The Neverending Nightmare of Europe

[Duke of Reichstadt]

I.I
Elise Fauce
​

It was a grand day to be in Paris! The heart of the empire was bustling due in large part to the warm weather. Doors to shops, cafes, and restaurants were open leading a passersby to want to join in. As one passed each rue, it was impossible not to hear excited gossip swirling amongst the citizens.

Though Elise did not keep up with the news she was around enough Parisians to know the subject on everyone’s mind. The empire was a-stir from corner to corner with rumors of a new war. It seemed that every "Hello" was responded to with a "have you heard?" and the inevitable turn to martial matters.

Elise was unconcerned with these matters, as she served a different, covert purpose: sweet rolls.

His Imperial Majesty had placed a ‘moratorium’ on sweets after he discovered his wife slipping a sweet roll to the jolly prince. The two had argued then- by all accounts- and the emperor forbade his sin to become, in his words, "A heifer." The Empress was beside herself after the fight but quickly found resolve once she consorted with her household.

"Your husband may be master of Europe, but you are mistress of this family!" Elise had proclaimed. Marie-Louise looked upon her favorably ever since and selected her to carry out the all-important task of secretly procuring sweet rolls beyond the watchful eyes at the Tuileries. It was a well-worn joke now that the only thing that could send the emperor into a rage on sight was a British good or a sweet roll.

Her path through the city was well-traveled, she navigated the winding alleys of Paris with the ease and speed of water running downhill.

Her arrival at the bakery was typically met with something like, “Hello there, mademoiselle! What will it be today?” Or some other exclamation. Today, it was silence. The usually affable proprietor sat at a table, unresponsive to her entry.

"Monsieur De Goult! What is the matter?"

The man looked at her, and half-heartedly responded, "Ah, mademoiselle, will it be another sweet roll?" His attempt at the usual greeting was pitiful.

"Of course," she started, "but not before you tell me what is the matter?"

The man sighed. A face that seemed so quick to smile stayed blank, "My boy, he has been called by France. We do not know where he is to go or what he is to do. The best we can tell is to report down in Lyon." He sighed. "It is a feeling I share, I suppose. Is it selfish to feel this way when so many have lost more these past years?"

Elise frowned, "Not at all, monsieur. You are allowed to feel for your son!”

The man nodded, “We will pray the Lord keeps him close.” he sighed again, but smiled afterward, “Perhaps he will be stationed somewhere safe. Now, to that sweet roll.”

Elise returned the smile but could tell the man’s heart was not in it.

*​

Re-entry to the Tuileries was surprisingly difficult. Soldiers lined the streets surrounding the palace - a blockade of them at the Rue de Rivoli now impeded her progress. She approached, only to have a tall, mustachioed grenadier step in front of her. His uniform was resplendent, the nicest Elise had seen on a soldier. It only occurred to her afterward that she was most likely talking to a member of the Emperor’s Guard.

“Halt, miss. What business do you have here?”

Elise frowned, “I am an attendant to the Empress, Marie-Louise. What is going on? Why are you blocking the road?”

The soldier frowned and turned to what appeared to be an officer. “Captain?”

The man looked down at some sort of book for a long moment. He thumbed through a few pages. “It’s fine.”

The grenadier turned back, “Go on then.”

Elise crossed the impromptu barricade but was nearly run over by several horsemen galloping from the intersecting road towards the palace entrance. She almost yelled out at them until she noticed that all three wore a similar uniform: black boots, blue jackets, gold epaulets, and a red sash. Those three men were Marshals of the Empire.

Something was afoot.

 

[Aghasverov]

This seems off to a promising start

 

[Duke of Reichstadt]

I.II
Nicolas Oudinot, Marshal of the Empire​

Oudinot yawned, stretching out in a luxurious chair of the Tuileries. The interjection earned him a dirty look from Berthier but the soldier was largely unaffected by the opinion of the Emperor’s glorified sidekick. Enemy fire could not do him in much less icy stares from bureaucrats.

“Thank you, Nicolas, for your contribution. Now, gentlemen, back to the matter at hand. I believe it is in our best interest to recall Joseph to Paris in the event this drags out longer than we expect.”

“Out of the question.” Davout, the man with less tact than a cossack seemed like he had finished the matter. As they turned their collective attention to him it appeared the man realized he needed to explain further. “... Joseph cannot leave Spain in its current state. It would be tantamount to surrender.”

“Agreed.” Fouché quickly chimed in. “Also, if Joseph were to come here we might alarm certain elements that are best not alarming.”

An exasperated sigh from Ney, “Gentlemen, we are overreacting. The emperor is tough. I have seen him survive plenty a battle - he may just be exhausted by god! Should we not be waiting to see as opposed to wasting our breath.”

Berthier narrowed his eyes, clearly upset with his meeting’s legitimacy called into question, “Michel, you have a reputation of a man of action, not dithering. if I am wrong, then we can all have a laugh at my expense later. If I - and the doctors - are right, then we need to prepare now!”

“I don’t understand why we have to do anything, really.” Oudinot offered. He knew the moment the words escaped his lips he would regret it.

“What a great proposition, Nicolas.” He really had Berthier going now. “Yes sure, of course, let’s do nothing. We are currently in the middle of mustering the largest army Europe has ever seen. Let’s just do nothing and see what happens! I’m sure those Five Hundred Thousand men will just take care of themselves and everything will be just great!”

Ney and Oudinot exchanged a knowing glance.

Davout stood up from their impromptu war council and walked over to stand by the window.

Fouché sighed, “I will of course leave military matters to the military minds, but it might be beneficial to think through our situation. Assuming the Berthier, er- the doctors are correct and this may last longer than we think, we will most likely face several issues. First and foremost, the Emperor’s incapacitation might lead certain nominal allies like Austria and Prussia to move against us.”

