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Deception And Terrain Delivered Austerlitz
- Napoleon combined deception, terrain choice, and predicting enemy reactions to force the coalition to fight on his terms.
- At Austerlitz he lured the allies into attacking a deliberately weakened-looking center and then exploited the Protzen Heights maneuver.
Napoleon Tended His Wounded Personally
- Napoleon walked the battlefield after the fighting, personally helping wounded soldiers with brandy from his canteen.
- Doctor Alexandre Yvan and his Mameluke Rustam accompanied him while he tended the maimed in freezing rain.
Psychological Collapse Amplified Allied Defeat
- The psychological shock of Austerlitz mattered as much as physical losses; allied leaders felt crushed and demoralized.
- Alexander called his commanders "babies in the hands of a giant," and panic hindered organized retreat.