Fox of France

"What do you mean?" Kano frowned.

"Lazar, to defeat the enemy, we must understand the enemy. Only by understanding the enemy's situation can we effectively deal with them. And some of our officers are ignorant of the enemy, or even themselves. If you know it, go to fight the enemy. Lazar, this is not a fight, this is to let the soldiers go to death, or even a crime against the Republic! I always think that there should be such a principle in the military. , That is not to fight an unprepared battle." Joseph said.

"Your whole principle is very good. But today's situation is very critical, we can not ignore Wang Dai." Cano said.

"Lazar, why do you think the peasants in Vendée rebelled? What made the honest peasants pick up the gun? What are the characteristics and weaknesses of the rebels?" Joseph asked again.

"Why?" Kano thought for a while, "They should have been inspired by the priests and drawn in by the nobles."

"No." Joseph shook his head. "When we cut off Louis XVI's head, they didn't respond; when we ordered the expulsion of the priest, their rebellion was still limited; but... but when we ordered conscription At that time, they rebelled on a large scale. What made them rebel was not other, but conscription. Only conscription is what really damaged their interests and allowed them to unite to resist."

"However, it is impossible for us not to conscript, nor to open a side to Vendée." Kano said.

"Of course." Joseph said, "I am not saying this is to raise any objection to the policy of conscription. I just take this to illustrate a characteristic of our enemy, the rebels of Vendée. Well, Lazar, you Remember that most of the volunteers in Paris are reluctant to leave Paris?"

"Of course I remember... Joseph, you mean, they and..." Kano heard it, and realized it.

"They are actually very similar to our volunteers. They are not willing to leave their hometowns. They have the courage to defend their hometown and life. If they fight in Vendée, they are like Antaeus standing on the ground, almost invincible. Yes. If we use military means alone to solve the problem, unless we eradicate the entire land of Vendée, we will not be able to truly win. To accomplish this kind of work, Lazar, I have to say, you give The number of troops we have prepared is too small. I think it needs to be multiplied by at least a ten."

"Damn it, Joseph, if I have so many troops in my hand, why would I go to Vendée? Why don't we go directly to Vienna?"

"So, a direct military solution is a dream! Vendée's affairs must be a dual-pronged approach of military and politics!" Joseph said.

"It seems that you already have an idea, Joseph!" Cano said, "tell me how to do both!"

"Let’s talk about the military first. Political issues cannot be completely resolved by us." Joseph said, "Military, I don’t have a complete plan yet. I can only provide an idea. That is to find a way to lure Antaeus away. His land. The farmers of Vendée are definitely unwilling to leave their land, but those nobles who lead them and the British behind them will not allow them to shrink in Vendée like this. They will find a way to make They come out to attack us, if we try to entice them, they will come out faster. Then we find an opportunity on the battlefield outside of Vendée, give them a fierce blow, and wipe out their elite Outside Vendée. So many things in the future will be easier to handle."

"Well," Kano nodded, "this idea is a bit interesting. So, what about the political way?"

"Political..." Joseph slowed down. "Political matters are ultimately the distribution of interests. Lazar, why do the farmers in Vendée oppose us? Isn't it that we harm their interests? If We can provide them with suitable, even very cost-effective compensation, and maybe we can completely solve the problems of Vendée."

Kano listened, but shook his head disappointedly and said, "Joseph, if we have enough to compensate them for their losses. Then why do we have to recruit soldiers, just recruit them directly? What can we give them? Compensation? I can't print another batch of vouchers to them, right? They are not fools... Now even fools know not to vouchers."

"Lazar, have you read Machiavelli's "On the King"?" Joseph asked.

"That Italian conspirator?" Cano replied.

"That guy's point of view is really uncomfortable, but some of his skills are very interesting. To be honest, if our former king really had the tricks of Machiavelli, now maybe France is still a kingdom." Joseph said.

"I've read that book before, but I forgot a lot of things. Joseph, just say what you want."

