Napoleon Bonaparte quotation from The Military Maxims of Napoleon

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Rivoli, compelled the garrison to retire into the place, while the division of Victor, forgetting the fatigues of a forced march, rushed with impetuosity on the relieving army in front. At this moment a sortie from the lines of St. George took him in flank, while the corps of Augereau, which had followed the march of the Austrian general, attacked him in rear. Provéra, surrounded on all sides, capitulated. The result of these two battles cost the Austrians three thousand men in killed and wounded, twenty-two thousand prisoners, twenty-four standards, and forty-six pieces of cannon. MAXIM XII. An army ought to have only one line of operation. This should be preserved with care, and never abandoned but in the last extremity. NOTE. “The line of communication of an army,” says Montécuculli, “must be certain and well established, for every army that acts from a distant base, and is not careful to keep this line perfectly open, marches upon a precipice. It moves to certain ruin, as may be seen by an infinity of examples. In fact, if the road by which provisions, ammunition and reinforcements are to be brought up, is not entirely secured--if the magazines, the hospitals, the depôts of arms, and the places of supply are not fixed and commodiously situated--not only the army cannot keep the field, but it will be exposed