Show n r J JIt t There are fix fixed principles in war The cry smallest mistakes very It may Y be difficult to Cross cross the Alps cannot be committed with but IS IT POSSIBLE Then let us impunity start now I I I Il l N N ti tiU U I J 1 Napoleons Napoleon's Live Tal Talks son on Topics of Day To-Day r r Note How Many of His Famous War Maxims Apply With Startling Fitness to Military and State Matters of High Portent at This Hour I i t t. T F NAPOLEON WERE ALIVE TO-DAY TO How often of IF 1 late have you heard eard that as prelude to something pertinent patriotic or otherwise But is Napoleon Napole n dead Whose sp spirit rit has inspired the the French at Verdun Do not forget that the great Bonaparte said as well as did things in a masterly way way and both for keeps His sayings particularly on matters military and policies of state ar are as as true and vital to-day to as ever they were More so in a way way for for with the prophetic the vision of the born rul ruler r of men he made tiers i Jq ys B that apply with startling fitness to modern instances undreamt of by the generality of people a hundred years ago Wit Witness Ss the following pregnant passages passages culled from Napoleons Napoleon's Maxi nes de dc Guerre from his correspondence and from various historic state papers r TO f 0 the Genoese government when in in tin 1799 it was tottering Loitering to its fall wroe o The events which are happening under your jour very eyes should have taught you th that t WITHOUT FORCE AND A GOOD M MILITARY MILITARY MILI MILI- LI- LI TARY ORGANIZATION STATES ARE 1 INCAPABLE OF EXISTING ALMOST 4 ALMOST everything that Napoleon wrote teems with texts on military preparedness the means ans of securing it il and nd the policy of using it when attained The time The time is not yet flet in sight when the following will be out of oj date Put no f faith ith in talk which is not borne out in a action tio 1 The nation should be told with courage courage that hat for exis exis- existence tence a great army must be maint maintained ined I i It It is always in ill days of or trouble that the efeme bt r rIt national ional strength m make ke their appe appearance rance and create create a e a great army army fo for the defence of the motherland It t is high hig time that the young men who are are e living secure in our our ourO O towns ceased to dread the efforts and dangers of war and were trained to arms to enforce respect for their country t l It is not my wish that young men should remain idle IF THEY HAVE LARGE FORTUNES FORTUNES FOR FOR- TUNES THEY MUST DEFEND THEM Place Place the them in various various various' s 1 T regiments When a whole nation na nation nation na- na tion is armed and eager to defend its freedom it itis itis itis is invincible The surest lever of power is a military force k LOSS bLOSS T OSS of time is irreparable in war provided by l law law w and led Properly planned operations miscarry mis mss misby by genius Such a force carry only when there is delay compulsory service se se- cures In the long run runk men become accustomed to conscription and the factious politicians politicians' who oppose it vanish in the dust EVERY CITIZEN SHOULD REGARD THE PRINCIPLE OF Or CONSCRIPTION AS SALUTARY AND SACRED SACRED- if he does not wish to see his nis home destroyed and his country abandoned to the ravages of barbarians A great and enlightened nation is not governed with half- half I measures Energy consistency an and unity of aim are requisite In IlL the p present resent state of of affairs i airs we cannot trust rust any alien W HEb II EN r it tit comes come t to concrete war maxims s in in actual practice the whole history of oj Napoleons Napoleon's campaigns is before us Here are a f few w characteristic v Loss of time is is' irreparable in ili war war The excuses offered for it are are always futile as properly planned operations miscarry only when there is delay J Tactics should be changed every ten I A years sears I The human mind naturally believes that thata a a small force will willbe be beaten by a a a large one War should always be carried on on with method to a definite aim in accordance with the principles and rules of the art War should be waged with forces forces' forces pr proportionate p rt on tG to the the- obstacles which have to be overcome To scatter forces in little EttIe packets is not r the way to make warI war I am too great a soldier to venture tc give lessons to my generals comm commanding irv in Spain An army cannot be directed from the T Tuileries N Napoleons Napoleon's Napoleons Napoleon's apolEi ns n's residence e in P Paris I dont don't b believe in the proverb provert proverb To know how hoy to command you should know know how t to obey n r I NAPOLEON APOLEON believed believe l in single command undivided and absolute of oj the army army the the one commander of oj course to be Napoleon himself I He lIe had this thia idea and began to put it in n practice from the start start a t of his career as U is ts shown by the following dispatch to his government during I Ithe the Italian campaign of 1796 You ought to have one single general in command nd and and- to see that there is no influence to hamper him in his movements and operations I have carried out my campaign without consulting anybody I could have accomplished nothing if I had been compelled 0 J- J Y In the present state of affairs we cannot trust any alien ridiculously little to do with war Yo You ought I Ito to be a soldier first a soldier second a soldier all aU th the time You r rought ought to bivouac c with your advanced guard to be night and da day daon Y on on onY horseback to march with your leading detachments so as to get information early or else remain with the women You YO wage warlike warlike war like I 1 I a satrap I II 1 I JN N his maxims of oj policy and dPi dip diplomacy the ruler philosopher-ruler t that N Napoleon was supremely appears appears in a shrewdness that is surprisingly surprisingly sur sur- r adaptable to present day conditions Incompetent people have this great advantage over the able man that that they are always always' entirely pleased with themselves s sIT IT IT is S SUCCESS WHICH REVEALS THE GREAT REAT MAN I Political factions are compounded of dupes dupe and rogues rogues The Th most dangerous danger danger- ous Jus people in political crises s a are e well meaning m mi me men men whose consciences HO Ud t tare I U false are swayed by false p ideas Christ said that His Kingdom was not of this world Why then will His servants not render to Caesar the things which are HIT IT TT is not my wish that young men Caesars Cassar's Is there on should remain idle Place this earth a a grea greater r them in various regiments Teacher Is religion f founded on on anarchy civil l war and disobedience Is preaching pre such doctrine Christianity 1 f fOnce Once you have made up your mind stick to your d decision No ifs and buts huts then Energy energy Only by defying the prejudices of th the feeble e and foolish can the welfare of nations be s secured cured r The English soldier ia is brave nob nobody y more so and the officers are generally men of honor but t I do not think them as yet capable of executing grand manoeuvres I think that if I wee were were-at at the head of them I could make them do anything H TJ ERE ERE is a passage which shows curiously how accurately N Napoleon dunned divined ivine the effect of high angle high fire fire from heavy artillery which has been one on of the tM most surprises of oj the war The value of fortified places is is- henceforward problematic if it has not entirely vanished The enormous vo volume ume of high-angle high fire projectiles and I 9 0 0 o a u YOu ought to be a soldier soldier night night a and day on horseback march horseback march with your l leading ading detachments so as to get information early early or or else remain with the women to fall faU in with the vie views s of some some oth other p person I If you weaken your strength by dividing your forces and IF YOU DESTROY UNITY OF MILITARY THOUGHT YOU WILL HAVE HAV LOST A SPLENDID OPPORTUNITY J N NAPOLEONS NAPOLEON'S 1 APOLEON'S masterful mind never neier flashed so 30 brilliantly as in the s sarcastic criticism of lesser men Witness this this' dispatch to his I brother King Ring Jerome in the war against Austria 1809 I I have seen your general order which makes you the stock laughing-stock of ol Europe E Have you no friend about you to tell you the truth You boast of qualifications which have have- I shells has changed change everything Fortresses have bave baveno no longer to be d defended fended against horizontal fire but against curving fire and high-angle high attack None of the old fortresses is now secure secure All Ail have ceased to be tenable I INFALLIBLE NF judge fudge of men Napoleon secured his own pre-eminence pre by promoting capacity in others s I took the son of a peasant and made him hima a marshal or a n duke when I found that he had talents That I wanted to introduce a system of general equality is true and that every person should be eligible to every situation situation situation situa situa- tion provided he b had d talents to fill it whatever his birth birth- might be is also true ii i |