(18) Napoleon Bonaparte- Sakib

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NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

INTRODUCTION

1. Napoleon Bonaparte was the greatest military genius of the 19th century.He conquered most of Western Europe and Egypt for France, while instatingreforms in these new territories aimed at guaranteeing civil liberties andimproving the quality of life. He crowned himself emperor of France in 1804 andintroduced reforms intended to unify the revolution-fractured nation. Many ofNapoleons reforms are still in effect today. He was one of the most illuminatingfigure and greatest military commanders in this world. There was somethingmagical in the name of Napoleon which left anyone untouched.

2. Napoleon Bonaparte scaled the highest pinnacle of military fame andappropriately called-the greatest warrior of modern times. Most of Europe

crumbled before his grand Army that he led to victory in sixty different battles. Insharp contrast he, the man of miracles was ignominiously driven away in Elba,humbled at Waterloo and humiliated at St. Helena. He accomplished what hecould not achieve in the battlefield with his magnetic personality moved to disarmhis opponents with his weapon. A penetrating stare from his famous large grayeyes was known to be good enough to captivate anyone.

3. Napoleon was not only a military genius but he was a forceful statesmantoo. He spread liberalism and provoked a spirit of nationalism throughout thecountry. He was a great warrior but the immortal factor his geniuses was flashedout as a ruler and lawmaker.

AIM

4. The aim of this paper is to formulate a concise idea on military life ofNAPOLEON BONAPARTE as a great captain.

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SCOPE

5. Napoleons life is going to be unfolded in following sequence:

a. Education and Early Career.

b. Military Career.

c. Famous Campaigns Led by Napoleon.

d. Tactics and Strategy Applied by Napoleon.

e. His Leadership Qualities.

f. Lessons Learnt.

EDUCATION AND EARLY CAREER

6. Napoleon was born of August 15, 1769, in Ajaccio, Corsic, and was giventhe name Napoleon (in French his name became Napoleon Bonaparte). He wasthe second of eight children of Carlo (Charles) Buonaparts and Letizia RamolinoBuonaparte, both of the Corsican-Italian gentry. Napoleon at the age of ten wassent to France for his education. Corsica declared independence, andBonaparte, a France patriot and a Republican, fled to France with his family. Hewas at the expense of King Louis XVI, at Brienne and the Ecole Militaire, in Paris.Napoleon graduated in 1785, at the 16, and joined the artillery as a second

lieutenant.

MILITARY CAREER

7. On 15 may 1779, at the age of 10 Napoleon entered the military academyat Breinne, France where at the King expense the children of the noble familieswere prepared. His first few months there were a nightmare with the otherchildren teasing him for his strange name, his foreign accent and his small size.Napoleon coped by concentrating on his studies. In 1784, he won a place at theprestigious Ecole Malitaire in Paris. A year later he was commissioned as a

Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Artillery. He became 42nd out of 58 students.He was garrisoned at Valence. He spent the next 6 years as a struggling soldierin an isolated outpost. Napoleons regiment was stationed in Auxonne when theFrench Revolution broke out.

8. In April 1792 he was elected Lieutenant Colonel in second of the voluntarytroops of the island. The degree among the volunteers allowed him to keep theregular military degree of Lieutenant. Meanwhile at Valence it was called a check

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FAMOUS CAMPAIGNS LED BY NAPOLEON

Success of Napoleon

12. Napoleon had striking mil campaigns. Initial stage of his career full of glory

and success. Striking success in details and only salient aspects of his othervictories which will give a clear picture of his battle worthiness are described inshort.

13. Battle of Toulon (7 September to 19 December 1793). French Revolutionnot only had to face external enemies, but also those within the dived France. On28 August 1793, the city turned itself over to the Bourbons and a British, Spanishand pro-Bourbon military force, together with naval support, occupied it, Parisreacted quick and laid siege to the city on 7 September, with several attempts torecapture it failing through poor leadership by Jean Carteaux and FrancoisDoppet. Their poor performances gave opportunity to Napoleon scheming with

political allies to replace them with General Jacques Dugommier. The newcommander then agreed to put forward plans by Bonaparte to storm a key fortthat would allow French artillery to bombard the British fleet anchored in theharbor. The attack occurred on 17 December, in which Bonaparte was woundedby a bayonet in the leg, and less than a day later the British fleet, under AdmiralLord Hood, sailed away. On the 19th revolutionary troops reoccupied Toulonearning Bonaparte promotion to general of brigade.

14. Battle of Arcola. A three-day battle (15-17 November, 1796) famous forNapoleon Bonaparte grabbing a flag and personally leading an assault acrossthe Arcola bridge. The span was the center of fighting as the French desperately

tried to force the Austrians backwards. On the final day, the French generalMassena and Augereau forced their way across the river and the defenders,fearful of being trapped, quickly retreated.

