Conclusion

Abstract

This epigraph is good indication of the frustration Napoleon Bonaparte often felt when dealing with countries allied to France during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. One can look at Napoleon’s sentiment in two ways—different sides of the same coin, so to speak. On the one hand, Napoleon Bonaparte was one of the greatest (many would argue the greatest) military commander and strategist in world history. In that sense, his dictum voices a warning for anyone who might wish to engage in coalition or alliance military operations. As discussed in this volume and in numerous other books and articles, multinational military ventures are fraught with problems and challenges that simply do not exist in unilateral military operations—and they range from political and diplomatic differences and squabbles down to strategic, operational, and even tactical challenges and complexities. In terms of unity of purpose and unity of command and control, Napoleon certainly had a valid point. Indeed, he was often able to exploit the problems his enemies faced (precisely because they were coalition partners) to his advantage.