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Paper Abstract: Discusses his military career, strengths & weaknesses as military leader; his background, rise to power, loss of power. Paper Introduction: This research paper summarizes the military career of Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) and assesses his strengths and shortcomings as a military leader. Napoleon was an authentic military genius the lustre of whose accomplishments during the years (1796-1811) when his Grande Armee triumphed over all its opponents in Continental Europe was somewhat dimmed by his subsequent reverses in Russia and elsewhere during 1812-1815. Napoleon possessed in abundance the skills of a great military strategist, tactician and commander --including sound professional training, wide-ranging but acute intelligence, extraordinary memory, strength of will and purpose, courage and boldness in taking risks, boundless energy, ruthless ambition and charismatic leadership abilities. As a strategist, he planned and organized his campaigns in order to win decisive Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Napoleon, who at Marengo and other battles had seemedsingularly blessed with good luck saw Dame Fortune pass him by at Waterloo. New York: Random House, 1985.Chandler, David G. All this was, however, in vain becauseAdmiral Horatio Nelson destroyed the French fleet anchored at Abukir Bayoff Alexandria on August 1, 1798, leaving the French expeditionary forcemarooned, forcing Napoleon to call off the campaign and return to Paris. F. Final 1 Days (1815) After escaping from Elba in March 1815 and reassuming power, Napoleonassembled a respectable army and he marched into Belgium where he wasawaited by British and Prussian troops. In Italy, Napoleon developed other of his celebrated tactics, suchas striking at the nodal or weakly defended point between two opposingarmies as at the Battle of Montenotte (April 9, 1796), or holding thecenter while enveloping the enemy's most vulnerable flank(s) and strikingin his rear, as at the Battles of Dego (April 14, 1796) and Rivoli (January14, 1797). Marshall-Cornwall said "Napoleon's genius on the battlefieldwas only equalled by his brilliance as an organiser" (169). to the present. He never quite learnedto cope with British seapower. Imperial Sunset The Fall of Napoleon 1813-14. New York: Macmillan, 1966.Cowley, Robert, and Geoffrey Parker (Eds.). Dupuy and Dupuy said Napoleon "kept his forces spread outuntil the last possible moment. A Military History of the Western World. His first majorassault at Eylau in East Prussia on February 7, 18 7 resulted in a bloodyslogging match in a blinding snowstorm which was inconclusive. Napoleon drew upa sound plan which called for the separate destruction of Wellington'sforces south of Brussels at Quatre Bras and the Prussians in and aroundLigny to the east which failed to achieve decisive results, despite Frenchgains, due largely to mistakes committed by Napoleon and/or his Chief ofStaff Marshal Jean Soult in drafting orders and by Marshal Michel Ney inimplementing them. When he faced a resurgent Austria in 18 9, Napoleon was forcedto fight a war on two fronts because a sizeable portion of his army wasbogged down in the growing guerrilla war supported by the British in Spain.He, therefore, formed a mixed French and German Army which was outnumberedby the Austrians. Napoleon's strategy was to destroy the Austrian army before the slowermoving Russians could join them. By 1794 he was a confirmedJacobin and a favorite of Maximilien Robespierre. He considered himself to be invincible and the only general in the world fit to command a great army. Napoleon emerged as a national hero in late 1793 after heorganized and directed the cannonade which drove a British fleet out ofToulon harbor. The Campaigns of Napoleon. Spain (18 7-1814). The French armada landedNapoleon's force successfully at the beaches near Alexandria which itsuccessfully stormed. T. His military prowess, while stillformidable, declined as his own control over his key subordinates andoperations waned. "Moscow, Campaigns For." The Reader's Companion to Military History, Eds. New York: Harper & Row, 1977.Fuller, J. F. The Reader's Companion to Military History. Napoleon learned the special kind of logisticalsupport needed for an army to survive in the desert. Havinglearned his lesson, his next campaign was more carefully planned andresulted in a decisive defeat of the Austrians at Wagram on July 5-6, 18 9. Napoleon's forcesadapted to the exigencies of desert warfare. Napoleon allowed the Russians to seizethe high ground before the battle started and, according to Dupuy andDupuy, "unaccountably gave up personal control of the battle," perhaps dueto ill health (758). Napoleon excelled at improvisation. Ernest, and Trevor N. On October 19, 1812, Napoleon made the fateful decision toretreat down the road to Smolensk which led to catastrophe, due to thedevastating effects of winter and Russian harassing attacks on his ever-weakening forces. . In his later years (1812-1815), Napoleon fought wars which oftenexceeded French military capabilities and made decisions which reflectedhis overweening imperial ambitions. This was a remarkable achievement for a very young general, whichKarl von Clausewitz said Napoleon