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NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

INTRODUCTION

1. Napoleon Bonaparte was the greatest military genius of the 19 th century.

He conquered most of Western Europe and Egypt for France, while instating
reforms in these new territories aimed at guaranteeing civil liberties and
improving the quality of life. He crowned himself emperor of France in 1804 and
introduced reforms intended to unify the revolution-fractured nation. Many of
Napoleon’s reforms are still in effect today. He was one of the most illuminating
figure and greatest military commanders in this world. There was something
magical in the name of Napoleon which left anyone untouched.

2. Napoleon Bonaparte scaled the highest pinnacle of military fame and

appropriately called-“the greatest warrior of modern times”. Most of Europe
crumbled before his grand Army that he led to victory in sixty different battles. In
sharp contrast he, the man of miracles was ignominiously driven away in Elba,
humbled at Waterloo and humiliated at St. Helena. He accomplished what he
could not achieve in the battlefield with his magnetic personality moved to disarm
his opponents with his weapon. A penetrating stare from his famous ‘large gray
eyes’ was known to be good enough to captivate anyone.

3. Napoleon was not only a military genius but he was a forceful statesman
too. He spread liberalism and provoked a spirit of nationalism throughout the
country. He was a great warrior but the immortal factor his geniuses was flashed
out as a ruler and lawmaker.

AIM

4. The aim of this paper is to formulate a concise idea on military life of

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE as a great captain.

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SCOPE

5. Napoleon’s 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 given
the name Napoleon (in French his name became Napoleon Bonaparte). He was
the second of eight children of Carlo (Charles) Buonaparts and Letizia Ramolino
Buonaparte, both of the Corsican-Italian gentry. Napoleon at the age of ten was
sent to France for his education. Corsica declared independence, and
Bonaparte, a France patriot and a Republican, fled to France with his family. He
was 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 academy

at Breinne, France where at the King expense the children of the noble families
were prepared. His first few months there were a nightmare with the other
children 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 the
prestigious 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 soldier
in an isolated outpost. Napoleons regiment was stationed in Auxonne when the
French Revolution broke out.

8. In April 1792 he was elected Lieutenant Colonel in second of the voluntary

troops of the island. The degree among the volunteers allowed him to keep the
regular military degree of Lieutenant. Meanwhile at Valence it was called a check
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of the regular officers. Napoleon obviously resulted absent and was cancelled
from the staffs of the regiment. He went to Paris to claim his rights. Napoleon left
Paris on September 17, with the degree of Captain of Artillery, to which he had
been promoted, and with that of Lieutenant Colonel of volunteers.

9. Once in France the Captain Bonaparte took back service in the 4 th

regiment of arty at Nice. On 16th September, 1793 he was called by Saliceti,
deputy in the mission of the convention, to replace Dammartin, commander of
the artillery, been wounded. On October18 Saliceti promoted Captain Bonaparte
to the degree of Commander of the Battalion, that is Major. In December 1793,
the 24 years old Bonaparte was given his first military command at the seize of
Toulon. In 3 days Napoleon bombarded the city into submission gaining control
of the important city. With his artillery he destroyed 10 English Ships anchored in
Toulons harbor. Napoleon also bravely led his men in the assault on the fort
guarding the city. During this attack he was wounded during a bayonet fighting.
Napoleon expertly seized several earth works and bombarded the British warship
and troops, forcing them to sail away. These events made him The Hero through
out the France and he was rewarded with a speedy promotion to the rank of
Brigadier General. In 1794 he was given the command of the French Army in
Italy.

10. In March 1795, he was expelled from the artillery and destined to fight in
vendee, but he refused the appointment and on 21st June he resigned his post.
Disappointed Napoleon submitted an application of recruitment to the Turkish
Army that verbally accepted him. But on 18 August 1795 Napoleon was assigned
to the Topographical office and the Turkish project faded. On 15 September
1795, the committee of public welfare decided to cancel Napoleon from the list of
the regular service for the result that he had opposed to the order to go to
vendee. Again in that year, he was recalled to Paris to help quell mobs under
royalist leadership that preparing to storm the Tuileries. Napoleon was placed as
second in command of the defence, He ordered the storming crowds to be
annihilated with 40 cannon. This act established Napoleon as a hero of the
Revolution and gained him entrance into Parisian society. For that, on 11th March
1796, Napoleon became Commander of the Army of Italy.

