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How Far Was Napoleon A Good Strategic Leader?

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How Far Was Napoleon A Good Strategic Leader?
Napoleon won many of the battles that he fought because he disciplined his men with strict rules. He did not tolerate any misbehavior among his ranks. When he came upon the responsibility of promoting men to officers, he guaranteed his men were being led well by following a strict list of criteria. In studying both the warlords of history and his enemies, Napoleon was able to make strategies and decide which one would be best against his enemies. Napoleon was a great strategic leader in all of his conquests because he paid attention to every detail. Napoleon supplied men for his army by using the draft system. To be eligible for the draft, the person had to be eighteen. They were then trained in all the subjects Napoleon saw necessary …show more content…
For instance, he always had camp made as far away from the enemy as possible. This kept him safe from the majority of enemy ambushes and allowed his men enough time to get prepared for battles. If the enemy did manage to somehow surprise him, he made sure he was prepared. Napoleon purposely placed the artillery in his camps as if he were on the battlefield. He would find and approve certain spots around the camp so that there was a clear shot of the enemy. When Napoleon was on the battlefield he had his artillery set up to protect and support the cavalry, not the infantry. The reason he used artillery to help cavalry was the fact that cavalry was only armed with a sabre, and not guns like the infantry. Even with the excellent training, both mounted and un-mounted, their sabre would not last them very long because all their fighting would be short-distance. For the times when Napoleon could not be around to command his men, he needed trustworthy officers. Being the meticulous man he was, Napoleon did not trust just anyone to help lead his men. To him, an officer had to reach a certain amount of requirements to deserve the rank. This list included: Knowing his country well, being able to conduct a reconnaissance with skill, being able to superintend the transmission of orders, and to lay down the most complicated movements intelligibly, simply, and in just a few

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