Ney’s eyebrows raised at that.

“Secondly, it is no secret that certain elements in the Empire might take this as an opportunity to assert independence.

“Third and perhaps most immediately dangerous, rogue factions here in France might see this as an opportunity as well.”

“What do you mean by that?” Oudinot asked.

Fouché smiled, “It wouldn’t be the first time a general of France overthrew the government-”

“Fouché!” Berthier yelled it as if his name were a curse word. “Enough.”

“Apologies. Internal unrest is still possible, though maybe not quite so dramatic. If we are looking at some combination of the three, we are in serious trouble.``

Ney crossed his arms, “What’s your answer then, Fouche?”

The chief of police smiled, “Well, we do have a few extra troops, don’t we Berthier?”

The Emperor’s right hand fumed, “If you are suggesting we give overall command to someone else other than the emperor-”

“No, no, nothing of the sort. Not really.” Fouché leaned in as if to tell a secret. “We deploy the troops across the empire, with special attention to areas we identify as potentially dangerous. We can group them however is necessary - forty, fifty, a hundred - whatever that may be. That way, we can both discourage any conflict internally or externally and have the army mostly prepared for when the emperor can regain command.”

Berthier was about as ruddy in the face as Ney's perpetually red visage. “Fouché, do you understand the economic cost of what you’re suggesting?”

“Disband some of the troops,” Oudinot suggested, following the other minister’s line of reasoning.

Berthier was ready with a retort, but Ney got their first, “That wouldn’t be half bad. We keep most of the army standing but deploy it to vital areas. Italy, Warsaw, wherever we think the need is greatest in the event of war.”

“Exactly,” Fouché responded.

Berthier leaned his head against his interlaced palms in front of him, “Ok, ok. Assuming this is somehow remotely plausible, we would need to inform the entire machinery of the empire - both political and militarily- without arousing suspicion until everything is in place. This is virtually impossible.”

Oudinot leaned back, “That’s up to you and Fouché.” Ney and Fouche chuckled, Berthier sighed. “If we can position the ‘garrison’ forces quickly and discreetly, we can probably dissuade any quick counterreaction. After all, we’re just trying to buy time.”

Ney stood up, hand on the table. “I say we give it until dawn. If the emperor is not well enough or recovering by then, we put this plan into action. We write the other marshals immediately and Fouché will start discretely informing those trustworthy enough to facilitate the movement without spoiling the game.”

“... Fine. At dawn we will begin our preparations. The staff will draft orders tonight to have them ready to deliver. Let us hope we are doing the right thing.” Berthier leaned back in his chair.

“The Grand Armée is now the Grand Garrison, eh Ney?” Oudinot offered. The men chuckled despite the somber implications of their meeting.

A voice from behind reminded them someone else was in the room.

“There is another option,” Davout said, causing the other men to all turn towards him.

The look in Davout’s eye sent a chill down Oudinot’s spine.

 

[Duke of Reichstadt]

This seems off to a promising start

Thank you!

 

[Duke of Reichstadt]

I.III
José Castanos
​

Life in their village was not so bad, especially nowadays. While it was true that war could touch anywhere, at any time, their village was thankfully untouched thus far. He was confident that they were also far enough from any real combat to expect anything in the near future.

José leaned back in his chair, smiling at the children playing with the dog in front of him. It was a good day, primarily because they were alive enjoying the tranquility, but also because his friend had returned to their village after making a dangerous journey. He turned to his neighbor Luis who happened to be re-filling his wine, “It’s hard to imagine there’s a war going on, eh?”

Luis nodded, “Right you are my friend.” He sipped the wine, “It is an unfortunate reality, however.”

José nodded in response. “How did the visit with your cousin go?”

“Hmm?” Luis did not turn to face him but looked in front of him. José assumed he was watching the children play as he had been.

“Your cousin, Luis? Weren’t you visiting your cousin in Madrid? You were gone for months my friend, we missed you here. I know I missed having a hand in the fields.” José joked.

“Oh, right.” Luis nodded, still not taking his attention away from the scene in front of them. “He was fine… just fine.”

José pursed his lips, sensing Luis was not willing to talk about it. He turned back to watch the kids but noticed some commotion further down the road.

“What is that?” José realized as he squinted that Luis had been watching the approaching party, not the kids.

“José, you’re a good man.” Luis started. “Tell me, do you think good men can do bad things?”

José was now the one staring at the approaching dust cloud. “Who's that approaching?”

“I thought that if you fought for a good cause- for the right cause- that it would wash away any sin committed in that cause’s name. I think I was wrong, Jose. Belief is a powerful tool, but reality is even more so.”

The Spaniard turned to his neighbor, immensely confused. “Luis, what are you talking about?”

His neighbor finished his glass of wine and stood up from his seat. He smiled at him, “I do not think good men can do bad things. I think flawed men can lie to themselves and put off the inevitable. But I think the lie only lasts so long until the time of reckoning…” He turned to face the approaching horsemen, “... one way or another.”

José stood up as the kids in front of them scrambled out of the way: five french hussars were on them now, with a riderless sixth horse close in tow.

José grabbed the bottle of wine despite being terrified, but his friend waved him down. “This is not yet your fight,” Luis said.

One of the hussars urged his horse forward, and spoke in broken Spanish, “Luis Alamedios. You are he?”

Luis nodded.

“Good. You will now come with us.”

Luis began to move towards them, but José grabbed his friend’s arm. “Luis! What are you doing?”

His friend turned, “I can't keep these men waiting. You are a better person than I. Hopefully you can stay that way.”

Luis shook off his grip, and the hussars clasped him in irons after he got atop the sixth horse. José watched in silence as the group rode off too shocked to do much of anything. He lost sight of them as they crested a hill.

A distant shot rang out.

