From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

1771, early October

In the throne room of the Royal Palace of Turin, Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont

"Everyone, tell me what you think."

The old man sitting on the throne threw a report on the long table, and his sharp eyes swept through the ministers and generals in front of him one by one. His tone was very calm, but he was intimidating without anger, which made the ministers and generals in the court subconsciously lower their heads:

"According to the urgent news from the south this morning, the Corsican army launched an invasion of Vadolidore. If it is not unexpected, the group of Corsicans has now set foot on our territory."

The old man who spoke was the owner of the Royal Palace of Turin, the Duke of Savoy and Piedmont, the ruler of the Kingdom of Sardinia, Carlo Emanuele III, who was already seventy years old.

Although this old king was not a famous god in history, compared with other European monarchs of the same period, he was indeed an absolutely wise monarch.

Even Frederick the Great of the Kingdom of Prussia once declared:

"Among all the monarchs in Europe, only I, Queen Maria Theresa of Austria, and King Carlo Emanuele III of Sardinia can be called wise and talented. The others are all fools, misled by bad education and trapped in it."

In the past forty years of his reign, the old king has used extremely outstanding diplomatic and military means to gain precious development opportunities for the Kingdom of Sardinia in the European continent surrounded by powerful enemies.

He was on the victorious side in both the War of the Polish Succession and the War of the Austrian Succession, and personally led the army in the war, showing his outstanding military talent and winning a lot of land for him after the war.

Afterwards, he wisely refused to join the Seven Years' War, saving the Kingdom of Sardinia from the catastrophe of the largest war of the same period.

It can be said that Carlo Emanuele III was absolutely indispensable for the later Savoy Dynasty to unify the Italian countries.

However, since the Kingdom of Sardinia joined the Italian War under the persuasion of Britain, the old king who had once been famous for his achievements seemed to have lost his integrity.

In the original plan of the Kingdom of Sardinia, it should be easy for an army of nearly 10,000 people to take Ajaccio and occupy the entire Corsica with the cooperation of the British fleet.

But the reality is that one-third of the standing army of the entire kingdom was annihilated on the island of Corsica, and even Sardinia, which Carlo Emanuele III had worked hard for more than 30 years, was claimed by the Kingdom of Corsica as its own province.

Although the Kingdom of Corsica has not yet formally established its sovereignty over Sardinia, and the overall national strength of the Kingdom of Sardinia is still superior to that of the Kingdom of Corsica, the current war situation has already made the old king feel very angry.

Since learning that Colonel Bartlan's army was annihilated, Carlo Emmanuel III has been furious with the Minister of War more than once, denouncing why he let that useless man Bartlan lead the army, and said that even if he, who was seventy years old, led the army in person, he could easily occupy the entire Corsica.

In the throne room, facing the King's plain inquiry, the civil and military ministers all bowed their heads tightly and had no words to answer, especially the Minister of War and the generals, who were silent as if walking on thin ice. No one dared to add fuel to the anger of His Majesty at this time.

After all, the Kingdom of Sardinia was actually beaten to the mainland by the Corsicans, who were weak, barbaric and backward in their eyes. Needless to say, this matter has been regarded as a great shame by His Majesty.

Seeing the atmosphere becoming increasingly tense, the haggard Minister of the Army spoke cautiously:

"Your Majesty, the enemy is very likely to launch an attack on the towns in our country. Now the top priority is to strengthen the defense of the towns"

"No!"

Before the Minister of the Army finished speaking, the old king on the throne interrupted him unceremoniously in a deep voice:

"The Corsicans will not waste time in those towns. They have only one goal, which is to take advantage of us not being able to regroup and fight here as quickly as possible, to the Royal Palace of Turin!"

The old king's voice mixed with a bit of anger echoed in the throne room, and no minister dared to raise a single objection.

Carlo Emanuele III was an outstanding leader and diplomatic expert when he was young. At this moment, he correctly judged that the Corsican army might not give the Kingdom of Sardinia more breathing time, and their goal would go straight to the Royal Palace of Turin.

Once Turin falls, the Kingdom of Sardinia will be forced to withdraw from the Italian War, or even cede Sardinia. This will undoubtedly become a foregone conclusion.

