Following the disastrous Russian campaign of 1812; Napoleon found himself facing a new coalition of his old enemies. With incredible speed he raised an army of 200;000 men and marched to join the remnants of the old Grande Armee in Germany. However; he no longer faced the brittle enemies of 1805 and 1806 and at Lutzen on May 2; the inexperience of his new army began to show. Faulty reconnaissance by raw cavalry allowed Ney's Corps to be surprised by Wittgenstein's Russians. This book describes the last realistic chance Napoleon had to regain his empire by defeating the allies in Germany before Austria stirred and the tide turned irreversibly against him.Following the disastrous Russian campaign of 1812; Napoleon found himself facing a new coalition of his old enemies. With incredible speed he raised an army of 200;000 men and marched to join the remnants of the old Grande Armee in Germany; where he planned to defeat the combined Franco-Prussian army in detail as he had so many times before. However; he no longer faced the brittle enemies of 1805 and 1806; nor were the men he led the veterans that had brought him victory at Austerlitz and Jena. At Lutzen on 2 May the inexperience of his new army began to show. Faulty reconnaissance by raw cavalry allowed Ney's Corps to be surprised by Wittgenstein's Russians. Napoleon galloped to the scene and with his old brilliance turned defeat into victory; personally leading the counter-attack. Crossing the Elbe he brought the allies to battle at Bautzen; but Ney's hesitancy allowed them to escape and victory slipped from his grasp. As Austria stirred; the tide began to run ever more strongly against Napoleon. In the spring of 1813 a turning point had been reached - Napoleon's last chance to regain his Empire had slipped from his grasp.
#5455925 in Books 1995-07-24Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.21 x .69 x 6.14l; 1.25 #File Name: 0275946940280 pages
Review
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. One of the better books on Napoleonic battlesBy Aussie ReaderI found 'Napoleon Conquers Austria' to be a well researched and written book covering the 1809 campaign for Vienna. The author presented the campaign in such a fluid style that I lost track of time whilst reading the book. His account of the Battle of Wagram was excellent and there was 13 maps to assist the reader to follow the action. I think that the maps could have been better presented but they were sufficient; the illustrations (19) were interesting with some recent photos of the battlefields. Overall this was an easy to read account of this famous campaign and it was an enjoyable journey to take. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Napoleonic history.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Fun to readBy David P. WesterHow it is I do not know but the majority; vast majority; of books on this exciting period put me to sleep. Not Mr. Arnold. He has a fluid style which manages to entertain as well as inform. Why not 5 stars? The maps are crude and the Order of Battle does not include number of effectives present per regiment.
