The reasons for the military successes in the 2nd and 3rd coalition Flashcards
(17 cards)
What are the 3 factors for the questions on NB’s military successes?
1) Nature of Napoleon’s grande armee
2) Napoleon’s generalship
3) The relative weakness of Napoleon’s enemies
What evidence is there to support NB’s grand armee being the reason for success?
-large population of 30 million and the levee en masse harnessed France’sr eosuces
-soldiers live off the land policy - meant carried few supplies and did not have to wait for supply wagons so could travel more ground
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How large was Napoleon’s army by 1805-1806?
-500,000-600,000 (plus auxiliary troops)
What evidence was there to disagree with NB’s role in grand armee being a success?
-Cannot be all boasted by NB: Carnot’s military reforms were influential as he encouraged mixed order tactics and use of cavalry (HOWEVER: NB did add on these - live off the land policy - Prussia accommodated 100,000 French soldiers)
What evidence is there to support NB’s generalship as a reason for military successes?
-Developed on Carnot’s military reforms
-NB reorganised the army into corps of 25,000-30,000 plus special groups (imperial guard and a reserve artilery)
-Live off the land policy
-Pushed for Blitzkreig - quick victories
-Used flank attacks to confuse the enemy - Such as battles of Ulm vs Austria and Jena-Auserstdat vs Prussians
-Bulletin de la grande armee - “My dear army” -propaganda to strengthen his image in them
What evidence is there to disagree with NB’s generalship as a reason for military successes?
-Others should be credited: Moreau at Hohenlinden in December 1800 and forced Austria to sign Treaty of Luneville in February 1801 and Victory at Marengo was due to help from Desaix
- NB not an innovator-uninterested in new military innovations such as primitive submarine, incendiaries or telegraph
-Did not listen to others and weakness was geographical areas and water- Battle of Trafalgar 1805 and Russian campaign
What evidence is there to support relative weakness of enemies as a reason for military success?
-Alied disunity: weak coalitions - 3rd Coalition ran on Pitt’s (British PM) funding; Russia withdrew from 2nd coalition in 1799 when interests were threatened ; Russia joined continental system in 1807 due to Treaty of Tilsit which betrayed England
- NB beat the Prussian army in Jena-Auserstdat where he outmaneuvered them and Prussians lost 45k men- Prussians were considered to have a very strong army - not weakness then
What was the peace agreement between France and Britain which ended the Second Coalition?
-Peace of Amiens 1802
-France agreed to leave United Provinces, Naples and Papal states
-Britain agreed to return oversee territories to France Minorca returned to Spain, Egypt returned to the Turks, Malta returned to Knights of Saint John
What happened to the treaty of Amiens 1802?
-Never fully upheld by either side; NB stayed in United Provinces and Britain in Malta
-Britain declared war in May 1803
What happened in the Battle of Trafalgar?
-Admiral Nelson trapped French and Spanish forces in Cape Trafalgar near Spain on the 21 Ocotber 1805.
-27 British ships faced 33 French and Spanish ships and France and Spain lost 22 ships whilst Britain lost 0.
When was the Battle of Ulm and what did it bring?
-October 1805- captured 50,000 Austrian forces and entered Vienna in November
When did Napoleon end Austrian involvement in 3rd Coalition and force Russian forces to retreat?
-December 1805 at Austerlitz - led to the treaty of Pressburg vs. Austria
What were the agreements of Treaty of Pressburg?
Prussia defeated at Jena-Austdat (14th Oct 1806), where Prussian army was outmanoeuvred by Napoleon, Prussia lost 45,000 men
-Nb entered Berlin
When were Prussians defeated?
-Prussia defeated at Jena-Auserstdat( 14th Oct 1806), where Prussian army was outmaneuvered by Napoleon, Prussia lost 45,000 men
What was the treaty of Tilsit?
-Treaty with Alexander I of Russia who formed a “bromance”
-July 1807
-Russia gave up Poland which created Duchy of Warsaw
- Russia paid 120m franc indemnity
-Russia had to join Continental system
In 1808, How much of the Italian papal states were occupied by NB?
-February: NB ordered occupation of Rome
-By March: papal states: Ancona, Macerata,Fermo, Urbino were annexed to Kingdom of Italy
When was the Nb excommunicated and when did the Pope return to Rome after being confined in the Ligurian republic?
-Nb excommunicated in 1809
-Pope returned in 1804
