do so in 1809, Napoleon was involved in a game of double or quits to
show that he was irresistible anywhere in Europe.
A variant of this view is that if he withdrew anywhere in Europe, he
would then be under pressure to withdraw elsewhere. So if he pulled out
of Spain, the cry would go up for him to quit Poland; if he quit Poland,
he would then come under pressure to relinquish Prussia, then Holland,
then Belgium, until in the end he was back with the frontiers of 1792.
This is ingenious but offends against Ockham's razor. The simple truth is
that Napoleon thought he could close the last open door in the
Continental System against England by a walkover campaign in the
Iberian peninsula and when this proved illusory, lacked the mental
concentration needed to get out. To humiliate Joseph, discipline the
marshals and accept the military logic of an unwinnable military
campaign would have been a tall order at the best of times. From 1810
onwards Napoleon's mind was no longer primarily on Spain, for he had
found a new interest and a new wife.
marcin
(Marcin)
#1