the lion of the russian army - Florida State University

obstacles we confront, we shall overcome and we shall not rest until we
have planted our eagle in our enemies’ territory. 22
Napoleon’s plan of action was a daring and brilliant design that utilized the
mobility of the French corps system. Napoleon left General Andre Massena to defend
Italy and pin down the main Austrians forces, while he moved his troops into Germany.
To conceal his movements and lure the Austrians westward, he dispatched Murat’s
cavalry to cross the Rhine at Strasbourg and move through the Black Forest. Napoleon’s
security measures were so effective that none of the Allies knew of the French rapid
movement to the Danube; the French borders were sealed and the commanders were only
provided with necessary details for their own operations. 23
Meanwhile, the Austrians received news of the movement of the French army into
Germany. Kutuzov soon received letters from the Aulic Council urging him to accelerate
his marches and join the Austrians before Napoleon arrived at Ulm. The Russian army
was already tired of marching in the mud and rain. 24 Furthermore, the Russian artillery
consisted of the new guns of General Aleksey Arakcheyev’s 1805 ordnance system that
were too heavy for the available Russian horses to pull. Kutuzov wrote, “As for the
artillery, despite my desire to comply with the requests of the Austrian court, it is
impossible to move [the guns] as fast as the infantry; the horses are worn out… and it
would do the service no good to see this important element of the army so exhausted on
the way.” 25 In addition, the Russians lacked maps of the area that further complicated
their marching. So, Kutuzov asked Russian Ambassador to Vienna Andrey Razumovsky
to send him the maps of the theater of war. 26
22 Correspondance de Napoleon Ier, No. 9293, XI, 253-64.
23 Chandler, Campaigns of Napoleon, 386-91; Elting, Military History Atlas, maps 46-47.
24 Kutuzov to Razumovsky, 23 September 1805, Correspondence of Kutuzov, 53
25 Kutuzov to Razumovsky, 23 September 1805, Ibid., 53-54
26 Kutuzov to Razumovsky, 23 September 1805, Ibid., 65-67. Razumovsky was able to send
general maps of area on 23 October, but he still could not find detailed maps of Germany. One of
the participants of the campaign later complained, “Our officers had no maps, while we found
small maps of the theater of war almost in every French soldier’s backpack.” I. Butovsky,
210