Simon Bolvar vs. Napoleon Bonaparte[]
Simon Bolivar The Venezuelan military hero who beat all odds and forced Spain from its dictatorial grip on South America, freeing a continent!
Napoleon Bonaparte: One of the most famous military conquerors who smashed through Europe with his brilliant mind and mighty French army! WHO IS DEADLIEST?
But wait - this is no ordinary battle. We're here to see what would happen if the small-but-determined forces of Bolívar’s army clashed with Napoleon’s meticulously trained French army. We will delve into the depths of each Warrior's minds, find what made them so great, what they accomplished and where (or if) they lost.
We will compare tactics, armies, and the leaders themselves to see who is the Greatest Man on Earth.
Armies[]
The Venezuelan Infantry was the bread-and-butter of Bolivar's army. They were often equipped with Muskets, though some had early Rifles, and all were equipped with Sabres and Bayonets if the fighting got up-close and fierce (which it often did). Although the Infantry wasn’t as well trained as some of the other military forces of their time, their ability to adapt to guerrilla tactics and regular battlefield combat made them indispensible to Bolivar's forces. Not only were they determined but they were vicious, so they would not hesitate to put a bullet where it would hurt.
The Elite Venezuelan Artillery was quite skilled, so they did deserve their title. With powerful cannons that would thunder doom upon the enemies, Bolivar would often position these weapons up on top of a hill or outcrop overlooking the fighting area. Once the enemy advanced, heavy, huge shells would pound into the enemy, killing many and wounding scores more. The Artillery relied on the rest of the army to back them up; if the fighting ever reached too close to the Artillery, they would have no way of fighting back and could easily be overrun.
The Light Venezuelan Cavalry would charge valiantly into battle on their mighty horses, firing their pistols with accuracy enough to rival that of a Hun horse archer. And of course, their wicked-sharp sabres would easily cleave through neck and bone, leaving great destruction on the battlefield. These troops would support the Infantry a while into the battle if things were getting too rough, but often served as clean-up men to polish off those few weakened enemies after a successful battle.
The Sharpshooters didn’t have access to the enhanced sniper rifles of today, so their skill was unrivaled in the treetops of the battlefield. With special rifles with sleeker barrels than most, these men could pick off artillery men, incoming cavalry, or even possibly the opposing general – from up to several thousand yards away.
The French Grenadiers were dangerous on the battlefield. They were some of the largest soldiers on the field and could lob and toss grenades into the battlefield where they please, causing mayhem and havoc with deadly explosions. Of course, being the easy targets with their large size, they also had a pistol with which to fight.
The Imperial Infantry was the main force of Napoleon’s grand war-machine. Armed with muskets, they would unleash wave after ferocious wave of lead balls at their enemy. The Infantry could make mincemeat of almost anyone they encountered with their skill and accuracy.
The French Cavalry are the mounted slayers of the French Army. They are armed similarly to the Venezuelan Cavalry with a pistol and a sword. The main difference between the two, however, was that the French Cavalry would hit hard at the front line, inflicting heavy casualties almost immediately, while the Venezuelan cavalry were more back-up or clean-up guys. It will be interesting to see which horseman reigns superior on the battlefield.
The Fusiliers were yet another foot soldier on the battlefield, armed with the lighter and more accurate fusil musket, from which their name derives. These men were one of the most skilled in Napoleon’s army and gave supporting fire for the French Cavalry so the horsemen were not slaughtered on their forward advance.
Tactics:[]
Simon Bolivar was a military wonder, proven with his victory over Spain with only a small, poorly equipped rebel force to fight with. But will his tactics keep his army from falling to Napoleon’s more properly armed forces?
Bolívar would use any advantage he had against his opponent, even if that meant the weather. Bolívar would try to keep his attacks during bad weather to catch the enemy ill-prepared or off-guard. One of Bolívar’s campaigns was to liberate New Grenada from occupying Royalist forces. The Venezuelan military was no match for the prepared Royalists, who were clearly expecting attacks. So Bolívar invaded during the rainy season, and he was succesful. Bolívar owed many of his victories to trouble the enemy had run in to, often which he had planned himself for to happen.
Bonaparte was a military genius himself, as evidenced by his conquest of most of Europe, but can he prove his title again or will he fall to the cunning of Bolivar's mind?
In Egypt, Bonaparte put great use of his large infantry force at the Battle of the Pyramids and smashed the defending Egyptian forces. Much of Bonaparte’s success, in fact, is owed to the skill and size of his infantry. He would often manipulate their positions and attack methods to confuse the enemy, and then unleash a final attack that would demolish the enemy forces and morale. The Fusiliers and Grenadiers especially were useful in keeping diversity among his troops so that no one advantage could the enemy get over his entire army without extreme difficulty.
Who is the Better General?[]
With the assessment complete, we know understand the powerful armies each man commanded and the genius that led them through victory after victory. That being said, Bolivar prevailed over the overconfident French commander. His men were too determined and the sharpshooters played a big advantage in the battle. Napoleon was taken out by an unlucky bullet to the head in mid-battle, and after that, chaos broke loose. Bolivar's men easily routed the French army after that.
WINNER: 