Second Hand Napoleon’s Triumph

A substantial operational history of the 1807 Friedland campaign, tracing Napoleon’s recovery after the bloody and inconclusive Battle of Eylau through to his decisive victory over the Russian army at Friedland and the subsequent settlement at Tilsit.

James R. Arnold and Ralph R. Reinertsen begin in February 1807, with Napoleon’s Grande Armée exhausted after Eylau and the aura of French invincibility badly shaken. The authors follow the renewed Russian offensive, the winter fighting in Poland and the struggle for strategically important positions before turning to the complex Siege of Danzig.

The spring campaign saw the Russians again attempt to seize the initiative. Detailed attention is given to Marshal Ney’s fighting withdrawal, Napoleon’s counter-offensive and the Battle of Heilsberg, before the narrative culminates in the decisive Battle of Friedland on 14 June 1807.

The authors examine the campaign from both French and Russian perspectives, drawing upon primary material from European and American libraries and archives. Particular emphasis is placed on command decisions, troop movements, coalition warfare and the strengths and weaknesses of the opposing armies. Napoleon Books describes the work as an original reassessment of the campaign that seeks to move beyond both pro-Napoleonic and apologetic Russian interpretations of Friedland.

Lavishly illustrated with portraits, drawings and historical images, the volume includes 39 detailed maps and extensive appendices covering the composition and orders of battle of the French, Russian and Prussian forces.