From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

At almost the same time, outside Turin, in an engineering camp nearly ten miles upstream along the Po River

This camp was originally just a small village with a population of about a hundred people outside Turin, but in just two weeks, the Corsican army expanded it into a fortification camp that could accommodate thousands of people.

More than 3,000 Corsican soldiers and more than 2,000 Piedmontese farmers hired by Gao Xin were stationed around this camp, working almost day and night in two shifts.

Even in the dead of night, the echo of the axe hitting the tree trunk and the hammer hitting the anvil could still be heard inside and outside this brightly lit camp.

The fortifications built by the Corsican army with such huge manpower and material resources were naturally not the river crossing bridge predicted by the Sardinian army in Turin.

Instead, there is an amazing wooden dam that is more than 300 feet long and cuts off the entire Po River, as well as a large canal that is 40 feet wide and 7 feet deep and directly connects to the Slavic River.

When the dam was built, even the farmers in the lower reaches of the Po River quickly noticed something was wrong.

This late summer and early autumn season should be the flood season of the Po River. After several heavy rains, this usually gentle and calm river should show its turbulent and fierce side.

However, in recent days, the water volume in the lower reaches of the Po River has obviously decreased, just like an abnormal dry season.

Several branch rivers have even dried up. There is no water flow in the huge river, only piles of silt deposited in it.

No one knows what happened in the upper reaches of the Po River, and no one can even conclude whether it is a natural disaster or a man-made disaster.

Those farmers and herdsmen downstream, including the officers in Turin, could never imagine that those stupid Corsicans actually built a dam that cut off the Po River in just fifteen days.

"Finally. Done."

Chief of Staff Berthier stood by the Mapo River, staring at the 300-foot-long dam in front of him, and his tired eyes finally relaxed a little.

Fifteen days ago, when the Corsican army just arrived outside Turin and felt helpless about this indestructible and impregnable military town, Berthier suddenly thought of a radical plan:

It is now the flood season of the Po River. If the water of the Po River can be diverted directly to Turin, it will not be difficult to capture Turin within a month.

After all, there are not only a few thousand Sardinian soldiers stationed in Turin, but also nearly 200,000 ordinary people.

The amount of materials consumed by such a large population every day is an astronomical figure. Therefore, the biggest problem faced by the Sardinian army is not the Corsican army outside the city, but its own logistical supply.

If the water of the Po River can really be poured into Turin, it will cause a devastating blow to the city's material reserves and morale.

By then, the Corsican army outside the city will not need to spend a single soldier. The thousands of starving people and rebels in the city alone will be enough to force Carlo Emanuele III to sign his name on the humiliating peace treaty.

However, the risk of this plan is also extremely huge.

If the water attack plan does not work, the Corsican army will waste these precious weeks, and Prince Vittorio may lead his army back to defend Turin at any time, and the Corsican army's plan to attack Turin will undoubtedly be completely shattered.

Moreover, building this dam is extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive. Even if Berthier planned to flexibly mobilize the surrounding Sardinian farmers, almost two-thirds of the soldiers in the army still had to join the project, and the remaining soldiers could not even fully encircle Turin.

This is why a group of officers initially strongly opposed this radical plan.

However, after evaluation, Lawrence Bonaparte still rejected all objections and accepted Berthier's strategy, and directly ordered Berthier to be the leader of this plan, allowing him to mobilize all soldiers and materials in the army to ensure the implementation of the plan.

In Lawrence's view, this army deep behind enemy lines must not sit still, across the Po River, and sigh at Turin. They must take action immediately. Even the worst plan at the moment is better than the most perfect plan in the future.

Moreover, Lawrence has no doubt about Berthier's ability.

Although young, Berthier has received a good and professional surveying education since childhood. His father is a colonel surveying engineer in the French army. During his time at the Paris Military Academy, Berthier also majored in surveying.

Therefore, his knowledge of geography and hydrology is definitely better than that of anyone in the Corsican army, including Lawrence himself. This is why he was able to propose a strategy of attacking Turin by water in the first place, combining the geographical location of Turin with the hydrological information of the Po River.

At the same time, considering Berthier's excellent and unparalleled organizational and coordination skills, Lawrence was very confident in handing over this huge project to Berthier.