José realized too late that the war had been in their village the entire time.

 

[Duke of Reichstadt]

I.IV
Alexandre De Goult - A French Dragoon​

Every day with the drills! If he heard ‘Wheel!’ one more time he was going to be sick.

The man washed his face in the bin, seeing a familiar face in the mirror when he did. “Ah, Bonmarcy, what do I owe the pleasure.”

“How goes it, De Goult?” His friend responded.

“Drill, then march. March then drill. Every day! It drives a man mad!” he responded, chuckling to turn to his friend.

The hussar smiled in response, “Thank your stars that you were conscripted into the dragoons. We’ve been busting our asses scouting the countryside here. Every time I see a bush sway in the wind I’m worried a Brit’s going to jump out from behind and shoot me.”

De Goult placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder. At least you're worried about the enemy. I’m more worried about Davout drilling me to death before we even make contact.”

“He is a good commander,” Bonmarcy replied. “Stern, but good.”

De Goult nodded, “Well we will see both soon, no?” He turned and began to re-button his coat.

“Anyways, I came for two reasons,” Bonmarcy said. “First and foremost, we believe we’ve happened upon the British 6th division this morning. I am not a gambling man, but I would bet we are rapidly approaching battle.”

De Goult froze, and glad he was facing away from his friend. The possibility of actual fighting had seemed so distant back in Paris, but the very real reality of it struck him to the bone. He shook it off the best he could. “And what was the other thing?”

Bonmarcy chuckled, “Oh, right. Jean found a cask of Spanish wine. You should come over to the village and partake with us. We were going to drain the whole thing so if we die tomorrow we won’t feel it.”

The men shared a laugh at that. De Goult knew if he didn't laugh, much darker feelings would set in.

 

[Duke of Reichstadt]

I.V
The Imperial Records, March of 1812​

The French Military Movements of March 1812

In the early months of 1812, the French Empire under Napoleon began a massive drive to raise troops. [1] The ranks of the Grande Armee swelled all the way to roughly 500,000 men at one point. There is a great deal of speculation as to what the true purpose of such an amassing of troops was for. Many believe that Napoleon was preparing to invade Russia with the force due to her abandonment of the continental system but there is a lack of direct evidence for the Emperor's motives. Whatever the case may be, in March of 1812, the army was split into several pieces and spread out across the empire.

Most of the army was sent East and broken into smaller divisions to garrison towns and fortresses in border regions of the Empire. The Viceroy Eugene in Italy and the Governor-General Bertrand in Illyria each stationed around 50,000 troops (that number proved to be a logistical headache for the Illyrian provinces). King Jerome in Westphalia was also burdened by 50,000 troops, something that an already bankrupt government could ill-afford. Another 150,000 men were spread around the Eastern German states and the Duchy of Warsaw. Nominally under the command of Ney and Oudinot, these forces were spread out across miles of land. Needless to say, these 'garrisoning' forces greatly alarmed certain states, chief among them Austria and Russia. [2]

Of the remaining troops raised, 100,000 were kept in France and its environs, to be drilled and trained under the watchful eye of the General Staff.

Of particular import was Marshal Davout, who took around 100,000 men south into Spain. It seemed to many that Davout was tasked with stabilizing the country and defeating the Anglo-Portuguese army. A stern disciplinarian and diligent commander, Davout divided the country of Spain into a grid - much like Pompey Magnus had done against the Cilician Pirates. Davout descended across northern Spain, systematically hunting guerilla activity. As he marched south, Davout re-organized the French forces in Spain, creating numerous, smaller garrisons that were no more than 15 miles apart. These smaller, 'light' garrisons could then, in theory, respond quickly to any guerilla activity at the drop of a hat.

Davout's path south was not all easy, as several small engagements with Spanish guerilla forces checked his path and introduced him to the tenacity of the enemies of France in the Peninsula. The guerillas would engage with smaller portions of Davout's overall force, striking quickly and then melting away into the Spanish countryside. Davout's treatment of any guerilla or sympathizer was harsh - execution without trial. French leaders in Spain, like Suchet or Jourdan, were critical of Davout's brutality but could not argue with the results as he pacified much of Northern and Central Spain on his march. [3]

Davout reached Madrid and began to prepare for his inevitable showdown with Arthur Wellesley.

All of these movements were under the nominal direction of the Emperor. As it came to be known, however, this was not the case...

[1] It is extremely likely that this order was given by the Emperor, and not the Regency.
[2] Austrian Minister Klaus von Metternich wrote to his counterpart in France demanding an explanation. "Drilling exercises," was the official response. Metternich and the Hapsburg Family at large were also gravely concerned by the lack of letters received by the French Empress.
[3] For further information, refer to "Davout's Campaign in Spain."

 

[Duke of Reichstadt]

I.VI
The Earl of Wellington​

Gunsmoke whipped about him for most of the day, obscuring his vision of the Fench defense of Badajoz. Fort Picuna had fallen, but the actual bastion itself was proving a tough nut to crack. Major General Lowry Cole, commander of the 4th Division, gave an astute observation, "They are being rather coy about surrendering."

"Quite." the earl replied.

Cole had served as a divisional commander in some capacity for two years. Wellesley thought him a capable man, if not otherwise remarkable.

"We can get them, we just need time," Wellesley said, watching a shot collide with the French earthworks.

Cole stood next to him, nodding, "True, sir. We could always order an assault."

The earl shook his head, "The time is not ripe. I would not lose our army for one fortress." He sighed and turned back to the table containing the map of the French defenses. "Have Walker's brigade move up the river and pressure the western wall. If we can further divide French resistance we will weaken it overall. I would then like you to coordinate an attack on the southeastern corner, here," he said, pointing to it, "in order to screen 3rd. divisions attack along the castle." He stepped back and thought about it. "Yes, that should do it. At the very least we may dislodge them in a few places."

