| Author(s) | Friedrich Engels |
|---|---|
| Written | 21 September 1857 |
ENGELS TO MARX
IN LONDON
Ryde, 21 September 1857
Dear Marx,
Steffen and Pieper have been here in company with a friend of Pieper's and, as the two last have only just left, I've hardly any time before the post goes to take a look at the enclosed article[1] or write to you about 'Bernadotte'.
Austerlitz.[2] He was sent to Iglau[3] by Napoleon in order to keep an eye on the Archduke Ferdinand in Bohemia. Having received in good time Napoleon's order to come to Brünn,[4] which he did, he was placed with his corps between Soult and Lannes (in the centre) where he helped repulse the outflanking movement of the allied right wing. I don't recall any particularly important action of Bernadotte's on this occasion, nor can I find anything in Jomini.[5]
Jena. Here it is a fact that Bernadotte did indeed receive orders from Napoleon to march from Naumburg to Dornburg while Davout, who was also in Naumburg, was to march to Apolda. The order received by Davout stated that, if Bernadotte had already joined him, they might both march to Apolda together. Davout was in favour of the latter, having reconnoitred the Prussian lines of advance in person and satisfied himself that Bernadotte wouldn't meet the enemy in the Dornburg direction. He even offered to place himself under Bernadotte's command. The latter, however, insisted that, in the orders he had received, the passage relating to Apolda did not appear, and he moved off. The result was that on the 14th he spent the whole day marching round without meeting the enemy, while Davout was compelled to fight alone at Auerstedt. Had Bernadotte been there, or had he simply marched towards the thunder of the cannon on the 14th, this au fond[6] indecisive victory could have been every bit as decisive as the one at Jena. Only because of the meeting of the Auerstedt Prussian army with the fugitives from Jena and also
because of the strategic preparations Napoleon had made for the battle, did the affair prove decisive after all in its consequences. Why Bernadotte did this nobody has ever found out. Jomini calls it une exactitude trop scrupuleuse.[7] Probably Bernadotte was glad to discredit Napoleon by sticking rigidly to his instructions, for in this instance the latter had undoubtedly acted on false premises.
Eylau.[8] When Bennigsen moved off to engage Ney's troops, who had ventured too far forward, Bernadotte being to their left rear, Napoleon laid a trap for him. Ney withdrew to the south and Bernadotte to the south-west with orders to lure Bennigsen towards the Vistula, while Napoleon marched north from Poland towards Bennigsen's communications. An orderly officer carrying written orders for Bernadotte was captured by the Cossacks and in this way Bennigsen learnt of the impending danger, which he just managed to elude. Bernadotte, on the other hand, remained without instructions as a result of the same incident and accordingly stayed to the rear of the line. I don't see that there is anything to reproach him with on this score.
Wagram.[9] On the first day of the battle
'Eugène[10] déboucha près de Wagram; mais, donnant ici au milieu des réserves ennemies, et n'étant pas soutenu par Bernadotte qui ne s'était engagé ni assez tôt ni assez franchement, il fut attaqué de front et en flanc, et ramené vertement jusqu'à ma garde.'[11]
I can discover nothing of special moment about Bernadotte on the 2nd day of the battle.
At all events Monsieur Bernadotte was not a great general; nowhere did he distinguish himself and even as a politician there was much of the Gascon in him—what an idea, wanting to become Emperor after Napoleon![12]
I have absolutely nothing to say about Bessières save that for the most part he was in command of the Guard, in particular the cavalry, a post that hardly demanded a superfluity of intelligence. He was brave, voilà tout.[13]
I intend to finish B this week if possible, or at any rate break
the back of the letter, after which I shall send you what is needed on Blücher. It's time for the post now. Warm regards to your wife and children.
Your
F. E.
What's the position as regards your trip? Havelock seems to be the best chap in India, and it is a really tremendous feat to have marched 126 miles in a week in that climate, not to mention fighting 5 or 6 engagements. That it would end in a general outbreak of cholera might have been predicted.
I hardly see The Times at all here, otherwise I could write to you at greater length about India, but getting hold of newspapers to read here is altogether too difficult.