Napoleon in 1812 - Chapter 136

As the role of artillery and infantry on the battlefield grew, the proportion of cavalry decreased. For example, during the Spanish Succession War, the largest war in Europe 100 years ago, the ratio of infantry and cavalry soared to 2:1, and as much as 1:1… But it was now impossible. No country was now organizing its army like that.

This was because cavalry could no longer serve as a decisive weapon due to the emergence of flintlock muskets and bayonets, and the development of anti-cavalry tactics such as infantry squares. However, now, the heyday of cavalry was being reproduced again here, in a battlefield that transcended 150 years of time and space.

The identity of the cavalry, decorated with colorful uniforms and brilliant decorations, was a combined cavalry division from France and Naples. When their commander-in-chief, Murat, shouted, the cavalry thrilled the viewers by showing its destructive power, able to cut the beards of the Russians,

The shock given by the combined weight of a heavy armored rider and his horse was not something that could be withstood, even by a strong adult man. The battle lines of Bagration’s corps, which had remained firm under any unfavorable conditions, collapsed with this single charge.

For the fallen, split, and isolated enemy soldiers, the riders surely had precise and sharp blades. The place where the cavalry swept by was filled with only the bodies of Russian soldiers who collapsed covered in blood.

“Pour la gloire d’un Empire immortel I (For the glory of an eternal Empire!)”

The reason why the old-fashioned cavalry charge was able to exert such tremendous power was also because of the carelessness of Bagration’s corps. Their commander, Pyotr Bagration, changed the formation of the battalion horizontally and thinly as soon as he confirmed that the French cavalry was exhausted and un usa ble.

Such a straight line was very useful in gunfights and hand-to-hand combat against infantry, but was vulnerable to flank and rear attacks.

Above all, the width of the line, which meant the thickness of the battle line, had become narrower, so if a cavalry hit from the front, it would not withstand it and the line would break immediately.

All the units in the front line were preparing for a battle between infantry, but a large cavalry suddenly intruded and stormed through them. Even the experienced Bagration failed to respond properly.

“Viscount Toledo, lead the 6th and 10th Cavalry Battalions now, and strike their artillery! You’ll have to take at least five Russian flags there!”

“I will obey your orders!”

“Don’t let the rest of the cavalry scatter, keep in line, and follow me! I will show you again the myths of Eylau and Hrodna!”

Joachim Murat’s mysterious cavalry command skills were added to this. Well versed in cavalry tactics, Murat was considered to be the best to maneuver at the best time, taking into account not only the formation of enemy troops but also the terrain and intelligence. He was a general who could show the best charge.

In particular, Murat’s intelligent tactics in squad-level cavalry maneuvers were unrivaled.

Using the high speed of the horses, he broke the enemies’ ranks by making sequential attacks on the vulnerable flank and rear.

Afterwards, he sent in chasseurs with muskets to break them up into smaller groups, and finally, the Hussar cavalry simply erased one regiment like they were hunting rabbits.

“Those who fail to keep their position are not my army! Even if you die on the spot, hold on, hold on, and hold on!!”

When infantrymen were dealing with cavalry, it was fundamental to respond in unison.

Bagration ordered the officers under his command to control the soldiers very strictly. However, Murat did not let them form a square.

Raising the epaulettes hanging from his shoulders, he sent the promised signal, and the officers watching Murat ran out in unison to deliver the order.

The combined cavalry division was quickly divided into groups of 50 men. Each of them was led by young and brave officers. They scattered all over the battlefield. And they moved organically under their arbitrary judgment, not under the commander’s command.

“Charge!”

As soon as Russian soldiers tried to unite and form a square, small units appeared. Without any hesitation and forgiveness, they broke through their rear trying to change the formation. Under their rush, the squares collapsed.

Overwhelming mobility and wide visibility were the privileges of cavalry. As such, they were able to easily and quickly stab the enemies’ weaknesses, and they were able to exert great destructive power even in such a small unit. Only Murat could use this tactic, which utilized 100% of the cavalry’s characteristics,

“That is why the Emperor did not abandon him, but held him to the end.”

Among the marshals of the Empire, many did not get along with Murat. Even Junot did not like him, who was arrogant and greedy.

Murat had even openly asked the Emperor for compensation and a title for his contributions. He was a man who earned the ire around him with his words and actions.