Cole saluted, "It will be done."

Before the earl could return the salute, a young cavalryman burst from the gunsmoke and dismounted. Cole had been so alarmed he reached for his pistol but stayed his hand after seeing the red uniform.

"General, urgent news!" The man exclaimed.

"Out with it, man." Cole shot back.

"Sir! Two French armies are approaching! Soult from the southeast and Davout from the North!"

Wellesley straightened up, "How soon?"

"Hard to tell sir, a few days maybe." Was the sheepish reply.

The earl nodded, "Well then, gentlemen, we've already tarried here too long. Cole, I am amending my orders. We must withdrawal immediately and move west. I would like you to take the rear and make sure the garrison here doesn't harass our movements. If you catch sight of Soult or Davout, God help us all. Now, sir, we cannot delay."

"Sir!" Cole saluted, and left the earl standing, staring at gunsmoke.

 

[alexmilman]

View attachment 658013

I.II

Nicolas Oudinot, Marshal of the Empire​

Oudinot yawned, stretching out in a luxurious chair of the Tuileries. The interjection earned him a dirty look from Berthier but the soldier was largely unaffected by the opinion of the Emperor’s glorified sidekick. Enemy fire could not do him in much less icy stares from bureaucrats.

“Thank you, Nicolas, for your contribution. Now, gentlemen, back to the matter at hand. I believe it is in our best interest to recall Joseph to Paris in the event this drags out longer than we expect.”

“Out of the question.” Davout, the man with less tact than a cossack seemed like he had finished the matter. As they turned their collective attention to him it appeared the man realized he needed to explain further. “... Joseph cannot leave Spain in its current state. It would be tantamount to surrender.”

“Agreed.” Fouché quickly chimed in. “Also, if Joseph were to come here we might alarm certain elements that are best not alarming.”

An exasperated sigh from Ney, “Gentlemen, we are overreacting. The emperor is tough. I have seen him survive plenty a battle - he may just be exhausted by god! Should we not be waiting to see as opposed to wasting our breath.”

Berthier narrowed his eyes, clearly upset with his meeting’s legitimacy called into question, “Michel, you have a reputation of a man of action, not dithering. if I am wrong, then we can all have a laugh at my expense later. If I - and the doctors - are right, then we need to prepare now!”

“I don’t understand why we have to do anything, really.” Oudinot offered. He knew the moment the words escaped his lips he would regret it.

“What a great proposition, Nicolas.” He really had Berthier going now. “Yes sure, of course, let’s do nothing. We are currently in the middle of mustering the largest army Europe has ever seen. Let’s just do nothing and see what happens! I’m sure those Five Hundred Thousand men will just take care of themselves and everything will be just great!”

Ney and Oudinot exchanged a knowing glance.

Davout stood up from their impromptu war council and walked over to stand by the window.

Fouché sighed, “I will of course leave military matters to the military minds, but it might be beneficial to think through our situation. Assuming the Berthier, er- the doctors are correct and this may last longer than we think, we will most likely face several issues. First and foremost, the Emperor’s incapacitation might lead certain nominal allies like Austria and Prussia to move against us.”

Ney’s eyebrows raised at that.

“Secondly, it is no secret that certain elements in the Empire might take this as an opportunity to assert independence.

“Third and perhaps most immediately dangerous, rogue factions here in France might see this as an opportunity as well.”

“What do you mean by that?” Oudinot asked.

Fouché smiled, “It wouldn’t be the first time a general of France overthrew the government-”

“Fouché!” Berthier yelled it as if his name were a curse word. “Enough.”

“Apologies. Internal unrest is still possible, though maybe not quite so dramatic. If we are looking at some combination of the three, we are in serious trouble.``

Ney crossed his arms, “What’s your answer then, Fouche?”

The chief of police smiled, “Well, we do have a few extra troops, don’t we Berthier?”

The Emperor’s right hand fumed, “If you are suggesting we give overall command to someone else other than the emperor-”

“No, no, nothing of the sort. Not really.” Fouché leaned in as if to tell a secret. “We deploy the troops across the empire, with special attention to areas we identify as potentially dangerous. We can group them however is necessary - forty, fifty, a hundred - whatever that may be. That way, we can both discourage any conflict internally or externally and have the army mostly prepared for when the emperor can regain command.”

Berthier was about as ruddy in the face as Ney's perpetually red visage. “Fouché, do you understand the economic cost of what you’re suggesting?”

“Disband some of the troops,” Oudinot suggested, following the other minister’s line of reasoning.

Berthier was ready with a retort, but Ney got their first, “That wouldn’t be half bad. We keep most of the army standing but deploy it to vital areas. Italy, Warsaw, wherever we think the need is greatest in the event of war.”

“Exactly,” Fouché responded.

Berthier leaned his head against his interlaced palms in front of him, “Ok, ok. Assuming this is somehow remotely plausible, we would need to inform the entire machinery of the empire - both political and militarily- without arousing suspicion until everything is in place. This is virtually impossible.”

Oudinot leaned back, “That’s up to you and Fouché.” Ney and Fouche chuckled, Berthier sighed. “If we can position the ‘garrison’ forces quickly and discreetly, we can probably dissuade any quick counterreaction. After all, we’re just trying to buy time.”

Ney stood up, hand on the table. “I say we give it until dawn. If the emperor is not well enough or recovering by then, we put this plan into action. We write the other marshals immediately and Fouché will start discretely informing those trustworthy enough to facilitate the movement without spoiling the game.”

“... Fine. At dawn we will begin our preparations. The staff will draft orders tonight to have them ready to deliver. Let us hope we are doing the right thing.” Berthier leaned back in his chair.

“The Grand Armée is now the Grand Garrison, eh Ney?” Oudinot offered. The men chuckled despite the somber implications of their meeting.

