. A life of Napoleon Boneparte:. k-wittedness in emergency frec[uently saved himfrom disaster. Thus, on August 4th, in the midst of theexcitement of the contest, Bonaparte went to Lonato to seewhat troops could be drawn from there. On entering hewas greatly surprised to receive an Austrian paricincntaire,who called on the commandant of Lonato to surrender, be-cause the French were surrounded. Bonaparte saw at oncethat the Austrians could be nothing but a division which hadbeen cut off and was seeking escape; but he was embarrassed,for there were only twelve hundred men at Lonato. Sendingfor th
. A life of Napoleon Boneparte:. k-wittedness in emergency frec[uently saved himfrom disaster. Thus, on August 4th, in the midst of theexcitement of the contest, Bonaparte went to Lonato to seewhat troops could be drawn from there. On entering hewas greatly surprised to receive an Austrian paricincntaire,who called on the commandant of Lonato to surrender, be-cause the French were surrounded. Bonaparte saw at oncethat the Austrians could be nothing but a division which hadbeen cut off and was seeking escape; but he was embarrassed,for there were only twelve hundred men at Lonato. Sendingfor the man, he had his eyes unbandaged, and told him thatif his commander had the presumption to capture the gen-eral-in-chief of the army of Italy he might advance; thatthe Austrian division ought to have known that he was atLonato with his whole army; and he added that if they didnot lay down their arms in eight minutes he would notspare a man. This audacity saved Bonaparte, and won himfour thousand prisoners with guns and 76 THE FIRST ITALIAN CAMPAIGN -^-j His fertility in stratagem, his rapidity of action, his au-dacity in attack, bewildered and demoralized the enemy,but it raised the enthusiasm of his imaginative Southerntroops to the highest pitch. He insisted in this campaign on one other rule: Unityof command is necessary to assure success. After his de-feat of the Piedmontese, the Directory ordered him, May 7,1796, to divide his command with Kellermann. Napoleonanswered: I believe it most impolitic to divide the army of Italy in two is quite as much against the interests of the republic to place twodiflferent generals over it. . A single general is not only necessary, but also it is essential thatnothing trouble him in his march and operations. I have conductedthis campaign vv^ithout consulting any one. I should have done nothingof value if I had been obliged to reconcile my plans with those ofanother. I have gained advantage over superior forces and when
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