15. Battle of Pyraid. Trudging towards Cairo, Napoleon Bonaparte and 25,000men faced two forces of Manelukes under Murad and Ibrahim Bey. The nativeforces were split by the Nile, with Murad entrenched in a village Embabeh andIbrahim in the open. Murad had the better force- including 40 cannon and 6000crack Mameluke horsemen-and Bonaparte was forced on to the defensive by thethreat from the riders. The French formed themselves into squares by 30 gunsand determinedly beat off sustained attacks by Mamelukes. The Egyptian

defenders in the village were isolated and a brutal assault in them being routed.More than 5000 of the Mameluke force were killed or wounded, whileBonapartes Army of the Orient lost 300 men. The pyramids won Lower Egypt forFrance, but Admiral Horatio Nelsons victory on the Nile squashed Bonaparteshopes for a conquest.

16. Battle of Marengo. Battle of Marengo was a victory by NapoleonBonaparte over an Austrian army in the War of the First Coalition (1792-1801). In

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the spring of 1800, Bonaparte, first consul of the French Republic, led anoffensive against the Austrian, who were occupying northern Italy. On June 14the Austrian general Michael Von Melas, with an army of 30,000 men and 14guns, was forced to retreat. Melas failed to press his advantage, and the French,after receiving reinforcements, counterattacked and won the day. It was the first

of a series of French victories that led to the end of the war the following year.

17. Battle of Austerlitz. Battle of Austerlitz, one of the greatest militaryengagements won by Napoleon. It took place near the village of Austerlitz (nowSlavkov, Czech Republic) on 02 December 1805, between a French army ofabout 68,000 and a Austro-Russian army of nearly 90,000. It is sometimes calledthe Battle of the Three Emperors because Napoleon, Francix I of Austria, andAlexander I of Russia were all present on the field. Napoleon foresees could jointhe anti-French coalition and tip the scales against him. Napoleon foresees thatRussian commander, Prince Mikhail Ilarionovich Kutuzov, would try to outflankhim and off his line of retreat to Vienna. On December 2, the Russian advance to

attack Napoleons right flank, as he had hoped they would. This attack andanother by the Austrians on the left flank were both turned back. At that point,Napoleon sent his main force, under Marshal Nicolas Soult, against the alliedcenter, which had been weakened to cary out the flanking movements. After afierce struggle, the French broke the Austrian and Russian lines and a completeroute ensued. The French lost 9000 men, the allies about 25,000.

18. Battle of Jena. Battle of Jena (October 14, 1806), victory of Napoleon Iover Prussia in the War of the Fourth Coalition. Moving Saxony (Sachsen) tomeet the main Prussia army under Charles William Ferdinand, duck ofBrunswick, Napoleon defeated a smaller Prussia force near, Willam Ferdinand,

duck of Bruncwick, Napoleon defeated a smaller Prussia force near Weimar,Gremany, on 12 October. Napoleon made contact with the Prussian left wing of50,000 men under Prince Friedrich of Hohenlohe near Jena. He attacked themwith a force of 54,000 and drove them from the field. On the same day, FrenchMarshal Louis Nicolas Davout with 27,000 troops defeated another 50,000Prussians under Brunswick at Auerstadt, 21 km (13 mi) to the north. Brunswickby the two Prussian retreat turned into a rout, Prussias resistance was broken bythe two defeats, and by November the French army had entered Berlin.

19. Battle of Borodino. Battle of Borodine fought on 07 September 1812,between a French army under Napoleon and a Russian army under MarshalMikhail Itarionovick Kutuzov. It took place in and around the village of Borodino,about 110 km (about 70 mi ) southwest of Moscow. To half Napoleons advanceon Moscow, about 125,000 Russian built earthworks along the highway atBorodino. The French army, about 130,000 men, reached the position on 06September and began an assault early the next day. After maneuvering theenemy commander into massing his strength in the center, Napoleon ordered afierce bombardment and then a cavalry attack that broke through the lines. TheRussian retired, and the French occupied Moscow within further resistance.

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Russian casualties in the battle, generally regarded as the costliest of the 19 th

century, were about 42,000 men. Napoleon lost about 32,000 men. The battle isdescribed in Leo Tolstoys novel War and Peace (1869).

20. Battle of Dresden. Battle of Dresdens major engagement of the

Napoleonic Wars in which the French forces defeated the allied Armies ofAustria, Prussia, and Russia at Dresden, Saxony (Sachsen)( now in Germany),in August 1813.

21. Battle of Friedland. Battle of Friedland, (June 14, 1807), victory ofNapoleon over the Russian in the War of the Third Coalition. On June 13,Napoleon, intending to capture Konigsbery (now Kaliningrad, Russia), sentMarshal Jean Lannes with 12,000 men to occupy the village Friedland(Pravdinsk) southeast of the city. There Lannes met to Russian force of 46,000under General L.L von Bennigsen, which he held off unite reinforced byNapoleon on the afternoon of 14 June. The French then attacked with 65,000

men, breaking the Russian lines. Nearly 20,000 Russians were cut down byartillery fire in the village, and thousands more drowned trying to escape acrossthe All (Lava) River. Napoleon then occupied Konigsberg, and Alexander I ofRussia made people at Tilsit in July.