A voice from behind reminded them someone else was in the room.

“There is another option,” Davout said, causing the other men to all turn towards him.

The look in Davout’s eye sent a chill down Oudinot’s spine.

Very interesting but I have some questions & remarks:
1. If you are talking about an army with which Napoleon invaded Russia, only approximately half of it had been French troops and, with the exception of the “border states” (Prussia, Duchy of Warsaw and Austria) at the time you are talking about they were mostly in their own states so an extra burden on these states would be rather limited (they were supporting their own troops anyway). So are you talking about the OTL composition or strictly French ATL force? In the last case, what about these national troops? While most of the German states were marginally enthusiastic (Prussia not at all), the Duchy was a different case: for the war of 1812, almost 100,000 men were fielded and impoverished country would have problems with maintaining them for a long period of time.
2. In the early 1812 Russia did not formally break with the CS: Tariff of 1811 was a slap on Napoleon’s face but formally it was within a framework of the CS. Actually, while the Great Army was assembling on Polish territory, the Franco-Russian diplomatic discussions regarding a possible compromise on the points of contention kept going. In OTL Napoleon used them as a decoy but with him out of circulation they may result in a mutual agreement (it was already reached on a number of points related to the face saving for both sides). Which brings an obvious question: who is in a position to ratify or reject the result?
3. Just “garrisoning” territory of the Empire and its satellites may not work: Alexander was quite clear that he considers concentration of the French troops in Prussia and Duchy’s military buildup as a hostile action and concentrated his armies on the Western border. He even demanded that Napoleon moved most of the French troops West of the Elba and was ready to issue an order to cross the Nieman when the news of Austria joining France made such an action too risky. In your scenario moving the French troops Westward (and out of East Prussia) may somewhat defuse the situation but the Duchy remains a problem. I doubt that a protracted incapacitation of Napoleon could be held a secret from the Russian, Austrian (and British) agents and this can easily switch Prussian and Austrian positions and prompt Alexander to invade the Duchy with at least 2:1 numeric advantage. So what about that problem?
4. This is a pure curiosity. I was under the impression that in 1812 Davout was entrusted by Napoleon with the task of organizing the "corps of observation of the Elbe" and mostly remained in that region.If this is correct, how did he end up being in Paris exactly at POD moment?
5. According to Wiki, “From 1810 to 1812 Oudinot administered the government of the former Kingdom of Holland” so the same question as for Davout.
6. What about other marshals who could be in and around Paris? Or Duroc who was Grand Maréchal du Palais and as such responsible for security of the imperial household? Surely, he would be aware of the situation (and had troops at his disposal at the critical place) and I’m not sure if he would start taking orders from Davout & Co. Mortier was commanding the Imperial Guard (again, force in the right place). Bessières was commander of the Guards Cavalry. Most of the marshals were not on the good terms with each other and almost universally they did not like Davout (he was rather nasty as a chief of the Military Police under the Consulate and his character did not improve since then). IIRC, almost the only marshal who was on the good terms with Fouche had been Bernadotte but he is already in Sweden.

 

[Duke of Reichstadt]

Very interesting but I have some questions & remarks:
1. If you are talking about an army with which Napoleon invaded Russia, only approximately half of it had been French troops and, with the exception of the “border states” (Prussia, Duchy of Warsaw and Austria) at the time you are talking about they were mostly in their own states so an extra burden on these states would be rather limited (they were supporting their own troops anyway). So are you talking about the OTL composition or strictly French ATL force? In the last case, what about these national troops? While most of the German states were marginally enthusiastic (Prussia not at all), the Duchy was a different case: for the war of 1812, almost 100,000 men were fielded and impoverished country would have problems with maintaining them for a long period of time.
2. In the early 1812 Russia did not formally break with the CS: Tariff of 1811 was a slap on Napoleon’s face but formally it was within a framework of the CS. Actually, while the Great Army was assembling on Polish territory, the Franco-Russian diplomatic discussions regarding a possible compromise on the points of contention kept going. In OTL Napoleon used them as a decoy but with him out of circulation they may result in a mutual agreement (it was already reached on a number of points related to the face saving for both sides). Which brings an obvious question: who is in a position to ratify or reject the result?
3. Just “garrisoning” territory of the Empire and its satellites may not work: Alexander was quite clear that he considers concentration of the French troops in Prussia and Duchy’s military buildup as a hostile action and concentrated his armies on the Western border. He even demanded that Napoleon moved most of the French troops West of the Elba and was ready to issue an order to cross the Nieman when the news of Austria joining France made such an action too risky. In your scenario moving the French troops Westward (and out of East Prussia) may somewhat defuse the situation but the Duchy remains a problem. I doubt that a protracted incapacitation of Napoleon could be held a secret from the Russian, Austrian (and British) agents and this can easily switch Prussian and Austrian positions and prompt Alexander to invade the Duchy with at least 2:1 numeric advantage. So what about that problem?
4. This is a pure curiosity. I was under the impression that in 1812 Davout was entrusted by Napoleon with the task of organizing the "corps of observation of the Elbe" and mostly remained in that region.If this is correct, how did he end up being in Paris exactly at POD moment?
5. According to Wiki, “From 1810 to 1812 Oudinot administered the government of the former Kingdom of Holland” so the same question as for Davout.
6. What about other marshals who could be in and around Paris? Or Duroc who was Grand Maréchal du Palais and as such responsible for security of the imperial household? Surely, he would be aware of the situation (and had troops at his disposal at the critical place) and I’m not sure if he would start taking orders from Davout & Co. Mortier was commanding the Imperial Guard (again, force in the right place). Bessières was commander of the Guards Cavalry. Most of the marshals were not on the good terms with each other and almost universally they did not like Davout (he was rather nasty as a chief of the Military Police under the Consulate and his character did not improve since then). IIRC, almost the only marshal who was on the good terms with Fouche had been Bernadotte but he is already in Sweden.