11. Later on, in 1796 already as a General, Bonaparte routed the Austrian
troops in a series of battles that included Montenotte, Mondovi, Arcola and Rivoli.
In 1797 he crossed the Alps into Vienna and negotiated the treaty of Campo
Formio, ending the first phase of the revolution. In 1798 he commanded 35,000
troops in Egypt to threaten English interests in India, seizing Malta along the way.
He occupied Cairo and Alexandria founding various institutions devoted to the
study of ancient Egypt. These and other victories established him as one of the
best Generals of that time and enemy’s Generals got a cold sweat over his
presence in battles.

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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 other
victories which will give a clear picture of his battle worthiness are described in
short.

13. Battle of Toulon (7 September to 19 December 1793). French Revolution

not only had to face external enemies, but also those within the dived France. On
28 August 1793, the city turned itself over to the Bourbons and a British, Spanish
and pro-Bourbon military force, together with naval support, occupied it, Paris
reacted quick and laid siege to the city on 7 September, with several attempts to
recapture it failing through poor leadership by Jean Carteaux and Francois
Doppet. Their poor performances gave opportunity to Napoleon scheming with
political allies to replace them with General Jacques Dugommier. The new
commander then agreed to put forward plans by Bonaparte to storm a key fort
that would allow French artillery to bombard the British fleet anchored in the
harbor. The attack occurred on 17 December, in which Bonaparte was wounded
by a bayonet in the leg, and less than a day later the British fleet, under Admiral
Lord Hood, sailed away. On the 19th revolutionary troops reoccupied Toulon
earning Bonaparte promotion to general of brigade.

14. Battle of Arcola. A three-day battle (15-17 November, 1796) famous for
Napoleon Bonaparte grabbing a flag and personally leading an assault across
the 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 general
Massena 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 25,000
men faced two forces of Manelukes under Murad and Ibrahim Bey. The native
forces were split by the Nile, with Murad entrenched in a village Embabeh and
Ibrahim in the open. Murad had the better force- including 40 cannon and 6000
crack Mameluke horsemen-and Bonaparte was forced on to the defensive by the
threat from the riders. The French formed themselves into squares by 30 guns
and 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, while
Bonaparte’s Army of the Orient lost 300 men. The pyramids won Lower Egypt for
France, but Admiral Horatio Nelson’s victory on the Nile squashed Bonaparte’s
hopes for a conquest.

16. Battle of Marengo. Battle of Marengo was a victory by Napoleon

Bonaparte 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 an
offensive against the Austrian, who were occupying northern Italy. On June 14
the Austrian general Michael Von Melas, with an army of 30,000 men and 14
guns, 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 military

engagements won by Napoleon. It took place near the village of Austerlitz (now
Slavkov, Czech Republic) on 02 December 1805, between a French army of
about 68,000 and a Austro-Russian army of nearly 90,000. It is sometimes called
the Battle of the Three Emperors because Napoleon, Francix I of Austria, and
Alexander I of Russia were all present on the field. Napoleon foresees could join
the anti-French coalition and tip the scales against him. Napoleon foresees that
Russian commander, Prince Mikhail Ilarionovich Kutuzov, would try to outflank
him and off his line of retreat to Vienna. On December 2, the Russian advance to
attack Napoleon’s right flank, as he had hoped they would. This attack and
another 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 allied
center, which had been weakened to cary out the flanking movements. After a
fierce struggle, the French broke the Austrian and Russian lines and a complete
route ensued. The French lost 9000 men, the allies about 25,000.

