Chapter 977: Second Military Reform
The "Insubordination" incident involving the Udine garrison didn't actually cause much of a stir in France.
Primarily, because the incident implicated collusion between the Intelligence Bureau and military officers, which had a very negative impact, Joseph instructed the General Staff to disseminate the official story: General Bonaparte had ordered Desaix to illicitly sell military supplies from Mantua Fortress to the Austrians. The Austrian side had also severely punished a large number of officers for the matter.
Conveniently, Leo had recently exiled many involved officers to the desolate mountains of Transylvania, and the news from both sides suddenly aligned.
As for the Intelligence Bureau, it was a separate case: over a hundred agents from the Central European Operations Department of the Intelligence Bureau were collectively implicated in embezzlement, totaling as much as 150,000 Francs.
This amount was verifiable, and Marat had even directly intervened with the Office of Fair Investigation. Indeed, 150,000 Francs were missing from the accounts, and their use could not be explained.
Marat even personally came to Joseph to apologize for the matter, lamenting his negligence for not having discovered any hint of such a massive corruption case.
After the "Insubordination" incident was handled separately, it became two slightly larger, ordinary news stories.
However, to Joseph's surprise, even before the military tribunal's verdict was announced, people were already approaching him to plead for Napoleon and the others.
In the Crown Prince's reception room, Dumouriez bowed, speaking with a heavy heart:
As a high-ranking military official, he was aware of some of the true circumstances. After sternly rebuking Napoleon, he subtly shifted the topic:
"However, he is still very young, eager to prove himself like any young man, and he merely wanted to teach those damned Austrians a lesson... In the end, the matter was stopped, and no significant damage was done."
The seventy-year-old general discreetly glanced at Joseph: "Your Highness, in truth, many officers share his desire to conquer Vienna in one fell swoop. Moreover, everyone is convinced that our army possesses the capability to defeat all of Germany simultaneously."
"Your Highness, I have no intention of questioning your decisions whatsoever. It's simply that I believe imprisoning Mr. Bonaparte would be a waste. Perhaps he could be punished by having him atone for his actions on the battlefield. For instance, in Portugal..."
He had personally witnessed Napoleon's brilliant command abilities on the Italian battlefield and truly valued his talent. Had it been anyone else pulling such a stunt, he would have undoubtedly ignored them.
Joseph didn't concern himself with Napoleon's situation; instead, he noticed another comment the old general had made and inquired:
"You just mentioned that many officers wish to continue the offensive against Austria?"
"Indeed, Your Highness."
"Could you tell me who they are?"
"Well, both the Army of Italy and the Army of the Rhine have such sentiments..." Dumouriez immediately added, "To some extent, I also agree with the view that Austria should be weakened as much as possible, Your Highness."
Joseph couldn't help but frown.
'I've been thinking of the officers as far too rational.'
Honestly, with France's military strength clearly superior, anyone would get carried away.
If he hadn't known Emperor Napoleon's fate beforehand, and hadn't been influenced by the later concept of "diplomatic balance," he might well have truly marched east and paraded through Vienna.
Therefore, there must be many in the army currently bewildered by his strategy of preserving Austria.
This matter absolutely had to be taken seriously.
An army that is willing to fight and eager for battle is an asset, but if it can't be reined in, the danger is even greater than a lack of ambition.
Just like Imperial Japan in World War II, its army and navy became so entangled that they dragged the nation deeper and deeper into the quagmire of war, ultimately sacrificing the entire country.
Joseph let out a silent sigh.
'It seems that educating officers and soldiers on ideology and principles, and ensuring they are promptly informed of the General Staff's strategies and policies, needs to be placed on the agenda as soon as possible.'
'Indeed, isn't this precisely the Political Commissar System that would later play a monumental role in the Soviet army?'
Historically, during Napoleon's era, "political commissars" were actually dispatched to the army to promote republican ideals among soldiers and oversee aristocratic officers; one could consider them a rudimentary form of political commissar.
Of course, the Soviet commissar model isn't suitable for the current French army. Aspects like strict ideological control over soldiers and frequent interference with military command authority would definitely need improvement.
However, during World War II, political commissars led by example, boosted morale, and interpreted central strategies for the soldiers, playing a massive role in winning the war.
In this regard, the political commissars in Eastern armies performed exceptionally well. They often served not as "supervisors" but as friends and mentors to the soldiers.
How to ultimately forge the most suitable "Political Commissar System" for France still required detailed planning, but this system absolutely had to be integrated into the army.
Coincidentally, the "Second Military Reform" was next on the agenda, and this would become a core component of the reforms.
Joseph reined in his thoughts. For now, he first had to address the army's excessive exuberance, otherwise, there was no telling when another incident of "Insubordination" might occur.
'Oh, and there's still an old general to deal with.'
He said to Dumouriez, "General Dumouriez, do you know about falcons?"
"Yes, Your Highness." The latter nodded. "My friend, Marquis Montmorency, keeps a few."
"Very well." Joseph extended two fingers. "Suppose you have two falcons."
"One is swift and has sharp talons; any rabbit that flashes before it is sure to be caught. But it has a flaw: it occasionally flies off erratically, even stirring up trouble with beehives or skunks."
"The other is quite ordinary, a slow flyer, and only catches a rabbit once every three attempts. Yet, it is extremely obedient; it will stand perfectly still on your arm until you give the command."
"Now, you're going hunting, but you can only take one."
"Which would you choose?"
Dumouriez was silent for two seconds before letting out a soft sigh. "I understand, Your Highness. Everyone would choose the second one..."
Joseph nodded. "Regarding why we must halt hostilities with Austria, I will explain it during next week's parade commemorating the Paris Police Academy's sixth anniversary."
"You may return now."
Once Dumouriez had bowed and departed, Joseph began to devise a plan for a "French-style Political Commissar System."
What he hadn't told the old general was that he would choose the first falcon, and then carefully "train" it.
Only once its ambition, arrogance, and defiance were thoroughly tamed could he bring it back to the hunting grounds.
Of course, if even continuous "training" yielded no results, he would have no choice but to leave it in a cage to fend for itself.
...
August 23, 1794.
King Louis XVI of France's 40th birthday was approaching.
Nowadays, His Majesty the King's birthday had become a "day of revelry and entertainment" for all Parisians, especially after being suspended for a year due to the war, people's enthusiasm was even higher.
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