Napoleon s Tactics Of His Empire During His Reign As Emperor

Ambitious. Methodical. Precise. These are some of many words that could describe the strategies that Napoleon used to amplify his empire during his reign as emperor. Arrogant. Exorbitant. Unplanned. These words can also be used to describe some of Napoleon’s warfare strategies. Inspired by other world leaders and empires such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, Napoleon in many ways stood on the shoulders of giants. He saw the possibilities and prospects available to him through conquest and subjugation of neighboring countries. It was both this opportunistic and arrogant attitude that led to his successes and downfalls. After considering Napoleon’s campaign, it is difficult to fully describe him as either fully successful or a†¦show more content†¦Rosemary), superior morale, and large numbers in the army. These tactical choices made Napoleon a force to be reckoned with. In the beginning of his career, he was very successful in terms of military tactics a nd taking control of different countries. Take, for example, the First Italian Campaign of 1796, where Napoleon’s troops were outnumbered by about 25,000 soldiers. By observing the troop’s movements and tactics, he discovered their strategies and using reasoning, he scattered the opposing forces and took each portion on separately. His strategy is described best in the following: â€Å"When faced with superior numbers, he would divide the enemy army and defeat each section individually by skillfully deploying his reserves at the right time and place. When faced with inferior numbers, he would smash into an opponent’s flank, distracting them and damaging morale.† (St. Rosemary) It is said that â€Å"Bonaparte had accomplished virtual miracles, [†¦] defeating three different Austrian commanders, despite his inferior troop numbers and artillery and nonexistent logistical support.† (Schom, pg. 58) It was a close battle, and the French army may hav e nearly lost, but Napoleon did manage to keep his troops stable enough to succeed against the odds. Various other battles played out similarly. In different campaigns ranging from the Second Italian Campaign to the Prussian and