When Toyotomi Hideyoshi of Japan attacked Takamatsu Castle by water, he built a 3,000-meter-long dam within twelve days.

Although the difficulty of damming the Po River is undoubtedly higher, with Berthier's ability and higher level of engineering technology, Lawrence has no doubt that he can complete this task within two weeks.

Looking at the airtight wooden embankment that towered over the Po River in front of him, Lawrence was glad that he had indeed seen the right person.

"Bertier! How is the condition of the dike?"

Not far away, Lawrence led a group of officers on horseback along the Po River, waving to Berthier.

This morning, Lawrence received a letter from Berthier at the station, stating that the dam and the canal leading to the Turin moat had been completed, and the plan could be implemented at any time, so he came to inspect it in person.

When the officers of the Corsican Defense Force witnessed the embankment in front of them, they could not hide the surprise on their faces. It was hard for them to believe that the young man in front of them, who was about the same age as Prime Minister Bonaparte, actually It can be done to this extent.

You know, just managing and coordinating the more than 3,000 soldiers and more than 2,000 farmers in the engineering camp is an extremely labor-intensive job, let alone building the planned dam in just two weeks. The officers present We ask ourselves that no one can achieve the level of Berthier, who is only 18 years old.

"Your Excellency Bonaparte!"

Berthier ignored the shock of the officers. He got off his horse and raised his hand in salute. Since there were also senior officers of the Corsican Defense Force present, he also used the honorific title for Lawrence:

"The project has been basically completed, and the water from the Po River has been locked in Lake Tolka upstream."

Lake Tolka is a medium-sized lake not far upstream of the Po River. When Berthier cut off the Po River, this lake acted as a reservoir to store water from the Po River.

"The canal leading to the Sluft River has also been completed?" Lawrence nodded and asked.

The Slavt River is a small river directly connected to the Turin Moat. In Berthier's plan, he wanted to cut off the Po River and divert its flow, so that its surging water could flow directly into the Turin Moat.

The Turin moat is connected to the city's sewer system, so the water from the Po River can be poured directly into the city of Turin.

"It's all done together."

Berthier rubbed his temples slightly tiredly, but his words were still clear and concise:

"As long as the gate is opened and the water is released, the water level of the Turin moat will rise rapidly. According to the principle of the connector, the city will be immediately flooded by the river water. Moreover, the terrain of Turin is already in a depression, with hills to the east and the Alps to the west. The mountains have nowhere to release the flood, and within a week, the entire city will turn into a vast ocean.”

The officers subconsciously turned their heads and glanced at the outline of the city of Turin in the distance. Even if they witnessed Berthier's masterpiece with their own eyes, it was difficult for them to imagine the scene of this majestic city being submerged by water.

Lawrence nodded with satisfaction, feeling once again that this was Napoleon's chief of staff, so he dismounted his horse and stepped forward, patting the ash off Berthier's shoulders:

"Thank you for your hard work. If we can capture Turin, I will personally report the achievements of you and Andre Davout to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

After hearing this, all the officers immediately cast their envious eyes on Berthier. This young man already had a good personal relationship with Prime Minister Bonaparte and Prince Louis. Now he has proved his ability in the siege of Turin. In the future, Being reused and promoted is undoubtedly a sure thing.

Of course, no officer would be jealous of Berthier at all. After all, if they were allowed to lead the construction project of the dam, they would have no confidence that they would be able to take over such an important responsibility.

Berthier looked at Lawrence with great gratitude, but said nothing more. He did not dare to slack off until Carlo Emanuele III signed the peace treaty.

Lawrence's expression also became more serious. While he followed Berthier to patrol the embankment, he synchronized the latest battle situation to his chief of staff:

"The Davout tribe in the south sent a letter yesterday, stating that they would attack Nice westward and hold back the main force of the Sardinian Army by holding on to Nice. At this moment, I am afraid that they are already being besieged by the main force of the Sardinian Army."

"The attack on Nice was truly a risky and unexpected move. André Davout was indeed extraordinary. No wonder he was sure to contain the enemy's main force for more than a month."

After thinking for a moment, Berthier immediately understood Davout's intention. He spoke highly of his colleague's resourcefulness without hesitation, and then analyzed it carefully:

"It seems that we have to race against time. Once the city of Nice is broken and Turin has not yet been captured, Davout's troops will undoubtedly be in a desperate situation. The main enemy force will then outflank it from the rear, and our army will be in an equally embarrassing situation."