18. Battle of Jena. Battle of Jena (October 14, 1806), victory of Napoleon I
over Prussia in the War of the Fourth Coalition. Moving Saxony (Sachsen) to
meet the main Prussia army under Charles William Ferdinand, duck of
Brunswick, 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 of
50,000 men under Prince Friedrich of Hohenlohe near Jena. He attacked them
with a force of 54,000 and drove them from the field. On the same day, French
Marshal Louis Nicolas Davout with 27,000 troops defeated another 50,000
Prussians under Brunswick at Auerstadt, 21 km (13 mi) to the north. Brunswick
by the two Prussian retreat turned into a rout, Prussia’s resistance was broken by
the 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 Marshal
Mikhail Itarionovick Kutuzov. It took place in and around the village of Borodino,
about 110 km (about 70 mi ) southwest of Moscow. To half Napoleon’s advance
on Moscow, about 125,000 Russian built earthworks along the highway at
Borodino. The French army, about 130,000 men, reached the position on 06
September and began an assault early the next day. After maneuvering the
enemy commander into massing his strength in the center, Napoleon ordered a
fierce bombardment and then a cavalry attack that broke through the lines. The
Russian 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 is
described in Leo Tolstoy’s novel War and Peace (1869).

20. Battle of Dresden. Battle of Dresden’s major engagement of the

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

21. Battle of Friedland. Battle of Friedland, (June 14, 1807), victory of

Napoleon over the Russian in the War of the Third Coalition. On June 13,
Napoleon, intending to capture Konigsbery (now Kaliningrad, Russia), sent
Marshal Jean Lannes with 12,000 men to occupy the village Friedland
(Pravdinsk) southeast of the city. There Lannes met to Russian force of 46,000
under General L.L von Bennigsen, which he held off unite reinforced by
Napoleon 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 by
artillery fire in the village, and thousands more drowned trying to escape across
the All (Lava) River. Napoleon then occupied Konigsberg, and Alexander I of
Russia made people at Tilsit in July.

22. Capture of Italy. Italy was one of the colonies of French. But it was
empowered by Austrians. In 1796, Bonaparte was made commander of the
French army in Italy. His msn was to defeat Austrians and thereafter surround
them 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 had
only 24 mountain guns, a handful of horses and ragged half starving
forces. 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 they
will be liberated. He contacted the Austrian army on the western side of
Alps. After fighting for 13 days from April 1796 to 25 April 1796, the
combined force was defeated. By this time being a small neighboring
country the King Sardinia came to a treat with napoleon and denied to join
Austrian force. He also handed over portion of Sardinia like Savoy, Nice.
After the initial success Napoleon started for Lambordy. After capturing he
resumed his advance towards Mantua which was the strongest position of
Austrians in Italy. Austrian army was determined to keep Mantua under
their control. Napoleon faced four major oppositions before capturing
Mantua. However, in Jan 1797 the Austrian army surrendered to
Napoleon. After the continuous success the population also surrendered
with all his states. Taking all these captured states Napoleon made a new
state named Cisalpine (Italian) Republic ( later known as the kingdom of

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Italy) and strengthened his position in France by sending millions of

Francs of worth of treasure to the government.

Defeat of Napoleon

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

a. Battle of Leipzig. Battle of Leipzig, called the Battle of the Nations,

decisive engagement between the French armies of Napoleon and those
of Austria, Prussia, Russia, and Sweden, fought on 16-19 October 1813,
at Leipzig, Germany, Threatened by the Allies with the loss of a vital
communications line through the city, Napoleon fought a standoff battle on
16 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 a
retreat over the weisse Elster River. In the confusion, the bridge across
the river was blown up before the retreat was complete, leaving some
30,000 French troops to be taken prisoner in the city. Casualties on both
sides were estimated between 90,000 and 120,000. The battle of Leipzig
effectively eliminated Napoleon’s power easy of the confederation of the
Rhine.

b. Battle of Waterloo. Waterloo, Battle of, final and decisive action of the
Napoleonic wars, that effectively ended French domination of the
European continent and brought about drastic changes in the political
boundaries and the power balance of Europe. Fought June 18,1815, near
Waterloo, in what is now Belgium, the battle ranks as a great turning point
in modern history.

