The Generals r-2 Read online

  ‘Those would be the arguments for going on to the offensive, citizen. Of course, one must consider the opportunities and risks of the alternative strategy; merely defending our frontier. It would require a large body of men tied up in a line of static defences. They would have to be supplied regularly - an expensive undertaking. And garrison duty would dull the edge of their fighting potential. Then there’s the issue of handing the initiative to the Austrians. If they wished to attempt an invasion along our southern coast they could pick the time and place to launch the attack and France would be compelled to counter-attack in strength just to restore the frontier.’

  Carnot held up his hand to stop Napoleon. ‘I can see where your analysis is heading, Bonaparte.Your advice would be to go on the offensive?’

  ‘Frankly, citizen, I can’t see any profitable alternative. General Kellermann goes on the offensive now, or else France will be forced to go on a more costly counter-offensive later on, with far more limited goals.’ He leaned back in his chair. ‘I say we should make every effort to knock the Austrians out of the war, in the Italian theatre at least.’

  Carnot stared back at him, his face creased into a faint frown as he pondered Napoleon’s words. ‘Your views are most interesting, and I will be sure to share them with the other members of the Committee. There is one last matter which requires some thought, namely who would be best suited to command the army, whether it sits on the defensive or is sent forward. General Kellermann is no longer a young man . . .’

  Napoleon studiously ignored the invitation to pass comment, and at length Carnot was forced to continue. ‘Then, let us say his experience might be better engaged in more administrative functions. Wouldn’t you agree?’

  ‘It is not fitting for a subordinate officer to make such judgements, citizen. I am a simple soldier and I speak only in terms of facts.’

  The other man smiled. ‘It is true that you are a soldier, just as it is manifestly untrue that you are simple. I think that if you were to deploy your talents on the political field as shrewdly as you do on military matters then you would be a man I would be wise to watch closely. Particularly at a time when so many soldiers seem to be carrying their political ambitions in their knapsacks.’

  ‘I’m not sure what you mean, citizen.’

  ‘If I’m any judge of character, you know exactly what I mean,’ Carnot reflected wearily. ‘Now then, I’m grateful for your insights. And it may be that I will need to consult you again on these matters. Which means I have to find some way of keeping you out of the clutches of the Army of the West.’

  Napoleon felt his pulse race and he sat still and waited for the Minister of War to continue.

  ‘There’s a position available in the Ministry’s bureau of topography.They need a senior officer to co-ordinate the movements of our armies. It’s an administrative post, and it needs a good head for detail and quick calculations. I’m certain you could cope with it. I want you to take the job. Of course it has the added virtue of keeping you close at hand, in case a combat command should fall vacant. I’m not promising anything, you understand?’

  ‘I understand, sir.’

  ‘Good. In the meantime I will see to it that someone is found to replace you on the strength of the Army of the West.’

  ‘Thank you, citizen,’ Napoleon replied. ‘I am in your debt.’

  ‘Yes, you are. And I will show you no pity if I have misjudged your potential, Bonaparte. Make sure you remember that. Now you may go.’

  ‘Yes, citizen.’ Napoleon rose from his chair and strode towards the door.

  ‘One last thing,’ Carnot called after him.

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Keep your wits about you.The word is our royalist friends are brewing something up. It could be just a rumour, but I’m not so sure. Keep your ears open. Don’t leave the city and be ready to act if something happens.’

  ‘Something?’

  Carnot lowered his voice ominously. ‘Just be ready.’

  Chapter 4

  One morning, late in September, Napoleon was taking his usual morning stroll through the gardens of the Tuileries. The air was crisp and fresh and the slight chill hinted at the coming change of season. The gardens were scattered with people enjoying the clear skies and Napoleon felt his spirits rise. The appointment to the bureau of topography had saved him from the bitter struggle against the Vendée insurgents and, at last, he had been restored to full pay. His debts had been cleared, and now that Marmont had been posted to the Army of the Rhine his expenses had been reduced to maintaining only himself and Junot.

