Napoleon Against Great Odds : The Emperor and the Defenders of France, 1814

This revisionist history offers a fresh analysis of Napoleon and the French army as they defended their empire against the massive Coalition invasion of 1814.French defeat in 1814 is too often shrugged off as the result of obvious and understandable factors. Napoleon Against Great Odds: The Emperor and the Defenders of France, 1814 challenges the widely accepted notion that war-weariness and internal political opposition to Napoleon were the decisive and direct causes of French defeat. At least as important, it argues, were material shortages, diplomatic missteps, and even faulty strategic planning on Napoleon's part. The book not only traces the narrative of Napoleon's 1814 Campaign in France, but explores the formation of the French army tasked with defending France against the Coalition invasion. Diplomatic, political, and social factors are taken into account and the issue of war-weariness is analyzed carefully and critically. Each branch and arm of the French forces is examined, as are military mobilization under difficult circumstances and partisan and guerilla warfare. Designed to encourage fresh debate about the 1814 campaign, the book offers thought-provoking reading for scholars and general readers alike.

This revisionist history offers a fresh analysis of Napoleon and the French army as they defended their empire against the massive Coalition invasion of 1814.

Library Journal

The bulk of English-language books on the Napoleonic wars focus on the Russian Campaign of 1812 and/or the Waterloo Campaign of 1815. There are not many that deal with the fighting in Germany in 1813 or the defense of France in 1814, before Napoleon's first exile. Those books that do discuss the latter campaign all tend to say the same thing: that the Allied Coalition and/or war weariness in France spelled the end of the Empire. Ashby (history, Eastern Illinois Univ.), an army veteran, has written an intriguing book that takes into account the additional perspective that Napoleon simply ran out of time in preparing for the defense of France in 1814. The lust for revenge had driven Russian Tsar Alexander and Prussian Field Marshal Blucher to invade France in the winter rather than wait for spring and more agreeable maneuver weather.Verdict Told in a fast-paced, clear voice, Ashby's book, surveying events both on and off the battlefield, challenges the reader to reexamine the facts and look deeper into the reasons underlying Napoleon's defeat in 1814.—David Lee Poremba, Keiser Univ. Lib., Orlando, FL

This revisionist history offers a fresh analysis of Napoleon and the French army as they defended their empire against the massive Coalition invasion of 1814. French defeat in 1814 is too often shrugged off as the result of obvious and understandable factors. Napoleon Against Great The Emperor and the Defenders of France, 1814 challenges the widely accepted notion that war-weariness and internal political opposition to Napoleon were the decisive and direct causes of French defeat. At least as important, it argues, were material shortages, diplomatic missteps, and even faulty strategic planning on Napoleon's part. The book not only traces the narrative of Napoleon's 1814 Campaign in France, but explores the formation of the French army tasked with defending France against the Coalition invasion. Diplomatic, political, and social factors are taken into account and the issue of war-weariness is analyzed carefully and critically. Each branch and arm of the French forces is examined, as are military mobilization under difficult circumstances and partisan and guerilla warfare. Designed to encourage fresh debate about the 1814 campaign, the book offers thought-provoking reading for scholars and general readers alike. Napoleon Against Great Odds ... Challenges The Widely Accepted Notion That War-weariness And Internal Political Opposition To Napoleon Were The Decisive And Direct Causes Of French Defeat. At Least As Important, It Argues, Were Material Shortages, Diplomatic Missteps, And Even Faulty Strategic Planning On Napoleon's Part. The Book Not Only Traces The Narrative Of Napoleon's 1814 Campaign In France, But Explores The Formation Of The French Army Against The Coalition Invasion--jacket. The 1814 Campaign : Introduction And Controversy -- Prelude To Invasion : From Moscow To Paris -- Napoleon Creates A New Army Again -- Infantry -- Cavalry -- Artillery, Engineers, And Other Troops -- Imperial Guard -- National Guard -- Napoleon's Campaign Of 1814 -- Civilians And Partisans -- The Battles Of Fère-champenoise -- The Fall Of Paris -- French Casualties In 1814 : Desertion, Disease, And Death -- Epilogue And Conclusions. Ralph Ashby. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Napoleon Against Great Odds: The Emperor and the Defenders of France, 1814 4 Contents 6 List of Abbreviations 8 List of Illustrations 10 Acknowledgments 12 1 The 1814 Campaign—Introduction and Controversy 16 2 Prelude to Invasion—From Moscow to Paris 26 3 Napoleon Creates a New Army—Again 36 4 Infantry 58 5 Cavalry 72 6 Artillery, Engineers, and Other Troops 78 7 Imperial Guard 86 8 National Guard 94 9 Napoleon’s Campaign of 1814 102 10 Civilians and Partisans 138 11 The Battles of Fère-Champenoise 158 12 The Fall of Paris 168 13 French Casualties in 1814—Desertion, Disease, and Death 184 14 Epilogue and Conclusions 192 Notes 208 Sources and Works Cited 234 Index 240 0313381909,9780313381904,9780313381911,0313381917