What Is Napoleon's Revolutionary Ground Warfare?

The topic of revolution is extremely subjective. What may appear as an insurrection to some might not be as extreme to others. When talking about the American Revolutionary War, however, the answer is clear. While the War certainly brought about change within the United States, it wasn’t necessarily very revolutionary. The most important aspects of the colonies, such as ideas about government, various types of societal equality, slavery and freed blacks, and the rights of women remained for the most part, unaffected.

The American Revolutionary War was a long hard fought war that lasted about 8 years. Many Countries were involved in the war, such as The United States, France, Great Britain, Spain, and The Dutch Republic. Not all countries actually fought but they provided either side with weapons and supplies to help them have a greater chance of winning the war. More than 70,000 people were killed during the great American Revolutionary War. The Americans were tired of the loyalist British taking advantage of them. They were tired of the new taxes that kept being created by the British. The Americans were tired of being pushed around, so they decided to do something about it. High Tensions eventually got between the two countries and they began to start a war, which was known as The American Revolutionary War. Before the war began, a great man implied, “One of the most essential branches of English liberty is the freedoms of one’s house, a man’s house is his castle”, informing everyone that the colonies should be freed from British control (Otis). The American Revolutionary war was a war started, so the 13 colonies of America could gain there independence from Great Britain. Thousands of soldiers were killed while many others were severely wounded. The American Revolutionary war was one of the greatest wars in American history, because it had many great battles, was led by some of the greatest leaders, and got the 13 colonies independence from Great Britain.

Napoleon managed to maintain the lesser ideals of the French Revolution. However, he managed to do this by giving all of the former ideals a ‘twist’ of his own if he was displeased by them. This included the fact that he re-wrote the constitution that had previously been written; he partially reversed the relationship with the Church, turning France into a Catholic country. It can also be stated that the way he gained power was against the French Revolution’s ideals: and this was the very beginning! On the other hand, Napoleon managed to maintain equal taxation, which had previously been a big issue, especially for the poor. Distinction was removed and there were no privileges for any parties neither was there a way to ‘sneak out’ of

Napoleon seemed to have been seen as a man chosen and destined by god to find victory, though in reality he was a workaholic, and spent long nights carefully drafting his plans for battle. He was careful to maximize his manpower where it counted most. That said, Napoleon saw a value in remaining unpredictable, always maintaining an aggressive stance to force his opponent to respond to his moves. He often determined that the “moment” was more important than manpower. Often, after maneuvering for some time, Napoleon would order his men to charge towards the enemy’s approximate location. Sometimes he himself recalls that the approximation was weak, but it was more important to move quickly and definitely, than to wait for complete intelligence to reveal the true nature of the enemy’s whereabouts. Napoleon did not hold many rules on his troops when on the march, only that they move at a steady pace and stay close together so that they could get into formation quickly. Ultimately, it is clear that Napoleon had a natural gift for choosing the right moves, and furthermore seemed to be at his best when under the pressure of an intense battle, while the commanders of other armies tended to mishap.

How many slaves can say they were a double agent in the Revolutionary War? Only one, and that’s James Armistead. In his early life, James made many contributions to the war and in his adult life he went on to become one of the major benefactors to the Americans winning in the Revolutionary War.

During the revolutionary war American military officers had to evolve their tactics in order to out maneuver the large British forces to win the war. General Francis Marion would become known as one of the more famous revolutionist of his time. “Taxes imposed by the Crown were enacted to recoup expenditures from the French and Indian War, but the American colonist despised the British authorities for their heavy-handed tactics” (Savas & Dameron, 2006). Within the three years prior to revolution, the British government imposed the Sugar Act, Currency Act, and Quartering Act upon the American colonists. The Massachusetts House of Representatives denounced further taxing

Marie – Joseph Paul Yves Roch Guilbert du Motier, Maquis de Lafayette (1757 – 1834) was a French military leader who played a large role in America’s victory in the Revolutionary War. He was a tall fiery man with high status and a large adoration for American liberty (Boy’s Life). He devoted everything in his life at the time to join the rebels as well as risked being imprisoned for disobedience. His connections through his wealth and his own personal excitement for the rebel leaders’ beliefs gave America a large boost that lead to their victory (UXL).

The United States did its best to stay neutral during the Napoleonic Wars raging between Great Britain and France as they fought for global supremacy. The president at that time, Thomas Jefferson, did not want to engage in foreign entanglements and alliances that could risk America’s growth. Jefferson had already bought the Louisiana Territory from Napoleon. Jefferson wanted to focus on the expansion of land to utilize our resources while following the Manifest Destiny. Interfering in the Napoleonic Wars and taking a side endangered America in some way.

