Napoleon in 1812 - Chapter 46

Chapter 46

8. Towards the Peninsula – 4

“Damn it! I was awarded the eagle and seven stars (the Imperial Marshal’s baton), but I have to move together with the lower end soldiers…. What kind of ridiculous comedy is this?”

Jean-Baptiste Bessières, who was appointed as a honorable Marshal of the French Empire for his decisive contribution to the victory of the Battle of Friedland, and who was on par with Joachim Murat for his daring and bravery, was a highly respected cavalry commander.

He was currently clearing his personal office supplies and belongings in his tent with his own hands. Although Bessières was only born the son of a surgeon, he was now a high-ranking noble of the French Empire granted the title of Duke of Istria.

The fact that such a high-ranking noble was in charge of arranging his luggage with the other soldiers was a shock beyond imagination.

Bessières was not the only officer doing this. All of Napoleon’s marshals, generals and officers, who were now marching toward Madrid, were also making big and small complaints, looking around the campsite where they had been sleeping until early this morning. There was not much difference between the regular soldiers’ beds and those of high-ranking officers in the quarters.

This was due to Napoleon’s speech before the expedition.

“My dear friends, thanks to you, France and I were able to enjoy today’s glory. But we’re on our way to Iberia’s battlefield, where the situation is urgent. There are other comrades who have shared success and failure with us, eagerly waiting for us to join them. So I would like to make a suggestion. Why don’t we give up the rights we used to enjoy for the sake of our comrades who are bleeding and fighting in the Peninsular War? I will set an example first.’

Whenever European aristocratic generals went to war or on an expedition, they carried one ‘small villa’ in dozens of carriages. The noble generals’ desire to maintain dignity even on the battlefield was such that people sarcastically described their extravagant march as ‘tapestry rugs’.

The French marshals, who used to be commoners and suddenly became nobles, also had a will to compensate, displaying this behavior even more. Napoleon’s comments were a gentle warning to his marshals. That he did not want to see their luxurious private carriages on this expedition.

Napoleon, the Emperor, really did it as well.

The governments officials that had accompanied him to Russia and Austria, as well as violinists, painters, exclusive cooks, wagon housekeepers, etc. had all been asked to stay behind. Even the servants were left out and only a minimal number of bodyguards came along.

The only things filling Napoleon’s wagon were all necessary items and tools, and he had some personnel to help him with his public work. He did not take anything else but a few books to read. Since the Emperor first lightened his ‘tapestry rug’ to such an extreme extent, the marshals could not help but follow suit.

Crying and grumbling, the marshals had no choice but to reduce their luggage and the number of people following them. They could then meet the strict and harsh standards of the Emperor. According to the characteristics of the military’s strict hierarchical system, the officers below them naturally had to do the same.

In the end, Napoleon achieved extreme weight reduction for the entire army by taking the initiative for himself and a few marshals.

“But isn’t the army’s march very quick? When I walk with my pockets and waist light like this, it reminds me of the good old days of the Italian expedition. Don’t complain so much about it.”

“I also felt that the orders issued by the Emperor were quite reasonable. To be honest, the imperial army has become too lazy due to the continuous victories. We must not forget that the biggest reason we were able to conquer Europe was our mobility that always exceeded our enemy’s expectations.”

The former were the words of Louis Nicolas Davout, who had the deepest loyalty to Napoleon among the marshals of the Empire, who then shouted, ‘Always be infinitely loyal to His Majesty the Emperor!’ The latter belonged to Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey, who was called back to command, even though he had been hated by the Emperor.

Even so, Bessières, who could not complain about the Emperor in front of Moncey, who was very impressed by the Emperor’s direct call, just clicked his tongue.

In fact, Napoleon’s request like this was a form of coercion. It was a request to give up their privileges of marshals. Nevertheless, there were only complaints from some marshals, including Bessières, within Napoleon’s army, but no one was standing up or rebelling.

Commander Louis-Alexandre Berthier, who served as the army’s chief of staff, found the reason behind the recent rapid rise in popularity of the Emperor. Everyone had feared the war with Russia and had warned the Emperor against it, but he had overcome their anxiety, defeated the elite troops of Russia and brought Alexander I to his knees.

After the expedition, the Emperor transformed himself into an excellent administrator and reformed the interior of the Empire. His policies, which seemed too hasty and radical at the time, were now praised as ‘great decisions’. These military and governmental successes had boosted the Emperor’s authority and voice.

No matter how powerful the marshals were, everyone knew that it would be a political suicide to confront the Emperor now.