  On the far side of the gardens a crowd had gathered outside the hall of the National Assembly. As Napoleon made his way round the gravel path and approached the building he saw that the crowd had swelled in size and angry shouts filled the air. He approached and caught the eye of a man in an expensively tailored coat.

  ‘Citizen, what’s happening here?’

  The man turned and stabbed his finger towards the National Assembly. ‘They’ve just released the details of the new constitution.’

  ‘Oh? And?’

  ‘It’s a disgrace, that’s what. Those bastards of the Convention are taking seats in the Legislative Assembly. The scum just want to cling on to their jobs.’

  Napoleon couldn’t help smiling. ‘What did you expect? They’re politicians.’

  The man faced Napoleon and glared.‘That’s as maybe, but the people won’t stand for it.’ He gestured to the surrounding crowd and Napoleon could see that many faces wore expressions of anger and the air was filled with cries of ‘Fraud!’ and ‘Down with the government!’ Some even cried out for the restoration of the monarchy.

  The man turned back towards the National Assembly and added his voice to the angry chants. Napoleon glanced over the crowd one last time and then resumed his walk, making his way back to his lodgings with a heavy heart. The new constitution was supposed to restore political order, but the self-interest of the politicians meant that none had lost any power, or their jobs. What had been lost was the chance to unite the country, and Napoleon’s heart filled with contempt for the political class that simply looked to its privileges and its purses and couldn’t give a damn about the rest of the nation.

  Over the following days the outrage over the proposed constitution swelled. Large crowds gathered in the streets to protest and at night shots were fired at the National Assembly and the headquarters of the Jacobin and Girondin parties. Fearing for their lives, the deputies granted the leading member of the Committee for Public Safety, Paul Barras, temporary powers to defend the government. And so the entrances to the Tuileries palace were barricaded and manned by troops still loyal to the government.

  On the morning of the third day in October Junot shook Napoleon awake.

  ‘Get dressed. We have to get out of here.’

  ‘What?’ Napoleon shook his head. ‘Junot, what’s going on?’

  ‘The royalists.They’re on the move.They have squads of men out on the streets arresting any deputies they can find, and any army officers. They’re already searching the hotels in the next street.’

  Napoleon threw back his bedclothes and dressed quickly. He pulled a plain grey coat over his uniform jacket and thought for a moment about taking his sword, then decided against it. If they came across a search party the best thing to do would be to run for it. The sword would only be an encumbrance. Instead, he picked up an old plain coat and tossed it to his friend. ‘Wear that over your jacket.’

  Shortly afterwards, the two men left the hotel, cautiously glancing down the narrow street, still gloomy in the thin light of dawn.

  ‘Where are we going?’ Junot asked.

  ‘The Tuileries.’

  ‘Why there? That’s the first place the royalists will attack.We’ll be trapped.’

  ‘Barras will need every man to defend the government.’

  Junot recalled the last days of the monarchy and its futile attempt to defend the palace against the Paris mob. ‘We’
ll be slaughtered.’

  ‘It’s possible,’ Napoleon replied coolly. ‘This is the hour of the republic’s greatest danger. If we lose, then the revolution fails. But if we win, then, my dear Junot, we will be the heroes of the hour and our fortunes will be made.’

  As they strode swiftly along the cobbled streets, they heard a sudden crackle of musket fire in the distance. Junot turned to his friend.‘Somehow, I think that the other side has exactly the same thought.’

  They avoided the main boulevards as they hurried towards the Tuileries, while the sounds of musket fire became more general, accompanied by distant shouts. At last they reached the edge of the square called the Carrousel in front of the grand gates of the palace. Several wagons had been dragged into the square and overturned and armed men took cover behind them, keeping watch on the government troops defending the palace.

  ‘Damn,’ Napoleon muttered. ‘We’ll have to try another approach closer to the gates.’

  Beside him Junot looked out over the square. ‘We’ll still have to cross the open ground.’

  ‘Of course, but the range is long. They’ll never hit us, even if they do shoot.’

  ‘Really? That’s a comfort.’

  ‘Come on, Junot!’ Napoleon punched his shoulder. ‘Where’s that spirit you showed at Toulon? We’ll be safe enough, provided we can find a way through.’

