WRT to the Russian campaign, it gets down to political assumptions.
Napoleon assumed that Alexander and his court would not want most of their realm to be ravaged, without at least risking a decisive battle. Was this political assumption irrational or unfounded?
After all, in his many dealings with the monarchs of Europe, Napoleon had never before encountered any of them who were more willing to see their realms brought to ruin, sooner than make peace.
Moreover, Napoleon thought he had taken ample measure of the man he faced in Alexander. He had faced him militarily at Austerlitz, and politically at Tilsit. In the military encounter, Napoleon had found Alexander prone to interfere with his generals. In the political encounter, Napoleon found him amenable to compromise and flattery.
But what happened in the event? As the crisis mounted, Alexander delegated more and more control of the campaign to old Kutuzov, while he became more and more scornful towards any of Napoleon's overtures.
It is interesting that Napoleon's designs came to grief in the two countries where his political assumptions proved most mistaken: Spain and Russia.
Napoleon assumed that Alexander and his court would not want most of their realm to be ravaged, without at least risking a decisive battle. Was this political assumption irrational or unfounded?
After all, in his many dealings with the monarchs of Europe, Napoleon had never before encountered any of them who were more willing to see their realms brought to ruin, sooner than make peace.
Moreover, Napoleon thought he had taken ample measure of the man he faced in Alexander. He had faced him militarily at Austerlitz, and politically at Tilsit. In the military encounter, Napoleon had found Alexander prone to interfere with his generals. In the political encounter, Napoleon found him amenable to compromise and flattery.
But what happened in the event? As the crisis mounted, Alexander delegated more and more control of the campaign to old Kutuzov, while he became more and more scornful towards any of Napoleon's overtures.
It is interesting that Napoleon's designs came to grief in the two countries where his political assumptions proved most mistaken: Spain and Russia.
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