Napoleon in 1812 - Chapter 151

To express the ensuing battle in one word, ‘desperate’ or ‘terrible’ would be the most appropriate. British, Prussian, and Russian troops were fiercely rushing in without a second thought, ready to sacrifice themselves. And the French were blocking them with their whole bodies.

Soldiers from both sides were shot and collapsed on the battlefield screaming and groaning, and the officers’ shouts were buried in the gunfire. Along with the rain that started to fall, the shouts of charge turned into screams with blood and sweat. In the mud, the infantry of both armies raised their bayonets and showed the madness of war.

It was the place where the most barbaric and sublime rituals in Europe were held today, where modern battles with firearms and medieval battles with swords coexisted.

“It’s a tragedy where forces that can’t yield to each other meet. It’s a pity.”

“Sigh… May this war be recorded asthe lastslaughterin Europe…”

The war reporters could be said to be from an intellectual class in a society where educational background and career were recognized, and to have been influenced by liberalism and the anti-war ideology that swept Europe.

The war correspondents, who were covering the reality of the war from a neutral area, recorded all these things outside of the fire, but had a bitter look. Describing the horrors of the war was a series of pitiful and painful events.

However, many of them paid attention to the academic and aesthetic perspectives of war rather than love for humanity or anti-war spirit.

Lorenzo, a journalist from Venice, was one of them. He was so interested in the war itself that he had also published several books on European war history.

He looked at the battlefield fierce hand-to-hand combat and gunfights were taking place between trenches, batteries, and main positions, Hidden in it, he could see the aesthetics of command, tactics, and control of the masters that were shaking this era.

The battle of geniuses over the Orime wetland made the blood of war-fanatic journalists like Lorenzo boil. He was thrilled.

“I am truly convinced today.”

Lorenzo spoke, drawing attention from his fellow journalists.

“In the past, in the present, in the future, Napoleon Bonaparte is the only one deserving the title of greatest military strategist.”

“Did you realize it only now?”

A playful remark flew around, but Lorenzo’s gaze was still nailed to the scene of that savage slaughter.

The Coalition’s way of fighting on three sides was straightforward, persistent, and crafty at the same time. Using the superiority of their power, they continued to consume each other, and in the process, if they found any weak parts, they tried to break through with a strike force.

The all-round bombardmentwith overwhelming firepower projections put pressure on the defender’s position. The top commanders of the three countries that made up the Coalition were experienced talents who could skillfully cooperate with various classes and types of soldiers.

Also, they were not bound by nationality or national interest. If their soldiers had to bear the damage, they continued to push forward.

Those strong and proud figures had come together solely to bring down Napoleon without considering political battles, disputes for leadership, or interests,

It was a truly magnificent sight. Any commander who had shaken Europe in the past would not survive against them. But the misfortune for the Coalition was that the ‘only exception1 was there.

Poooooooo-

As soon as the grand sound of trumpets used exclusively by military bands was heard, the French army’s formation changed rapidly. The troops on the front line slightly retreated with the Russian grenadiers charging in front of them, and the units on both sides advanced in a diagonal line.

Naturally, the shape surrounding the front and both sides was completed around the Russian grenadiers. It was a mysterious tactic that produced the best efficiency with minimal movement.

The ensuing fierce shooting and bayonet charge was enough to crush the nose of the Russian army, which had been attacking vigorously, and to force it to retreat. Napoleon’s genius commanding skills shone even when dealing with the British army.

Against the British riflemen, who used covers such as bushes and stumps to fire at sight, swift special forces armed with short swords and bayonets infiltrated them and simply destroyed them.

Later, the cross-entry of light cavalry and dragoons disrupted the British artillery, while delaying the advance of the British line infantry with trench warfare, dispersing its firepower.

On the side of the British army, where the advance was turned around, light artillery and chasseurs fired, playing an active role in the counterattack.

The situation on the battlefield changed by the minute, and the necessary soldiers and units were always where they were supposed to be. In addition, commanders and officers most suitable for the job led them, leading to tremendous synergies.

Was this what Argos, the mythical giant with a hundred eyes, would do? Napoleon placed the entire vast battlefield under his control and never made mistakes in the deployment or selection of his troops.

This added to the excellent discipline of the French army, advanced doctrines, and the awareness of the French soldiers who were not defeated during the defensive battle. France never missed to take the advantage in exchange costs in the various engagements taking place.

‘In Iberia, the Marquis of Wellington drove the French expedition to hell, showing the limits of defensive tactics using terrain and land. Without him, the Iberian Peninsula would have fallen into Napoleon’s hands.’

Lorenzo, who had been a war correspondent for decades, had also watched several battles during the Iberian Peninsula War.

