Chapter 95: Crisis (Part 3)

 "What do you mean?" Carnot furrowed his brow.

"Lazare, to defeat our enemies, we must understand them. Only by comprehending our enemy's situation can we effectively counter them. Some of our officers, however, are going into battle without any knowledge of the enemy, even of themselves. Lazare, this is not warfare; it's sending our soldiers to their deaths, or even a crime against the Republic! I've always believed there should be a principle in the military: never fight an unprepared battle," Joseph said.

"Your principle is sound, but the current situation is dire, and we can't ignore Vendée," Carnot replied.

"Lazare, why do you think Vendée's peasants revolted? What made those honest farmers take up arms? What are the characteristics and weaknesses of the rebels in Vendée?" Joseph inquired further.

"Why?" Carnot pondered, "They were probably incited by priests and manipulated by the aristocracy."

"No, that's not it," Joseph shook his head, "When we beheaded Louis XVI, they had no reaction; when we ordered the expulsion of the clergy, their rebellion was limited. But when we called for conscription, they launched a large-scale revolt. It was conscription that made them rise. Only conscription damaged their interests significantly and drove them to unite against us."

"But we can't forgo conscription or turn a blind eye to Vendée," Carnot replied.

"Of course," Joseph said, "I'm pointing this out to illustrate a specific trait of our enemy, the Vendée rebels. Lazare, do you remember how most of the National Guard in Paris refused to leave the city?"

"I certainly do... Joseph, are you suggesting they..." Carnot began to realize.

"They are, in essence, like our own National Guard, unwilling to leave their homeland, with the courage to defend their homes and lives. If we fight in Vendée, they are like the immovable Atlas, nearly invincible. If we approach this problem solely with military means, we won't achieve true victory unless we completely eradicate Vendée's land. To do that, Lazare, I must say the number of troops you've prepared is far too few. I believe we need at least ten times as many."

"Joseph, if I had that many troops at my disposal, why would we even go to Vendée? Why not head straight to Vienna?" Carnot questioned.

"So, a direct military solution is a pipe dream! Dealing with Vendée must involve both military and political approaches," Joseph stated.

"It seems you've been planning this for a while, Joseph!" Carnot said, "Tell me, how do we combine both approaches?"

"Let's start with the military aspect. Political matters are beyond our control," Joseph began, "Militarily, I don't have a complete plan yet, but I can offer a direction. We need to find a way to lure Atlas away from his land. The Vendée peasants will certainly not leave their soil willingly, but the nobles leading them, along with the English backing them, won't let them stay idle in Vendée. They'll try to get them to come out and attack us. If we can entice them somehow, they'll come out faster. Then, on a battlefield outside Vendée, we'll find an opportunity to deliver a decisive blow, eliminating their elite troops beyond Vendée. This will make many things easier in the future."

"Hmm," Carnot nodded, "This direction is intriguing. Now, what about the political aspect?"

"Politically..." Joseph's pace slowed, "Politically, it comes down to the distribution of interests. Lazare, why are Vendée's peasants rebelling against us? Because we've harmed their interests, right? If we can offer them a suitable, even very attractive compensation, we might completely resolve the Vendée issue."

Carnot listened but then shook his head in disappointment. "Joseph, if we had enough to compensate them for their losses, why would we need conscription? Why not simply recruit volunteers? What can we offer them? We can't print more banknotes for them; they're not fools. Even fools today know not to trust banknotes."

"Have you ever read Machiavelli's 'The Prince'?" Joseph asked.

"The Italian schemer?" Carnot responded.

"His views can be uncomfortable, but some of his techniques are interesting. Honestly, if our previous king had possessed Machiavellian skills, France might still be a kingdom today," Joseph remarked.

"I've read that book before, but I've forgotten many things. Joseph, just tell me what you mean," Carnot urged.

"We don't need to compensate them with our resources. As Machiavelli said, a shrewd ruler should excel at 'milking the generosity of others,'" Joseph explained.

"Oh, I remember this part. Alexander the Great, Caesar, and Augustus had a reputation for generosity, but they were actually generously distributing others' belongings to their soldiers... Is that what you mean?" Carnot recalled.

"Yes, Lazare, think about what those peasants desire most. It's their land, isn't it? We'll entice the nobles first, bring them out of Vendée, defeat them there, and ensure their descendants flee. Then, we'll confiscate their land and redistribute it to local peasants, with the best plots going to those willing to serve as soldiers for us. If we can really do this, Lazare, I believe the Vendée rebellion isn't insurmountable, and the Vendée region might become a strong base of support for us in the future," Joseph concluded.

"This approach seems feasible, but such a significant decision must be approved by the National Convention," Carnot hesitated. "Today, passing such a resolution in the Convention will surely face opposition."

"Why? We won't be spending anything," Joseph questioned.

"Because... because the Convention has already confiscated the land of Vendée's nobles as collateral and issued banknotes," Carnot hesitated but replied.

"What? They've done that too?" Joseph was taken aback.

"But your earlier military advice is good. Joseph, I think entrusting you with this task is a good choice," Carnot once again tried to assign Joseph the responsibility.

"I'm not being modest, nor do I shy away from serving France. If it benefits France, I don't mind risking my life. Why would I push the responsibility aside for personal gain? However, designing such a strategy is quite different from the improvisational command on the front lines. Don't be fooled by my words here; facing the enemy in actual command might lead to unpredictable problems. In reality, Lazare, you and I are more alike, both better suited for service within the War Ministry. Well, not exactly... you're more suitable for working in the War Ministry than I am. My true place is in the laboratory. Damn, it's been so long since I left the laboratory."

"In truth, I also prefer the laboratory," Carnot patted Joseph's shoulder and said, "I understand you. However, we must both work for France now. If you can't go, how about sending Napoleon? I think he's quite competent in tactics."

Joseph didn't oppose this appointment, but he had two requests, "If you want Napoleon to take on this responsibility, I don't object. He's indeed better suited. However, I have two requests. First, you should help him strengthen the middle-level commanders among his subordinates. Second, if Napoleon makes any special moves, I hope everyone will trust his command."

"I understand," Carnot said, "Although my influence is limited, I won't let ignorant meddling into military command."

And so, Napoleon quickly became the overall commander of the anti-rebel forces. Though the anti-rebel forces were limited in number, consisting of only one division, this marked the beginning of his emergence as a true leader.

As for Joseph, he returned once again to Carnot's side, becoming his deputy. He also took charge of a new institution, the "Tactical Research Institute." Carnot had briefly considered convincing him to join the Committee of Public Safety, but Joseph politely declined. Nevertheless, Joseph remained a harmless but highly valuable asset to the Republic.

As Joseph had predicted, the Vendée nobles couldn't bear staying idle in the rural backwaters of Vendée. They used their accumulated wealth from generations to raise an army of over 40,000 men through recruitment and began moving northward. Facing them were only Napoleon's newly formed division of around 5,000 troops and some local National Guard units.

Based on the combat capability shown by the peasant army in previous battles, General François Athanase de Charette believed they could defeat the French forces in front of them and advance on Paris.

Of course, Charette also knew that with such a small force and weak logistics, he couldn't actually conquer Paris. But he believed that if he achieved one or two victories and threatened Paris, the northern front would come alive, and the Republic would be surrounded, facing threats from all sides.