The Generals

Chapter 15

Napoleon

Italy, April 1796

‘I don’t think they’re going to be happy about the situation,’ Major Junot muttered as they watched the three division commanders of the Army of Italy dismount outside the merchant’s house that had been commandeered for Napoleon’s headquarters in Nice. Like many of the fine houses that Napoleon had seen in Northern Italy, it was filled with ancient sculptures and the finest paintings of the Renaissance.

Napoleon smiled at his recently promoted aide. ‘No one is asking them to be happy. Just to obey orders.’

Their gaze followed the three commanders as they strode across the courtyard towards the entrance to the house. It was not difficult to work out who was who. Napoleon had read through the records of each man on the journey from Paris. The smallest in stature was Masséna, who was described as a brave soldier and a good tactician. He was also a flagrant womaniser and there were frequent comments about his larcenous approach to any private property that took his fancy whilst on campaign. General Augereau at thirty-eight was the same age as Masséna, but tall, well built and a gifted fencer. The representative of the Committee of Public Safety who had compiled the report had obviously been a sensitive soul since he drew attention to Augereau’s penchant for constantly swearing. He too was not above the occasional spree of looting, but the representative had concluded, grudgingly, that the general was very brave and was loved by the men he led.The third general was Serurier. He had served in the army for over thirty years. He was tall and lean with a humourless countenance. He was strict with his men, and they served him well enough, but Serurier had yet to prove himself as a commander.

Napoleon could understand Junot’s concern. Each of the divisional commanders would have been hoping to become the new commander of the Army of Italy. Instead the post had gone to a man eleven years junior to the youngest of them. Moreover, Napoleon had never commanded any force larger than the artillery train which he had used to bombard the defences of Toulon two and a half years earlier. They were bound to regard him as a political appointment.The puppet of Paul Barras and the other Directors at the head of the government in Paris. Well let them think that, Napoleon mused.The more wrong-headed they were the easier they would be to impress once the campaign began and he won his first victories against the Austrians and their rag-tag allies in the Italian peninsula.

He turned away from the window and took his seat at the head of the long table in the merchant’s finely decorated dining room. The members of his personal staff, Junot, Berthier, Murat and Marmont, were seated either side of him as they waited for the three generals to be admitted to the first meeting of the army’s senior officers.

The double doors at the end of the room were opened by a pair of corporals and Napoleon and his staff rose graciously as the divisional commanders entered the room in their fine dress coats, laced with gold braid. They handed their hats and swordbelts to the corporals and took their places at the table. Napoleon made the introductions before resuming his seat to begin the briefing.

‘Well then, gentlemen, Paris has asked us to drive the Austrians from Italy.At the same time we are to make allies of any Italian kingdom that we can, and overawe or crush the rest. All in a day’s work for the soldiers of France, I think you’ll agree.’

The officers chuckled easily enough at the remark and Napoleon continued.‘However, I have to say that the task will not be quite so easy given the current condition of the Army of Italy. I was told in Paris that there were forty-two thousand men in the army. What I discover when I get here is that there are no more than thirty thousand, and most of them are hungry and poorly equipped and haven’t been paid for months. In one unit I passed through yesterday the men were wearing goatskins for coats and many of them did not even have boots. The army’s artillery train consists of twenty light mountain guns and a handful of transport mules.That’s not going to frighten any enemy. Small wonder that the morale of the officers and men is as low as it is.’

General Augereau laced his fingers together and leaned back in his chair. ‘Well, you can’t believe everything you hear in Paris, it would seem. Perhaps you should return there and tell them the truth, sir.’

‘There is no time for that, General.We must act now.We shall have to work hard to get the Army of Italy ready for the coming campaign.We need reinforcements, we need supplies and equipment, and above all we need to raise morale. And for that we need victories. So I have decided to open our campaign against the Austrians by the middle of April.’

‘But that’s just over two weeks away!’ Serurier protested. ‘That’s impossible.You said it yourself, sir. The army’s in no condition to fight. The best we can hope for is to defend our positions, and marshal resources for a campaign later this year, or early next year.’

