The sun., 1905-09-10
SOME NEW BOOKS.
Military Studies.

Military Studies.
A striking and useful addition to 'Ihe
International Military Series pubhshed
at KanAas City by the eHudson-kimoerley
Company, will be found embodied IN
volume OF some 2S0 pages entitled A'atdry
Studies, by FREDERIC Louis HuIDEKoPER'
Tho frat OF these papers, which examines
the long controverted question, 'Dld
Grouchy, by disobedience Of orders. cause
the defeat OF Napoleon at Waterloo2" was
revised by the late John Goldman Ropes
and published at his suggestion in the
United Service Magazine. The other essays,
which deal with problems in strategy and
tactics presented by certain memorable
operations and battles In tho Seven years
war, in the Napoleonio wars and In the
Franoo-German war OF 1870, originally
appear cd In the journal Of the Military
Service Institution" They have since
received some corrections and additions,
and great deal Of labor has been expended
in verifying statements OF fact and reier-
ences to authorities. A we'll conceived
and successful effort has been made to
render the book helpful TO officers by keep
ing constantly before the reader while
particular campaigns arc described the
unchanging fundamental principles OF
strategy which are applicable under all
possible circumstances. The writer con-
oedes in preface that it would be relatively
useless, IL not positively hurtful, TO model
the tactics Of to-day upon those OF any
commander Of the past, no matter what
may have been his eminence; but he points
out that although the improvements In
ordnance and transportation are con-
tinually modifying tactics no one denies
that the fundamental principles Of strategy
always have been and always will be i'm
rnutable.
The outcome Of Mr.. Huidekopers study
Of the campaign OF Waterloo ia that he con-
ours in the opinion pronounced by Siborne.
Shaw Kennedy and Ropes, that had the
Prussians been prevented from uniting
with the English on June IS. 1915, Napoleon
would in all likelihood have beaten the
Duke OF Wellington badly before 9 o'clock.
To the lack OF Napoleon's personal presence
10 the afternoon at Waterloo the loss Of the
tattle is attributable, and Grouchy alone
was responsible for Napoleon's enforced
absence, for on the arrival Of the Prussians
the Emperor, having already fought one
battle against the English was forced to
70 In person toward Planchenoit, and there
fight another battle against the Prussian
army. leaving to Ney the direction OF the
troops at Waterloo.
Some fifty pages are devoted to the won
S'erful Italian campaigns OF l7o6 and 1897,
In which the principles Of the Napo o.eonic
strategy were signally exemplifed A
study Of the operations shows that the
chief characteristics Of Napoleon's strategy
we're GD All assumption Of tho initiative
at tho commencement Of hostilities; (2) one
line Of operations: (s the unity Of forces;
a. rapdity OF movement, and (5) concen-
tration before battle. The principles to
be deduced from Napoleon's practise are
condensed In two great maxims: D sur
prise and. by rapidity Of movement out
maneuver your enemy and (2) never be
vulnerable on any point As Hamley
has said: 'In that single year U7o6-o7), the
first In which he commanded an army,
BonapArte illustrated completely the sys-
tern Of war which deserves to be styled
the Napoleonic. since he was. II not its in
ventor, its greatest exemplar.'
Rather more than third Of the volume
is allotted to q detailed account OF tho
movements preceding and occupying the
famous Five Days Campaign OF Eckmuhl
Os0e), which was distinguished by some
OF Napoleons most brilliant maneuvers
Our author shows how in few days after
his arrival at Donauw 5rth, Napoleon @ex-
tricated his troops from the disaster with
which they were threatened, brought
order out Of chaos, withdrew Davout from
dangerous isolation, concentrated the
French and auxiliary forces on his own
center. separated and drove the Austrian
left back to the Inn. gained possession Of
the enemy's lines Of communication, and,
having defeated the Arohduke Charles,
forced him across the Danube. In three
days he had fought successfully three
pitched battles, and had killed, wounded
or captured more than n 900 men," The
fact Is recalled that In his dying days at
Ut. Helena the Emperor often recurred
With pride to the strategy displayed by
him at Eokmtihl, and in his own Commen-
taries declared that the battle Of Aliens
berg, the mAneuvers OF Landshut and the
battle OF Eokm1h were the most brilliant
and ablest. performances OF Napoleon
He told OMeara that the operations on
which he congratulated himself the most
took place at Eckmuhl and were infinitely
superior to those OF Marengo and other
campaigns before or since
A study OF the battle Of Gravelotte,
which took place on Aug. IS, 1870, has oon-
vinoed our author that in that engage
ment Won Moltke committed serious biun-
ders which ought to have cost him dear
and would have done 80 had Ba1aine been
"a determined and energetic o. were some
Of his corps manders-Gen. Froesard,
for example. AT Gravelotte the Ger
mans made flank march, In view Of the
French army in position; moreover. they
failed to keep intact the communications
between their oorps.' The fatal results
OF suoh mistakes had bean exhibited in the
preceding century at Kolin, where Frederick
the Great was defeated by the Austrian
commander. Marshal Daun. -Koltn was
won without any effort on the part Of Daun.
Gravelotte was lost through the culpable
negligence Of Bazaine. At Gravelotte the
French army had in reality no commander
in-ohief; the officer who held that rank did
nothing during the entire battle, knew
nothing Of tho relative strength of his
wines or Of what the Germans were
DOING
Tho studies Of Kolin, OF Rossbach and Of
Oravelotte all illustrate the moon venienoes