Chapter 284: Following the Strong
Joseph wore a satisfied smile. Now that Napoleon was on board, at least physically, keeping him loyal over time would be the next step. After all, Napoleon was only 20 years old; there was plenty of time and opportunity to cultivate a deeper connection.
Joseph entered the Chief of Staff's office with Berthier and others, and he took his seat at the head of the table. He gestured to everyone, "Please, have a seat.
"I've reviewed the reports that the General Staff sent over. You've all done an excellent job, getting everything up and running in such a short time."
Of course, much of this success was due to Berthier's efforts. If Berthier's skill in leading troops was a solid 70 out of 100, his abilities in staff work were a perfect 100. Not because he couldn't score higher, but because 100 was the maximum. In this area, he was undoubtedly France's greatest talent!
Berthier and the officers immediately stood up, saying loudly, "It is our honor to serve His Majesty the King!"
Joseph motioned for them to sit down and continued, "In addition to the basic tasks of recruitment and training, there are several other matters that the General Staff needs to handle.
"First, we need to conduct a 'Military Readiness Assessment.'
"All regiments must participate. Any regiment that meets the assessment standards will be awarded the title of 'Royal.' Officers who perform exceptionally well during the assessment will also be promoted."
Berthier was a bit surprised. "Your Highness, isn't that too generous? I mean, it's just an assessment…"
Joseph smiled and shook his head. "No, if you knew the assessment standards, you'd find the reward very appropriate."
"And what are the standards?"
"The assessment will be based on the daily training standards of the Royal Guard, with a slight increase in difficulty. Any regiment that meets those standards will pass."
Berthier immediately understood and smiled knowingly—aside from the Royal Guard, who in all of France could meet these standards? Even the elite Swiss Guard wouldn't be able to complete a 5-kilometer run in 22 minutes while carrying 18 pounds of gear. Not to mention the shooting, formation drills, obstacle courses, and tactical coordination tests that were also part of the assessment. Some of the old regiments probably hadn't even heard of these training exercises, let alone practiced them.
One of the staff officers, promoted from the Royal Guard, hesitated before asking, "Your Highness, if no regiment can pass the assessment, what's the point?"
"Good question." Joseph nodded approvingly. "After the assessment, they'll likely complain that 'no one could meet such standards.' That's when the Royal Guard will step in to shatter their confidence and show them what true elite soldiers look like."
Berthier and the others couldn't help but smirk—this was brutal. The Crown Prince planned to keep the other regiments living in the shadow of the Royal Guard.
Joseph added with a smile, "Remember to hand out application forms to those regiments after the assessment."
"Application forms?" Berthier echoed, puzzled.
"Yes, application forms to join the Royal Guard. But be sure to maintain strict standards; only those with the talent and courage will be accepted. No deadweight should ever enter the Royal Guard!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Joseph didn't expect this single demonstration to win over the aristocratic officers completely, but it would at least leave a deep impression on them. Ultimately, to earn their full respect, the Royal Guard would need to achieve significant victories on the battlefield.
After all, soldiers admire strength—if you're strong enough, they'll naturally follow you. Just like Napoleon: whether as a republican or an emperor, both nobles and commoners followed him without hesitation. Even when he was exiled, a single word from him could have soldiers cheering and rallying to bring him back.
After discussing the details of the Military Readiness Assessment, Joseph continued, "Next, let's talk about the situation in the Far East.
"I'm not sure if you've heard, but there's been some friction between the Kingdom of Mysore, the Dutch, and the Travancore princely state in India."
Berthier and the others exchanged glances, and one officer quickly left the room, returning shortly with a document. After passing it around, the officers seemed surprised as they looked at the Crown Prince.
The document was an intelligence report sent from Pondicherry two days ago. It mentioned that there might be conflicts brewing in southwestern India involving the Dutch, but it contained few details. Yet, the Crown Prince seemed to know everything about the situation—could the intelligence service have reached the Far East already?
Of course, Joseph wasn't going to explain that. The intelligence service had barely established a presence in North Africa and was only starting to make inroads in the Americas, so the Far East was still far off.
At present, intelligence from the Far East mostly came from merchants and diplomats, so the information was very vague. Only someone with his unique knowledge could see the full picture.
After glancing at the military intelligence, Joseph began briefing the staff on the situation in Mysore: "The conflict started when the Prince of Travancore purchased two forts located on Mysore's territory…
"To summarize, Tipu Sultan of Mysore is a strong leader who won't tolerate hostile forces setting up outposts right under his nose. So I believe it's highly likely he'll declare war on Travancore."
A staff officer mused, "We have interests in Travancore; perhaps we should support them."
Joseph shook his head. "On the contrary, Major.
"Travancore is no match for Mysore. They'll inevitably turn to the British for help.
"And the British have long viewed Mysore as a thorn in their side—it's the only kingdom in India that hasn't bowed to them. So they'll definitely seize this opportunity to declare war on Mysore."
He looked around the room. "Our interests in Travancore are negligible. In fact, our interests in the entire Far East are minimal.
"So our goal should be to make the British expend as much as possible in the Far East!
"In other words, we'll support Mysore."
The staff officers exchanged another round of glances, slowly nodding in agreement.
Berthier, however, hesitated. "Your Highness, if we send troops directly, it could lead to a full-scale war with Britain."
Joseph nodded. "That's why we need to remain as discreet as possible.
"We should primarily assist Mysore by providing weapons and equipment—preferably not French-made—and sending military advisors. As for troops, we could send a small contingent from Tunisia since they share the same religion as the people of Mysore."
(End of Chapter)
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