The once bustling port city of Genoa now lay under siege, trapped by the encircling Austrian forces. General André Masséna, along with his French troops and the citizens of the Ligurian Republic, found themselves in a precarious situation. Unlike the original history, there was no British naval squadron setting up a blockade on the ports of Genoa. The absence of this naval blockade altered the dynamics of the siege significantly.
However, the French Navy in the Mediterranean region was far from idle. Docked in various ports across Africa, especially in the former colonial states of the Ottoman Empire, the naval fleet played a vital role in supporting the Army of the Orient. The French troops in the Middle East, preparing to launch an invasion through Afghanistan, required constant resupplying to maintain their momentum. It was a precarious balancing act for Napoleon, as he had to prioritize his limited resources between supporting the siege in Genoa and sustaining his armies in Africa and the Middle East.
Reports indicated that the British Fleet had arrived in India, possibly in response to the French troop movements in the region. This development further complicated Napoleon's strategic calculations. He knew that while the French Navy had control over the Mediterranean, their fleet was not sufficient to simultaneously support two major armies in far-flung regions.
Napoleon had to make a difficult decision. As much as he valued the importance of holding Genoa, the colonies in Africa and the Middle East were proving to be more economically lucrative. These overseas territories were a crucial source of revenue, and maintaining control over them was essential to funding his ambitious plan of improving France.
Thus, Napoleon reluctantly prioritized Africa and the Middle East over Genoa. But that doesn't mean he would not do anything to relieve Genoa.
"Crossing of the Alps then," Napoleon muttered under his breath. With a flick of the finger, Beaumont entered his office.
"Your Excellency, is there anything I can do for you?" Beaumont asked.
"Send a telegraph to the Minister of War's estate, tell him to come to my estate this evening for dinner," Napoleon ordered.
"As you wish, Your Excellency," Beaumont bowed and left Napoleon's office. As he waited for confirmation that Beaumont had sent a telegraph to the Minister of War estate, an idea popped up in his head.
He imagined that instead of sending a telegraph to someone, he would call them instead. A telephone. It was one of the important inventions that he wanted to introduce when he reincarnated in this world. He already invented the telegraph and spark gap radio so a telephone would be an easy invention for him to conceive.
So he checked his system for the blueprint of the first practical and working telephone, invented by Alexander Graham Bell.
Despite having a stack of reports waiting for him to peruse, Napoleon decided to draw the blueprint of the telephone. He feared that he might forget it the moment he got engrossed in his administrative duties.
Thirty minutes later, Napoleon finished drawing up the blueprint of the telephone. Later, he would deliver it to one of their enterprises that manufacture telegraphs and spark gap radios.
Just in time, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Napoleon signaled to the person who knocked on the door, expecting it to be Beaumont.
"Your Excellency," Beaumont said as he entered Napoleon's office. He was carrying a silver tray with a small note placed delicately on it. "I have sent the telegraph to the Minister of War estate as per your instructions. This is their reply."
Napoleon reached out to take the note from the tray and quickly read its contents.
"Beaumont, I have a guest arriving for dinner. Tell the chef to cook their specialties."
"Of course, Your Excellency," Beaumont replied with a nod.
***
Five hours later, in the Dining Hall of the Chateau de Chantilly, Napoleon waited for his guest to arrive. Waiting alongside him on the table is his children, Francis and Aveline.
"Papa, when is Mama going home?" Aveline asked.
Napoleon pulled out his timepiece and checked the time. "Mama is still in Paris working, around nine o'clock she'll return."
"Then Mother won't be able to join us in the dinner," Francis interjected.
"I'm sure Mama will eat dinner before she returns home," Napoleon gently reassured his children.
"Who is your guest, papa?" Aveline inquired.
"You'll know soon," Napoleon replied with a smile.
Moments later, Beaumont entered the dining hall and stood next to its door.
"The Minister of War!" Beaumont announced, followed by the Minister of War's entrance to the dining hall.
"Your Excellency, you have summoned me?"
The man who just entered the dining hall, donned in a General's uniform was no other than Napoleon's Chief of Staff during his campaign in Italy and Egypt, General Louis-Alexandre Berthier.
"Berthier, thank you for coming," Napoleon said with genuine warmth in his voice. "And you may drop the formalities and call each other how we addressed one another during our campaign."
"Very well, Bonaparte," Berthier said as he swept his glance to his children. "Aveline and Francis was it? I must say, they have grown taller."
Napoleon smiled at the compliment before gesturing to him to take a seat.
"Indeed, they have," Napoleon replied proudly. "They grow up so fast."
As they settled around the table, the manservants of the chateau began to appear, gracefully pushing the food trolley. Stopping by their seats, they carefully lifted the plate containing the dishes covered by cloche and set it down on the table.
Then, the manservants skillfully lifted the cloches, revealing a sumptuous feast laid out before them.
"Medium rare was it?" Napoleon said to Berthier, whose eyes were glued to the dish before him. It was Entrec?te à la Bordelaise, a succulent cut of beef cooked to perfection with a rich red wine sauce.
Berthier's eyes lit up with delight. "Ah, Bonaparte, you have an exceptional memory," he replied, reaching for the serving knife to cut into the tender meat.
With their food served, they began to enjoy the delightful dinner. They ate in silence, savoring the flavors of the dishes. Ten minutes later, Francis and Aveline finished their dish.
There, Napoleon saw the opportunity.
"Uhm, Francis, Aveline, I believe you two have homework from your tutor that needs to be completed," Napoleon said. "Why don't you finish it in your rooms while I speak with this gentleman here?"
Francis and Aveline nodded, understanding their father's request. They excused themselves from the table, leaving the dining hall with the promise of completing their homework before their bedtime.
Once the children had left, Napoleon turned his attention back to Berthier.
"So, you must be wondering as to why I called you here so suddenly?" Napoleon said.
Berthier wiped the sauce from the corners of his mouth with a napkin and nodded. "Let me guess, is it our forces in Genoa that are currently under siege?"
Napoleon nodded, acknowledging Berthier's deduction. "Yes, you're right. We have to relieve the pressure on Genoa. For that, I'm going to need you to raise an army for me to command."
Berthier looked Napoleon in the eye, his brows furrowing. "You are going to command an army?"
"Just because I'm a Consul now doesn't mean I can't command an army. I was a General before," Napoleon said.
Berthier's expression softened, and he nodded in understanding. "You can have the Army of the Reserve, but how do you plan to get them to Genoa? If you march through Nice, the Austrians would quickly notice and set up a strong defensive position."
"Then, I'll march through a place they won't expect," Napoleon grinned.
"And where is that exactly?" Berthier asked before sipping his wine.
"The Alps," Napoleon revealed.
Berthier choked on his wine, taken aback by Napoleon's audacious plan. He quickly composed himself and wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"The Alps? You mean to cross that mountain?"
"Yes, I'll cross the Great St. Bernard Pass, and from there, I'll march to Milan to cut off their supply lines and force them to face me, thus breaking their siege of Genoa."
"You never fail to surprise me, Bonaparte. So, the Army that you will be commanding, are they going to be equipped with the rifles used by the Army of Orient?"
Napoleon shook his head "No, there's not enough time to train the troops in new weapons. I'll go old-fashioned."
"Okay, I will have the army ready for you before the end of the month," Berthier said.
"Great."
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