22. Capture of Italy. Italy was one of the colonies of French. But it wasempowered by Austrians. In 1796, Bonaparte was made commander of theFrench army in Italy. His msn was to defeat Austrians and thereafter surroundthem from the border. He achieved a spectacular series of victories.

a. Forces Involved . The Austrian army was composed of Sardian and

Austrian. They had superior forces than that of Napoleon. Napoleon hadonly 24 mountain guns, a handful of horses and ragged half starvingforces. Napoleon defeated four Austrian generals in succession.

b. Description of the Battle . Napoleon followed the guerilla techniques.He divided the enemy into two groups. He motivated the Italian that theywill be liberated. He contacted the Austrian army on the western side ofAlps. After fighting for 13 days from April 1796 to 25 April 1796, thecombined force was defeated. By this time being a small neighboringcountry the King Sardinia came to a treat with napoleon and denied to joinAustrian force. He also handed over portion of Sardinia like Savoy, Nice.

After the initial success Napoleon started for Lambordy. After capturing heresumed his advance towards Mantua which was the strongest position ofAustrians in Italy. Austrian army was determined to keep Mantua undertheir control. Napoleon faced four major oppositions before capturingMantua. However, in Jan 1797 the Austrian army surrendered toNapoleon. After the continuous success the population also surrenderedwith all his states. Taking all these captured states Napoleon made a newstate named Cisalpine (Italian) Republic ( later known as the kingdom of

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Italy) and strengthened his position in France by sending millions ofFrancs of worth of treasure to the government.

Defeat of Napoleon

23. Napoleon was a man of extraordinary qualities and at the same timesuffered for extraordinary failings. Some of the battles where Napoleon wasdefeated are:

a. Battle of Leipzig. Battle of Leipzig, called the Battle of the Nations,decisive engagement between the French armies of Napoleon and thoseof Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Sweden, fought on 16-19 October 1813,at Leipzig, Germany, Threatened by the Allies with the loss of a vitalcommunications line through the city, Napoleon fought a standoff battle on16 October but the following day the Allies, vastly superior in strength,closed in with reinforcement. They began their assault on 18 October and

early the next day, after some nine hours of fighting, Napoleon ordered aretreat over the weisse Elster River. In the confusion, the bridge acrossthe river was blown up before the retreat was complete, leaving some30,000 French troops to be taken prisoner in the city. Casualties on bothsides were estimated between 90,000 and 120,000. The battle of Leipzigeffectively eliminated Napoleons power easy of the confederation of theRhine.

b. Battle of Waterloo. Waterloo, Battle of, final and decisive action of theNapoleonic wars, that effectively ended French domination of theEuropean continent and brought about drastic changes in the political

boundaries and the power balance of Europe. Fought June 18,1815, nearWaterloo, in what is now Belgium, the battle ranks as a great turning pointin modern history.

(1) Backgrd of the Battle. Napoleon met defeat in 1814 by acoalition of major powers, notably Prussia, Russia, Britain, andAustria. Napoleon was then deposed and exiled to the island of Elba.and Louis XVIII was made ruler of France. In September 1814, theCongress of Vienna, with delegates from most of the nations ofEurope, convened to discuss problems arising from the defeat ofFrance. On February 26, 1815, however, while the congress was in

session, Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to France. Theremany veterans of his former campaigns flocked to his standard, andon March 20, 1815, he again ascended the throne. The Congress ofVienna, alarmed by Napoleons return to power, had reacted quicklyto the crisis. On March 17 Austria, Great Britain, Prussia and Russiaeach agreed to contribute 150,000 troops to an invasion force to beassembled in Belgium near the French border. A majority of other

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nations present at the congress also pledged troops for the invasionof France, which was to be launched on July 1, 1815.

(2) Battle Itself.

(a) In Paris, Napoleon, learning of the invasion plan,quickly determined to attack the allies on their own groundbefore their army could take shape. With characteristicenergy and decisiveness, he mobilized within two months anarmy of 360,000 trained soldiers. He deployed half of thesetroops within France as a security force and grounded theremainder into attack units. On June 14, 1815, Napoleon,moving with the utmost speed and secrecy, reached theFrance-Belgian border with 124,000 of his troops. Another56,000 men were left behind in secondary or supportingpositions.