Nevertheless, Murat survived and kept his position. Even if he made a mistake, the Emperor would rather criticize him than reject him. It was because Murat had such an irreplaceable ability that only he could exert.

If Junot were to disappear, someone else would be found to replace him, but without Murat, the Great Army would inevitably face problems, That was why Junot was truly envious of Murat.

“I can’t waste this decisive opportunity he has created for me.”

Junot and Berthier had been preparing for a full-fledged counterattack since the appearance of Murat’s cavalry.

They turned those who were exhausted from the long fight to the rear, distributed ammunition and bayonets to all units, and the batteries were supplied with gunpowder and shells to give them time to breathe.

The French soldiers, who had the time to rearm, watched the battlefield ahead with blazing eyes.

They were the best elite troops of the French Empire, the corps direct led by Emperor Napoleon. The performance worthy of their reputation was, of course, establishing the best performance and winning on any battlefield.

However, in this battle, they failed to break through the defense of Bagration’s corps, which guarded the Elster Bridge,

The soldiers did not express their feelings, but in fact, they were slightly disappointed. Their old enemy was now being thoroughly ravaged by the cavalry division that came running from outside.

How could they not be stimulated by this performance? Their desire to revenge the past disgrace immediately gathered with an increase in their will to fight,

“Long live the French Empire!!”

‘Woah hhhh!!”

“For the Emperor!!”

Nothing could stop them from rushing like lions. If the Russian army was already in disarray due to Murat’s grand cavalry charge, it could not deal with even more.

Armed with a fiery fighting spirit, Napoleon’s corps overwhelmed its enemies with superior combat power and operational capabilities.

Bagration’s corps, which seemed so firm, collapsed like a sand castle. Only then could the command’s staff burst into cheers and rejoiced. The Russian military discipline was progressively falling apart. Junot was deeply moved as he looked at the collapsing Bagration’s corps.

The Battle of Leipzig was considered to be one of the most important turning points in the ’Great War’ in which Europe as a whole was involved, Among others, the battlefield of the village of Lindenau was a key battlefield where the most elite corps of the two factions faced each other.

In this decisive battle in which the command had been entrusted to him by the Emperor, Junot was about to win,

‘This day has come to me, too. God, I thank you for your grace.1

Junot, who faithfully followed the Emperor and longed for the baton of Marshal of the Empire, realized its weight after receiving it.

Those who had received the baton with seven stars before Junot were all generals with great achievements and victories, so he always felt that he had to build comparable merit to them in order to stand shoulder to shoulder with them.

Although the main character’s position was taken by Joachim Murat, who appeared with the cavalry division, Junot’s contribution to the command of the corps as commander from the beginn ing to the end of this battle did not disappear. Now he would not be under such pressure. He had won the most important battle!

“Let’s offer an honorable surrender to Bagration.”

“Yes, sir!”

Andoche Junot’s name would be recorded as the winner of a battle that would remain in French war history, defeating Russia’s best commander and his elite corps. All he had left was to enjoy his victory.

Unfortunately, however, Junot’s suffering was not over yet. Just before sending the surrender document, the Chief of Staff Berthier brought very terrible news.

“It seems that they are as strong against bad luck as we are. Huh! What a third-rate novel!”

It was really a close call. Just before Bagration’s corps collapsed, the floating bridges over the river were completed.

In other words, it meant that the allies across the river, who had been carrying all the supply and support with only the Elster Bridge, had now a way to march over the river very quickly.

The Allied command did not hesitate to order a number of elite units to attack at once.

The appearance of Russian, Prussian, and Swedish troops crossing the river while shouting was terrifying. As soon as they joined, the battlefield plunged into a labyrinth.

Juno tore his hair out. If the bridge had been completed 30 minutes late, or even 15 minutes late, this battle would have ended in a French victory!

‘Oh, cruel God! Are you testing me again!?’

The atmosphere of the French command in Lindenau became extremely dark. Their side had not managed to decide the outcome even though all available power had been poured out except for the Old Guard, which was the last bastion.

On the other hand, lively soldiers were constantly coming over the numerous new bridges. It was obvious who the final winner would be.

At a time when Berthier, a cool-headed strategist, was touching his lips without finding anything to say due to the atmosphere of the battlefield that changed in an instant, a magnificent man strode toward this place. He was Joachim Murat, coming back from the front line.

“You thought that we were the only troops sent as reinforcements? Hahaha! No army moves its cavalry alone!”

