Chapter 745: Total War
General Dugommier stood up in shock, quickly saluting.
"Yes, Your Highness! But..."
Before he could say more, Joseph cut him off and turned to Berthier.
"General Berthier, you are now appointed Chief Operations Officer of the Rhine Front."
"Yes, Your Highness."
**"Additionally, issue orders from the General Staff:
Lieutenant Colonel Victor de Moreau is to be appointed Deputy Commander of the Rhine Front.Major André Masséna will take command of the Right Flank Army of the Rhine Front."**
Berthier was visibly surprised but quickly nodded.
"Understood, Your Highness. I will inform them immediately."
Joseph sighed inwardly.
The brilliant commanders of history had not gone through the mass officer purge of the Revolution.
As a result, their ranks were still low, and Joseph had to place older, more experienced generals at the forefront—for now.
For example:
Moreau was currently leading the Tunisian Corps.Masséna was only the second-in-command of the Alpine Corps.
But Joseph knew their true potential—they were more than capable of commanding entire army groups.
They just needed combat experience to grow.
And the Rhine Front—the main battlefield against the Prussians and Austrians—would be the perfect training ground.
The likes of Duke of Brunswick (Prussia) or Wurmser (Austria) wouldn't even be able to keep up with Masséna and Moreau once they reached their full potential.
Plus, if they made mistakes, Berthier would be there to cover for them.
Joseph continued:
"The Rhine Front will consist of:
Royal 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Infantry DivisionsRoyal Longsword Grenadier RegimentRoyal 1st and 2nd Horse Artillery RegimentsVarious additional support units"
He listed over a dozen army units—mostly his elite "New Army" divisions, along with the best traditional corps: the Alpine and Champagne Corps.
Total manpower: 110,000 soldiers—the largest and most powerful army France could field.
With the best soldiers, best equipment, and best commanders, the Rhine Front would be France's "heavy punch" against the Coalition.
Joseph leaned closer and whispered to Berthier:
**"Let Masséna handle overall strategy.
Let Moreau take the lead in offensive operations and breaking deadlocks."**
Berthier immediately understood.
"Understood, Your Highness. I will remember your orders."
Joseph knew that Masséna was an absolute tactical genius—second only to Napoleon in history.
However, in the past, due to various political reasons, Masséna never reached his full potential.
Now, Joseph was giving him the perfect stage to unleash his true abilities.
With his orders noted, Joseph then pointed at Southern Netherlands on the map.
"I will personally command the Southern Netherlands Front."
The officers were not surprised at all.
The Crown Prince had fought in multiple wars, from Tunis to Silesia.
While some thought he should remain at General Headquarters, they also knew that leading from the front was his usual style.
Besides, with France's extensive semaphore network, strategic command could now be coordinated instantly across the entire country.
A message from eastern France could reach the west coast in under 50 minutes.
The only real delay was distributing new cipher books every week.
Joseph continued:
**"François Lefebvre and Jean-Baptiste Jourdan will accompany me on the Netherlands campaign.
The Southern Netherlands Front will include:**
Royal 4th Infantry DivisionRoyal 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Skirmisher RegimentsRoyal 1st and 2nd Field Artillery RegimentsThe Artois, Reims, and Rethel Corps"
When Joseph finished listing the units, Berthier frowned.
**"Your Highness, the enemy will likely send over 60,000 troops to the Netherlands.
You only have 20,000 men—and nearly half are traditional units...
Your forces seem insufficient."**
Joseph merely smiled calmly.
**"It's fine. I only need to delay the enemy for two months.
"If necessary, I will call upon the Paris Garrison and even the Swiss Guard."**
The Paris Garrison had 5,000 soldiers, while the Swiss Guard protected Versailles with 2,000 elite troops.
Joseph was not worried at all about leaving Paris unguarded.
Even if he emptied the city of soldiers, the Paris police were completely loyal to him.
If he gave the order, they would keep the city under control.
Joseph then surveyed the room and declared:
"Now, let us discuss the specifics of each campaign."
Berthier hesitated, then whispered:
"Your Highness, we have not yet assigned a commander to the Swiss Front."
Joseph nodded.
**"I haven't forgotten, Marshal Berthier.
Once Masséna finishes his operations on the Rhine, his army will become the Swiss Front."**
Berthier frowned.
"But—"
Joseph cut him off.
**"Do not worry.
Given Switzerland's harsh terrain and scarce resources, the Austrians will not be ready to invade for several months.
By then, we will have already won on the Rhine."**
Napoleon's Moment
Napoleon stepped out of General Headquarters, his mind spinning.
But excitement burned in his eyes.
Finally, this was his chance!
If he could win in Italy, he could rise through the ranks—and enter high society in Paris.
He pulled out his notebook, scanning the list of officers under his command.
**"Claude-Victor Perrin, Major Auguste de Marmont... His Highness seems to trust them greatly.
"Good, we also have La Harpe, Augereau, Sérurier, Menou, and Junot...
"If I can bring them to Italy, this war will be much easier."**
Many of these were his old comrades.
Since Joseph allowed him to select his own subordinates, he immediately brought them aboard.
Interestingly, Victor and Marmont had been Napoleon's real-life allies in history—they had fought side by side in the Italian Campaign.
Now, in this alternate history, they would fight together again.
[Note 1]
During the French Revolution, most noble-born officers fled France, fearing execution.
This led to a massive officer shortage—over half of all French commanders deserted.
As a result, young officers were rapidly promoted.
It was common for someone to jump three or four ranks at once.
Even Napoleon's meteoric rise was partly because of this officer shortage.
Now, with the nobility still intact, things were different—many historical generals were still low-ranking at this point.
However, Joseph had already spotted their talent—and was giving them the battlefield they needed to prove themselves.