(1) Backgrd of the Battle. Napoleon met defeat in 1814 by a

coalition of major powers, notably Prussia, Russia, Britain, and
Austria. Napoleon was then deposed and exiled to the island of Elba.
and Louis XVIII was made ruler of France. In September 1814, the
Congress of Vienna, with delegates from most of the nations of
Europe, convened to discuss problems arising from the defeat of
France. On February 26, 1815, however, while the congress was in
session, Napoleon escaped from Elba and returned to France. There
many veterans of his former campaigns flocked to his standard, and
on March 20, 1815, he again ascended the throne. The Congress of
Vienna, alarmed by Napoleon’s return to power, had reacted quickly
to the crisis. On March 17 Austria, Great Britain, Prussia and Russia
each agreed to contribute 150,000 troops to an invasion force to be
assembled in Belgium near the French border. A majority of other

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nations present at the congress also pledged troops for the invasion
of 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 ground
before their army could take shape. With characteristic
energy and decisiveness, he mobilized within two months an
army of 360,000 trained soldiers. He deployed half of these
troops within France as a security force and grounded the
remainder into attack units. On June 14, 1815, Napoleon,
moving with the utmost speed and secrecy, reached the
France-Belgian border with 124,000 of his troops. Another
56,000 men were left behind in secondary or supporting
positions.

(b) Napoleon’s grand strategy for the coming campaign

was typically audacious. Facing beyond the Belgian border
were two separate allied Armies. The larger army, a force of
116,000 Prussians and Saxons, led by the Prussian field
marshal Gerhard Leberecht von Bliicher, was based at
Namur. Advance elements of Blucher’s army were stationed
as far west as the towns of Gilly and Charleroi. A force of
93,000 British, Duch, and German troop was based at
Brussles, with an outpost in the village of Quarter-Bras. The
leader of this army, the British general Arthur Wellesley, 1st
duke of Wellingtion, was also commander in chief of the
allied forces. Napoleon planned to attack both Armies with
the aim of splitting and destroying them. He intended them
to deal with Russian and Austrian armies approaching
France from the east. To carry out this plan he divided his
forces into two attacking wings and a strategic reserve,
which consisted of trusted veterans known as the Old
Guard.

(3) Ultimate Defeat

(a) The battle began at 11.30 am with a feint by

Napoleon at Wellington’s right. This manoeuver, which
proved unsuccessful, was followed by an 80-gun French
bombardment designed to weaken the allied center. At about
1 pm Napoleon saw advance elements of Blucher’s army
approaching from the east. Once again the emperor
dispatched a message to Grouchy, apprising him of the

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situation and ordering him to overtake and engage the

Prussians.Fierce cavalry and infantry engagements were
being fought meanwhile along the ridge, south of Mont-
Saint-Jean, that sheltered Wellington’s main force. In each
instance the French attacks were savagely repulsed. At 4
pm Blucher’s advance troops, who had been awaiting an
opportune moment, entered the battle and forced the French
to fall back about 0.8 km (about 0.5 mi). A counterattack
restored the French lines and pushed the Prussians back 1.6
km (1 mi) to the northeast. Shortly after 6 pm Ney drove
deep into the Anglo-Dutch center and seriously endangered
Wellingtion’s entire line. Wellington rallied however, and Ney
was driven back. Napoleon then mounted a desperate
general offensive, during which he committed all but five
battalions 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 and
attacked again, the French situation became increasingly
hopeless. At about 8 pm the Prussians, who had taken up
positions on the wing, through left of Wellington’s line, drove
through the positions on the extreme left of Wellington’s line,
drove through the French right wing, throwing most of
Napoleon’s troops into panic. Only valiant rearguard actions
fought by a few Old Guard battalions enabled the emperor to
escape. As Napoleon’s routed army fled along the Charleroi
road, Wellington and Blucher conferred and agreed that of
June 18 the Prussians drove the French from seven
successive bivouacs and finally forced them back across the
Sambre River.

(b) Casualities. The Battle of Waterloo was one of the

bloodiest in modern history During the fighting of June 18,
French casualties totaled about 40,000, British and Dutch
about 15,000, and Prussian about 7000: at one point about
45,000 men lay dead or wounded within an area of 8 sq km
(3 sq mi). Additional thousands of casualties were suffered
by both side during the three-day campaign that preceded
the 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 heavy
casualties, give me a division and I will take it without fight”. But when one
division and even the required two battalions are not available, the situation will
be 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 and
shouts “My lord, they are thirty thousand, all are prepared, their swords are
glittering and faces are shining. The French army is only of 8,000 person not
comfortably equipped. Analyzing, the ratio French soldiers ditched deep into the
fever of distress and defection. Napoleon deployed his meager artillery resource
in 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 moment
French artillery pounded on the enemy, the legs blew, horses trembled, swords
felled, blood oozed and finally cries lost the pitch.

