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

June of 1808 Davout realized the Austrians were preparing for war. However, Napoleon brushed these warnings aside and concentrated his efforts on Spain. Napoleon should not be severely criticized for ignoring the Central European theater. He had been on campaign with the army since 1805 and had many pressing issues to address in France. In addition, events in Spain and Portugal required his undivided attention. He did not totally ignore actions in Central Europe but trusted the situation to Davout. Therefore, Davout continued to monitor both Austrian and Russian movements and intentions during 1808. His operational and strategic information gathering enabled him to predict the Austrian build-up and eventual invasion of Bavaria. With Napoleon in Spain, Davout was given a great deal of freedom to determine his own course of action. He monitored and tracked all forces that could influence his operations. Davout understood that it was an essential part of his mission to observe all actions by potential adversaries. He made it a point to know his enemies and foresee what actions they might take. His knowledge of potential enemies enabled him to accurately predict actions by Austria, Prussia, and Russia. Davout used a combination of spies and patrols to verify and maintain information on the enemy. This information was to play an important role during the following year.