PAST EVENTS
Dr Angus Allen delivered the second part of his lecture on Napoleon and the Battle of Austerlitz (2 Dec 1805), supported by a video film, at our monthly meeting in March. By way of an introduction Dr Allen dealt in some detail with Napoleon's army organisation and philosophy of war. Amongst the generals of his time, he was supreme; as a strategist he had no peer. Napoleon's grand tactics were closely linked to his envelopment strategy and his fusion of marching, fighting and pursuit into one continuous and remorseless process.
Coming closer to his main subject our speaker explained that following the capitulation of the Austrians at Ulm in November, 1805, Napoleon still faced the problem posed by the approaching Russian forces. Failure to encounter the Russians south of the Danube, (the Allies were operating according to two separate calendars with a ten-day difference), Napoleon was forced to seek his prey northwards from Vienna towards Brünn and Olmütz in Moravia. By late November, Napoleon had some 53 000 men near Austerlitz; his lines of communication were very exposed, and over 100 000 men were by this time dispersed to guard them. The Allies had all of 90 000 men near Olmütz.
Napoleon knew that his troops could advance no further. If he halted, his men would starve in bleak, winterbound Moravia, and there were signs that Prussia was about to join the Third Coalition. Consequently, he decided to lure the enemy into launching a major attack against him. To achieve this, being a master of deception, he feigned total weakness - requesting an armistice on the 27th, retreating from the approaches to Wischau in apparent disorder on the 30th, and finally abandoning the town of Austerlitz and the neighbouring Pratzen Heights to the enemy. Once Napoleon learnt that the Allied army were taken in by this display and that the Tsar Alexander, having taken the bait, had ordered an attack, he summoned, by forced marches, his outlying corps and redistributed them. Massing the bulk of his army under Soult in dead Ground near the Goldbach stream, he deliberately weakened his right flank, against which, as he had hoped, the Russians then massed almost 60 000 men under Buxholden, at the cost of weakening their centre on Pratzen Heights. On 2nd December the early moves were hidden by a dense fog. Waiting until Pratzen Heights were almost clear of Allied troops, at 9am he launched Soult with two divisions against the summit to capture the centre of the enemy line, and then to sweep on to the flank and rear of the massed Allied left line. By 3 pm the Russians were being driven back to wards the frozen Satschan marshes, and although Buxholden extricated one column, the rest were doomed. A number were drowned when the ice gave way under French bombardment. The Allies had suffered some 27 000 casualties; the French only 8 500. Next day Austria sued for peace.
Fellow-member Dr Graham Fuller gave credit to a well-researched subject and thanked the speaker on behalf of the audience.
MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION.
a. Members are invited to voice their opinions in regard to our present new venue (Westville North Library) or to suggest other venues which might be tried. A telephone call to one of the following will suffice: 'SB' Bourquin 864...; Tania van der Watt 742..; Ken Gillings 305 ....(w)
b. Thought is being given towards arranging a one-day outing in the foreseeable future. This will be discussed at the April meeting. Your suggestions of an itinerary and date (Sunday or public holiday) will be welcomed.
FUTURE EVENTS
Programme of Monthly Meetings: APRIL 13TH The Command Sergeant Major, WO1 ROLEY MEDLIN, of Natal Medical Command will give a talk on "SOLVING THE MYSTERY OF THE KING'S COLOURS WHICH WERE PRESENTED TO THE CAPE MEDICAL CORPS IN 1904".
May 11th Colonel Louis Heap will deliver an introductory talk followed by a video on "The Undeclared War" (the war in the townships).
The venue for the above meetings will be the functions room on the first floor of the Westville North Library, 167 Blair Atholl Road. The Library building is on the corner of Blair Atholl and Iver Roads, at the robot-controlled intersection of BLAIR ATHOLL RD.- IVER RD - DUNKELD RD. The entrance to the library parking area and building is from Iver Road. Commencement time will be 19h45 and friends and interested persons are welcome to come along.
Ice and watar jugs will be provided, but please bring your own GLASS and bottled or canned refreshments.
Tania van der Watt
Secretary: Durban Branch
S.A. Military History Society
Box 870 Hillcrest 3650
Tel. 74mmmm