Carlo Emmanuel III swept his ministers, especially the Minister of War and those generals, with a gloomy look. Since Colonel Bartland was annihilated in Corsica, the old king was extremely disappointed with these ministers who were just sitting there doing nothing.

After thinking for a moment, the old king looked at a graceful middle-aged man in front of him:

"Vittorio, I have a task for you."

"As you wish, father."

The middle-aged man took two steps forward and bowed respectfully. This was Prince Vittorio, the eldest son of Carlo Emmanuel III and the heir to the Kingdom of Sardinia.

In history, Prince Vittorio inherited the entire Kingdom of Sardinia two years later and continued administrative and military reforms along the path of his father. His ability was also remarkable.

After the outbreak of the French Revolution, Prince Vittorio also led the Kingdom of Sardinia to join the first anti-French alliance and fought tenaciously against the French army for four years.

However, when the army led by Napoleon appeared in northern Italy, the resistance of the Kingdom of Sardinia seemed somewhat futile.

They lost several major battles one after another, so they were forced to surrender, ceded a large core territory of Savoy to France, and were forced to withdraw from the first anti-French alliance. Even Vittorio himself, as the king, also He died of illness the same year he surrendered to Napoleon.

Of course, in the eyes of Carlo Emanuele III at this time, his successor, whom he had cultivated for decades, was extremely excellent in both character and ability. It was for this reason that he dared to confidently block the attack on Keke. The important task of the Sica Army was placed in the hands of Vittorio:

"You will lead the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th line infantry regiments of the Royal Army and the Royal Cavalry Regiment to intercept the Corsican Army. Since they landed from Valdolidore, they will definitely use the Sol Corridor. Pass through Liguria and enter the Po River Valley. If you lead the army and set off now, you should be able to block the Corsican army in Liguria in time. "

For Carlo Emanuele III, the reason why he sent his heir to the battlefield was based on two factors:

One is because since the successive defeats of Colonel Bartland and Lieutenant General Ethel in the Mediterranean and the rebellion of Governor Bertrand, he has become increasingly disgusted with those incompetent generals and disloyal ministers.

And his successor's ability is quite useful, and he will never be as disloyal as Governor Bertrand. He is indeed the most suitable candidate at the moment.

Secondly, if Prince Vittorio can lead his army to meritorious service and establish prestige in this war, it will undoubtedly be of great benefit to the prince's succession. After all, the old king is now seventy years old, and this throne It may be handed over to Prince Vittorio at any time, and he must also consider this.

Prince Vittorio naturally understood the purpose of his father's assignment this time, and there was some obvious excitement in his words:

"Yes, father, give me two weeks, and I will personally carry the captured Corsican battle flag and present it to you as a collection."

Carlo Emanuele III nodded with pleasure, but after a moment of reflection he still ordered:

"However, I don't want you to fight directly with the Corsican army. You only need to contain it in Liguria. The Corsicans came with the idea of ​​​​a quick victory, but we are different. , since their main force has arrived at Valdolidore, it means that the defenses of Corsica and Sardinia must be empty. We must take the opportunity to take back the two islands before fighting the main force of the Corsican army. "

It has to be said that as an old king who has been in power for forty years, Carlo Emanuele III is indeed an extremely calm ruler. Even with a huge military advantage, he still chose the lowest-risk approach. .

After all, even if Prince Vittorio’s army far exceeded the Corsican army in quantity and quality, the old king did not dare to assert that he could easily defeat the enemy, and Carlo Emanuele III definitely did not want to let his There is a slight risk that the heir will be defeated and captured.

Therefore, Carlo Emanuele III's deployment is very clear - drag the main force of the Corsican army in northern Italy, take the opportunity to take back the defenseless islands of Corsica and Sardinia, and completely cut off the Corsican army. retreat, and finally concentrate their forces to annihilate the enemy in Liguria.

A trace of disappointment flashed across Prince Vittorio's face. If he had just defended blindly, such a feat would naturally not be as good as directly defeating the entire Corsican army. However, he was still very obedient and kept his father's instructions in mind. :

"I understand, you can rest assured that I will never let any Corsican enter the Po Valley alive."

