The Campaigns of Napoleon

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The Campaigns of Napoleon Page 134

by David G Chandler


  Nevertheless, although Napoleon’s original strategy now lay in ruins, the Emperor’s military position was not necessarily hopeless, providing he continued to enjoy the support of the army, the French populace and government. Soult eventually rallied more than 55,000 troops of l’Armée du Nord around Philippeville (including Grouchy’s wing), and by the end of June there were no less than 117,000 troops available for the defense of Paris and to oppose the advance of the victorious Allies from the direction of the Belgian frontier. There were also sizeable numbers of men garrisoning the many important fortresses between the capital and the frontier, while a further 170,000 conscripts were presently undergoing training in depots situated in the northeast. Indeed, the need to mask these fortresses and depot towns caused a great diminution in Allied armed strength, and by the time all necessary detachments had been made Blücher was left with a bare 66,000 and Wellington with only 52,000 men (including many “suspect” units of dubious value) for the final advance on the French capital.

  On the secondary fronts, too, fortune had not by any means deserted French arms. Suchet’s Army of the Alps had severely mauled General Frimont’s troops in Piedmont; Generals Lemarque and Clausel had successfully brought the rebels in La Vendée under control; and when the Austrian commander in chief Schwarzenberg began to cross the middle Rhine in late June, his advance guard received a definite check at the hands of plucky General Rapp and his handful of troops at the battle of Le Souffel. There were grounds for belief, therefore, that a staunch defense of French soil was still a possibility even after the cataclysm of Waterloo.

  However, the vital requirement of government backing for the Emperor was wholly lacking. It is quite probable that the ordinary people of Paris were ready to fight on, but although Davout urged his master to seize control of the ministries and purge the disloyal Chambers with the large and still reliable garrison of the capital, Napoleon hesitated to make this final gamble. The politicians and civil servants, led by the arch-intriguer Fouché, proceeded to make the most of their opportunity. While their exhausted Emperor snatched some overdue rest following his return to Paris on the morning of 21st June, the conspirators acted: the Chambers unconstitutionally declared themselves indissoluble save of their own free will, summoned the National Guard for their protection, and then started a clamor for Napoleon’s renewed abdication. Rather than see violence again in the streets of his capital, Napoleon gave way, and on June 22, 1815, formally renounced his Imperial rights in favor of his son, the King of Rome—just four days after the battle of Waterloo. A few days later the ex-Emperor retired to Malmaison.

  The political events that followed do not directly concern this book; as the Chambers wasted time discussing constitutional trivialities, Fouché negotiated with the Allies, looking for the highest bidder. Meanwhile the Allies advanced along the River Oise, Grouchy retreating through Laon and Soissons toward Paris. Blücher reached the gates of the city on June 30, only to be repulsed by Davout’s 117,000 troops. The Allies became dangerously strung out in the final stages of this advance and Napoleon proffered his services to the provisional government—offering to serve in the capacity of a simple general—in the hope that this golden opportunity of destroying the Allies piecemeal and thus avenging Waterloo would not be wasted. Not altogether surprisingly, however, the government refused to employ their old master, but Fouché at least agreed to place a frigate at his disposal. Hoping to escape to the United States of America for sanctuary, Napoleon of his own free will set out for Rochefort, where the vessel lay, but on arriving at the port on July 3 he found a British naval squadron off the port.

  For 12 days a variety of plans and schemes were successively considered, but after being warned that Louis XVIII had ordered the city authorities to arrest his person, Napoleon at length agreed to board HMS Bellerophon, throwing himself on the charity and generosity of the British Prince Regent. Hopeful to the last that his British adversaries would either permit him to sail to America or alternatively to settle in England, Napoleon set himself to charm the British naval officers and sailors. The Prince Regent and Lord Liverpool’s government thought otherwise, however, and before many days were out Napoleon Bonaparte was on his way to the rocky fastness of St. Helena in the South Atlantic, there to pass the remaining years of his life.

  The flight of the eagle was over; the “ogre” was safely caged at last, and an exhausted Europe settled down once more to attempt a return to former ways of life and government. But the shade of Napoleon lingered on irresistibly for many years after his death in 1821. It lingers yet.

