The pursuit continued for two more days, and then, on the evening of the thirtieth, a muddied dragoon officer arrived at headquarters with the news that Vandamme had been defeated at Kulm. Napoleon nodded calmly and bid the officer make his report in full. Vandamme, it seemed, had obeyed his orders with alacrity, driving his troops on as they marched round the hills to cut off the enemy’s escape. On the twenty-ninth they had encountered the rearguard in the narrow valley at Kulm and fought an inconclusive battle. That night, another enemy column, in an attempt to escape St-Cyr’s corps, had blundered into the rear of Vandamme’s men, trapping them in the valley. Nearly ten thousand had managed to cut their way free, but the rest were either dead or had been taken prisoner, like Vandamme himself.

Napoleon heard the news without interruption, and then politely dismissed the officer before turning to Berthier and the other staff officers.

‘It seems that the pursuit has failed. Recall the army to Dresden.’

‘Yes, sire.’ Berthier nodded. ‘What are your plans now, sire?’

Napoleon frowned and shook his head. ‘Plans?’

For a terrifying moment, he could think of nothing. His mind was numbed by lack of sleep and in any case every scheme he had devised to defeat the enemy had failed. It was becoming clear to Napoleon what the enemy’s campaign strategy was. While they were content to fight his marshals when and where they could, they had resolved not to face Napoleon in person if possible.

‘Clever, very clever,’ he mused wearily. There was little doubt that the allies had finally hit upon an effective means of fighting him. Worse still, the fatal weakness that they had divined in the Grand Army was one of his own creation. For years now, Napoleon had exercised personal authority over every aspect of his army. His officers and men had come to rely on him utterly and had lost the ability to use their own initiative and trust their own judgement. So now, he was obliged to be everywhere, or concentrate all his men in one unwieldy host so large that it could not possibly survive for long off the land as it attempted to corner an enemy who was ever willing to trade time for space.

‘Oh, yes . . .’ Napoleon muttered under his breath. ‘Very clever indeed.’

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Early in September Napoleon ordered Marshal Ney to make one last attempt to capture Berlin. Ney only managed to advance as far as Dennewitz before he was defeated and sent reeling back to the south. Meanwhile, Napoleon had taken the Imperial Guard with him to join MacDonald’s army and crush Blücher, who he hoped would prove too impetuous to refuse battle. But, true to the allied strategy, Blücher fell back, and at the same time the Army of Bohemia advanced on Dresden once again, forcing Napoleon to race back.