MILITARY MAXIMS of

NAPOLEON
組員：黃嘉宥、吳聖熙、林煌勝
Why discuss
Napoleon?
• Napoleon is considered one of the greatest soldiers in
European history, having participated in more wars than
Alexander, Hannibal, and Caesar combined.
• Napoleon lived during a period where the likelihood of war
was significantly increased, and he adopted divisional
organization, dispersion principles, and a significant
artillery force to enhance military efficiency.
• Napoleon lived during a period where the likelihood of war
was significantly increased, and he adopted divisional
organization, dispersion principles, and a significant
artillery force to enhance military efficiency.
• His tactical system included diversionary attacks on enemy
frontlines, employing small units for encirclement in the
enemy's rear, followed by decisive strikes.
• Napoleon continuously increased the number of artillery
units to assist in breaching enemy defenses and supporting
infantry.
Geographical factors
• The frontiers of nations are either large
rivers, or chains of mountains, or deserts.
Of all these obstacles to the march of an
army, deserts are the most dicult to
surmount; mountains come next; and large
rivers hold only the third rank.
• When invading, an army can have both wings on
neutral ground, one wing supported, or no
support. Prevent front line breaks in the
first case, focus on the supported wing in
the second, and keep different corps near the
center in the third. To avoid unsupported
flanks, create forts every few days for
supplies and shorten the line of operations.
 • In multi-army invasions with distinct operation lines
leading to a common meeting point, avoid ordering their
union near the enemy to prevent their concentration and
potential defeat.
• When outnumbered and lacking cavalry and artillery,
avoid pitched battles. Compensate with fast marching,
clever maneuvers, and advantageous positions. Confidence

The way of among soldiers is crucial in this scenario.

• A military maxim, which ought never to be neglected, is

marching to assemble your cantonments at the point which is most

remote and best sheltered from the enemy, especially
when he makes his appearance unexpectedly. You will then
have time to unite the whole army before he can attack
you.
• Infantry, cavalry and artillery cannot dispense with
each other.They ought to be quartered in such a manner
as always to be able to support each other in case of
surprise.
• A general should avoid putting his army into
quarters of refreshment, so long as he has the
opportunity of collecting magazines of
provisions and forage, and thus supplying the
wants of his soldiers.
• Tents are unhealthy; it's better for soldiers
to bivouac with a fire at their feet. Tents
are only necessary for leaders who need to
write and consult maps. They should be given
to officers but never to lodge in a house.
Tents can reveal your position and numbers to
the enemy, while a bivouacked army is harder
to spot.
• Flank marches should be avoided; and when they
must be undertaken, they should be as short as
possible and made with the greatest speed.
 Cavalry
• It is a function of the cavalry to follow up the
victory and prevent the beaten enemy from
rallying.
• A cavalry general should be a master of practical
science, know the value of seconds, despise life
and not trust to chance.
• The heavy cavalry should be with the advance
guard, with the rear guard and on the wings and
in reserve to support the light cavalry.
• To wish to hold the cavalry in reserve for the end
of the battle, is to have no idea of the power of
combined cavalry and infantry charges either for
attack or for defense.
• The power of cavalry is in its impulsion. But it is
not only its velocity that insures success: it is
order, formation and proper employment of
reserves.
• The cavalry should compose a quarter of the
army in Flanders or Germany; in the Pyrenees or
in the Alps, a twentieth; in Italy or in Spain, a sixth.
Artillery

• Choosing a campsite is like preparing for battle. Have artillery ready and well-
positioned. Select a site that isn't vulnerable, can't be flanked, and has good
ground cover.
• Cavalry needs artillery support more than infantry because it fights in close
combat and doesn't have firearms. Horse-artillery is used to address this need, so
cavalry should always be accompanied by cannons when attacking, in position, or
rallying.
• An artillery general coordinates ammunition supply and manages artillery based on
troop movement information received from advanced posts.
• High-quality infantry is vital but should be used cautiously and supported by good
artillery. While infantry is the backbone of an army, prolonged battles against
superior artillery can lead to demoralization and destruction. Even a skilled
general with superior infantry may succeed in parts of a campaign despite inferior
artillery, but on a decisive day, their artillery weakness will be painfully
apparent.
 Defense Stronghold
• When you have a hospital and magazines in a fortied town,and circumstances
are such as not to admit of your leaving a sucient garrison to defend it, you
should at least make every possible exertion to put the citadel in security
from a coup demain
• In fortified places, defending the garrison and resisting the enemy has
limitations. When these limits are exceeded and defenses are breached,
surrender becomes an option. Throughout history, most civilized nations have
generally agreed on this, with the main debate centering on the level of
resistance a governor should provide before capitulation. Some generals, like
Villars, argue for never surrendering and propose destroying fortifications
and escaping under the cover of night in dire situations. Alternatively,
launching a sortie with the garrison to save their troops is another
strategy. This approach has often allowed commanders to rejoin their main
army with most of their garrison intact.
• Infantry in line formation should ideally have only two ranks due to the
ineffectiveness and even potential harm caused by musket fire from a third
rank. To make up for the lack of a formal third rank, additional soldiers can
be added at a ratio of one soldier for every nine or approximately every two
yards.
• Mingling companies of cavalry and infantry is
problematic, leading to difficulties. It
hinders cavalry's speed and impairs its
movements, while also leaving infantry
exposed without support when cavalry moves.
The best way to protect cavalry is to support
its flanks.
• In a battle like in a siege, skill consists
in converging a mass of re on a single point:
once the combat is opened, the commander who
is adroit will suddenly and unexpectedly open
re with a surprising mass of artillery on one
of these points, and is sure to seize it.
 Organize
• It is very dicult for a nation to create an army when it
has not already a body of ocers and non-commissioned ocers
to serve as a nucleus, and a system of military
organization.
• The first quality of a soldier is constancy in enduring
fatigue and hardship. Courage is only the second. Poverty,
privation and want are the school of the good soldier.
• Encourage soldiers to stay in service by showing them
esteem, and increase their pay based on years of service.
It's unfair to pay veterans the same as recruits.
• Nothing is more important in war than unity in command.
When, therefore, you are carrying on hostilities against a
single power only, you should have but one army acting on
one line and led by one commander.
 Intelligence
• Information from prisoners should be assessed
accurately. Soldiers have limited knowledge, while
officers may know more about their division.
Generals should not rely on prisoner statements
unless they align with advance guard reports.
• A good advanced post general should quickly scout
bridges and river crossings, secure reliable
guides, engage with local clergy and postmasters,
establish rapport with locals, deploy spies,
intercept and analyze mail contents, and provide
comprehensive answers to the general-in-chief upon
the arrival of the entire army.
 Total

Napoleon made outstanding contributions in

both military and political spheres, laying
the foundation for many enduring ideas and
practices that remain influential to this
day. Therefore, the study and learning of his
legacy still hold great importance.