Napoleon Bonaparte quotation from The Military Maxims of Napoleon

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s distant only half a league; but, fearing the influence of this retrograde movement on the _morale_ of his army, Turenne balanced all disadvantages by his courage, and marched boldly to meet the enemy with very inferior forces. After marching a league, he found an advantageous position, where he made every disposition for a battle. It was three o’clock in the afternoon; but the Spaniards, exhausted with fatigue, hesitated to attack him, and Turenne having covered himself with entrenchments during the night, the enemy no longer dared to risk a general action, and broke up his camp. MAXIM XIX. The transition from the defensive to the offensive is one of the most delicate operations. NOTE. By studying the first campaign of Napoleon in Italy, we can learn what genius and boldness may effect in passing with an army from the _defensive_ to the _offensive_. The army of the allies, commanded by General Beaulieu, was provided with every means that could render it formidable. Its force amounted to eighty thousand men, and two hundred pieces of cannon. The French army, on the contrary, could number scarcely thirty thousand men under arms, and thirty pieces of cannon. For some time there had been no issue of meat, and even the bread was irregularly supplied. The infantry was ill c