Make France Great Again

"Understood! Please rest assured that the General Staff will definitely comply with your requirements!"

Niel assured Jérôme Bonaparte in a slightly high-pitched tone.

“By the way, we also need to study more on army tactics and fighting with large groups!

Don't always think about using the existing tactical system, our era is different from the era of the First Empire!

Therefore, the tactics of the Grand Corps and the formation of the army during the Napoleonic period can only be used as a reference and cannot be copied blindly.

However, the skirmisher lines used in the early days of the First Republic can be used as a reference.

How you use it is up to you!

Of course, not only the tactics of the Napoleonic period, but also the security war in Algeria and even the Crimean War can only be used as a reference..." Jérôme Bonaparte said to Niel, at this moment He wanted to pour everything in his mind into Niel's mind.

If we only discuss military command on the battlefield, Jerome Bonaparte's ability cannot be compared with Niel at all.

Not to mention Niel, even a staff officer with one or two years of command experience is much better than Jerome Bonaparte.

However, when it comes to predictions of future wars and the development of the military, even Moltke, the German god of war next door, is not as good as him.

At the very least, Moltke is still in the exploratory stage regarding the reserve system and military depots. Historically, Moltke's theory truly matured after the Austro-Prussian War.

And Jérôme Bonaparte is equivalent to standing on the shoulders of generals from now to more than a hundred years in the future, discussing ideas for building an army.

Although some ideas may not be applicable now, for an excellent military commander, some of Jérôme Bonaparte's ideas can be used for reference.

Just like Niel now, he was listening attentively to Jérôme Bonaparte's spiel, then stretched out his hand to signal and put forward his own opinions.

Niel believes that if the French army uses skirmishing tactics similar to those of the First Republic, it will inevitably make the entire battlefield extremely chaotic, which is not conducive to army command.

On the contrary, if the army uses battalion-based tactical clusters to attack, then France's firepower can be further strengthened. At the same time, each brigade should be equipped with a thousand shovels and axes. In this way, the army can attack by attacking Switch to defensive mode.

Niel's cautious tactical system made Jérôme Bonaparte feel that he was not facing a general bathing in the glory of the First Empire, but more like Marshal Pétain, the hero of the Battle of Verdun in World War I.

During World War I, Pétain was the only general in France who believed that France should launch a defensive counterattack.

Facts have proved that Marshal Pétain's suggestion was correct. France should indeed conduct a defensive counterattack in World War I.

However. Now is the 1850s. The numerical and industrial differences between France and Germany are not obvious. The theory of defensive counterattack does not apply to the current version at all.

However, considering that Niel was born as an engineer, it is not surprising that he can speak out defensive counterattacks.

"General Niel, skirmishing groups do have the potential to plunge the army into chaos, so we should choose to give our subordinate troops more decision-making power, so that they can judge for themselves what they should and should not do! Of course, always The chief of staff must also strengthen his control over the army!" Jérôme Bonaparte expressed his opinion to Niel, "A large number of small troops operating from all directions, coupled with the shooting speed of new rifles, can completely create a Such an overwhelming momentum!

I believe that any army will feel fear in their hearts after seeing this situation!

What's more, we also have artillery, a powerful weapon. The concentrated artillery moves with the troops, uses artillery to attack the enemy, weakens the enemy's morale, and then uses the infantry all over the mountains and plains to form a semi-surrounding force...

And I have commissioned Xia Saibo to develop a new type of weapon for the army. It is a rifle composed of multiple barrels...

This rifle will be used on the front line, accompanying the infantry to mow down the enemy.

This way we don’t have to worry about insufficient firepower! "

Jerome Bonaparte continued to talk, and Niel gradually gave up the views he insisted on.

"Of course, I very much agree with what you just said about each brigade being equipped with a thousand shovels and axes!

Not only must we learn how to attack, we must also learn how to defend!

However, the existing shovels and axes in the army are not very good in terms of strength and appearance! , I will let the industrial group design a new engineer shovel for the army. When the time comes, all you need to do is place an order! "Jerome Bonaparte then said to Niel.

Niel, who did not know the truth, believed that Jérôme Bonaparte was doing this to benefit his company. He hurriedly expressed his loyalty to Jérôme Bonaparte and said that as long as the engineer shovel was designed, the army would be the first to do so. time purchasing

Immediately afterwards, when Jérôme Bonaparte and Niel were discussing the role of telegraphs, Jerome Bonaparte proposed that each division should be equipped with a telegraph company. The function of this telegraph company is to receive Telegraph and telegraph wire. (In wired telegraphy, there is a telegraph line behind every telegram)

Niel believes that they only need to equip fixed telegraph stations at the points of view, so that they can also take advantage of the cavalry for communication.

