Napoleon Against Great Odds: The Emperor and the Defenders of France, 1814

246 Pages·2010·2.33 MB·English

by  Ralph Ashby

N A G O
APOLEON GAINST REAT DDS
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N A G O
APOLEON GAINST REAT DDS
The Emperor and the
Defenders of France, 1814
Ralph Ashby
Copyright2010byRalphAshby
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,
storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyany
means,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,
exceptfortheinclusionofbriefquotationsinareview,withoutprior
permissioninwritingfromthepublisher.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Ashby,Ralph.
Napoleonagainstgreatodds:theemperorandthedefendersofFrance,
1814/RalphAshby.
p.cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-0-313-38190-4(acid-freepaper)—ISBN978-0-313-38191-1(ebook)
1.NapoleonicWars,1800–1815—Campaigns.2.WarsofLiberation,1813–1814.
3.NapoleonI,EmperoroftheFrench,1769–1821—Militaryleadership.4.France.
Arm(cid:2)ee.GrandeArm(cid:2)ee—History.I.Title.
DC236.75.A84 2010
940.207—dc22 2010003457
ISBN:978-0-313-38190-4
EISBN:978-0-313-38191-1
14 13 12 11 10 1 2 3 4 5
ThisbookisalsoavailableontheWorldWideWebasaneBook.
Visitwww.abc-clio.comfordetails.
Praeger
AnImprintofABC-CLIO,LLC
ABC-CLIO,LLC
130CremonaDrive,P.O.Box1911
SantaBarbara,California93116-1911
Thisbookisprintedonacid-freepaper
ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
Contents
ListofAbbreviations vii
ListofIllustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
1 The1814Campaign—IntroductionandControversy 1
2 PreludetoInvasion—FromMoscowtoParis 11
3 NapoleonCreatesaNewArmy—Again 21
4 Infantry 43
5 Cavalry 57
6 Artillery,Engineers,andOtherTroops 63
7 ImperialGuard 71
8 NationalGuard 79
9 Napoleon’sCampaignof1814 87
10 CiviliansandPartisans 123
11 TheBattlesofF(cid:3)ere-Champenoise 143
12 TheFallofParis 153
13 FrenchCasualtiesin1814—Desertion,Disease,andDeath 169
14 EpilogueandConclusions 177
Notes 193
SourcesandWorksCited 219
Index 225
v
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List of Abbreviations
CN Correspondance de Napol(cid:2)eonIer
ML Correspondence between Napoleon andMarie-Louise
SH Service Historique del’Arm(cid:2)eede Terre (MilitaryArchives at
Vincennes)
vii
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List of Illustrations
FIGURES
1.1 TsarAlexanderI 6
1.2 FieldMarshalBlu€cher 7
3.1 Napoleon,dictatingtohissecretaries 33
3.2 HenriClarke,MinisterofWar 37
4.1 Infantryadvancingunderheavyfire 46
4.2 Infantryrecruitsdrilling 49
5.1 Frenchchevau-le(cid:2)gerlancers 60
5.2 Russian‘‘Irregular’’Cavalry 62
6.1 Frenchdesertersarrested 68
7.1 OldGuardGrenadiers 72
7.2 YoungGuardInfantryintheattack 76
9.1 NapoleonattheBattleofBrienne 92
9.2 NapoleonattheBattleofMontereau 106
9.3 PrinceSchwarzenberg 118
9.4 Napoleoninbattle 121
10.1 SceneoftheFrenchCampaignof1814 131
11.1 MarshalMarmont 144
11.2 Pacthod’stroopsatF(cid:3)ere-Champenoise 149
12.1 EmpressMarie-Louise 156
12.2 Napoleon’sson,‘‘TheKingofRome’’ 157
12.3 DefenseoftheClichyGate 160
ix