Make France Great Again-Chapter 650 - 641: The Cause of the Great Final Battle and Keman’s Deployment

Chapter 650: Chapter 641: The Cause of the Great Final Battle and Keman’s Deployment
After reading through the letter personally penned by Nicholas I, both Alexander II and Gorchakov fell into silence.
At the same time, a look of guilt appeared on Alexander II’s face. He knew that his previous promises to Commander Gorchakov, that he would persuade his father, Nicholas I, to delay the attack, had already collapsed.
Now, they had no choice but to consider how to lead the army to attack Sevastopol.
After a brief silence, Alexander II apologized to Commander Gorchakov, saying, "Commander Gorchakov, I am very sorry!"
"Your Highness, this is not your fault!" Gorchakov replied with a bitter smile to Alexander II. "It was me who focused solely on the military difficulties, neglecting the economic and political hardships!"
Although Gorchakov’s words seemed to take the blame for Nicholas I, the Russian Empire’s genuine financial difficulties were indeed a problem they had to face.
Even if the Slav soldiers under their command were willing to bring their own provisions to attack the Allied Forces for Nicholas I’s imperial ambitions.
However, their rifles, cannons, bullets, food, and medical equipment were all expenses that money had built.
People might not need money, but they certainly need to eat.
"Commander Gorchakov, this is not your fault either!" Alexander II also defended Gorchakov, saying, "The situation the Russian Empire now faces is all due to that shameless monarch in Sevastopol! Once the Imperial Army captures Sevastopol, I will make him pay the price!"
As Alexander spoke through gritted teeth, he clenched his fist, seeming full of confidence in the Russian Empire’s victory over the French Empire.
However, deep down, Alexander II’s thoughts were very different from what he expressed verbally. After all, as Jerome Bonaparte had stated, while the Russian Imperial Army had greater numbers than the Allied Forces, their only advantage lay in manpower. The Allied Forces had more advanced equipment, artillery, better logistics, and higher morale among their soldiers.
Moreover, Sevastopol and its surroundings had already been fortified into an impregnable stronghold, leaving the Russian Empire with no hope of victory.
If it were up to Alexander II himself, he would not want to be bogged down in Sevastopol, or even in Crimea (this was Alexander II’s thought before he became the Tsar; his thoughts changed after he became Tsar).
However, his father insisted on having their loyal army hold their ground against the Allies here.
"Alas!" Gorchakov sighed, lamenting the fate awaiting the Russian Imperial Army: "Your Highness, should we devise the next step of the attack plan?"
"Let’s wait a bit! Let’s first concentrate all the troops in Crimea Peninsula!" Alexander II responded to Gorchakov.
"As you command!" Commander Gorchakov nodded and answered Alexander II.
Thus, in the next week and a half, the troops scattered along the Perekop and Simferopol line, except for a few needed to remain at Perekop Fortress to guard against attacks, primarily concentrated in Simferopol—Bakhchisaray—Saki. These three locations, connected together, formed a large triangle. Field hospitals originally stationed at Zankoy and Perekop were also relocated to Simferopol and Bakhchisaray.
Of course, such massive movements by the Russian Empire did not escape the notice of the Allied Forces in Sevastopol.
When the French Guard Dragoon Cavalry, dispatched near the Alma River, clashed with the Cossack Cavalry, capturing some Cossack soldiers, they quickly returned to the Sevastopol Fortress with news of the Russian Imperial Army’s movements and ed to Marshal Pelissier.
Upon receiving the news, Marshal Pelissier unhesitatingly left the command headquarters for the nearby field hospital on the coast to find Jerome Bonaparte, who was instructing British medical personnel on modern methods of cholera prevention.
At this time, Jerome Bonaparte, dressed in a white coat and wearing a white doctor’s hat of his own design, was telling the volunteers below, "It’s currently the peak season for cholera virus outbreaks; we must remain vigilant. Starting now, lime must be spread around the hospital, and uncontaminated water sources should be used for drinking.
For those soldiers showing symptoms of cholera, we must administer fluid therapy at the earliest to maintain electrolyte balance in their bodies..."
"Knock, knock, knock"
The crisp sound of knocking on the door interrupted Jerome Bonaparte’s enthusiastic lecture.
Who could it be at such a time?
A hint of displeasure appeared on Jerome Bonaparte’s face. However, he restrained his unhappiness and said to the visitor outside, "Come in!"