While the Turin court was discussing countermeasures, the Corsican army also took over the seaport town of Valdolidore after a brief battle.

As expected in advance, the Kingdom of Sardinia did not expect that the Corsican people would dare to take the initiative to attack. In other words, even if they were prepared, they did not know which port the Corsican army would choose to land at. Therefore, Valdolidore There are only some weak militiamen stationed inside.

After successfully landing in the Kingdom of Sardinia, Lawrence and his officers immediately began to discuss the implementation of the follow-up plan.

The overall plan has not changed much. It is still based on the strategy proposed by the Army Staff Captain Andre Davout. The troops were divided at Valdolidore, and a small group of troops marched directly north to confuse and involve Sardinia. The main army of the kingdom, the main force of the Corsican army, bypassed Genoa eastward and then directly attacked Turin via the Po River plain.

However, there is still an extremely important question before Lawrence and the officers - how to divide the troops.

The strength of the Corsican Army was only about half that of the Sardinian Army. Moreover, Lawrence did not order Major Serulier and his Corsican garrison to participate in this operation. Instead, he ordered Major Serulier and his garrison to participate in this operation. The troops are responsible for homeland defense.

Marshal Serurier in history came into Napoleon's sight for his ability in administrative management and rear stability maintenance. His indispensable performance in the siege of Ajaccio also proved his defensive command ability.

Therefore, Lawrence was relieved to leave the entire defense of the homeland to Selurie, and at the same time, he was able to monitor and contain the newly surrendered Governor Bertrand, as well as other local factions on Sardinia.

But in this way, the Corsican army that followed Lawrence to land at Valdolidore was only three Wehrmacht Chasseur regiments equipped with rifled rifles.

In this case, if the number of feint troops is too small, it will not be able to contain and confuse at all. If the number of feint troops is too large, the main force attacking Turin will be in a dangerous situation.

How to allocate troops has become a core problem in the command post. More than a dozen senior officers and personal staff members have been arguing about this issue. There is no conclusion for a whole morning. Even Lawrence himself is still analyzing and weighing this issue in detail. question.

Seeing that the chattering debate in the command post was still continuing, Lawrence suddenly looked at Berthier and ordered:

"What does Andre Davout, the man who proposed the division of troops plan, think of it? I want to hear his opinion."

Berthier looked slightly hesitant. Although Andre Davout's resume as a Paris Military Academy cadet was flawless, and the division of troops plan he proposed was fully recognized by all the officers, Berthier Aike didn't think that his peer could have any insightful opinions on how to divide the troops.

After all, the Corsican army that landed at Valdolidore had a huge disadvantage in terms of military strength. This was a hurdle that no one could get around.

But now that Lawrence had spoken, Berthier nodded and immediately stood up to summon Andre Davout to arrive. The quarrels and discussions in the command post quickly subsided.

After a while, a man wearing the uniform of a Corsican Army Staff officer followed Berthier back to the command post.

He is very tall and can definitely be selected as a forward in the Grenadier Regiment; his skin is bronze, and if you look closely, you can find countless small scars left by hard training; the muscles all over his body are not exaggerated, but they look as hard as Iron, extremely strong.

Even without looking at the military uniform on his body, just by the tall and straight posture of the opponent and the majestic and killing temperament, anyone can instantly guess that this is definitely a soldier among soldiers. Such a person should appear in the royal family. The Guards Corps is the right one.

He took two steps forward and instead of bowing to Lawrence, he gave a standard military salute. His words of greeting were also decisive, without any unnecessary words:

"Your Excellency, I am Andre Davout, Captain of the Army Staff."

Although the members of the Knights are directly addressed as brothers, since there are officers of the Corsican Defense Force in the command post, Andre Davout also uses the honorific title very politely.

Lawrence nodded with great satisfaction. He had also met countless officers and soldiers. It was extremely rare to be able to impress him as deeply as Andre Davout at the first meeting.

"I heard that you were going to graduate from the Paris Military Academy this year and go directly to serve in the Royal Cavalry of the Ile-de-France."

Lawrence did not directly ask about the troop division plan, but greeted casually:

"What made you give up such a good job in Paris and come with me to this remote battlefield in Italy?"

