BlackHat's Journal: And no one ever told me/ That I could be so cold

It is interesting that in the 1750-1850 period the three newly invented countries of Spain, France and Russia ended up pounding on each other. Although it should be noted that in the Russian case the invention was mostly a facade for the tourists. Spain a reconquest, of a type, and France a collision of economic and social factors. How they all got to an invented nation was less important than its application once they had them.

Quote:
The second check to Napoleon's triumphant career came from one of the weaker nations of Europe, aided by the British under a commander of renown. Napoleon, as already stated, after overturning Spain had been called away by the Austrian war. This ended by the treaty of peace, he filled Spain once more with his veterans, increasing the strength of the army there to 300,000 men, under his ablest generals, Soult, Massena, Ney, Marmont, Macdonald and others. They marched through Spain from end to end, yet, though they held all the salient points, the people refused to submit, but from their mountain fastnesses kept up a petty and annoying war.

Massena invaded Portugal in 1811, but here he was faced by General Wellington, leading a British army, and was forced to retreat. Soult, who followed him, was equally unsuccessful, and when Napoleon in 1812 depleted his army in Spain for the Russian campaign, Wellington marched his army into Spain and, aided by the Spanish patriots, took possession of Madrid, driving King Joseph from his throne.

Meanwhile Napoleon had entered upon the greatest and most disastrous campaign in his history. Defied by Alexander I, Czar of Russia, he had declared war upon that empire and sought its conquest with the greatest army that ever marched under his banners. On the banks of the Niemen, a river that flows between Prussia and Poland, there gathered near the end of June 1812, an immense army of more than 600,000 men, attended by an enormous multitude of non-combatants, their purpose being the invasion of the empire of Russia. Of this great army, made up of troops from half the nations of Europe, there reappeared six months later on that broad stream about 16,000 armed men, almost all that were left of that stupendous host. The remainder had perished on the desert soil or in the frozen rivers of Russia, few of them surviving as prisoners in Russian hands. Such was the character of the dread catastrophe that broke the power of the mighty conqueror and delivered Europe from his autocratic grasp.

We cannot give the details of this fatal campaign, and shall only summarize its chief incidents. Barclay de Tolly, Alexander's commander in chief, adopted a Fabian policy, that of persistently avoiding battle, and keeping the French in pursuit of a fleeting will-of-the-wisp while their army wasted away from hardship and disease in the inhospitable Russian clime.

His method was a wise one, desertion, illness, death of the untrained recruits in rapid march under the hot midsummer sun, did the work of many battles, and when Smolensk was reached after two months of bootless marching, the "Grand Army" was bound to have been reduced to half its numbers.

Moscow, the old capital of the Empire, was Napoleon's goal. He felt sure that the occupation of that city would bring the Russians to bay and force them to accept terms of peace. He was sadly mistaken. The Russians, weary of retreating, faced him in one battle, that of Borodino. Here they fought stubbornly, but with the usual result. They could not stand against the impetuous dash of Napoleon's veterans and were forced to retreat, leaving 40,000 dead and wounded upon the field. But the French army had lost more than 30,000, including an unusual number of generals, two being killed and thirty-nine wounded.

On the 15th of September, Moscow, the "Holy City" of Russia was occupied, Napoleon taking up his quarters in the famous palace of the Kremlin, from which he hoped to dictate terms of peace to the obstinate Czar. What were his feelings on the next morning when word was brought him that Moscow was on fire, and flames were seen leaping into the air in all directions.

The fire had been premeditated. From every quarter rose the devouring flames. Even the Kremlin did not escape and Napoleon was obliged to seek shelter outside the city, which continued to burn for three days, when the wind sank and rain poured upon the smoldering embers.

The dismayed conqueror waited in vain. He wrote letters to the Czar, suggesting peace. His letters were left unanswered. He hung on despairingly until the 18th of October, when he reluctantly gave the order to retreat. Too long he had waited, for the terrible Russian winter was about to descend.

That retreat was a frightful one. The army had been reduced to 103,000 men; the army followers had also greatly decreased in numbers. But it was still a large host that set out upon its long march over the frozen Russian plains.

The Russian policy now changed. The retreating army was attacked at every suitable point. The food supply rapidly failed. On again reaching Smolensk the army was only 42,000 strong, though the camp followers are said to have still numbered 60,000.

On the 26th of November the ice-cold River Beresina was reached, destined to be the most terrible point on the whole dreadful march. Two bridges were thrown in all haste across the stream, and most of the men under arms crossed, but 18,000 stragglers fell into the hands of the enemy. How many were trodden to death in the press or were crowded from the bridge into the icy river cannot be told. It is said that when spring thawed the ice, 30,000 bodies were found and burned on the banks of the stream. A mere fragment of the great army remained alive. Ney, who had been the hero of the retreat, was the last man to cross that frightful stream.

On the 13th of December some 16,000 haggard and staggering men, almost too weak to hold the arms to which they still despairingly clung, recrossed the Niemen, which the "Grand Army" had passed in such magnificent strength and with such abounding resources less than six months before. It was the greatest and most astounding disaster in the military history of the world. --Logan Marshall

I have a couple more bits about this era 1750-1850, nationalism and its impact on our modern social systems to come. Until then.

News with flags flying:
Juan's hair oil. Buy now before it's gone. Noam on peak oil.

More Cliff bait at the DNC [Moore, surly![Burly?]]. While the term hat is expanded to the term-- fruit cake basket. Mr Hieronymus Bosch meets Miss Carmen Miranda on the DNC floor. Beep Beep.

Indonesia heading for run off in presidential race. A complete lack of blaming the jews this time round. Must be the weather.

Tigers Poaching Tigers. Toss up as to why this time. The BBC's Frances Harrison in Colombo says if the names given by the Tigers are correct, then the killings will be a major blow to Colonel Karuna. Several of his top men are thought to be dead. Which has been Chandrika Kumaratunga's plan. Back off and let them eat each other. Back off a bit in an underdogs district and watch their peers do the rest. Saves on your ammo bill too.

That was Wilkens. An Angolan deputy foreign minister has committed suicide by leaping from a terrace on the eighth storey of a hotel in the capital, Luanda, police say. ... Did you see somebody go past the window? What? Somebody just went past the window. That way. Oh. Another one. Huh? Another one just went past downwards. What? Two people have just fallen out of that window to their almost certain death. Fine, fine. Fine. Look! Two people [another falls] three people have just fallen past that window. Must be a board meeting. Oh yeah.

"The hours of non-hours work worked by a worker in a pay reference period shall be the total of the number of hours spent by him during the pay reference period in carrying out the duties required of him under his contract to do non-hours work."

Blair illustrated in perfect detail.

Texttoon:
Ink on paper/polychrome/scan/jpg: Drawing of a large pear shaped woman totally outfitted in Stars&Stripe clothing. A host of political pins and stuffed animals lurk in clusters obscuring her vision. A half empty water bottle in her hand and a Kerry/Edwards flag in the other. Under her flagged platform shoes is the arc of the world. The countries labeled as if a map with various little figures of people waving fists at her shoes, crushing various landmarks below. Speech bubble has her saying; "Ya'all know it's our turn again."