Napoleon, a History of the Art of War, vol. 3

A NEW PROBLEM. 11

created by Philip II. in 1560 as a central means of cement- ing the ancient kingdoms which formed the new empire of Spain. From this geographical centre radiate the highways : north to Burgos and Bayonne; northeast to Saragossa and Barcelona ; east to Valencia ; south to Cordova, Seville and Cadiz ; southwest to Lisbon ; northwest to Corunna. Other less prominent roads then existed ; but the country roads were impracticable. In Spain the provinces do not depend on the capital as in other countries : to control Madrid is not to con- trol the land. In most parts of Europe the rivers prescribe the strategy, and except in the uplands of the Alps the moun- tains do so in a lesser degree, rivers being more important than roads ; but in Spain, mostly a treeless country, the rivers, torrential in winter, are wont to be scant in summer, and use- less for navigation. The Spanish river, instead of affording one an entrance to the enemy's country, presents a difficulty. During low water there are innumerable fords, and none are reliable during high water.

WELLESLEY RETURNS TO ENGLAND. 43

Napoleon and Alexander to make use of all the minor navies they could control to sustain the Continental System, Eng- land determined to seize the Danish fleet as a pledge of peace — a fair example of the politics of the day. An expedition was sent out for this purpose, with land forces of twenty- seven thousand men under Cathcart, two divisions in which were commanded by Wellesley and Baird. Copenhagen was invested and bombarded ; Wellesley defeated some hastily armed levies at Roskilde, and the Danish fleet was captured. In July, 1808, having been promoted to be lieutenant-gen- eral, Wellesley was appointed to command an expedition of ten thousand men organizing at Cork for operations in Portu- gal. A few weeks later the force was raised to thirty thou- sand and placed under Dalrymple ; whereupon it was decided that Wellesley should have one of its four divisions. Shortly after leaving Cork, he transferred to a fast frigate and sailed to Corunna, reaching that place July 20. News of Bessieres' victory at Rio Seco a week before showed him that, despite their boasting, the Spaniards were in a bad way, and that the whole of northern Spain might be overrun by the French ; for except on paper there was practically no Spanish or Portuguese army afoot. The Bishop of Oporto, however, bound himself to hold the Portuguese frontier against the French invasion, and Wellesley consulted with the authori- ties as to where the fleet from Cork should land. It was a question whether it would not be wiser to move to the south of Spain and drive Dupont back; but with Bessieres near northern Portugal and Junot in Lisbon, it was decided to disembark at some middle place. Mondego Bay was chosen, and here Wellesley heard the report of Dupont's defeat, which no doubt saved Portugal from invasion by Bessieres, and released Spenser, who came on from Cadiz. Wellesley's force was soon to be followed by the rest of the troops under

VOL. III.

The Convention of Cintra was much misunderstood in England, and Wellesley, who, dissatisfied with his status in Portugal, had asked to be sent home, was for a while held responsible. But after a Court of Inquiry had sat on the case, he was sent back to the Peninsula to command the allied army. In the interval Craddock remained in charge, and Sir John Moore conducted his Corunna campaign.

SURRENDER OF CORUNNA.

SURRENDER OF CORUNNA.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Battle of Essling or Asparn ....

A MASTERFUL ONSET. 225

In view of the splendid fighting at Essling, the assumption that the Austrians could not meet the French in a stand-up fight is scarcely warranted.

ESSLING OR ASPARN. MAY 21-22, 1809.

Charles remained at the Bisamberg watching- the French and waiting to hear from Kollowrath at Linz. On May 20 the bridges across Lobau were com- pleted, and Molitor was thrown over from the island to the north bank. The first thing to do was to fortify the villages of Asparn and Essling, which stood like redoubts in front of the crossing ; but this was not done. By evening of May 20 Molitor and Boudet were across, and after noon on May 21 Charles attacked in five columns. Asparn and Essling went lost, and had to be re- taken at a great sacrifice, which would not have occurred if the villages had been prepared for defense. The Austrians outnumbered the French, for diffi- culty with the bridges prevented troops getting over rapidly, and Lannes and Massena had a task in maintaining themselves. The fighting lasted all day. During the night more men were got across, but still the Austrians re- mained superior, and at 2 A. M., May 22, Charles again attacked. The fighting was desperate, but the bridges being patched up, Napoleon believed he could get over Davout's corps, and, perceiving a weak spot in the Austrian centre, he proposed to thrust a column under Lannes through it. Lannes started at 7 A. m., but the bridges again broke, Davout could not get over, and the French army was in the utmost peril. The French had to hold their own the rest of the day, so as to retire at night, and this at exceptional loss they did, Asparn and Essling being fought for with the utmost tenacity. Lannes was mortally wounded. Napoleon called together some marshals, and all were for retreat to the south of the Danube. This Napoleon showed them was a weakness, and all he did was to retire into the island of Lobau, to begin preparations for another crossing. The battle of Essling or Asparn was one of the most bloody in French annals.

