The Generals

Chapter 18

Five days later the French army entered Milan.The people of the city thronged the streets to welcome the ragged soldiers who had come to liberate them from Austrian oppression. The aristocrats and the wealthy merchants and bankers were more circumspect in their greeting and Napoleon accepted their gifts and praise for what they were: attempts to bribe him and appeal to his vanity so that he would not subject Milan to the liberal values of the French revolution. Napoleon treated them courteously enough, before a

The celebrations in the city were short lived.While Napoleon plundered the local banks, his troops roamed the city, taking food, wine and women as they wished. As soon as he heard what was happening Napoleon issued stern orders to his officers to stop their men from looting the city. But it was already too late. Discipline had broken down and there was nothing that could be done until appetites had been sated.

Napoleon waited impatiently for the men to return to their units and then, a week after the army had entered the city, it marched out to continue the war against Austria. But this time the streets were quiet as the Milanese cowered in their homes, waiting until the last sounds of marching boots had faded into the distance before they dared to emerge and stare in shock, and then bitter anger, at their ransacked city.

Napoleon and his staff paused on a low hill a short distance from the city and watched as the men marched past, haversacks bulging with looted goods.

‘They’re in good spirits, sir,’ commented Berthier. ‘I just hope it lasts until they go up against the Austrians, once we catch up with them.’

Napoleon glared at a passing column of infantry, sullenly acknowledging their cheerful greetings. ‘What concerns me is that if they conduct themselves in this fashion again, then we’ll be spending as much time putting down revolts in the lands we’ve taken from Austria as we do fighting the enemy.’

Berthier shrugged. ‘I hope not, sir.’

Napoleon turned to him with a bitter smile. ‘You hope not? I don’t think we can avoid it.There’s hardly a single Milanese, rich or poor, that we’ve not offended. Our men have had a free hand with the common folk, while I’ve thoroughly plundered the rich.’

In the last few days Napoleon had demanded over ten million francs from the dukes of Parma and Modena, the money to be paid into banks in Genoa before being transferred to Paris. More cash was being squeezed from the kingdom of Piedmont and every city and town under French control.Very soon it would be flowing into the treasury in Paris. Napoleon fervently hoped that it would convince the Directors not to meddle any further with his command in Italy. The bitter truth was that while he might buy them off, he would now be forced to continue his advance with an outraged population at his back. Still, he reflected, the army was grateful to him, especially as some of the money he had exacted from the local rulers had been used to make good the arrears in their pay. In his growing awareness of the need to think politically, Napoleon realised that a loyal army was as good a power base as any mob in Paris.

The army had only marched as far as Lodi when a message arrived from General Despinois. The people of Milan had risen up against the French occupiers. Despinois assured his commander that the uprising would be put down swiftly. But there was also more disturbing news of a further uprising in the town of Pavia.

‘Pavia?’ Napoleon stared at the courier, a young officer of hussars. ‘What’s happened in Pavia?’

‘Sir, the garrison there surrendered to the townspeople.’

‘Surrendered?’ Napoleon struggled to control his anger. ‘Was there a fight?’

‘Not as far as I know, sir. The commander, Captain Linois, agreed to lay down arms if he and his men were spared. They’re being held in the citadel.’

‘Are they, by God?’ Napoleon balled his hand into a fist and rapped it against his thigh. ‘Very well, Lieutenant. Return to General Despinois. Tell him that he has full authority to put down the revolt in Milan by any means necessary. Now go.’

The hussar saluted and swung himself back on to his mount before spurring it back towards Milan. Napoleon turned to his staff officers.

‘Berthier, Junot, over here!’ He led them to one side, out of earshot of any other officers, and explained the situation before giving his orders. ‘The army will continue towards Brescia. Keep pushing the Austrians back as far as the Mincio river. If they fall back to the far bank it will buy me a little time.’

‘Time?’ Junot raised his eyebrows. ‘Time for what, sir?’

Napoleon removed his hat and ran a hand over his dark lank hair. ‘Time to teach the Italians a lesson. I have to make an example of those rebels in Pavia, and deal with Captain Linois. I’ll need two thousand picked troops. Grenadiers are the best men for the job, and I need a good field officer. Someone brave and with the stomach for . . .’ he paused and pursed his lips for a moment before continuing, ‘the stomach for distasteful work. Whom can you recommend?’

‘I know just the man for you, General,’ Junot answered at once. ‘There’s a Gascon, Colonel La

‘Good. Then fetch him. I’ll take Bourrie

The small column covered the twenty miles to Pavia by dawn the following day and formed up behind a wood a short distance from the crumbling walls of the ancient town. Napoleon and La

‘I don’t think they present much of a danger,’ Napoleon decided.‘If we bring the men up through these trees we can cross the open ground and be in the town before they can react.’

La

‘We disarm them, round up the ringleaders and make an example of them.’

La

‘They will be hanged from the walls of the citadel. I have to be sure that the Italians know what will happen to those who rebel against us.’

‘Yes, sir.’ La

‘Off you go then. Have the men load their weapons, but none are to be cocked. I’ll flog any man who fires before the order is given. Understand?’

‘Yes, sir.’ La