Key individuals

Question 1

What was Napoleon’s impact on warfare?

Answer 1

• introduced the concept of “Levee en masse” which focused on recruiting patriotic and indoctrinated men from France to fight instead of traditional mercenaries
• Policy of Amalgame made armies more disciplined and collected
• Peace from 1801 - 05 allowed reorganisation and decentralisation of the French army, making them more flexible and adaptive
• Different tactics of Napoleon allowed effective bayonet and cavalry charges
• His victories were so decisive that he dictated his own peace terms and diplomats were not needed (although in the short term benefiting him, Napoleon was unable to negotiate or dictate peace after his eventual losses after 1812)
• Cult of personality created loyal troops that fought more courageously for causes they believed in

Question 2

Why did Napoleon start to lose wars?

Answer 2

• Untrusting of others and so armies once again became centralised and at Napoleon’s whim
• His cult of personality had been broken by such wars as the Peninsular and Russian campaigns
• Stretched his troops too thinly after enforcing the continental blockade
• Failed to change his tactics after lost wars/no new training or innovations
• Uncaring for his men as many died and were left for dead to save money/many were newly recruited and thrown into battle with little chance
• Overconfidence in his abilities and inadequate reconnaissance

Question 3

What was Francisco Goya’s role in the Peninsular war?

Answer 3

• Created many paintings such as the Disasters of war and The shootings of May third 1808 that rallied the Spanish against Napoleonic rule from their brutality

Question 4

What was Arthur Wellesley’s role in Napoleon’s downfall?

Answer 4

• Able to exploit French weakness through adaptive guerrilla warfare
• Defended Portugal causing 25,000 casualties to Napoleon in Massena
• By 1914 Wellington was forcing the French out of the Pyrenees

Question 5

What was Metternich’s role in the downfall of Napoleon?

Answer 5

• Drew up multiple armistices that Napoleon found distasteful and made him continue the fighting
• Attempted to end the war through these means multiple times on the 4th of June 1913 and later headed the negotiations

Question 6

What was Tallyrand’s role in the downfall of Napoleon?