From Corsica to the Fourth Rome.

Chapter 372 Two hundred versus ten thousand?
1771, early January
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 over the ministers and generals in front of him one by one. His tone was very calm, but he was intimidating without being angry, making the ministers and generals in the court lower their heads subconsciously:
"This morning, urgent news came from the south that the Corsican army launched an invasion of Vadolidore. If it goes as expected, the Corsicans have now set foot on our territory."

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

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

Even Frederick the Great 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."

During his forty years of rule, the old king, through outstanding diplomatic and military means, secured 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 wars, demonstrating his outstanding military talent, which won him a large amount of land after the war.

He then wisely refused to join the Seven Years' War, thus saving the Kingdom of Sardinia from the devastation of the largest war of the time.

It can be said that Carlo Emmanuele III made an indispensable contribution to the unification of the Italian countries by the later Savoy dynasty.

However, since the Kingdom of Sardinia joined the Italian War under the persuasion of Britain, this old king, who was once famous for his bravery, seemed to have lost his integrity in his later years.

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

But the reality was that one-third of the kingdom's standing army was wiped out on the island of Corsica. Even the island of Sardinia, which Carlo Emanuele III had painstakingly managed for more than 30 years, was declared a province of the Kingdom of Corsica.

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 extremely angry.

Ever since learning the news that Colonel Bartram's army was annihilated, Carlo Emmanuele III has been furious with the Minister of War more than once, demanding why he let that loser Bartram lead the army, and saying that even if he, at the age of seventy, led the army himself, he could easily occupy the entire Corsica.

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

After all, the Kingdom of Sardinia was actually driven back to its homeland by the Corsicans, who they considered to be weak, barbaric and backward. Needless to say, this was regarded as a great humiliation by His Majesty the King.

As the atmosphere became increasingly tense, the haggard-looking Minister of War spoke cautiously:
"Your Majesty, the enemy is very likely to launch an attack on the towns and cities within our country. The top priority now is to strengthen the defense of the towns and cities."

"wrong!"

Before the Minister of War 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 rush here as quickly as possible and attack the Royal Palace in Turin before we can regroup!"

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

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

Once Turin fell, the Kingdom of Sardinia would undoubtedly be forced to withdraw from the Italian War, or even cede Sardinia.

Carlo Emmanuele III glanced gloomily at his ministers, especially the Minister of War and the generals. Ever since Colonel Bartram's entire army was annihilated in Corsica, the old king had been extremely disappointed with these ministers who were just sitting there doing nothing.

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

"Vittorio, I have a mission for you."

"At your command, father."

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

Historically, Prince Vittorio inherited the entire Kingdom of Sardinia two years later and continued administrative and military reforms along the path of his father, demonstrating remarkable abilities.

After the outbreak of the French Revolution, Prince Vittorio led the Kingdom of Sardinia to join the First Anti-French Alliance and fought tenaciously with 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 futile.

They lost several major battles in succession and were forced to surrender, ceding large tracts of Savoy's core territory to France and being forced to withdraw from the First Anti-French Alliance. Even King Vittorio himself died of illness in the same year he surrendered to Napoleon.

Of course, in the eyes of Carlo Emmanuel III at this time, his heir, who he had cultivated for decades, was extremely excellent in both character and ability. It was for this reason that he dared to safely hand over the important task of blocking the Corsican army to Vittorio:

"You will lead the Royal Army's 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 6th Line Infantry Regiments and the Royal Cavalry Regiment to stop the Corsican Army. Since they landed at Vadolidore, they will definitely take the Sol Corridor through Liguria and enter the Po River Valley. If you lead the troops to set out now, you should be able to stop the Corsican Army in Liguria in time."

For Carlo Emanuele III, there were two factors to consider when he sent his heir to the battlefield:

One reason was that since the successive failures of Colonel Bartram and Lieutenant General Ethel in the Mediterranean and the rebellion of Governor Bertrand, he had become increasingly disgusted with incompetent generals and disloyal ministers.

The ability of his successor is considered to be of great use, and there is no possibility of disloyalty like Governor Bertrand. He is indeed the most suitable candidate at the moment.

