Tango01 | 12 Mar 2022 9:51 p.m. PST |
…attempts to make his campaigns self-financing "You must make it your guiding principle that the war must feed the war," Such was Napoleon's recommendation to Marshal Soult when he appointed the latter général en chef of the Army of the South in Spain. The Duke of Dalmatia was also told to take "the most e?cient measures possible to provide for the pay and material needs of your army". The theory expounded by Napoleon was that his campaigns abroad should be self-?nancing. The three methods used to achieve this goal were: the seizure of money and property (so-called ‘ordinary contributions' or saisies ordinaires); the ?nancial gain derived from peace treaties; and the amounts saved via the policy of using allied troops or by having French soldiers maintained by the allied states in which they were stationed…" Main page
link Armand
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BillyNM | 12 Mar 2022 11:25 p.m. PST |
…"the Napoleonic system needed war to function…" pretty much sums it up – is there a better argument for the removal of Napoleon in order to have peace? |
johannes55 | 13 Mar 2022 12:17 a.m. PST |
Wasn't enrichment not the purpose of almost all wars from antiqiety onwards or of colonization in the later years? So we have to remove eg Rome, Ottoman Empire or the British empire also. |
42flanker | 13 Mar 2022 11:03 a.m. PST |
It's not as if until then the Age of Enlightenment had been notable for peace stretching out over the placid pastures of Europe. The British only ever beat up on the French, and until 1814 never invaded Gallic soil (oh, and the Spanish- but mostly when they allied with the French, although the two did have 'history.') |
ChaosMan | 13 Mar 2022 12:00 p.m. PST |
This was an interesting piece of work that I read a few years ago. Thanks for bringing it back up. It triggered an interest of mine on the impact of the financial systems/needs on the campaign strategies of Napoleon (and adversaries). If the wars are meant to be "self financing", then fast/decisive campaigns to get the enemy to sue for peace becomes a key part of the strategy (and getting bled dry, dragged out ala 1812 is the antithesis). What I can't tell is if this was intuitive to players or a deliberate/known/explicit component of the campaign strategies. There's an interesting interplay between the financial and banking crises of 1805 and the Austerlitz campaign that I'm researching. Good find Tango01! |
Tango01 | 13 Mar 2022 3:19 p.m. PST |
A votre service mon ami…. Armand
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Dave Jackson | 14 Mar 2022 1:38 p.m. PST |
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Dave Jackson | 14 Mar 2022 1:41 p.m. PST |
Chaos man….while it might be a bit early for your research, this is a very hood study: link |
Dave Jackson | 14 Mar 2022 1:44 p.m. PST |
Another good one. link If you've seen these…sorry. would be interested in what resources you are using. |
Tango01 | 14 Mar 2022 3:17 p.m. PST |
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ChaosMan | 15 Mar 2022 8:12 p.m. PST |
@Dave Thanks for the links! I'm starting with the early history of the Banque de France as established by Napoleon. It's not very well covered except in French (which luckily I can read) There's some interesting research that people have done comparing the French vs British methods of financing as well. British and French Finance During the Napoleonic Wars nber.org/papers/w3517 |
ChaosMan | 15 Mar 2022 8:15 p.m. PST |
And this one in the Journal of Economic History A Tale of Two Currencies: British and French Finance During the Napoleonic Wars Abstract The record of British and French finance during the Napoleonic wars presents the striking picture of a financially strong nation abandoning the gold standard, borrowing heavily, and generating inflation, while a financially weaker country followed more "orthodox" policies. This paradoxical behavior is explained by Britain's strong credibility that allowed more flexible policies, while France's poor reputation forced reliance on taxation. |
Dave Jackson | 16 Mar 2022 11:19 a.m. PST |
Thanks! Brilliant! An interesting subject. I have a few other articles if you are interested. Pretty sure I have that first one. Dave Djmaritime42@gmail.com |
Dave Jackson | 16 Mar 2022 11:23 a.m. PST |
So…I have no idea why the first link I sent is my entire Napoleonic wishlist…😖🤣…what I had meant to send was this one…Pierre Branda's "Le prix de la guerre: Napleon eg l'argent" link |