accomplished because he had "a better useof . Works CitedCate, Curtis. New York: Funk & Wagnalls, 1955.Marshall-Cornwall, General Sir James. During this period, Marshall-Cornwall said helearned "the latest tactical and technical developments" pertaining toartillery and acquired "an unusually comprehensive wealth of professionalknowledge" (23). By the time remnants of the original multi-national armyof 5 , straggled into their bases in Poland, only 1 , were in shapeto fight (Dupuy and Dupuy 759). Napoleon was an authentic military genius the lustre ofwhose accomplishments during the years (1796-1811) when his Grande Armeetriumphed over all its opponents in Continental Europe was somewhat dimmedby his subsequent reverses in Russia and elsewhere during 1812-1815. Napoleon's tactical leadership during thedesperate battles fought in October-December was superb, but his strategywas flawed. In late 18 5, Napoleon was opposed by the Third Coalitionof Russia, Austria and Sweden supported by Britain. On May 2, 1813, the French defeated aRussian force at the Battle of Lutzen and on May 2 the Prussians at theBattle of Bautzen near Dresden. They won a series of majorbattles against indigenous forces. tactics, a greater bravery on the field, a superior mind, and aboldness without limits" (Chandler 113). In a perfectlycoordinated turning movement, French forces then smashed both Austro-Russian flanks. With increasing difficulty, he maintained thatdominion and extended his conquests further east. This led him to despise his enemy and, . Marshall-Cornwall said Napoleon "had always been a gambler;hitherto, in playing for bold stakes, he had always won" (2 6). Thinking the Spanish rebels subdued, he returned to Paris.However, Joseph proved to be an incompetent and unpopular ruler; Napoleon'smarshals in Spain frequently quarreled; and the French were never able toprevent the Royal Navy from sustaining Wellington by sea, who together withSpanish irregular forces ultimately prevailed. Overly complexplans prevented success, and in 18 5 Nelson finally destroyed the Franco-Spanish fleet at Trafalgar, ending Napoleon's dream of conquering England. Conqueror of Central Europe (18 5-1811) Through his successful campaigns and decisive victories in CentralEurope in 18 5-18 6, Napoleon established French military and politicalhegemony over the Continent. Napoleon caught up with a jointAustro-Russian force at the Moravian village of Austerlitz. TheRussians suffered heavy casualties but were left in command of thebattlefield. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996.Delderfield, R. 319-323.Schom, Alan. At the end of along logistical chain, he reorganized the Army in late 18 6 so he couldstrike the Russians before they could fully mobilize. The Italian Campaigns (April 1796-April 1797 and May-June 18 ) In his three Italian campaigns, the French Army of Italy underNapoleon gained and maintained control over most of northern Italy bydefeating in a series of battles several much larger Austrian and alliedarmies. The other was to disrupt Britishcommunications and influence in the Near East. Napoleon as Military Commander. However, it could never overcome Britishnaval superiority in numbers or in seamanship. One was to rid themselves of an ambitiousand popular 'political' general. Napoleon assumed supreme powerin France, through the coup of Brumaire (November 9, 1799), as FirstConsul. He quickly raiseda new Army, and then planned to meet the advancing Russians on the Vistula.Ultimately, he failed to hold his position in Saxony along the Elbe and wasforced to retreat to the Rhine. British blockading forcespenned up the French Atlantic fleet in port. On October 4, 1795, Napoleon saved the Convention byfiring shells directly into a Paris crowd which stormed the Tuileries anddispersing it. Napoleon on the Defensive (1813-1814) Napoleon appeared not to have realized that the foundations of hisfar flung empire had been shaken by his defeat in Russia. Austerlitz. According to Schom, France spent about 21 percent of itsentire budget in 18 3 on the navy, port development and the buildup of aflotilla of 1 5 riverboats to be used in the assault (321). His military skills may have dulled somewhatin his last years in command due to the accumulated stresses of ruling anoverextended Empire (and the grandiosity of his imperial ambitions), but heremained a dangerous foe. When the French entered Moscow on September 14, 1812, they found thecity ablaze. The war weary French finally desertedtheir Emperor who was forced to abdicate. In one of the mostrapid land marches in military history, 2 , French troops moved 375miles from the Channel coast to the Rhine at a rate of 12 to 15 miles aday. Napoleon possessed in abundance the skills of a great militarystrategist, tactician and commander --including sound professionaltraining, wide-ranging but acute intelligence, extraordinary memory,strength of will and purpose, courage and boldness in taking risks,boundless energy, ruthless ambition and charismatic leadership abilities.As a strategist, he planned and organized his campaigns in order to windecisive victories. Napoleon never solved the problem of the SpanishUlcer, a major drain of French resources. The French also suffered very high casualties, 4 , including 48 generals (Schom 614). His undoing