The French army before Napoleon

lectures delivered before the University of Oxford in Michaelmas term, 1914

Many know of the French army that marched under Napoleon’s eagles to triumph after triumph before the Emperor’s last gamble failed at Waterloo. However, the army that drove the French all the way to Moscow was victorious in many battles in previous wars, and at its heart were the noble officers. The theories and insights of the officer corps shaped the thinking of all of Europe, not least the strategic thinking of Napoleon. Professor Wilkinson charts the advances in tactics and the progression of thought within the military circles of France that would dominate not only the French themselves, but all of their opponents.
Professor Spenser Wilkinson had a long and illustrious career as a military historian including holding the seat of Chichele Professor of Military History of Oxford.
Author — Professor Spenser Wilkinson (1853-1937)
Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in Oxford, Clarendon press, 1915.
Original Page Count — 151 pages.