(b) Napoleons grand strategy for the coming campaignwas typically audacious. Facing beyond the Belgian borderwere two separate allied Armies. The larger army, a force of116,000 Prussians and Saxons, led by the Prussian fieldmarshal Gerhard Leberecht von Bliicher, was based atNamur. Advance elements of Bluchers army were stationedas far west as the towns of Gilly and Charleroi. A force of93,000 British, Duch, and German troop was based atBrussles, with an outpost in the village of Quarter-Bras. Theleader of this army, the British general Arthur Wellesley, 1 st

duke of Wellingtion, was also commander in chief of theallied forces. Napoleon planned to attack both Armies withthe aim of splitting and destroying them. He intended themto deal with Russian and Austrian armies approachingFrance from the east. To carry out this plan he divided hisforces into two attacking wings and a strategic reserve,which consisted of trusted veterans known as the OldGuard.

(3) Ultimate Defeat

(a) The battle began at 11.30 am with a feint byNapoleon at Wellingtons right. This manoeuver, whichproved unsuccessful, was followed by an 80-gun Frenchbombardment designed to weaken the allied center. At about1 pm Napoleon saw advance elements of Bluchers armyapproaching from the east. Once again the emperordispatched a message to Grouchy, apprising him of the

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situation and ordering him to overtake and engage thePrussians.Fierce cavalry and infantry engagements werebeing fought meanwhile along the ridge, south of Mont-Saint-Jean, that sheltered Wellingtons main force. In eachinstance the French attacks were savagely repulsed. At 4

pm Bluchers advance troops, who had been awaiting anopportune moment, entered the battle and forced the Frenchto fall back about 0.8 km (about 0.5 mi). A counterattackrestored the French lines and pushed the Prussians back 1.6km (1 mi) to the northeast. Shortly after 6 pm Ney drovedeep into the Anglo-Dutch center and seriously endangeredWellingtions entire line. Wellington rallied however, and Neywas driven back. Napoleon then mounted a desperategeneral offensive, during which he committed all but fivebattalions of his Old Guard to an assault on the allied center.Allied infantrymen, formed into hollow squares, inflicted

severe losses on the French, crushing the offensive.Although Napoleon regrouped his shattered forces andattacked again, the French situation became increasinglyhopeless. At about 8 pm the Prussians, who had taken uppositions on the wing, through left of Wellingtons line, drovethrough the positions on the extreme left of Wellingtons line,drove through the French right wing, throwing most ofNapoleons troops into panic. Only valiant rearguard actionsfought by a few Old Guard battalions enabled the emperor toescape. As Napoleons routed army fled along the Charleroiroad, Wellington and Blucher conferred and agreed that of

June 18 the Prussians drove the French from sevensuccessive bivouacs and finally forced them back across theSambre River.

(b) Casualities. The Battle of Waterloo was one of thebloodiest in modern history During the fighting of June 18,French casualties totaled about 40,000, British and Dutchabout 15,000, and Prussian about 7000: at one point about45,000 men lay dead or wounded within an area of 8 sq km(3 sq mi). Additional thousands of casualties were sufferedby both side during the three-day campaign that precededthe final battle.

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TACTICS AND STRATEGY APPLIED BY NAPOLEON

24. Eisenhower once described his military strategy as When enemy holds a

hill with one battalion, give me two battalions and I will take it, but with heavycasualties, give me a division and I will take it without fight. But when onedivision and even the required two battalions are not available, the situation willbe termed as crisis. Not great all time war hero Napoleon as crisis manager.

25. Once a rider approaches the commander in-chief of French Army andshouts My lord, they are thirty thousand, all are prepared, their swords areglittering and faces are shining. The French army is only of 8,000 person notcomfortably equipped. Analyzing, the ratio French soldiers ditched deep into thefever of distress and defection. Napoleon deployed his meager artillery resourcein an unorthodox manner. The offending force got upper hand initially, but due to

the effective employment of the assemble of his force got upset. The momentFrench artillery pounded on the enemy, the legs blew, horses trembled, swordsfelled, blood oozed and finally cries lost the pitch.

26. Napoleon displayed another unique example of crisis management, whenhe was on the verge of capturing Austria. Napoleon prepared to cross the riverPaw. Everybody was stunt to see the width of the river and every body thoughtthat it would take minimum two months to take the French army across the river.But Napoleon did not think alike. He suddenly, by night turned down the river ,and with amazing celerity made, a march of eighty miles in thirty-six hours,seizing every boat upon the stream as he passed along. He had timed the march

of the several division of his army so precisely that all of his forces met at theappointed rendezvous within a few hours of each other. Rapidly crossing theriver in boats, he found himself and his army, without the loss of a single man, inthe plains of Lombardy.