In 1796 as a young officer of 27 years old, Napoleon was given command of the French army in Italy. In his proclamation to his troops, Napoleon said, 'The two armies which but recently attacked you with audacity are fleeing before you in terror; the wicked men who laughed at your misery and rejoiced at the thought of the triumphs of your enemies are confounded and trembling.' Acts like this display the strong personality that Napoleon possessed and how his endearing nature captivated his troops. The control and support of the army was effective in enabling Bonaparte to eventually seize power.

A motivating force behind the revolution was the American embrace of a political ideology called "republicanism", which was dominant in the colonies by 1775. The "country party" in Britain, whose critique of British government emphasized that corruption was to be feared, influenced American politicians. The commitment of most Americans to republican values and to their rights, helped bring about the American Revolution, as Britain was increasingly seen as hopelessly corrupt and hostile to American interests; it seemed to threaten to the established liberties that Americans enjoyed. The greatest threat to liberty was depicted as corruption. The colonists associated it with luxury and, especially, inherited aristocracy, which they condemned.

Napoleon Bonaparte is seen by historians in a variety of lights. Some judge him for his lack of mercy for those in his warpath along with his unmatched air of confidence. Others choose to see him for the leadership abilities and keen mind that fueled his remarkable triumphs as a general, commander, First Consul of France, and even emperor. Owen Connelly uses his work, The Epoch of Napoleon, to bridge the gap that other historians and authors have skimmed over, giving the reader an inside look at not only Napoleon’s military life, but also his political and personal life. Furthermore, Connelly achieves this by showing both the ruthless and heroic sides of Napoleon, including non-military details from the life of Napoleon, and lastly, including quotes from Napoleon and those that interacted with him.

Napoleon’s self-defeating actions had a greater impact in his defeat than British strategic performance because of a suboptimal integration of policy, strategy, and operations. First, the Emperor’s political desire for French hegemony led to a strategic overextension from which France was unable to recover. Second, Napoleon’s poor naval strategy inadequately armed the French Navy with a fleet capable of competing with the British Royal Navy. Third, Napoleon’s lack of decentralized execution and his desire for absolute operational control at the organizational level led to his demise. This essay will then examine the counterargument and rebuttal that British strategic performance mattered more to Napoleon’s defeat than the Emperor’s self-defeating actions because of a British strategy of selective engagement.

For this assignment, I will be comparing two different sources; the first was written within the chronicles of Fouché (Count of Otranto) who worked for a time as Napoleon’s chief of Police. The second is a biography written by Stendhal who served Napoleon within the army and administration. Composed between the months of November 1817 to August 1818, it is the only biography written with an in-depth eyewitness account about the tumultuous Life of Napoleon. (Lentin and Gant, 2004. p.13)

Napoleon Bonaparte is credited with being a great military tactician as well as a military genius during his era. He played a significant role in world history and the art of war. The man’s genius was fundamentally practical, and all the military concepts he used were attributed to his close study that he did of his earlier commanders, predominantly Fredrick the Great. He did not trust any novel idea and thus by no means used other people’s concepts. He made the fullest utilization of the notions of his predecessors, which he breathed life into them making them successful. Napoleon had to be strategic in order to be victorious in his conquests. The skills, strategies and tactics he used in the battlegrounds were desired and thus copied by many during his era and up today. Warfare especially during the Napoleonic era fundamentally changed modern warfare and continues to be the main reason the military studies Napoleon today. It impacted the battles of today. This essay’s main purpose is to point out the impacts of Napoleon’s warfare strategies and tactics on modern day warfare. It will analyze the principles Napoleon used during his era, and they include the theory of nationalism, creation of the corps’ system and leading disciplined and professional armies.

Napoleon Bonaparte is often characterized as one of the most brilliant and influential military leader in all of history. Known mostly for his diminutive stature and extraordinary military skill, Napoleon Bonaparte is commonly recognized today for his great accomplishments and works regarding the country of France. Though he achieved many great things, the successfulness of this leader is often still debated all across the world. Many believe he was unsuccessful and arrogant while others argue that Napoleon’s great skill shaped the world as it is known today. Though there are numerous conflicting viewpoints throughout the world, Napoleon’s successfulness is more prominent, for his reforms to the country of France and military dominance set him apart from all other preceding leaders.