There are not many men who can claim to have had an entire era of history named after them. Napoleon was undoubtedly a pivotal figure in an epic era, but how did he rise to power, and can wargamers factor in his individual presence on a wargames table?
Born in 1769 into relatively impoverished Corsican nobility, and after receiving a French military education, by the beginning of the Revolution Napoleon had become a junior officer of artillery. He witnessed the chaotic mob rule when the Tuileries Palace was attacked in 1792, but was wise enough to build political connections with those in power during the crucial year of 1793. He came to the attention of Robespierre, who recognised his talent and promoted him to senior gunner and commander of the artillery at the siege of Toulon, where he arrived in September 1793.
Napoleon first made his mark designing a strategy to capture key forts that overlooked the harbour. Once these were under French control, they could attack any ship in the harbour and force the evacuation of the British fleet. As he predicted, the British did not want to risk their fleet and withdrew. The city fell to the Republic soon after.
The success at Toulon saw Bonaparte promoted to Brigadier general of artillery in France's Army of Italy, where he was instrumental in the French victory at the Second Battle of Saorgio (1794). However, rivalries and perhaps his association with the disgraced Montagnards (Robespierre’s faction), saw him removed from his command though he was reinstated a few weeks later.
In 1795, he refused a commission as an infantry commander to fight against the Vendee and subsequently was removed from the list of active generals. His future looked bleak. However, fate dealt him a lucky hand. Barras, in charge of the defence of Paris and the Republic, asked him to take charge of the defences at Tuileries Palace. With skill and brutality, his famous Vendemiaire ‘Whiff of Grapeshot’ saw Napoleon crush the uprising. He was then rewarded with the command of the Army of Italy at the age of 25.
Returning to Italy with this small army, Napoleon worked wonders. Time and again he outmanoeuvred the larger Piedmontese and Austrian armies. Napoleon acted more as a statesman and ruler than an army general, undoubtdly unsettling the French government. But what can you do with such a highly popular and effective general? His army captured over 150,000 prisoners, 540 cannons, and 170 standards, winning 18 pitched battles.
Britain was proving a constant thorn in the Directorate’s side. Napoleon suggested that they threaten British trade interests through an expedition to Egypt, which also seemed to some in the Directory as the perfect solution to move him out of the way. The Ottoman and Mameluke armies in Egypt were no match for the French. Unfortunately, Nelson’s victory at the Battle of the Nile in August 1798 destroyed the French fleet and any hopes of reinforcement. Napoleon ruthlessly pushed his men in the following campaign. The stubborn resistance of Acre led to his first clear defeat, resulting in his withdrawal from Syria, soon followed by Napoleon deserting his army with a handful of picked supporters.
Back in Paris, and carefully spinning the expedition as a great cultural expedition, Napoleon threw himself into politics. On 18 Brumaire (9 November 1799), when his persuasive powers failed him, he threw out the Deputies by force. The Directory was finished. Made one of three consuls, then promoted to First Consul, he once again faced wars on France’s eastern and Italian fronts.
Crossing the Alps into Italy, he was set to continue his victories, but it nearly all came crashing down at Marengo where, except for timely reinforcements in the form of a full division under Desaix, and Austrian complacency, he would have been defeated. In 1802, the Treaty of Amiens brought peace between Britain and France, ending the Wars of the French Revolution. Napoleon’s popularity soared. His power was such that in 1804 he became emperor and began to build a court that far outshone all others.
The French Army of the Revolutionary Wars may have started poorly equipped with untrained volunteers and the levée en masse, which conscripted hundreds of thousands of men, but soon evolved into a professional, if often under-equipped, army. The introduction of the 1791 manual simplified drill and loading instructions, making the infantry marginally faster at manoeuvring and firing than their opponents. The Gribeauval system had revolutionized French artillery in the 1770s. The reforms encompassed not only the cannons and carriages, but also the limbers, ammunition chests, and the accompanying equipment, ammunition and tools; rounds for the weapons were prepackaged.
The aristocratic system of patronage was gone. The Revolutionary Army used a merit-based system of promotion, based on leadership ability, courage, and aptitude; talented men like Napoleon could be promoted to top positions. The reforms in the Revolutionary Army allowed Napoleon's new concept of warfare to succeed. Now, manoeuvre and firepower could deliver a quick and decisive blow against the enemy. Nearly always outnumbered, he used his strategic genius to focus his troops and overpower his enemy time and again. In his early battles, we see him leading the assault, sword in hand. In later years, he seems to have largely distanced himself from any close-in action.
When it comes to wargaming, his direct involvement in any assaults happening during early campaigns is possible, though it should come at great risk. Although all rules need an element of failure, if Napoleon leads an attack, he should add a significant bonus. He should also be able to rally troops quickly, and any troops within his eyesight should unquestionably try to demonstrate determination in attack and defence. None of this prevents casualties of course, but should give troops more staying power.
In later battles, Napoleon can be used to raise the morale of troops passing within his presence (on the assumption he has inspired them with a few words), but tactics should be left to his subordinates. It pays to remember that he was both a military commander and head of state, and there were increasing efforts to keep him out of harm’s way. Where a battle situation is desperate, however, there should be the chance of pushing Napoleon to the front and keeping troops in position. There should also be scope for units, who are near him and within sight, to be able to fire faster through a bonus to their fire factor for a turn or two. As in earlier years, his presence should still add significantly toward rallying troops, but if he is within range of the enemy, he should also be at risk, just like any general officer.
I hope this gives some food for thought, giving you some ideas as to how you can use Napoleon in a game without unbalancing it too much. In reality, truly bringing Napoleon to the tabletop may require something beyond rules, some of his tactical skill. WS&S
This article was featured in Wargames, Soldiers & Strategy Magazine 128. Discover this issue, and others, in our webshop:
