The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-10-06
FRANCE IN 1914.
How the Allies Entered Paris.

Although the ''Spansh ulcer,n as Napo
leon Bonaparte himself termed the Peninsu
lar War, unquestionably sapped his military
strength to considerable extent, his down
tall and the capture of Paris are more direct
y traceable to the disastrous campaign in
Russia. Of an army of more than halt a
mllllon OF men, not one-tenth part surviving
| the horrors OF the retreat from Moscow. re.
treated through Prussian territory, pursued
by the victorious Russians, in the spring OF
1878. This had the ultimate effect of eman-
| cipatng Prussia from the control of France.
| Since the Battle Of Jena, Prussia had suffer
ed every indlgnity at the hands of her con-
queror Her territory had been divided.
lhe first requlsition OF money imposed upon
her after her great defeat, amounting to S130,-
00O,OO0 had been vigorously and merciesslv
enforced. The vast armies of Napoleon had
been quarteTcd upon and marched across her
fertile valleys and had dcvoured and destroy
the accumulatlons and means of subsistence
of large sections OF the country, utterly i'm
poverlshing the unfortunate inhabitants. The
people had begun to doubt the wisdom of
their king in submitting to despotism which
already inflicted greater eXactions upon its
forced allies than injuries upon its open foes.
Upon the expectation that rebellion against
the alliance and yoke Of France would be
attempted, the people Of Prussia hailed the
occupation OF Berlin by the Russians, regard
ing the latter as deliverers from French op-
pression and throughout Prussia, with an
outburst of patriotic ardor, the people flew
to arms. A coldness was manifested by Ma
poleon toward the King Of Prussia because of
this attitude of the subjects of the latter
Napoleon did not believe in the expressions
OF good faith on the part Of King William,
and alienated the Kings friendship by the cN-
preston of his supicions. The King took the
offensive. at last, and thus was prcciptated a
treaty between Prussia and Russia that form
ed the nucleus of the Great Alliance which,
when ultimately cementcd by defeats as well
as victories, clustering the armies Of all Eu-
rope upon French soil, broke the power of
France and destroyed the empire Of Napo-
leon.
The battle of Leipsic, itself 4 victory con-
sequent upon the growth Of the alliance,
may be regarded in some respects as the first
step of the advance Of the allies upon Paris
The battle of Ianau, which followed 4 few
days after that of Leipsic, was the last battle
fought by Napoleon beyond the Rhine. The
campaign which thereafter ensued in the
early months of 1914 when the armies on
either side Of the Rhine had enioved short
ItSu tlllt III w lultI
many features in common with the present
war; as well as in the probable ultimate re-
suits. To trace in detail the various steps by
which principally during the year 1913 the
Great Alliance was formed would require
the narration Of the entire history of Europe
during one Of her most eventful years. Suf-
flee it that the gravitating force which at
tracted the nations to the alliance grew with
its accretions, and to Prussia and Russia
there We're eventually added, Sweden and
Austria; Bavaria and the other German
States, even SaNony being forced in Naples
and Denmark yielded to a species of ncceS-
sity, while its numbers were swclled by the
Spanish. Portuguese, Dutch and English,
the last bringing in addition to numbers,
the ''sinews Of war
The plan Of that campaign, like that OF
the present year, consisted in the advance OF
three armies upon France The "grand
army under Prince Schwartzenbere, $50 900
strong, advanced through oWIuZcrIInu Cw III,
the permission OF that State) by the passes of
the Jura Mountains into France. Bucher's
Army Of Silesa, 100000 strong, moved by
way OF Maycnce, merely blockading that
town, into the ''Champagnc country Ber :
nadotte had the Army of the North," 10
900 strong, and passing through Flanders
was to besiege Antwerp, reduce the Low
Countries or secure their alliance and enter
France from the extreme north The grand
army and Bluchers army of Silesia crossed
the Rhine in December, 1873 The principal
portion of the grand army swept with I wide
front through Lorraine, its eXtrcme right
wing in its movement touching or tapping
the southern edge of the path which in the
present war has been selected by the army of
the Crown Prince after the defeat of Me-
AI1lr Il Al At
plains of Burgundy, endangcring the city of
Lyons Blucher's army left large detach-
ments to mask or reduce Metz, Saar Louis
Thionville and Luxembourg, and pushed his
advanced forces to Vitry and st. Dizicr
Napoleon was prompt in providing to meet
the impending dangers. He left an Empress
Regent and an infant son in Paris, and went
forward on the 25th Of January to the head
quarters OF his army at Chalons. The next
day he advanced to Vitry, and on the follow
ing morning, resuming his march, he met
and defeated Il portion of Bluchcr's forces ut
St. Dizier, cutting in two Bluchcrs army,
whose headquarters had at the time advanc-
ed beyond, about % miles southwest, to
Brcnne. The next day BIuchcr narrowly
escaped being crushed by the sudden onset Of
the forces which Napoleon hurried 10 Rriennc
BY the first of February Schwartzenberg and
Blucher had joined their forces. In the bat
ties of Brienne and La Rothiere, Napoleon
was for the first time defeated on the soil of
France and retreated to Troyes.
Instead of promptly pursuing Napoleon
the allies, who were embarrassed about the
subsistence Of such large forces, divided
their armies again. Prince Schwarzenberg
in Il leisurely way-for it was winter, and the
roads were in u friehtfu condition started
for Troyes. Blucher directed his forces to-
ward point alb ,ut half way on the road from
Chalons to Paris. Napoleon left a small
force as a fent Of defense at Troyes to serve
rs 4 scare-crow to Schwartzcnberg, and, by 4
forced march over 4 rugged district, struck
Blucher's forces on their road to the river
Marne, defeating them in detail at Champau-
bert, Montmirail, and Vanchamps in q local
ity from thirty to thirty three miles west of
Chalons Meanwhile Schwartzcnberg march
ed slowly into Troyes, thence to Nogent
Bray, and Montereau, sweeping everything
south of Paris, and producing great alarm in
that capital. Napoleon, spurred by the exi-
gency, marched his forces westward between
the Seine and the Marine. and striking the
flank of Schwartzcnberg's advance along
the former river defeated detachment after
detachment, in detail, until Schwartzchberg
became thoroughly alarmed, asked an armis-
tce, and retreated back to Troyes. The bat
tie of MOntereal in which the Prince of