  They retreated down the street and picked a narrow alley running closer to the palace. It was still very early and only the rebels had taken to the streets. Most of the Parisians remained in their homes, and prayed that the trouble would not come close to their door. At length the two officers found a narrow passage cutting between two tenements. At the far end the Carrousel lay clearly visible, with the gates of the palace a hundred paces beyond. Napoleon crept to the end of the passage, with Junot close behind. Then they crouched down and Napoleon took a deep breath. ‘Ready?’

  Junot nodded.

  They burst from cover and sprinted across the cobblestones towards the gates. For a few seconds no one seemed to have noticed them. Then there was a shout from one of the men sheltering behind the nearest wagon.

  ‘You there! Stop!’

  As they kept running Napoleon saw some of the soldiers on the gates raise their heads to look in their direction.Then one of them snatched up his musket, snapped the cock back and took aim. There was a flash and a puff of smoke, followed by a loud crack and the high-pitched whirr as the ball passed close overhead.

  ‘Don’t fire!’ Napoleon cried out. ‘We’re army officers!’

  But his shouts were lost in the confusion of other voices as the royalists rose up and hurled insults at them. Another shot was fired, low, ricocheting off the stones between Napoleon and Junot. At once, Napoleon tore at the buttons of his coat as he ran and then shivered free of the coat to expose his uniform jacket. ‘Don’t fire!’

  To his relief the soldiers lowered their weapons. Then the sound of further shots filled the air and he turned and saw that some of the royalists were attempting to shoot the officers down before they reached the safety of the palace gates.

  The soldiers began to provide some covering fire, and Napoleon and Junot sprinted for the army barricades as musket balls cracked off the ground and cut through the air like angry hornets. Then they were at the gates and desperately scrambling over the line of barrels and meal bags that formed the barricade. They rolled over the top and dropped down on the far side, breathless. A sergeant scurried along the line of the barricade towards them. ‘Who the hell are you?’

  ‘Brigadier Bonaparte and Lieutenant Junot. We’re here to help.’

  ‘Help?’ The sergeant frowned. ‘Then you could have brought some men with you, sir. A battalion or two of line infantry wouldn’t go amiss.’

  ‘Sorry.’ Napoleon smiled grimly. ‘We’re all there is.’

  ‘Pity.’

  ‘Where is Paul Barras?’

  ‘Barras?’The sergeant turned and pointed towards the old royal quarters in the centre of the Tuileries. ‘In there, with the other officers, sir.’

  ‘Fine. Come on, Junot.’

  Keeping low, they hurried across the courtyard and up the steps to the main entrance. Behind them the exchange of musket fire kept going a moment longer and then eased off into the odd desultory shot. Inside the palace a young orderly escorted them up the grand staircase to the first floor suite that Barras had chosen for his headquarters. The door was open and the two officers strode in. It was a large chamber, decorated with gilt and fine wallpaper. Little of the original furnishings had survived the mob’s assault on the royal palace a few years earlier and Barras sat at a plain desk. Around him stood or sat several officers, only one of whom Napoleon recognised, and his heart sank.

  ‘That’s General Carteaux,’ Junot whispered.

  Napoleon nodded. The last time they had met, Carteaux had been commanding the army laying siege to Toulon - until the Committee of Public Safety had relieved him of the post for his complete incompetence. Napoleon turned his gaze towards Barras as the latter stood to greet the new arrivals.

  ‘And who may you two be?’

  Once Napoleon had introduced himself and Junot Barras nodded. ‘Any combat experience?’

  ‘Yes, sir. We served with the army that took Toulon. I commanded the artillery.’

  Barras raised his eyebrows. ‘Ah! I remember. So you are that artillery officer. Robespierre could not have praised you more highly. Still, given the way things turned out I’m not so sure how much stock I should place in his judgement.’

  The other officers laughed.There was a harsh nervous edge to the sound that made Napoleon’s spirits sink. If this was a sign of how far morale had fallen then the odds against their beating the royalists had lengthened. Barras sat back down.