26. Napoleon displayed another unique example of crisis management, when

he was on the verge of capturing Austria. Napoleon prepared to cross the river
Paw. Everybody was stunt to see the width of the river and every body thought
that 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 the
appointed rendezvous within a few hours of each other. Rapidly crossing the
river in boats, he found himself and his army, without the loss of a single man, in
the plains of Lombardy.

27. In the same operation he faced another challenge. It was the month of
May 1796. French army came near the city of Lodi. In between them and the city
there was the river Adda which had very strong current and was two hundred
yards in width and there was a wooden bridge over it which was 30 feet wide.
Austrians, sixteen thousand strong, twelve thousand infantry and four thousand
cavalry, 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 length
of the bridge by a raking fire. Napoleon immediately placed as many guns as
possible in opposition to the Austrian batteries. But higher headquarters did not
give their consent and thought it will be impossible and stated Napoleon to be a
mad.” Regardless of the disapproval of his generals, he assembled six thousand
troops. Secretly dispatching a large body of cavalry to cross the river at a very
difficult ford, about three miles above the town, which the Austrians had
neglected 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 formed
his troops into a line, under the shelter of one of the streets nearest the point of
attack. The moment Napoleon perceived that the cavalry had affected the
passage of the river he ordered his battery to fire. At the same time troops
rushed, towards the bridge. Napoleon placed himself at the head of the troops
and shouted, “ Follow your general!” They rushed with their bayonets upon the
Austrian gunners. At the same moment, the French cavalry came dashing upon
the batteries from the rear and the bridge was captured. Thus Napoleon again
proved his worth as a unique general.

28. Another crisis management of Napoleon is reflected in the capture of

Mantua. Mantua was a vital point of military operations. It was a strong city
surrounded by 13,000 Austrian troops. Four times the army was sent to relive the
city four times they were repulsed. Napoleon swept into the camp, and ordered
immediately 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 handful
of resolute of resolute men might have arrested an Army. You are no longer
French soldiers!” The influence of these words upon those impassioned men,
proud of their renown arid proud of their leader was almost inconceivable. They
crowded around the general, exclaiming, “We have been misrepresented. The
enemy were three to our one, try us once more, place us in the post of danger
and see if we do not belong to the army of France.” In the next battle contending
against fearful odd, they swept Austrians to the tide of victory.

29. Another remarkable exploitation of his command was displayed in Syrian

campaign. This campaign was suffering from thirst, hunger and plague. The
plague was a new form of danger and created a fearful panic. The soldiers
refused to approach their sick comrades and the physicians abandoned the
sufferers to die unaided. Napoleon immediately entered the hospitals sat down
by the sick soldiers, took their hands in his own and spoke to them words of
encouragement and hope. The dying soldiers looked upon their heroic and
sympathizing leader with eyes full of gratitude and blessed him. Thus they6
gained new strength too throw off their dreadful disease. The soldiers animated
by the example of their chief, no longer refused to administer to the wants of their
suffering comrades and thus the progress of the plague in the army was
materially arrested.

30. One day his forces were put into a rapid withdrawal due to heavy
causalities. Defeat was imminent. He went to forward defended localities and on
his way he found one of his artillery battery in panic and was withdrawing. He
went back and just after one km placed a board, written ‘BATTERY OF BRAVE
PEOPLE’. 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. He
possessed above all, the art of inspiring the confidence, the admiration, the
burning love of his men. He possessed a magnetic personality. The faculty of
inspiring confidence of his men added to mastery of strategy and tactics placed
Napoleon in the forefront of the world’s Great Captains. His great leadership
attributes are many and some of which really spellbound us are described briefly
in this presentation.

