CHAPTER 321: CHAPTER 317 STRASBOURG MILITARY REFORM CONUNDRUM

In the eyes of a new generation of Parisians, Jerome Bonaparte is no longer just a person, but a symbol, a symbol representing the past glory of France.

Jerome Bonaparte has now tied his destiny with that of France, trying to prove to the people of Paris that the reappearance of the Empire on top of France is the will of all the French people.

To let the Parisians understand the "will" of the outer provinces, Jerome Bonaparte presented himself as "approachable" to the Parisians while tirelessly traveling through various French provinces seeking support.

In early October, Jerome Bonaparte set out for a tour of the eastern provinces of France, passing through strategic locations like Nancy and reaching the military station in Strasbourg.

Unexpectedly, an incident occurred at the Strasbourg military station. Just as the train carrying Jerome Bonaparte stopped at the station, a troop of cuirassiers dressed in First Empire uniforms approached the station at high speed and quickly rode to the side of the train.

The scene before them was beyond the expectations of everyone inside the carriage, causing the atmosphere to plummet to freezing point, and the infantry responsible for protecting Jerome Bonaparte almost assumed it was a military mutiny.

Just as they were about to pull the trigger on the imperial cuirassiers outside the train, Jerome Bonaparte stopped them. He calmly adjusted Lev’s formal suit, put on Napoleon’s triangular hat, and said, "I believe the Empire’s soldiers would never point their weapons at their Emperor!"

After speaking, Jerome Bonaparte, ignoring Mornay’s objections, got off the train alone and sternly rebuked the cuirassiers in front of him, "What are you doing! Do you intend to murder your Emperor?"

The cuirassiers appeared tense and a trace of panic appeared, the leader, who looked like a student, hurriedly waved his hand and ordered all cuirassiers to dismount, then he approached Jerome Bonaparte alone, saluted, and loudly said, "Your Majesty! I am a cadet from the cavalry department of the Strasbourg Military Academy, ordered by Commander Reniao to welcome you!"

Hearing the cadet’s reply, Jerome Bonaparte finally breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed not to be a coup but merely an impromptu performance. He patted the shoulder and said, "You should have informed me earlier!"

He then pointed to the soldiers inside the carriage and continued, "See, you almost became ghosts under their guns!"

The cavalry cadet then noticed the soldiers emerging from Jerome Bonaparte’s carriage, each armed with the latest model of the Minie Rifle, while these cuirassiers had nothing else for counterattack aside from the command sabers used for leading and slashing.

"I..." The cuirassier instinctively swallowed; fear started creeping into his heart as he nearly brushed past death.

At this moment, the voice of Commander Reniao from behind the cuirassiers called out: "Make way! Make way!"

The student soldiers parted, allowing Commander Reniao, his deputy commander, and the chief of staff to appear together.

The three wore slightly flustered expressions; Jerome Bonaparte’s early arrival was evidently unexpected, as they thought he would arrive at 10 o’clock in the morning, but who would have thought that he arrived at 9:47 instead.

Originally intended as a surprise for the Governor, it was fortunate it hadn’t turned into a shock.

"Your Excellency, Governor, we are terribly sorry! We did not expect you..." Commander Reniao spoke humbly to Jerome Bonaparte, but Jerome Bonaparte interrupted: "Enough!"

Reniao fell silent, a mix of anxiety and regret welling up inside him, wondering why he had listened to those two guys in the first place.

It now backfired, turning surprise into shock; the Governor might severely punish him for this.

Standing still, Jerome Bonaparte sized up Commander Reniao. In his memory, the last time he visited Strasbourg, Commander Reniao didn’t seem as aged as he appeared now; managing Strasbourg’s army and organizing troops indeed drained a person’s energy.

Incidentally, since the establishment of the Legislative Corps, the Seine Province First Army and Strasbourg became the first places to require restructuring.

For this reason, Jerome Bonaparte frequently wrote letters urging Reniao to oversee the restructuring. Observing Reniao’s graying temples and wrinkled crow’s feet, Jerome Bonaparte sighed, patted Reniao’s shoulder, and sincerely said, "You’ve worked hard!"

"Ah! It is what I should do!" Commander Reniao hastily responded, feeling a sense of relief as well.

Judging by the situation, the Governor didn’t intend to punish him for this incident.

