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

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left.1t13Again Davout had a good appreciation for the big picture. Operationally he knew where the Austrians were and knew best how to defend against their advance. However, at the same time he was well aware that Berthier was in charge and to disobey his orders was not appropriate. Davout would have to make the best of his precarious situation. During the course of events Napoleon began his trek from Paris to the theater of operations in Germany. . He departed on the thirteenth and at five in the morningand by the seventeenth he was in Donauwoerth. By the endof the day he had reviewed the currentsituation anddevised a plan of operations. He first ordered Lefebvreto slow the Austrian advance out of Landshut. Then heordered Davout to move south and concentrate atIngolstadt. This was the same disposition that Davout hadmoved to five days earlier and the same position that herecommended to Berthier. This order confirmed that Davoutwas correct in his initial decision to move on Ingolstadt.Napoleon's plan of operations was to take theinitiative from Charles and pin his front while hemaneuvered against Charles1 rear. Initially Napoleonplanned to use the eighteenth as a day of preparation andadvance to destroy Charles on the nineteenth. This wasnot a bad plan, however, it was based on bad information.Napoleon thought that the Austrians in the vicinity of
Landshut were only one corps and not four.14 In fact when he ordered Davout south Napoleon said, "If in your movement you find the enemy in the middle of the column to Landshut and if he is advancing that will be a superb occasion.n15 In essence Napoleon is telling Davout as he moves south to engage the enemy to his front. Had Napoleon known that this enemy was Charles' entire army he would have never given such an order. Napoleon's plan was to unite Davout and I11 Corps with Lefebvre and the Bavarians around Abensberg. The town of Abensberg was a pivotal point. Whoever reached this point first could prevent the concentration of the other force. For Davout to reach Abensberg he would have to pass through very difficult terrain. Additionally, before leaving Ratisbon Davout was to blow up the bridge across the Danube. This requirement was never fully articulated as an important task for Davout to accomplish. However, the town and the bridge were important to the Austrians as they provided the link between Charlesr main army and the two corps to the north. Why Davout failed to understand the significance of this bridge is unknown. He was well aware that two Austrian Corps were north of the Danube. It must also have been obvious to Davout that they could easily effect juncture with Charles' main army across this important structure. Davout may have well realized that
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ABSTRACT MARSHAL LOUIS N. DAVOUT AN
Page 5 and 6:
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
Page 11 and 12: This fact becomes even more obvious
Page 13 and 14: the grand tactic. Operational warfa
Page 15 and 16: Burgundian countryside. He was born
Page 17 and 18: In1803 Davout was given command of
Page 19 and 20: then launch a major offensive into
Page 21 and 22: This attack'then ensured victory fo
Page 23 and 24: would actually go to war. However,
Page 25 and 26: Bluecher made four unsuccessful att
Page 27 and 28: fight entirely on his own. The batt
Page 29 and 30: title until two years after the bat
Page 31 and 32: Without hesitation Davout pushed fo
Page 33 and 34: most of his marshals, generals, the
Page 35 and 36: CHAPTER 3 THE AUSTRIANS ARE OUR WOR
Page 37 and 38: Finally, with Davout's information
Page 39 and 40: Austrian influence in Germany and I
Page 41 and 42: organization, always slow to act. M
Page 43 and 44: course of action. They now had a be
Page 45 and 46: elieved Prince Eugene and Marshal A
Page 47 and 48: 22 March Davout had sent a message
Page 49 and 50: were designated VII Corps and consi
Page 51 and 52: and intelligence at the strategic l
Page 53 and 54: across the Danube. The Austrians al
Page 55 and 56: 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: Berthier chose to overlook this cor
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 and 108: Charles would lose his desire to st
Page 109 and 110: The ~re'nch prevailed over the Aust
Page 111 and 112: CHAPTER 7 IN BATTLE MEN ARE NOTHING
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counter orders did nothing but conf
Page 115 and 116:
doctrine, and most importantly the
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The art of war on land is an art of
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Maintaining this vision or coup d'o
Page 121 and 122:
internal fears rather than obstinac
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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
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Figure 1.Theater of Operations.
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INITIALACTIONSABOUT 1500Counteratta
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Figure 5.Davout's Running Fight on
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N1- 'LABER RIVER' SCHlERLlNGLANNESI
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Reserve Division: Demont' (3,215) 2
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APPENDIX C ORDER OF BATTLE CHANGES
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ll~avidG. Chandler, The Cam~aians o
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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
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ackground material and specifics on
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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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