"We don't need to compensate them with our things, as Machiavelli said, a smart ruler must be good at being generous to others." Joseph replied.

"Ah, this paragraph, I remember. Well, Alexander the Great, Caesar, Augustus all have a reputation for generosity, but their generosity is actually the generous distribution of other people's things to their warriors... …Ah, did you mean this?"

"Yes, Lazar, think about it, what do the peasants desire most? Isn’t it land? Let’s seduce the nobles first, take them out of Vendée, then destroy this wave, and then take advantage of them We have not had time to recover, enter the Vendée, kill all the landlords of the Vendée nobles, but let their children and grandchildren run away. Then we confiscated all their lands and distributed these lands to local farmers. The best lands are allocated to those who are willing to fight for us. If we can do this, Lazar, I think the rebellion in Vendée is not unquenchable, and even the Vendée region may become the best in the future. Support our basic area." Joseph replied.

"This idea... it should be feasible, but such an important decision must be passed in the National Assembly." Kano said hesitantly, "Now, if such a resolution is passed in the Parliament, it will definitely be passed by some people. opposing."

"Why? It doesn't cost us anything?" Joseph asked.

"Because...because the parliament has already confiscated the land of the nobles in the Vendée area as collateral, and has issued a coupon." Kano hesitated and replied.

"Huh? There is such an operation?" Joseph was stunned.

"But the military suggestion you made earlier is also very good. Joseph, I think it must be good to entrust this to you." Kano wants to make Joseph take the responsibility again.

"I'm really not humble, nor unwilling to serve France. As long as it's good for France, even if I risk my life, I don't care. How can I shirk responsibility because of my personal gains and losses? But design such a strategy, and There is still a big difference in the response to the enemy’s command. Don’t look at what I’m talking about here, but if you really want to command the enemy, you may have something wrong. In fact, Lazar, I am closer to you, and we are more suitable for serving in the Ministry of War. No, I am not the same as you. You are more suitable for working in the Ministry of War than me, and the place that is more suitable for me is actually a laboratory. Damn it, it's been so long, I've been out of the laboratory for so long."

"Actually, I like the laboratory better too, really!" Kano patted Joseph on the shoulder and said, "I can understand you. But we all have to work hard for France now. Well, if you can't go, What do you think about letting Napoleon go? I think he is quite good tactically."

There is no objection to the appointment of Joseph, he just put forward this point: "If Napoleon is to take this responsibility, I have no objection. He is indeed more suitable than me. However, I also have two requirements. The first is that you have to Help him replenish the middle-level commander under his command stronger. The second is that if Napoleon does anything special, I hope everyone can trust his command."

"I understand." Kano said, "Although I have limited influence, in military command, I will never let those who don't understand the fart come in."

In this way, Napoleon suddenly became the commander-in-chief of the rebels. Although the number of the Ping Rebels is limited ~ www.readwn.com ~ only has one division, but this is after all beginning to be truly independent.

As for Joseph, he returned to Kano again and became Kano's deputy. At the same time, he served as the director of a new institution-the "Tactical Research Institute". Kano once tried to persuade him to come out to serve on the National Salvation Committee, but Joseph politely refused. In short, Joseph became a harmless but very useful person.

As Joseph expected, the nobles in Vendée could not bear to stay idly in the poor countryside of Vendée. They took out the money accumulated over the generations of the family, and by means of recruitment, they raised a team of more than 40,000. And began to attack north. Opposite them, there was only a newly-built division of Napoleon with a number of no more than five thousand, and the National Self-Defense Army in some places.

According to the combat effectiveness of the peasant army in previous battles, the commander of the rebel army, General François Atanas de Charette Dracotri, believed that they could completely defeat the French army in front of them. Close to Paris.

Of course, General Dracotri also knew that just relying on such a small number of people and his weak logistics were not enough to truly capture Paris. But he believes that as long as he wins one or two victories and threatens Paris, the northern front will surely become lively, and the republic that has been attacked by the enemy will be finished.