"Defending France in 1815" Topic

The political dimension of Buonaparte's defeat is also really important. If we accept that Buonaparte's command and control wasn't as good as it had been, because of the lack of good senior officers, then the reason for that has to be addressed. Most members seem to agree that Davout was really good, as were others who were given independent commands, such as Clausel, Rapp, Suchet and Decaen. That these men of ability couldn't be with Buonaparte's Army of the north was because of the political situation in the rest of France. Paris had to be held by a man both trustworthy and able, because Paris itself wasn't loyal. More than 30,000 were in the West under Lamarque because of the active insurrection there. Although the armies of Spain and Piedmont were dismissed earlier in the thread, they still needed to be guarded against, as did the potential for insurrection in the South and South West. Again, although the intervention of the Russians was again discounted, a Russian army was already at the Rhine by June, so, again, can't be discounted. All of this meant that Buonaparte couldn't concentrate sufficient good general and staff officers where they were needed, because of the political situation in France, especially the general lack of support for his new regime. When the Austro-Sardinian Army invaded, although the French Army itself fought reasonably well, other forces did not. Grenoble, for example, although fortified and strongly garrisoned by National Guards surrendered without a fight. The people may not have wanted the Bourbons, particularly, although they and Louis XVIII certainly weren't hated, but what the people of France did want was peace, and under Buonaparte, whether by his actions or the actions of other states, they weren't going to get it.

Chouan,

Now that my house and family room are painted and the thread has quieted some:

The only people in favour of Buonaparte's retention of power was the Army, and a few of Buonaparte's functionaries who saw a better future for themselves under the Empire.

My problem with this statement is that it is too exclusionary, "The only people in favor…" I believe Napoleon had more than one supporter in the country who wasn't a high official or in the military. I can't speak to the pervasiveness of any support he had outside the army but I don't believe it was nonexistent.

Cheers,

The Bandit

Whats "schwerpunkt" mean?

F

ferg981,

See page 3:).

Jurgen

Bandit,

Chandler suggests that the peasantry were supporters of Bonaparte because of fears of land redistribution to returning emigres.