‘The Emperor made up the Iberian expeditionary forces with people who were especially loyal to him. Thanks to this, even the generals and officers under his command can’t do anything, even if they are complaining about this. They can’t come forward when we’re silent like this.’

There could have been marshals here who were not loyal to the Emperor, such as Murat and Masséna, but loyal to the interests that the Emperor brought. In that case, no matter how high the authority of the Emperor soared, they would have refused to accept this and would have poured out a backlash. Because they were such people. Ney and Bessières, on the other hand, were marshals who were loyal and obedient to the Emperor.

Although they may not express a fanatical loyalty like Davout, they would never turn their back on the Emperor, at least until he was defeated. Berthier himself thought the Emperor was the only one who could use his abilities to the fullest, so he would follow him even if he had seen all kinds of dirty things.

‘Perhaps His Highness intended to start with those loyal to him and gradually ‘simplify their living’. Since we have already suffered a reduction in our rights without complaining once, other marshals will have to do the same. Because the media and public opinion will make it happen… As expected, he’s the Emperor.’

Even in each of his orders, there were hidden political intentions that others could not think of. For better or for worse, Napoleon was a very political figure. But Berthier was willing to follow him faithfully if it was to end this war.

“What’s clear is that the pace of our troops’ march is now faster than in the days of the Revolutionary War in the past. Moving quickly is a strategy. This will allow the army to establish more diverse tactics and have a wider range of options. In the Iberian Peninsula, where no general battle is being fought, the time advantage will be of considerable help in responding quickly to urgent situations.”

There were no marshals to contradict Berthier’s words.

Yes, they could do anything to win. If they could end the long war on the Iberian Peninsula, they could endure this inconvenience. All the marshals thought so.

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In the other world, Napoleon had defeated Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden, and the Netherlands one after the other, crushing their forces, and thus undermining their will to fight

But there was only one country that he failed to subdue: Britain. It was not because the British were strong. They had always dispatched only a small number of elite regiments to the continent to support their anti-French allies, so they had not been completely defeated like the others. As always, their main force was their navy, and their army was nothing more than a means to support it.

In other words, this was Napoleon’s first time facing a large-scale, at least corps-level British army on land.

“Traditionally, red coats tend to prefer long lines from side to side and a deformed formation with grenadiers in the center, but Arthur Wellesley is particularly strong. He believed in the fire control of his officers and the shooting skills of his soldiers, and he knows how to use the terrain and tactics to maximize it.”

Napoleon was carefully reading the reports of the French fighting against the British, but the vivid testimony of the generals who fought directly made him guess things that could not be written on paper. Although he was defeated every time he fought, Andoche Junot was one of the generals who faced Arthur Wellesley’s forces the most, along with Louis-Gabriel Suchet and André Masséna.

“The British army of the past with John Moore and the British army today are qualitatively different. They have learned from past battles, and the results are now showing.”

“Then, would it be appropriate to assume that they are an elite army that can fire more accurately than the French soldiers?”

“It’s embarrassing, but I can’t refute it. Also, the soldiers of Portugal and Spain are very different from before. They won’t run away in disorder like in the past if we push the front a little bit.”

Napoleon, nodding his head, handed over a report on the Battle of Salamanca, one of the most devastating battles the French lost to Arthur Wellesley. Before the Battle of Salamanca, Napoleon had sent a message to Auguste de Marmont to order him to avoid hostilities and to defend his stronghold.

He had sent several messengers because he feared that they would be captured by the Spanish Resistance, but not a single one could reach Marmont. Eventually, Marmont’s troops were defeated very badly and were forced to give up Madrid.

‘The name of Arthur Wellesley was quite famous in my original world. We didn’t have a chance to fight back then, but now we’re playing like this.’

In the other world, Napoleon and the French Republic were completely in control of the European continent. Their naval forces were also powerful enough to threaten Britain. The British did not have the courage to land their army in such a dangerous situation on the mainland. This was why Napoleon and Wellesley could not face each other.

Although Marmont’s competence was lower than of a marshal, and he did not receive Napoleon’s message, Arthur Wellesley’s tactical abilities at the Battle of Salamanca were remarkable. After consuming the power of the attacking force (the French army) with a sturdy and solid defense, infantry and cavalry worked together to attack the weak points at the same time to win.

He could use a proper deception. He also had the ability to move troops to the right places. He could efficiently deal with every aspect of a battle. Napoleon had to keep in mind that Arthur Wellesley was a commander capable of such high-level tactics.