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

Prince Vittorio naturally understood the purpose of his father's assignment, and his words were filled with obvious excitement:
"Yes, father. Give me two weeks, and I will personally carry the captured Corsican flag and present it to you as a collection."

Carlo Emanuele III nodded with satisfaction, but after thinking for a moment, he gave the order:

"But I don't want you to engage in direct battle with the Corsican army. You just need to contain them in Liguria. The Corsicans came here with the idea of ​​a quick victory, but we are different. Since their main force has arrived in Vadolidore, it means that the defenses of Corsica and Sardinia must be empty. We must take the opportunity to take back the two islands first, and then fight a decisive battle with 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 Emmanuel III is indeed an extremely calm ruler. Even when he has a huge military advantage, he still chooses the lowest risk approach.

After all, even if Prince Vittorio's army far exceeded the Corsican army in terms of quantity and quality, the old king did not dare to assert that he could easily defeat the enemy, and Carlo Emanuele III absolutely did not want to put his heir at risk of being defeated and captured.

Therefore, Carlo Emmanuele III's deployment was very clear - to drag the main force of the Corsican army in northern Italy, take the opportunity to recapture the undefended islands of Corsica and Sardinia, completely cut off the Corsican army's retreat, and finally concentrate troops to annihilate the enemy in Liguria.

A trace of disappointment flashed across Prince Vittorio's face. If he just defended blindly, the achievement would naturally not be as great as directly defeating the entire Corsican army. However, he still obediently kept his father's instructions firmly in mind:
"I understand. You can be assured that I will not allow any Corsican to enter the Po Valley alive."

While the Turin court was discussing countermeasures, the Corsican army took over the port town of Vadoli Dore after a brief battle.

As expected, the Kingdom of Sardinia did not expect the Corsicans to dare to take the initiative to attack, or even if they were prepared, they did not know which port the Corsican army would choose to land. Therefore, there were only some weak militia stationed in Vadoli Dorene.

After successfully landing in the Kingdom of Sardinia, Lawrence and his officers immediately began to discuss the implementation of subsequent plans.

The overall plan did not change much. It still followed the strategy proposed by Captain Andre Davout of the Army Staff. The troops were divided in Vadolidore, with a small group of troops marching directly northward to confuse and engage the main force of the Kingdom of Sardinia. The main force of the Corsican army bypassed Genoa to the east and then attacked Turin directly through the Po River Plain.

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

The Corsican army's strength was only about half of that of the Sardinian army. Moreover, Lawrence had not ordered Major Sérurier and his Corsican garrison to participate in this operation. Instead, he ordered Sérurier and his garrison to be responsible for the defense of the homeland.

Historically, Marshal Sérurier came into Napoleon's sight for his administrative management and rear-line stability maintenance capabilities. His outstanding performance in the Siege of Ajaccio also proved his defensive command capabilities.

Therefore, Lawrence was relieved to leave the defense of the homeland to Sérurier, who was also able to monitor and contain the newly surrendered Governor Bertrand and other local factions on Sardinia.

However, in this case, the Corsican army that landed with Lawrence in Vadoli Dore consisted of only three Wehrmacht chasseur regiments equipped with rifles.

In this case, if the number of feint attack troops is too small, they will not be able to play a role in containment and confusion. If the number of feint attack troops is too large, the main force attacking Turin will be in danger.

How to allocate the troops became a core problem in the command post. More than a dozen senior officers and close staff argued about it, but no conclusion was reached for the entire morning. Even Lawrence himself was still analyzing and weighing the issue carefully.

Seeing that the endless debate in the command post was still going on, Lawrence suddenly looked at Berthier and ordered:
"What does Andre Davout, who proposed the division of the forces, think of it? I should like to hear his opinion."

Berthier looked a little hesitant. Although André Davout's resume as a student at the Paris Military Academy was flawless and his troop division plan was fully recognized by all the officers, Berthier did not think that his peer could have any insightful opinions on the difficult issue of how to divide the troops.

After all, the Corsican army that landed at Vadoli Dore already had a huge disadvantage in terms of manpower, which was a hurdle that no one could get around.

But since Lawrence had spoken, Berthier nodded, immediately stood up and went to summon André Davout, and the quarrels and discussions in the command post quickly subsided.