was fundamentally due to hisdeparture in geopolitics from the realism which marked most of hisillustrious military career. Napoleon, however,abhorred mob violence. North of Vienna, helaunched a hazardous crossing on pontoon bridges over the Danube near thevillages of Essling-Aspern, where on May 2 -23, 18 9 he suffered his firstreal defeat. Napoleon Bonaparte. At first nothing could stop theFrench juggernaut which rolled through Poland and Western Russia along theroad to Moscow during the summer of 1812. Marshall-Cornwall said "the battle of Austerlitz wasNapoleon's military masterpiece" (145). Early Background, Successes and Rise to Power The son of petty Corsican aristocrats, Napoleon attended militaryschool from ages 9 to 16 in Brienne and as an artillery cadet at the EcoleMilitaire in Paris. The War of the Two Emperors. The Encyclopedia of Military History from 35 B. After warbroke out again with England in 18 3, Napoleon made a determined effort tochallenge British naval supremacy and made plans to invade across theEnglish Channel. Conclusion Napoleon excelled at all aspects of land warfare. According to Delderfield, Napoleon's fighting retreat to the Rhine"with a shrinking, ill-equipped, half-demoralized force," was miraculous,"a remarkable achievement" (134). The insurrection against theFrench resulted from his decision to put his brother Joseph on the throne.In response to General Arthur Wellesley's (Lord Wellington) landing inPortugal in 18 8, Napoleon joined his forces in Spain and led them to aseries of victories which culminated in the recapture of Madrid on December4, 18 9. Napoleon was master of the battlefield and providedinspired leadership to France's revolutionary forces. The French lost the three day (June16-18, 1815) engagements known as the Battle of Waterloo. Then, concentrating rapidly, he would bringsuperior forces to bear at some critical point" (741). Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1996. Napoleon's Failure As A Naval Strategist France was at war with Great Britain for all but one year (18 2-18 3)during the 179 s and until 1815. While Napoleon vainly sought toinduce a decisive battle, the Russians prudently pursued a scorched earthpolicy and let the elements weaken French forces. . The Napoleonic military systemdid not work well without his close personal supervision. He served as an artillery officer for most of the nextseven years (1785-1792). 18 9. 18 7. Then atFriedland in June he trapped the Russians in a narrow bridgehead with theirbacks against a river and destroyed them with a massive barrage andconcentrated assault. This research paper summarizes the military career of NapoleonBonaparte (1769-1821) and assesses his strengths and shortcomings as amilitary leader. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.----------------------- 11 Disaster in Russia 1812 Napoleon's decision to punish Russia for her deviations from hisContinental system by invading her was unwise and undertaken against thecounsel of two of his most sage counselors, Charles-Maurice de Talleyrandand Chief of Staff Alexandre Berthier. Philadelphia: Chilton, 1968.Dupuy, R. The Russians took a standat the Battle of Borodino (September 7, 1812) 6 miles west of Moscow. Prados said he had the coupd'oeil, "the ability to appreciate a situation and make the necessarydecisions after just one glance" (322). . C. . Tsar Alexander then made peace with Napoleon atTilsit. According to Delderfield, "no onecould rise to the occasion as swiftly and dramatically as Napoleon" (145). Robert Cowley and Geoffrey Parker. Cate said "this was one of the emperor's off days"(243). He put intopractice known theories and welded together tactics and technology tocreate in the Grande Armee a fearsome blend of mobile yet concentratedfirepower and the element of surprise which frequently demoralized orcaught his enemies off balance at critical moments. In 1814 Wellington crossedthe Pyrenees and invaded southern France. Fuller said Napoleon's reluctance to recognize the strength of theforces arrayed against him at Leipzig until it was too late stemmed fromhis imperial mindset: his previous successes had rendered him more and more dictatorial. to believe that no obstacle was insurmountable (454). London: B. Napoleon early embraced the ideals of the French Revolution which heidentified with his own Corsican nationalism. In his Italian and othercampaigns, the Grande Armee became known for its quick forced marches andfor its engineering feats, such as constructing pontoon bridges under fireand using mule-drawn sleds and hollowed-out tree trunks to carry its heavyguns over the Alps. He was declared Emperor, Napoleon I, on May 18, 18 4. Dupuy. Batsword, 1967.Prados, John. In August Austriadeclared war on France which led to the Battle of Nations at Leipzig onOctober 16-18, 1813 where Napoleon suffered his greatest defeat to date inEurope. Neither victory was, however, complete,because some of Napoleon's orders were vague or misunderstood, whichpermitted a major part of the defeated forces to escape. He surprised the Austrians at Ulm which heencircled and captured on October 19. Egyptian Expedition (1798-1799) The French government had mixed motives in dispatching Napoleon tocommand the expedition to Egypt. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.