Chapter 741 - 742: The Expanded General Staff Meeting

Corsica, though not particularly rich in resources, held immense strategic value for Sardinia.

The Kingdom of Sardinia was split into two main territories:

The Savoy and Piedmont regions on the Italian Peninsula.The island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean.

Corsica lay right between them, hindering both governance and trade.

If Sardinia could gain control of Corsica, it would create a more unified, defensible nation, enhancing both political stability and military security.

For King Amadeus III, this was an incredibly tempting offer.

The Next Day – Turin, Sardinia

An Austrian diplomatic carriage left the Royal Palace of Turin.

Inside, the Austrian ambassador to Sardinia adjusted his documents and looked at Count Rheinfeis.

"My Lord, perhaps we could have pressed them harder. I believe Sardinia would be willing to send troops, rather than merely granting military passage and logistical support."

After much internal debate, King Amadeus III had only agreed to let Austrian forces pass through Sardinia and supply 30,000 Austrian troops with provisions. In exchange, Sardinia would receive Genoa and Corsica after the war.

Count Rheinfeis smiled.

"This is already enough. Once the war begins, Sardinia will send troops on its own."

The ambassador raised an eyebrow.

Rheinfeis, in a good mood, explained:

"First, we will not provide escorts for Sardinian supply convoys. They will be forced to deploy troops for protection.

"Second, Marshal Beaulieu can 'accidentally' leave the route between Chambéry and the French army open. The Sardinians will immediately rush to the front to prevent a French advance on Turin.

"And once Sardinian troops engage the French, Marshal Beaulieu will take full control of their actions."

Southern Paris – Military Transport Route

A black military carriage sped smoothly along a wooden rail track.

Inside, Napoleon Bonaparte tapped his index finger on the small wooden table, looking at his younger brother, Lucien Bonaparte.

"Lucien, you must come to the front with me. You need to understand—this war is a golden opportunity. It's our chance to escape Corsica for good."

Lucien, a young lieutenant, had mediocre grades at the Brienne Military Academy, but at least he graduated.

Napoleon, now acting commander of the Corsican Corps, had arranged for his brother to serve as his personal aide-de-camp.

Lucien, however, frowned and objected:

"This war is extremely dangerous. The enemy has over 300,000 troops, and we have barely half that.

"By the time the 'opportunity' you speak of arrives, we might already be torn apart by cannon fire."

Napoleon's eyes flashed with disdain.

He chastised his younger brother:

"If you had seen how our Crown Prince fights, you wouldn't say such childish things.

"The so-called 'Evil Alliance' is poorly trained and lacks coordination.

"You'll see—they will lose this war."

He then pointed at the wooden rail beneath them.

"Besides, these wooden tracks will ensure our victory."

Lucien was confused.

"What does this have to do with wooden rail tracks?"

Napoleon sighed, as if speaking to a child:

"The speed of troop movements and logistics is the greatest weapon in war—far more important than cannons.

"Wherever we have wooden rail tracks, our soldiers and supplies can reach the battlefield days ahead of the enemy. This lets us set up defenses and formations with ease.

"Do you even know how many of these tracks have been built across France?"

Lucien pursed his lips.

He wanted to say, "The tracks now connect Artois to Strasbourg," but chose silence—he feared his brother would quiz him further on logistics.

He had forgotten most of his military academy lessons.

Napoleon let the matter drop, then changed the subject to his ambitions:

"I hope to be assigned to the Southern Netherlands. I've fought in Namur and Brussels—I know the terrain well. The General Staff will likely send me there…"

Two Hours Later – Versailles

Napoleon's carriage arrived at the General Staff Headquarters, southeast of Versailles Palace.

He instructed Lucien to wait outside, then hurried into the building.

On the second floor, guards checked his credentials, then opened the doors to the war council chamber.

The Expanded General Staff Meeting was already in progress.

Marshal Berthier stood before a large map, discussing battle plans.

Seeing Napoleon enter, he simply gestured for him to take a seat at the farthest end of the western row.

No one rebuked Napoleon for arriving late—his garrison post was one of the farthest from Paris, second only to those in North Africa.

In fact, he had rushed here as quickly as possible.

Napoleon scanned the room.

Aside from Crown Prince Joseph and the military high command, the meeting included the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Intelligence Director, and even the Minister of Industry.

His old acquaintance, Lefebvre, discreetly slid a copy of the meeting notes toward him.

Napoleon whispered his thanks and quickly flipped through the documents.

So far, the meeting had focused on logistics.

At present, Berthier was discussing enemy troop movements.

"The line from Gelderland to Verdun is likely the main battlefield. However, we must also heavily fortify the Southern Netherlands."

Berthier turned to Joseph Fouché, the Director of Intelligence.

Fouché stood and nodded:

"Recently, a large number of suspicious individuals from the Flemish region have entered Wallonia.

"We have secretly arrested some of them and confirmed that they are Austrian operatives. However, their specific mission remains unclear.

"But I suspect they intend to sow unrest in Wallonia."

Flanders, the Dutch-speaking northern region of the Southern Netherlands, had seen a massive migration of workers to Wallonia due to its booming coal and steel industry.

This open migration meant that Austria could easily infiltrate Wallonia with agents.

An elderly general turned to Crown Prince Joseph:

"Your Highness, perhaps we should deploy troops to Wallonia preemptively—to secure the region."

Joseph thought for a moment, then shook his head slightly.

"General Dumouriez, do you know how many French citizens currently live in Wallonia?"

"Roughly 200,000, Your Highness."

Joseph nodded.

"That means over a million people there are still Southern Netherlanders."

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