A WAR GENIUS

A War Genius

Not like the modern society where politicians, schemers, regulation-makers and some other elites joint together and be in charge of the whole country, the ancient world was ruled by warmongers. Some people don’t like them much, by arguing that they are savage and infamous murderers who raised capital by slaughtering naïve citizens. Indeed, wars are built by blood and they are murderers, to some extent. However, it cannot conceal the truth that they are genius. Wars are marvelous masterpieces created by these giants, and I literally relish reading these incredible wars and people who triggered them as well. Among manifold war leaders, I acknowledge a Frenchman most. His name is Napoleon Bonaparte

Born in Corsica, France, 1769, he was a military and political leader who rose to prominence during the latter stages of the French Revolution. He was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815. He wrote the Napoleonic Code, which exerts momentous influence on many civil law jurisdictions worldwide. These above achievements are nothing, compared to the Napoleonic Wars led by him. These historic wars, which involved every major European power, were destined to be engraved in the world’s history.

                                                     War of the Third Coalition—1805

The Austrians began the war by invading Bavaria with an army of about 70,000 under Karl Mack von Leiberich, and the French army marched out from Boulogne in late July 1805 to confront them. During 25 September to 20 October, Napoleon surrounded Mack's army, forcing its surrender without significant losses. With the main Austrian army defeated, Napoleon occupied Vienna. Far from his supply lines, he faced a larger Austro-Russian army under the command of Mikhail Kutuzov. On 2 December, Napoleon crushed the joint Austro-Russian army in Moravia at Austerlitz, which was usually considered as his greatest victory. He inflicted a total of 25,000 casualties on a numerically superior enemy army while sustaining fewer than 7,000 in his own force.

Austria signed the Treaty of Pressburg and left the Coalition. The Treaty required the Austrians to give up Venetia to the French-dominated Kingdom of Italy and the Tyrol to Bavaria.

With the withdrawal of Austria from the war, stalemate ensued. Napoleon's army had a record of continuous unbroken victories on land, but the full force of the Russian army had not yet come into play.

War of the Fourth Coalition—1806~1807

Within months of the collapse of the Third Coalition, the Fourth Coalition against France was formed by Prussia, Russia, Saxony, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In August 1806, the Prussian king, Friedrich Wilhelm III, decided to go to war independently of any other great power except the distant Russia. The Russian army, an ally of Prussia, was still far away when Prussia declared war. In September, Napoleon unleashed all the French forces east of the Rhine. Ultimately, Napoleon defeated the Prussian army. Then, Napoleon entered Berlin on 27 October 1806. In total, Napoleon had taken only 19 days from beginning his attack on Prussia until knocking it out of the war with the capture of Berlin and the destruction of its principal armies at Jena and Auerstädt. By contrast, Prussia had fought for three years in the War of the First Coalition with little achievement.

In the next stage of the war the French drove Russian forces out of Poland and instituted a new state, the Duchy of Warsaw. Then Napoleon turned north to confront the remainder of the Russian army and to try to capture the temporary Prussian capital at Königsberg. Napoleon then routed the Russian army at Friedland. Following this defeat, Alexander had to make peace with Napoleon.

War of the Fifth Coalition—1809

The Fifth Coalition of the United Kingdom and Austria against France formed as the UK engaged in the Peninsular War against France. Again the UK stood alone, and the sea became the major theatre of war against Napoleon's allies. During the time of the Fifth Coalition, the Royal Navy won a succession of victories in the French colonies. On land, however, things are quite different. Napoleon enjoyed easy success in Spain, retaking Madrid, defeating the Spanish and consequently forcing a withdrawal of the heavily out-numbered British army from the Iberian Peninsula. Then Napoleon advanced into Austria. His hurried attempt to cross the Danube resulted in the massive Battle of Aspern-Essling—Napoleon's first significant tactical defeat. But the Austrian commander, Archduke Charles, failed to follow up on his indecisive victory, allowing Napoleon to prepare and seize Vienna in early July. He defeated the Austrians at Wagram, on 5–6 July. The War of the Fifth Coalition ended with the Treaty of Schönbrunn.

There are more than eight wars involving in the Napoleonic Wars. Reading these compelling wars is my habits, as I can literally acquire a lot via these transcendent masterpieces. Among manifold war geniuses, Napoleon is the most extraordinary and transcendent commander in my heart.