MARSHAL LOUIS N. DAVOUT AND THE ART OF COMMAND A ...

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Although the French had won every encounter thus far with the Austrians, Charles was still able to retreat in fairly good order. Charles managed to get most of his forces across the Danube, leaving a force of about 6,000 men to conduct a rear guard action at Ratisbon. The city, encircled by a large wall, was well suited for defense. Napoleon would have to take the town and the bridge in order to continue his pursuit on the next day. He recognized that he could not conduct a siege because that would allow Charles time to escape. Ratisbon had to be taken by storm. On the twenty-third, Napoleon pushed forward with Lannes' corps in the lead. Charles1 rear guard manned the walls of Ratisbonand repulsed every attack that the French threw at them.The attackers had to traverse a few hundred meters of openground, cross a large ditch then scale forty foot walls toget at the Austrians. Artillery used against the wallsdid little to help the French efforts. Finally, in ascene eloquently described in Marbot's memoirs, Lannesgrabbed a scaling ladder and headed for the wall .himself.I4Two of the Marshal Is aides stopped him andattempted to take the ladder away. Seeing this, hissoldiers stormed the walls and carried the city within thenext hour.
The ~re'nch prevailed over the Austrians and the road to Vienna was open once again. However, Charles had managed to escape leaving the first phase of the 1809 campaign without a decisive result, even though during this period the Austrians suffered over 30,000 casualties. This prompted Charles to write the Aulic Council; "If we have another engagement such as this I shall have no army left. I am awaiting negotiations.The Austrians hope of winning a great offensive battle had been ruined. The German states did not rally to the Austrians, Charles failed to isolate and destroy Davoutts Corps, and the French now enjoyed the strategic initiative. Napoleon entered Vienna on 13 May as Charles moved to the north bank of the Danube. A week later Napoleon launched an attack across the Danube. The result was the battle of Aspern-Essling and Napoleon's first defeat. It is interesting to note that Davout did not participate in that battle because the bridge he was to use was destroyed. One can only speculate what would have happened had Davout been present along with Lannes and Massena at Aspern-Essling. However, the world knows what happened when Davout was present on the Marchfield in July: he held the French right which contributed immeasurably to the great victory at Wagram. Napoleon's campaign of 1809 proved to be his last successful operation. He had once again brought the
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ABSTRACT MARSHAL LOUIS N. DAVOUT AN
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TABLE OF CONTENTS ?&%slsAPPROVALPAG
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CHAPTER 1 BUT WHAT ARE WE TO UNDERS
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the study of simple strategy and ta
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This fact becomes even more obvious
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the grand tactic. Operational warfa
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Burgundian countryside. He was born
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In1803 Davout was given command of
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then launch a major offensive into
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This attack'then ensured victory fo
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would actually go to war. However,
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Bluecher made four unsuccessful att
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fight entirely on his own. The batt
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title until two years after the bat
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Without hesitation Davout pushed fo
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most of his marshals, generals, the
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CHAPTER 3 THE AUSTRIANS ARE OUR WOR
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Finally, with Davout's information
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Austrian influence in Germany and I
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organization, always slow to act. M
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course of action. They now had a be
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elieved Prince Eugene and Marshal A
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22 March Davout had sent a message
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were designated VII Corps and consi
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and intelligence at the strategic l
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across the Danube. The Austrians al
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transmitted from Napoleon to Berthi
Page 57 and 58: Normally, the message dispatched by
Page 59 and 60: me that the best maneuver would be
Page 61 and 62: Berthier chose to overlook this cor
Page 63 and 64: Landshut were only one corps and no
Page 65 and 66: destroy him. On the eighteenth Char
Page 67 and 68: critical for the French. Napoleon r
Page 69 and 70: Throughout these ten days before th
Page 71 and 72: CHAPTER 5 YOU ONLY HAVE A CURTAIN O
Page 73 and 74: Gudin to support the movement of hi
Page 75 and 76: well. They bought Davout the necess
Page 77 and 78: The remainder of the Austrians then
Page 79 and 80: His tactical leadership was at its
Page 81 and 82: Napoleon's vision of the battlefiel
Page 83 and 84: against the French. His troops succ
Page 85 and 86: to surrender at 5:00 P.M. Now Charl
Page 87 and 88: pursuit on two parallel roads leadi
Page 89 and 90: important part in Davout's decision
Page 91 and 92: orders and directions. While Davout
Page 93 and 94: Corps. He received no reply from th
Page 95 and 96: convinced he was being attacked by
Page 97 and 98: CHAPTER 6 THE DUKE OF AUERSTAEDT IS
Page 99 and 100: eginning to feel the fatigue of con
Page 101 and 102: Just as the Austrians began to move
Page 103 and 104: effect, Davoutfs forces became the
Page 105 and 106: The French carabiniers fired a volZ
Page 107: Charles would lose his desire to st
Page 111 and 112: CHAPTER 7 IN BATTLE MEN ARE NOTHING
Page 113 and 114: counter orders did nothing but conf
Page 115 and 116: doctrine, and most importantly the
Page 117 and 118: The art of war on land is an art of
Page 119 and 120: Maintaining this vision or coup d'o
Page 121 and 122: internal fears rather than obstinac
Page 123 and 124: who never made a mistake. The key i
Page 125 and 126: too seemed only to be small diversi
Page 127 and 128: helped to provide definition to the
Page 129 and 130: Figure 1.Theater of Operations.
Page 131 and 132: INITIALACTIONSABOUT 1500Counteratta
Page 133 and 134: Figure 5.Davout's Running Fight on
Page 135 and 136: N1- 'LABER RIVER' SCHlERLlNGLANNESI
Page 137 and 138: Reserve Division: Demont' (3,215) 2
Page 139 and 140: APPENDIX C ORDER OF BATTLE CHANGES
Page 141 and 142: ll~avidG. Chandler, The Cam~aians o
Page 143 and 144: 3~hisis noted in Napoleon's corresp
Page 145 and 146: 20~his is from correspondence numbe
Page 147 and 148: WORKS CITED Primarv Sources Bonapar
Page 149 and 150: Arnold, James R. Crisis on The Danu
Page 151 and 152: ackground material and specifics on
Page 153 and 154: secondary source but all informatio
Page 155 and 156: INITIAL DISTRIBUTION LIST 1. , Comb
Page 157: STATEMENT A: Approved for public re
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