[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-life-of-being-a-crown-prince-in-france":3,"chapter-life-of-being-a-crown-prince-in-france-life-of-being-a-crown-prince-in-france-chapter-1090":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Life of Being a Crown Prince in France",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},386469,646,"Chapter 1089 - 997: Take Napoleon’s Path, Leaving Him Nowhere to Go","life-of-being-a-crown-prince-in-france-chapter-1090",1090,"\u003Cp>Bertier was well aware of Bonaparte’s astounding military talent. Seeing him speak so earnestly, he quickly picked up the sheets of paper and began to examine them closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The title was: \"On the Use of Skirmishers in Completely New Battlefield Environments\".\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chief of Staff was somewhat surprised and glanced at Napoleon, then continued to peruse:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Based on multiple battles on the Southern Netherlands and Italy battlefields, we now summarize the practical experience to discuss the use of skirmishers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old line rigid stance is no longer suitable; the flexibility and adaptability of skirmishers is the key to seizing the initiative on future battlefields...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I. An overview of the advantages of skirmishers: Compared to the clumsy line, skirmishers can maneuver through gullies, jungles, and buildings like ghosts...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>II. On attritional tactics...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>III. Training, equipment, and use of new type skirmishers...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>IV. Organization of skirmisher corps...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>V. Campaign experiences and skirmisher response modes...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Napoleon saw Bertier reading very quickly and couldn’t help but frown slightly. With such complex and detailed content, there’s no way to really understand it by skimming through so quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to remind him, but then saw the Chief of Staff close the report that he hadn’t finished reading, look up with a calm expression, and say:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems you’ve heard about the second military reform?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Napoleon nodded expectantly: \"Yes. So I specially prepared this report.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bertier exhaled: \"Obviously, you haven’t truly understood the Crown Prince’s ’scattered soldier cluster’ theory. Perhaps the person who conveyed it to you didn’t explain it clearly enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait!\" Napoleon looked at him in surprise, \"You’re saying, the Crown Prince also proposed a skirmisher theory like the one in my report...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Like yours?\" Bertier’s expression was somewhat peculiar as he patted the report on the table, \"Of course not, you only wrote a small part of His Highness’s theory.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How, how is that possible?\" Napoleon grabbed Bertier, raising his voice, \"Please, tell me more about His Highness’s theory.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bertier exchanged a glance with Lieutenant Colonel Gardet and, seeing the latter nod, finally turned to Napoleon and said, \"Alright, then I’ll give you a rough idea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spread the report open on the wooden table: \"Firstly, regarding the organization of skirmisher units, a 20% quota is clearly too small, entirely insufficient as the main force of a campaign...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Napoleon’s eyes widened immediately, \"Skirmishers as the main force?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s right.\" Bertier nodded, \"His Highness believes that the infantry line is too bulky and sluggish. Assuming good training, skirmishers can completely engage in decisive battles with the enemy’s infantry line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Especially after equipping with rifled guns, skirmishers do not need to rely on volleys to improve hit rates, or can use small-scale volleys to replace battalion-level volleys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the number of skirmishers reaches one-third of the total forces, their firepower is enough to crush the enemy’s infantry line.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Napoleon was stunned on the spot, but upon careful thought, he found that the operational mode proposed by the Crown Prince was entirely valid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skirmishers using rifled guns in terms of firepower density and accuracy absolutely don’t fall behind traditional infantry lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, skirmishers can hide behind trees and stones to avoid being hit by the enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the densely packed infantry line opposite is a \"big fixed target.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The core factors that previously limited skirmishers as a decisive combat arm were: skirmishers did not have dense formations and could easily scatter during grand army battles; and without officer volleys orders, soldiers could fire chaotically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But these were entirely non-issues for France’s direct corps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had seen firsthand the training of the Royal Third Infantry Division, whether maintaining skirmish formations or autonomous firing, they could achieve it after at most a month’s practice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Napoleon nodded with a pained expression: \"I have to admit, His Highness’s concept is far superior to mine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was inevitable because the \"scattered soldier cluster\" theory Joseph put forward was precisely the one that Napoleon himself proposed in history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only that was more than a decade later for Napoleon, after experiencing hundreds of battles, continually improving his skirmisher theory until it was eventually formed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he merely had a nascent inspiration for skirmisher reform, how could he compare with the \"accomplished\" version of himself afterwards?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bertier, however, did not seem to intend to stop, flipping to the \"organization of skirmishers\" page on Napoleon’s report: \"Your method of organizing the corps also seems too crude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Although you use skirmishers as a complete combat force, you neglect the issue of coordination with other arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"His Highness mixed skirmishers, columns, and infantry lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Roughly speaking, the scattered soldier cluster is at the forefront, followed by columns, and at the very back is a thin line of infantry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"During combat, skirmishers rely on their mobility to pull at the enemy’s formation, depleting their strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once a gap appears in the enemy formation, the columns immediately charge through the skirmishers’ gaps towards the enemy, finishing with a volley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And the line of infantry at the back acts as a reserve, also preventing the situation from getting too complex on the battlefield, which could disrupt skirmisher formations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Napoleon nodded in wholehearted approval. Such a method of organization was far more flexible and efficient than a simple infantry line. The Crown Prince was indeed an unparalleled military genius, and this mode of combat was nearly perfect!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, after Napoleon’s \"scattered soldier cluster\" came to being in history, it immediately became the standard military theory across Europe. It continued to be used until breech-loading guns appeared, about a century later, before gradually fading into history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Napoleon suddenly thought of something else and raised his hand: \"Wait. This method of combat is indeed very efficient in offense, but if counterattacked by an enemy with superior forces, especially a cavalry surprise attack, it could be easily routed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bertier chuckled: \"Your concerns are valid. That’s why His Highness proposed the ’troop switching’ tactic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In future corps, skirmishers and line infantry will use the same weapons and receive the same training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When encountering a strong enemy attack, skirmishers can gather into an infantry line to defend. Alternatively, several regiments together can form a hollow square to resist a cavalry charge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And when the enemy is defending tightly, the infantry column will also convert into skirmishers to intensify the harassment of the enemy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Napoleon’s eyes widened even more—if that were the case, then \"scattered soldier cluster\" would indeed be perfect!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bertier, however, seemed to become even more interested and continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In fact, His Highness also proposed the concept of ’leaping soldiers’ to enhance the flexibility of skirmishers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Leaping soldiers?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes. Selecting some shorter soldiers from the skirmishers and equipping them with horses. In battle, they ride two on one horse for short-distance mobility, quickly appearing in the enemy’s weakest area.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Napoleon said: \"This is somewhat like dragoons.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Indeed similar, but the cost of leaping soldiers is much lower—because there’s no need for excellent horses, as long as they can move three to four kilometers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Moreover, leaping soldiers can also be integrated with skirmishers, making combat deployments even more flexible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1174,"2026-05-30T06:21:31.747Z","2026-06-01T04:30:31.323Z",1,"novelbin.me","1386276bab460c5f4ab79871ae29b18d0ecc754d14840a3d7670ae08e37effea","life-of-being-a-crown-prince-in-france-chapter-1091","life-of-being-a-crown-prince-in-france-chapter-1089",1568,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flife-of-being-a-crown-prince-in-france-cover.jpg"]