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To assist with command and control of the infantry, each soldier would wear a colourful military uniform visible from a distance, even through the black-powder clouds hovering over the Napoleonic battlefields. Napoleon himself did not underestimate the importance of morale and said once that, "Moral force rather than numbers decides victory." [5]
The strategy of the central position (French: stratégie de la position centrale) [1] was a key tactical doctrine followed by Napoleon in the Napoleonic Wars. [2] It involved attacking two cooperating armies at their hinge, swinging around to fight one until it fled, then turning to face the other. The strategy allowed the use of a smaller ...
The Campaigns of Napoleon (1973) 1172 pp; a detailed guide to all major battles excerpt and text search; Crowdy, Terry. Napoleon's Infantry Handbook (2015) Dupuy, Trevor N. and Dupuy, R. Ernest. The Encyclopedia of Military History (2nd edition 1970) pp 730–770; Elting, John R. Swords Around a Throne: Napoleon's Grand Armee (1988) Esdaile ...
Napoleon could win battles by concealing troop deployments and concentrating his forces on the "hinge" of an enemy's weakened front. If he could not use his favourite envelopment strategy, he would take up the central position and attack two cooperating forces at their hinge, swing round to fight one until it fled, then turn to face the other. [4]
Napoleon had now consolidated his hold on France, had taken control of Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and most of Western Germany and northern Italy. His admirers say that Napoleon wanted to stop now, but was forced to continue in order to gain greater security from the countries that refused to accept his conquests.
The line, column, and square formations were the most recognised tactical formations in use during the Napoleonic era. [2] Each of these formations had its own unique purpose in attacking or counter-attacking and no doubt played a large role in battlefield tactics. The line formation was the most favoured amongst the British infantry.
"Napoleon didn't shoot for the pyramids, and the battle of the pyramids, so-called, was not fought at the base of the pyramids," he says. In fact, the attack in Egypt happened miles away from the ...
What dampened the enthusiasm was a message coming from the Paris Directory in which the decision was communicated to divide the command of the Italian army between Bonaparte and Kellermann, so as to assign the former the task of destroying the Pope and the latter to maintain control of the Po valley. Napoleon responded in a displeased manner ...