‘Just as well for us, sire.’

‘Yes,’ Napoleon replied quietly. ‘So . . . It is imperative that we keep our enemies divided.That means we must end this war swiftly, with the kind of annihilating victory that will crush the very idea of further opposition to France.’ He shuffled round and tapped his dividers on the Austrian capital. ‘It will not be sufficient to occupy Vienna. We cannot dictate terms until we have destroyed their army.’

Berthier nodded. ‘Indeed. But the loss of Vienna would still be a heavy blow to them, sire.’

Napoleon shook his head. ‘It is only a city, Berthier. Bricks and mortar. It can do us no harm. Still, in some ways it is a shame that old niceties of war have perished. It would be far more convenient if our enemies gave in once their capital cities had fallen. But this is a new age for warfare. Only the swift and the ruthless will prevail.That is why we win, Berthier.’

‘Yes, sire.’

The sound of heavy boots echoed down the corridor outside the room and both men turned towards the door as there was a sudden sharp rap.

‘Come!’ Napoleon called out as he heaved himself up and stepped carefully off the map. The door swung open and Marshal Lannes entered, his face flushed with excitement.

‘Sire, you’d better come and see this at once!’

‘See what?’

‘It’s the Austrians, sire.They are breaking the armistice.There are two columns advancing out of the Ulm defences.’

‘Treachery,’ Napoleon growled.‘This is what you get when you trust the word of an Austrian aristocrat. Come on, Berthier!’

Snatching up his hat, Napoleon strode from the room. With Lannes and Berthier following, he hurried outside and gestured to one of the grooms to bring their horses.The small party galloped out of the stable yard and across the open countryside towards the observation point atop a low hill overlooking Ulm and its defences. All around them drums were beating and trumpets shrilled out, calling the men of the Grand Army to take up their arms and form in their regiments ready to face the enemy. On the hill, a handful of officers was watching the enemy positions fixedly and were only aware of the Emperor’s arrival when he dismounted and snatched a telescope from a young lieutenant. He trained it in the direction of Ulm and took a breath to steady the view as he panned across the lines of defences. Sure enough, there were two vast columns advancing from the town. Away to the north a dense mass of cavalry, perhaps several thousand strong, was riding hard towards the French lines and already puffs of smoke were blossoming from the French batteries facing the Austrian lines.To the south-east of the town, a huge column of infantry was tramping out of the gates.

Lannes slapped his hands together.‘Damn fools are marching straight towards our guns.They’ll be cut to pieces.’