Chapter 894: Strategic Layout in Iberia
Just a day later, the French General Staff received word that an Austrian army of eighty thousand had arrived north of Mantua.
Berthier had returned to Paris from the front lines a month ago. Upon hearing the news, he immediately hurried to Versailles to report to the Crown Prince.
"The Austrian mobilization is much slower than I anticipated." Joseph merely glanced at the report before folding it away, his expression calm as he addressed the Chief of the General Staff. "Proceed according to the established plan."
Indeed, long before Alvinczy had even left Vienna, the Intelligence Bureau had already funneled the news of Austria's decision to reinforce Mantua back to Paris.
With military movements on such a massive scale, anyone who wasn't deaf or blind was bound to hear something.
Following that, Joseph and Berthier, along with other officers of the General Staff, had formulated a series of contingency plans.
The two legions involved in these plans had set out more than a month ago and were already in position, waiting only for the first shots to be fired at Mantua before beginning their own operations.
Meanwhile, in Madrid, Spain...
The Spanish Minister of War, the Count of Aranda, looked at the French lieutenant colonel before him with clear dissatisfaction. "Lieutenant Colonel Junot, Olivenza is undoubtedly the most critical strategic point. Following the meeting between His Majesty and your Crown Prince, we have already transported a vast amount of logistical supplies to Badajoz.
Junot placed the instructions from the General Staff on the table. They bore the Crown Prince's encrypted signature—France's primary officials and officers all possessed unique codes that could be transmitted via the Chappe signal towers, serving as a verified signature. These codes were generated through complex encryption algorithms and decrypted with specific keys, ensuring absolute security.
"Olivenza does indeed possess significant strategic value, but the Crown Prince believes it is separated from Lisbon by the Tagus River. Furthermore, the strategic intent there is far too obvious; it would likely cause the Portuguese to retreat and dig in on the western bank of the Tagus."
Junot continued, "However, if we strike from Salamanca and seize the Almeida Fortress, we can drive south to threaten Lisbon—there are almost no obstacles between there and the capital. Simultaneously, we can push west to attack Porto.
"At that point, the Portuguese will be forced to split their forces for defense. We will hold the absolute initiative."
The Count of Aranda looked over the General Staff documents and exchanged a glance with the Chief Minister, the Count of Floridablanca. He remained insistent. "Perhaps we could try Olivenza first. If things go smoothly, we won't have to repeatedly move our combat supplies."
Junot sighed inwardly. 'Just as the Crown Prince predicted... these foolish Spaniards...'
Of course, Joseph wasn't merely guessing. He knew that in the early nineteenth century, Spain's first military action against Portugal—the War of the Oranges—had begun with an attack on Olivenza.
All because the region produced high-value oranges.
Short-sighted Spanish politicians had given little thought to military strategy, aiming directly for the orange groves because the Spanish Royal Family spent a fortune in gold importing them every year.
In that history, while the Spaniards caught Portugal off guard and quickly seized the Elvas Fortress in Olivenza, it gave the Portuguese time to react.
Portugal then used the country's rivers to establish layers of defense. Eventually, the Spanish army's momentum stalled, and they were forced to declare a ceasefire.
Portugal hadn't even needed to call for British aid before signing the Treaty of Badajoz, losing only the border territory of Olivenza.
This failure forced France to declare war on Portugal alongside Spain again seven years later to deal with Britain's largest naval base in the western Mediterranean and on the European continent.
By then, Portugal was prepared and immediately sought British help.
Furthermore, due to Napoleon's subsequent blunders—deposing Carlos IV and crowning his own brother, Joseph Bonaparte, as the King of Spain—the Spanish people rose in rebellion.
France was forced to pour endless troops into Spain. Napoleon himself eventually led a campaign there, losing countless soldiers and vast amounts of military funding. Later, even Napoleon admitted, "The Spanish war destroyed me. It was a truly festering ulcer..."
Thus, when Joseph formulated the operational plan for the Iberian Peninsula, he knew he had to prevent the Spaniards from jumping into the Olivenza pit for the sake of a few oranges.
The optimal plan was the strategy used during the second Franco-Spanish invasion of Portugal—striking at the Almeida Fortress in north-central Portugal, forcing the Portuguese army to defend multiple fronts at once.
This would also stretch Portuguese forces thin, prompting them to call for British aid sooner.
Then, with the French army providing support to Spain, Portugal would become Britain's "ulcer" instead.
Following the Crown Prince's instructions, Junot continued:
"Count Aranda, the supplies you stockpiled in Badajoz have not gone to waste.
"I am certain that Portuguese spies are already aware of the preparations there. It serves as an excellent distraction to deceive the enemy.
"When we mobilize our troops, the Portuguese will assume we are marching on Olivenza.
"When we actually launch the assault on the Almeida Fortress, we will surely catch them completely off guard."
Badajoz was the Spanish province directly adjacent to Olivenza.
Seeing the Spanish ministers still hesitating, Junot brought out the trump card Joseph had given him:
"The Crown Prince has already ordered ninety cannons to be transported to Salamanca. These guns will make the task of taking the fortress remarkably easy."
These cannons had been captured by the French army in the Rhineland and Italy. Some were Austrian-made, others Prussian. Their specifications and standards differed from French equipment, and their quality was far inferior to French-made artillery, so Joseph decided to use them as a diplomatic favor.
The captured British cannons, however, were kept. Whatever one thought of the British character, their cannon-casting skills were excellent. Those guns were kept for training in military academies or for sale.
The Count of Aranda finally fell silent.
Of course, the cannons were only one factor; the other was a growing respect for the French army's prowess in battle.
Seeing the shift, the Count of Floridablanca pressed his hands onto the table and made the final decision:
"Very well. Order the Marquis de la Romana to proceed to Salamanca immediately."
Meanwhile, in Alsace, eastern France...
Moreau listened listlessly to his staff's report on the movements of the Austrian army across the river, unable to suppress a yawn.
There was truly nothing worth hearing. The Austrians were constantly siphoning troops from Freiburg toward Italy. They had gone from an aggressive posture, seemingly ready to storm the border, to desperately digging defensive works, acting as though they intended to hold their ground until the end of time.
He truly wished Latour would have the guts to cross the river and attack. At least then he could earn some military merit.
It was better than watching the constant reports of victories from Napoleon and Masséna while he was stuck here doing nothing but catching the breeze.
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