The officers’ expressions were blank as they watched Murat, who was laughing loudly. That was right, Allied troops from the French Army, the Naples Army, and small German powers belonging to the Confederation of the Rhine were coming to the village of Lindenau! Murat’s cavalry did not come alone, but they arrived in advance. Berthier asked him urgently.

“How in the world did you know that we were in an emergency? We didn’t receive any signal or intelligence that a complete corps would come here…!”

“His Majesty gave the order.”

Junot and Berthier looked as if they had been hit hard in the head with a blunt weapon. It was the Emperor’s order? All of this?

“This is the content of the message sent by His Majesty just yesterday morning.”

Junot and Berthier quickly received and read the letter from Murat. The letter revealed the strategy proposed by the God of War, who had a perfect grasp of the situation here even when he was several kilometers away.

The enemy advancing to cross the river is the most vulnerable at the precise moment when its troops are divided between units that have crossed the river and units that have not. In order to achieve a reasonable goal, it is needed to keep the enemies in that state,

To that end, I instruct you to go to Lindenau in secret with quick maneuvers without informing the Prince of Neuchatel (Berthier) and the Duke of Abrantes (Junot).

The Emperor judged that if Berthier a nd Junot knew that reinforcements were arriving after a short wait, they would have used a formation centered on delay instead of repulsion, and therefore the experienced enemy commanders would have surely noticed the presence of the reinforcements.

So, he hid information from Junot and Berthier so that the Coalition’s troops could cross the White Elster River ‘safely’. In order to completely deceive the enemy, even the allies were deceived.

With their (Junot, Berthier) capabilities, the Elster River can be defended sufficiently without information about the reinforcements.

However, according to the tendency of the hasty Russian Tsar and the Allied Forces Command, there is a high possibiHty that they will launch an unreasonable attack without waiting, If you (Murat) personally lead the cavalry division of the reinforcements and participate in an advance support, I will be relieved.

The battlefields of Lindenau and the Elster River had been in the hands of the Emperor from the beginning. Just as Junot swallowed his saliva while his hand holding the letter was trembling, the familiar sound of a military band resounded from behind him.

JlJlJ’fiJ’J’JlJ’-!

“Oh, it looks like they’ve just arrived. A corps of warriors who will end this war.”

The first th ing that caught Junot’s eye with the merry ma rch of the Imperial Army was the tricolor flag ofthe French Empire waving in the wind. And after that, the flags of countries belonging to the Union, including the Kingdom of Naples, appeared one after another, filling his sight.

The soldiers of the unified corps were coming this way in perfect, orderly fashion without any trace of battle. Would the crusaders who arrived to save the castle of Acre, which was in danger of being occupied by Muslim armies, be as majestic and reliable as them?

“Long live the Great Emperor!!”

One of the staff officers, unable to resist the intense joy that hit his head, gave a headless cheer without realizing it. But no one could say anything to him. Because they all felt the same way.

“He could have told us about the existence of reinforcements from the beginning and order us to fight a fierce battle, without delaying it. His Majesty is really…”

Berthier shook his head and smiled dejectedly. Nearly half of the Coalition’s forces had just crossed the river when the Union’s forces, with troops from France, Naples and the Confederation of the Rhine, led by Emmanuel de Grouchy and Edouard Mortier, arrived in Lindenau.

It was a plan that perfectly followed the theory that the time when the enemy was precisely divided was the time when he was the weakest, and Junot got goosebumps once again when he thought of the Emperor who had calculated this accurately.

“His Majesty is truly a divine man. Standing in an area far beyond our minds.”

“Hahaha! Wouldn’t it be enough for this body to serve at that level?”

While listening to Murat’s hoarse voice with one ear, awe and a sense of despondency at the unknown being enveloped Junot. He had assisted Napoleon since he was a young officer, and had shared numerous miracles and similar moments.

However, he concluded that today’s event would be by far the most awe-inspiring of all. No matter how much the Emperor was called a giant representing this era, was this not a strategic plan far beyond the norm?

Junot seemed to believe that the Emperor was a prophet who could foresee the future. No, rather, he was convinced of it.

‘Anyway, the Almighty God of War is on our side. Then we will never lose this war.’

Junot nodded vigorously, There was no more hesitation in his movement from the command post to the battlefield.

charging at the Battle of Jena, painted by Henri-Georges Chartier: