What were some war strategies of Napoleon?

Answer 1

Napoleon used a variety of tactics to defeat his enemies - one of his greatest strengths was in his flexibility and unpredictability. However, a few that Napoleon repeatedly used to great success include:

• Speed - Napoleon was famous for moving faster than his enemies could or even could anticipate, both on a battlefield and in moving generally.
• Massed Artillery - Particularly in later campaigns Napoleon would focus large artillery batteries to destroy enemy positions. Napoleon was an artillery officer and had was very aware of the huge advantage effective artillery can bring.
• Infantry Column - Napoleon often advanced his infantry in columns, which could break an enemy line and focus a lot of power on one point.
• Manoeuvrability - like speed, this is not a specific tactic but Napoleon had a superb grasp of battle tactics and would use terrain to outmanoeuvre his opponents.
• Heavy Cavalry - Napoleon sometimes used cavalry charges to achieve breakthroughs, but not as often.

Answer 2

ANSWER - In order to engage in the most favourable conditions an enemy army, Napoleon carried out three type of strategies:

La manoeuvre sur le derrières (strategic outflanking).

The enemy army was approached in the front making them convinced by show of strength, digging of entrenchment etc. they would have been engaged there.

The bulk of French army instead, starting from a position well behind, slipped aside one of the enemy flanks marching for several miles ahead, covered by a strong cavalry screen, up to they could reach a far zone behind the enemy front. Then the outflanking force turn right or left, deployed its units and began to approach the enemy from the rear.

At that point the enemy would have had following choices at disposal:

To fight the battle in unfavourable conditions, running the risk of being trapped.

To fight for a way off.

Two bright examples of both choices:

The Manoeuvre of Ulm -- Sept. 25 -- Oct. 21, 1805.

The Manoeuvre of Lodi -- May 8 -- 10, 1796

La stratégie de la position centrale ( the strategy of central position)

When two all in all superior enemy armies aimed to join together , the inferior French Army managed to seize a position between the two, before they could join. Then the bulk (roughly 2/3) of the French Army engaged by its outnumbering strength one of them, while the remaining (roughly 1/3) aimed to keep at bay the other. Once the bulk managed to defeat the first enemy army, forcing them to retreat, the two parts of French Army could rejoined together and defeat the latter enemy army too.

A bright example: the battles of Ligny - Quatre Bras, although at Quatre Bras only a small part of Wellington's Army was engaged.

Le Bataillon carré (The square battalion)

It was the formation adopted by the French Army when advancing in enemy territory to face enemy attacks whatever the direction they would came from. It vaguely reminded (on the maps) the shape of an infantry unit marching in close and square order.

A bright example: the French Army making its way through the forest of Thuringia while approaching the line Rudolstadt-Saalfeld- Schleiz short before the battle of Jena. The French were marching formed in a huge "square battalion" of 180,000 men. The formation took up roughly some 30x30 km kilometres of ground "as the crow flies".

Answer 3

Napoleon developed some of the best military tactics for his time which are still used today. These tactics established a system of several divisions within the army corps. The corps system meant that parts of the army lived off the land instead of relying on provided supplies. Napoleon also expanded the French artillery, and by 1805 the army had 4,500 heavy guns and 7,300 medium and light.