Chapter 747: A Shared Strategy
Southeastern France – Grenoble
General Dugommier, commander of the French Italian Army, lifted his gaze from the defensive map and turned to General Dute.
"If I remember correctly, the Privin Corps was only merged last year. They don't even have cavalry, do they?"
Dute nodded.
"Yes, General. It was formed from three infantry regiments and a skirmisher battalion from the Montpellier Corps after many elite soldiers were reassigned."
By "reassigned," he meant ambitious soldiers had enrolled in military academies. Upon graduation, they naturally joined the General Staff's elite units.
This drained the old military corps, leaving units like the Montpellier Corps weakened.
This was a common issue in the old French army—Montpellier's case was just particularly severe.
Dugommier sighed and leaned back in his chair.
**"Assigning them to defend Bresse was a rash decision.
Joubert's corps should have just left Lyon—why didn't they take up that position instead?"**
Dute sighed.
**"That was Colonel Bonaparte's decision, General.
He's been shuffling troops frequently but seems to have overlooked key defensive positions."**
Dugommier waved dismissively.
**"His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, is certainly bold in his strategy.
But when it comes to selecting officers, he clearly lacks experience.
Bonaparte may have won a few artillery battles in the Netherlands, but giving him command of 30,000 men was still far too reckless."**
Dute asked cautiously:
"Shall we order Bonaparte to adjust his deployment immediately?"
Dugommier sighed.
"Fine."
But he felt conflicted.
Before leaving Paris, the Crown Prince specifically instructed him not to interfere too much in Bonaparte's command.
Now, he could only watch helplessly as the young officer played his dangerous game.
"Perhaps I'll have to clean up his mess later."
Nice – Napoleon's Response
Napoleon listened calmly as General Dute read Dugommier's order.
Then, he stood at attention and replied:
**"The commander is free to question me. He may even reprimand me.
That is his right.
However, I will not change my plan."**
He thought to himself:
"These old relics are too short-sighted. All they want is to hold the line in the Alps against the Austrians."
"Thank God His Royal Highness didn't let them lead the Italian campaign."
Dute frowned.
**"With all due respect, the troops you deployed to Bresse… yes, they patrol the mountain pass diligently.
But their numbers are too small, and their combat effectiveness is… questionable."**
Napoleon smirked.
**"That's exactly why I chose them.
Finding a corps this weak actually took some effort."**
Dute was stunned.
"But what if the Austrians attack?"
Napoleon's smirk widened.
**"Then I will immediately lead my main force through the Cadibona Pass and invade Sardinia.
That's why I set up my headquarters in Nice."**
Dute's eyes widened in shock.
**"But… but what about Bresse?!
If the Austrians march unchecked, they'll reach Lyon in two weeks!"**
"That's why I left the Lyon Corps in Lyon—to slow them down."
Napoleon tapped his finger on the map and continued:
**"Meanwhile, I will have already crossed the Alps from the south.
From there, I will advance north to Turin.
Before Beaulieu can reach Lyon, I will cut his supply lines between Turin and Bresse.
Then, we have two choices:
If the Austrians continue toward Lyon, I will cross the Alps again and attack their rear.**If they turn back to defend Turin, I will pretend to march on Genoa.
The Austrians and British will never allow us to establish a foothold there, so they'll rush to stop me.
And at that moment, I'll choose the battlefield and crush them in the southern Po Valley."**
Dute processed the strategy carefully.
It made sense—Napoleon was leveraging French mobility to keep Beaulieu off balance.
But then, Dute realized a flaw.
He shook his head.
**"No, this plan has a fatal weakness.
Your supply lines from Nice run along the Mediterranean.
That makes them extremely vulnerable to the British fleet.
Even your march on Genoa would be at risk."**
It was a fair concern.
Historically, Napoleon's first Italian campaign nearly collapsed because of British naval interference.
He was extremely lucky that his supply convoys barely avoided British patrols.
It wasn't until France seized control of all Sardinia that Napoleon could secure a land-based supply route from Turin.
But Napoleon remained confident.
**"His Royal Highness said we will gain naval dominance in the Mediterranean.
You attended the General Staff meetings—you should know this."**
Dute raised an eyebrow.
"That was probably just propaganda to boost morale… and yet, this young officer is actually planning his campaign around it?"
It was hard to blame him for doubting.
Britain had ruled the seas for decades.
The French subconsciously feared challenging their navy.
And historically, Britain did indeed crush the French-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar, securing total control of the Mediterranean.
But this time, France had steam-powered warships.
The battle for naval supremacy was far from decided.
Dute sighed.
He warned Napoleon that the British Navy would likely target his supply routes and advised him to prepare countermeasures before leaving.
Two Weeks Later – The Offensive Begins
Napoleon appointed General André to lead the Moulin Corps as the vanguard, marching through the Cadibona Pass.
Meanwhile, he personally led:
The Corsican CorpsThe Joubert CorpsMarmont's artillery battalion
Once the Moulin Corps secured the pass, they would push north toward Cuneo, in southern Sardinia.
At the same time, Augereau and Sérurier would advance on either flank, covering the main army.
However—
Just as the Moulin Corps reached the Cadibona Pass, Napoleon received an urgent semaphore message from Nice:
"Enemy scouts spotted—large numbers of Austrian cavalry near the pass."
Napoleon's eyes narrowed.
He turned to Lucien, his brother.
"So Beaulieu's main attack is aimed at Toulon?"
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became.
He quickly leaned over the map and examined the troop positions.
The main army was still 20 kilometers from the pass, while the flanking units were spread apart.
That meant Beaulieu had likely only spotted the Moulin Corps.
Napoleon made his decision immediately.
He turned to Lucien.
**"Order General André: Engage the Austrians, but then immediately fall back.
Tell Augereau and Sérurier to pull their forces westward.
Let the rabbit come out of its hole…
Then we'll release the hounds."**
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