Chapter 786: Napoleon's Bold Gamble
The aide hesitated and carefully confirmed:
—You mean… even the reserve troops?
Napoleon pointed his riding crop toward the open field facing the wooden bridge.
—Yes, including the reserves. Even the engineers—assemble everyone there.
—Understood, Commander.
Half an hour later, nearly 10,000 French soldiers stood in perfect formation along the western bank of the Po River.
To their left, the artillery unit had deployed 14 cannons, firing across the river.
Due to the long distance, many of the cannonballs splashed harmlessly into the water, but the Austrian forces on the far side could see nothing but thick clouds of gunpowder smoke, illuminated by the flashing of the guns.
The deafening roar of artillery filled the air, creating an overwhelming battlefield atmosphere.
Before long, Victor and Captain Grouchy, acting commander of the cavalry regiment, arrived before Napoleon.
—Commander, the grenadier company and cavalry regiment are assembled. —Victor saluted, glancing at the scene on the riverbank.— Are we preparing for a full-scale assault?
Grouchy, slightly nervous, added:
—But we still don't have enough boats. If we attack now…
—No one said we were launching a river crossing. —Napoleon cut him off with a wave of his hand. He then turned to Victor.
—Colonel Victor, prepare the cavalry and grenadiers for a forced march.
—Hmm… perhaps we should show General Melas the respect he deserves. Select an additional 1,000 veteran infantry to accompany us.
—What? A forced march? —Victor was momentarily stunned but quickly straightened up and responded loudly.— Yes, sir! I will see to it immediately!
Napoleon watched them leave, then turned to the civilian officers standing nearby.
After a brief moment, he singled out one of them.
—Lieutenant Marcellin, if I remember correctly, you were a lawyer before?
—Yes, sir.
—Then you must be an excellent speaker?
—Well… I wouldn't say excellent, but I have received professional speech training.
—Good. I am appointing you as our negotiator. You will go across the river and persuade the Austrians to surrender.
Napoleon glanced at his uniform.
—Make sure you change into an officer's coat.
—N-Negotiator? Me? —Lieutenant Marcellin was stunned. He was just a clerk!
Trying to steady his nerves, he took out a notebook and asked:
—Understood… What terms should I offer them?
Taking the reins from his attendant, Napoleon turned away without looking back.
—Say whatever you want. Just keep the talks going as long as possible.
—But…
Marcellin, overwhelmed by the sudden responsibility, wanted to ask more.
But Napoleon was already riding off into the distance.
4:00 PM
Leaving Marmont in command of the main force to continue the standoff with the Austrians, Napoleon led 3,000 soldiers south along the Po River at full speed.
On the far bank, 6,000–7,000 Austrian troops sat in low spirits, showing no intention of attacking.
Marmont's only task? Make as much noise as possible and keep the Austrians focused on the riverbank.
Victor nudged his horse forward to ride alongside Napoleon. Lowering his voice, he asked:
—Commander, what exactly are we doing?
Napoleon remained calm.
—We are going to take Milan.
—Milan? —Victor glanced back at the French main force, which was now little more than a blur in the distance.— But… with only this many men?
—It's enough. —Napoleon smiled.— If my guess is correct, Melas has sent most of his army to besiege Dimoulin in Genoa. Milan's defenses should be weak.
—The officers defending Milan clearly don't want to face us in battle. That's why they set their defenses so far forward, near the Po River.
—Which means… most of Milan's available troops are now stationed on the wrong side of the river. The city itself should be almost empty.
—3,000 men—no, even 2,000—should be enough to take it.
Victor's eyes widened in shock.
—But where will we cross the river?
—Lodi.
Victor immediately understood.
Lodi, south of Milan, sat at the junction where the Ticino River flowed into the Po.
Crossing there would avoid the need to also cross the Ticino later.
However, a new concern came to mind.
—Commander, Lodi is 70 kilometers from here. The entire region is crawling with Austrians. If they report our movements to Milan, this entire operation will be a waste of time.
Napoleon smirked and pointed toward the river.
—Why do you think the Austrians lined their defenses along the river?
—They know the Po is nearly impossible to cross right now because of the flood season.
—But they forgot—violent river currents don't just block armies.
—They also prevent messages from being delivered.
—No one is going to risk drowning just to bring a report across the river—especially when they aren't even sure if the information is useful.
—So, as long as we move fast, Milan will have no idea we're coming.
Victor could only stare in admiration.
And he realized that Napoleon had left one key advantage unspoken.
The Po River, from Valenza to Lodi, curved in an L-shape.
At the river's bend, the current slowed down significantly.
By the time they reached Lodi, the waters would be much calmer—making the crossing far easier.
A simple floating bridge would be enough to transport soldiers, horses, and even artillery.
This was something impossible to do at Valenza, where the river was too fast and strong.
Napoleon frowned slightly at the army's pace.
After a moment's thought, he turned to his aide and issued a quiet order.
The aide immediately spun his horse around and galloped toward the soldiers.
—Pick up the pace! —he shouted.— The Commander has made a promise—
—If we reach Lodi in four days, every soldier will receive a 20-franc bonus!
—If we make it in three days, 35 francs each!
—And if we arrive in two and a half days—50 francs per man!
The response was instant.
The soldiers erupted into cheers.
The entire column surged forward, as if an invisible force had just pushed them from behind.
After all, a Montpellier Corps soldier earned only 11 francs per month.
A 50-franc bonus was worth four and a half months of wages!
Even the Moulin Corps cavalry, who earned 28 francs a month, were highly motivated.
Not to mention that cavalry bonuses were usually higher than infantry pay.
With such an enormous reward at stake, the next evening, Napoleon's "lightning force" reached the point where the Po River bent eastward.
Lodi was now just 35 kilometers away.
Who said that France's old army couldn't march quickly?
They just hadn't been paid enough.
As long as the rewards were high, these soldiers would grow hooves like mules if necessary.
Marching 30 kilometers a day? No problem.
Two and a half days after leaving Valenza, Napoleon's 3,000-man force successfully crossed the Po River.
They seized Lodi without a fight.
And now, Milan was within their grasp.
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