The Changing Nature of Warfare

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The Changing Nature of Warfare

• Interactive Multimedia

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Revolutionary Warfare

• Key points
• Opposition to the French revolutionary principles
  and fear that they might spread led other powers
  into war against France
• By 1792, the French were facing defeat because
• their leaders were bad, the revolutionary troops
  were inexperienced and they faced internal
  counter-revolution

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France survived

• Patriotism fostered
• Levee en masse introduced to increase size of
  armies
• Terror (repression) against internal enemies
• Corps system introduced
• Column attacks harnessed enthusiasm but took
  little training

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The Revolutionary War escalated

• The revolutionaries executed the king
• France issued the Edict of Fraternity to
  liberate all other peoples of Europe
• France declared a right to natural frontiers on
  the Rhine and in the Alps, which challenged
  Austria
• other powers redoubled their efforts and formed
  a coalition against the French
• France survived and the coalition collapsed

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Napoleon
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Napoleon led armies to success

• Italy, 1796-7 (Lodi, Arcola)
• Egypt and Near East, 1798 (but his army was
  abandoned and defeated by the British in Egypt)
• Italy, 1800 (Marengo)
• In the Austerlitz campaign (against Austria and
  Russia) in 1805
• Against Prussia in 1806 and Russia in 1807
• by 1810, Napoleon was master of Europe

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The Battle of Austerlitz Case example

• Napoleon defeated the Austrians threatening him,
  by enveloping their armies in southern Germany.
  Corps advanced independently and cut off their
  lines of communication.
• Napoleon was able to prevent the Austrians in
  Italy concentrating against him by cutting off
  the Alpine passes.
• Napoleon took Vienna and confronted the combined
  Russian and final Austrian army at
  Austerlitzlook at the map that follows

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The Russian attack came first (1), but Napoleon
counter attacked (2) and the Russians broke
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The decline?

• Napoleon overextended his armies and failed to
  subdue Spain (guerrilla forces, with British
  assistance, prevented a peaceful occupation),
  1808-1814
• Napoleon invaded Russia in 1812, but was defeated
  by the weather, the distances (and the supply
  problems that created) and by partisans
• In 1813-14, he fought a campaign to defend his
  central European possessions and France

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Napoleonic Warfare the secret of success?

• Napoleon used corps as miniature armies. This
  gave him more flexibility.
• His strategy of central position allowed him to
  defeat forces larger than his own.
• Napoleon used the Levee en Masse to extract more
  manpower for his armies.
• He made extensive use of artillery to dominate
  the battlefield.
• He planned campaigns in advance, but he would
  always adapt his plans to suit the changing
  situation. Mnemonic LACCA

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Tactics the French infantry put their faith in
the psychological effect of the bayonet
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The 100 Days

• Napoleon was forced to abdicate, but returned in
  1815 in an attempt to reassert his control of
  France and Europe
• France fell again under his sway, but British
  and Prussian armies co-operated as allies in the
  Netherlands
• Napoleon decided to gain a Central Position
  between themand was initially successful
• The British and their Dutch allies met Napoleon
  at Waterloo for the final battle and Napoleon was
  defeated.

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Examine the map below and answer the questions
that follow
Wellingtons Army
DErlons Corps
Reilles Corps
Lobaus Corps
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Napoleonic Warfare

• The map portrays the battle of Waterloo (18th
  June 1815). What did Wellington do to protect his
  weak Anglo-Dutch-Belgian army?
• What was the advantage of the Corps system for
  Napoleon?
• What two factors saved Wellington from
  destruction?

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Technology
4. Why was the rifle (such as the Baker rifle
portrayed above) not universally adopted by all
armies in the Napoleonic period even though it
was more accurate than a musket?
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Artillery

• What three types of ammunition did artillery fire
  in the Napoleonic period?
• How were cannons moved on the battlefield? What
  new type of artillery was introduced into Britain
  after their experiences of warfare in India?

Clue
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Communication

• How did commanders communicate orders to their
  soldiers in the noise and thick smoke of battle?
• What system was used to transmit information 150
  miles in 15 minutes in France, or between ships?

Click here for a clue to q7
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Domestic Factors

• Organisation of the state for war The Levee en
  Masse, other European states organised Landwher
  militias or irregular forces (guerrillas).
• Media and public opinion Patriotism used to
  generate support, Napoleons propaganda, and
  passage of information to Paris via relay
  stations.

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Peace and Reaction, 1815-54
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The Vienna Settlement

• The aim was to restore the boundaries of Europe
  before the revolution and Napoleons alterations.
• The Holy Alliance powers (Austria, Russia and
  Prussia) aimed to prevent the spread of
  revolutions and liberal ideas.
• Britain disagreed with this policy and split from
  the other powers in the 1820s.

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Army reforms

• Small professional armies, living away from
  civilians in barracks, would not be prey to
  revolutionary sympathies. It also avoided the
  risk of arming most of the citizenry in mass
  armies, thus creating a potentially revolutionary
  force.
• In France, legions were created and they served
  in different provinces from where they were
  enlisted. This meant they would be more likely to
  crush insurrection.

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Jomini Understanding the genius of Napoleon
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Baron de Jomini

• In the Art of War
• Napoleon had concentrated his forces at the
  decisive point and had sought to destroy his
  enemies army and lines of communication
• Planning was essential and needed to be done from
  accurate maps
• The attack was essential for victory, Napoleon
  had always been on the offensive
• There are principles that can be applied in
  war such as planning, concentration, initiative

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Technology and industrialisation

• Rifles were adopted as standard firearms in the
  1840s and 1850s because industrial processes
  eased the problems and expense of manufacture
• Firepower had increased, but tactics remained
  wedded to the Napoleonic era
• Railways offered opportunity to mobilise larger
  numbers of men and move more rapidly on campaign.
• Reservists could be trained and remain in
  civilian life until needed, thus cutting costs

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The mid-nineteenth century

• Despite the attempts of the Vienna statesmen to
  eradicate the influence of Napoleon, what effects
  of his career remained in Europe in the
  mid-nineteenth century?
• What effect did the idea of nationalism have on
  European states from 1815?

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End of this unit

• 10. Briefly explain why, despite his apparent
  genius, Napoleon was defeated, but why he was so
  revered across Europe after his demise.
• Answer all the questions so far set. You can call
  up a Word file and type the answers straight in
  and email me at Robj_at_richuish.ac.uk