Carl von Clausewitz in his work On War, called Napoleon "The god of war" due to his ability to manipulate time and space relative to his opponents, allowing him to march further and faster, consolidate on the battlefield and bring about a decisive tactical victory. As with all geniuses, Napoleon's brand of brilliance was a result of many environmental and personal factors. This One-Time class is dedicated to unveiling the nature of military genius through the career of Napoleon Bonaparte. The class will focus upon Napoleon's military decision-making with biographical information included when relevant. Selected campaigns and battles will be used as exemplars of his military genius, however due to time constraints not all battles will be discussed. 

The class will begin with a definition of military genius as a basis of understanding prior to delving into Napoleon's unique brand of genius as made manifest through his early military career. Throughout the class important strategic and tactical principles will be presented as exemplified by Napoleon on the battlefield. The Ulm-Austerlitz Campaign (1805) will be used as a case study since this operation best represents his mastery of the art of war. The class will conclude with an overview of Napoleon's impact on military thought in the 19th and 20th centuries through the works of Clausewitz and Jomini. 

Students interested in Military History will greatly benefit from this class due to its emphasis upon defining and exemplifying the nature of military genius as well as the use of the Principles of War and other strategic concepts introduced during the class.