CHAPTER 345: CHAPTER 340: STRATEGY FOR WAR AGAINST RUSSIA

"Your Majesty, please look!"

Brigadier General Leboeuf, sitting opposite Jerome Bonaparte, spread the maps out on the table. There were four maps in total, documenting the Danube River Region (Romania), the Bulgarian Region, the areas near Constantinople, and the Crimea Region (Sevastopol).

Each map was completed at a scale of 1:80,000, as per Jerome Bonaparte’s request, and could be considered the most detailed and timely military maps in the world today.

[PS: The military maps of the Russian Empire and Britain are generally around 1:320,000, and the maps are mostly drawn during the Napoleonic Wars.]

On these military maps, the height of each mountain and the width of each river were accurately marked, which could be called quite perfect.

"You have done very well!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded with satisfaction after carefully looking over them one by one.

In a sense, the bureaucratic class in the world behaves quite similarly; as long as the superior does not issue a direct order, the subordinate bureaucrats will only complete the order with some discount.

Only when they are given direct orders will this group of bureaucrats try every means to complete the task.

Bureaucrats pushed to the brink can explode with efficiency several times beyond before. Of course, in some creative fields, do not expect bureaucrats to spark the fire of thought, as the majority of them will only turn 1 into 2, not 0 into 1.

"This is all we should do!" Leboeuf responded humbly.

"With these maps, France will have enough to remain invincible in the upcoming Near East conflict!" Jerome Bonaparte said to Leboeuf, pointing at the map of the Romanian area.

Following this, Jerome Bonaparte and Leboeuf conducted a brief simulation of the forms the Russian Empire might adopt in the Near East conflict.

After merging the four maps, Leboeuf pointed out that the Russian Empire was likely to move troops from Bessarabia (currently Russian Empire’s territory) and, after occupying the Two Danube Principalities, launch an attack on Bulgaria.

By then, the Austrian Empire would certainly dispatch troops simultaneously.

"According to the Secretariat’s projections, the combined forces of the Russian and Austrian Empires will be around 500,000 to 600,000 people," Leboeuf stated seriously to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Why do you think the Austrian Empire would join our war?" Jerome Bonaparte did not refute Leboeuf’s hypothesis; instead, he asked curiously.

"Your Majesty, the Secretariat has no way of predicting diplomatic issues, but we must prepare for the worst! Wars change in a flash, and we must think of every response strategy," Leboeuf honestly replied to Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte nodded with satisfaction, sensing in Leboeuf’s calm attitude the rapid improvement of the "oft-defeated" General before him.

Perhaps he would shine even brighter now than in history!

Jerome Bonaparte thought silently.

A person’s ability to command troops is never constant and depends also on the decisions of the ruler.

Why were Liu Bang’s talents all born in Pei County? Why were most of Zhu Yuanzhang’s subordinates from Fengyang?

Or rather, why did Napoleon’s subordinates gather like shining stars?

Because the ruler himself also possessed some exceptional military feats; otherwise, those individuals would mostly be ordinary people.

The same person in Jerome Bonaparte’s hands and in Louis Napoleon’s hands would also result differently, as Jerome Bonaparte has a vision a century ahead of his time, while all military figures are still exploring future warfare, attempting to break out of the shackles of the Napoleonic Wars.

[PS: European countries have been restricted in their thinking to the Napoleonic Wars period after the wars, even when the American Civil War has shown the dawn of total warfare. Everyone, including Mao Qi, thought the Civil War was nothing more than "two armed mobs chasing each other in their country, with nothing noteworthy."]

Jerome Bonaparte has seen the direction of history and, understanding the military transformations of the coming decades, stood on everyone’s shoulders as he overlooked the world.

The vision of the Monarch also determines the vision of the generals. Those who cannot keep up with Jerome Bonaparte’s pace are destined to be eliminated.

Leboeuf was precisely the one striving to keep up with Jerome Bonaparte’s pace, or else he would be mercilessly left behind by him.

"You may continue!" Jerome Bonaparte smiled and placed his hand flat on the table, adopting an air of attentive listening.

In Leboeuf’s script, the Russian Empire and the Austrian Empire will unite and swiftly advance into the Bulgarian Region, with Serbia and other Balkan regions also facing attacks from the Austrian Empire.

As long as the Russian Empire and the Austrian Empire react quickly enough, they can sweep through the Balkans and Bulgaria. Even Greece, as a neutral country, will inevitably be compelled by these two nations to declare war.