Napoleon shook his head. ‘You’re thinking like an Austrian, General Serurier. It is true that the Army of Italy is not ready to fight in a conventional manner, so we must wage war in an unconventional way. Since the army has no supply train, we will do without. Our men will have to live off the land. That means we can outmarch the enemy. The Austrian armies march like snails, hauling vast supply columns with them. They stop to establish depots and then move on again.They make us a present of the initiative, Serurier. It is true that they outnumber us, but by virtue of our greater mobility we will be able to mass superior forces against their weak points and beat them every time. A few such victories and our men will be as lions, ready to leap on their prey. I tell you, gentlemen, by the end of this year the Austrians will be in full retreat, and every man in this room will be regarded as a hero in Paris.’

He paused to let the impact of his words sink in, then turned to Junot. ‘Major, the map if you please.’

Junot unrolled a large map across the table and weighted the corners down. The staff officers and the generals leaned forward to examine the features of northern Italy while Napoleon picked up a cane and stood at the head of the table.

‘In brief, the plan is for the army to march down the coast as far as Savona, then cut inland to threaten the Austrian supply lines.True to form, the Austrians will fall back to the north-east. We’ll hold them there while a strong force turns on the Piedmontese forces. Without their Austrian friends they will crumble very quickly.Then we take Lombardy and Milan before turning our attention back to the Austrians. My final aim for this campaign season is to take the fortress at Mantua. So there it is, gentlemen. Any questions?’

Serurier shook his head. ‘You ask too much of the men, sir.’

Napoleon looked at him shrewdly. ‘Or is it that I am asking too much of my generals?’

Serurier’s eyes widened angrily and he thumped his hand down on the table. ‘You insult me, sir! Let me remind you I was a soldier long before you were born, and these other generals were fighting the enemies of France while you were still a schoolboy.What makes you think you have the right to question my judgement?’

Napoleon glanced at all three of his divisional commanders. ‘It’s simple, gentlemen. I obey the Directory . . . and you obey me. The Directory has told us to take the war to the Austrians and that is precisely what we shall do. If you wish to protest, Serurier, then you must resign your command and take the matter up in Paris. Is that clear?’

Serurier glared at him for a moment, before nodding mutely.

‘Very well then,’ Napoleon continued in a warmer tone. ‘Then let’s discuss the details. And tomorrow, Serurier, I will inspect one of your brigades.’

It was a dull morning, and a faint drizzle speckled the hats and uniforms of the men assembled on the field a short distance outside Oneille. At first it was difficult to believe that these men belonged to an army. Only a handful of them still had their complete kit; the rest were missing backpacks, gaiters, and boots, and some even lacked muskets and bayonets. Several were coughing badly and the majority were thin and gaunt for lack of food.

‘Hardly the stuff of victories,’ Junot said quietly as they approached. Napoleon had temporarily dismissed the senior officers of the brigade and a sergeant major called the soldiers to attention as the commander of the army and his aide marched towards them. The men did their best to straighten their backs and thrust their chests out, but it was as miserable a display of drill as Napoleon had ever seen and for the first time he felt a stab of fear that the command of the Army of Italy was going to be the death of his ambitions. He shook off the doubt as he approached the front rank. He walked slowly past the first dozen soldiers and then stopped in front of an older man, who still had his full kit, albeit worn out.

‘Name?’

‘Private Dunais, General,’ the man replied, with a pronounced accent that Napoleon picked up at once. He smiled.

‘You are a Gascon, then. Good. I need men with the fighting spirit of Gascony. How long have you served in the army?’

‘Four years in this army, General, then twelve years in the Russian army, and before that eight years in the Bourbon army.’

‘I see.What kind of trouble were you in, Dunais? To make you quit France for Russia?’

‘I didn’t like my officers, sir. All breeding and no brains.’

‘And you thought it would be better in the Russian army?’

‘I hoped it would be. I was wrong, General.’

‘And what of the French army today, Dunais? How does it compare with the old Bourbon army? Be honest with me - your officers are not here.’

For the first time Dunais looked him in the eyes. ‘Not well, sir. The lads are keen enough to fight, and would make good enough soldiers . . .’

‘But?’

‘They’ve been given a raw deal by those bastards in the government. And they’ve been cheated by the army contractors. Worst of all, there’s some of the officers who treat us as bad as the contractors, or owe their rank to political friends and know nothing about soldiering, sir.’ Dunais realised he might have said too much, and suddenly clamped his mouth shut and stared straight ahead once more.