Lawrence also agreed with Berthier's judgment. The Corsican army indeed has no time to waste now:

"I plan to launch a comprehensive siege of Turin tomorrow morning. What do you think?"

Berthier stopped and looked up at the sky that was shrouded in dark clouds and the sun was out of sight. Even at noon, he could only barely see a dim halo among the layers of clouds.

The strong wind was blowing on both sides of the Po River, and the wind was mixed with moist water vapor, setting off huge waves twenty feet high on the river, crashing heavily into the wooden embankment like a boiling herd of animals.

There is no doubt that there will be another violent storm tomorrow, which is all too common on the Po plain during the rainy season:

"Tomorrow morning is the right time."

The next day, October 25

Turin, dark clouds over the city, thunder rolling

The heavy rain began to pour down on the land at night, and the pouring rain extended from the sky to the ground, and the air was full of the fragrance of soil.

In the Royal Palace of Turin, Carlo Emanuele III was lying on the bed in the back garden, listening quietly to the crisp crackling sound of rain hitting the glass, and enjoying this natural concerto in a good mood.

Rainy day, another beautiful rainy day, how nice it would be if this rain could continue for a month.

The old king thought so, although the humidity of rainy days would further aggravate his joint pain, but in the besieged city, every drop of rain made Carlo Emanuele III feel extremely relieved.

His Majesty, who once led the army personally, knew very well that every rainy day was basically a holiday for the soldiers in the army. Most commanders would not order the troops to march in the rain despite the complaints of the soldiers, and would not let them wield muskets like fire sticks in the rain to fight the enemy.

The same is true for the Corsican army. Every rainy day means that the Corsicans can only be forced to stay in the camp, staring at the towering walls of Turin. Even their few small artillery pieces have become a pile of scrap metal.

Thinking of this, Carlo Emanuele III couldn't help but hum a cheerful little song, even the pain in his legs and feet was put aside.

Attacking Turin in the rainy season is definitely a stupid choice.

With the continuous rainstorms and the solid city defense, the Sardinian army in Turin undoubtedly has the best time and place.

Just as the old king was a little tired and wanted to get up, the trusted general in charge of the city defense walked into the back garden.

The general's pace was neither fast nor slow, not as relaxed as usual, but not panicked at all. He came to the king, bowed and reported:

"Your Majesty, the Corsican army outside the city has begun to gather. They have completely surrounded Turin and completely blocked all the city gates."

After hearing the latest developments of the Corsican army, Carlo Emanuele III chuckled and didn't take it seriously at all:

"It's been more than half a month, and their bridge has finally been repaired? They actually started the siege at this time."

In the past two weeks, because the construction of dams and canals required a large number of manpower, the Corsican army did not have enough troops to completely blockade Turin.

For the Sardinian defenders in the city, although the supply convoys still could not enter the city, at least they could keep in touch with the outside world, especially Prince Vittorio's troops, through messengers during these two weeks, which also made the Sardinian defenders feel confident about their defense.

When the experienced Carlo Emmanuel III heard that the Corsican army did not start a full blockade until two weeks later, he immediately felt ridiculous and felt that Lawrence Bonaparte was just a figurehead.

The general then reported some details to Carlo Emmanuel III, but the sleepy and bored king was obviously not interested in listening to these trivial and insignificant things.

When the trusted general finished his report and was about to leave and return to his post, Carlo Emanuele III yawned out of boredom and called the general:

"It's a hard job to go back and forth between the palace and the fortress in such heavy rain. You stay and play two games of chess with me. Your chess skills have improved rapidly recently."

The general stopped immediately, and his face was instantly covered with a flattering smile. Compared with staying in the dark and damp bastion to monitor the Corsicans, it was undoubtedly more comfortable to stay in the palace garden to drink tea and play chess with His Majesty the King. Many people dream of getting close to His Majesty the King.

"Hahaha, in front of His Majesty, no matter how much my chess skills improve, I can only admit defeat."

The general took off his military coat, laughed and sat opposite the king, and the alert attendants quickly brought tea cups, snacks and ivory chessboards.

The sound of rain was rustling, what a quiet and peaceful morning. In such a heavy rain, how much trouble could those Corsicans cause? (End of this chapter)