"What should we do if our army is in an enemy village?" Jérôme Bonaparte asked, "There is no ready-made telegraph station there!"

"This..." After Niel thought for a moment, he nodded and agreed with Jérôme Bonaparte's idea.

…

Although Jerome Bonaparte and Niel had some differences on some of the above-mentioned issues, on the issue of cavalry, Jerome Bonaparte and Niel were in rare agreement.

That is to reduce the number of cavalry troops as much as possible, especially the number of heavy cavalry troops.

The Crimean War has completely seen that the function of the cavalry force has been completely transformed from the main force to the auxiliary left force in the war.

France's current troops include 12 regiments of heavy cavalry, 20 regiments of basic cavalry, 21 regiments of light cavalry, and 7 regiments of African cavalry.

The total number of all cavalry is about 86,000. Maintaining such a large cavalry force is also a high cost.

"Your Majesty, I am going to cut off half of the 12 regiments of heavy cavalry, and cut off all the 20 regiments of basic cavalry! Only 15 of the remaining 21 regiments of light cavalry will be retained, but their equipment must be in accordance with the requirements of the reconnaissance The specifications of the cavalry come.

7 African Cavalry Regiments remain. "Nière told Jérôme Bonaparte his reform ideas.

Jérôme Bonaparte silently counted the number of cavalry killed by Niel.

If Niel really wants to do what he said, there will only be about 40,000 of the 86,000 cavalry troops left.

Among them, the African Cavalry Regiment accounts for 10,000 people. (The African Cavalry Regiment belongs to the colonial army. Niel considered the need for mobility in North Africa, so he chose to retain the African Cavalry Regiment)

"Nière, do you know how much hatred you will receive from the nobles if you do this!" Jérôme Bonaparte said to Niél with a serious expression.

Among the French cavalry, heavy cavalry and basic cavalry (dragoons and lancers) have always been a gathering place for aristocratic children. Niel's attack on the cavalry unit directly put most of the aristocratic children at professional risk.

Once the plan is implemented, Niel will have to be scolded to death by those unemployed nobles. At the extreme end, I am afraid that they will come directly to ask for Niel's orders!

A bitter smile appeared on Niel's lips, and he replied to Jérôme Bonaparte: "Your Majesty, of course I understand!"

Then, Niel's goal gradually became firmer, "But, Your Majesty, only by resolutely carrying out military reforms can our army take on a completely new look!

Isn't it? If you stop moving forward when you encounter difficulties, then there will be no reform! "

After hearing Niel's firm answer, Jérôme Bonaparte also smiled and encouraged Niel: "You are right! If we stop moving forward when we encounter setbacks, Then there is no way to talk about reform!

Regarding the cavalry unit, I will give you the greatest support!

Just go ahead and do it boldly! "

"Yes!" Niel responded with a sonorous tone.

Later, Jérôme Bonaparte and Niel discussed other issues.

Before I knew it, it was already around 5 p.m.

The conversation between Jérôme Bonaparte and Niél continued until there was a knock on the door, and Jérôme Bonaparte and Niél reacted and broke away from the conversation.

At this moment, Jérôme Bona looked out the window at the increasingly darkening sky, with a surprised expression on his face.

Niel, who was sitting next to Jérôme Bonaparte, saw this and quickly asked: "What's wrong?"

The voice of a staff officer came from outside the room. He told Niel that Basilio, the steward of the Tuileries Palace, on the order of Queen Augusta, came to ask when His Majesty Emperor Jérôme Bonaparte would return to Tuilleries. In the palace.

"Go and tell Basilio that I will be back soon!" Jerome Bonaparte said to the staff officer outside the door.

"Yes!" the staff officer replied, then turned and left.

After the staff officer left, Jérôme Bonaparte decided to end the conversation. He said to Niel, "It's done! It's getting late! It's time for me to leave too! You have to tidy up. You should take this time to digest the content of our conversation!

The reform of the military cannot be delayed. If we are too late, we may be far behind! "

"Understood!" Niel said to Jérôme Bonaparte firmly.

Under the farewell of Chief of General Staff Niel, Jérôme Bonaparte left the General Staff Headquarters in a carriage.

Shortly after Jérôme Bonaparte left, Nières reconvened members of the General Staff for a two-hour meeting.

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