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To: Cyropaedia

What about Napoleon?


10 posted on 11/14/2004 5:26:17 PM PST by maro
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To: maro

I think Judas Maccabeus fought about as much as any fighting general, probably more.


16 posted on 11/14/2004 5:27:17 PM PST by MoralSense
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To: maro; asgardshill
What about Napoleon?

Most overrated general of all time. His rep stands on a few early victories based on reckless charging of the enemy (The same tactics John Kerry used in the 'nam). Impresses the yokels, but nobody talks about Napoleon's non stratergy losing the big ones: Egypt, Spain, Russia, and a little scrap in Belgium.

As Wellington said as another French charge broke on his carefully prepared defences at Waterloo. "dem me. The man's just a plodder after all"

His problem he was French and Wellington was English.

French tactics were the mass column charge smashing into and breaking the enemy. all very la gloire, but it only worked if the enemy was trained to co-operate.

As Marshal Soult observed after he lost the battle of Talaverna. "I had always thought the English were bad soldiers. Now I am certain. I had overwhelmed their centre, everywhere on the field victory was mine. But they did not know how to run away".

And that was the key how Wellington, who saw war as a profession, defeated the man who was fighting for la glorie: Don't run away. Prepare defences, stand the charge until you see the whites of their eyes, two volleys break the charging column, use the bayonet on the survivors.

This was England's greatest son
He that gained a thousand fights,
Now never lost an English gin
Lord Tennyson Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington

254 posted on 11/14/2004 6:31:52 PM PST by Oztrich Boy ("The true character of liberty is independence, maintained by force". - Voltaire)
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To: maro
What about Napoleon?

The answer to that is Wellington.

676 posted on 12/22/2005 1:33:41 PM PST by Lady Heron
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