Napoleone di Buonoparte

It’s time to address our favorite short, over-confident, Italian artilleryman. NO, NO, NO, not me. I mean Napoleone di Buonoparte. He is much more interesting than Giuseppe Lancione. Genoa ruled Corsica for almost 500 years, but France annexed it before Napoleon’s birth. Many people know Napoleon was born in Corsica, but if he had stayed in Corsica, none of us would know him today. He moved to France at age nine to improve his French and to give him a chance at a better life. School was not easy for young Napoleone. He spoke bad French with a Corsican accent. He was a short foreigner, unaccustomed to French culture, and he regularly took his lumps from his schoolmates. All he could do was immerse himself in books - sounds familiar.

Little Napoleone’s studies paid off. He scored high in math, history, and geography. He rebuffed the suggestion that he would make an excellent sailor. The école militare in Paris admitted him. His father died and money became tight. Napoleone completed graduation requirements in only one year instead of the usual two. As a second lieutenant he joined an artillery regiment. He spent much of his junior officer time back in Corsica. That was fortunate because Paris was going nuts. Revolution was in the air, and the wind blew a different direction every day. The French Revolution also created opportunities for talented men. Napoleon accepted the mission to recapture the port of Toulon. He gathered up all the artillery he could find while he studied the topography around the port. He found a hill he could capture that would dominate the port. He seized the hill, bombarded the port, and drove out the British forces. A French captain that could defeat Brits and reclaim French territory wouldn’t be a captain for long. The Robespierre brothers saw his potential and promoted him to brigadier general. They made Napoleon artillery commander of the Army of the Interior.

Hitching his wagon to the Robespierres got Napoleon in trouble when they fell from grace. Competing factions arrested and imprisoned him while they investigated his past. His future was uncertain. Two weeks later he passed the loyalty test and reclaimed his position. He fulfilled many functions for the fledgling government. Things went well until he received orders to an infantry command. He played sick - can’t blame him for that one. Politicians removed him from the list of active generals. In 1795 the struggling government recalled him to active service. Loyalist rebels threatened the government at the Tuileries, and Napoleon coordinated artillery support. He used canister rounds to scatter the rebels. His obvious potential earned Napoleon command of the Army of the Interior. A few months later he became commander of the Army of Italy to fight Austria. Napoleon proved he wasn’t anti-infantry. He had studied infantry, cavalry, artillery, and logistics. He was the most well-rounded officer he knew, and he was brave. He had never met any officer more competent than himself. He believed he needed to oversee everything.

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How in the world could an unknown Corsican not even 30 years old crush the Austrian Empire? As a battle planner, he foresaw the Italian campaign, and he developed the plans. General Schérer the French commander in Italy received the approved plans and quit. Schérer refused the orders and offered his resignation. He suggested the planner be appointed to execute the orders. Imagine the shock when that happened. The 26-year-old Napoleon arrived in Italy and toured his divisions. He realized the army would fight if he addressed their grievances. Simple stuff like pay and rations needed correcting. He set things right and established himself as a boy genius. He moved with a speed not seen on the battlefield. He concentrated his forces and artillery more decisively than any previous general. Although outnumbered, he had the necessary firepower in the right place at the right time.

Napoleon needed only a year to defeat the Austrians in Italy and threaten Austria itself. He succeeded in knocking Piedmont out of the war in two weeks. He turned on the Austrians and besieged Mantua. Austria tried to break the siege. It attacked at Castiglione, Bassano, Arcole, and finally Rivoli. Napoleon repulsed each relief effort crushing the Austrian armies. When the Austrians surrendered northern Italy, Napoleon decided that wasn’t enough punishment. He attacked the Austrian homeland, and Austria sued for peace. Napoleon’s army took 150,000 prisoners, 540 cannons, and 170?regiment or above battle colors. Bonaparte forced Italy to pay about 45?million French pounds. He took 12?million pounds in precious metals and jewels. He diversified the portfolio by adding more than 300 paintings and sculptures. The victorious French took control of Northern Italy, Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg.

Nobody since Alexander had won so many battles at such a young age. What can we learn from young Napoleon? He prepared to meet his destiny. He studied everything about warfare until he became an expert. He understood geography and terrain better than other generals. He started each battle with a solid plan, so he could adjust quicker than his enemies. He was more than just a planning prodigy. He understood that soldiers win battles. By listening to their grievances, he knew how to make his army battle ready. He was also brave. He didn’t need to lead every attack, but he was on the battlefield visible to his men.