The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-11-09
PRINCETON UNIoN THURSDAY, NOV EMBER g 1905
Observation-Disclosures.

80 &
Acknowledgements.
OF special interest to recall in this
year Of surprising war events is the
battle of Austerlitz, fought 100 years
ago. By his victory Of Dec. 2, 1906, on
the field OF Austerlitz Napoleon burst
from his narrow environment as die
tator of revolutionary France and
loomed before the astounded monarchs
of Europe as world conquerOr. Ma
poleon showed at his best as a leader
and soldier in the campaign which end
ed gloriously for him and for France
at AusterlitZ. He had been made en-
peror of France only a year before. He
was engrossed with national ambi-
tons. He desired to build up French
commerce and industry and, above all,
to secure for his country breathing
spell from wars and revolutions.
England disturbed Napoleon's dreams
of peace by making war upon the sea
and blockading French ports. Sudden
~ Austria and Russia, i'll a coalition
with England, united to march over
land and attack the eastern frontiers
of France while Napoleon's armies
were marshaled on the coasts. Final
~ the Austrian troops invaded Bava-
ria, which was the ally of France and
Napoleon bestirred himself with that
tigerish energy which was his strong
point. Newspapers were suppressed,
and before the enemy suspected his
move he had crossed the Rhine be-
tween the Bavarian posts and Austria
with 10000 men. In bloodless cam
paign, ending Oct. q, Napoleon de-
stroyed an Austrian army Of $4,000,
capturing at Ulm united force of
$4,000. From Ulm Napoleon fastened
to Vienna, which the Austrian emperor
abandoned. News of the humiliation
Of the French fleet at Trafalgar, Oct.
81, reached Napoleon at Vienna about
the middle Of November, and he also
learned that Alexander I. of Russia
|
with an Austrian force of 10000 on
the Danube to cut the French off from
the road back to France. The allies
believed that Napoleon would winter
in Vienna, but instead he marched
straight for their camp on the plains
of OlmutZ, in Moravia. The French
reached Brunn on the evening of Dec.
and found the allied emperors, Alex
ander and Francis, with $4,000 troops
drawn up on the bank of the river
Goldbach. Napoleon had but $4,000
men in his column, and the allies be-
lieved that he would not risk a battle,
hence did not wait for re-enforcements,
but threw forward their columns early
on Dec. 2 to seize the Vienna road.
Before the battle opened Napoleon
had been apprised by an ambassador
from the king of Prussia that Prussia
would join the coalition at the first
French reverse and put 100000 men in
the field and advised to make peace.
Said Napoleon: ''The event of the bat
tie will decide everything I think I
shall gain it. If so I will dictate such
peace as answers my purpose"
The conduct of the allies which gave
Napoleon his chance for master
stroke at Austerlitz and also the genius
of the mighty Corsican are shown by
an incident Of the fight. The French
corps led by Marshal Soult lay hidden
from view in valley before the main
position Of the allies on the heights of
Pratzen. In the heat of the battle Ma
poleon asked Soult how long it would
take his infantry to climb the heights
in front. ''Twenty minutes, sire. Shall
I go forward?' answered the marshal.
'No. Wait twenty minutes. When
the enemy is making a false move be
careful not to disturb him. The enc
my. as Napoleon could hear, was strip
ping the heights Of infantry to re-en-
force their attack on the Vienna road.
Soult carried the heights after fear
full combat, and the Russian cavalry,
under the Grand Duke Constantine,
rushed to stem the disaster. At this
Napoleon led up in person his whole
cavalry reserve and swept the field of
Russian horsemen.
Having broken the Russian center,
Napoleon turned upon the column
which was dashing for the Vienna
road. An incident Of this phase Of the
battle was the Smelling by the French
Of bridge of ice over which an Aus
trian corps of 5000 men were march
ing. Napoleon ordered his cannon to
play upon the ice until nearly the
whole mass, with horses, guns and
wagons. was engulfed in the chilling
waters. The war demon in him was
aroused by what he considered the
perfdy of his enemies. He had said
to his soldiers the night before, "Vic-
tory must not be doubtful on this field"