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.  

The Battle of Copenhagen 1801 - Ole Feldbaek

This review has been submitted to Strategy and Tactics magazine.

Title: The Battle of Copenhagen 1801

Author: Ole Feldbaek

ISBN: 978-1-47388-661-2

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Year: 2016

Softcover

Pages: 270

Photos/ Maps: 23/5

There is an African proverb which says: “When two elephants fight, it is the grass that gets hurt”; such was the situation that tiny Denmark found itself as it hurtled towards a war that it knew it could not win against the British Empire. Faced with participating in an alliance between Russia and France on the one side demanding that Denmark live up to its obligations as part of the Alliance of Armed Neutrals against Britain, and the weight of the Royal Navy on the other demanding that it sever all ties with the Alliance and form a bond with the UK – Denmark, in the full knowledge that it was doomed, had to choose. Obliteration as a state should it defy France and Russia, or defeat and reduction to a third or fourth rate power should it stand up to Admiral Nelson and the Royal Navy; consciously, but with a deep sense of resignation and pride, it chose the latter.

Feldbaek has produced a book drawing upon primary source material from Danish as well as the UK archives; however, the book is drafted with a significant emphasis from the Danish perspective. He has provided the reader with a comprehensive understanding of the political and economic drivers and influencers of the period as well as the real politique decision making that typified these years. One appreciates the very fine line that Denmark tried to walk diplomatically between the international heavy weights of Russia, France and Britain.

The author presents an excellent analysis of a Danish government that tried to follow a diplomatic line that it had no chance of backing up by force. A failure in undertaking long term investment in the defences of Copenhagen and its environs left it particularly vulnerable to sea borne attack. Nevertheless, Feldbaek shows clearly that, once war was inevitable, the Danish leadership did all that it could to prepare and that the people of Denmark, from professional sailor to craftsman, responded to the call to arms, undertaking gunnery drills right up to the morning of the day of battle (with the British fleet a few hundred yards distant).

This was an interesting and unique naval fight as it did not require any movement between the adversaries; both sides were, for the most part, stationary. This was a brutal, slogging match where gunnery speed and accuracy were the defining factors. The British acknowledged after the fact that the Danes requited themselves very well despite their lack of expertise. The author also provided a fascinating study regarding the concurrent activities as the battle raged such as the hundreds of small boats plying the waters between the battle lines carrying boarding parties, prisoners and rescue parties (all subject the rifle and cannon fire blasting across this naval no man’s land) and the land resupply of the Danish fleet.

The book is very well researched and written. It is not a dry historical rendition of the past but a vibrant and engaging account of a defining moment of the Napoleonic wars. It puts a human face on the cross section of protagonists from the lowest of the seamen to the most senior of leadership. For naval enthusiasts as well as those followers of the Napoleonic period this book provides an excellent account of a naval battle often times lost in the emphasis placed upon the Battle of the Nile and Trafalgar.

Trafalgar: Countdown to Battle 1803-1805 - Alan Schom

Title: Trafalgar: Countdown to Battle 1803-1805

Author: Alan Schom

ISBN: 9-780-7-18131-99-9

Publisher: Michael Joseph Publishing

Year: 1990

Hardcover

Pages: 421

Photos/Maps: 55/16

Trafalgar has achieved such a level of renown and legend that it still, 212 years after it occurred, resonates in the annals of British and Royal Navy history. Lord Nelson, the British Commander at the Battle, is still recognized as being one of the finest Naval Commanders in British history. Schom’s book acknowledges Trafalgar’s pride of place and the skill of Nelson and his crews in literally ‘securing’ the shores of England from invasion; however, his book goes much further than his and places the Battle within the larger context of the period and the events leading up to that fateful confrontation. This is critical in that it presents Trafalgar not as a standalone event, significant as it was, but as a logical conclusion (the Battle itself, not the outcome) of English and, more importantly, French policy from the period 1803 onwards.

The political battle of wills, both internally and externally, between the nations of England and France are traced with a clarity of understanding without being bogged down in excess detail. The importance of the ‘personality’ as opposed to solely the political acumen of the main players is made patently obvious. Schom’s explanation of the roles of Addington, Pitt, St Vincent, Cornwallis and a host of other secondary but nonetheless key English individuals, in the battle of wills with France, is fascinating as the reader begins to appreciate the pettiness, insight, vision and jealousies of the players and the expanse of the domestic, let alone international, wars that were raging at this time.

Conversely, the French are also analyzed with the same keen eye. The main difference in their case is the overwhelming role that Napoleon plays in the direction of the French Imperial (and by extension Spanish) policy towards England. What quickly becomes apparent in the French case, is the capacity for the entirety of the resources of the Empire to be focused towards the realization of the Emperor’s dream of crushing England. Schom also adroitly makes clear the challenges not readily apparent to a casual observer, that being the ability to build ships does not an effective Navy make. The loss of the cream of the French Naval Officers during the Revolution left France with a dearth of experienced and capable officers. This shortage, more than anything else, provided the French Navy with its Achilles Heel. That, and their arrogance and disdain for their Spanish allies.

Schom culminates his book with a detailed study of the Battle itself. It is clear that victory was never a sure thing for the English as the French and Spanish Captains and crews, for the most part fought, with a determination and ferocity never before witnessed by the British. For all of his shortcomings (and there were many) the Combined Fleet Admiral, Villeneuve, in the end led his fleet into battle. Indeed, the battle may have ended very differently were it not for the apparent cowardice of the French Rear-Admiral Dumanoir who commanded the lead division of 10 French and Spanish ships and who deliberately sailed past and away from the battle, despite being ordered to engage and within sight of French, Spanish and British ships in active combat, thereby reducing the Combined Fleet by almost a third.

Schom’s book is an excellent rendition and analysis of this period. It highlights the very real threat posed by Napoleon to England and the closeness with which she avoided invasion. The expanse of his narrative and the style with which he delivers his story is insightful, enlightening and captivating. His approach is very balanced and candidly reveals the strengths and flaws the main characters involved. This book is strongly recommended.