Napoleons Invasion of Russia
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THE SPECIAL CAMPAIGN SERIES rown 8710 Clark co iousl su lied w ith Ma s a d C , , p y pp p n P la ns P rice s . n ot ea c . 5 lz . SAARBRUCK TO PA RIS : TH E FRANCO W M N A R. B COL . N . GER A y SISSO C PRATT, la te R . A. TH E R O - RK W 8 SS S AR . B U TU I H , 1 77 y MAJ OR F. MAURICE . F RE E R CKS B R : A III . D I U G STUDY IN WAR 1 862 . B W . R W , y MAJ OR G . ED AY. TH E CA MPA IGN OF MAGE NTA a nd O FE R NO 1 8 . B OL . W C . YLL Y C . B . S L I , 5 9 y H C , H E WA E RLOO C MP T I N. B L T A A G y CO . N la te R A . SISSO C . PRATT, . H E CAMPA G BO E M . T A 1 866. VI I N IN H I , - B LT . COL . R . GL N KE y G J U IC . E M . TH L E PZ G CA PA G 1 8 1 . B VII I I I N, 3 y N ~ C OL . F. C . B . la te R . E . MAUDE, , ’ M . GRA S C P I GN RG A VIII NT A A IN VI INI , W 1 86 TH E N M GN B P . 4 ( ILDER ESS CA PAI ) . y CA T V H N S WY ndia n rm AUG A A ER, I A y. H E E A MP I N 8 T C G 1 0 6 . B L J N A A , y CO . F . N C . B . la te R . E . MAUDE, , TH E R S SO - APA E SE WAR U J N . By . F . R . W CK R . E . A. CAPT SEDG I , TH E WAR OF S E CE S S O 1 86 1 - I N, 1 862 B U L L RU N V N . B . W ( TO MAL ER HILL) y MAJ OR G . W R ED AY. H E L M CAMP ! I I . T U A G . B COL . F I N y . N. C . B . la te R . E MAUDE, , . E WA R ! . TH OF S E CE S S O I 86 III I N, 3 H V NC N Y B . B L ( C A ELLORS ILLE A D GETT S URG) y CO . P . D A L B I AC C . B . H , E WAR F E ! IV. TH O S CE SS O 1 862 I N, R U N N N H B ( CEDAR , MA ASSAS, A D S ARPS URG) . By W. H . E . S EPPARD APOL E O ’ S CAMPA G S I N ALY N N I N IT , - - 1 6 1 a nd 1 80 0 . B L T . COL . R . B N 79 79 7 y G URTO . H E AMPA M ! VI . T C G A C R A I N IN N H U I , - 1 0 1 0 . o uble Vo lume 1 0 5 . ne t . B P 9 4 9 5 D , y CA T. F. R . S W CK R . EDG I , M B ! . FRO O L OG E TO A S E RL Z VII U N U T IT . - \ B L l E U T . COL O I E L R . G B N ndia n rm y URTO , I A y . ! O L E OF MAR LB ’ VIII . UT IN ORO U GH S CAM P A I GN S . B F W N . O. YC K D . C S . y CAPTAI MA O , O SPE CIA L CA MPA I G N SE RIE S N O 1 . 9 NAPO L E O N ’ S INVASIO N O F RU SSIA By E - OL O EL R G B T N L T C . U R O I U . N . I n dia n A rwy ’ ” A U TH OR OF NAP OL E ON S C MPA GNS I N I T LY A I A , ” B GNE T A U E L Z E FROM OU LO O ST R IT , TC . WITH SI ! MA PS A N D P LA N S Les grand e s e ntreprises lo intaine s périsse nt par la ’ gra nde ur méme des prépara tifs qu o n fa it po ur en ” a ssurer la réussite . M N S O TE Q U IE U . LONDON E O R G E A L L E N C O MP A N L T D. G Y , R SK OU SE AND RA BO E PLACE U IN H , 44 45 TH N NEW YORK : TH E MACMI LLAN COMPANY 1 9 1 4 PREFACE WHILE the great tragedy of 1812 must ever excite the r r Of lik its inte est and wonde mankind , e all the deeds of mi r r are its ghty actor , the lessons to be de ived f om it most important if not its most attractive feature . We ni Of r es may point to the va ty human g eatn s , here shown in its mi r decline , and the li tations imposed by adve se circumstance on genius even in its most exalted mani fes tio f li ta n . We may indicate the uti ty of undertaking a r r r w a g eat ente p ise ith inadequ te means , without the power and perhaps even the will to carry it to a successful c onclusion ; and the limits that are fixed to human a mbition a s much by the forces of nature as by the o f in hostility of man . Napoleon , the embodiment tellectual force, the incarnation o f mental and physical e r he nergy , cont ived for a time to control the conditions r r hi w b r o f created in Eu ope . He ode the w rl ind y vi tue r o f r li characte , pe sona ty , of intelligence , and of imagina hi um his r tion w ch made up the s of genius . But in cou se r a r his of time he c e ted fo ces , not only in enemies but i f i r r . in h msel , wh ch ranged beyond the powe of cont ol There arose in him an almost blasphe mous self- co nfidence a belief in his star that led him to neglect the elements vi P RE FA CE r his necessa y to success , which may be illustrated by own saying It is a proof o f the weakness o f human ” nature that men imagine that they can oppose me . Well might Goethe say o f him : He lives entirely in ” the ideal but can never consciously grasp it . The military lessons of the Russian campaign a re r In r o f numerous . In its general featu es , the grandeu in its a s its conception , and some respects in execution , its wa s well as in abysmal end , this gigantic invasion - un splendid and awe inspiring . Who can contemplate moved the sublime spectacle of that mighty human E fi its stream pouring across urope into Russia , ghting its way to Moscow , and shattered remnants struggling a r so b ck ac oss the Berezina , in whose icy flood many thousand lives were quenched in circumstances Of tragic The fi r . r horror dramatic gu e of the Great Empero , standing in the snow during the retreat , dominating the r r o f his i situation by the me e te ror personal ty , will stand h f he out for ever on the page of history . T e ortitude in t N retreat of ey , that warrior of transcendent courage , who , asked where was the rearguard , replied in all truth , I am the rearguard and in response to a summons rr A o f to su ender , Marshal France never surrenders f fi urnishes one of the nest episodes of this dramatic epoch . As regards the fundamental causes of failure , specula tion leads us to inquire into the personal attributes of the T r greatest soldier of all history . he e appears to be no P R E FA CE vii i N ’ t doubt that at th s time , although apoleon s intellec r a ll its his its etained sharpness and vision all clearness , r A his physical natu e had begun to decline . lready in his forty - third year he had lost in physical and mental ur The vigo , and in decision and boldness of execution . — — first failure of his plans the escape of Bagration would 1805 have been averted had Napoleon been the general of . But he contented himself with sitting in his study a t V n ui i il a , and iss ng orders wh ch were sound in project but f fin d him the aulty in execution . Nor do we dominating fi a s li A z battle eld at Borodino he did at Rivo , at usterlit , and at Jena . r ha s But in spite of failu e , when all been considered , the campaign of 1812 will remain for all time one o f the o fu hi most w nder l episodes in the story of the world , sufficient of itself to secure eternal fame to the Man of whom it ha s been said by Napier To have struggled with hope under such astoun ding difficulties wa s scarcely to be expected from the greatest minds .