A moment later, a man in the uniform of a Corsican Army General Staff officer followed Berthier back to the command post.

He was very tall and could easily have been selected as a striker in the Grenadiers Regiment; his skin was bronze, and if you looked closely you could see countless tiny scars left by hard training; his muscles were not exaggerated, but they looked as hard as iron and extremely strong.

Even without looking at the military uniform he was wearing, just based on his upright pine-like posture and majestic and murderous temperament, anyone could instantly guess that he was definitely a soldier among soldiers, and such a person should be in the Royal Guards.

He took two steps forward and did not bow to Lawrence, but instead gave him a standard military salute. His greeting was also firm and decisive, without any unnecessary words:

"Sir, I am Andre Davout, captain of the army staff."

Although the members of the Knights Templar addressed each other directly as brothers, since there were officers of the Corsican Defense Force in the command post, Andre Davout also used honorific titles politely.

Lawrence nodded with great satisfaction. He had met countless officers and soldiers, but it was extremely rare for someone to leave such a deep impression on him at first sight as Andre Davout.

"I heard that you were going to graduate from the Paris Military Academy this year and go directly to the Royal Cavalry of Ile-de-France to serve." Lawrence did not ask about the division plan directly, 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 most French officers, a job in the Royal Cavalry Regiment was undoubtedly a good job, with generous pay and bright prospects. They might not even have to risk their lives on the battlefield for their entire lives, but only need to stay in the peaceful and prosperous Île-de-France to serve the royal family.

Especially for military academy students like Andre Davout, who have excellent background and perfect resume, there is no doubt that they will be valued and promoted.

Andre Davout seemed to be taciturn and not good at speaking, but there was no flattery or falsehood in his words:

"My father and brother both served in the Royal Cavalry Regiment, but they were framed by political enemies, convicted of treason and executed. I gave up this position out of fear of being implicated."

Andre's tone was calm and firm, as if he was telling someone else's story, but his subconsciously clenched right fist undoubtedly showed that this blood feud concerning the family's honor was already engraved in his bones.

Lawrence's face became more serious. Although Andre Davout came from a long-standing military family, his family was essentially just a small noble family in the countryside of Annoux Province. If his father and brother really offended some powerful people in the court, then it would not be surprising that Andre chose to join the Charles Gang at that time, hiding his identity while finding another way.

Perhaps Andre himself did not realize at that time how correct his decision was. After all, even when the Duke of Choiseul was the Minister of War, he would never dare to tear his face off and kill the members of the officer corps directly under His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

In addition, Lawrence also knew that for a military family like Davout, honor was even more important than life. The young Andre Davout would certainly not accept that his father and brother were slandered as traitors and executed.

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

Lawrence solemnly promised:

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

Thanks to Lawrence's friendship with Duke Charles, it would not be difficult to ask Duke Charles to ask his father to investigate the case of the Davout family. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, this simple, innocent and hateful boy, would surely care about this very much.

Hearing this, Andre Davout instantly raised his head, and his face, as firm as a knife, showed obvious emotion:
"I! Your Excellency, thank you very much!"

Andre is just not good at speaking, but that doesn't mean he is dull, stupid, or unsympathetic.

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 all-powerful official his father had offended was actually just a Minister of State under the Ministry of War.

Without the help of Mr. Bonaparte, André Davout himself would not have known when he would have the opportunity to clear his family's injustice and shame, or when he would have the opportunity to bring the mastermind behind the scenes to justice.

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

Berthier on the side nodded slightly upon seeing this, secretly sighing that his great commander was indeed very capable, as he had gained a loyal subordinate with just a little effort.

"No need to thank me. The Charles Gang and the Privy Knights have always adhered to mutual assistance since their establishment. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will not allow his followers to suffer such injustice."

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

"The main reason I asked you to come here this time is another matter. Andre, since you proposed a plan to divide the troops to contain the main force of the enemy, then what do you think should be the proportion of troops allocated between the feint attack force and the main force?"

Everyone's eyes were fixed on André Davout, even though they did not think they could get any inspiration from this young man. After all, not everyone could achieve success at a young age like Sir Laurence Bonaparte.