For the vast majority of French officers, the job of the Royal Cavalry is undoubtedly a good job, with generous remuneration and a bright future. They may not even have to risk their lives to go to the battlefield for the rest of their lives, but only need to stay in the peaceful and prosperous Isle of France to serve the royal family.

In particular, military academy cadets with excellent backgrounds and perfect resumes like Andre Davout will undoubtedly be reused and promoted among them.

Andre Davout seems to be taciturn and inarticulate, but there is no hint of flattery or falsehood in his words:

"My father and brother previously served in the Royal Cavalry, but they were framed by political enemies, convicted of treason, and both were executed. I gave up this position because I was worried about being implicated."

Andre's tone was flat and resolute, as if he was telling someone else's story, but his subconsciously clenched right fist undoubtedly showed that the blood feud related to family honor has been engraved in his bones.

Lawrence's face became more serious. Although Andre Davout was born into a military family with a long history, his family was essentially just a small aristocratic family in the countryside of Annox Province. If his father and brother really offended It is not surprising that Andrei chose to join the Charles Gang at that time, hiding his identity while finding another way.

I'm afraid Andre himself didn't realize how correct his decision was at that time. After all, even when the Duke of Choiseul was the Minister of War, he would never dare to show his face to the members of the officer corps directly under the Crown Prince. Kill him.

In addition, Lawrence also knew that for a martial arts family like Davout, honor was even put above life. The young Andre Davout would definitely not accept that his father and brother were slandered as traitors. Executed.

"I will write to Paris asking about your father and brother."

Lawrence solemnly promised:

"I think the Duke of Orleans will investigate all the ins and outs, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will also pay personal attention to this matter."

With the friendship between Lawrence and Duke Charles, it is not difficult to ask Duke Charlie to ask his father to investigate the Davout family case, including His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. This innocent and hateful boy will probably be very concerned about this.

Hearing this, Andre Davout instantly raised his head, and there was obvious emotion on his face as strong as a knife:

"I! Your Excellency, I am very grateful!"

Andre just doesn't speak well, but that doesn't mean he's stupid, stupid, and incomprehensible.

With Lawrence's words, Andre knew in his heart that it was only a matter of time before the Davout family's reputation was restored. After all, the so-called powerful man with powerful eyes and hands that his father offended was actually just a minister of state under the Ministry of War. That’s all.

Without the help of His Excellency Bonaparte, André Davout himself does not know which year or month it will take for him to have the opportunity to wash away the injustice and shame of his family, and which year and month he will have the opportunity to bring the mastermind behind the scenes to justice. By law.

Although he did not have the eloquence to express this kindness, Andre Davout still deeply remembered this favor in his heart.

Berthier, who was on the side, nodded slightly when he saw this, secretly sighing that his commander was indeed very clever, and he gained a loyal subordinate with just a little effort.

"There is no need to say thank you. The Shire Gang and the Privy Knights have been committed to helping each other since their establishment. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will not allow his followers to suffer such injustice."

Lawrence waved his hand and then turned the topic back to the original discussion:

"The main reason for inviting you here this time is another question. Andre, since you have proposed a plan to divide the troops to contain the enemy's main force, what do you think should be the ratio of force distribution between the feint attack force and the main force?"

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Andre Davout, although they did not feel that they could hear any inspiration from this young man. After all, not everyone was as young and successful as Sir Laurence Bonaparte. .

After hearing Lawrence's question, Andre Davout instantly regained his composure from the excitement just now.

He looked around at the crowd and seemed to have been prepared for this question. His voice was loud and brief:

"two hundred."

"two hundred?"

Everyone was confused by this random number.

"Two hundred soldiers."

André Davout added in a sonorous voice:

"If it were under my command, the feint attack force would only need two hundred soldiers."

There was an awkward silence in the command post, as if someone had just told a very vulgar joke.

Even Lawrence did not expect such a whimsical answer, and looked at André Davout in surprise.

"It's just nonsense!"

A senior Wehrmacht officer who spoke French yelled out unbearably. He could not tolerate this French boy in his early twenties continuing to talk nonsense here:

"Two hundred soldiers? The Sardinian army that came to intercept and block the attack is conservatively estimated to be four regiments in size. The two hundred of you are not even enough to fill someone's teeth!"

