Chapter 417: Chapter 411: The Resurrected Guard Army
When the dragoons riding on uniform chestnut horses conveyed the orders to the commanders of each formation and gradually returned to the viewing platform, the loud bugle calls echoed through the formations filled with infantry and cavalry.
As the bugle sounded through the parade formations, the artillery positioned on the open field 500 meters away from the parade ceremony began to take action. The wooden boxes filled with smoke shells were pried open, revealing smooth, round, black shells. The artillerymen responsible for loading the ammunition carefully lifted the smoke shells with both hands and gently placed them into the gun barrels already filled with gunpowder.
Once all the barrels were loaded with the specially-made shells, the commander of the artillery unit extended his forearm to form a 90-degree angle with his upper arm and shouted loudly, "Prepare!"
All the artillerymen were tense, the fuses clasped in their palms were pulled taut.
"Fire!" With the order from the artillery commander, nearly all the artillerymen pulled hard at the same time, the shells shot out from the cannon muzzles at supersonic speed like untamed wild horses, and the powerful recoil drove the supports of the cannon bases firmly into the ground.
The rumble of the cannon sounded a fraction of a second after the shells left the muzzles, and Jerome Bonaparte, far off on the parade ground, understood that the twelve-pound bronze cannons, the pinnacle of muzzle-loading cannons, had fired the smoke shells forcefully. A few seconds later, the red, blue, and white smoke representing the French flag began to rise from a distance, influenced by the air density, and the parade ceremony officially commenced amidst the salutes and bugle calls.
As the invited audience (ambassadors from various countries) speculated on the type of cannons, a squad of new French cavalry was first to appear, clad in sky-blue double-breasted uniforms (accented with silver breastplates), and wearing plume-adorned black steel helmets, with command sabers and portable pistols at their waists. They were the Imperial Guard Dragon Cavalry, the most loyal subordinates of Jerome Bonaparte.
This cavalry of the Guard, initiated during the Republic, flourished in the First Empire, and then was obliterated during the Restoration of Bourbon, was resurrected by the hands of the Second Empire’s Emperor.
The silver breastplates gleamed dazzlingly under the lazy sunlight, and each Imperial Dragon Cavalryman came to Jerome Bonaparte’s viewing stand with full enthusiasm and coordinated steps.
"Long live Napoleon, long live the Empire!"
Under the leadership of their brigadier general, the seasoned General Pellissier, the Guard Dragon Cavalry skillfully shouted the slogan they had rehearsed countless times.
Jerome Bonaparte, standing silently on the platform, upon hearing the call from the Guard Dragon Cavalry, smiled and doffed the tricorne (also known as the Grand Napoleon Hat) from his head, waving it towards these loyal warriors.
The Guard Dragon Cavalry, under Pellissier’s leadership, slowly left the viewing stand, followed closely by the Guard Grenadier unit led by Brigadier General Leboeuf.
"Long live Napoleon! Long live the Empire!"
The grenadiers, wearing tall furry military hats and carrying Minie guns on their backs, expressed their due respect to Jerome Bonaparte with the same enthusiastic demeanor.
This group of soldiers, meticulously selected to join the parade formations, was remarkably similar in height and build, from a side perspective only the lead person in each row could be seen. Even more remarkable was their stride and the height of their knee lifts, coordinated as if molded from the same template.
The majority of ambassadors standing behind the viewing platform could not help but praise the French Army’s strict discipline upon witnessing such uniform movements.
Only a few ambassadors showed disdain for the actions of the Guard Grenadier Regiment, with the Russian Envoy disdainfully referring to their conduct as a "show regiment."
At the moment, the Russian Envoy did not know that the so-called "show regiment" he mocked would later defeat several times the number of Russian Imperial Army troops in the Crimean War and would be the first to capture the Sevastopol Fortress.
As for Rifat, the ambassador of the Ottoman Empire delegation, nothing could be more exciting than what he was witnessing now.
The actions of the French Empire undoubtedly demonstrated to him what a world-class powerful army looked like. Rifat was certain that no army, throughout Russia... no, throughout Europe, could perform like this.
If every French army could be like the one before him, then the world would have no match for France.
Of course, based on the number issued by the units, this should be the French Empire’s most elite force, not all troops could be like those in front.
Even so, Rifat Pasha was optimistic about the French Empire’s army.
Regardless of the cost, a union with France must be established!
