Chapter 275 To Brest

Chapter 275 To Brest

December 15th, 1801.

Napoleon was on a train bound for Brest. His schedule for today is to inspect the troops who will leave France for Saint-Domingue and then New Orleans. The Ministry of War approved of the new equipment and weapons Napoleon had proposed, and he couldn't wait to see it.

Coming with him on this trip is the Minister of Science and Technology, Antoine Lavoisier, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Charles Talleyrand, Minister of War, Louis-Alexandre Berthier, and the Ministry of Interior, Lucien Bonaparte.

As the train rumbled along the tracks, Napoleon and his esteemed companions enjoyed their champagne in the Lounge Car. The huge rectangular windows provided a clear view of the passing French countryside.

Napoleon took another sip of champagne before engaging in a conversation with them.

"Is it really true, Talleyrand? That King Louis the Sixteenth wants to see me in person?" Napoleon asked.

"How many times did you ask for that, Your Excellency? The answer would remain the same. The former King of France is seeking an audience with you on Christmas eve."

"It must be because of you wanting to become an Emperor of the Republic of France. He must have felt disrespected by it. He thinks that he is the rightful ruler of France but we all know that he isn't...and that there is only one who can rule France—and that is you—my brother!" Lucien declared, raising his glass of champagne.

"I agree," Berthier raised his glass of champagne in a show of support for Napoleon's ascendance to the throne of Emperor.

"How about you, Lavoisier? Do you support Napoleon?" Talleyrand asked, and all eyes were on Lavoisier.

Antoine Lavoisier gently swirled his champagne glass before responding.

Napoleon acknowledged the warm welcome with a nod and a smile, grabbing the baskets and then handing them to his Elite Consular Guards who would carry it for him.

They were cheering and waving their hands to get the attention of the First Consul to them, some were even shouting that they voted in agreement with Napoleon becoming the Emperor of France.

Of course, having dealt with this kind of crowd before, Napoleon was simply doing what he did earlier, acknowledging their support.

Finally, they made their way to the carriage and boarded. The carriage took them to the military barracks, where 90,000 troops were gathered.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the military barrack. Stepping out of the carriage, Napoleon was amazed at the sight before him. The soldiers weren't wearing the uniform they used during the First and Second Wars of the Coalition. They were wearing the standard military uniform of the French Army during WWI, the horizon blue.

The sight of the French soldiers in their horizon blue uniforms was a striking departure from the traditional attire Napoleon had been accustomed to. The double-breasted coats and two-piece backpacks, designed for both practicality and aesthetics, gave the troops a modern and unified appearance. The upper part of the backpack held their necessities, while the lower part carried non-urgent supplies, ensuring they were well-prepared for extended campaigns.

As for the top of their head was an Adrian helmet, used by the French in WW1.

Of course, not only their uniforms got a makeover, but their weapons as well.

The repeating service bolt-action rifle was replaced with a new one, that is the Karabiner 98k. It was an easy transition as most bolt-action designs are quite similar to one another.

Located on the far right side of the formation is where the new artillery is displayed. It's the French 75 mm field gun.

And as for the machine gun section, it was redesigned similar to the MG08 similar to the Germans used in WW1. It's basically an improved and best version of the machine gun they used during the Egyptian campaign.

Since most European powers have already got their hands on the design of the weapons they used in the Egyptian campaign, the only thing they can do to secure their advantage is make a better one.

"Let's see them in action," Napoleon muttered under his breath.Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m