At that time, Lorenzo was quite impressed by Arthur Wellesley’s solid and stable strategy and defensive tactics, and he thought that there would be no general to follow him, at least in defense. But here, today, Lorenzo had no choice but to admit that his judgment was short.

Bang! Bang! Boom! Booom-l

Reducing the weight of field guns had been attempted by many countries, but only France, which had skilled artillerymen and know-how in making light artillery, made a successful innovation. Napoleon was making use of this lightweight artillery more than perfectly.

Grape bullets poured out as if they were waiting for Prussian troops who broke through the double trench and came right before the front position, Prussian officers looked perplexed. They were sure that there was no battery here.

However, there was no reason for French cannons to wait for those in panic. The Prussian army fled in disorder, leaving a trace to be remembered in their war h istory.

“These perfect countermeasures are impossible without predicting the enemy’s psychology based on its movements and formation, and clearly identifying the strength of the troops and of the terrain to prioritize the response.”

Lorenzo even seriously wondered if Napoleon had the ability to read people’s minds or if he had eyes to see the future. Otherwise, how could this elaborate and perfect response that the French were showing now be explained?

To summarize Arthur Wellesley’s defensive tactics, they could be said to be ‘the first of the first’. However, Napoleon Bonaparte’s defensive tactics were ‘mysterious’. They could go beyond the limits of man and transcend the realm of God.

‘After this battle, he will make another immortal myth,’

Lorenzo recorded all these processes and contents with vivid impressions as he refined his boiling thrill and admiration. To bring the greatest strategist of all time to Europe, and to posterity.

The God of War existed. He was French and would eventually crush everything that stood in his way and in his country’s way.

The battle that turned the Orime wetland into blood did not end until the evening when the day became dark and it was impossible to distinguish the sides.

The Coalition eventually failed to break through the lines drawn by the Union, but it was a desperate battle in which the Union also had no room to pursue the Coal ition.

Both sides, in tatters, withdrew about 1.5 kilometers from each other in a tacit agreement and soon went into camp.

“We need to make the soldiers aware that the situation is more hopeful than they think.”

Alexander I did not dampen his confidence when seeing the disastrous battlefield where the bodies of Russian troops formed a mountain.

“I never expected to bring those demons to their knees in a short period of time. We are honestly and steadily tightening our enemies’ throats, and in the end we will be honored as victors.”

Alexander I delivered a letter of encouragement to the commanders of the battlefield. It could be seen as a waste of administrative power, but it was also a necessary act to strengthen solidarity and seek cooperation before the next battle.

Alexander I repeatedly emphasized in his letters that he could win the battle, which was not a mere bluff. In fact, the commander-level figures of each corps, including Wellesley, Blucher, and Bennigsen, did not underestimate the possibility of victory.

Ignoring even the words of his officers asking him to rest, Bliicher spent the night awake in front of the battlefield’s map.

So far, Napoleon had paid more attention to preserving power through the superiority of exchange costs than to keep the strategic goal of ‘maintaining the line of defense’. This resulted in the French giving away more occupied territories to the Coalition instead of losing manpower.

In fact, the Coalition’s forces were successful in pushing the Union south of the wetland, occupying several defensive bases of the Left and Central Armies. Of course, it was a ‘bloody achievement’ that caused the Coalition to suffer nearly three times as many casualties as the Union, but it achieved its goal anyway.

To the south of the Orime wetland was a river called Teromiro. What if the Coalition’s forces could send a detachment to take control of the river bridge and push the Union there? They could lock up the French along the river in a crossfire. It was simply the best situation the Coalition was drawing.

Of course, Napoleon could not have ignored it, so he should have prepared a countermeasure.

“From about 10 a.m. this morning, news from Olsztyn (a city 97 kilometers south of Orime) has been cut off. Polish troops seem to be traveling north through there.”

Early in the morning, reports showed that the Austro-Polish-French army in Poland would arrive there in 36 hours at the earliest and in 48 hours at the latest. Within that time, the Coalition had to fight.

“…Your Excellency. I encourage you to reconsider even now. No matter how much we look at it, it’s too dangerous for you to go in person. Why don’t you leave it to another general…”

“A Prussian soldier should act according to the suitability of the mission rather than its danger. Find someone you think is more suitable than me to carry out this operation. If you can, I’ll reconsider!”

Blucher shrugged off the dissuasion of his lieutenants. Fire burned most brilliantly just before going out. As nourishment for Napoleon’s ruin, Blucher was willing to sacrifice himself.

As soon as dawn broke, the Coalition offensive began again, starting with the charge of Russian grenadiers. New blood was splattered again on the battlefield to form a river.

The sound of gunfire from both armies concealed the movements of a Prussian detachment led by Blucher. It escaped the bloody battlefield and moved southeast, temporarily leaving the marsh.