32. Greatest Military Leader. Napoleon was one of the greatest military
commanders in history. He has also been portrayed as a power hungry
conqueror. Napoleon denied being such a conqueror. He argued that he was
building a federation of free peoples in a Europe united under a liberal
government. But if this was his goal, he intended to achieve it by taking power in
his own hands. However, in the states he created, Napoleon granted
constitutions, introduced law codes, abolished feudalism, created efficient
governments and fostered education, science, literature and the arts. The very
name, Napoleon still enthralls. Ever since this towering genius conquered
Europe, he has been endlessly debated, compared and made an icon. The later
Bourbons have bankrupted France, the Revolution created chaos and terror.
Bonaparte made France strong, after 1805 nothing less than a coalition of the
European powers could beat him. The Napoleonic legend, the picture of a liberal
conqueror spreading the French Revolution throughout Europe, was a potent
factor in French history and helped make Napoleon's nephew French emperor as
Napoleon III. He was beyond doubt one of the greatest military leaders in history
and dominated his times so completely that European history between 1800 and
1815 is commonly described as the Napoleonic era. Gustave Flaubert quoted
"Napoleon is like the pyramids, he stands alone in a desert and jackals
piss at his feet and writers climb up on him."

33. Admired Legend. Napoleon's legacy is the modernizing of Paris, the

official promotion of religious tolerance, the current French legal and educational
systems, and the European Union, to name but a few Napoleonic initiatives. After
Napoleon there was no turning back: feudalism was dead, society was
Secularized, the modern nation state replaced the dynastic state, and the
Bourgeoisie became the new class of privilege and status. Napoleon was a real
man as well as a legend. He said, “ A true man hates no one.” Even in countries
such as Germany, Austria, Russia and Britain, which frequently were his
adversaries, Napoleon has remained an admired figure, if sometimes grudgingly.
It was Napoleon himself who helped to create this legend, and of course, the
legend 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!) and
film 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 merit
among his soldiers and officers. Napoleon institutionalized the practice of
rewarding 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 Marshallate
andthe Legion of Honor. His meteoric rise shocked not only France but all of
Europe. Napoleon scared the living daylights out of the European rulers. All the
Emperors, Kings and Princes were shaken, their Armies and best Generals were
defeated, their countries were conquered, their capitols were captured. Within
few years he ruled France and half of the European Continent as no other man in
history. Bonaparte can be accused of failing to create a long lasting peace, but
the 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 the
Great. And the World has Napoleon."

35. Tactfulness. Bonaparte was not only a General, he was also a shrewd
Propagandist. During his campaigns he carefully crafted reports from the
battlefields. He also brilliantly created a mythical image of himself as an infallible
hero, destined by God to rule over France. Napoleon was a very popular and
liked person and politician. The result of the plebiscite electing Bonaparte Consul
for 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 strong
France. The privileged classes rallied round the kings and emperors who felt
their thrones menaced. England had no army but plenty of money, Russia had a
huge army and no money. Both hated Napoleon and the powerful, in good order
and well governed France. Napoleon wrote: "We need a European code, a
European court of appeals, a universal currency, a uniform system of weights
and measures, a code of laws. I must forge the peoples of Europe into one
people." But the kings and Emperors of Europe were quick to see the danger to
their thrones.

36. Ruler. Napoleon was not only a great leader and fighter but also an expert
ruler of men. He was very cautious and vigilant about basic need of his people
which 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, like

Duchy of Warsaw.

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

or 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, Napoleon

granted constitutions, introduced law codes, abolished feudalism, created
efficient governments and fostered education, science, literature and the
arts.

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 the
revision and collection of French law into codes. The new law codes—seven in
number—incorporated some of the freedoms gained by the people of France
during the French revolution, including religious toleration and the abolition of
serfdom. The most famous of the codes, the Code Napoleon or Code Civil, still
forms the basis of French civil law. Napoleon also centralized France's
government by appointing prefects to administer regions called departments, into
which France was divided.

