How Did Napoleon Bonaparte Characterize Modern Warfare?

The Napoleonic Revolution is an example of a military revolution that transformed military warfare. According to Geoffrey Parker, five essential features of the Western way of war are technology, discipline, highly aggressive military tradition, emphasis on innovation, and unique system of war finance. However, in the conduct of modern warfare, the three aspects that best characterize warfare in the age of Napoleon Bonaparte are discipline, highly aggressive military tradition, and emphasis on innovation.

In his book, The Cambridge History of Warfare, Parker states, “[…]the outcome of wars has been determined less by technology than by better war plans, the achievement of surprise, greater economic strength and, above all, superior discipline.”1

After Napoleon’s army had already seized Vienna during the Ulm-Austerlitz Campaign, he virtually destroyed the Austro-

Russians before they could exit the battle field.6 These traditions or tactics of total defeat and destruction of the enemy varied from military practice in other societies, which not only contributed to Napoleonic warfare, but its superiority as well.

The spread of military power was challenged by the ability to change or conserve its military practice as need arose.7 During the Napoleonic Revolution, emphasis on innovation was constant. Innovative weaponry, structure and command of peoples, and maneuvering tactics were all significant in the Western way of war. For example, the creation of a radically new

French officer corps allowed them to become more and more professional, as seniority and talent determined their promotion.8 Another great advantage of Napoleon’s revolutionary army was its flexible combination of tactics that could match the style of fighting to its terrain and circumstance.9 Innovation also came by way of the Jourdan law, in 1798, which established