Thinking Alike

Southeastern France.

Grenoble.

Dimoubin, Commander-in-Chief of the French Army of Italy, shifted his gaze from the frontline deployment map and said to General Dute:

"If I remember correctly, the Plevin Legion was only merged together last year. It does not even have any cavalry."

Dute nodded. "Yes, General. It was previously three infantry regiments and one Skirmisher Battalion from the Montpellier Legion. After a large number of elite soldiers were transferred away, they were ultimately merged into the Plevin Legion."

That so-called "transfer" was, in fact, idealistic and ambitious soldiers applying to attend the military academy. Upon graduation, they naturally joined the legions directly subordinate to the General Staff Headquarters.

The Montpellier Legion had thus gradually withered away. In fact, this was a common situation among France's old armies in recent years; Montpellier's case was merely more severe.

Dimoubin leaned wearily back in his chair. "Having them take charge of Bress's defense was far too rash a decision.

"The Joubert Legion should have just left Lyon. Why not have them garrison Bress?"

Dute sighed. "It was Lieutenant Colonel Bonaparte's arrangement, General. He has been moving troops around frequently of late, but he seems not to have paid attention to the defense of key locations."

Dimoubin waved a hand. "Though the Crown Prince is full of vigor and has made a series of unexpected strategic deployments, he is clearly still somewhat inexperienced when it comes to appointing people.

"Lieutenant Colonel Bonaparte did indeed fight some beautiful battles commanding Artillery in the Southern Netherlands, but handing an army of more than thirty thousand men to him was still far too rash."

General Dute said, "Do you think we should order Lieutenant Colonel Bonaparte to adjust his deployment immediately?"

"That will do." Dimoubin nodded, looking somewhat helpless.

Before leaving Paris, the Crown Prince