  Appendices

  References

  Bibliography

  Glossary of Military Terms

  Indexes

  LIST OF APPENDICES

  A. Order of Battle of the Army of Italy, April 12, 1796

  B. Examples of Napoleon’s Chief Manoeuvres sur les Derriéres

  C. The Strength and Positions of L’Armée de Reserve, June 14, 1800

  D. The Formations of La Grande Armée, August 29, 1805

  E. The Organization of L’Armée d’Espagne in November 1808

  F. The Formations of the Re-formed Grande Armée on March 30, 1809

  G. Organization of La Grande Armée for the Campaign of 1812

  H. Organization of L’Armé du Nord for the Campaign of 1815

  I. Summary of Selected Battles

  J. The Imperial Nobility

  Appendices

  A. ORDER OF BATTLE OF THE ARMY OF ITALY, APRIL 12, 1796

  HEADQUARTERS

  General Bonaparte, Commander in Chief

  General Berthier, Chief of Staff

  General Chasseloup, Chief Engineer

  Citizens Chauvet and Saliceti, Commissaries-General

  Colonel Murat, Captains Louis Bonaparte, Marmont, Sulkowski and Junot, Aides-de-Camp (inter alii)

  Unit Commander Component Formations Strength

  Division Massena* Division la Harpe

  (70th, 99th, 14th, 1st Light and 1 battalion of the 21st) 9,400

  Division Meynier†

  (Brigade Ménard: 8th Light and 2nd battalion of the 21st 3,400

  Brigade Joubert: 51st, 55th, 3rd Light 2,250

  Brigade Dommartin: 84th) 2,970

  _______

  TOTAL 18,020

  _______

  Division Sérurier (19th, 46th, 56th Demi-Brigades) 9,450

  Division Augereau (39th and 69th Demi-Brigades) 6,200

  Brigade Rusca* (4th Light and 18th Light) 2,600

  Cavalry—General Stengel 3,500

  Artillery and Engineers 3,800

  Divisions Macquard et Gamier 800

  Lines of communication troops (1st, 2nd and 3rd Coastal Divisions) 10,500

  16th Light Demi-Brigade troops 1,400

  TOTAL STRENGTH:

  62,270 and 60 guns (plus 24 light mountain pieces)

  EFFECTIVE STRENGTH:

  41,570 after deduction of lines of communication troops

  IN THE FIELD:

  37,600 after deduction of sick, absentees, etc.

  Massena’s command, consisting of two divisions, might be termed a weak corps, but there was no corps headquarters.

  General Meynier was removed from command very early in the campaign; thereafter Massena led the division in person, or left it to the brigadier-generals.

  Brigade Rusca was originally a part of Augereau’s command, but was detached on 5th April to perform a liaison role linking Sérurier’s and Massena’s divisions.

  (Information drawn in part from Commandant J. Colin, Études sur la Campagne de 1796-97, Paris, 1898.)

  B. EXAMPLES OF NAPOLEON’S CHIEF MANOEUVRES SUR LES DERRIÈRES

  Name of Maneuver Date and Duration Enemy Position and Depot Strategic Barrier to be Occupied French Starting Line Name of Maneuver Curtain of Maneuver Center of Operations Battle Outcome

  Turin 12-28 April, 1796 Foothills of Alps and Appenines; Turin Mombarco escarpment Ligurian coast Turin Alps and Apennines Savona-Cev
a-Coni Mondovi Armistice of Cherasco

  Lodi 5-11 May, 1796 Around Valenza; Milan River Adda Near Cherasco Lodi Right bank of River Po Piacenza Lodi Evacuation of Lombardy

  Villanova 15-17 November, 1796 The Heights of Caldiero; Vicenza River Alpone Verona Villanova Right bank of River Adige Piacenza Arcola Retreat of Alvintzi

  Stradella 14 May-14 June, 1800 Around Genoa; Piacenza Stradella defile Switzerland (Geneva) Stradella Alps and then left bank of River Po Milan Marengo Convention of Alessandria

  Ulm 25 September-20 October, 1805 Vicinity of Ulm and Black Forest; Augsburg River Lech Along the Rhine Ulm Black Forest and Danube Augsburg Ulm Capitulation of General Mack

  Jena 8-14 October, 1806 On move towards Thüringerwald, Berlin and Dresden River Saale Camps in Bavaria Jena Thüringerwald Forest Würzburg-Auma Jena-Auerstadt Destruction of Prussian Army

  Pultusk 22-29 December, 1806 West of the Narew Eastward Before Warsaw Pultusk Nil Warsaw Pultusk Russian retreat

