H104: Armies of the People and the Birth of Modern Operational Art

1. H104: Armies of the People and the Birth of Modern Operational Art

2. Revolutionary French Army • 1789 French Guard Regiment Mutinies • 1790 Regiments mutiny in Nancy • 1791 Louis XVI attempts to flee (executed 1793) • National Guard reaches strength of 2 million • 1792 10,000 regular officers (of 11,000) leave service • 1792 Last royal officers discharged • 1793 Levee en masse decree • 1794 1.1 Million men under arms • Average General Officer 33 years old

3. Levée en Masse “All Frenchmen are in permanent requisition for army service. The young men will go to fight; the married men will forge arms and carry supplies; the women will make tents and uniforms and will serve in the hospitals; the children will shred old clothes; the old men will be taken to the public squares to excite the courage of the combatants, the hatred of royalty, and the unity of the Republic.” - Lazare Carnot Mobilization Decree, Paris, 1793

4. 1769 Aug 15 - Napoleon Bonaparte born at Ajaccio, in Corsica • 1779 Apr 25.--Napoleon enters the Royal Military School of Brienne-la-Château. • 1784 Oct 23.--Napoleon enters the Royal Military School of Paris. • 1785 Sep 1.--Napoleon appointed Lieutenant en second in the Compagnied'Autume of Bombardiers of the 5th Brigade of the 1st Battalion of the (Artillery) Regiment de la Fère, then quartered at Valence. • 1793 Oct 9 to Dec 19.--Napoleon placed in command of part of artillery of army of Carteaux before Toulon; made Chef de Bataillon (Major), 19th October; Toulon taken, 19th December. • 1793 Dec 22.--Napoleon nominated provisionally General of Brigade; approved later; receives commission, 16th February 1794. • 1795 Jun 13.--Napoleon ordered to join Hoche's army at Brest, to command a brigade of infantry; remains in Paris; 21st August, attached to Comité de Salut Public as one of four advisers; 15th September, struck off list of employed generals for disobedience of orders in not proceeding to the west. • 1795 Oct 5, 13th Vendémiaire (Jour des Sections).--Napoleon defends the Convention from the revolt of the Sections, and fires on the people, as second in command under Barras. • 1795 Oct 16.--Napoleon appointed provisionally General of Division. • 1796 Mar 2.--Napoleon appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Army of Italy; • 1797 Jan--Fourth attempt to relieve Mantua; battles of Rivoli, 14th January, and Favorita, 16th January; Alvinzi again driven off. • 1797 Feb 2.--Wurmser surrenders Mantua with 18,000 men. • Mar 10.--Napoleon commences his advance on the Archduke Charles; till stopped by news of peace. • 1798 --Egyptian expedition. Napoleon sails from Toulon, 19th May; Alexandria taken, 2d July; battle of the Pyramids, 21st July; • 1798 Aug 1.--Battle of the Nile. • 1799 Aug.--Napoleon sails from Egypt; • 1799 Oct 9 and 10 --Napoleon seizes power. • May and June.--Marengo campaign. • 1801 Jul 15.--Concordat with Rome; Roman Catholic religion restored in France. • 1802 Aug 4.--Napoleon First Consul for life. • 1804 May 18.--Napoleon, Empereur des Francais; crowned 2d December. • 1805 Oct 21.--Battle of Trafalgar. • 1805 Dec 2.--Russians and Austrians defeated at Austerlitz. • 1806 Jul 1.--Confederation of the Rhine formed; Napoleon protector; German Empire dissolved 6th August; Francis I. takes title of Francis II. of Austria. • 1806 -- battles of Jena and of Auerstadt, 14th October; Berlin occupied, 25th October. • 1808 Mar.--French, under Murat, gradually occupy Spain under pretense of march on Portugal • 1808 Nov and Dec.--Napoleon beats the Spanish armies; enters Madrid; • 1809 --Campaign of Wagram. Austrians advance, 10 April; battle of Abensberg 20th April; Echmuhl 22 April; Napoleon occupies Vienna, 13th May; beaten back at Essling, 22d May; finally crosses Danube, 4th July, and defeats Austrians at Wagram, 6th July; Armistice of Znaim, 12th July. • 43-44 1813 --Leipsic campaign. 2d May, Napoleon defeats Russians and Prussians at Lutzen; and again on 20-21st May at Bautzen; (21st June, battle of Vittoria, Joseph decisively defeated by Wellington); 26th June, interview of Napoleon and Metternich at Dresden; 10th August, midnight, Austria joins the allies; 26- 27th August, Napoleon defeats allies at Dresden, but Vandamme is routed at Kulm on 30th August, and on 16th-19th October, Napoleon is beaten at Leipsic; 30th October, Napoleon sweeps Bavarians from his path at Hanau. • 44 1814 --Allies advance into France; 29th January, battle of Brienne; 1st February, battle of La Rothière. • 44 1814 Feb 5 to Mar 18.--Conferences of Chatillon (sur Seine). • 44 1814 Feb 11.--Battle of Montmirail; 14th February, of Vauchamps; 18th February, of Montereau. • 44 1814 Feb 23-24.--Wellington crosses the Abour, and beats Soult at Orthes on 27th February. • 44 1814 Mar 7.--Battle of Craon; 9th-10th March, Laon; 20th March, Arcissurl'Aube. • 44 1814 Mar 21.--Napoleon commences his march to throw himself on the communications of the allies; 25th March, allies commence their march on Paris; Battle of LaFèreChampenoise, Marmont and Mortier beaten; 28th March, Napoleon turns back at St. Dizier to follow allies; 29th March, Empress and Court leave Paris. • 44 1814 Mar 30.--First Treaty of Paris; France restricted to limits of 1792, with some slight additions, part of Savoy, etc. • 45 1814 Apr 2.--Senate declare the dethronement of Napoleon, who abdicates, conditionally, on 4th April in favour of his son, and unconditionally on 6th April; Marmont's corps marches into the enemy's lines on 5th April; on 11th April Napoleon signs the treaty giving him Elba for life; 20th April, Napoleon takes leave of the Guard at Fontainebleau; 3d May, Louis XVIII. Enters Paris; 4th May, Napoleon lands at Elba. • 45 1814 Oct 3.--Congress of Vienna meets for settlement of Europe; actually opens 3d November. • 45 1815 Feb 26.--Napoleon quits Elba; lands near Cannes, 1st March; 19th March, Louis XVIII. leaves Paris about midnight; 20th March, Napoleon enters Paris. • 45 1815 16th Jun.--Battle of Ligny and Quatre Bras; 18th June, Battle of Waterloo. • 45-46 1815 Jun 29.--Napoleon leaves Malmaison for Rochefort; surrenders to English, 15th July; sails for St. Helena, 8th August; arrives at St. Helena, 15th October. • 46 1815 Nov 20.--Second Treaty of Paris; France restricted to limits of 1790; losing Savoy, etc., pays an indemnity, and receives an army of occupation. • 51 yrs. 8 mos. 1821 May 5.--Napoleon dies 5.45 P.M.; buried 8th May. Napoleon

