'Aussie Rick'’s Comments (group member since Jun 13, 2009)

'Aussie Rick'’s comments from the THE NAPOLEONIC WARS group.

The October theme read page is ready to go - the theme is the Spanish Ulcer:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The October theme read is any book or books of your choice that covers the Spanish Ulcer.

That's a pretty horrific form of punishment and not one that I've heard about before. Great post, Jim!

No issues there at all, Betsy. Conflict brings out the best and the worse of humanity!

The greed and cruelty of some of the scavengers and looters, both soldiers and civilians, sometimes amazed me. They didn't care if the poor wounded victim was an enemy or one of their own, they carried on with their grim task regardless.

Jim wrote: "I'm sorry, as I'm late as it's after August. The book I picked up ( at the end of August) was "Waterloo: The Aftermath" by Paul O'Keefe. It is not so much about the Battle of Waterloo as about the ..."

Better late than never, Jim!

I liked this bit from your post; "The officer was saved from a similar fate by the timely intervention of two English Grenadiers. After killing the Prussian, and adding his loot to their own, the elder of the pair cheerfully justified 'collecting lost property' from the field: 'Well, we fought hard enough yesterday to allow us a right to share what no one claims, before the Flemish clowns come here by cock-crow.'"

Great posts Scott! And your library sounds perfect :)

Betsy wrote: "Would it be faster to buy premade ones? But perhaps you can't find ones you would like? We'd be lost without ours."

I could but I prefer tailor made, from floor to ceiling with adjustable shelves, they fit into the toom much better and look a lot nicer.

My furniture was finally delivered yesterday so I might be a bit quiet for a few days to a week as we slowly unpack. My books will have to stay boxed up until I can get some bookshelves built but I have started the process with getting a few spaces measured up and I'm just waiting for the quote to arrive.

Scott wrote: "Not that I would want to be a courier with verbal orders in Spain or Russia! I am sure there were nasty ways of extracting information from unfortunate couriers."

Yep, totally agree with you there Scott!

Betsy wrote: "Two couriers taken? Wow, that speaks of 'karma' or something. Thanks for the info. I didn't think Berthier would trust just one man. Even Napoleon couldn't plan on something like two men not being ..."

In many accounts you read of Napoleon's HQ's using up to three couriers at a time, but it seems circumstances dictated two, one of which was unfamiliar with the area. Bad luck for Napoleon and a godsend for the Russians!

Betsy wrote: "In A Tarnished Eagle Murphy points out the importance of the recovery of the orders to Bernadotte by the Russians just before the battle at Eylau. Considering the weather, terrain and the number of..."

Hi Betsy, on the Napoleon Series web page there is an article on the Polish campaign and the author stated:

"It was at this moment, due to the vigilance of the Bagration's advance guard, that astonishing news arrived at the Russian headquarters. As mentioned above, Bagration had bivouacked at Deutsch Eylau with outposts on the Drewenz and Loebau. Following Bagration's orders, the pickets had been established along the whole periphery. On 31 January, one of these videttes, from the Elizavetgrad Hussars, captured a French courier and discovered startling documents: here, stated with that clarity which normally characterized the Emperor's dispatches, was Napoleon's whole plan of campaign. Berthier had given this dispatch to the first officer who had come to hand. Unhappily, this young officer knew nothing of the country he had to cross and nothing of the enemy's positions. Soon, another of Bagration's outposts, manned by a Cossack regiment, captured a second courier with the same order. Both unfortunate couriers were captured before they could destroy the papers they carried and these invaluable documents reached Bagration. At the time of the couriers' capture, Bernadotte, who had received no further orders from army headquarters, remained where he was, unaware of the Emperor's intentions."

https://www.napoleon-series.org/milit...

Scott wrote: "Waterloo: Battle of Three Armies

Here is a description of the doomed personality, Ney, who just days earlier was sunning himself ..."

Great post Scott, that last paragraph is a perfect summary of the futility and tragedy of Napoleon's wars!

Great post MR9, the defeat must have struck him hard with the full realisation that this time it was truly over!

"A Tarnished Eagle: Napoleon's Winter Campaign In Poland, December 1806 Through February 1807" - Lessons learnt:

"Another important lesson from the winter campaign in Poland was that two very important Russian Army Officers learned how to fight Napoleon, Generals Bagration and De Tolly. It can be argued that the lessons learned by both Bagration and De Tolly would pay huge dividends, both for Bennigsen in 1807 and for the Tsar himself in 1812, when both of these individuals would command the separate wings of the Russian Army. Employing what could be seen as the roots of a ‘Fabian Strategy,’ the Russian advance guard would attack the isolated detachments of Napoleon’s Army, then withdraw as a rear guard of the main army. By constantly fighting a series of rear guard actions, these generals began to wear down an already tired French Army, and forced Napoleon to constantly overextend in the hope of tying down and engaging the Russian main body. This tactic would again be seen in Russia in 1812 with even more disastrous results for Napoleon."

A Tarnished Eagle: Napoleon's Winter Campaign In Poland, December 1806 Through February 1807 by Edward J. Murphy

"A Tarnished Eagle: Napoleon's Winter Campaign In Poland, December 1806 Through February 1807" - The famous cavalry charge at Eylau:

"Napoleon saw that Murat would have to be cut free and ordered forward the cavalry of the Guard. The guard cavalry smashed through everything, cutting a path for Murat’s trapped cavalry to withdraw. The cost was heavy though. General Dahlmann, Aide de Camp to Napoleon and previous commander of the Chasseurs of the Guard, was killed. General Lepic, commander of the Guard Grenadiers, was wounded. Murat had lost over 1,500 cavalry (either killed or wounded) in the assault. General D’Hautpoul, who commanded the cuirassiers, was killed and General Grouchy was wounded. Additionally, four regimental commanders were lost in what would become know as the greatest cavalry charge of the Napoleonic wars."

Hi Betsy, you raise a few good points. In regard to a scorched earth policy I'm not too sure if it was ever an 'official' policy in many European countries at that time but during the Thirty Years War the operations of the various armies amounted to a scorched earth plus lets not forget Rome during the Second Punic War:

"Rome employed a scorched earth policy against Hannibal, primarily under the leadership of Fabius Maximus. This strategy, also known as the Fabian Strategy, involved avoiding direct confrontation with Hannibal's army while destroying crops and resources in his path to disrupt his supply lines and weaken his forces."

I read the hardback edition and if I recall the maps were quite decent. That's the one issue I have with a Kindle, although mine does allow me to expand the maps to some degree.

I think this has been the better book I've read on the battle so far. Not too many in the English language available but another very good account is; "Marengo and Hohenlinden: Napoleon's Rise to Power" by James R. Arnold.

Marengo and Hohenlinden : Napoleon's Rise to Power by James R. Arnold

Betsy wrote: "Quite impressive. I just have a hard time with charges like that because of the horses. The men have a choice; the horses don't.

BTW, I start your book tomorrow, AR. Looking forward to it."

"A Tarnished Eagle", Betsy? It's a good primer for more in-depth reading and it does offer a good strategic overview with the author discussing lessons learnt and results.

In regard to the YouTube clip, the charge looks magnificent but I totally agree about the poor horses, conscripts into a living hell.

I love this YouTube clip - Battle of Preussisch-Eylau (1807) - charge of French cuirassiers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEUjW...