With Eagles to Glory: Napoleon and His German Allies in the 1809 Campaign - John H Gill

This review has been submitted to Strategy and Tactics Magazine. 

Title: With Eagles to Glory: Napoleon and His German Allies in the 1809 Campaign
Author: John H Gill
ISBN: 978-1-78438-309-1
Publisher: Pen and Sword Books
Year: 2018
Softcover
Pages: 542
Photos/Maps: 40/50

Napoleon and his Grande Armee have been written about in countless books and studies; however, attention on those Allies that contributed forces and the role that those forces played has been noticeably absent from the literature of the period. Forged out of the success of the 1805 French Campaigns, 36 small German States bound themselves through treaty to France under the Confederation of the Rhine (Rheinbund). Under the terms of the treaty, they would be obliged to provide a certain percentage of men and equipment when called upon by the French Emperor. Saxon Artillery, Hessian Fusiliers, Jagers and Dragoons from Baden and Infantry from Bavaria are representative of a portion of the myriad of forces made available to Napoleon by the Germans. In total, 123,081 soldiers representing all 36 German States participated in the 1809 Campaign against Austria. Gill’s work seeks to address the lack of recognition of the contribution that these member States made to Napoleon’s success. 

This is truly a comprehensive examination of the Germans, encompassing detailed descriptions and analysis of tactics, uniforms, weaponry, units, training and discussions of the regions from which the soldiers came. Additionally, Gill sheds light on how they were integrated into the French Armies and chain of command. Balancing the needs and sensitivities of this myriad of forces was no easy task and it is quite enlightening how it was undertaken. Appreciating that it is very easy for the historian to get caught up in the miasma of detail that always has the potential to severely degrade the reading experience, Gill adroitly balances the requirements of explanation with the realities of flow and engagement of the reader. He provides enough of the former to provide for the scope and story without getting bogged down. Additional detail is provided at the end of each chapter in the form of copious and comprehensive notes sections.   

Gill’s descriptions of the participation of the German contingents in the 1809 campaign takes the same approach as his analysis of the background: insightful, detailed enough while maintaining reader engagement and comprehensive. Not all contingents participated to the same degree but each is given its due by the author. The reader is left with a much better appreciation of the degree of complexity associated with how armies moved, deployed, fought and were supported during this period. 

The publication quality of the book is good although one of map synopsis pages is missing from the front of this edition. Additionally, the maps themselves leave something to be desired as they do not have the any indications of the movements of the units identified. Nevertheless, the information provided through various tables, unit organization charts, numerous appendices and a comprehensive bibliography is truly outstanding. 1809 is generally recognized as the beginning of the descent of Napoleon and the Grande Armee as both were beginning to exhibit the initial signs of a degradation of the quality previously ascribed to them. Thus it was that the participation and support of the Rheinbund Allies was all the more critical to its continued success. This is an excellent work for both the casual and serious historian and is a recommended addition to anyone’s library.