Chapter 316: Chapter 312: Logistics and Supply Issues
After experiencing the agricultural reforms of Jean Dulles and the "strike" incident of Louis Pasteur, nothing else troubled Jerome Bonaparte. For the next three months, France moved toward becoming a fully industrialized country with a steady yet slow pace.
In the Lorraine and Calais regions, steel factories sprang up under Jerome Bonaparte’s administrative orders and bank loans. The enhanced Bessemer steel refining method gave Lorraine’s high-phosphorus iron ore a use, and the steel output of Lorraine and Calais had gradually surpassed that of Le Clerc, adding a new "engine" to France’s military industry.
The Ministry of War, Ministry of Railways, and Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce also intensified their cooperation. With the collaboration of railways, military, and telegraphs, the French Army completed assemblies at a speed surpassing previous limits, then transported assembled troops to designated locations one by one. With continuous coordination among the three departments, the efficiency of railway transportation became increasingly faster.
Time passed with the repeated assembly and mobilization of troops, and by early September, a brand-new issue appeared before Jerome Bonaparte, the Ministry of War, and the Secretariat.
With the increased efficiency of troop mobilization, the logistical support mechanism of the French Army felt increasingly strained, leading to a situation where the troops reached their destination, but the supplies could not arrive on time.
Although Jerome Bonaparte repeatedly ordered the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of War to quickly establish a logistics support process, they were unable to come up with a solution that satisfied Jerome Bonaparte.
This made Jerome Bonaparte very frustrated, causing him to have several sleepless nights.
Even when he dozed off, he would be jolted awake by the "terrifying" scenes in his dreams!
"Ah!" Jerome Bonaparte was startled awake by his nightmare once again; he dreamt of Old Maoqi leading an overwhelming Prussian army to crush them, while his troops couldn’t even secure the most basic logistics support, filling the entire army with a sense of defeatism. Just like in history, the Old Maoqi in his dream crushed his army.
The awakened Jerome Bonaparte sat up on his bed. After a moment, he felt a slight chill on his back and reached behind him, only to realize that his back was already drenched.
Perhaps it was due to the overly hot September weather, or maybe the nightmare, but now he felt entirely uncomfortable.
With the help of the moonlight streaming through the window, he felt for the pocket watch placed under his pillow and checked the time.
It was a quarter past four in the morning, over an hour before sunrise.
However, he was not the slightest bit sleepy. He put on the casual clothes scattered on the floor and left the bedroom.
The maid patrolling the Tuileries Palace immediately curtsied upon seeing Jerome Bonaparte in the corridor. He waved off the elaborate noble etiquette and informed the maid he needed a hot bath.
Upon hearing Jerome Bonaparte’s command, the maid quickly gathered her patrolling companions to prepare the necessities for Jerome Bonaparte’s bath.
Jerome Bonaparte returned alone to the study to continue handling the documents left unfinished the previous night.
Half an hour later, a knock came at the door. Jerome Bonaparte paused his writing and opened the door.
The maid standing at the door was startled by Jerome Bonaparte’s sudden appearance. After a brief moment of panic, she regained her composure and informed Jerome Bonaparte that everything needed for his bath was ready.
Under the maid’s guidance, Jerome Bonaparte arrived in front of the bathroom. Entering alone, he removed all his clothes and entered the wooden bath barrel. Soaking in the water with only his head exposed, he contemplated a solution for the logistics issues, sensing that there might be some underlying problem.
After pondering in the water for a long time, Jerome Bonaparte suddenly thought of someone from whom he might get a solution.
Without hesitation, Jerome Bonaparte quickly climbed out of the bath barrel, wiped his body briefly, changed into the prepared casual clothes, and left the bathroom.
Before leaving the bathroom, Jerome Bonaparte glanced at the pocket watch again; it was now five thirty-five.
The summer sun slowly rose above the horizon, its warm rays dispelling the night’s chill and the quietness of Paris.
The tranquility of the night no longer existed, with the city awakening once more from its slumber.
"Your Excellency!" Upon entering the living room after leaving the bathroom, Jerome Bonaparte encountered the manager Mokar, who respectfully greeted Jerome Bonaparte.
"Mokar!" Eager to find answers, Jerome Bonaparte spoke hastily to Mokar, giving a swift order: "Prepare a carriage for me immediately!"
"Yes!" Mokar promptly responded.
Before long, a carriage appeared in the courtyard of the Tuileries Palace.
"Let’s go!" Jerome Bonaparte called for Mokar to leave with him.
"Yes!" Mokar, without further inquiry, followed Jerome Bonaparte out.
As the carriage left the Tuileries Palace, Jerome Bonaparte mentioned the destination he was heading to.