‘Private Dunais, your comments are noted, and I give you my word that your grievances will be addressed as soon as possible.’ Napoleon raised his voice so that more men could hear him. ‘If France wants us to fight, then France is going to make sure that her soldiers get the best of what’s available. It’s the very least that her soldiers deserve. Major Junot, make a note of this man’s complaints.’

‘Yes, sir.’

Napoleon continued down the line, stopping every so often to question one of the men and find out where he had come from, and what his grievances were. Once the inspection was over he climbed into a light supply wagon that had been brought forward to act as a podium. He waited until there was almost total silence and stillness in the ranks, and then began to address them.

‘Soldiers! You are hungry and short of equipment. Your government owes you everything but can afford to give you nothing.The patience and courage which you have shown so far has been admirable - but it has not brought you any glory. Not one shred of glory. That is about to change. I will lead you into the most fertile lands in Europe. There are rich provinces with fine towns and cities in Italy, all of which will be yours for the taking. There you will find honour, glory and riches.’ Napoleon paused to draw breath and then thrust his arm out and pointed at them. ‘Soldiers of the Army of Italy! With all this before you, will you be lacking in courage or endurance?’

‘No!’ a voice cried out. ‘We will fight!’

‘Fight!’ another shouted. ‘Fight for General Bonaparte!’

Others picked up the mood and soon they were all chanting his name. Napoleon indulged them for a moment and then turned to Junot and smiled. ‘Now we have an army!’

The date set for the opening of the campaign was 15 April and in the days leading up to the start of the offensive Napoleon and his staff worked every possible hour to remedy the army’s problems. Local banks were forced to make loans to the army so that the men could be paid and supplies purchased. The complaints of the soldiers were investigated and corrupt and incompetent officers were relieved of their commands or sent far to the rear on garrison duty, or even dismissed from the service. The supply contractors were threatened with the loss of their army business if the men were not properly fed. Napoleon visited as many of the units as he could in the early days of April to make rousing speeches to the men, and he set up an army newspaper to provide news from home as well as morale-boosting accounts of the progress of the war with Austria. At the end of every day he sat down and wrote a letter to Josephine, telling her of his exhausting duties, and of the deep love and fiery passion for her that made every day of separation a torture. He asked her, with increasing frustration, to write and let him know when she would come and join him.

The Army of Italy moved forward towards Savona to mass in readiness for the campaign. Napoleon was in a fine mood; his time had come and soon his name would be known the length and breadth of Europe.The only lingering worry was the lack of precise intelligence about the main body of the Austrian army under General Beaulieu. He resolved to send Murat out with some light cavalry first thing in the morning to scout ahead and find the enemy. Then, eyes and limbs aching from his exertions, Napoleon climbed into his bed and fell asleep.

‘Sir!’ a voice called out, waking him. Napoleon rose stiffly and blinked his eyes. Major Junot was standing at the foot of the bed, still in his nightshirt. Behind him the first grey light of dawn was creeping across the roofs of Savona.

‘Junot, what the devil’s going on?’

‘It’s the Austrians.They’ve attacked one of Masséna’s brigades.’

‘Where?’ Napoleon threw back the bedclothes and climbed out of bed. ‘In what strength?’

‘Near Voltri. The report from Colonel Cervoni is that his brigade is holding them back but the enemy is arriving in greater numbers all the time. He says he will be forced to fall back before long.’

‘Voltri, eh?’ Napoleon closed his eyes and recalled the details of the map of the coastal area towards Genoa.Voltri was a port a short distance from Genoa where Masséna’s division was moving into position to attack. At once he grasped the danger. He opened his eyes and fixed his stare on Junot.

‘Get Berthier and the others in my office. Then send an alert to all divisional and brigade commanders. I want the army ready to march at once. Tell them the campaign begins today. Today, understand?’

‘Yes, sir.’ Junot saluted and left the room as Napoleon reached for his clothes.

When he entered his office, a staff sergeant was already laying out a map, and Napoleon ordered him to find some coffee and bread. Leaning over the map he found Voltri at once and nodded as he saw the disposition of his troops that Berthier had marked in the night before. The Austrians were attempting to drive towards the coast to cut Masséna off from the rest of the army. If they succeeded, the campaign was over before it had begun. Just as Napoleon’s career would be. On the other hand, he considered, unless the Austrians had changed their tactics the attack would proceed at a slow pace. Slow enough for Napoleon to turn the situation to his advantage.