and, and
on the twentieth occupied Warsaw. Such successes were intoxicating;
the great general had, it seemed, been caught napping at last, and the
advantage of a successful opening appeared to be with his enemy.

CHAPTER XV

THE FIFTH WAR WITH AUSTRIA--ECKMUeHL[30]

[Footnote 30: See Saski: Campagne de 1809, Lejeune, Memoires
du general. Fournier: Oesterreich nach dem Frieden von Wien.
Beer: Zehn Jahre oesterreichischer Politik (1801-10).]

Strategic Preliminaries -- Final Orders -- The Defensive Plan of
Austria -- Berthier's Failure -- Napoleon's Arrival at Donauwoerth
-- The Height of Napoleon's Ability -- The Austrian Advance --
The First Collision -- Concentration of Napoleon's Army -- The
Austrians Divided -- The Austrians at Eckmuehl -- The Battle --
Charles's Retreat -- The Five Days' Fight -- Its Results --
Charles at the Bisamberg -- Napoleon at Vienna -- The German
Risings Demoralized -- Discrimination of the People -- Napoleon's
Unsuccessful Appeal to Hungary -- Pius VII Loses his Secular
Power -- Napoleon's Activity -- Charles's Sluggishness -- Plans
of Both Generals -- Napoleon on the Lobau.

It was Napoleon's pride that in his campaigns no enemy should lay down
the law to him. He did not ask, How will my foe behave? What must I do
to thwart him?--that was defensive warfare. For his purposes he must
ask, Whence can I best strike? This question he now answered by
selecting the valley of the Danube as his line of approach, and
Ratisbon as his headquarters. He had before him the most difficult
task he had so far undertaken. The concentration and sustenance of his
troops must be made along the line of very least resistance. Davout
had four divisions--one each in Magdeburg, Hanover, Stettin, and
Bayreuth; he was also in command of the Poles and Saxons. Bernadotte
had two divisions distributed in Hamburg, Bremen, and Luebeck; Oudinot
had one in Hanau; the soldiers of the Rhine Confederation were
scattered in all its towns. Two other divisions were just starting for
Spain. In the beginning of March Berthier was again appointed chief of
staff, and the Emperor's orders were issued. They were as clear,
concise, and adequate as any of his best; he was once more on familiar
ground, under ordinary conditions, facing a well-known foe, whose
strength was greater than ever before, but whose identity was still
the same. Davout w