First off, and this is not a cop-out I swear, but there are two POD's. One I've tried to make obvious without saying it directly yet is probably apparent. The other one is back in 1809, and I don't want to give that one up yet. But I will try to address your points directly without giving too much away.

1. The troops being levied are indeed from across the empire, including satellite states. There will definitely be more to come on this.
2. As far as guessing at what sort of regency would have been formed for Napoleon, there are probably several educated guesses. A family member like Joseph, Jerome, or maybe even Eugene (Napoleon had considered leaving Eugene in France when planning the Russian Invasion), a military figure like Berthier (technically the #2 to Napoleon in the military hierarchy), or a politician like de Lacepede. Most likely it would be a combination of all of the above. For the purposes of this TL, that will become clear later.
3.
4. -6. Might be giving away the other POD if I answer these. Let's say for now some of the marshals have been shuffled around.

 

[Duke of Reichstadt]

I.VII
General Gudin de la Sablonnière​

General Gudin was not one to question Marshal Davout; there were better ways to fight losing battles - for instance, any dispute with one's wife. This one, however, had to be fought for his men's sake.

"Sir, with all due respect, I believe we are making a mistake." Gudin noticed a few of his officer-peers straightened up at the accusation while Davout himself did not cease to look over the map.

He continued to not look up, "General, say your piece."

"I do not believe in the wisdom of us stretching out our forces like this. We have a numerical advantage if we are concentrated but not when we are spread out from here back to Badajoz. This is exactly the type of mistake that our enemies will be keen to exploit."

If the room was not silent before, it certainly was now.

Davout removed his glasses then leaned back in his chair to regard Gudin. Davout was unreadable, neither bemused nor upset at the suggestion. "I will take heed of your advice, general." He unexpectedly turned to the room, "Some of you may know - and if you don't, shame on you - but the good general here is a hero of Auerstadt. His third division of my corps bore the brunt of the Prussian assault. If there were ever to be a lesson in courage, the general here could give it."

The room was still quiet.

Davout resumed, "But now, general, you will listen to my advice. If the enemy reaches Lisbon, he will have won. We hold the numerical advantage - true - but we are all the slower for it; I am not looking to win a battle, I am looking to win a race. We must force Wellsley to stand and fight now lest he slips through our fingers. We must goad him into combat here," the marshal pointed to a dot on the map labeled 'Evoramonte,' "to allow Soult to get between him and the Portuguese capital. Once he is trapped, the army will be smashed on the open field.

"If he does in fact make it to Lisbon, they can outlast us in hostile territory while we senselessly throw ourselves against their defenses. No, it cannot come to that." Davout rose, looking squarely in Gudin's eyes, "You were brave once and I am asking you to be brave once more."

Gudin nodded, "Of course, sir." He hoped for his men's sake that Davout's reference to the bloody horror at Auerstadt was rhetorical, and not prophetic.

 

[alexmilman]

First off, and this is not a cop-out I swear, but there are two POD's. One I've tried to make obvious without saying it directly yet is probably apparent. The other one is back in 1809, and I don't want to give that one up yet. But I will try to address your points directly without giving too much away.

1. The troops being levied are indeed from across the empire, including satellite states. There will definitely be more to come on this.
2. As far as guessing at what sort of regency would have been formed for Napoleon, there are probably several educated guesses. A family member like Joseph, Jerome, or maybe even Eugene (Napoleon had considered leaving Eugene in France when planning the Russian Invasion), a military figure like Berthier (technically the #2 to Napoleon in the military hierarchy), or a politician like de Lacepede. Most likely it would be a combination of all of the above. For the purposes of this TL, that will become clear later.
3.
4. -6. Might be giving away the other POD if I answer these. Let's say for now some of the marshals have been shuffled around.

OK, keep your secrets. 🤪

But as far as Berthier is involved, I’m not sure that he would be a candidate for the regency (council). Formally, as you wrote, he was #2 in the military establishment but AFAIK he was neither liked nor respected within this establishment and, outside of Napoleon’s shadow, did not have any true power not being in charge of any force besides his staff organization.

“Shuffling around” the marshals, especially those in the active command or holding important position (like Jourdan who was Joseph’s chief of staff) would be tricky because with the few exceptions like Levebvre, Pérignon, Kellerman (probably couple more) they had been aggressively ambitious and usually did not like each other (sometimes all the way to challenging opponent to a duel in a midst of campaign). Why would any of them agree to serve under generally disliked Davout is anything but clear.


Joseph would be the most obvious figure for regency as Napoleon’s designated heir before his son was born and as the senior member of the imperial family but you are seemingly planning to exclude him from the consideration. So which legislative body is going to define composition of the regency and based on which legal ground?

 

[Duke of Reichstadt]

OK, keep your secrets. 🤪

But as far as Berthier is involved, I’m not sure that he would be a candidate for the regency (council). Formally, as you wrote, he was #2 in the military establishment but AFAIK he was neither liked nor respected within this establishment and, outside of Napoleon’s shadow, did not have any true power not being in charge of any force besides his staff organization.

“Shuffling around” the marshals, especially those in the active command or holding important position (like Jourdan who was Joseph’s chief of staff) would be tricky because with the few exceptions like Levebvre, Pérignon, Kellerman (probably couple more) they had been aggressively ambitious and usually did not like each other (sometimes all the way to challenging opponent to a duel in a midst of campaign). Why would any of them agree to serve under generally disliked Davout is anything but clear.


Joseph would be the most obvious figure for regency as Napoleon’s designated heir before his son was born and as the senior member of the imperial family but you are seemingly planning to exclude him from the consideration. So which legislative body is going to define composition of the regency and based on which legal ground?

