La Maraude
Encyclopedia
La Maraude describes the tactic employed by Napoleonic armies
of scavenging for supplies instead of relying on extended lines of supply. It was Napoleon’s belief that armies should be largely self-sufficient, as this freed them from the constraints of supply lines and allowed them to move far more quickly than their more static enemies. The tactic proved very successful in Western and central Europe
but was less successful in the more desolate regions of Spain
and Russia
where food was less plentiful. The tactic was particularly flawed whenever an army was forced to retreat over land which it had already scavenged as in the retreat from Moscow
. One result of this method of provisioning was that French soldiers became accomplished cooks and were able to create very nourishing meals from very basic ingredients. It should also be noted that many of the peasants whose stores were taken, especially in Russia, ended up starving.
La Grande Armée
The Grande Armée first entered the annals of history when, in 1805, Napoleon I renamed the army that he had assembled on the French coast of the English Channel for the proposed invasion of Britain...
of scavenging for supplies instead of relying on extended lines of supply. It was Napoleon’s belief that armies should be largely self-sufficient, as this freed them from the constraints of supply lines and allowed them to move far more quickly than their more static enemies. The tactic proved very successful in Western and central Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
but was less successful in the more desolate regions of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
where food was less plentiful. The tactic was particularly flawed whenever an army was forced to retreat over land which it had already scavenged as in the retreat from Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. One result of this method of provisioning was that French soldiers became accomplished cooks and were able to create very nourishing meals from very basic ingredients. It should also be noted that many of the peasants whose stores were taken, especially in Russia, ended up starving.