After comforting Commander Reniao, Jerome Bonaparte glanced at the cuirassiers welcoming him. From their faces, Jerome Bonaparte saw vigor, and in French, he passionately said, "...You are an excellent army; from you, I see the future of France..."

Jerome Bonaparte’s speech finally put the uneasy military academy students at ease, as it seemed that the Governor had no intention of holding them accountable.

Once Jerome Bonaparte’s speech concluded, the cuirassiers erupted in the shout of "Long live the Empire, Long live Napoleon".

Jerome Bonaparte waved to this group of "German" French, who in his eyes were undoubtedly the most loyal to France.

After the crisis was resolved, under the guidance of Commander Reniao, Jerome Bonaparte boarded the prepared carriage to head to the hotel that Reniao had arranged for him.

Midway, Jerome Bonaparte decided to visit the Strasbourg Military Academy.

General Reniao, who had originally planned to take Jerome Bonaparte to the Strasbourg Military Academy when an opportunity arose, immediately complied with Jerome Bonaparte’s wish to visit the University of Strasbourg and led Jerome Bonaparte to tour the Strasbourg Military Academy.

During the carriage ride to the Strasbourg Military Academy, Jerome Bonaparte warmly received the leader of the cuirassiers, listening to him recount the history of the Strasbourg Military Academy and the scale of the school.

The carriage slowly arrived at the gates of the Strasbourg Military Academy, where the dean and academic director quickly organized staff to welcome them.

Guided by the principal and others, Jerome Bonaparte toured the departments of Cavalry, Infantry, Artillery, and "Civil Engineering," shaking hands with them.

At the moment of parting, Jerome Bonaparte waved goodbye to them.

After leaving the Strasbourg Military Academy, Jerome Bonaparte, under the arrangement of Commander Reniao, stayed at a luxurious hotel.

Despite the long and tiring journey, Jerome Bonaparte chose not to rest but instead called Reniao to query about the military reform in Strasbourg.

"Your Majesty, Major General Niel’s military reforms are good, but there is a problem!" Commander Reniao tactfully expressed his opinion.

"What is the problem?" Jerome Bonaparte asked, trusting that Commander Reniao was not speaking carelessly.

"It’s like this! According to Niel’s military reform plan, each depot requires 30-40 military officials to coordinate and dispatch. Strasbourg has only two military academies, and we simply cannot allocate enough personnel. Moreover, he looks down on our army’s junior officers, considering them the ’dregs’ of the military. We..." Commander Reniao expressed his difficulty to Jerome Bonaparte with a troubled face.

Niel’s military reform involves dismissing a large number of military commanders who are beyond a certain age, while also reorganizing the depots on a large scale.

The most crucial issue is that Strasbourg has only two military academies, and even if they put in their best efforts, they cannot produce enough military management personnel.

"This is indeed a problem..." Jerome Bonaparte gently pressed his temples, realizing the same issue of insufficient military talent reserves in Strasbourg after the visit.

Unlike Paris, Strasbourg does not have renowned military academies like Saint-Cyr or the École Polytechnique, and the military commanders they produce each year cannot meet the demand.

Moreover, those officers promoted through practical battles from Algeria are mostly illiterate, fierce in battle, but it would take great effort to have them settle down and genuinely study tactics.

Of course, this issue is not exclusive to France; all countries except Prussia face similar problems, which are even more severe than those of France.

After pondering for a moment, Jerome Bonaparte gritted his teeth and said, "We must continue the construction of depots! Order the garrison to ensure that every junior officer in Strasbourg learns to read maps and write letters, and organize literacy and crash courses in the army to make those guys study!"

"Your Majesty, what if they are unwilling?" Commander Reniao doubted those rogue soldiers would calm down to learn.

"They must be dragged to learn! Anyone unwilling to engage in deeper study will be stripped of military status and discharged from the army!" Jerome Bonaparte decided to adopt a tough stance as it would be done a hundred years later.

If a soft approach doesn’t work, a hard approach will suffice.

Mandatory learning courses should be considered.

"Yes!" Commander Reniao nodded in understanding.

Jerome Bonaparte paced back and forth for two laps before continuing, "Having only two military academies in Strasbourg is absolutely insufficient! At least, another five... no! Two higher military academies and four medium-sized academies need to be established! We should provide tuition incentives for those willing to join the military!"

"But... the local finances of Strasbourg..." Commander Reniao subtly extended his hand asking for funds.

"As soon as I return, I’ll immediately order the Ministry of Finance to allocate funds!"