39. Consolidatorness. Napoleon is generally credited with having

consolidated the gains ofthe Revolution ("With the exception of fathering the Civil
Code, Napoleon perhaps gloried more in his reputation as consolidator of the
Revolution than in any other one title," Robert B. Holtman observed). In this
sense he can be credited with having 'saved' the Revolution bending it. Had the
Bourbons come back to power in 1799 instead of Napoleon, they would at that
time had less trouble "turning back the clock" to the ancient regime than they had
in 1814. As Francois Furet has put it, "Revolutionary France was indeed under
the spell of the new sovereign, who was its son and had saved it from the danger
of 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's
most enduring achievements, embodied many of the principles of the Revolution
and 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 all
those with ability regardless of birth ("Wherever I found talent and courage I
rewarded it." Napoleon,1816) Napoleon became the personification of the
revolutionary aims of the bourgeoisie. He reformed and modernized French
institutions (historian Jacues Godechot has said that with Napoleon the medieval
era ended and modern history began). He brought much longed for order and
stability to France and forged a sense of unity. He attempted to unite under his
wing both the revolutionaries and the emigres --nobles, clergy and others who
chose or were forced to live in exile under the Revolution ("I became the arch of
the alliance between the old and the new, the natural mediator between the old
and 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 of
the state, from the Church, or from the Crown (the "biens nationaux") --an
important benefit for the middle classes and the peasants of the Revolution—
were recognized not only in Napoleon's coronation oath, but also in the signing of
the Concordat with the Pope.

41. Greatness. Napoleon said “The herd seek out the great, not for their
sake but for their influence; and the great welcome them out of vanity or need.”
Another remarkable exploitation of his command was displayed in Syrian
campaign. This campaign was suffering from thirst, hunger and plague. The
plague was a new form of danger and created a fearful panic. The soldiers
refused to approach their sick comrades and the physicians abandoned the
sufferers to die unaided. Napoleon immediately entered the hospitals sat down
by the sick soldiers, took their hands in his own and spoke to them words of
encouragement and hope. The dying soldiers looked upon their heroic and
sympathizing leader with eyes full of gratitude and blessed him. Thus they gained
new strength too throw off their dreadful disease. The soldiers animated by the
example of their chief, no longer refused to administer to the wants of their
suffering comrades and thus the progress of the plague in the army was
materially arrested.

42. Bearing. Napoleon was short (5' 2"), but had a very good physic. His
head was big and skull largely developed. His neck was short and his shoulder
was 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 and
elite army of the then France.

43. Moral Ascendancy. The most extra-ordinary example of Napoleon’s moral

ascendancy was on the return from Elba in 1815. As it was said Napoleon had
only 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 him
not to allow him to get into France and get back the emperorship. Finding no
other way Napoleon stopped his advance and went in front of the opponent
alone and shouted, “Here is your Emperor. Kill, if you wish”. The French Army
heard 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 of
military life fourth around 40 battles maximum time with numerically superior
forces. In those days numerical days superiority matters more than that of
arsenals He said:

“Death is nothing,. But to live vanquished and without glory is to die every
day”.

“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 has
been assumed it should be made maintained to the last extremity”.

45. Power of Inspiration. A record of victory and professional skill is the

first requisite of a commander in gaining the confidence of his soldiers.
Napoleon’s constant reviews and his presence in the forward areas of battle field
enable him to establish an extraordinary degree of personal contact. Particularly
with the Elite Guard, Bonaparte inspires his people:
“Soldiers in 15 days you have won six victories, captures 21 colours, 55
guns, 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 disciplined

memory. He had mental as well as physical endurance. After a days long
relentless work he used to sleep for a short period and get into work with full
enthusiasm. It is said that, in the battle field he used to get himself refreshed after
only a 15 minutes and sleep at the horse back without considering for personal
comfort and luxuries.

47. Foresightness. Napoleon from the very beginning of his military

carrier had this quality. Probably he developed this by his continuous habit of
study through extraordinary power of concentration, Concentration of mind in
thinking and deciding the course of battle. In 1793 in his first with English at the
seize of Toulon. Napoleon sited the example of foresightness, He in advance
visualized that delay in launching the operation will take the victory. Because day
by day English, Italian and Spanish army started concentrating their forces in
Toulon. So Napoleon did not dely and quick and lunched the operation, which
drive out all the aggressors from Toulon.

