The same night, Napoleon wrote a quick note to Josephine and gave it to Colonel Murat to take to Paris along with the provisional terms of the armistice for the Directors to consider. Then he sat down to compose the following morning’s order of the day. Napoleon paused to take in the speed at which the campaign had moved. He had never felt such a sense of achievement and he was proud of his men. Yet, even now, he looked ahead. He dipped his pen into the inkwell and began to write.

Soldiers! In fifteen days you have taken twenty-one colours and fifty-five pieces of artillery, seized several fortresses and the richest lands of Piedmont. You have captured fifteen thousand prisoners and inflicted more than ten thousand casualties. The success I promised you has been fulfilled, yet this is only the beginning . . .

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

‘When will those damned Austrians turn and fight us!’ Napoleon fumed, glaring at his senior officers by the light of the lanterns inside his tent. ‘Every time we advance General Beaulieu falls back behind another tributary of the Po. We need to beat him decisively, yet all he offers us is one rearguard action after another.’

Masséna stretched his shoulders and replied, ‘Then we’ll just have to destroy them one rearguard at a time, sir.’

‘That is not remotely funny, Masséna,’ Napoleon snapped. ‘They are falling back on their lines of communication, while we are extending ours.They grow stronger all the time and our men are tired and many of our battalions are well under strength.Time is on their side. A few more fights like today’s effort and we will be ripe for an Austrian counter-attack.’