Thank you for keeping me on my toes!

I agree, Berthier himself would never be a leading figure in the formal regency council. I believe he would have possibly been included for his intimate knowledge of the function of logistics for the imperial war machine - especially if things began to heat up. For clarity's sake, the post earlier with the three marshals, Fouche, and Berthier was not the formal regency council in this TL - more like an anticipatory meeting.

Davout does not directly command a fellow marshal, and the overall plan laid out does not necessarily appoint an overall, temporary commander. I totally agree that the personalities of most of the marshals and their personal ambitions and vendettas would prevent one of their own from taking such command...

Joseph being sidelined could be temporary! What I was trying to convey with the initial meeting was the group (read: Fouche) having an awareness that alarming too many people too quickly could trigger a cascade of negative effects. Granted, no matter when the news is spread many of those negative effects will trigger anyway. The attempt was to convey an attempt at a sort of 'damage control' by those relatively close to the center of power.

 

[Duke of Reichstadt]

I.VIII
The Imperial Records - The Battle of Evoramonte​

Combat between the Anglo-Portuguese under Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Wellington, and the French under Marshal Davout flared up underneath the shadow of the castle at Evoramonte. The battle is notable for the reluctance of both sides to engage in combat in the first place and the greater impact it would have on Davout's Spanish Campaign.

The Order of Battle ​

The III Corps of Marshal Davout had been re-organized to incorporate a total strength of 70,000.[1] General Gudin de la Sablonnière's 3rd Division comprised around 7,500 troops and formed the vanguard of Davout's army. General Gudin had specific orders to engage Wellington's troops as quickly and as soon as possible, in the hopes of causing the Anglo-Portuguese army to turn and fight before reaching Lisbon. The two forces had narrowly missed each other twice now - once at Badajoz and again at Elvas.

Wellington's Army, making a beeline for Lisbon, turned with its 4th and 3rd divisions to attack the isolated French 3rd division. The exact number of the Anglo-Portuguese is unknown, but it is speculated at least to have been 2 or even 3 to 1. Wellington and his commanders understood that time was of the essence, as both Soult and the rest of Davout's army were not too far behind.

The British divisions were to the west and north of the town, whereas the French were gradually filling in from the east. The battlefield was relatively flat, though hemmed in on the north by a small river. To the south of both armies lay more severe terrain.

The Battle​

On April 4th, Wellington ordered his rearguard to abruptly halt. The pursuing French forces were taken aback, as the hard position taken by the Anglo-Portuguese was unexpected. Neither side had proper time to set up a significant amount of artillery, but a few cannons were put into position once the fighting began in earnest.

General Gudin was keenly aware he was outnumbered from the start of the fighting and attempted to spread his regiments across the fields without appearing too thin to warrant a cavalry charge.

The battle began to see-saw as Wellington was himself hesitant to advance too far to deliver a significant blow and risk getting stuck in hand-to-hand combat. Indeed, it is reported that Wellington's commanders advised they begin a retreat to avoid prolonging the fight.

Fate would provide the British an opportunity, however, as Gudin ordered a regiment to cross the river and attempt to outflank Wellington's northern position. The river crossing was poorly executed and lacked a proper screen from French cavalry allowing the British to spy the movement prematurely and react. The Anglo-Portuguese responded by sending several cavalry detachments to push the French back and succeeded in doing so.

The decisive moment in the battle occurred after the French regiment was repulsed when the Anglo-Portuguese cavalry under Lt. General Cotton were able to fully appreciate how thin Gudin had spread his forces. Cotton ordered an immediate cavalry charge, which proved to be the undoing of the French position. Too thin and too far apart to form into squares, the French were cut down and forced into a general rout. Among the 2,000 French casualties was General Gudin himself. The French 3rd. Division was temporarily incapacitated, and Wellington was able to extricate his men prior to the arrival of French reinforcements.

While the Anglo-Portuguese carried the day, it only proved to serve as a prelude...

[1] A staggering number for a corps considering 70,000 was roughly the amount of total French Forces at Austerlitz.

 

[alexmilman]

Thank you for keeping me on my toes!

I agree, Berthier himself would never be a leading figure in the formal regency council. I believe he would have possibly been included for his intimate knowledge of the function of logistics for the imperial war machine - especially if things began to heat up. For clarity's sake, the post earlier with the three marshals, Fouche, and Berthier was not the formal regency council in this TL - more like an anticipatory meeting.

Quite agree with your point regardless scope of Berthier’s usefulness. In his “Армия Наполеона” O. Sokolov produced schema of Berthier’s organization. So-called “general staff” was just one of the numerous departments and his title of “Major General” was really meaningful in the meaning of him being (as you noticed) in charge of the administrative organization of the Grand Armee (*).

________
(*) However, each corps had its own administrative organization practically independent from Berthier’s.

Davout does not directly command a fellow marshal, and the overall plan laid out does not necessarily appoint an overall, temporary commander. I totally agree that the personalities of most of the marshals and their personal ambitions and vendettas would prevent one of their own from taking such command...

Actually, there was one of them who managed to successfully command some of his fellow marshals (without being sabotaged like Massena in Spain) and presumably was almost the only person under whom general Vandamme served happily and obediently. But in 1812 he is in Sweden. 😢

Joseph being sidelined could be temporary! What I was trying to convey with the initial meeting was the group (read: Fouche) having an awareness that alarming too many people too quickly could trigger a cascade of negative effects. Granted, no matter when the news is spread many of those negative effects will trigger anyway. The attempt was to convey an attempt at a sort of 'damage control' by those relatively close to the center of power.

This makes a lot of sense.

