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Subject: Napoleon's technique
Commander    3/25/2005 12:33:30 AM
If memory serves me correct the key to Napoleon's victory was his unorthodox ways of making war. For example he addopted the column formation concentrating an attack on the enemy center.
 
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Ad    RE:Napoleon's technique   3/31/2005 8:27:18 AM
The glorious column formation was designed to act as a sledge hammer on an anvil; relying on sheer force to sweep the enemy aside. It never defeated the British line. This was for several reasons. All British troops were professionals, and could fire at a much greater rate than their French counter parts. Secondly by deploying a battalion into line and using platoon volley fire, every musket in that two man line could fire at the column, while only the front rank of the column could return fire. Thirdly by using platoon volley fire, there was constant and continuous rate of fire was kept up.
 
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Heorot    RE:Napoleon's technique   4/1/2005 2:22:30 PM
Napoleons columns worked against the traditional Continental line system of 3 ranks but the British had been able thego to a 2 rank line system. As Ad said, the british were professionals and were able to fire at such a rate that the 3rd line wasn't needed. And the reason that they were so quick was that the British army trined with live ammunition. Believe it or not, most Continental armies just did the drill and never fired their guns in peacetime. At Talavera, the Spanish fired one volley at extreme range, scared themselves silly, and ran from the field. They had never heard massed musket fire before.
 
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Cityhick    RE:Napoleon's technique   11/7/2005 9:20:55 PM
Check out to answer most napoleonic-technique questions.
 
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jastayme3    RE:Napoleon's technique   12/12/2005 11:54:23 PM
According to "by musket cannon and sword" the idea of the column was to instead of making the attack in line all the way, to have large numbers of troops advance in column. This allowed them to conduct flexible manuevers in the course of the advance; wheras before it had been more or less predictable. The shock thing was not the primary advantage but a secondary one. As the revoulutionary troops gained experience they could do incredibly complicated manuevers-shifting the course of the advance to concentrate at a selected point for instance. The actual attack often did take place in line rather than column depending on the comanders preference. but the advance took place in column. also there were large parties of reserves standing by in column. Finally this system allowed cavalry to actually support the infantry rather than being deployed on the flanks as had been before. This is a rough description. I shall have to look in that book again.
 
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