Chapter 743: The Right Hook Strategy
Joseph turned to General Dumouriez and said:
"Although the people of Wallonia speak French and are willing to cooperate with us, sending troops there prematurely might provoke resistance."
Wallonia was still technically Austrian territory and had its own local government. With nationalism on the rise, forcibly occupying a foreign region with military force could cause serious problems.
Napoleon himself had made this exact mistake in history, ruling through brute military force without regard for local populations. This ultimately turned all of Europe against France.
Dumouriez frowned.
"Your Highness, are you suggesting we abandon Wallonia to the Austrians?"
Joseph smiled calmly and leaned back in his chair.
"Of course not. We just have to wait for the Wallonia Chamber of Commerce to beg us to send troops. They may not love our army—but they despise the Austrians even more."
The Wallonia Chamber of Commerce was essentially the region's government authority.
Mirabeau turned his head.
"You mean, we should wait for the Austrian army to invade Wallonia first, and then intervene?"
Joseph nodded.
Mirabeau became anxious.
"But by then, the Austrians might have already damaged our factories there!"
Joseph shook his head and smiled.
"You need to have faith in Wallonia's police force."
Then, he looked at Joseph Fouché, the Director of Intelligence.
"The Intelligence Bureau must send agents to assist the Wallonia Chamber of Commerce in handling the situation. Let's discuss possible scenarios and countermeasures…"
3:00 PM – General Staff War Planning
After hours of strategic discussions, the war plan for the Southern Netherlands was taking shape.
Next, Marshal Berthier moved on to the enemy's movements on other fronts:
"Over 50,000 enemy troops, mainly Prussians with some British cavalry, are already massing in Gelderland.
"It's clear that our main defensive line will stretch from Luxembourg to Verdun. This will be the primary battlefield, and we will deploy four divisions for defense."
He then pointed to the Swiss Alps.
"Austrian forces may also launch an offensive from the east, possibly through the Great St. Bernard Pass or the Simplon Pass, aiming at either Strasbourg or Saarland."
(Strasbourg was in northeastern France, while Saarland was in the east-central region, over 100 km apart.)
"Therefore, we must station at least three divisions along the eastern front."
Berthier continued:
"Once we identify the enemy's exact attack direction, the Lorraine Corps and the Lyon Corps will be sent as reinforcements.
"With the help of the Chappe semaphore system, our forces should be able to mobilize in time.
"According to the General Staff's preliminary estimates, we need to deploy a total of 130,000 troops to the northern and eastern fronts, leaving two divisions as reserves."
"Additionally, we must recruit at least two more divisions within the next six months."
(Each French infantry division had approximately 10,000 soldiers.)
This meant that almost all available troops were being committed, leaving less than 10,000 men in reserve.
Sitting in the back row, Lieutenant Colonel Napoleon Bonaparte frowned slightly.
Something about this plan felt wrong.
He was about to speak when Joseph suddenly stood up, interrupting Berthier.
"Marshal Berthier, your plan is sound—but it wastes our biggest advantage.
"We should not—and cannot—position ourselves as the defenders."
The room fell silent.
The generals exchanged puzzled looks.
16 divisions against 40?
Shouldn't we be focusing on defense?
Only Napoleon sat up straighter, eyes wide with surprise.
Because this was exactly what he had been thinking.
Duke de Broglie quickly interjected:
"Your Highness, our forces are at a clear numerical disadvantage…"
Joseph nodded.
"Yes, but that is precisely why we cannot fight a defensive war.
"If we focus on defending key positions, we will lose our mobility and be forced into a battle of attrition.
"We do not have the manpower or financial resources to win a war of attrition."
Napoleon silently nodded in agreement.
Defensive units cannot abandon their positions.
Meanwhile, the enemy can continually reinforce their assaults, effectively pinning French forces down.
Joseph continued:
"Instead, we must concentrate our forces to crush one enemy front at a time.
"Using our superior mobility, we will quickly move from one battlefield to another, attacking before the enemy fully deploys and surrounds our strategic points.
"By pushing the frontlines into enemy territory, we ensure our own security.
"This is how the French Army must fight!"
The officers began nodding in agreement.
Joseph stepped forward and placed his hand on the map.
"The Swiss terrain is rough, making logistics difficult for the Austrians. Their offensive there will be slow.
"Therefore, our first attack must focus on Gelderland."
His confidence was absolute—because this was almost exactly how the First Coalition War unfolded in history.
Despite having many inexperienced troops, France had still managed to push back enemy forces to the Rhine.
The only reason France later lost ground was because the corrupt Directory government collapsed into internal chaos.
This time, however, France was stable, its army better trained, and the Crown Prince himself was in command.
Repeating history's victory should not be difficult.
Urgent Intelligence Report
Just then, a military officer entered quietly, handing a sealed document to Fouché.
The Intelligence Director opened it, read quickly, then stood up.
"Your Highness, urgent news from Italy: Austria has likely secured military passage through Sardinia."
The room fell into deep silence.
Berthier looked at the map and frowned.
"That gives the enemy another invasion route from the southeast."
Marshal Lefebvre added:
"Once May arrives, the Alpine passes will be free of snow, making the southern invasion route even easier.
"The enemy's southern forces might invade before the northern front is even ready."
While the officers anxiously discussed how this new development might affect the war, Joseph simply smiled.
He whispered to himself:
"Now it's even closer."
He was thinking of history.
In the First Coalition War, Sardinia had eventually sided with Austria—unsurprising, given Austria's strong grip on the Italian Peninsula.
Joseph then glanced at Napoleon, who was sitting at the back of the room.
His eyes gleamed with meaning.
Then, he tapped Sardinia on the map with a pointer and declared:
"Looks like we need to adjust our strategy.
"We'll start with a right hook—straight into Austria."
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