After turning to the right, their goal was to the bridge along the Teromiro river.

“Wipe them out!”

The Union troops guarding the river were from the Netherlands, Rhineland, and were the same forces that had already been destroyed by the British once.

There was no way that Prussian troops would be defeated by non-French soldiers. Blucher and his detachment managed to defeat them very simply and occupied the bridge.

Blucher doubted that Napoleon could give up the rear so easily. And as expected, the counterattack began immediately.

“I thought it was too easy, but you brought your guardian !”

Claude Victor Perrin.

The Marshal of the French Empire, who was supposed to be fighting the Russian army on the left, was with his troops and the defeated Dutch and Rhineland forces.

Blucher intuitively felt that something was wrong, but the chess pieces had already been laid on the board. He began fighting on the bridge, encouraging his soldiers.

“To hell with the slaves following the frogs!”

“Provide eternal rest to the exiled soldiers who have lost their homes!”

The battle was fought tooth and nail. The Dutch and Rhineland forces were treated as weaklings and ignored, but the French troops beside them who took the center made the Prussian army embarrassed by fighting back like skilled soldiers.

As the battle continued, Blucher, who was short on time, felt impatience but did not show it.

What he needed at this time was a trick to break the plate, and the sense of the battlefield at the end of his life inspired him with new inspiration.

“Spread the ranks from side to side and switch the front and rear rows!”

“Your Excellency! The line infantry still have room to fight! Also, if you change formation during the battle…!”

“Don’t complain and do as I say!”

Blucher, as always, stamped on the objections of his lieutenants. Under his command, the officers moved their troops, As the ranks changed, the formation of the unit was momentarily disrupted and gaps were created.

“The Prussians are shaking! Don’t miss your chance!”

The clever French were not immediately fooled, but the Dutch and Rhineland troops, who had never fought against Prussia, or, more precisely, against Blucher, were deceived.

Of course, they were not fools, so they first checked whether the Prussians were hiding field artillery or rifle regiments behind their lines.

As soon as it was confirmed that there was no such thing, the troops launched a bayonet charge to make a decisive blow, despite the dissuasion of French officers. However, Blucher’s hidden card was not a rifle regiment or artillery.

“Great Prussian grenadiers! Give your life for your country!”

Those who appeared while singing the ‘Song of the Grenadiers’ were the Life Grenadier Regiment of the Senior Guard, with changed military uniforms,

It was the best unit of the Prussian army and was considered worthy of competing with the French Old Guard in an equal battle.

The ferocious fighters launched a bayonet charge against the rushing Dutch and Rhineland forces, crushing the line completely and defeating them.

“Now! A twist in the battlefield!”

When the Dutch and Rhineland forces were defeated and the French faltered, Blucher gathered the split troops and encircled them.

And immediately, the rear reserve team was deployed to turn the right side and hit the enemy’s side. In an instant, the Union forces, including the French, were under heavy attack on three sides.

Since then, the re-introduced of the Life Grenadier Regiment came as a decisive blow, and even the French army of Perrin could not withstand it and collapsed.

Blucher felt something uncomfortable among his soldiers who were delighted with the victory of the skirmish, Why was Perrin’s corps here along the Teromiro river? Where had Michel Ney’s corps gone after retreating to the rear? His doubts continued, but Blucher successfully completed his mission nevertheless.

He could steadily play the role of an anvil while occupying the bridge of the Teromiro river. Then the remaining troops of the Coalition would be able to defeat Napoleon with a hammer. But the battlefield was always a place where unexpected variables and anomalies were born to dominate poor creatures.

The goddess of victory had never failed to smile at Napoleon, and she did not stop this time either. A new army appeared in an orderly manner riding in the western sky, in the picturesque sunset.

“The Polish army! They are the Polish army!”

The screams of Prussian officers confirming their uniforms represented the tragic reality of Blucher.

The flag of Jozef I could be seen, He, Marshal of the French Empire and King of Poland, was leading his elite army himself. Blucher’s chest pain got worse. His hands and feet were shaking and the tremor spread to his face.

“S-sir! Order to retreat quickly…!”

“The retreat route is already blocked.”

Before they knew it, French soldiers were approaching from the other side. Michel Ney and his corps, which Blucher had been looking for, appeared behind the Prussian army. The Prussians were isolated in an instant.

They had tried to bring Napoleon down with their hammer and anvil operation, but they were now caught between the hammer and the anvil and only tragedy was in front of them,

A great silence fell on them. The officers lost their words with a stunned look on their faces. And what came to them was only the feeling of fear.

‘That’s it.’

Blucher smiled bitterly. The Almighty God was fiercely on Napoleon’s side until the end.