The French general staff, although more efficient and flexible than its opponent's, wasn't infallible. It took gifted men like Napoleon and Berthier to exploit its advantages over the Allies. But even they, along with their staff of veterans, could not overcome the vast space of Russia in 1812, or the Allied superiority of numbers in 1813 and 1814. GQG was not a machine; the system required talent. As Marshal Soult's fumbling would demonstrate in 1815 when he became Napoleon's chief of staff, GQG did not work automatically as well without officers having the experience and abilities of Berthier.

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Copyright 1995 by Emperor's Press.