‘Sire, war with Prussia would not serve the interests of France. Our true enemy is Russia. She looms across Europe from the icy wastes of the north to the Black Sea in the south. Her lands are vast, and her people countless. The Tsar’s inner circle have ambitions to spread the influence of Russia into Poland towards Prussia, and into the Balkans, the Ottoman empire and even across the mountains that border India. All the while the powers of central Europe are fighting each other Russia is biding her time, and waiting for the opportunity to snap up the lands that border her frontiers. You cannot guarantee the predominance of France while Russia remains undefeated, sire.’

‘And how would you propose to defeat Russia?’ asked Berthier. ‘To reach Moscow would take a march three times as long as between Paris and Berlin, across trackless lands that are baking in summer and as cold as hell in winter. No hostile army could conquer such a vast country. It is unthinkable.’

‘Nothing is unthinkable, Berthier,’ Napoleon cut in. ‘But I agree. At present, we are not ready to march on Moscow.’

‘I doubt that we will ever be ready to undertake such a campaign, sire.’>

‘We shall see.’

‘In any case, sire,’ Talleyrand continued, ‘there is no need to wage war on Russia, provided we can secure alliances with the other European powers against the Tsar. Given our current difficulties with Prussia the obvious move would seem to be repairing our relations with Austria.’

‘Austria?’ Berthier raised his eyebrows. ‘But we were at war with them only eight months ago.’

‘Precisely.A large dose of magnanimity on our part, at present, would go a long way towards securing their gratitude. And once we have that, we can cultivate Austria on our side of the balance of power.’

Napoleon suddenly laughed. ‘You are a schemer to the very core of your soul,Talleyrand.You talk of a balance of power.We do not need to concern ourselves with such things. One either has power or one does not.That is all.’

‘Surely, sire, power consists in getting others to do what one wishes them to do. If that is achieved bloodlessly, then it has to be the optimum result.’

Napoleon wagged a finger at his foreign minister. ‘No! It is not enough to trick them into doing what you want.They have to be aware that they do it because it is your will.That is the true meaning of power, my friend.’

Talleyrand stared expressionlessly at the Emperor for a moment, and then bowed his head a fraction as he responded, ‘If you say so, sire.’

‘I do. Now then, gentlemen, enough philosophy. We must concentrate our thoughts on Prussia. Let us assume for the present that they intend to wage war on us. If that is the case then what chance of victory do we have?’ Napoleon turned to Berthier. ‘You have assessed the intelligence reports?’