The carriage sped through the streets of Paris and quickly arrived at Jerome Bonaparte’s destination.
"Get off!" Jerome Bonaparte opened the carriage door upon seeing the mansion outside.
Mokar also followed Jerome Bonaparte out of the carriage, and the two stood in front of the mansion.
Jerome Bonaparte gently knocked on the bronze door of the residence, and the voice of the director of logistics, Major General Niel, was heard from inside: "Who is it?"
"It’s me, Jerome Bonaparte!" Jerome Bonaparte replied calmly.
Staggering footsteps came from inside the room, and the door of the residence opened to reveal Major General Niel standing in front of Jerome Bonaparte.
"Your Excellency, the Governor!" Niel hurriedly saluted Jerome Bonaparte.
After Jerome Bonaparte returned the salute to Niel, he joked half-seriously, "Won’t you invite me in for a seat?"
Niel hurriedly realized his oversight and quickly invited Jerome Bonaparte inside, instructing his wife to prepare some refreshments.
Niel’s wife, upon seeing Jerome Bonaparte’s arrival, also got busy preparing various things.
Jerome Bonaparte and Niel sat down on a somewhat plain red sofa to converse.
"Your Excellency, why did you suddenly think to..." Major General Niel seemed somewhat apprehensive, not understanding why Jerome Bonaparte would make an unannounced visit.
"No need to be nervous!" Jerome Bonaparte smiled and reassured Niel, "I’m just a casual person, and today’s unannounced visit..."
"No! Your presence here is truly an honor for me!" Major General Niel quickly complimented Jerome Bonaparte.
"I came this time to ask you, regarding the recent logistical issues with the Ministry of War, what are your thoughts?" Jerome Bonaparte inquired of Niel.
"This..." Major General Niel hesitated as he looked at Jerome Bonaparte; he wasn’t sure if he should voice his concerns to him.
Niel believed that not only he but probably the ministers also saw the issues. However, the problem couldn’t bypass the brilliant Emperor, which is why they dared not speak out.
"Don’t worry! I won’t blame you!" Jerome Bonaparte noticed Niel’s hesitation and boldly encouraged him.
"Your Excellency, do you understand what a military base is?" Niel, prompted by Jerome Bonaparte’s "encouragement," cautiously asked.
"Military base?" Jerome Bonaparte thought for a moment before responding, "A place for training and allocating soldiers?"
"Yes!" Niel first confirmed part of Jerome Bonaparte’s understanding and then added, "The role of a military base is not only to manage the training of soldiers and serve as a transfer station for them. It used to be responsible for gathering supplies. Every time an army reached a base, it could get resupplied!"
"You mean that the current bases no longer have the ability to gather supplies?" Jerome Bonaparte instantly understood what Niel meant.
"Exactly! The brilliant Emperor abolished the supply-gathering function of military lines, believing that the best way for the French Army is to rely on local supplies!" Major General Niel, with admiration for Emperor Napoleon, "defended" him by saying, "In those times, local supplies indeed increased the maneuverability of combat units!"
At this point, Jerome Bonaparte could fully grasp Niel’s implication: his uncle had abolished the supply function of bases and switched to a local supply strategy to enhance the mobility of the French Army.
This was indeed an effective approach in the early 19th century when railways were in their infancy.
As the railway system developed, the French Army no longer needed to travel with their entire support structure, as railways could more swiftly transport them to the front lines.
Previously convenient local supplies had become a source of confusion for the army, while the somewhat obsolete bases regained their importance.
By simply setting up bases along the railway lines, the railways could quickly deliver supplies to where they were needed, saving the time required for troops to procure supplies locally.
In the end, it boils down to changes brought about by the era; in just thirty years, the nature of warfare had undergone tremendous changes.
"Why didn’t you tell me earlier?" Jerome Bonaparte complained.
Major General Niel awkwardly smiled without speaking. Who in the entire Ministry of War would dare criticize the Emperor in front of his nephew? It would be like an old man seeking death by consuming arsenic—tired of living.
Nobody dared to directly refute the correctness of the Emperor.
"Can the functions of the French bases be restored?" Jerome Bonaparte once again asked Major General Niel.
Major General Niel considered for a moment before responding to Jerome Bonaparte, "It might be somewhat difficult! Needless to say, restoring the supply function of bases is challenging, even the functions of allocation and training are..."
"Damn it, how did the army end up like this!" Jerome Bonaparte couldn’t help but curse under his breath.
"Your Excellency, please don’t be angry!" Major General Niel awkwardly touched his left cheek and said, "The army hasn’t participated in a large-scale war for decades. All our experiences were gained in Algeria! The relaxation of the army is understandable..."
"Are you suggesting that... for France to swiftly regain its former strength, it must engage in a large-scale military operation?"