27. In the same operation he faced another challenge. It was the month ofMay 1796. French army came near the city of Lodi. In between them and the citythere was the river Adda which had very strong current and was two hundredyards in width and there was a wooden bridge over it which was 30 feet wide.Austrians, sixteen thousand strong, twelve thousand infantry and four thousandcavalry, and thirty pieces of heavy artillery, were posted on the opposite bank to

guard the bridge with their batteries so arranged as to command the whole lengthof the bridge by a raking fire. Napoleon immediately placed as many guns aspossible in opposition to the Austrian batteries. But higher headquarters did notgive their consent and thought it will be impossible and stated Napoleon to be amad. Regardless of the disapproval of his generals, he assembled six thousandtroops. Secretly dispatching a large body of cavalry to cross the river at a verydifficult ford, about three miles above the town, which the Austrians hadneglected to protect. He ordered them to come down the river and make the

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most desperate charge upon the rear of the enemy. At the same time, he formedhis troops into a line, under the shelter of one of the streets nearest the point ofattack. The moment Napoleon perceived that the cavalry had affected thepassage of the river he ordered his battery to fire. At the same time troopsrushed, towards the bridge. Napoleon placed himself at the head of the troops

and shouted, Follow your general! They rushed with their bayonets upon theAustrian gunners. At the same moment, the French cavalry came dashing uponthe batteries from the rear and the bridge was captured. Thus Napoleon againproved his worth as a unique general.

28. Another crisis management of Napoleon is reflected in the capture ofMantua. Mantua was a vital point of military operations. It was a strong citysurrounded by 13,000 Austrian troops. Four times the army was sent to relive thecity four times they were repulsed. Napoleon swept into the camp, and orderedimmediately the troops to be collected in a circle around him. He exclaimed,Soldiers, I am displeased with you! You have evinced neither discipline nor

valor. You have allowed yourselves to be driven from positions where a handfulof resolute of resolute men might have arrested an Army. You are no longerFrench soldiers! The influence of these words upon those impassioned men,proud of their renown arid proud of their leader was almost inconceivable. Theycrowded around the general, exclaiming, We have been misrepresented. Theenemy were three to our one, try us once more, place us in the post of dangerand see if we do not belong to the army of France. In the next battle contendingagainst fearful odd, they swept Austrians to the tide of victory.

29. Another remarkable exploitation of his command was displayed in Syriancampaign. This campaign was suffering from thirst, hunger and plague. The

plague was a new form of danger and created a fearful panic. The soldiersrefused to approach their sick comrades and the physicians abandoned thesufferers to die unaided. Napoleon immediately entered the hospitals sat downby the sick soldiers, took their hands in his own and spoke to them words ofencouragement and hope. The dying soldiers looked upon their heroic andsympathizing leader with eyes full of gratitude and blessed him. Thus they6gained new strength too throw off their dreadful disease. The soldiers animatedby the example of their chief, no longer refused to administer to the wants of theirsuffering comrades and thus the progress of the plague in the army wasmaterially arrested.

30. One day his forces were put into a rapid withdrawal due to heavycausalities. Defeat was imminent. He went to forward defended localities and onhis way he found one of his artillery battery in panic and was withdrawing. Hewent back and just after one km placed a board, written BATTERY OF BRAVEPEOPLE. Gentlemen the withdrawing battery on seeing the board stopped,turned back, fought gallantry and changed the defeat into victory.

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HIS LEADERSHIP QUALITIES

31. Men must be led by Iron Hand in a Velvet Glove-in this saying of

Napoleon the spirit of his dictatorship and diplomacy is crystallized. Hepossessed above all, the art of inspiring the confidence, the admiration, theburning love of his men. He possessed a magnetic personality. The faculty ofinspiring confidence of his men added to mastery of strategy and tactics placedNapoleon in the forefront of the worlds Great Captains. His great leadershipattributes are many and some of which really spellbound us are described brieflyin this presentation.

32. Greatest Military Leader. Napoleon was one of the greatest militarycommanders in history. He has also been portrayed as a power hungryconqueror. Napoleon denied being such a conqueror. He argued that he was

building a federation of free peoples in a Europe united under a liberalgovernment. But if this was his goal, he intended to achieve it by taking power inhis own hands. However, in the states he created, Napoleon grantedconstitutions, introduced law codes, abolished feudalism, created efficientgovernments and fostered education, science, literature and the arts. The veryname, Napoleon still enthralls. Ever since this towering genius conqueredEurope, he has been endlessly debated, compared and made an icon. The laterBourbons have bankrupted France, the Revolution created chaos and terror.Bonaparte made France strong, after 1805 nothing less than a coalition of theEuropean powers could beat him. The Napoleonic legend, the picture of a liberalconqueror spreading the French Revolution throughout Europe, was a potent

factor in French history and helped make Napoleon's nephew French emperor asNapoleon III. He was beyond doubt one of the greatest military leaders in historyand dominated his times so completely that European history between 1800 and1815 is commonly described as the Napoleonic era. Gustave Flaubert quoted

"Napoleon is like the pyramids, he stands alone in a desert and jackalspiss at his feet and writers climb up on him."

