An error by French General Murat delays Napoleon’s advance and assists the Russian escape.
Summary:
Kutúzov is in an almost hopeless position. The French, after crossing the bridge at Vienna, were advancing in immense force upon Kutúzov’s line. To enable escape, Kutuzoz sends Bagratión with 4,000 men to guard the rear. With the rest of his army, Kutuzoz will attempt a 24 hour quick march to rejoin the main army. Bagratión manages to get in front of Napoleon’s army just in time. Being vastly outnumbered by Napoleon’s 150,000 troops, many of Bagratión’s men are not expected to survive. However, when French General Murat sees Bagratión’s vanguard he mistakenly thinks its the entire Russian army. He foolishly offers a three-days truce. This is a very lucky break for the Russians, as it allows more time for its army to escape. When Napoleon learns of the 3-day truce, he is livid. He angrily overrides the truce and orders Murat to attack.
quote from the chapter:
Bagratión with his four thousand hungry, exhausted men would have to detain for days the whole enemy army that came upon him at Hollabrünn, which was clearly impossible. But a freak of fate made the impossible possible. The success of the trick that had placed the Vienna bridge in the hands of the French without a fight led Murat to try to deceive Kutúzov in a similar way. Meeting Bagratión’s weak detachment on the Znaim road he supposed it to be Kutúzov’s whole army. To be able to crush it absolutely he awaited the arrival of the rest of the troops who were on their way from Vienna, and with this object offered a three days’ truce on condition that both armies should remain in position without moving. Murat declared that negotiations for peace were already proceeding, and that he therefore offered this truce to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.
Book 2, Chapter 14
An error by French General Murat delays Napoleon’s advance and assists the Russian escape.
Summary:
Kutúzov is in an almost hopeless position. The French, after crossing the bridge at Vienna, were advancing in immense force upon Kutúzov’s line. To enable escape, Kutuzoz sends Bagratión with 4,000 men to guard the rear. With the rest of his army, Kutuzoz will attempt a 24 hour quick march to rejoin the main army. Bagratión manages to get in front of Napoleon’s army just in time. Being vastly outnumbered by Napoleon’s 150,000 troops, many of Bagratión’s men are not expected to survive. However, when French General Murat sees Bagratión’s vanguard he mistakenly thinks its the entire Russian army. He foolishly offers a three-days truce. This is a very lucky break for the Russians, as it allows more time for its army to escape. When Napoleon learns of the 3-day truce, he is livid. He angrily overrides the truce and orders Murat to attack.
quote from the chapter:
Bagratión with his four thousand hungry, exhausted men would have to detain for days the whole enemy army that came upon him at Hollabrünn, which was clearly impossible. But a freak of fate made the impossible possible. The success of the trick that had placed the Vienna bridge in the hands of the French without a fight led Murat to try to deceive Kutúzov in a similar way. Meeting Bagratión’s weak detachment on the Znaim road he supposed it to be Kutúzov’s whole army. To be able to crush it absolutely he awaited the arrival of the rest of the troops who were on their way from Vienna, and with this object offered a three days’ truce on condition that both armies should remain in position without moving. Murat declared that negotiations for peace were already proceeding, and that he therefore offered this truce to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.
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