Chapter 837: Chapter 745: Confrontation in the Alps

Napoleon immediately noticed the heavily emphasized lines at the bottom of the notebook:

After the army enters Italy, looting by soldiers is strictly prohibited. Any matters related to resource acquisition and soldier rewards must be implemented only with the signature of Major Oddric, the military overseer.

“This will surely affect the morale of the soldiers.” Napoleon furrowed his brows with some resignation. However, this was a repeated demand from the Crown Prince, and he had no choice but to enforce it strictly. “Let’s hope Major Oddric is someone reasonable to deal with.”

But he had just inquired earlier and learned that Oddric was a cousin of the captain of the Crown Prince’s personal guard, which likely made bribing him a difficult task.

Joseph clearly remembered how, historically, Napoleon had stripped Italy bare, leaving the region with a deep resentment toward the French Army.

Later, when Austria took advantage of the chaos within the French Directory and sent troops into Italy, they were warmly welcomed. It required little effort for them to push the French Army back to the Turin-Genoa line.

If not for Massena’s desperate efforts to hold out for over three months, the French Army might have been completely expelled from Italy.

Of course, Joseph had no intention of being a softhearted fool.

After all, if the fiscal shortfalls from occupying Italy couldn’t be remedied, wouldn’t the victory still lead to financial ruin?

But the methods and finesse of war profiteering were critical. The kind of blatant pillaging that Napoleon had done in the past only created enemies for France.

Thus, Joseph dispatched Oddric specifically to oversee the financial “recovery” tasks in the occupied territories.

Lucien saw his brother emerge and immediately rushed up to greet him, “You’ve been in meetings all day, haven’t you?”

“Indeed.”

“So, you haven’t had lunch yet?”

“The General Staff provided some soup and bread at noon. Oh, and I’ve been appointed as the Deputy Commander of the Italian Front Army.”

“Really? That’s fantastic!” Lucien exclaimed in delight, rubbing his hands excitedly. “You’re now the most accomplished member of the Buonaparte family!”

He hovered around his brother, firing off questions for a while, then glanced up at the darkening sky. “You must be hungry too by now. Let’s have a proper dinner to celebrate.”

Napoleon gave him a sidelong glance and said sternly, “Do you think I’ve already become a high-ranking official with wealth and comfort to enjoy life?

“No, this is merely an insignificant beginning.

“I need to head to the archives of the General Staff now. You go find something to eat and bring it to me. Here, take my pass.”

“The archives?” Lucien exclaimed in surprise. “It’s so late; what are you doing there?”

“I need to review topographical mapping data for the Alps and Savoy. The time left for my preparations is far too short,” Napoleon replied. “Also, go request access to the signal tower. I’ve heard that it can transmit messages anywhere in France within an hour.

“General Demoblin won’t make too many demands of the corps heading to Savoy, but I must keep urging them to move.”

“Understood, yes, brother.”

…

A month and a half later.

In the eastern region of Sardinia, just 70 kilometers from Milan, at Agu, the headquarters of the Austrian-Sardinian Army.

At that moment, Austrian Army Commander Bolieu was scowling at a freshly delivered report and berating a nearby staff officer: “It’s only a little over 20 leagues from Milan to Nice, roughly 140 kilometers. Nearly two months have passed, yet there are still two corps dawdling on the road!”

He was referring to Oli. Twenty leagues roughly translates to about 140 kilometers.

The staff officer, with his head bowed, replied, “General, General Pitouli’s corps only received Sardinian supplies earlier this month. Before that, they didn’t even have enough ammunition, so…”

“The Sardinian fools are utterly useless!” Bolieu cursed and then turned back to the staff officer. “What about movements on the French side?”

“General, according to intelligence from last week, several French corps are heading toward Savoy. Additionally, approximately 5,000 troops are fortifying positions around Bres and mountain passes near Toulon.”

Bres is the northern border between Sardinia and France, while Toulon shares a southern border with Sardinia.

Both areas share a key characteristic: they are located in terrain with relatively low Alpine passes.

Bolieu’s expression finally softened a bit.

His 30,000-strong army had already assembled on the eastern side of the Alps, and the French Army’s movements appeared to be notably slower.

This gave him a significant advantage in crossing the Alps.

At least, his troops wouldn’t have to camp midway up the mountain due to enemy blockades. Even in June, the Alps remained biting cold, and prolonged exposure there would wreak havoc on morale.

Thus, he convened his senior officers around the map and held a meeting that lasted all afternoon.

By twilight, Bolieu began issuing orders to his subordinates: “The Provilla Corps will start crossing the Cadipona Pass in two days. If they encounter resistance from the French Army, push the frontline forward as much as possible to make room for the following corps to assemble.”

“Yes, General.”

“The Argentoratum Legion and the Vukasevi Army will subsequently fan out from either side of the pass. Avoid entanglement with the French forces; prioritize taking Toulon. Once that’s secured, the British fleet will deliver supplies and assist us in defending the port.

“The Pitouli Corps will handle defenses to the west of Turin.

“The Cyber Tendof Army will remain in reserve.”

Yes, Bolieu ultimately decided to launch the offensive from the southern side of the Alps, which was easier to traverse.

While this route was further from Turin, the Sardinian capital, and posed logistical challenges, he reasoned that seizing the Port of Toulon would allow the British to resolve the supply issue via naval provisions.

Moreover, Bolieu wisely stationed defensive forces west of Turin to guard against any potential surprise attack from the French.

The plan seemed foolproof.

Most crucially, the French would likely be focused on the Bres line, unaware that Bolieu planned to cross the Alps from the southern coastal route, more than a hundred miles away.

With only a small Toulon garrison in place, that region was unlikely to be well-defended.

Once the Provilla Corps captured Toulon, the Allied Forces would likely begin their offensive on the Luxembourg-Vendome line in northern France simultaneously.

In the face of attacks on both fronts, the French would struggle to allocate reinforcements to Toulon.

At that point, Bolieu could march north to strike the Grenoble fortress or head west to Montpellier, delivering a severe blow to France either way.

As the officers left the command center, Bolieu gave further instructions to his staff officer: “Tell General Curry to inform His Majesty Amadeo III that I will not wait for him much longer. It’s time for him to make a decision.”

Curry was the commander-in-chief of the Sardinian Army. Indeed, Sardinia’s 30,000-strong field army was under the command of an Austrian general.

In Bolieu’s eyes, he was granting Sardinia a chance to be on the winning side–if the King of Sardinia allowed Curry’s corps to enter France.