Napoleon Research Paper Structure

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Tactics are hard to sort out, you should go a bit higher and look at the 'operational level' - the movements of the parts of the army. This will be easier to see and describe in a small paper. The campaigns of 1796 and 1797 are very good for him separating the other side into parts and taking them in turn. Then you could look at the 1805 sweep past Ulm and the 1806 drive around the Prussians before Jena/Auerstadt and the pursuit afterward.

Napoleon wanted the other side beaten before the final battle really started, rather than rely on some trick to win a close fight.

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You will have a difficult time convincing me that Napoleon was the best battlefield technician of all time, when he was (at best!) only the third most expert French practitioner of that art during the Napoleonic Era; Davout and likely Desaix would head that list, and all of Soult, Lannes and Massena can at least be argued as more expert than Napoleon).

Similarly as a dynastic founder Napoleon's complete ineptitude at diplomacy place him a long ways down that list.

While Napoleon's construction and use of the Imperial Guard, and Artillery Reserve were masterful, most of French tactical doctrine and organization was already in place as the result of events leading up to Valmy. He would certainly have to place behind Alexander (or Philip if you prefer), Marius, and Temujin among architects of the military force they wielded.

As an innovator of tactics and strategies Napoleon is unexceptional, making use of the tools available in marginally more productive ways. Of his well published developments only the Battallione Carre is truly novel.

Where Napoleon did excel was as a charismatic leader of men. He was able to surround himself with an array of extremely talented subordinates who often despised, and would refuse to cooperate with, each other; bind them to himself with exceptional loyalty; and energize them to attain heights even they did not believe them selves capable of.

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