerful nephew, the Crown Prince, even more than the Sardinians.
And so, he had come.
As the chamberlain closed the study door, King Amedeo III of Sardinia immediately stepped out from an inner room.
The Count of Provence took two steps forward and bowed. "It has been a long time, Your Majesty."
Talleyrand offered a symbolic bow as well but remained silent.
Amedeo III spared a glance for Talleyrand before turning back to the Count of Provence. He opened his arms with a somewhat stiff smile. "Hasn't it, my dear Stanisław? To see you in the midst of this chaotic war is truly a comfort to me."
The Count nodded. "Maria asked me to convey her warmest regards to you. She often misses you and the Queen."
Maria Giuseppina was his wife and Amedeo III's eldest daughter.
This was precisely why Joseph had sent his uncle to Sardinia—it was easier to talk business between family members.
"We miss her dearly as well..."
Talleyrand suddenly cleared his throat nearby. "Ahem. Your Majesty, while it may be impolite, perhaps the family catching up can wait until after we have finished our official business."
Amedeo III nodded. "Ah, of course. Please, be seated."
Once the three were settled, Talleyrand looked directly at the King of Sardinia, his aura pressing and intense. "Your Majesty, you may have heard that General Dumouriez's army is on the verge of encircling Alessandria. The Melas legion will soon be annihilated."
Amedeo III frowned. "I fear you are speaking prematurely..."
"Then let me tell you something you likely do not know," Talleyrand countered immediately. "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has dispatched Colonel Desaix with fifty thousand troops. They will be crossing the Cadibona Pass in two weeks."
"To be frank, even without those reinforcements, General Dumouriez's command is more than sufficient to seize Alessandria with ease."
"Let me reveal a bit more of the General Staff's operational plan to you."
"Following that victory, General Dumouriez will continue his westward march to lay siege to Turin."
Amedeo III immediately blustered, putting on a brave front while trembling inside. "Then he will witness the tenacious resistance of the Sardinian people right here!"
Talleyrand smiled thinly. "You know full well that General Dumouriez would only need a single infantry division to occupy this city."
"If you've come here to threaten me, you've made a grave mistake."
Amedeo III kept his tone sharp, but internally, he was gripped by panic.
The French had been sweeping through the Italian peninsula like a whirlwind, leaving the Austrian forces in a wretched state. They had even occupied Milan.
If Melas couldn't hold Alessandria, Turin was surely doomed. Even if the French didn't storm the city, they only had to surround it; he would be forced to surrender within three months at most.
Not to mention the fifty thousand French reinforcements following behind. In three months, they could likely plow through the entirety of Sardinia.
Talleyrand discreetly signaled the Count of Provence, who quickly forced a dry laugh, his plump face wobbling. "Come now, it was actually my idea to come to Turin."
"War is a loathsome thing. I wouldn't want to see you come to harm because of it."
Amedeo's expression softened slightly. "Then, what is your suggestion?"
The Count of Provence puffed out his chest. "It's simple. You withdraw from the Anti-French Coalition. In truth, Sardinia hasn't even formally declared war on France; there is no grievance between our two nations that cannot be resolved."
"I have already spoken with my brother, the King. He has promised to guarantee Sardinia's security."
"That includes handling any threats from Austria."
"You don't even need to make this public. Simply find an excuse to withdraw the Sardinian army to Turin and provide some 'convenience' for our troops when necessary."
Amedeo III was clearly tempted.
Although Melas had promised him that Vienna would send reinforcements, his own estimate was that the Austrians could, at best, hold Mantua. They might not even be able to retake Milan.
And he would be left to face the wrath of France alone.
He muttered hesitantly, "And what of Bresse and Chambéry?"
Those two provinces had been "conveniently" occupied by Napoleon after he crossed the Great St. Bernard Pass. Sardinian forces in the Savoy region were so weak that the territories had basically surrendered at the mere sight of a summons.
Talleyrand's voice rose sharply. "Savoy is the sacred occupied territory of His Majesty the King. It was won by the blood and cannons of French soldiers."
The Savoy region comprised the Sardinian territories on the western side of the Alps.
Amedeo III snapped angrily, "Is this the promise of the King of France?"
"I didn't quite agree with it myself," the Count of Provence interjected hastily, "but you know those fellows in the military. They are incredibly stubborn and refused to leave Savoy. However, I argued your case vehemently with His Majesty, and he has agreed to compensate you with Cham."
Cham was the westernmost province of Lombardy, which had previously belonged to Austria.
He leaned closer to Amedeo III, lowering his voice. "Furthermore, the King asked me to tell you that he will fully support Sardinia in reclaiming the lands currently occupied by the Papal States."
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