“The Glorious Retreat”

Abstract This chapter recounts Napoleon Bonaparte’s victory at Ulm. This was a remarkable achievement. He was able to outsmart his opponents and destroy one hostile army. He was on the point of chasing the second one into the heart of the Habsburg Empire. The first to feel the consequences of Napoleon’s triumph was Mikhail Kutuzov, whose army was less than eighty miles from Munich. The chapter examines Napoleon’s decision to postpone his advance until after October 25, which meant that Kutuzov was given an opportunity to assess the situation, weigh different options, choose a course of action, and start to execute it. The chapter looks at Kutuzov’s immediate objective, which was to avoid battle and safeguard the Russian army in the face of the French juggernaut. To ensure a safe and orderly withdrawal, Kutuzov decided to keep a sting in his tail and appointed Major General Bagration to command the rear guard.