Chapter 759 Traitor (asking for double monthly tickets)

Chapter 760 Traitor (asking for double monthly votes)

Lefebvre hurriedly advised:

"Your Highness, if we are blocked near Brussels, even if it is only half a month, reinforcements from Austria and Prussia will arrive. Even the British recently landed 20,000 troops in Utrecht."

Utrecht is a province in the central Netherlands, only 140 kilometers away from Brussels.

At the same time, Gelden, as an important Prussian stronghold on the west bank of the Rhine, had 70,000 to 80,000 troops stationed. From there it is only over 170 kilometers to Brussels. There are more anti-French alliance troops further away.

If Brussels is attacked by the French army, the coalition forces may mobilize a large number of troops to encircle and suppress France's Southern Netherlands Front.

By then, the more than 20,000 people here will definitely not be able to resist.

Therefore, a confrontation with the enemy between Brussels and Wavre is most in line with the strategic deployment finalized by the General Staff at the beginning.

Joseph nodded: "You are right. But have you ever considered where the British troops in Utrecht would go if they did not reinforce Brussels?"

"Uh... it should be Galden," Lefebvre said.

"Yes, but then General Berthier will face more enemy forces."

Lefebvre's eyes suddenly lit up: "I understand, Your Highness, so the Rhine Army should be the first to attack. This will prevent the enemy from reinforcing Brussels."

Joseph shook his head and said: "No, on the contrary, Brussels is the one used to contain the enemy.

"We need to create opportunities for General Berthier to advance the front to the west bank of the Rhine. Only in this way can our army gain the greatest strategic advantage."

Lefebvre still tried his best to dissuade him: "Your Highness, if the direction of the Southern Netherlands is lost, the enemy army will be able to move south along Lille and then approach Paris...

"Perhaps, you can first mobilize some troops from the Rhine Front to help defend the Southern Netherlands."

His worries were not unfounded.

There are small German states along the Rhine River. Even if the French army occupied the west bank of the Rhine, it would be an acceptable loss for Austria and Prussia, the two main forces of the anti-French alliance.

But if the coalition forces attack Lille, Paris will be greatly threatened.

"If we withdraw troops from General Berthier's side, it will weaken our offensive in the Rhine direction, so that neither side can gain an advantage."

Joseph pointed to his feet: "You may have forgotten that we can obtain troops on the spot in Wallonia.

"The population here is large, but there has never been a large-scale recruitment, so it should not be too difficult to recruit 10,000 troops. Coupled with the Walloon police force, our total strength here will reach about 40,000."

Lefebvre sighed: "Your Highness, even if there are 40,000 soldiers, it may still not be enough. Besides, it is difficult to count on the combat effectiveness of the new recruits."

Joseph nodded: "If the enemy mobilizes more than 60,000 troops, I will consider sending troops from Berthier to the Southern Netherlands.

"As for the new recruits, they can also play a huge role as long as they are used properly."

Lefebvre said: "Your Highness, with all due respect, it is too risky to defend 60,000 enemy troops with 40,000 troops..."

Joseph smiled: "Do you know the 'Back Slope Tactics'?"

Lefebvre recalled all the military courses he had taken and shook his head: "Your Highness, I have indeed never heard of this term."

"This is a tactic that will help us defend the Southern Netherlands."

The "rear slope tactic" that Joseph mentioned was the "stunt" that made the Duke of Wellington famous in history.

Wellington relied on this tactic at Waterloo, blocking waves of Napoleon's Old Guard and cavalry attacks with inferior force, and ultimately helped the British win the war.

At the moment, the Duke of Wellington is still very young and has not created the famous back-slope tactics.

And Joseph unceremoniously applied for an "original patent" one step ahead of schedule.

He believed that as long as a suitable battlefield was found, it would not be a problem to use 40,000 soldiers to hold back the 60,000 Prussian-British coalition forces.

You know, at the moment, both the British and Prussian armies have far less offensive capabilities than the emperor's Old Guards.

Even the Old Guards couldn't tear through the defense line, and it was even more impossible for them to handle it.

What's more, Joseph also holds two of France's most elite Royal Artillery battalions.

If artillery positions are set up on high ground, the defensive effect can even exceed 10,000 infantry.

That night, Joseph's order was sent to Lille, where it would be transmitted via the Schaap signal to Berthier stationed in Luxembourg.

The content of the order was very simple, allowing Berthier to temporarily slow down the pace of the attack and give the enemy on the opposite side the illusion that the French army was unable to continue the attack along the Rhine River.

After the enemy forces transferred their forces to the southern Netherlands, they took the opportunity to concentrate their forces to capture Trier, and then surrounded the most important fortress of Koblenz in the middle section of the Rhine.

By then, the entire European war situation will be turned upside down!

Noon the next day.

Joseph went to the artillery camp to have lunch with the soldiers.

When he was escorted by the Guards and passed by several heavily guarded tents, the curtain of one of the tents was suddenly lifted from the inside, revealing a middle-aged man with sparse eyebrows, small eyes, and slightly drooped cheeks. People got out.

The man ignored the scoldings of the soldiers around him, bowed and saluted Joseph, and said loudly in French with an accent:

"Thank God for allowing me to see you here! Your noble and heroic Crown Prince!"

"Hey, hey, don't push me! I'll just say a few words!" He tried his best to resist the soldiers with his hands and continued to say to Joseph, "Your Highness, I am the lieutenant colonel of the Perron Infantry Regiment. I have always admired you. , I hope you can give me a chance to serve you..."

Joseph frowned and looked at his clothes, which were Austrian military uniforms.

And he said he was from the Perun Infantry Regiment, so he should be a Flemish.

Joseph suddenly thought of something, reined in the horse, turned around and said:

"What's your name?"

"Toyen Frans van Sihaik, your highness, that is my name."

Joseph nodded: "Lieutenant Colonel Siheike, can you convince the captured Austrian soldiers to obey my command?"

"Of course, of course!" Siheike's eyes showed just the right amount of flattery, "They will be more loyal than your own army."

Joseph smiled and said to Lefebvre beside him:

"Please take him to the prisoner camp. Maybe we can add some Flemish soldiers..."

At this moment, a very tall man with dry cheeks, about 50 years old, emerged from the tent next to him. This man took advantage of the soldiers not paying attention, stepped forward and kicked Siheike, and at the same time angrily shouted:

"Damn bastard! He shamelessly betrayed Southern Netherlands!"

Joseph asked the soldiers to hold the man down, jumped off the horse, looked at him and said, "Who are you?"

"I am Commander of the Antwerp Legion, Wilhelm Weigel van Tyne."