33. Admired Legend. Napoleon's legacy is the modernizing of Paris, theofficial promotion of religious tolerance, the current French legal and educationalsystems, and the European Union, to name but a few Napoleonic initiatives. AfterNapoleon there was no turning back: feudalism was dead, society was

Secularized, the modern nation state replaced the dynastic state, and theBourgeoisie became the new class of privilege and status. Napoleon was a realman as well as a legend. He said, A true man hates no one. Even in countriessuch as Germany, Austria, Russia and Britain, which frequently were hisadversaries, Napoleon has remained an admired figure, if sometimes grudgingly.It was Napoleon himself who helped to create this legend, and of course, thelegend lives on. The events of his life fired the imaginations of great writers

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(some 250,000 volumes in all since Napoleon's mysterious death in 1821!) andfilm makers, whose works have done much to create the Napoleonic legend.

34. Self Made Personality. Napoleon was an extraordinary but a self-made man. Napoleon, like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, before him

were men of tremendous ambition. But he also promoted ambition and meritamong his soldiers and officers. Napoleon institutionalized the practice ofrewarding an individual on the sole basis of his merit instead of his social origin.This was a policy inspired by the Revolution and solidified in the Marshallateandthe Legion of Honor. His meteoric rise shocked not only France but all ofEurope. Napoleon scared the living daylights out of the European rulers. All theEmperors, Kings and Princes were shaken, their Armies and best Generals weredefeated, their countries were conquered, their capitols were captured. Withinfew years he ruled France and half of the European Continent as no other man inhistory. Bonaparte can be accused of failing to create a long lasting peace, butthe study of his enemies and their policies prove there were other guilty parties

England, Russia, Prussia and Austria. He said,

"Russia has Suvorov, England has Nelson and Prussia has Frederick theGreat. And the World has Napoleon."

35. Tactfulness. Bonaparte was not only a General, he was also a shrewdPropagandist. During his campaigns he carefully crafted reports from thebattlefields. He also brilliantly created a mythical image of himself as an infalliblehero, destined by God to rule over France. Napoleon was a very popular andliked person and politician. The result of the plebiscite electing Bonaparte Consulfor life (by 3.568.883 yes and 8.474 nays) was loudly celebrated by Parisians.

But the aristocratic Europe kept an anxious eye on the new and very strongFrance. The privileged classes rallied round the kings and emperors who felttheir thrones menaced. England had no army but plenty of money, Russia had ahuge army and no money. Both hated Napoleon and the powerful, in good orderand well governed France. Napoleon wrote: "We need a European code, aEuropean court of appeals, a universal currency, a uniform system of weightsand measures, a code of laws. I must forge the peoples of Europe into onepeople." But the kings and Emperors of Europe were quick to see the danger totheir thrones.

36. Ruler. Napoleon was not only a great leader and fighter but also an expertruler of men. He was very cautious and vigilant about basic need of his peoplewhich is reflected by his entire crown ship duration. He has:

a. Improved educational system.

b. Improved administration.

c. Granted freedom of worship for all denominations.

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d. Encouraged industrialization.

e. Encouraged and sponsored the sciences and arts.

f. Brought the smallpox vaccination to the continent.

g. Encouraged the use of gas lighting.

h. Serfdom was abolished even in countries allied with Napoleon, likeDuchy of Warsaw.

j. Opened careers to talented people, not caring if they were peasantor noble.

k. Instituted the metric system, which has had a profound influence on

the world.

l. In the countries he conquered or the states he created, Napoleongranted constitutions, introduced law codes, abolished feudalism, createdefficient governments and fostered education, science, literature and thearts.

37. Indomitability. The main thing about Napoleon,is that he thought big.He was outthinking his opponent sat any given level.

38. Civil Administrator. Emperor Napoleon proved to be an excellent civil

administrator. One of his greatest achievements was his supervision of therevision and collection of French law into codes. The new law codesseven innumberincorporated some of the freedoms gained by the people of Franceduring the French revolution, including religious toleration and the abolition ofserfdom. The most famous of the codes, the Code Napoleon or Code Civil, stillforms the basis of French civil law. Napoleon also centralized France'sgovernment by appointing prefects to administer regions called departments, intowhich France was divided.

39. Consolidatorness. Napoleon is generally credited with havingconsolidated the gains ofthe Revolution ("With the exception of fathering the CivilCode, Napoleon perhaps gloried more in his reputation as consolidator of theRevolution than in any other one title," Robert B. Holtman observed). In thissense he can be credited with having 'saved' the Revolution bending it. Had theBourbons come back to power in 1799 instead of Napoleon, they would at thattime had less trouble "turning back the clock" to the ancient regime than they hadin 1814. As Francois Furet has put it, "Revolutionary France was indeed underthe spell of the new sovereign, who was its son and had saved it from the dangerof a restoration...France had finally found the republican monarchy toward which

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it had been groping since 1789." The Code Napoleon, one of the Emperor'smost enduring achievements, embodied many of the principles of the Revolutionand made them permanent.

