4c Later Military Flashcards
(12 cards)
Initial development of the Peninsular war and its outcomes?
1808 Baylen, Spanish victory: Austria reinvigorated, Napoleon enters, British enters.
Progress of Peninsular War, middle?
Loss of Vimeiro, but Napoleon makes progress, before leaving for Wagram, 1809.
Later stages of the Peninsular war.
Wellesley takes Salamanca (1812), Vitoria (1813), and finally the Pyrenees.
Two causes of the Peninsular war?
Spanish rejection of King Joseph (as displaced King Charles IV), Portugal refusal of Continental system.
Three issues that the Grand Armee faced in the Peninsular?
- British effective supply 2. Failures in command between Joseph, Junot, Marmont and Soult 3. Forage hard in infertile lands
Three causes of Russian Campaign, 1812?
- Treaty of Tilsit violated (Sweden, continental system) 2. 1810 Trade Tariffs punish France, favour Britain 3. Imperial expansion, particularly Constantinople
Which parts of the Russian campaign show Napoleon’s declining strategic ability?
Smolensk, failure to encircle and close road to Moscow. Drissa, pre-emptive halt. Borodino, nominal victory but 30,000 French losses.
Which battle did Desaix aid Napoleon in?
Marengo, Italian campaign, bringing 6,000 troops.
Which two battles did Davout aid Napoleon in most importantly?
Saltanovka (IV corps arrival), 1812. Austerlitz (timely arrival saved right wing), 1805. Auerstadt (outnumbered 26,000 to 45,000), 1806.
Which three nations came to fight following Russian victory, and what shows the limit of their ‘cohesion’?
Sweden, Austria and Prussia. Austria asked for separate peace in July 1813, and British in Châtillon.
How was the Grand Armée affected by the loss of troops?
Could muster 400,000 troops by April 1813, but could not follow up victories in Spring 1813 (Lützen, Bautzen) due to lack of horses. (NB loss of Gudin).
What was the impact of the Russian campaign on Russia?
Tsar Alexander invigorated, pursues ‘Holy War’ into Paris (sees Napoleon as antichrist). Loses 100,000 men.
