French Empire: But Napoleon IV

Chapter 74 The French High Command Caught Off Guard

McMahon, the French commander-in-chief, one of the top generals in France, who could also be a high-ranking officer in Prussia, slumped helplessly into his chair.

McMahon, whose injuries had not fully healed, faced the cruelest reality with a pale face.

That meant the French army on the Meuse was finished. Yes, everything was finished. The Prussian army had circled around to their rear, and the supply lines for the hundreds of thousands of French troops on the Meuse had been cut off.

This was no longer a problem he could solve alone. Unable to come up with a better solution in time, McMahon had no choice but to convene an emergency military meeting to discuss countermeasures with his generals.

"The Prussian army has 100,000 troops in our rear, and they have cut off our supply lines and retreat routes."

As a major contributor to halting the Prussian offensive, Bourbaki, whose Guards suffered heavy casualties, considered retreating.

"We must retreat immediately, otherwise we risk being attacked from both sides by the Prussian army. We cannot risk total annihilation."

"But what will happen to the Meuse River defense line if we retreat?"

After the meritorious general finished speaking, the culprit, Felix Dua, commander of the 7th Army, dared not speak. The commander of the 6th Army, Vinuia, was still Bourbaki's sworn enemy, though his heart was with Bourbaki. De Fay then raised a question.

"If we abandon the Meuse line, the Prussian army will advance unimpeded, and Paris will be right behind us. What will the people of Paris think of us? What will the parliament think of us?"

"We can't worry about that now."

Bourbaki, who shared McMahon's views, became agitated upon seeing dissenting opinions.

"Preserving the army is the most important thing. Without the army, we have nothing. Paris can be defended, but if the Chalon Legion is destroyed, France is truly finished."

Nasan, who had been burning the midnight oil during this period, sat in the main seat, watching everyone discuss without saying a word, only coughing incessantly.

As the war continued, each day, perhaps for his wife and children in Paris, or perhaps for his own position, Nathan would become paler and weaker than the day before after wandering around the front lines.

Na San held a handkerchief that was soaked in blood, and it was a new handkerchief he had used that day.

Faced with such a crucial decision, Nathan was once again indecisive. However, it didn't matter that Nathan was indecisive, because military power had now been transferred to McMahon, and the commander-in-chief was capable of making a decision.

Although I don't really want to say it, nowadays, apart from serving as a mascot and boosting the morale of the soldiers on the front lines, Na San has become completely unnecessary.

Paris doesn't want him to return, the frontline troops are not saying anything, and now Nathaniel himself is being disliked. This French emperor is in a very awkward situation.

"Gentlemen, there is no time for further debate. As of 2 p.m., we have confirmed that the Prussian forces that have made the detour number around 100,000, which may include the Saxon 12th Corps, the Bavarian 1st and 2nd Corps, and several divisional units."

These troops have already captured most of the key roads between Neuchâtel and Verdun, and are advancing rapidly northward, expected to complete the encirclement of the Prussian forces by tomorrow morning.

The atmosphere in the command post was terrifyingly oppressive. On the sand table, the black flag representing the Prussian army, like the fangs of a viper, clung tightly to the French army's rear from the south.

On the main battlefield, the Prussian 4th, 5th, and 6th Armies and the Guards, totaling 7.2 men, were poised to launch a general offensive at any moment.

At this point, the Xialong Legion had only 14.3 soldiers left who could fight. In the past eight days of defensive battle, the Xialong Legion had suffered heavy casualties of up to 5.8.

"I still insist on concentrating our forces to break out to the north. The Imperial Guard still has 1.8 men ready to fight, plus the 3.2 men of the 6th Army. If we concentrate 5 elite troops for a fierce attack, we will definitely be able to tear a gap before the Prussian army's encirclement closes. As long as we retreat to Reims, we can join up with the reinforcements from Paris."

"Concentrate your forces? General Bourbaki, have you considered that if our entire army is crammed onto a narrow retreat route, the Prussian army only needs to use three divisions to block the northern entrance and then use cavalry to flank from both sides?"

"If they do that, we'll all be driven into the Meuse River. Then, forget about going to Reims; not a single one of us will get out alive."

Both sides have their own arguments. De Fay wasn't just talking nonsense; he had some basis for his claims. The corps commander picked up his baton and pointed to the long defensive line along the Meuse River on the sand table.

"Our defensive line stretches for more than 40 kilometers. Although the Prussian army has 100,000 troops in its flanking maneuver, their forces will inevitably be dispersed if they want to block such a long front."

If we break out in three separate routes simultaneously, the Prussian army will not be able to defend every point. As long as one route manages to break through, France will still have hope.

? !

Everyone present looked at De Fay, who had suddenly changed his mind and decided against fighting on the spot. The commander ignored the gazes of others; he believed he had a clear conscience, and his argument with Bulbaqi was not a partisan dispute.

Who could possibly win against the commander of the Imperial Guard? The reason De Fay stood against Bourbaki was simply because, in his view, Bourbaki's plan was unrealistic, and his own plan was better.

"You're gambling with the lives of your soldiers. Dividing our forces will only make us vulnerable to being picked off one by one."

"Okay, cough cough~"

A voice rang out, and Napoleon III interrupted the argument between the two. The French emperor, who had become a figurehead, still had the ability to shut people up.

After calming the meeting room down, Nathan looked at the unpredictable McMahon and asked him to come up with an idea. Without the pressure of giving orders, Nathan felt more relaxed and was able to accept reality more readily.

"Marshal McMahon, you are the commander-in-chief of the army. You make the decision. Whatever the outcome, I stand with the soldiers."

Since Nathan had said that, it would be impolite to continue arguing about his own position. All eyes in the room turned to McMahon.

With the fate of hundreds of thousands of soldiers at stake, the battle-hardened French marshal closed his eyes and took a deep breath. McMahon knew that whatever choice he made would be a huge gamble.

But Mark Ma also knew better that the Prussian Krupp cannons were being continuously transported to the front lines, and every hour of delay reduced the French army's chances of survival.

"I've decided to break out in three directions."

De Fay was right; after the corps commander switched his stance to advocating retreat, McMahon harbored no prejudice whatsoever.

After considering the opinions of Bourbaki and De Fai, McMahon felt that De Fai's opinion was better.

"The first route, led by General Bourbaki, will consist of the Imperial Guard, the 6th Corps, and the 2nd Cavalry Division, totaling 6 men, breaking out from the north towards Montmedy and retreating towards Reims. You must take as many heavy weapons and supplies as possible to preserve the French army."

"The second route, led by General de Fay, consists of the 7th and 5th Armies, totaling 3.3 men, breaking out from the central Dinant direction and retreating towards Charleville. Your task is to tie down the main Prussian force and buy time for the northern and western routes."

"The third route, which I will personally lead with the 1st Army and reserve forces, totaling 4 men, will protect His Majesty as he breaks out from the west towards Verdun. We will hold the rear and block the pursuing Prussian forces."