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48. Decisiveness. He had the ability to make quick decision, whenever

required and announced them, concisely and clearly. On 11 March 1796 just
after two days of his marriage Napoleon had to move out for war with Italy. He
was instructed to cross the invincible mountain Alps and destroy Pidmond and
Italian 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 another
route, which was not through of by the enemy following the seashore. In fact, the
vast knowledge on geography, which Napoleon possessed, helped him in
making 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, England

won over France which threw a crashing blow over Napoleonic force. Napoleon
started searching the ways and means to take the revenge on England. But as
the England was superior in naval power therefore in became difficult for a direct
sea 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 to
go in the area of British colony. This declaration was known “Berlin Decree”
which aimed at isolating England in business word and ultimately surrounded to
the will of Napoleon. His minister of marine “Vice Admiral Decre’s said:

“I want a memorandum on how we can inflict greatest damage on British

commerce in the event of a naval war now”.

Through in reality Berlin Decree did not bring much effective result but it surely
speaks of tactics that Napoleon applied to handle a overwhelming superior
enemy. 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 the
secret of his power over soldiery. He believed that man will do thing and go
everywhere for a fighting general provided he cares for their interest and touches
their imagination. He used to lead and handle his troop with bold and tough hand
but used to care their welfare too, he once said “Lead your men with iron hand
with 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 all
spheres of his command. He once said to his generals “If you experience
reverses, away remember these thing. Union of your force activity and a firm
resolve to die with glory”. These were the great principles of Napoleonic military
art, 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 military
thinking. He achieved number of victories during initial stage of his career though
there 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. The
lessons learnt are:

a. Tactical manoeuvre. Rapid movement is an important

element of achieving surprise over opponents which Napoleon proved
throughout his mil career.

b. Economy of Forces. Skilful and prudent use of combat power

enables a commander to accomplish the mission with minimum number of
resource.

c. Surprise. Surprise can decisively shift the balance of combat

power. By surprise, success out of proportion to the effort may be
obtained.

d. Offensive Action. Offensive action is necessary to achieve deceive

result and to maintain freedom of action. Napoleon always his aim through
bold offensive action.

e. Security. Security is essential to conceal own strength and

intentions from enemy. Napoleon always managed to keep his adversary
his total absence regard to composition of his formations and direction of
attack.

f. Maintenance of Morale. Morale is that weapon which enable the

commander to lead the soldiers at the time of crisis. One of the maxims of
Napoleon was, in war the moral to physical is like three to one.

g. Considerable Importance to Enemy. No one should underestimate his

enemy. Napoleon underestimated his enemies, perhaps because of
his early one-side successive victories.

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CONCLUSION

52. Napoleon was a rare historical phenomenon, the study of which may
require one’s 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 one
and a half-century have elapsed; the implements of war have changed and also
have changed the face of Europe. The balance of war is no more the same as it
was then. The bases of power also have shifted elsewhere. But still the strategy
and tactics of Napoleon has influence in modern war. Great thought are the
difference of time and place there can however be parallel between the problems
Napoleon faced and we live with. Many of us have powerful adversaries as
Napoleon faced in the grand alliances scraped against him. He had to defend his
counties for more than twenty years with inferior force. Napoleon’s conquests,
which had briefly given France dominion over most of Europe, had exhausted
France. But the political and other changes that Napoleon had instituted did not
vanish after Waterloo. The consolidation of German states remained, and the
sense of German Nationalism he had stimulated flourished anew a few decades
later. Likewise, the nationalism his conquests had generated in Italy helped lead
to that countries later unification. And while mil technique soon changed,
Napoleon’s tactics and strategy and innovations continued to affect warfare in
many ways. Napoleon’s military genius immediately earned him a permanent
place among the great commanders of the history. It is unfortunate that the
stormy splendor of Napoleon’s campaigns has caused both admirers and
detractors to regard him as a great soldier -a dark angel of destruction. His
greatest and most enduring achievements were, as he himself admitted, his
constructive and administrative work as ruler and lawgiver. The code Napoleon
is a more impressive monument than any triumphal arch or statue of victory, and
it may be more enduring. So study of Napoleon’s life and his tactics is a mile
stone for us to be a successful military leader.

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GREAT CAPTAIN PRESENTATION

ON

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

PRESENTED BY

CAPTAIN SAKIB

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