BTW, and this is probably irrelevant to your TL, at the time of the Consulate the Brits speculated that if the 1st Consul is being killed, a triumvirate of 3 Republican generals, Moreau, Massena and Bernadotte, may take power and this would allow to make a lasting peace because they are most probably going to stick to the defensive policy of keeping the French border on the Rhine and Alps with few sister republics instead of 1st Consul’s “the offensive policy is actually a defensive one”. Of course 1812 is a little bit too late for that but perhaps not completely? After all, even Alexander hated Napoleon personally but in his absence could consider a diplomatic resolution of the existing problems.

 

[Duke of Reichstadt]

Quite agree with your point regardless scope of Berthier’s usefulness. In his “Армия Наполеона” O. Sokolov produced schema of Berthier’s organization. So-called “general staff” was just one of the numerous departments and his title of “Major General” was really meaningful in the meaning of him being (as you noticed) in charge of the administrative organization of the Grand Armee (*).

________
(*) However, each corps had its own administrative organization practically independent from Berthier’s.



Actually, there was one of them who managed to successfully command some of his fellow marshals (without being sabotaged like Massena in Spain) and presumably was almost the only person under whom general Vandamme served happily and obediently. But in 1812 he is in Sweden. 😢

This makes a lot of sense.

BTW, and this is probably irrelevant to your TL, at the time of the Consulate the Brits speculated that if the 1st Consul is being killed, a triumvirate of 3 Republican generals, Moreau, Massena and Bernadotte, may take power and this would allow to make a lasting peace because they are most probably going to stick to the defensive policy of keeping the French border on the Rhine and Alps with few sister republics instead of 1st Consul’s “the offensive policy is actually a defensive one”. Of course 1812 is a little bit too late for that but perhaps not completely? After all, even Alexander hated Napoleon personally but in his absence could consider a diplomatic resolution of the existing problems.

If Bernadotte could corale Vandamme, he truly was a great officer.

That point about the Brits speculating about the three man triumvirate is pretty interesting! Is there any link or anything so I can read more on that?

 

[Aghasverov]

OK, keep your secrets. 🤪

But as far as Berthier is involved, I’m not sure that he would be a candidate for the regency (council). Formally, as you wrote, he was #2 in the military establishment but AFAIK he was neither liked nor respected within this establishment and, outside of Napoleon’s shadow, did not have any true power not being in charge of any force besides his staff organization.

“Shuffling around” the marshals, especially those in the active command or holding important position (like Jourdan who was Joseph’s chief of staff) would be tricky because with the few exceptions like Levebvre, Pérignon, Kellerman (probably couple more) they had been aggressively ambitious and usually did not like each other (sometimes all the way to challenging opponent to a duel in a midst of campaign). Why would any of them agree to serve under generally disliked Davout is anything but clear.


Joseph would be the most obvious figure for regency as Napoleon’s designated heir before his son was born and as the senior member of the imperial family but you are seemingly planning to exclude him from the consideration. So which legislative body is going to define composition of the regency and based on which legal ground?

Agree re: Berthier... he was much better suited for an organizational role than an actual administrative one.
As to de Lacepede - wasn't too familiar with him, had to go to Wiki... fascinating man, but don't see him as "Regency Council" material exactly...
Didn't Nap designate Marie Louise as his "official" Regent prior to embarking on the Russian fiasco?
(my money's still on Joseph, btw )

 

[Duke of Reichstadt]

Agree re: Berthier... he was much better suited for an organizational role than an actual administrative one.
As to de Lacepede - wasn't too familiar with him, had to go to Wiki... fascinating man, but don't see him as "Regency Council" material exactly...
Didn't Nap designate Marie Louise as his "official" Regent prior to embarking on the Russian fiasco?
(my money's still on Joseph, btw )

Yeah, not sure Lacepede would exactly be nominated/looked too on his own. If there was to be a group, I would assume though some lipservice would need to be paid to the "political" aspect of the Empire. Granted, military or family figures were much more important to its actual function then someone like Lacepede.

 

[alexmilman]

If Bernadotte could corale Vandamme, he truly was a great officer.

Yes, he most definitely was. And to achieve a cooperation with Murat and Soult also was not a trivial task. 😂
As I understand, the “secret” was in him genuinely trying to be nice and helpful to the people with whom he had to deal (except for Berthier and Davout who started with being openly hostile to him). This worked well in the army, in the German territories he had been administering and with the people whom he needed and with those who needed him: the 1st Consul expected that in the case of his death in Italy Bernadotte will march his Army of the West to Paris to protect Bonaparte family (he was close friend with Joseph and Lucien and with Napoleon’s sisters). The Saxon officers had been drinking his health even when he was on the opposite side (and he was allegedly instrumental in their change of the sides at Leipzig) and during the war of the 4th coalition Russian commander, Bennigsen, sent him back his personal property captured by the Cossacks as a token of appreciation of his noble behavior in Bennigsen’s native Hannover. In 1813 Blucher willingly cooperated with him at least partially due to the honorable terms of capitulation given him at Lubeck. Then there obviously had been the Swedish POWs (and the Swedish representatives in Paris whom he charmed). So it generally pays to be nice. 😜

That point about the Brits speculating about the three man triumvirate is pretty interesting! Is there any link or anything so I can read more on that?

Barton D. Plunket “Bernadotte and Napoleon” https://archive.org/details/bernadottenapole00bartuoft
The link is to the original edition but you can upload it in a number of formats (EPUB is not very good but readable). Very interesting on more than one account and well backed by the contemporary documents.

 

[alexmilman]

Yeah, not sure Lacepede would exactly be nominated/looked too on his own. If there was to be a group, I would assume though some lipservice would need to be paid to the "political" aspect of the Empire. Granted, military or family figures were much more important to its actual function then someone like Lacepede.

How about Cambacérès? After all, he was an Archchacellor of the Empire. Carnot also could be a convenient respected figurehead in a “council”.