A Summary of modern Military History, etc

Preface

. The immediate object of this work is to facilitate the study of the text books on Strategy and Tactics which are used by officers of both the Regular and the Auxiliary forces. A cadet, or officer, who is well versed in Modern History, can have no difficulty in appreciating the historical illustrations which abound in such works as Sir E. Hamley's "Opera tions of War," or Colonel Clery's " Minor Tactics," or even Marshal Marmont's little manual. But, unfortunately, the great majority of our young officers have had no education in History, and hence they complain that they are confused rather than enlightened by examples of military skill, culled from the long annals of war. In the midst of their technical studies it is impossible for them to peruse the original authorities on the events of the leading campaigns.

How can a candidate for the Staff College, for example, add to his other "labours lengthened researches into the writings of the numerous critics of Napoleon's career, or follow Napier's account of the English army in the Peninsula? A Militia officer, who is a candidate for the Regular Army, cannot manage to find time to explore the vast official account of the Franco-German War for the circumstances under which the Battle of Colombey-Borney was fought, or Von Werder made his flank march to, and resolute stand on, the Lisaine. Still less can he wade through the numerous records from which other illustrations are bor rowed with, as is inevitable in works on the Military Art, no regard to chronological order. Some very able experts have assured the writer that, having regard to the deplorable ignorance of History now prevailing in England, it is almost impossible to teach the Art of War properly.

Accordingly, in some cases, lecturers are driven to ignore the greater part of the ex amples in their technical works, and to rely on theory, with very few references to actual warfare. It appears, then, to the writer, and his view is supported by a very large number of military men, that a short sketch of modern military History would materially help our young officers, and, indeed, everyone who, while taking an interest in the subject, has not time to read the leading authorities on each war. In France or Germany there is no necessity for such a work, inasmuch as every intelligent person learns History in his youth, and every government official, military or civil, is supposed, before entering upon his career, to be well acquainted, not only with the exploits of his own people, but with all the desperate struggles which have determined the fate of nations.

Indeed, it is marvellous that our educational authorities, when they determined to depreciate the study of History in English, did not at least include in their French programme some such books on modern History as Michelet's Precis and Ducoudray's Histoire Contemporaine, surely these would be as useful to young men in every sense of the word as the cleverest works of Daudet and Zola. A few chapters at the beginning of this Summary are devoted to a sketch of the leading changes in the practice of the Art of War in modern times, and a short statement of its principles taken from the best authorities ; indeed, one chapter is simply quoted from Riistow, whose valuable works should be much more widely circulated among us than they are. The treatment of some of the Campaigns is merely by way of chronological outline with a few comments ; others are dealt with, more or less fully, in proportion as they are of more or less general interest, or more or less frequently referred to in recent military text-books — the principal of which the writer has kept before him throughout.

The Comments are either directly taken from, or based upon, the views of specialists of the highest reputation. The Appendix contains some data which must be borne in mind in criticizing all military operations, and also a number of short summaries of examples of certain branches of the Art of War. The writer hopes that this little work may be found of some practical utility by students of military subjects generally, but especially by the younger officers of the Army, to very many of whom he is indebted for unvarying courtesy and kindness. November, 1887. CONTENTS. PAGE Introduction ......... 7 Definitions ......... 13 Epochs in Modern War ig Fundamental Laws of Strategy .... 29 Marlborough's Campaigns 3g Blenheim, 1704 43 Ramillies, 1706 ....... 46 Oudenarde, 1708 ....... 49 Malplaquet. 1709 ....... 53 Comments on Marlborough's Operations ... 59 War of the Austrian Succession, 1740-1748 . . 64 Seven Years' War, 1756-1763 ..... 67 Summary of the Wars of the French Revolution and First Empire ...... 73 Campaign of 1792 against the Allies ... 80 „ 1793 ..,,», ... 81 >, 1794 >. ... 82 „ 1795 " » » ... 83 „ I796 .. » » ... 84 ,, 1797 » » » .... 87 Egyptian Campaign, 1798 ...... 89 Campaign of 1799 against the Allies ... go Suwarrow's Operations ...... 91 Bonaparte in Syria, 1799 ...... 93 Campaign of 1800 against Austria .... 96 Proposed Invasion of England, 1805 .... g8 Campaign of 1805 against Austria and Prussia . 100 Campaign of 1806— Jena ...... 105 Campaign of Eylau and Friedland, 1806-7 .

PAGE The Peninsular War, 1808-1814 IIQ Campaign of i8og on the Danube . . . • XI° Russian Campaign, 1812 ....-• I2° Campaign of 1813 in Germany . I25 Campaign of 1814 in France . . . • • i3I Campaign in Flanders, 1815 ..... 135 June 15TH, 1815 .....-•■ J39 Ligny, June i6th, 1815 ...... 14° Quatre Bras, June i6th, 1815 ..... 143 June 17th, 1815 H3 Battle of Waterloo ....... 144 Comments on the Waterloo Campaign by Wellington, Napoleon, Jomini, Chesney, Kennedy, Frazer, Hooper, Thiers, Siborne, Muffling, &c. . 153 Russo-Turkish War, 1828-g ..... 164 Von Moltke's Comments, 1828-g. .... 164 Polish Wars ......... 166 Paskiewitsch's Operations ...... 168 Hungarian Insurrection, 1848-g. . . ' . . 172 Italian Campaign, 1848-g ...... 174 1859 175 Crimean War, 1854-6 ....... 179 Comments on the Crimean War. .... 180 American War, 1861-1865 ...... 184 Criticisms on the American War .... igo The Schleswig-Holstein Question .... ig6 Campaign of 1866 in Germany and Italy . . . 197 Criticisms on the War of 1866 ...... 201 Franco-German War, 1870-71 . . . . . 206 Comments on the Campaign of 1870-71 . . . 213 Forces in the „ „ „ ... 221 Turkish War 1877-78 ....... 223 Egypt and the Soudan, 1882-1885 .... 229 Principal Expeditions from England. . . . 233 British Actions in India ...... 230 Expeditions against Savage Races ....