Tarnished Eagle; Napoleon's Winter Campaign in Poland, December 1806 Through February 1807
Murphy, Edward J.
Synopsis "Tarnished Eagle; Napoleon's Winter Campaign in Poland, December 1806 Through February 1807"
The victories and accomplishments of Napoleon and his Grand Army were by the winter of 1806, the stuff of legend. Yet, on the bloody field of Eylau, Napoleon lost both his prestige and over one third of his Army. How did this Russian Army of notable inferior weapons, tactics, organization and leadership stave off defeat and almost achieve victory? The answer lies in that Napoleon did not only fight the Russians, but also suffered a combination of poor morale and inaccurate reconnaissance. His overextended lines of communications covered an area that was known for its harsh terrain, poor supplies and extremely bad weather. The Campaign cost Napoleon over 43,000 casualties and proved indecisive. The campaign, and Battle of Eylau, ruined Napoleon's image of invincibility and completely gutted the Grand Army of a wealth of leadership and experience. Over twenty general officers were killed or seriously wounded at Eylau. Subsequently, Napoleon would have to consistently rely on more conscripts and an ever-increasing number of foreign troops to fill his depleted ranks. Napoleon's Army would never again resemble the previously invincible Grand Army that died on the blood-soaked snows of Poland.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