THE FIRST THING TO DO. 255

An account of the battle of Essling, compiled at the De- partment of War in 1810, tells us that at daylight, May 21, the emperor, accompanied by Berthier and Massena and Lannes, " having reconnoitred the position of the left bank and fixed his battlefield, to wit, the right at the village of Essling and the left at that of Asparn, these two villages and the intermediate ground were at once occupied by the different divisions of the 4th Corps, which at nine o'clock crossed the last arm of the river." On May 21 " Boudet was charged to protect on his right the movements of the cavalry, and to occupy in force the village of Essling ; " Beker's report says : " Carra St. Cyr guarded the centre of the line, Molitor the left, having a regiment at the debouch of Asparn, and Legrand was temporarily placed in second line," where he stayed until 3 p. M., when the battle broke out; Bessieres was "charged with the defense of the right, with the cavalry and Boudet." Substantially the same statement is contained in the 10th Bulletin; but this is not evidence of the moment, and the course of the fighting and other testi- mony is not fully in accord with it.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Battle of Wagram, 5 p. m., July 5 .

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Battle of Wagram, 3 a. m., July 6 .

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Battle of Wagram, Noon. July 6 .

ATTENTION DIVERTED. 295

A force of over two hundred thousand men was thus ready to take part in the battle of Wagram.

VOL. III.

Convinced that Soult had nothing in his front, Napoleon ordered him to push forward and subdue the Leon country. The fact that on the same day Napoleon was arranging an operation on Lisbon, while Moore was preparing to march towards Burgos, shows how ill-informed he was : " You can- not have any English in front of you. . . . All leads us to think that they are in full march to the rear. Our vanguard is to-day at Talavera. . . . This movement will force the English to run towards Lisbon," he wrote Soult.

OPORTO- AND TALAVERA. 1809.

After Napoleon left, Soult moved south with some difficulty, and captured Oporto, March 28. Victor was supposed to move down the Tagus, and Lapisse from Salamanca, to cooperate with him, but Cuesta kept Victor busy, despite a handsome victory at Medellin. Owing to the rabid population, the marshals had no n. ws of one another, and Ney, in Galicia, was too busy to help Soult. Welles- lev now returned from England, and, moving against Oporto, cleverly surprised Soult about mid-May, and drove him back across the mountains with loss of all his train. To forestall Wellesley's further advance, Ney and Soult again marched south, but did not long cooperate. Wellesley had no idea of following Soult into Spain, but with Cuesta turned against Victor, who was being starved on the Tagus, and instead of moving down, had withdrawn to Talavera, while Vanegas was to advance on Madrid. Meanwhile Soult, with Ney and Mortier, was moving down to join Joseph, but Victor was eager to fight before he arrived, and in the battle of Talavera, July 27-28, Wellesley, by crisp, defensive tactics, defeated the French. But he did not pursue. By August 4 Soult reached Pla- sencia. and when Wellesley heard of his oncoming he decamped, crossed the and with difficulty reached Badajoz. He had escaped from a trap. Soult desired to concentrate all troops and march on Lisbon, but Joseph refused. Talavera enabled Wellesley to gauge the French, but had no strategic value. ii 1809 the main British army was transferred to the Mondego valley, and Wellington began a huge intrenched camp at Torres Vedras, as a base for fur- r operations. On the Mediterranean coast, the French had taken Saragossa, ona and Gerona, but the population was still in arms.

JOSEPH AT FAULT.

Talavera Campaign.

RUFFIN FAILS.

Battle of Talavera.

PROCLAMATION.

Imperial Camp on the heights of Borodino, September 7, 1812, 2 A. m. hers! Here is the battle that you have so much desired. From now on victory depends on you: it is necessary to us. It will £i\ abundance, good winter quarters, and a prompt return to the fatherland. Conduct yourselves as at Austerlitz, at Friedland, at Vitebsk, at Smo- lensk, and let the most distant posterity point with pride to your conduct on this day. Let it be said of you, " He was in that great battle under walls of Moscow."

PROCLAMATION.

In gauging Napoleon's short proclamation, which every company commander read to his men, one must not consider it from the standpoint of the highest intelligence, but adapt it to the limited understanding of the men in the ranks. In any event, whether it was this, or the knowledge that they must win, which produced the effect, the French fighting was perfect so far as the courage of the men is concerned. Never in modern times have two armies of this size stood to their work under such decimation as these did during the few hours of the most stubborn fighting at Borodino.

A PYRRHIC VICTORY. 588

he battle of Borodino, or of the Moskwa, was one fought in parallel order, " all along the line," a mere push of masses. Without grand-tactics of any kind. Except that the cavalry did some work unusual for that arm, and that the percent

CIRCULAR TO THE BISHOPS OF THE EMPIRE

From our Imperial Quarters at Mozhaisk, September 10, 1812. To the Bishop of X. . . . The passage of the Niemen, of the Dvina, of the Borysthenes, the combats of Mohilev, of Drissa, of Polotsk, of Ostrovno, of Smolensk, finally the battle of the Moskwa, are so many motives to address thanks to the God of armies. Our intention is, then, that on the receipt of these presents you should consult with those in authority. Assemble my people in the churches to sing prayers, in conformity to the usage and the rules of the church in similar circumstances.