  Allenstein 25 January-3 February, 1807 West of the Alle Eastward West of River Narew Allenstein Nil Warsaw Allenstein Russian retreat

  Eylau 5-7 February, 1807 West of the Alle Left bank of the Alle Left bank of River Alle Eylau Nil Warsaw Eylau Russian retreat but severe French check

  Friedland 7-14 June, 1807 West of the Alle Left bank of the Alle West of River Alle Friedland Nil Warsaw Friedland Peace of Tilsit

  Landshut 17-25 April, 1807 Landshut/Ratisbon area; Landshut and Vienna River Isar Ratisbon/Augsburg Landshut Lefebvre’s corps Augsburg Eckmühl, etc. Retreat of Archduke Charles

  Wagram 23 April-6 July, 1809 Bohemia; Landshut and Vienna River Marche Near Ratisbon Wagram Right bank of Danube Isle of Lobau Wagram Retreat of Archduke Charles

  Vilna 24 June-9 July, 1812 East of the Niemen; Vilna River Vilia Along the Niemen Vilna Nil Kovno Vilna Inconclusive

  Smolensk 11-19 August, 1812 Right bank of River Dnieper; Vitebsk River Dnieper South of Vitebsk Smolensk Forest of Bieski Orcha Smolensk Russian retreat

  Lützen 1-2 May, 1813 Left bank of River Elster; Dresden Right bank of River Saale Right bank of River Saale Lützen The River Saale Hanover Lützen Allied retreat

  C. THE STRENGTH AND POSITIONS OF L’ ARMÉE DE RÉSERVE, JUNE 14, 1800

  (Based upon Captain Brossier’s reproduction of the official strength return, printed in his Journal, Archives de la Guerre A II, d. 147.)

  Lieutenant-Generals Divisional Commanders Strength Location

  Includes some 250 mounted “guides.”

  A.INFANTRY

  Desaix Gardanne 3,638 Marengo

  Lannes Chambarlhac 5,287 Marengo

  Victor Monnier 3,614 Marengo

  Watrin 5,083 Marengo

  Boudet 5,316 Marengo

  Consular Guard* 1,232 Marengo

  Duhesme Loison 5,304 Piacenza

  Lapoype 3,462 Ponte-Curone

  Lorge 4,400 Créma

  Gilly 3,300 Milan

  Moncey Chabran 3,373 Left bank of River Po

  Turreau 1,000 Turin

  Bethencourt 500 Arona

  Reinforcements en route 3,468 various

  _______

  Total 48,977

  _______

  B. CAVALRY

  Murat Harville (heavy) 550

  Marengo

  Kellermann (dragoons) 1,551 Marengo, less two regiments at Spinetta

  Rivaud (chasseurs) 699

  Champeaux (hussars) 420

  Duvignau (heavy) 1,112 Marching from Milan

  (chasseurs) 850 Piacenza

  (hussars) 420 Piacenza

  Reinforcements en route 1,424

  _______

  Total 7,026

  _______

  C. ARTILLERY AND SAPPERS

  Marmont À Pied 1,466

  À Cheval 283

  Marescot Engineers, sappers 269

  _______

  Total 2,018

  _______

  SUMMARY

  (a) At Marengo (b) In garrisons or support (c) En route Totals

  Includes some 250 mounted “guides.”

  Infantry 22,938 21,339 3,468 47,745

  Consular Guard* 1,232 --- --- 1,232

  Cavalry 3,220 2,382 1,424 7,026

  Artillery and Sappers 618 1,400 --- 2,018

  _______ _______ _______ _______

  Total 28,008 25,121 4,892 58,021

  _______ _______ _______ _______

  D. THE FORMATIONS OF LA GRANDE ARMÉE, AUGUST 29, 1805

  Unit Commander Line Divisions Attached Light Cavalry Divisions Gross Strength

  The Imperial Guard Bessières --- --- 7,000

  First Corps Bernadotte Drouet and Rivaud Kellermann 17,000

  Second Corps Marmont Boudet, Grouchy and Dumonceau* Lacoste 20,000

  Third Corps Davout Friant, Gudin and Bisson† Vialannes 26,000

  Fourth Corps Soult St. Hilaire, Suchet,§ Vandamme and Legrand Margaron 40,000

  Fifth Corps Lannes Oudinot and Gazan* Treilhard 18,000

  Sixth Corps Ney Dupont,* Loison and Mahler Tilly 24,000

  Seventh Corps Augereau Desjardins and Mathieu No cavalry 14,000

  Reserve Corps (assembling) Deroy (Bavarians) --- 26,000

  Seeger (Württembergers)

  Harrant (Badeners)

  Reserve Cavalry Murat Nansouty’s and Hautpol’s cuirassiers --- 22,000

  Klein,* Walther, Beaumont and Bourcier—dragoons

  Baraguey d’Hilliers—dismounted dragoons

  Reserve Artillery Dommartin --- --- 5,000

  TOTAL STRENGTH: 219,000.

