What are two Napoleonic Era responses on the value of an army's reserves?

Answer 1

The importance of an army's reserves have always been a part of military planning when it comes to the battlefield. Many military historians and leaders have emphasized their importance, but in different ways. Clearly Carl Von Clausewitz speaks about reserves, and their numbers when a commander is calculating his situation in a battle. He advises field commanders to take note of his own reserves and where possible, a determination of the reserves of an enemy. Depending upon various circumstances, the size of an attacker's reserves may determine whether to retreat or to advance.One of Napoleon's opponents, the Archduke Charles, specifically advises that a commander requires a strong number of reserves to cover a losing army's retreat. Confederate General Robert E. Lee, as one US Civil War example, was successful in using his reserves to thwart an enemies pursuit when Lee was forced to retreat.