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

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the dynamics of battle.2 One must, therefore, look into the leader's actions to gain a perspective on his abilities and attributes. This historical study of leadership then can provide a context to help guide the modern leader in his future actions. This study must be a detailed and comprehensive look at the leader's actions. It must penetrate as deeply as possible into the details. For this purpose the particular knowledge of a few engagements or a few leaders is much more useful than a broad knowledge of a great many battles or wars.3 Simply looking at the subject in general terms and making specific conclusions can be a technique fraught with many hazards. But what can these past conflicts fought with spears and clubs tell us about fighting in today's technologically advanced battlefield? It is true that technology has changed the face of battle. However, we can learn certain lessons and principles from the study of the past. These lessons can then be applied today as long as one remembers the context in which they are studied. Even the United States Army's modern warfighting doctrine draws its premises from principles practiced by Napoleon almost two-hundred years ago. Suffice to say that the study of history can be, and is, applied to modern warfare. However, the real lessons of warfare go beyond
the study of simple strategy and tactics. The real lesson that pervades the centuries of warfare is that war is essentially an encounter of human beings. It is the study of human beings that will unlock many secrets to successful combat and the art of command. On the other hand it may be argued that the only .way to learn the art of command is through experience. However, even experience in war does not necessarily ensure that one learns how to conduct war. One who participates in war without reflection does not necessarily gain the experience of war. Does not one who studies war and examines its causes and results have the greater experience? In Theorie des Grossen Krieues Count York von Wartenburg sums this point up very well; It is true, war can only be learned by experience; but what are we to understand by experience? Who will gain experience, the man who has been present during this or that event, but has never thought about it, either before or after it, or while it took place or the man who may possibly not have had any personal experience whatever of such matters, but who studies a great number of wars, and who has always and everywhere examined the causes and results and learnt from them that certain results recur, if they had been preceded by the same causes, and who this has come at last to formulate his views and to deduce great principles? Has not the latter experience and the former none. Shall I not by such experience alone learn to know war, whilst by the other I shall remain altogether ignorant of it?4 The best way to prepare for war, or learn this occupation of soldiering, is through the comprehensive and detailed study of past conflicts and their leaders.
Page 3 and 4: ABSTRACT MARSHAL LOUIS N. DAVOUT AN
Page 5 and 6: TABLE OF CONTENTS ?&%slsAPPROVALPAG
Page 7: CHAPTER 1 BUT WHAT ARE WE TO UNDERS
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 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 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
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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