  EFFECTIVE STRENGTH:

  210,500 (and 396 guns).

  Line Divisions marked * later formed into the Eighth Corps under Mortier.

  Line Division marked † later commanded by General Caffarelli (the Younger).

  Line Division marked § later attached to Lannes’ Fifth Corps.

  N.B.—Each division comprised three regiments (nine battalions) and each light cavalry division, four regiments. Information mainly drawn from the Correspondance, Vol. XI, No. 9137, pp. 141-44.

  E. THE ORGANIZATION OF L’ARMÉE D’ESP AGNE IN NOVEMBER 1808

  Formation Commander Divisional Generals Strength*†

  TOTAL STRENGTH,

  October 10, 1808: 314,612; Effective 244,125. Approx. 600 guns

  FIRST CORPS

  Marshal Victor, Duke of Belluno Ruffin (1st Division)

  Lapisse (2nd Division)

  Villatte (3rd Division)

  Beaumont (Light Cavalry)

  _______

  TOTAL:

  33,937 (less 5,100 sick or detached)

  _______

  FOURTH CORPS

  Marshal Lefebvre, Duke of Danzig Sébastiani (1st Division)

  Leval (2nd Division)

  Valence (3rd Division)

  Maupetit (Light Cavalry)

  _______

  TOTAL:

  22,895 (less 3,100 sick or detached)

  _______

  II. C

  ENTER

  IMPERIAL GUARD

  Two regiments of Grenadiers (4 battalions)

  Two regiments of Chasseurs (4 battalions)

  Two regiments of Fusiliers (6 battalions) 8,000 Infantry

  One regiment, each of Chasseurs-àcheval, Grenadiers, Dragoons, Gendarmes d’Élite, Polish Light Horse; one squadron of Mamelukes 3,500 Cavalry

  _______

  TOTAL

  (incl. gunners): 12,100 (detachments, etc. uncertain)

  _______

  SECOND CORPS

  Marshal Bessiéres (replaced by Marshal Soult, Duke of Dalmatia, w.e.f. 9 November) Mouton (1st Division)

  Merle (2nd Division)

  Bonnet (3rd Division)

  Lasalle (Light Cavalry) later Franceschi, w.e.f. 10 November

  Later additions:

  January 1809

  Delaborde (ex-Eighth Corps)

  Heudelet (ex-Eighth Corps)

  _______

  TOTAL:

  33,054 (less 12,900 sic
k or detached)

  _______

  (41,000)

  SEVENTH CORPS

  (Detached for service in Catalonia) General Gouvion St. Cyr Chabran (1st Division)

  Lecchi (2nd Division)

  Reille (3rd Division)

  Souham (4th Division)

  Pino (5th Division)

  Chabot (6th Division)

  3 brigades of Light Cavalry

  _______

  TOTAL:

  42,382 (less 6,200 sick or detached)

  _______

  (50,000)

  SIXTH CORPS

  Marshal Ney, Duke of Elchingen Marchand (1st Division)

  Lagrange (2nd Division)

  Mermet (3rd Division)—see below

  Colbert (Light Cavalry)

  _______

  TOTAL:

  38,033 (less 8,400 sick or detached)

  _______

  (After transfer of Mermet’s Division in November to IInd and IIIrd Corps, operational strength 20,000)

  RESERVE CAVALRY

  Marshal Bessiéres, w.e.f. 9 November Latour-Maubourg (Dragoons)

  Milhaud (Dragoons)

  Lahoussaye (Dragoons)

  Lorges (Dragoons)

  Millet (Dragoons) (Kellermann, w.e.f. January 1809)

  Franceschi (Light Cavalry); later transferred to Second Corps w.e.f. 10 November

  _______

  TOTAL:

  17,069 (detachments, etc. uncertain)

  _______

  (Subject to considerable fluctuations)

  CENTRAL RESERVE INFANTRY

 

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