These veterans of the Wehrmacht had complained repeatedly about the sudden establishment of the Army Staff and the airborne members of the Privy Knights. After all, many of them had served in this force since the establishment of the Wehrmacht, but now there is a group of Young boys who had never even been on the battlefield came to share decision-making and command power with them.

However, due to the prestige of Prime Minister Bonaparte, the senior officials of the National Defense Forces also obediently accepted the participation of members of the Privy Knights in the Corsican Army.

But after hearing Andre Davout's nonsense today, not to mention the Wehrmacht officers, even the members of the Knights in the Army Staff looked at each other, wondering what this colleague was talking about.

"You only want two hundred people?" Lawrence didn't get angry, but confirmed with interest:

"You yourself also estimated when you proposed the plan that the Sardinian Army will send 8,000 to 10,000 people to block the attack in Liguria, and the remaining troops will be used to maneuver or defend Turin."

"As long as there are two hundred loyal, brave and obedient soldiers, plus a large amount of baggage and supplies, I am sure to contain the enemy in Liguria."

Andre Davout nodded without hesitation. There was no hint of timidity in his words, even in the face of the suspicion of the entire command post:

"If there's anything else I need, it's your trust."

"It's easy to handle a lot of baggage and supplies."

Lawrence gently rubbed his chin and looked at Andre Davout, who stood like an iron man, unhurriedly, as if he had guessed what the opponent's plan was.

The Kingdom of France was already responsible for all the logistical needs of the Corsican Army during the war, and not far to the west of Valdolidore was the French province of Provence. Supply lines, both land and sea, were easily accessible. Andre Davout This request is not difficult for Lawrence.

"Monsieur Bonaparte! Please do not tell me that you are considering this ridiculous proposal."

The furious Wehrmacht officer just now spoke again:

"Once the Kingdom of Sardinia invades Liguria and discovers our plan, the main force deep into the Po River Plain will be in danger of being attacked from two sides, and there may be a risk of the entire army being annihilated!"

His speech immediately won a response from the command post. Even many members of the Army Staff joined the opposition. The loss of two hundred soldiers was small. If it ruined the entire situation, no one could bear it. consequences.

In the midst of this attacking wave, even the extremely determined Andre Davout could not help but feel a little shaken and lowered his head slightly.

"That's enough."

Lawrence's voice was very soft, but it immediately silenced the chaotic temporary command post. He then looked at Andre Davout with a solemn expression:

"You just said that the last thing you need is my trust. Out of respect for the Davout family, I will give you all my trust."

"Lord Bonaparte!"

"Lord Prime Minister!"

"Absolutely not!"

The other officers in the command post could not sit still at all, and many of them screamed out loud.

But the displeasure and determination on Lawrence's face instantly made these opposing voices disappear completely:

"This is my final order. Captain Andre Davout of the Army Staff is promoted to Major Battalion Commander, with full command of the Fourth Battalion of the First Chasseur Regiment of the National Defense Army. The rest of the troops will rest for three hours and then march to Genoa City. Andre, do you accept this appointment?"

Hearing this order, the National Defense Army officers present were all shocked.

This is not just because Prime Minister Bonaparte assigned an additional battalion of troops to this French kid.

Moreover, the 4th Battalion of the 1st Chasseur Regiment was the 4th Battalion of the Northern Corps of the National Defense Army, which was the unit led by Prime Minister Bonaparte when he was a major battalion commander. This unit can be said to be the most direct line of Prime Minister Bonaparte in the army.

No one could have imagined that Prime Minister Bonaparte would give such deep trust to Andre Davout.

Andre Davout, who was as strong and resolute as an iron man, had his eyes moistened at this moment. With a plop, this iron-like strong man knelt on one knee wholeheartedly:

"I would rather die than let down the trust of Mr. Bonaparte!"

As the saying goes, a man dies for his confidant.

For a professional soldier like Andre Davout, he was able to meet such a superior who placed unlimited trust in him. He had already made the most sincere oath in his heart at this moment:

"Follow Bonaparte's side, die with my heart and soul, and never refuse."