Marshal Pelissier pushed the door open and stood in front of Jerome Bonaparte.
"Your Majesty, could I take up some of your time? I have some matters to discuss with you!" Marshal Pellissier bowed to Jerome Bonaparte and said tactfully to him.
Pellissier’s appearance made Jerome Bonaparte immediately realize that the Russian Empire might have new military actions, otherwise, he wouldn’t disturb him at this time.
"Hmm! Alright!" Jerome Bonaparte nodded and turned to smile at them, saying, "I’ve already told you everything I need to, the rest is up to you!"
After saying that, Jerome Bonaparte and Pellissier quickly left the room. On their way back to the Expeditionary Army Headquarters, Marshal Pellissier briefly ed the news from the Dragoons to Jerome Bonaparte.
"The Russian Empire is moving closer to Sevastopol?" Upon hearing the news, Jerome Bonaparte merely frowned slightly and then spoke to himself.
"That’s right, Your Majesty!" Pellissier nodded and replied, "I suspect they might launch an attack on Sevastopol within the next week or two!"
"If they really attack, that would be even better!" Jerome Bonaparte smiled at Pellissier, saying, "I’m not afraid of them attacking, I fear they won’t attack!"
"You’re absolutely right!" Marshal Pellissier nodded empathetically.
If the Russian Empire doesn’t attack, it would prove that they want to use space to trade for time, just like before, thereby straining the Allies’ logistics.
In that case, the Allies might really have to consider taking advantage of the situation, and Jerome Bonaparte doesn’t want to fight a draining war with the Russian Empire.
History has shown that any nation attempting a war of attrition with Russia will be dragged down by long supply lines.
Of course, if the Russian Empire withdraws from Crimea, it would also mean that Jerome Bonaparte’s previous plan, which involved humiliating the Russian soldiers at a military parade to provoke Nicholas I into a furious assault on Sevastopol, would completely collapse.
Fortunately, the Russian Army did not retreat; rather, they attacked according to Jerome Bonaparte’s plan.
Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but be thankful to Nicholas I, as he believed the attack on Sevastopol by the Russian Empire was under the orders of Nicholas I.
With a heart full of gratitude towards Nicholas I, Jerome Bonaparte decided to "repay" Nicholas I with victory after victory.
He believed that under the successive victories of the Allied Forces, Nicholas I would meet the past Tsars sooner than he did in history.
After all, the Allied Forces only landed in Crimea Peninsula at this time in history.
Returning to the French Command, Jerome Bonaparte did not want to show any slack. As soon as he entered his office, he summoned Jerome Patterson and issued an order to invite the three (four) division commanders of the Expeditionary Army.
Jerome Patterson immediately rode to the stations of each division and delivered the message to them personally.
Conrobel (First Division), Bosskay (Second Division), Renio (the latest to arrive Fourth Division), together with Marshal Pellissier, who was also in charge of the Third Division, appeared at the Command.
[PS: Now, the number of troops in each division of the French Expeditionary Army far exceeds the traditional size of a division.
It’s somewhat similar to the reorganized divisions under the bald commander, with numbers above a division but below an army.]
"Please sit, gentlemen!" Jerome Bonaparte invited everyone except Pellissier to sit and then nodded to Pellissier.
"Gentlemen, we have intelligence! The Russian Imperial Army has recently conducted a large-scale mobilization!" Marshal Pellissier, acting as the French Expeditionary Army commander (the Expeditionary Army Commander and Chief of Staff is still Saint Arno, which is a final "privilege" given to him by Jerome Bonaparte), stood in front of the military map of Crimea Peninsula, pointing at the marked locations, and spoke to the three present, "According to the intelligence we obtained from captured Cossack cavalry, the current Russian Imperial Army is gathering here (Bakhchisaray) and here (Simferopol), and their forces may exceed 200,000!"
(Pellissier is not yet aware that there are also troops in Saki.)
After Pellissier introduced the current situation, Marshal Renio and others began to discuss where the Russian Empire might launch their attack.
Marshal Renio, who succeeded Pellissier in defending Inkman Mountain, believed that the Russian Imperial Army might follow their assault route from north to south.
And the defense of the North Shore is undertaken by England and Turkey, and the French Empire should, once the war starts, draw its forces to support them while dispatching a detachment to Yevpatoria.