Rifat resolved firmly in his heart.
After the departure of the Guard Grenadier Regiment, the next showcase was from the Seine Province First Military District.
More than 200 soldiers of the First Brigade in the First Military District, led by Brigadier General Troche, entered for inspection.
The first regiment, stared ahead with high spirits, the spacing between each row began to expand amidst the puzzled gazes of everyone on the viewing platform, until the distance between the front and back of the formations was about 0.5 meters, then halted.
Next, the most shocking scene of the parade appeared.
"Prepare!" General Troche, standing to one side of the units, drew out his command saber and shouted.
More than 200 soldiers held the Minie guns on their shoulders and dragged them in their hands.
Could they possibly be thinking...
Standing on the platform, Jerome Bonaparte suddenly recalled that scene from a later PLA parade documentary; he remembered mentioning it briefly to Conrobel and others.
Did they really succeed?
With some doubt, Jerome Bonaparte and the bewildered envoys continued watching.
"Release!"
With Trocch’s second command, the most awe-inspiring scene unfolded.
More than 200 soldiers uniformly made the bayonet preparation move, placing the bayonet very close to the back of the person in front, meaning that if the person behind moved even slightly faster, the person in front would face the risk of death.
This required sufficient team coordination to achieve, and this handpicked unit of 200 men clearly met this standard.
Under Trocch’s command, while watching the distance to the row in front, soldiers also observed with their peripheral vision whether their distance to the person beside them was consistent.
The entire unit moved forward with compressed steps, and the envoys and generals on the platform watched in awe, never having imagined they would one day hold their breath and appreciate a parade ceremony.
Even the Russian Envoy, who originally looked down on the French Imperial Army, couldn’t help but worry for the Russian Empire at that moment. Could they truly defeat this army before their eyes?
Everyone on the platform momentarily forgot to breathe, forgot everything, until the First Brigade parade personnel completely put away their rifles and left the platform, returning the way they came.
Under the guidance of a certain general, the envoys and generals on the platform erupted in thunderous applause, and Jerome Bonaparte likewise applauded the bold behavior of the First Brigade.
It’s known that any mistake in the parade ceremony would lead from Conrobel to the regiment commander facing severe punishment, and the soldiers participating might also perish because of it.
However, having succeeded, they would not face any rebuke; instead, they would receive applause from the platform and accolades from Jerome Bonaparte.
After the First Brigade, the Second and Third Brigades dispatched three times more personnel than the First Brigade to participate in the parade. Although they had more soldiers than the First Brigade, the impact they delivered was far less, all in all relatively average.
Once all the elite units had been reviewed, the next to march were other units from the Seine Military District, whose soldiers also, under the command of their regiment commander, enthusiastically chanted "Long live the Empire!"
After each unit passed, Jerome Bonaparte always removed his hat in respect.
The entire parade ceremony lasted nearly more than two hours, and when the last reviewed artillery unit appeared, it meant that all parade events had concluded.
Every 12-pound Grand Napoleon Bronze Cannon was pulled into the parade ground by two horses, and everyone was once again astonished by the caliber of the Grand Napoleon Cannon.
However, no one felt particularly shocked, as there were indeed too many large-caliber cannons of this era, most of them cumbersome and with relatively short firing range.
In their eyes, the Grand Napoleon Cannon was at most a miniature version of the 24-pound siege cannon, with even less range than the Napoleon Cannon.
"France is just doing a lot of pointless work!" The Russian Envoy in the crowd seized another opportunity to quietly mock the French artillery unit, saying, "Such cannons with mediocre power and range applied on the battlefield would probably be laughed at."
The Swedish envoy standing beside the Russian Envoy merely smiled slightly and did not respond.
The self-deflated Russian Envoy could only curse Jerome Bonaparte in his mind while fixing his gaze on Rifat.
At this time, Rifat was still intently observing the Napoleon Cannon, afraid of missing any detail.
The hazy subconsciousness told him that a cannon showcased in such a setting must be something worthwhile.
The departure of the artillery unit marked the complete end of the parade ceremony. Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte delivered a farewell address, and the troops from the Chatori region began to take over.
Under the leadership of officials from various departments, the troops successively went to designated low-profile dining locations, where garlic sausages, cold chicken, and diluted champagne became the main meals for the soldiers.
Jerome Bonaparte and others once again dined inside the castle.