40. Sense of Unity Napoleon wrote, "I am seeking nothing less than a

social revolution." Feudalism was suppressed and careers were open to allthose with ability regardless of birth ("Wherever I found talent and courage Irewarded it." Napoleon,1816) Napoleon became the personification of therevolutionary aims of the bourgeoisie. He reformed and modernized Frenchinstitutions (historian Jacues Godechot has said that with Napoleon the medievalera ended and modern history began). He brought much longed for order andstability to France and forged a sense of unity. He attempted to unite under hiswing both the revolutionaries and the emigres --nobles, clergy and others whochose or were forced to live in exile under the Revolution ("I became the arch ofthe alliance between the old and the new, the natural mediator between the oldand the new orders...I belonged to them both." Napoleon. 1816). The sales of

the lands taken from the nobles who had emigrated or been declared enemies ofthe state, from the Church, or from the Crown (the "biens nationaux") --animportant benefit for the middle classes and the peasants of the Revolutionwere recognized not only in Napoleon's coronation oath, but also in the signing ofthe Concordat with the Pope.

41. Greatness. Napoleon said The herd seek out the great, not for theirsake but for their influence; and the great welcome them out of vanity or need.Another remarkable exploitation of his command was displayed in Syriancampaign. This campaign was suffering from thirst, hunger and plague. Theplague was a new form of danger and created a fearful panic. The soldiers

refused to approach their sick comrades and the physicians abandoned thesufferers to die unaided. Napoleon immediately entered the hospitals sat downby the sick soldiers, took their hands in his own and spoke to them words ofencouragement and hope. The dying soldiers looked upon their heroic andsympathizing leader with eyes full of gratitude and blessed him. Thus they gainednew strength too throw off their dreadful disease. The soldiers animated by theexample of their chief, no longer refused to administer to the wants of theirsuffering comrades and thus the progress of the plague in the army wasmaterially arrested.42. Bearing. Napoleon was short (5' 2"), but had a very good physic. Hishead was big and skull largely developed. His neck was short and his shoulderwas broad. His eyes flashed fire but all these never brought disorder in his mind.With his unique bearing he effectively and efficient commanded the large andelite army of the then France.

43. Moral Ascendancy. The most extra-ordinary example of Napoleons moralascendancy was on the return from Elba in 1815. As it was said Napoleon hadonly 1000 troops while he was returning from Elba where he put into exile first

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time. A big Army of about 30,000 troops was sent to stop him enroute and kill himnot to allow him to get into France and get back the emperorship. Finding noother way Napoleon stopped his advance and went in front of the opponentalone and shouted, Here is your Emperor. Kill, if you wish. The French Armyheard the voice and saw him standing in front of them braviously. They forgot the

command of their officers to fire at Napoleon.

44. Courage. He was a born courageous soldier. He, within his 30 years ofmilitary life fourth around 40 battles maximum time with numerically superiorforces. In those days numerical days superiority matters more than that ofarsenals He said:

Death is nothing,. But to live vanquished and without glory is to die everyday.

At the beginning of a campaign through should be expended as to

whether an advance should be made or not, but once when the offensive hasbeen assumed it should be made maintained to the last extremity.

45. Power of Inspiration. A record of victory and professional skill is thefirst requisite of a commander in gaining the confidence of his soldiers.Napoleons constant reviews and his presence in the forward areas of battle fieldenable him to establish an extraordinary degree of personal contact. Particularlywith the Elite Guard, Bonaparte inspires his people:

Soldiers in 15 days you have won six victories, captures 21 colours, 55guns, several fortresses, and conquered the richest part of Piedmont; you have

taken 15,000 prisoners, killed or wounded more than 10,000 men.

46. Endurance. He had tremendous energy, a powerful and disciplinedmemory. He had mental as well as physical endurance. After a days longrelentless work he used to sleep for a short period and get into work with fullenthusiasm. It is said that, in the battle field he used to get himself refreshed afteronly a 15 minutes and sleep at the horse back without considering for personalcomfort and luxuries.

47. Foresightness. Napoleon from the very beginning of his militarycarrier had this quality. Probably he developed this by his continuous habit ofstudy through extraordinary power of concentration, Concentration of mind inthinking and deciding the course of battle. In 1793 in his first with English at theseize of Toulon. Napoleon sited the example of foresightness, He in advancevisualized that delay in launching the operation will take the victory. Because dayby day English, Italian and Spanish army started concentrating their forces inToulon. So Napoleon did not dely and quick and lunched the operation, whichdrive out all the aggressors from Toulon.

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48. Decisiveness. He had the ability to make quick decision, wheneverrequired and announced them, concisely and clearly. On 11 March 1796 justafter two days of his marriage Napoleon had to move out for war with Italy. Hewas instructed to cross the invincible mountain Alps and destroy Pidmond andItalian forces there. While in advance Napoleon came to know that various entry

routes through the valleys of Alps Mountain were strongly guarded by Austrians,overrun of which was not possible. Napoleon promptly decided to follow anotherroute, which was not through of by the enemy following the seashore. In fact, thevast knowledge on geography, which Napoleon possessed, helped him inmaking this sort of decisions which may at time decided the course of battle.