5. Opportunity “Every French soldier carries in his cartridge-pouch the baton of a marshal of France.” - Napoleon

6. Previous Occupations of Napoleon’s Marshals Augereau - Footman Massena - Smuggler Bernadotte - NCO Moncey - Law Student Berthier - Junior Officer Mortier - Farmer Bessieres - Barber Murat - Cavalryman Brune - Lawyer Ney - Cavalryman Davout - Aristocrat Oudinot - Brewer Grouchy - Aristocrat Perignon - NCO Jourdan - Peddler Poniatowski - Prince Kellerman - Junior Officer Saint-Cyr - Eng Student Lannes - Cloth Dyer Servrier - Aristocrat Lefebvre - NCO Soult - Baker MacDonald - Junior Officer Suchet - Silk Worker Marmont - Junior Officer Victor - NCO

7. Frederician vs. Napoleonic Warfare • CategoryFredericianNapoleonic • Type of Soldier Long Service ProfessionalCitizen Conscript • Disciplinary System FearPatriotism • Social Class: • Officer Aristocracy Promotion • Enlisted Lower Class on merit • Logistics MagazinesForaging • Army Size Less than 50,000100,000 in 7 battles • Tactics: • Infantry LinearL’Ordre Mixte • Artillery Less Mobile, DispersedMassed • Operational Goal ExhaustionAnnihilation • Organization Centralized (Report to King) Decentralized (Corps) • Strategic Objectives Limited (Silesia)Total (Europe)

8. Inherited Concepts • Massed Artillery (Du Teil) • Mobile Artillery (Gribeauval) • Division Organization (Bourcet / Guibert) • Levee En Masse (Carnot / Revolution) • L’Ordre Mixte (Guibert / Regulations 1791) • Nationalist Motivations (Revolution) • Promotion on Merit (Revolution)

9. Original Innovations • Corps Organization • Cavalry Reserve • Forward Supply Bases • “Pieces of Ribbon” • Decisive Battle Concept

10. NDMP (Napoleonic Decision-making Process) • Emperor does the Estimate of the Situation • Emperor does the Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield • Emperor develops Courses of Action • Emperor does Wargaming • Emperor selects a Course of Act • Emperor develops Branches and Sequels • Berthier publishes the order

11. Planning and Thought “If I always appear prepared, it is because before entering on an undertaking, I have meditated for long and have foreseen what may occur. It is not genius which reveals to me suddenly and secretly what I should do in circumstances unexpected by others; it is thought and meditation.” - Napoleon

12. Napoleonic System • Nationalism • Logistics (Foraging) • Organizations • Increased Range, Scale, and Speed of War • Offensive Doctrine based on Mobility / Flexibility • Decisive Battle (Pursuit /Annihilation) Genius?