"Once the war is waged, France’s speed must be swift! We must transport troops over swiftly and then defeat the invading enemy! By doing so, we can deter Austria through the war, preventing them from joining the conflict at will," General Leboeuf proposed the idea of a rapid victory.

"The Austrian Empire will be engaged through diplomatic negotiations by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They will not join this battle! I have confidence in Minister De Luy!" Jerome Bonaparte continued to inquire to Leboeuf: "At which port do you plan to land? Gallipoli?"

"No!" Leboeuf shook his head and responded to Jerome Bonaparte: "The Secretariat had inquired with the military officer stationed in Constantinople about the situation of Gallipoli and its surrounding environment. That area is too small, not conducive to the deployment of large corps! Thus, we decided to land in the Varna region! The port here allows the French Army to gain strategic supplies faster!"

Having said that, Leboeuf pointed to the Varna Port in the Bulgarian Region.

Jerome Bonaparte noted that the terrain from Varna to the Akshakovo region on the map was flat and very suitable for stationing large-scale troops. From the north, they could attack the Danube Duchy to cut off the Russian Empire’s supplies, while from the east they could transport the army via the navy to the Sevastopol Fortress and launch an assault on it.

Once the Sevastopol Fortress is taken down, the fleet of the Russian Empire in the Black Sea Region will be utterly destroyed. Due to the great distance between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire, attacking either from the Caucasus or from the Danube Duchy will face supply challenges, requiring the support of the Sevastopol Fortress’s navy for logistics. Once Sevastopol is seized, the Russian Army deeply embedded in the Ottoman Empire will face the risk of collapse due to logistical issues.

Of course, this strategy was based on Jerome Bonaparte’s goal of defeating, not entirely crushing, the Russian Empire.

To completely crush this massive empire, Britain and France would have to launch simultaneous attacks from the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea, and the Kingdom of Sweden would also have to attack Finland. Only then could the Russian Empire possibly face a complete breakdown of order.

Even so, there is a high likelihood that the Anglo-French Alliance Army would voluntarily retreat.

The basic infrastructure of the Russian Empire is so poor that it poses hellish-level difficulties for logistics supply.

Jerome Bonaparte also understood that the Maizi, as a life form, would only find themselves caught in a mire with external forces, disintegrating from within.

The spirit followers of the Decembrists in the Russian Empire have not yet completely died out.

"However, it requires favorable cooperation from the Navy Department!" Jerome Bonaparte continued to say to Leboeuf.

"We believe the imperial navy will certainly accomplish the task!" Although Leboeuf had never met with Minister Dico, he had heard of the vigorous style of the Minister of the Navy and Jerome Bonaparte’s attention to the navy. Since Jerome Bonaparte became governor, the shipbuilding budget for the navy has increased year by year.

If the Ministry of the Navy cannot even accomplish the task of defeating the Russian Empire’s Black Sea Fleet, then Leboeuf has reason to doubt the necessity of the Imperial Navy’s existence.

"I’ve also discussed this issue with Minister Dico! He told me that the current naval fleet is fully capable of destroying all of the Russian Empire’s fleets in the Black Sea!" Jerome Bonaparte said with a smile to Leboeuf, then added a remark: "However, the secretariat of the Navy Department and the secretariat of the Ministry of War must cooperate with each other!"

"The secretariat of the Navy Department?" Leboeuf seemed to hear an extraordinary term.

"Exactly! The Navy Department has also established a direct management structure for its regional fleets, emulating the Ministry of War!" Jerome Bonaparte shrugged and slightly complained: "Minister Dico is always keen on learning, unlike certain people who become complacent after achieving phase victories."

Leboeuf dared not respond to Jerome Bonaparte, for he clearly understood that Jerome Bonaparte’s complaint was directed at none other than Minister of War, Saint Arno.

As an adjutant, Leboeuf did not wish to get involved in such matters casually.

"You may continue!" Jerome Bonaparte flashed an apologetic smile, realizing that he had digressed once again.

Subsequently, Leboeuf proposed two options: the first plan was to advance inland via the coastal region of Varna, completely crushing the Russian Empire (considering the supply issues along the way).

The second plan was to concentrate the main forces on attacking the Sevastopol region, then sweep through the Slavs in the Balkan region.

"Who proposed these two plans?" Jerome Bonaparte asked Leboeuf.

"The first plan was proposed by Colonel Bazan, and the second was proposed by Colonel Troche! Both plans are very insightful!" As the saying goes, praise others to elevate oneself, Leboeuf suitably complimented his colleagues.