49. Knowledge on Tactics. In 1805 in the Sea war of Trafalgue, Englandwon over France which threw a crashing blow over Napoleonic force. Napoleonstarted searching the ways and means to take the revenge on England. But asthe England was superior in naval power therefore in became difficult for a directsea conflict. Napoleon found out an indirect way of bringing England in control.

On 21 November 1806 he declared that no ship any allied countries of France togo in the area of British colony. This declaration was known Berlin Decreewhich aimed at isolating England in business word and ultimately surrounded tothe will of Napoleon. His minister of marine Vice Admiral Decres said:

I want a memorandum on how we can inflict greatest damage on Britishcommerce in the event of a naval war now.

Through in reality Berlin Decree did not bring much effective result but it surelyspeaks of tactics that Napoleon applied to handle a overwhelming superiorenemy. Gentleman you can this tactics of Napoleon with the Economic Embargo

which was imposed on imposed on Iraq by the allied forces in the Gulf war.

50. Combative Instinct. Here again he was an ideal leader. Here lies thesecret of his power over soldiery. He believed that man will do thing and goeverywhere for a fighting general provided he cares for their interest and touchestheir imagination. He used to lead and handle his troop with bold and tough handbut used to care their welfare too, he once said Lead your men with iron handwith velvet globes. Napoleon in all his operations maintained offensive posture.He believed in fighting till end. He also tried to inject this offensive sprite in allspheres of his command. He once said to his generals If you experiencereverses, away remember these thing. Union of your force activity and a firmresolve to die with glory. These were the great principles of Napoleonic militaryart, which favored his fortune in almost all the operations.

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LESSONS LEARNT

51. Napoleon was a man of extra ordinary qualities and genius in militarythinking. He achieved number of victories during initial stage of his career thoughthere were some significant defeat. However as young leader of Army we have

all the scope to learn maximum from his success and also from his failures. Thelessons learnt are:

a. Tactical manoeuvre. Rapid movement is an importantelement of achieving surprise over opponents which Napoleon provedthroughout his mil career.

b. Economy of Forces.Skilful and prudent use of combat powerenables a commander to accomplish the mission with minimum number ofresource.

c. Surprise. Surprise can decisively shift the balance of combatpower. By surprise, success out of proportion to the effort may beobtained.

d. Offensive Action. Offensive action is necessary to achieve deceiveresult and to maintain freedom of action. Napoleon always his aim throughbold offensive action.

e. Security. Security is essential to conceal own strength andintentions from enemy. Napoleon always managed to keep his adversaryhis total absence regard to composition of his formations and direction of

attack.

f. Maintenance of Morale. Morale is that weapon which enable thecommander to lead the soldiers at the time of crisis. One of the maxims ofNapoleon was, in war the moral to physical is like three to one.

g. Considerable Importance to Enemy . No one should underestimate hisenemy. Napoleon underestimated his enemies, perhaps because ofhis early one-side successive victories.

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CONCLUSION

52. Napoleon was a rare historical phenomenon, the study of which mayrequire ones lifetime effort. We have just had a view of only few facts of his

many-sided geniuses. He has many things to teach us even today. Over oneand a half-century have elapsed; the implements of war have changed and alsohave changed the face of Europe. The balance of war is no more the same as itwas then. The bases of power also have shifted elsewhere. But still the strategyand tactics of Napoleon has influence in modern war. Great thought are thedifference of time and place there can however be parallel between the problemsNapoleon faced and we live with. Many of us have powerful adversaries asNapoleon faced in the grand alliances scraped against him. He had to defend hiscounties for more than twenty years with inferior force. Napoleons conquests,which had briefly given France dominion over most of Europe, had exhaustedFrance. But the political and other changes that Napoleon had instituted did not

vanish after Waterloo. The consolidation of German states remained, and thesense of German Nationalism he had stimulated flourished anew a few decadeslater. Likewise, the nationalism his conquests had generated in Italy helped leadto that countries later unification. And while mil technique soon changed,Napoleons tactics and strategy and innovations continued to affect warfare inmany ways. Napoleons military genius immediately earned him a permanentplace among the great commanders of the history. It is unfortunate that thestormy splendor of Napoleons campaigns has caused both admirers anddetractors to regard him as a great soldier -a dark angel of destruction. Hisgreatest and most enduring achievements were, as he himself admitted, hisconstructive and administrative work as ruler and lawgiver. The code Napoleon

is a more impressive monument than any triumphal arch or statue of victory, andit may be more enduring. So study of Napoleons life and his tactics is a milestone for us to be a successful military leader.

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GREAT CAPTAIN PRESENTATIONON

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

PRESENTED BY

CAPTAIN SAKIB

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(18) Napoleon Bonaparte- Sakib