  ‘Well then, Brigadier, I expect you want me to tell you about our little predicament?’

  Napoleon nodded.

  ‘From the latest reports it seems that General Danican has gone over to the royalists. My agents tell me that at first light tomorrow over twenty thousand militia men and royalist sympathisers are going to march on the Tuileries. They intend to massacre every soldier and member of the government that they find here.’

  Chapter 5

  ‘How many men do you have under your command?’ Napoleon asked.

  ‘Five thousand,’ Barras replied. ‘Although a thousand of those are volunteers and have no weapons and another five hundred are reservists. They don’t have weapons either.’

  ‘So, three and a half thousand muskets against twenty thousand.’ Napoleon shook his head. ‘Not good odds. Not unless we can restore the balance some other way.What about cannon? How many pieces do you have?’

  ‘None.’ Barras shrugged. ‘This is the seat of government, not a bloody arsenal.’

  ‘Then we’ll have to find some guns and bring them here.’ Napoleon turned to Junot and snapped an order. ‘There are cannon at the artillery park at Neuilly. Find some men - two companies should do - and bring back ten light pieces. We only need them to fire grapeshot.’

  ‘It’s too late for that,’ Barras cut in. ‘A royalist column is already on its way there.’

  ‘Then we must beat them to it!’ Napoleon’s eyes flashed angrily. ‘Unless you want to surrender the palace to them right now, citizen.’

  ‘Of course not!’ Barras drew himself up and placed a hand on his chest. ‘I have dedicated my life to defending the republic.’

  Napoleon drew a deep breath before he continued. ‘We are not in the debating chamber now, citizen. We need actions not words. Better still, we need those guns.’

  Carteaux jabbed a finger at him and sneered. ‘And just how do you think we can get them? We’re not at Toulon now, boy.You can’t just pull the guns out of thin air. We’ve already done all we can.’

  ‘So we sit on our arses and wait for them to come for us, eh?’ Napoleon mocked him.

  Carteaux jumped up from his chair and strode towards Napoleon, towering over him
. He spoke through clenched teeth. ‘Your Jacobin masters are not here to protect you now. I put up with your insolence far too long before. Now it’s time we settled this.’

  ‘Gentlemen!’ Barras shouted.‘That’s enough.We have enough enemies out there without making more in here. Sit down, Carteaux.’

  The old general glared at Napoleon for a moment before he returned to his chair. There was a tense silence while tempers cooled a little and Napoleon realised that not one of the other officers had spoken since he had entered the office. Clearly the fight had already been knocked out of them. Someone needed to take charge of the palace’s defences. They needed a plan if they were to stand any chance of beating General Danican and his rebels.

  His thoughts were interrupted by the harsh clatter of heavy boots and he turned towards the sound as a cavalry officer swaggered into the office. He was a tall man with broad shoulders, long curly hair and bearded cheeks. Approaching the table he glanced round.

  ‘Who is in command here?’

  ‘I am,’ Barras replied.

  ‘No, I mean who is really in command?’

  Napoleon took a step forward and cleared his voice. ‘Citizen Barras has been charged by the assembly to defend the palace. But I have assumed command.’ He turned to the other officers. ‘Unless there are any objections?’

  There was no reply, not even from Carteaux who stared fixedly at his long boots. Napleon nodded. ‘Very well then. And who might you be?’

  ‘Major Joachim Murat, of the hussars. I came as soon as I got word that the royalist scum were up to no good. I have brought two squadrons of my men with me.’

  Napoleon’s eyes lit up. ‘Cavalry! Your men are ready to ride?’

  ‘Well, yes.’ Major Murat was taken aback. ‘But we’ve only just got here.’

  ‘There’s no time to discuss this, Major.You must do exactly as I say. Do you know the artillery park at Neuilly?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘Good. Take your men and ride there immediately.You must stop for nothing. Cut down anyone who gets in your way. Citizen Barras will write an order while you are gone to cover that. When you get there find me some guns - four-pounders - and plenty of powder and ammunition, particularly case shot. Then bring it straight back here. Have you got that?’