After hearing Lawrence's questioning, Andre Davout instantly regained his composure from his excitement.

He looked around at everyone, as if he had been prepared for this question. His voice was loud and brief:
"two hundred."

"two hundred?"

Everyone was extremely confused by this unexpected number.

"Two hundred soldiers."

André Davout added in a resounding voice:
"If I were in command, the feint attack force would only require two hundred soldiers."

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

Even Lawrence did not expect such a bizarre answer, and he looked at Andre Davout in surprise.

"It's just nonsense!"

A senior Wehrmacht officer who could speak French could no longer tolerate this French boy in his early twenties talking nonsense:
"Two hundred soldiers? The Sardinian army that came to intercept and stop us is conservatively estimated to be four regiments in size. Your two hundred soldiers are not even enough to fill their teeth!"

These veterans of the Wehrmacht had already been complaining about the sudden establishment of the Army General 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, and now a group of young men who had never even been to the battlefield came to share decision-making and command power with them.

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

But after hearing André Davout's irrelevant nonsense today, not only the Wehrmacht officers, but even the members of the Knights in the Army General Staff looked at each other in confusion, wondering what this colleague was talking about.

"You only need two hundred people?" Lawrence was not angry, but confirmed with interest:

"You yourself estimated when you proposed the plan that the Sardinian army would send 8,000 to 10,000 men to block the enemy in Liguria, and the rest would be used for flexible maneuvers or to defend Turin."

"With only two hundred loyal, brave and obedient soldiers, plus a large amount of baggage and supplies, I can hold the enemy in Liguria."

Andre Davout nodded without hesitation, and there was no fear in his words, even in the face of the suspicion of the entire command post:
"If there is anything else I need, it is only one thing - your trust."

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

Lawrence stroked his chin gently, and looked at Andre Davout, who stood like an iron man, slowly and leisurely, as if he had guessed what the other party's plan was.

The Kingdom of France was responsible for all the logistical needs of the Corsican army during the war, and Vadodara was not far west of the French province of Provence, so both land and sea supply lines were easy to open. Lawrence did not think Andre Davout's request was a difficult task.

"Master Bonaparte! Please don't tell me you are considering this ridiculous proposal."

The furious Wehrmacht officer spoke again:

"Once the Kingdom of Sardinia invades Liguria and discovers our plan, the main force that has penetrated deep into the Po River Plain will be caught in a dangerous situation of being attacked from both sides, and there is a risk of the entire army being annihilated!"

His speech immediately won a response in the command post, and even many members of the Army General Staff joined the opposition. The loss of two hundred soldiers was a small matter, but if the entire situation was ruined, that would be a consequence that no one could bear.

In the midst of this wave of attacks, even the extremely determined André Davout could not help but waver and lowered his head slightly.

"enough."

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

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

"Monsieur Bonaparte!"

"Your Majesty Prime Minister!"

"Absolutely not!"

The other officers in the command post could no longer sit still, and many of them even screamed out in shock.

But the displeasure and determination that appeared on Lawrence's face instantly silenced the voices of opposition:
"This is my final order. I promote Captain Andre Davout of the Army General Staff to Major Battalion Commander, giving him 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 quickly to Genoa. Andre, do you accept this appointment?"

Upon hearing this order, all the Wehrmacht officers present were extremely shocked.

This was not just because Prime Minister Bonaparte had assigned an extra battalion of troops to the French boy.

It is also because the 4th Battalion of the 1st Jaegers Regiment was the 4th Battalion of the Northern Corps of the former Wehrmacht. It was the unit commanded by Prime Minister Bonaparte when he was a major battalion commander. This unit can be said to be the most loyal of Prime Minister Bonaparte's loyal troops in the army.

No one could have imagined that Prime Minister Bonaparte would place such deep trust in André Davout.

The eyes of Andre Davout, who was as strong and resolute as an iron man, were already moist at this moment. With a plop, this iron-like strong man knelt on one knee with all his heart:
"I would rather die than betray the trust of Mr. Bonaparte!"

As the saying goes, a gentleman will die for his friend.

For a professional soldier like André Davout, it was a privilege 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:

"To follow Bonaparte, I will not hesitate to die."