Chapter 167: The Dutch Rebellion

"Napoleon, I disagree with what Roland said. When it comes to the Duke of Enghien, a descendant of the Condé family, a relative of the Bourbon dynasty, currently supported by the British government. He is most likely involved in this case, having lived on the Rhine border for many years, isn't it to gather intelligence on France? He idles all day, with close contacts with spies from southern Germany. We must make an example of him, strike at this royal figure! Only then can we deter members of the Bourbon dynasty who are in exile!" Talleyrand incited Napoleon.

"No, although the Duke of Enghien has committed a crime, we can use alternative legal measures to punish him. Killing the Duke of Enghien is a fatal mistake. Executing him is tantamount to challenging the sovereignty of over a dozen European monarchs, and millions of Europeans who believe in monarchy would stand against us. Regardless of whether we have made mistakes politically or militarily," Roland argued. In history, one of the main reasons for Napoleon's failure was that he offended too many countries, and all countries resisted him. A significant reason for this was his challenge to the rights of European monarchs.

"Roland, you also know that we have conclusive evidence. These people conspired to rebel, to plunge France into chaos. They not only want to kill me but also to overthrow the revolution! So, to protect the hard-won achievements of this revolution, I have no choice but to act! The Duke of Enghien conspired to seize power, no different from other rebels, and of course, he should be punished. These traitors want to kill me, but they will not succeed! Can a handful of Jacobins defeat me? Even with support from Bourbon sympathizers, it's impossible! If they succeed, what does it mean? I dare say they will restore the monarchy. The wheels of French history will roll back because of this! Do they have the ability to bravely kill enemies on the battlefield? Yes, I have killed people, but it was unavoidable. Roland, you should understand this," Napoleon roared at Roland.

Napoleon had his reasons for this matter. In reality, the French had no authority to arrest a duke in a foreign country. But once he entered French territory, the legality of sentencing him to death arose. He himself admitted to the desire to overthrow the existing regime, so naturally, he had to be punished.

So Napoleon decided to execute the Duke of Enghien on the streets of Paris.

"But, Uncle Napoleon," Roland wanted to say more.

"Enough, Roland. After experiencing a battle, I'm sure you're tired too. Go rest first," Unfortunately, Napoleon did not give Roland another chance to speak, and he decided abruptly.

"Alright!" Roland nodded helplessly and then left. He knew Napoleon was a very determined person, and since he had made up his mind this time, further discussion would be meaningless.

Finally, in December, on a day when heavy snow fell, Napoleon ordered soldiers to hold a trial for the Duke of Enghien on the streets of Paris, and then promptly executed him by firing squad. 

As Roland had imagined, the aftermath of Napoleon's execution of the Duke of Enghien caused a huge uproar across Europe. 

In nineteenth-century Europe, all countries strictly adhered to one rule: do not harm nobles. This was because in war, no one could be sure they wouldn't be the next ones defeated. So, to ensure their own survival, there was an unspoken agreement. Its purpose was to prevent oneself from being tortured or killed by the enemy in case of defeat. 

Now, this unwritten rule had been trampled upon by Napoleon. Coupled with the fact that he was not part of the European noble system to begin with, this strained his relationship with European nobles even further. 

The most prominent example of this tension was seen in the Netherlands, located in the northeast of France. 

Upon hearing of the Duke of Enghien's execution, the Dutch leader, Bragge, immediately criticized Napoleon in newspapers, claiming he was a tyrannical despot who cruelly murdered the French royal family. Such a person, he asserted, did not deserve the support of the Dutch people. Therefore, the Dutch decided not to recognize the Franco-Austrian-Italian Peace Treaty signed by France and Austria, and instead opted for independence. 

"Damn it! These damn Dutch people, they simply don't know their place," Napoleon thundered in an office within the walls of the Palace of Fontainebleau, slamming the newspaper proclaiming the Dutch defiance on the table.

Napoleon had anticipated that the Dutch would find excuses to resist his rule, but when it actually happened, he still felt infuriated. 

Especially in Bragge's proclamation, nearly all the negative terms were directed at him, as if he were an unforgivable criminal.

"Order Murat and Roland to head north immediately. Crush the Dutch's spirit for me," Napoleon commanded angrily. He had initially hoped to lure the Netherlands into the embrace of France through gentler means, but now it seemed that force was the most effective option.

"Yes, I'll prepare immediately," replied the French Minister of War, Marshal Marmon, upon hearing Napoleon's order.

"Also, have Jourdan take over from Moreau as commander of the Second Infantry Division. Let him support Roland and Murat as reinforcements," Napoleon ordered.

Moreau was an excellent commander who had fought alongside Napoleon in various campaigns. It was a pity that such a talented commander would betray him, which both saddened and angered Napoleon.

However, despite feeling deeply saddened by Moreau's betrayal, Napoleon decided not to use him anymore. Instead, he resolved to appoint another outstanding general from the French army, Jourdan, to take over command of his Second Infantry Division.

Although this war was dubbed the "Dutch Independence War," it surely wouldn't escape the involvement of other major powers behind the scenes, such as England and Austria. Therefore, this battle was likely to be a tough one, and Napoleon needed to prepare early.

...

Capital of the Netherlands: Brussels.

Just as Napoleon was making preparations to forcibly reclaim the Netherlands, the Dutch leader, Bragge, was also mobilizing for war. For this war, Bragge mobilized a force of fifty thousand troops.

Originally, Bragge had planned to unite with the British and anti-Napoleon forces within France itself, believing that only through collective action could they increase their chances of success. However, to Bragge's surprise, Napoleon acted swiftly, and before his forces could fully assemble, the Duke of Enghien had already been arrested by the French.

Fortunately, Napoleon's decision to hastily execute the Duke of Enghien provided Bragge with a pretext. Although the Bourbon monarchy had been overthrown for many years, Europe was still a "family" of royal houses, with personal relationships between the royal families of different countries. Therefore, if Bragge played his cards right, he could even rebuild an anti-French alliance. 

Moreover, with the successful declaration of Dutch independence in this incident, Bragge could potentially elevate himself to the status of emperor for the Dutch dynasty in the future, leveraging his significant personal prestige.

However, for now, the most important thing was to resist the advance of the French army. This was the fundamental priority.

Facing the formidable French army, Bragge was confident in victory, as the British had already sent envoys to him, promising to provide assistance in the war.

As both France and the Netherlands engaged in mutual propaganda attacks, both sides prepared for war.

On December 8th, under Napoleon's strict orders, the French army, led by Roland and Murat, immediately left Baden and began advancing northward. Their objective was the border town between the Netherlands and France: Namur.

Namur was located in the south of the Netherlands, adjacent to the French border. Its geographical environment was similar to that of the Netherlands as a whole, situated on plains, making it ideal for cavalry warfare.

Therefore, after brief deliberation, the French army decided to send Murat's cavalry as the vanguard to attack the Dutch army's positions.

Namur was the French army's first battle. Its strategic location was extremely important, being only a hundred miles from Brussels, the capital of the Netherlands. If the French army could capture Namur, they could directly advance northward and attack the capital.

Just as they had captured the Duke of Enghien, their next objective was to capture Bragge alive.