Chapter 777: Genius
Just as Napoleon was speaking, an officer entered and reported:
—"Commander, we've just received news from Vence. Seibotendorf's main force has left the city and is bypassing through Saint-Jeannet."
Napoleon cast a triumphant glance at Augereau, as if to say, "See? Everything is unfolding exactly as I planned."
Augereau, who had previously doubted the young officer's command abilities, suddenly felt most of his skepticism vanish.
He straightened his posture and declared,
—"It's clear now—you were right, Lieutenant Colonel Buonaparte. I'll go assemble the troops immediately."
According to Napoleon's strategy, the moment the Austrian forces at Vence started moving, their own forces would strike southward.
Napoleon had stationed older, more conventional French units at Vence and Cagnes. However, his most elite force—the Murat Corps—had been kept 20 kilometers away at Levens, carefully hidden from the Austrian cavalry's reconnaissance.
Joseph used his knowledge of history, advanced military concepts, and superior weaponry to secure French victories. But Napoleon? Napoleon won battles through sheer genius in military command.
That was why Joseph had assigned him the lowest-ranked units in the French army—giving him the elite New Army would have been a waste. Even with outdated troops, Napoleon could still outmaneuver his enemies!
Joubert's Attack
Joubert's 3,000 soldiers advanced in eight staggered infantry lines, still about 800 meters from the enemy.
Clearly, the Austrian cavalry had already spotted them. Joubert had originally planned to wait until all of Seibotendorf's troops had passed before launching an attack on their rear.
But now, there was no more time to delay.
Joubert was well aware of the limitations of his troops. The only viable tactic was a line formation for a direct attack—his soldiers weren't trained well enough for column charges, which required greater discipline. Attempting one could easily lead to disorder before they even reached the enemy.
The battle raged on for over two hours.
Joubert successfully cut Seibotendorf's forces in half.
The Austrian commander had never expected an attack from a numerically superior enemy—after losing his skirmisher battalion, he had only 4,000 men left. Meanwhile, before even linking up with Cagnes' defenders, Victor's force had already swelled to over 5,000.
Since dawn, fierce fighting had broken out across the battlefield. Carreto's grenadiers, along with the supporting Austrian skirmishers, were quickly overwhelmed by the French forces.
Victor's troops, along with the garrison from Cagnes, launched a counteroffensive eastward against Seibotendorf's weakened flank.
Seibotendorf's first instinct was to order an immediate investigation for spies within his army.
"Otherwise, how could the French possibly have known my exact troop movements?"
Napoleon Remains Unshaken
Napoleon, meanwhile, was calmly eating lunch in Saint-Jeannet before resuming his march westward.
—"You'll be in charge of the defenses from Nice to the Cardipona Pass. Conduct frequent reconnaissance—I wouldn't be surprised if the French attempt more ambushes."
He knew a decisive battle awaited at the Toulon fortress. He had to ensure his troops got as much rest as possible during the march.
The shock of suddenly facing 20,000 French troops was one thing, but the precise timing and location of their attacks left the Austrian command deeply unsettled.
—"And regarding Cagnes," one Austrian officer mused, "we should have General Seibotendorf withdraw."
Meanwhile, the battle at Cagnes was nearing its conclusion.
Despite the Austrian forces retreating quickly in their line formations, they had no time to reorganize into a dispersed defensive stance. Worse still, French artillery continued pounding them relentlessly.
General Pietro von Dannenfeld led 10,000 reinforcements to aid Seibotendorf and secure the eastern supply lines.
At the same time, General Provera personally led the Murat Corps and his Corsican regiment—a total of 9,000 troops—on a slow but steady advance west of Nice.
However, as soon as his troops crossed eight kilometers from the city, five French cannons suddenly emerged from a slope ahead, showering them with artillery fire.
Austrian Command in Disarray
Hearing the latest cavalry reports, Provera frowned.
The French artillery was positioned perfectly, covering key routes near Vence. Worse still, behind them lay dense forests, making an attack nearly impossible without a long detour from the west.
—"General Dannenfeld," he ordered, "immediately take the Rattmann Brigade and two skirmisher battalions to reinforce Seibotendorf."
"If we can stabilize the battlefront, we can force the engagement into a slow war of attrition. The French simply don't have enough troops to match us."
Marshal Beaulieu, commanding the overall Austrian forces, believed he still had the numerical advantage.
In his mind, Napoleon's army had only caught them off guard with an unexpected ambush—nothing more.
Beaulieu turned to Augereau.
—"That means your forces will have to remain in position until tomorrow morning."
If the French moved too soon, Austrian cavalry would likely detect them.
Before making his next move, Beaulieu gathered his officers for a strategy meeting.
However, Napoleon's lightning-fast advances had already put the Austrians in a difficult position.
—"Yes, Marshal!" Colonel Colli saluted.
As the situation on the battlefield was explained, Beaulieu turned to a portly officer standing nearby.
Cagnes had originally been intended as a simple coastal supply route for British transports bringing supplies to Toulon's garrison.
Napoleon glanced at his watch before turning to his aide.
—"Load my belongings onto the carriage. We leave in an hour."
Watching the chaos among his soldiers, he had only one thought:
"Where the hell did all these French troops come from?"
Before long, the Austrian camp was a frenzy of movement.
Within just an hour, Beaulieu received two urgent requests for reinforcements, leaving him momentarily speechless.
The Next Morning, 2:00 AM
Napoleon led his remaining 3,000 troops back to Saint-Jeannet.
The rest—nearly 5,000 men—remained pinned down to the west, unable to reorganize under relentless French artillery bombardment.
Their exposed column formations were easy targets for cavalry charges.
Seizing the moment, French infantry from Cagnes surged forward, launching a decisive assault.
Napoleon knew that the Cardipona Pass was critical—not just as a supply line, but as a route of advance.
That was why Marshal Beaulieu had assigned over 10,000 men to secure it.
As French artillery intensified their bombardment of Vence, Napoleon ordered a tactical retreat to Saint-Jeannet.
Moments later, the rhythmic beating of military drums echoed from the north.
—"Yes, sir."
Vence's French defenders were still organizing a column attack inside the town when, suddenly, Victor's two cavalry squadrons burst out from the northern side, slamming into Seibotendorf's exposed left flank.
At this point, the Austrians had no choice but to abandon their positions.
After all, this artillery position had been handpicked by Napoleon himself—an absolute "prime location" for gunners.
According to his calculations, he had expected to engage Austrian reinforcements from Bérier by morning—or possibly intercept Seibotendorf's retreating forces.
—"The Austrians are moving too fast."
Meanwhile, at a distance, Vence's French forces attempted to link up with their reinforcements by moving eastward.
Beaulieu turned to the commander of the Sardinian troops, Colonel Colli.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10