Napoleon Bonaparte Research Paper

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Napoleon Bonaparte: Military Leader or Poor Strategist Born in Ajaccio, Corsica on August 15, 1769, Napoleon Bonaparte was a dynamic military commander, and a charismatic leader even before he crowned himself emperor of France in 1804. Reigning only for a short span, Napoleon was motivated to repair France as he established his military dictatorship that would conqueror most of Italy, and various parts of the Holy Roman Empire. Though Napoleon is celebrated as a military genius, and is noted for his many victories during the Revolutionary Wars, (such in the ones in Ulm, and Austerlitz), Napoleon’s France does not end as a successful dynasty, and his weaknesses as a military commander is evident as he becomes a strategic failure as his armies …show more content…
Starting on September 25th, and ending on October the 20th, in 1805, Napoleon gathered his Grand Army fleet to the Rhine River, where the Prussian’s were assembling rapidly, the Russians not too far away from the European theater, and the Austrians were in a dangerous close contact with the French. Napoleon deployed a plan to have his men hide in the Black Forest, and made them perimeter around the Austrians, to prevent any meetings with the Russians. The Austrian general, Baron Karl Mack von Leiberich, led his men of 72, 000 to Southern Germany. Napoleon then arranged his brother-in-law, General Marat, to the Black Forest with his men. Moving across Danube slowly, Marat misleads Mark, acting as if his soldiers were the only men in the upcoming battle. Napoleon’s other forces block Mack’s escape. Several battles occurred, as Austrian forces stretched in Ulm. Napoleon decides to fire the town, and Mack realizes his forces aren’t in good condition to combat against Napoleon’s schemes. On the 20th, Mack surrenders, losing about 60,000 men in the process, while Napoleon only 2000 men. Napoleon’s main goal was to defeat the Austrian’s before the Russian’s made their appearance, and to get ahead against the third coalition. With this victory in Ulm, and is miniscule amount of men lost in combat, Napoleon led his men forth towards Austerlitz